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Monday, January 13, 2025

Reptile by Jeremy Eads

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Five "Silver Claw Action" Stars

A small taste of what lies within:

Mark Branton doesn't know what is happening in his hometown of Summit Valley as there are bodies being murdered savagely.

Mark thinks he has entered a dream state of some kind as he sees a man that can also enter his thoughts at will but Mark soon learns that whatever is killing people is somehow connected to him as Mark's body has changes going on which will affect those around him as Mark has been chosen to become a creature of myth and the elusive dream state man is a part of it all!

That is about all I can hand out on a small taste without giving away spoilers so if you are intrigued then go read this book!

Thoughts:

Wow!! This story took me on one hell of a cool ride into not only horror, but also a mythical ride into fantasy as well! The pace of the story was a little slow in the beginning as there was some world building but once the stage was set for the characters and the town the story took off!

The last half of the book I read in a few short hours as once the momentum of the story kicked in then I had a hard time putting down the book! I was entranced with how the book turned toward a horror/fantasy story as the author delved deep into a creature feature realm that involved mythical creatures.

The last half of the book I was literally flying through the story as the action picks up to the point that I could not put the book down and wanted to keep reading it to the end as I wanted to see where the author was going to take me! This was my second book by this author and I am looking for more stories that will take me on hell rides of zesty action fun!

Attached is the author, Jeremy Eads, profile page from Goodreads:

Jeremy Eads

Attached is the author, Jeremy Eads, profile page from Amazon:

Jeremy Eads

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

Sunday, September 3, 2023

The Jalakh Bow (The Weapon Taker's Saga #3) by Jamie Edmundson

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Five "Thrilling Quest" Stars

Action & Adventure!

A small taste of what lies within:

Belwynne along with her brother, Soren are back in this third book to hunt down the elusive weapon the Jalakh Bow. Their companions that started out with them on the first quest are here, there, and everywhere in this book as some of them had got separated when the war had first started.

The war rages on within the lands of Dalriya and there is tons of political intrigue, bloody battles, back stabbing betrayals as the companions try to figure out how to survive within the war. Everyone has their own agenda as they try to accomplish the quest of seeking out all the magical weapons!

That is about all I can give on a small taste without giving away spoilers so if you want to know more then go read this series!

Thoughts:

There is so much that happens within this book as so many things are going on at once within different parts of the country. The companions all go through their own struggles with the war and trying to retrieve the weapons.

Lots of moving parts in this book! Still loving all the characters as the author just makes them connected to the reader. I feel like I am magically plopped down within the storyline and feeling what the characters are all feeling as they make their way through the storyline.

Looking forward to reading the last book in this series to see how the author wraps everything up and hoping that some of my favorite characters make it to the end of this series.

Attached is the author, Jamie Edmundson, profile page from Goodreads:

Attached is the author, Jamie Edmundson, profile page from Amazon:

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

Monday, July 24, 2023

Bolivar's Sword (The Weapon Taker's Saga #2) by Jamie Edmundson

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Five "Awesome Action" Stars

Battle and Sorcery Action!

A small taste of what lies within:

During a skirmish Soren was separated from his twin sister, Belwynn and some of the companions were split to the point that a handful of them were captured and handful of them escaped! This time there is another weapon that they are searching for (Bolivar's Sword) when things go to hell in a handbasket and all of them are in a fight for their lives!

Though some of them are separated from each other they end up with allies willing to help them out of their situations, but trying to find each other again is going to be hard as the friend group that was captured are being led far away to another city and rescuing them will take more than a miracle to get them all back together!

War is still brewing in the country of Dalriya and the friends are caught up in the war when it finally erupts which sends all them trying to decide what they are going to need to do in the midst of war and a possible rescue!

That is about all I can give on a small taste without giving away spoilers, so if this book sounds intriguing then go grab it and step into this world!

Thoughts:

I have to add a "Wow" here as once again stepping back into this book I was caught up in the story of the twins and their companions. There are tons of factions, soldiers, kingdoms, creatures and wizards along with tons of characters that are spread out within this story and the previous book as well.

Battle Action!

Sorcery Action!

I was once again consumed by this story as the first book ends on a cliff hanger and I had to jump into this second book to not lose momentum within the story. There are some cool battle fights that happen in this book when the war starts including more magical sorcery that really erupts in this book as the visuals of the fights just come alive on the pages. The action is superb and fast paced as through most of the book I could not catch my breath with staying up some nights to the wee hours of the morning as I barreled along within this story!

Looking forward to reading book three which I have already started as this book ended on cliff hanger and I am eager to find out what happens next!

Attached is the author, Jamie Edmundson, profile page from Goodreads:

Attached is the author, Jamie Edmundson, profile page from Amazon:

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

Thursday, July 20, 2023

Dream Reaper by Alistair Cross

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Five "Freaky Creepy" Stars

Shiver Suspense!

A small taste of what lies within:

Madison O'Riley is rescued by a mysterious stranger (Alejandro) during a rain storm at her house when she falls off her roof into her koi pond. Madison is beside herself though when the stranger is completely naked and the stranger has no idea of his own identity. Almost like he appeared from nowhere to help her out of her situation. But she is going to do whatever it takes to find out who he is and where he comes from.

Within the town though another mysterious stranger appears (Gremory Jones) and wants to buy an old run down haunted church that has been on the market a long time. Gremory though has some interesting plans of what he wants to do with the church but he is also a salesman of sorts as he goes about the town interacting with the townspeople and granting them wishes for whatever they desire.

The two strangers are on a collision course with each other and before it is all said and done the mystery will be solved of who each one of them really is and what will happen within a small town which could make the town become hell on earth!

That is about all I can give on a small taste without giving away spoilers so if you want to know more then go read this book!

Thoughts:

This is my first time reading this author and I saw this book pop up last week so I grabbed it as the cover looks so creepy that it drew me right in. I was happy that I grabbed it as this book was a whirlwind of suspense and just downright "heebie jeebie" feelings while reading the story!

I felt that the story moved along at a good pace with some different things happening as the mystery and suspense of both strangers made this book move quick with wondering "who they really were" and what were they both doing in the same town at the same time. Kept my suspense meter running in the red as I tried to figure out what was really going on and finally it all comes together. I really liked all the characters and the supporting characters in this story as well and became attached to some of the main characters.

I am planning on reading more by this author as I am curious what other creepy stories lay in wait for me within his books.

Attached is the author, Alistair Cross, profile page from Goodreads:

Alistair Cross

Attached is the author, Alistair Cross, profile page from Amazon:

Alistair-Cross

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

Tuesday, July 4, 2023

Toric's Dagger (The Weapon Taker's Saga #1) by Jamie Edmundson

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Five "Thrilling Adventure" Stars

Fantastic Fantasy Action!

A small taste of what lies within:

Belwynn and her twin brother, Soren are sent on a mission to recover a dagger that was stolen as their cousin, Edgar the Prince of South Magnia Leofwin wants the dagger back badly so he gathers companions for his cousins to take on their journey for the recovery of the dagger by any means necessary.

All together with nine companions they set out to track down the thieves but the road will be rough as war is brewing in the country of Dalriya and there could be danger lurking around every corner!

That is about all I can give on a small taste without giving away spoilers, so if this book sounds intriguing then go grab it and step into this world!

Thoughts:

Wow! Wow! Wow! This story has consumed my time since I stepped into this world of fantasy adventure and danger. This is a big world with lots of characters and factions, but there is also sorcery within the pages too and there were some cool magical sorcery fights weaved into the storyline.

The writing style of the author just drew me right into the story line as the story is straight forward story telling that kept me hooked from the first chapter. The visuals of the world as it opened up with what the characters had to go through in pursuit of the dagger and the thieves just kept me turning my kindle pages long into the night. There were many nights I was consumed by this story as I just could not put this book down!

Normally I read two or three books at once but so much was happening within this story that my focus stayed within this book only as I kept wanting to see what would happen next to the characters. I love all the characters too of the companions. Just within this first book I have become attached to them and I am looking forward to continuing on with the series to see what happens next in the world of Dalriya.

Attached is the author, Jamie Edmundson, profile page from Goodreads:

Attached is the author, Jamie Edmundson, profile page from Amazon:

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

Sunday, May 14, 2023

The Bygone Dagger by Joseph Lallo

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Five "Mystical Magic" Stars

Fantasy Fun!

A small taste of what lies within:

The Masker family is known for taking contraptions and turning them into something special. When Fel's father acquires a treasure map which points to a location of a treasure vault he sends Fel on a treasure hunting mission to locate certain items within the vault.

Fel has all the tools he needs to acquire the treasure but bad people are wanting to lay their hands on it too and they will do whatever it takes to make sure that they find it before Fel does, but Fel has some magical help with his lantern Wick who gives him advice along the journey and his friend, Tome who helps him as well.

Does Fel find the treasure? What does he have to go through to acquire it? Who are the bad people? What kind of trouble do they cause?

No spoilers here as if you are intrigued then go read this book and series!

Thoughts:

This was my first time reading this author and one of my friends recommended this author to me so I read this book with my friend on a buddy read. It was a magical and different type of fantasy story. It reminded me a little bit of a cross between a steampunk fantasy story and a high end fantasy story. Kind of mix and completely different than what I have read in the past with fantasy stories.

I really loved all the characters as they all come across as down to earth type of people. I was impressed by the author's writing style as the author drew me right into the story and kept me wrapped within the pages. I became so involved in the story that everything around me ceased to exist as I was magically dropped into the world of The Greater Lands.

I am looking forward to continuing on with the series as I want to see what lies in store for Fel and his family.

Attached is the author, Joseph Lallo, profile page from Goodreads:

Joseph Lallo

Attached is the author, Joseph Lallo, profile page from Amazon:

Joseph Lallo

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5898355.John_Gwynne

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

A Time of Dread (Of Blood & Bone #1) by John Gwynne

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Five "Sword Action" Stars!

Fast Paced Action & Suspense!

I am just going to lay thoughts out instead of doing a small taste as there is quite a bit of moving parts in this story with main characters and villains that it would be hard to go into great detail of what takes place without giving away spoilers.

Thoughts:

I loved the first series of the Banished Lands and reading this series felt like coming home! There are more characters to love (Drem, Riv, and Sig) as each one of them evolves in this story. The author once again has a chapter rotation for the characters and what each one goes through as they find out that the Banished Lands are being threatened with dark forces rising and all of them have a part to play within this story.

This story has triumphs and defeats - once again there is an emotional upheaval with things that take place in the story. I felt that this book read fast for me - I have seen a few reviews saying it was a slow burn but I didn't feel that - if anything I thought it was fast paced and things happen right away when first reading the story.

This series is connected to the first series as things are mentioned from the previous books and there are some revelations within this story that breaks things wide open later in the book concerning the characters.

Another book to love and I will be continuing on with the rest of the series soon. I want to find out what will happen next for the characters on this journey into the Banished Lands.

Once again I can say this with a sword raised high: Truth and Courage!

Attached is the author, John Gwynne, profile page from Goodreads:

Attached is the author, John Gwynne, profile page from Amazon:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4679057453

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

Thursday, February 2, 2023

Slayer (Darkblade #3) by Andy Peloquin

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Four "Slash & Dash" Stars

Intense Action!

I am not going into a small taste as there is so much that happens within the story that most of it would be spoilers, so I am just going to give out thoughts.

Thoughts:

The third installment in the Darkblade series has quite of bit of action along with tons of deception and corruption that surrounds the Hunter as he tries to protect the young boy Halien. The author is able to weave the action where it becomes so intense that you feel like you are in the midst of what is happening to the Hunter.

The fight scenes are flawless and brings the action alive in your mind as you read about the Hunter as he takes on some "baddies" within this story. There wasn't much world building in this book as it was more of fighting scenes with the Hunter taking out the bad guys.

The story has opened up more of who the Hunter is and what lays in his past which is brought forth more in this book. The last half of the book my reading went into overdrive as more things were happening within the story and I kept wanting to see what was going to happen next! Looking forward to reading the next book in the series to see where that leads the Hunter.

Attached is the author, Andy Peloquin, profile page from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8038662.Andy_Peloquin

Attached is the author, Andy Peloquin, profile page from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Andy-Peloquin/author/B00J9008MC

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5173589666

Sunday, October 30, 2022

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

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Five "Awesome Adventure" Stars

Spellbound Quest!

Thoughts:

Everyone that reads fantasy stories knows the details of this book no doubt so I am not doing a backstory on it but will give my thoughts on it instead.

I have seen all the movies and have watched them over and over again but I have never stepped into the book till now. I thought that the book had way more detailed storyline than I saw in the movie so that made the book more enjoyable.

The quest of Bilbo Baggins and what he learns on his journey with the dwarves made him grow up quickly with seeing things outside of the Shire. A quest for adventure is definitely filled with tons of things happening to Bilbo whether it was good and bad, but I felt that the book really holds more emotion within than what was portrayed on the big screen.

I am happy that I finally stepped out onto the road for my own adventure with this story as I was quite pleased with the book and will reread it in the future. Another awesome book by Tolkien added to my favorites shelf.

Attached is the author, J.R.R.Tolkien, profile page from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/656983.J_R_R_Tolkien

Attached is the author, J.R.R. Tolkien, profile page from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/J-R-R-Tolkien/e/B000ARC6KA

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5033143204

Thursday, October 20, 2022

The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne

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Five "Sword & Shields" Stars

Action Packed Fantasy!

Thoughts:

I am not doing a background taste of the storyline as there is just too much that goes on within the story that it is best to just give out thoughts of the book.

The story follows three characters: Elvar (a daughter of a Jarl), Varg (a thrall/slave), and Orka (a huntress). All three of these characters have their own paths they take within the story and you follow them closely of things that happen in their lives but as time goes on their paths will cross which happens with two of the characters and eventually I feel will happen to all three down the road into the other books as this series continues to expand.

As I was reading about each character I became attached to each one and what each one has to do in order to survive in the world of Vigrio along with the friends they meet on their life paths.

There is also tons of battle/blood action within this book as well as there is continued upheaval in the world as there is always something happening with one of the characters.

The author, John Gwynne has become one of my favorite all time fantasy authors and I am putting this author in the league of Tolkien as the writing style of Gwynne just visually captures everything I want to see in a high fantasy story.

The emotions of the story run rampant in this book and I was hooked from the first chapter as the author just drops you right into the storyline as there really is no world building with this book. Something happens right away in the book and I was taken so far away into this fantasy world that everything else around me disappeared!

Besides the characters there are also creatures that roam the land and will interact with all three characters keeping this story on a fast and fascinating pace! There is never a dull moment in this book!

If I could give this book 50 stars I would as that is how much I loved this book and I have the next book, Hunger of the Gods as well which I will be looking forward to reading soon.

Attached is the author, John Gwynne, profile page from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5898355.John_Gwynne

Attached is the author, John Gwynne, profile page from Amazon:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4389913664

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

Friday, September 23, 2022

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

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Five "Magical Well" Stars

Magic Moments Galore!

A very small taste of what lies within:

Charlie Reade is just an average young man who has seen some bad in his life with his mom getting killed when he was a kid and his dad drinking his life away, but when Charlie helps an elderly neighbor man is when Charlie's life changes.

The elderly neighbor, Mr. Bowditch has a wonderful dog named Radar that his is life's companion. Charlie not only becomes close to the dog Radar, but becomes good friends with Mr. Bowditch and helps him do things around his home and yard.

But it is what lies within a shed in the backyard of Mr. Bowditch that has Charlie intrigued but events have to happen before Charlie can even set foot within the doors of the shed and what he finds eventually is a magical world that is beyond his wildest dreams!

That is about all I can give on a taste without giving away spoilers so if you are wanting to learn more than you will just need to read the book!

Thoughts:

This story just captured my interest right away and slowly drew me in to the magnificent story telling of Stephen King. The master of horror is also the master of fantasy and he is able to weave magical webs around the reader pulling them into his world.

I loved all the characters, especially Charlie, Mr. Bowditch and the dog, Radar. But there are tons of other characters that are wrapped within this book and they all have their own stories to tell as Charlie journeys into the great unknown magical world of this book. There are also enemies lying in wait as well which were not very nice but you cannot have a world without some kind of villains. I felt that the book just gave me a relaxing and cozy feeling as I was reading it and I just wanted to stay wrapped within the whispers of King's mind.

The story is told in two sections as the first part of the book is the growing relationship between Charlie, Mr. Bowditch and Radar, but the last half of the book is the magical portal into the other world which totally brings you into the forefront of what author, Stephen King can do with a fantasy story. He will take you to worlds unknown on his magic carpet ride and leave you there in awe of this story.

I would love to see this book brought to life on the big screen as I am sure it would capture all the wonders of what this story did to me while reading it. I never wanted it to end and it will definitely be going on my favorites shelf.

Attached is the author, Stephen King, profile page from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3389.Stephen_King

Attached is the author, Stephen King, profile page from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-King/e/B000AQ0842

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4502807063

Monday, May 30, 2022

Assassin (Darkblade #1) by Andy Peloquin

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Five "Sword/Dagger Action" Stars

WOW! WOW! WOW!

A small taste of what lies within:

The Hunter (Assassin) wants to clean up his city of Voramis by taking out the trash so to speak as thugs called the Bloody Hand are trying to tarnish the city by ruling it anyway they can even if it means killing people that get in their way.

The Hunter learns more than he wants to know about the Bloody Hand and he finds out eventually that what is actually ruling the Bloody Hand is far more evil than he realized but stopping it will take everything he has including body and soul!

That is about all I can hand out without giving away spoilers so if just that tiny bit of info sounds intriguing then you need to go read this book!

Thoughts:

This book was freaking awesome! It is quite lengthy but it packs a major wallop within as the pages light up with sword/dagger fights, evil villains, and tons of action! Besides all the action, there are tons of emotions within this book as well - lots of characters that interact with our main character the Hunter which you will become attached to as you move through the book.

There is also suspense, nail-biting tension, breathtaking hitch moments and heart string pulls throughout the book. The visual writing style of the author will literally pull you into his world and you will see and feel everything that happens within the storyline.

There was a little bit of world building in the beginning but there was action right away too - the book never slowed down - in fact the more I read of it the faster the pace seems to become.

After the 50% mark the pace became even faster and I would find myself staying up all hours of the night reading as more things were revealed within the story.

The author, Andy Peloquin is the real deal and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series which there are quite a few books to read now and more to come in the future so I am here for the long haul and absolutely cannot wait to continue on this journey into the world of the Hunter!

Attached is the author, Andy Peloquin, profile page from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8038662.Andy_Peloquin

Attached is the author, Andy Peloquin, profile page from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Andy-Peloquin/e/B00J9008MC

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4676039289

Thursday, January 20, 2022

Wrath (The Faithful and the Fallen #4) by John Gwynne

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Five "Epic Battle" Shields

Wow! An Epic Battle End!

Thoughts:

So much happens in this last book that it is best not to single out characters that play their roles within as there is just too many things going on at the same time within this story.

With this being the last book the war of the Banished Lands is more fierce and there is lots more fighting and death that abounds within these pages. All races within this story choose their sides and they all come together in one epic battle trying to end this war so peace can once again reign upon the Banished Lands.

The main characters that I have been reading about through all the books are making their last stand against the evil foes that are wanting to lay waste to their home and family. Evil and Good clash together in this last book which sparks the dark and light trying to out do each other as the battle rages on.

The author, John Gwynne, brings each thrust of a blade and a shield to life on these pages along with tons of blood and broken bodies that lie within. The pace is fast and swift with hardly no let up as with this last book it is just one big battle. I literally read the last 50% of the book within about six hours almost reading straight through as I just could not lay the book down! Too much going on with the storyline and I was too keyed up to the point I felt that I was in the battle right along with the characters.

There is quite a bit of emotion wrapped within this book too as some characters are not left standing at the end, but I knew that some would fall by the battle side because not everyone will be walking off into the sunset.

At some point in time I will be stepping into more series by this author as I want to see what else he has out there for me to get entangled within. For now I will rest and recoup after that long and arduous quest into the Banished Lands.

Attached is the author, John Gwynne, profile page from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5898355.John_Gwynne

Attached is the author, John Gwynne, profile page from Amazon:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2267257069

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

Thursday, January 13, 2022

Ruin (The Faithful and The Fallen #3) by John Gwynne

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Five "Raging Battle" Swords

Emotional and Action Packed!

Thoughts:

Wow! Wow! Wow! This third book in this epic fantasy series was a no holds-barred type of story as the war of the Banished Lands went into high gear.

This time I am just going to give a small highlight of two main characters:

Nathair has taken his role of King way beyond a ruling as he has taken the path of meanness and cruelty as he devours the Banished Lands in war destroying anyone or anything that stands against him.

Corban is now a warrior and he continues to fight for his family and his friends. With his wolfen Storm by his side Corban feels that he can be the victor over whatever is brought his way and he can be the "hope" that everyone needs in this war.

Once again there are tons of characters and lots of moving parts within this world. There was more emotion with this book as with any war there are going to be casualties and death. There seemed to be more death than anything and some characters that have been in all the books so far up to this point fall in battle.

I had quite a "few widen-eye-hitching breath moments" as the battle went into full force and characters that I had become attached to fell in battle and even some of those that fell were killed in a gruesome manner.

The fight scenes in not only this book but the whole series so far is flawless! I do believe that this series would make a great movie franchise as all the characters are vivid and the battle scenes are top-notch.

Though there is lots that happen within this book with all the emotional upheaval with the characters and the war, there is tons of emotion near the end of the book as the author just had to wrench heart strings with every sword and axe swing! But what gave me a jolt which I never saw coming is that the author threw in a major revelation regarding the war and I wasn't prepared for that twist in the storyline and then to follow it up there is another major jolt when the author creates an emotional cliff hanger that comes close to ripping your heart out!

Now I am going to have to go grab the last book to see what happens at the end of this war and to see who survives and dies within those pages! Looking forward to finishing up the series with the next book Wrath.

Attached is the author, John Gwynne, profile page from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5898355.John_Gwynne

Attached is the author, John Gwynne, profile page from Amazon:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2267256709

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

Monday, January 3, 2022

Valor (The Faithful and the Fallen #2) by John Gwynne

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Five "Action Packed Warrior" Swords

This sequel was action packed to the hilt!

Thoughts:

This book, Valor is loaded with so much action that I could hear the swords and shields clashing and banging together as I read the story! Again for this series I am not giving a taste of what is within or a backstory because there is just so much happening within this story with so many characters that it is hard to narrow it down of what happens within as with this book the action and the characters kick it all up a notch.

I will mention about three main characters though to give you an idea of what is happening:

Nathair is now high king as something happened in the first book which hurled him into this role and he has actually taken his role of high king to a whole new level as he will do anything to conquer anyone who stands in his way even if it means combining forces with Rhin, Queen of Cambren.

Corban is slowly becoming a warrior and he was pushed more into that role when things went to hell in a handbasket from the first book as war came a calling and Corban had to fight for his friends and family.

Cywen (Corban's sister) is believed to be dead by Corban and her mother which they had to escape from their homeland when the war intensified but Cywen is very much alive and has to figure out what she will have to do to survive the warriors that have taken over her home.

As before there are tons of supporting characters and enemies with enemy leaders that are throughout this story. Though with this book there is tons more action, deception, and death that lies within these pages. The book is more fast paced than the previous book as more things are happening constantly within along with more twists and turns that kept my insomnia fueled!

I read almost 30% within few hours as the action just intensified and kept me moving at a high rate of speed which unlike the first book there was tons of world building but this book has moved past all that and is more of warrior/fighting story. Looking forward to continuing on with the series and reading the next book which is Ruin.

Attached is the author, John Gwynne, profile page from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5898355.John_Gwynne

Attached is the author, John Gwynne, profile page from Amazon:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4389949210

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

Saturday, January 1, 2022

Malice (The Faithful and the Fallen #1) by John Gwynne

⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️

Five "Fearless Fighting" Swords

Epic Debut!

Thoughts:

The world within this story centers around the Banished Lands which has been known for death and strife in the past with many wars of spilled blood. This world is so big and there are tons of characters within this book that it is best to just give thoughts of the storyline instead of going into a story detail of what happens within.

This is my second reread of the first book but I plan on reading the rest of the series within the next few months as I want to see how it all turns out and how it all ends.

This first book is detailed and follows a few characters. Each character has his own chapter and it rotates back and forth throughout the book.

Certain characters found within that the story follows closely are:

Corban - who is young and impressionable but wants to learn how to fight and stand up for himself. He would like to be a warrior.

Veradis - wants to be a warrior and he ends up joining with Prince Nathair in his warband

Cywen - Corbin's sister who looks out for Corbin as Corbin seems to get bullied quite a bit and Cywen is always there to take care of the bullies.

Nathair - the son of High King Aquilus - seems to do everything his father wants done.

There are other characters that come into play as well like supporting characters throughout the storyline that all have important roles to play within this story. They are so numerous that it would take forever to list them all, so the best thing to do would be to read the book to experience it for yourself.

The story is loaded with detailed descriptions of this world along with the characters that are folded within the storyline. There are different villains as well roaming throughout the book which includes: giants, dragons, elementals, etc. The Banished Lands are about to enter a God-War which will bring all races together in a fight for survival.

This first book was amazing with how the author went into deep detail of everything that happens with not only the characters, but the world of the Banished Lands. The author goes into explicit detail with the characters bringing you in close to the characters and how they feel and what they think as they play a part in this story.

Looking forward to reading the second book, Valor for the continuing saga of the Banished Lands and its people.

Attached is the author, John Gwynne, profile page from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5898355.John_Gwynne

Attached is the author, John Gwynne, profile page from Amazon: