book blogger – Book Steff's Bookish Blog

Into The Forest – Blog Tour

November 8, 2022 by booksteff, posted in menu

Hey Beautiful Booklovers! I am back at it with another Blog Tour and I am so blessed to have been #gifted an e-copy of this book for the tour! Massive thank you to Black Crow PR again for letting me join in on the fun that is Into The Forest! As you can see from the above, I am not the only one who is lucky enough to have gotten my hands on this beauty, so please do visit my fellow tour participants to see what opinions they have on this beautiful collection of Baba Yaga inspired tales!

Synopsis:-

A collection of new and exclusive short stories inspired by the Baba Yaga. Featuring Gwendolyn Kiste, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Mercedes M. Yardley, Monique Snyman, Donna Lynch, Lisa Quigley, and R. J. Joseph, with an introduction by Christina Henry.

Deep in the dark forest, in a cottage that spins on birds’ legs behind a fence topped with human skulls, lives the Baba Yaga. A guardian of the water of life, she lives with her sisters and takes to the skies in a giant mortar and pestle, creating tempests as she goes. Those who come across the Baba Baga may find help, or hinderance, or horror. She is wild, she is woman, she is witch– and these are her tales.

Edited by Lindy Ryan, this collection brings together some of today’s leading voices of women-in-horror as they pay tribute to the Baba Yaga, and go Into the Forest

My thoughts:-

Ahhh, what can I say about this set of short stories? Well firstly, I don’t read a lot of anthologies, but when I read the synopsis of this and heard it would be a bunch of creepy themed stories about our main gal Baba Yaga, I had to give it a go. I just immediately squealed when I learnt about this book!

I don’t know what it is, but I have always been drawn to Baba Yaga’s tales. Some part of me has always been equal parts fascinated and disturbed by the folklore that surrounds her. She is the ultimate witch, and these stories didn’t disappoint.

From the very first short story there is a weird sense of something I couldn’t help but being drawn to. Something, that if I was to give it a name would sound something like, divinely, dark, and powerfully feminine. I loved every moment of it. Every disturbing detail, every spellbinding encounter with this mother witch was intoxicating in the most fabulous of ways.

There is something intrinsically primal about the tales of Baba Yaga and each of these stories encapsulates her essence perfectly.

I honestly cannot use words to describe how happy these stories made me; it was everything I wanted out of dark short stories featuring Baba Yaga! Nailed the assignment! Highly recommend!

And if you are someone who has ever felt a pull towards witches, these stories will set your soul on fire!

Thats all I have for you today folks! Thanks so much for reading my thoughts about this book! Thanks again to the team at Black Crow PR – I love, love, loved this!

Lost in Time by A.G. Riddle | Blog Tour!

October 12, 2022October 11, 2022 by booksteff, posted in menu, Reviews

Hey Beautiful Booklovers! Today is my stop on the blog tour for the amazing Lost in Time by A.G. Riddle!! I am so excited to share this post with you all today, this is a book worth reading for sure and it was one hell of a ride! Just a quick disclaimer and big thank you to Black Crow PR for gifting me a copy and letting me get in on this tour! All opinions are honest and my own as always! Another thank you to A.G. Riddle for this beauty of book! Truly honoured to have gotten the chance to review this for you! And lastly, before I get into it all, please take a look at the above and give some of my fellow blog tour participants a visit and some love when their tour day comes up!

So, let’s start off with the basics as always: What is it about I hear you call?

Synopsis :-

Control the Past. Save the Future.

Dr. Sam Anderson is one of the most celebrated scientists in history. Ten years ago, he invented a device that changed the world forever. Now his life is about to be ripped apart—and his own creation may be to blame.

One fateful morning, Sam discovers that his girlfriend has been murdered and that his daughter is accused of the crime.

Sam believes she’s innocent, but he can’t prove it. There’s only one thing he can do to save his daughter: confess to the crime. And so he does.

But in the future, murderers aren’t sent to prison. They’re sent to the past.

Thanks to Sam’s invention–Absolom–the world’s worst criminals are exiled forever, sent back to the time of the dinosaurs, where they live out their lives alone.

As Sam steps into the Absolom chamber to leave for the Late Triassic, he makes a promise: he will get back to his family, clear his name, and find the person who killed the woman he loved.

What Sam doesn’t know is that there’s a secret waiting for him in the past. And it might be his only hope of saving himself and his family.

Sam isn’t the only one seeking justice. In the present, his daughter, Adeline, also embarks on a mission to find the person who framed her and tore her family apart. She’s already lost her mother. She can’t bear losing her father too.

As Adeline peels back the layers of the conspiracy against her family, she uncovers more questions than answers. Everyone around her is hiding a secret, including her legal guardian. And some people aren’t what they seem.

Adeline soon finds herself in the midst of a mystery that stretches across the past, present, and future—and leads to a revelation that will change everything.

Lost in Time is more than a murder mystery about advanced technology and time travel. It’s a heartwarming story about family and the lengths we might go to in order to save the ones we love—with a twist that will have you questioning everything you thought you knew since the first moment.

My Non-Spoiler Thoughts :-

No spoilers coming from my lips…or keyboard today friends, I simply won’t ruin the fun – I refuse, however here’s what I am willing to say;

I hang my head in shame and confess that I… have never read any A.G. Riddle books before and now find myself utterly red cheeked and in need of another. I am somewhat picky when it comes to my sci-fi and as you may or may not know if you have followed me for a while – I tend to be a hardcore epic fantasy fan so don’t tend to review too many sci-fi books, but I can wholeheartedly say that this book would fit the build for any reader!

There is mystery, revenge, intrigue, twists… and let’s not forget the dinosaurs!

Straight off the bat we are given the goods. Story telling is all about keeping the readers guessing and this book did not fail the assignment. Immediately upon picking it up we see Sam and his daughter Adeline get arrested and questioned about the murder of Sam’s girlfriend. It is almost as quickly that we begin to question the motives of everyone in this story, and how much we as readers can trust them. There is a good deal of that beautiful Sci-Fi concept thrown in, but even if you aren’t into the technical jargon that comes along with explanations of time-travel etc, you will still enjoy this story as it is, by and large, about the relationships of the characters and about the lengths they go to when life gets tough, and when the world seems to be against them. The story really begins to pick up pace when Sam is sent through the Absolom, which as you can imagine is a difficult place to survive in, but what I like is that Sam’s drive comes from his love of his children, and I think that’s something that is so easily relatable to anyone reading! We also have Adelines’ perspective whilst she is still in the current timeline trying to solve the mystery of who tried to frame her, and I must confess she isn’t getting it much easier than Sam, though her risks are a little different. Riddle did a fantastic job of keeping me suspicious, keeping me guessing, and I honestly burned my way through this book. It was intense in the best way, and I didn’t want to miss a word!

What I love about this book is that it is the everyday relatable emotions that really pull it together. Whilst this is a tale of time-travel and mystery it is also fundamentally about the inner strength that comes from turmoil, which is why it’s so addictive!

If you hadn’t gathered by now – I thoroughly recommend picking this one up! A.G. Riddle has gained a definite fan in me, and I will be looking to pick up another Riddle book soon!

Thanks for taking the time to read through this review! As stated, I didn’t want to spoil any of you but perhaps, if there is a demand for it, I will upload a book chat onto my YouTube channel where I can discuss it in full for any of you who want the spoiler version!

Windborn by Alex S Bradshaw | Release Day

April 28, 2021 by booksteff, posted in menu, Reviews

Hey Beautiful Booklovers! I am back with a release day blitz thanks to Storytellers on Tour and of course Alex S Bradshaw! So big big thank you to both for allowing me to take part and to give some spotlight to this beauty!

You can find Windborn here on Amazon uk or here for Amazon US

It goes without saying that this tale in a Norse inspired one and you all know how much I love those so I was obviously very keen to be apart of the release day blitz. I haven’t finished this one yet but what I have read so far I have really enjoyed! Let me tell you a bit more about it.

Synopsis –

Drowning is only the beginning…

Edda Gretasdottir is a raider, a fell-handed shield-maiden, feared along every coast. Hers is a life woven in battle scars.

But she never wanted to walk the warrior’s path. All she wanted was freedom, to earn enough gold to buy her family their own remote farm, and to escape their oppressive chieftain. Now, she has enough plunder so that she can finally hang up her shield and live in peace.

That peace is stolen from Edda, however, when raiders burn her home, destroy all that she loves, and toss her, wounded and bleeding, into the ravenous ocean.

But the fates are cruel and this is not the end for Edda: she rises from the bloody surf as a Windborn, a cursed warrior whose supernatural gifts are a poor exchange for everything she has lost.

Fuelled by rage and armed with strange new powers Edda will hunt for whoever sent the raiders, for whoever is responsible for taking everything from her. She will show them the sharp edge of her axe… or die trying.

Windborn is a dark, character-driven Norse fantasy packed with emotion, deadly foes, and vicious battles.

Get your copy of Windborn now to hear Edda’s epic tale!

Sounds great doesn’t it? Now, as I’ve said I haven’t finished this beauty yet so can’t give a full review but what I will say is that I adore a story of revenge and vengeance and this book has that in abundance. Edda is fierce and unforgiving. She is everything I hoped she would be and inspires a strength in you as you read her. Now, let’s move on to teasing you with an excerpt!

Excerpt –

There you have it! I hope you are as excited about this as I am and hopefully one of you will pick it up soon. It is currently 99p on kindle so definitely check that out while the deal lasts.

That’s all from me today beautifuls, have a great day and read awesome books.

The Skald’s Black Verse | Blog Tour

September 10, 2020September 10, 2020 by booksteff, posted in menu, Reviews

Hey All, today is my stop with Storytellers on Tour for the blog tour of The Skald’s Black Verse by Jordan Loyal Short! A link to the Storytellers on Tour post with details of the tour and the other stops can be found here. Please check the others out as well and show support for this book!

Title: The Skald’s Black Verse
Author: Jordan Loyal Short
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Paperback: 339
Rating: 4 *

Synopsis

When a soldier’s murder sparks rebellion in the tiny village of Skolja, Brohr’s past marks him as the prime suspect. Haunted by his brother’s ghost, and drawn in to a web of dark pacts and tangled loyalties, Brohr must choose between the path of vengeance set before him, and a chance to forge his own fate. From the shadows, an all but extinct race of alien demigods have begun the end game of their millennia-spanning war, and one has chosen Brohr for his closing gambit. But Brohr’s grandfather harbors a dark secret that will change everything. Above it all, a dread portent looms in the sky, spelling the death of Brohr’s world. With doom spiraling toward them, Brohr must lead an unlikely rebellion, unearth disturbing family secrets, and tame the raging ghost that haunts him. Can Brohr lead his people out of darkness, or will he succumb to his own terrifying bloodlust, and destroy the very people he has sworn to save?

My Review

I went into this novel expecting Norse themed fantasy, something I enjoy a lot…what I got was that and so much more! The Skald’s Black Verse starts out with a nitty gritty scene that really does well to set the tone and expectations of the novel. We follow multiple POV’s but Brohr is the main one we really stick to.

Okay, so let’s talk about the things I liked in this story. Firstly, can we just take a moment to appreciate that Jordan Loyal Short threw me a loop when he set me up for Norse vibes and then caught me completely off guard with the insane flying ship thing…it was all very unexpected, and quite frankly a great twist to what I assumed would be another classic Norse type tale. Jordan Loyal Short was able to take a story, infuse it with all the heart and bloodthirst of the Norse Pantheon whilst also showcasing a new dynamic way to infuse the story with colliding planets, inter-planetary spaceships, and interesting cultures. This story was filled with explosive action, dark creatures, awesome magic, and a rise against repression.

The only thing that had me mark it down was that it took me a while to settle into the writing style initially, but this is more a preference than any reflection on the book itself, which is why I have still rated it so high.

Make no mistake people, this story has plenty going on to keep you entertained, and definitely some darker moments to make you squirm. I definitely recommend picking this one up if you are a fan of adult fantasy that isn’t shy about expressing its darker themes.

There you have it beautifuls, I really hope you enjoyed my stop on this blog tour, and I really hope that some of you consider picking this one up to support Jordan Loyal Short. It was book that took me on a journey I wasn’t expecting and was worth the ride.

Northern Wrath by Thilde Kold Holdt Review

July 28, 2020 by booksteff, posted in menu, Reviews

Hey beautifuls, I am back with a brand new review, and today it is all centered around the beauty that is Northern Wrath. This book was sent to me by the publisher -Rebellion Publishing, in exchange for an honest review. I would like to stress that I requested this book, the publisher did not approach me for this one! I saw this arc, saw that stunning cover, read the synopsis and immediately knew it was a ‘Steff’ book. Anyway…on to the review!

Here is the amazon link to pre-order if you are interested. This beauty comes out 27th October for the US and 29th October for the UK

Title: Northern Wrath
Author: Thilde Kold Holdt
Publisher: Rebellion Publishing
Paperback: 644 pages
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: 4.5*

Synopsis – Taken from Amazon

A dead man, walking between the worlds, foresees the end of the gods. A survivor searching for a weapon releases a demon from fiery Muspelheim. A village is slaughtered by Christians, and revenge must be taken.

The bonds between the gods and Midgard are weakening. It is up to Hilda, Ragnar, their tribesmen Einer and Finn, the chief’s wife Siv and Tyra, her adopted daughter, to fight to save the old ways from dying out, and to save their gods in the process.

Following in the steps of Neil Gaiman & Joanne Harris, the author expertly weaves Norse myths and compelling characters into this fierce, magical epic fantasy.

My Review

Northern Wrath is an epic tale steeped in authentic Norse mythology. Filled with epic battles, strong characters, and set backs at every turn we follow different characters who are all tied together by fate. Their lives, the lives of the Gods and the whole of Midgard hang in the balance.

When I say I am Norse mythology mad…I mean it! I have read so many books on the history of the folk tales, so many books adapted from the myths – I just love it, and this book blew me away. It gave me all the bloodshed and glory worthy of Valhalla, all the strong characters overcoming their setbacks and dealing with their flaws. It gave me warrior vibes strong enough to make me wish I could wield a damn axe. It was everything I wanted.

This story explores the threat of Muspelhiem (one of the nine realms filled with fire). The threat of Muspelhiem’s demons breaking free and wrecking havoc on Midgard, and ultimately bringing around Ragnorok. If you love the Norse Pantheon then you will love this book, there really is no two ways about it. We have gritty flawed characters and strong females, we have betrayals and deceit that will leave you reeling. More than the epic battles and bravery, this book made me laugh. There were moments of banter and comradery that was just so authentic, you could tell Thilde was drawing upon her own friendships.

I always love seeing strong female characters in books, and Northern Wrath delivered this in abundance; from our unexperienced Tyra who refused to let fear rule her from the very first moment, to Hilda who raged and fought despite all that was taken from her, and all that she had to do.

This book keeps you guessing, this book keeps you engaged and I highly recommend this epic tale to those of you who love fantasy and Norse mythology rolled into a gritty and perilous journey.

There you have it lovelies, my review for Northern Wrath by Thilde Kold Holdt. I tried to keep it as spoiler free as possible, because 1. it doesn’t release until the end of October and 2. because this is a journey that you need to experience for yourself. Go in knowing little to nothing and you will feel the full benefit of this story. I really hope you decide to add this to your tbr because this author deserves so much love for this book, and I cannot wait for book two. If this sounds like it’s right up your street please leave a comment and let me know. If you are one of the lucky ones like myself to have received this beautiful arc then please let me know if you’ve read it yet, and what your thoughts were. As always, thanks for reading this review.

The Unspoken Name by A. K. Larkwood Review

January 17, 2020June 29, 2020 by booksteff, posted in menu, Reviews

Hey Beautiful Booklovers! I’m back with a review of this fabulous book by A. K. Larkwood. I was lucky enough to be gifted this beautiful book by the publishers over at Tor, and I cannot thank them enough, but please note that this was in exchange for an honest review and all thoughts and opinions are my own. Anyway lets get talking about this book!

You can preorder The Unspoken Name here for its release on 20 Feb 2020

Title: The Unspoken Name
Author: A. K. Larkwood
Publisher: Tor
Hardback: 464 pages
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: 4 *

Synopsis – from Amazon

What if you knew how and when you will die?

Csorwe does–she will climb the mountain, enter the Shrine of the Unspoken, and gain the most honored title: sacrifice.

But on the day of her foretold death, a powerful mage offers her a new fate. Leave with him, and live. Turn away from her destiny and her god to become a thief, a spy, an assassin–the wizard’s loyal sword. Topple an empire, and help him reclaim his seat of power.

But Csorwe will soon learn–gods remember, and if you live long enough, all debts come due.

My Review

The Unspoken Name is a story that begins with Csorwe, a young orc priestess who is destined to be sacrificed to her God when she comes of age. She has known this for a long time and yet when she is given the opportunity to flee with mage Belthandros Sethennai she dives at the chance and finds herself journeying places she never dreamed of and completing life risking tasks to acheive Sethennai’s goal of obtaining the Reliquary. A object which contains immeasurable knowledge.

What to say about the Unspoken Name?
Its majestical start to a new epic fantasy series, and I really enjoyed this book! The.world.building! I say again the world building: this world is one that terrifies and yet entices me all at the same time! Csorwe’s journey was so beautiful to read and her desire to suceed was so tangible. The things she went through to carry out her task, the consequences of these tasks – it was all so epic. I truly appreciated the lack of fear A. K. Larkwood had when writing Csorwe’s journey. She was not in a glass box; an untouchable figure within the story – there was blood sweat and tears, and this truly made the consequences feel more real.

This book explores the complex nature of decisions made in fleeting moments; moments where doubt settles in and then it explores the consequences of those actions and how one is expected to deal with those consequences. It brings into question how far is someone willing to go, how much are they willing to sacrifice, and is it worth it?

The writing in this book is well executed, however I will say that at times I did feel entirely detached from the emotionally aspect of the characters journey. There were events that happened that would have warrented a stronger emotional response from me as the reader, and unfortunately I didn’t always respond in a way befitting the storyline. I’m not entirely sure why that was the case, but that is the main reason this book is a 4 star for me instead of a 5. Either way, I am very confident I will continue on with this series. The world itself is truly fascinating and the different species within it. I love the aspect of different gods for different lands; it definitely captured my attention, and I cannot wait to continue with this series.

I definitely recommend this book for those fantasy lovers out there. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that this book has some LGTBQ+ rep *Grins excitedly*. Which I am always rooting for in fantasy…this genre needs more of it in my opinion.

Hope you enjoyed this review beautifuls, and I really hope you decide to pick up The Unspoken Name when it releases in February. I think it’s going to be a popular one in the community, and I am definitely 100% privileged to have been given an early copy (Thanks again Tor). If you plan to pick it up please let me know in the comments below, and if you have already read this arc then please hit me up in the comments with your opinions. I’d be fascinated to know your thoughts.

Knight of the Silver Circle by Duncan M. Hamilton Review

December 6, 2019December 6, 2019 by booksteff, posted in menu, Reviews

As promised here is my review of the sequel to Dragonslayer by Duncan M. Hamilton. I would just like to quickly give thanks to the lovely people at Tor who gifted me a finished copy of this book for review – I am so grateful to them for giving me awesome books to review!

Title: Knight of the Silver Circle
Author: Duncan M. Hamilton
Hardback: 320 pages
Publisher: Tor
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: 4*

Synopsis – From Amazon

Dragons have returned after a thousand years, but greater dangers lurk in the shadows…

As the lines between enemy and ally blur, Guillot dal Villerauvais is drawn farther into the life and service he had left far behind. Solène attempts to come to terms with the great magical talent she fears is as much a curse as a blessing, while the Prince Bishop’s quest for power twists and turns, and takes on a life of its own.

With dragons to slay, and an enemy whose grip on the kingdom grows ever tighter, Gill and his comrades must fight to remain true to themselves, while standing at the precipice of a kingdom in peril.

My Review

Firstly, since this is the second book in what is to be a trilogy I will be making this as non-spoiler as I can, and secondly here is the link to my review of book one if you missed it.

Now, let me start by saying that this picks up from where it left off at the end of book one and only ramps up the excitement. We still follow Guillot as he tries to find the knight within himself that he once was, but we also see a lot more maneuvering and power plays from certain characters. I of course loved the appearance of the dragons in this book – we got a whole new side to them that was exciting and I was really happy with that. Further development was given to the magic system and quite honestly I loved it.

I will say that there were certain things that came into play which were kind of left a little unresolved in my opinion and I hope that is something that is handled in the final book. As I mentioned in my review of Dragonslayer Duncan M. Hamilton likes his cliff hangers and he left me on that cliff again! This time its not fun because I don’t have the next book to go straight onto. However, that cliff has left me wanting more, and wanting desperately to find out what happens in the next installment of this story.

I can’t wait for it! Who will prevail? What will happen? I am very keen to know, and hope I’ll get the answers soon.

If you have read or want to start these books, please let me know in the comments. I love hearing your opinions!

The Necromancer’s Prison by Alec Whitesell and Craig Bonacorsi Review

October 9, 2019October 9, 2019 by booksteff, posted in menu, Reviews

Hey Beautifuls, I’m back with a new review for you all! This book was kindly gifted to me by one of the authors in exchange for an honest review, and here comes the time to share my thoughts with you all.

Title: The Necromancer’s Prison – Bluewater Grover series Book 1
Author: Alec Whitesell and Craig Bonacorsi
Paperback: 313
Publisher: Independantly published
Genre: Sci-Fi / Fantasy
My Rating: 3*

Synopsis – From Amazon

She wanted to find her place in the universe. She never imagined it might not be on Earth.When Emily Murphy over slept the morning of her college entrance exam, she thought missing her test was the worst thing that could happen. She never expected she would wind up lost halfway across the galaxy, battling aliens with laser guns and mages hurling lightning.Like most seventeen year olds, Emily’s main concern had been navigating the perils of high school, not surviving shootouts and sorcery. That changed when her school was attacked and a student was kidnapped. While everyone else smartly fled from danger, she recklessly ran toward it mounting an impossible rescue that would lead her on a journey unlike anything she could have imagined.Dropped into a strange world teeming with merciless criminals and ruthless aristocrats, surrounded by violence and betrayal, Emily must untangle a web of intrigue and deceit to solve the mystery behind the abduction, save her classmate, and discover the destiny which awaits her.It is either that, or die trying…

My Review

This book isn’t what I normally gravitate towards, but I have to say when the author contacted me the synopsis sounded so cool I had to give it a go. We follow our main girl Emily on the day of her college entrance exam, and quite honestly it takes off quickly from there. Which I really appreciated. Emily is brave and fierce and passionate, all things that gives for a combination to root for in a protagonist. We are straight away swept into a world of magic wielding bad guys, and portals to other planets. I have to say when Emily (and her tag along friend Mason) slip through the first portal it was giving me such “Nightmare before Christmas” vibes…because of the doors. I loved that.

Things I felt were done well in this book was pacing. I never felt like the book was dragging, there was always some kind of predicament or action going on that was enough to keep me reading. I really enjoyed Quinn’s character, she is the reason Emily dives head first into the chaos, she was really resourceful, and practical minded which was really nice to see in a YA book. It’s no secret that I don’t often enjoy female characters who are annoying helpless and useless, but Quinn even when in the most difficult and tight spots was still practical and focus on her goals; something I really appreciated.

The reason my rating isn’t higher is that the writing style wasn’t suited to me all that well. Whilst I can appreciate it, I personally felt drawn away from the story on multiple occasions. I also felt that whilst some of my small niggle type questions were eventually answered, I felt it perhaps would have been better covering them earlier, so that for a large portion of the novel I wasn’t thinking “but how can that be, and what about that?”. I also wasn’t a fan of the relationship that was developing between Emily and Mason, it didn’t feel natural to me and I could have done without it.

That being said, this book is fast paced, action packed, and well put together. It was definitely a fun and intriguing start to a new series in the space opera genre.

If you would like more specific spoiler content, this review will be posted with added extra’s to my Goodreads which you can find here.

Blood of An Exile by Brian Naslund Review

September 19, 2019 by booksteff, posted in menu, Reviews

Hey Beautiful Booklovers! Sorry I haven’t posted a review in a while…I’ve been kind of snowed under by a lot of things and have been finding it difficult to post on here, but I’m here now to tell you all about this lovely book – non-spoiler of course!

So here’s the general details if your not aware…

Title: Blood of An Exile
Author: Brian Naslund
Hardcover: 416
Publisher: Tor
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: 4.75*

Synopsis – From Amazon

Sentenced to die. Impossible to kill.

Bershad was supposed to die. When he was caught attempting to assassinate a fellow noble, he was given the harshest sentence: a command to slay dragons, so his death might serve the kingdom. Yet for some reason he never lost a fight and is now the most successful dragon-slayer in history. However, as a doomed man Bershad is still shunned by his peers and his countrymen. But that could all change.

The king who sentenced Bershad has just given him a way out: kill a foreign monarch and walk free forever. His problem is that Bershad couldn’t care less about the fates of kingdoms – until the dragon-slayer discovers he could save an innocent child in the process.

His mission might also save every creature in Terra.

My Review

I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, but you know the drill – all opinions are my own.

Anyway as you can probably guess from the rating, I really enjoyed this book…like really enjoyed it. I honest to Gods didn’t think it would be as good as it was. Quite simply put, Brian Naslund did what hardly anyone does…he thought extensively about how dragons would work in a world among humans. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not having a go at other dragon books…I love dragons, but Brian Naslund actually thought about the ecosystem. He thought about how an apex predator would effect that ecosystem and how he could make it work. And work it did my friends. His world building blew me away! I was honestly so excited to learn about the different species, the magic, the eating habbits, the consequence of dragon numbers dwindling…it was just beautiful. Really, a big thank you to Brian Naslund for giving me a world of dragons that I can live and breath and totally imagine being 100% legit.

Bershad, our main character, is a miserable and seemingly prickly man who is forced into a life of killing the very beasts he once admired. His rank and station are removed from him, and he is given over to a life on the road…so it is very understandable that he is prickly. I would be. He gives me all the badass warrior vibes I need in a character! As the book progresses we see him open up and we delve more into him as a person and I have to say… I love him. I’m not even kidding!

There is so much in this story that leaves you wondering why. Wondering when you get to know x, y, and z. It was a truly enjoyable story and I highly recommend this book! If you like dragons definitely pick it up, but even if you aren’t a fanatic like myself pick it up anyway! It was such a good journey, and very worth the read!

Please pick it up if you haven’t already, and then come fangirl/ fanboy with me!! This book needs more chatter! And if you have read it let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

The Gems of Elsana: Into the Wildbarrens by Christian Sterling Review

August 8, 2019 by booksteff, posted in menu, Reviews

Hey Beautiful Booklovers! I know, I know I’m the worst person on social media these days! I have been absent so much lately, but I’m back with a review for you all!

Anyway lets get started…

Into the Wildbarrens (The Gems of Elsana Book 1) by [Sterling, Christian]

Title: Into the Wildbarrens (The Gems of Elsana Book 1)
Author: Christian Sterling
Hardcover: 354 pages
Publisher: Indie published
Genre: Fantasy Adventure
My Rating: 3*

Synopsis – From Amazon

EVERYONE’S FAVORITE WIZARD, BEFORE THE BEARD.

We know him well. Ever-flowing wisdom. Concealed power. A white beard and a proclivity for mentoring chosen ones.

In so many tales, we find ourselves enamored with a kindly wizard guiding our protagonist, curious to his roots, source of power, and hidden knowledge. This is that wizard’s story.

Falin is only twenty years of age, and with nine-hundred eighty years left to explore the world, he is eager to begin his quest for the Gems of Elsana, four jewels that provide wizards with their full power. Accompanied by four Champions, Falin considers himself lucky, joined by a sage healer, elven assassin, drakkish warrior, and madorian prince.

All seems well until the elder wizards reveal they expect Falin’s quest will take them into the Wildbarrens, a desolate and horrid land teeming with creatures of the Dark. Given the circumstances—and to the chagrin of Falin’s honorable Champions—the group is accompanied by an unscrupulous pair of outlaws claimed to have traveled through the Wildbarrens.

In this feel-good fiction, we are cast into a world brimming with our favorite elements of fantasy with new twists unlike anything we’ve read before. Christian Sterling has cultivated the start of a series with unparalleled charm, action, humor, romance, and thrills. All ages will be sure to enjoy this story from its first magical pages, to its last.

My Review

I was given this book by the author in exchange for my honest review here, and so I’m just gonna be 100% transparent and let you all know that before I get into things. This absolutely has no bearing on my review…all opinions are my own.

So, when I was first approached about this book it sounded like something new, fun and such a different take on the old wise one trope, which I love. I loved the different races and the takes on them. I especially loved the Draks – they were such a cool take on something we see saturating the market in the last decade or so!

I really like the idea of the world, and the way it was so divided into different segments and different people. And I also found that the plot line often gave me ‘classic fantasy’ vibes. It was clear to me whilst reading that the author himself is a fan of classic fantasy, and that by writing this he wanted to take classic fantasy and spin it on its’ head.

However, and there is unfortunately a however, I also found that the writing itself seemed a little less than natural at times. The dialogue for one didn’t seem to flow at times, and I often found myself transported back to the type classic fantasy that showcased characters who didn’t quite feel real or believable for that matter.

Sadly I also have to say that I found things to be a little too predictable, a little too convenient, and sometimes I felt there were character inconsistencies.

I really don’t have an awful lot to say on this book if I’m honest. I feel the premise had great potential but the execution let it down a little.