A story that drags you into a new, interesting and immersive world.
929163
Gem of the Wanderer is a novel that I found to be something new from my usual pool of reading material--short, thought-provoking and fine works to be inspired by. However, the Gem of the Wanderer features a few things that are greater than what I have read. Over 500 pages lies this adventure that I took, through the world of Ebbern--with its unique lore and earthly characteristics that make it a pleasing and rather memorable setting. The book contains some messianic themes-- such as Gem of the Wanderer's character the Prince of Wonder--who very much resembles the "Jesus figure" in many fantasy/sci-fi settings I have read in the past. The story is documented with the passing of seasons--in which the chronology in this book is unique, as the setting of Ebbern has eight seasons (which is appropriately further explained in the appendix of the book). I really can't get over how much work has been put by the author of this book--it really boggles my mind. Truly, it is a piece of literature; something that brings inspiration and embeds many questions in my head; yearning for answers and ultimately finding them after much needed re-evaluation and dissection of the text. Plot elements and unique, cultural aspects about the world of Ebbern further supports the fact that this is truly a world worth exploring, both inside the mind of each character, and from our own perspective. Characters aren't bland and their progression in terms of development over the course of the events in Ebbern are dynamic in a unique sort of way. Anyways, to put it short and sweet, the book opens a whole new portal to another dimension, which in turn opens the door to a journey full of bends, a few twists here and there and a tunnel of darkness leading to a light of hope and a resolved goal to achieve happiness in a world filled with chaos and confusion. ... Okay, that wasn't short at all, but whatever. If you're curious to even take a peek of what's in store for you in this novel, I must say it certainly doesn't hurt if you get this epic book that I've been ranting on about in this review, so you could see if such criticisms ring true--to determine the value of praise this work of art deserves.
1798794
A refreshing and unique style of writing. The story draws you into a dark place to acknowledge a world we all know exists, yet often turn a blind eye to. The protagonist grows and becomes enlightened with each turn of the page. This endears you to her as she strives to be accepted into society. A delightful shift takes place two thirds of the way through and a light can be seen peeking out between the blinds. I look forward to following Ame on her journey.
1753408
The content of The Tethered Mage was just as enticing as I hoped and introduced an alluring new fantasy world and magic system.

This book starts off with action that throws you right into the basics of the current state of magic and politics in Eruvia. If you're confused, just hang on because all will be explained. Lady Amalia Cornaro, soon to inherit her mother's place in the all-powerful Council of Nine--rulers of the Raverran Empire--ends up unexpectedly attached to a previously unknown mage known as Zaira. The two end up in what is known as a Falcon/Falconer relationship in which an individual mage's magic is controlled by a non-mage, which is all the detail I'll give regarding the setup of this story (if you don't already know, I'm a firm believer in finding out the details for yourself--it's a much better experience that way).

As mentioned, we the readers are thrown right into the middle of the magical and political machinations of this world, and I found myself a bit lost in some of the beginning discussions among the Raverran elite. Fortunately, the most important information that you need to know for the plot is mentioned again later in a more elaborate and understandable manner.

Amalia herself is rather stubborn, but this seems to be a common trait among book protagonists and I didn't find it to be too overbearing for once. In the end, I came to appreciate Amalia's tenacity and willingness to do what she feels is right, whether or not it is what she is 'supposed' to do, despite her follow-the-rules personality. Zaira, unlike Amalia, is much more rebellious and is unafraid to speak her mind. Honestly, I didn't much like Zaira's character in the beginning, but she quickly grew on me and became one of my favorite characters. I also loved her dog. Amalia's mother is also one of those characters that you don't necessarily like, but she sort of grows on you by the end. Also, I found Prince Ruven to be a particularly intriguing character whom I look forward to reading more about in the second book.

The world-building of this new fantasy was well-done and has made me interested to continue the series and find out more about it. What intrigued me the most was the fact that individuals with magic are used as the 'army' and the those without magic are the ones in charge and able to control those without it. I found it to be quite a nice change from the situation of many other fantasy worlds in which the noble/elite usually have more of the magical power and abilities. I thought that Caruso did a good job portraying both sides of the scenario, with Amalia coming from the powerful side and Zaira coming from the magic end. This division allows the reader to see how Zaira viewed her position and felt as if she were forced to be a slave to the elite and is not pleased with being made to use her powers for their wishes, whereas Amalia has only ever known the opinion that this is a positive relationship for both mages and non-mages alike.  I appreciated this dichotomy and how it contributed to the overall storyline and development arc of the characters. It was also interest to read from a protagonist's view who doesn't have magical powers.

For those wondering, there is a small romantic subplot, but it isn't overdone nor does it take away from the plot.

Overall, I've given The Tethered Mage four stars! I had a great time reading it and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves some good fantasy.
2408470
Excellent story that opens an  entire new world. The reading may be at times complicated (in French) due to the choice of vocabulary. However, the choice of the vocabulary and sentence structure is what makes the story come alive.
3788139
Im completely hooked on this story and cant wait for the next book in the series. Regina OConnell has created a future world that feels more like something from long, long ago. Wren and her family race through this world doing their best to avoid the danger lurking around every turn, not always successfully.

Wren laid the groundwork for this magical adventure. In Saving Wihe, we travel with Wren, her grandmother, and their friends as they continue their perilous journey to save her sister. As they're fleeing Nye and his evil forces, they stumble upon a hidden place, quiet and tranquil compared to the rest of their world. In this place, they find a woman who bears a striking resemblance to Wrens long dead mother. When they determine this is, in fact, Wrens mother (minus her memory), they take her. This puts them in direct conflict with the leader of this peaceful community, a woman known as the Sister.

The Sister is very powerful and shares a deep connection with Nye. Though she is opposed to him, like Wren and her family, she represents an equal threat to them. She wants Wren and her powerful magic to aid in defeating the tyrant. Of course, Wren is having none of it. This puts her and her group in direct conflict with this new and powerful force. With enemies lurking around every turn, they must attempt to save Wihe, Wrens lost sister.

I won't ruin the story by sharing how it ends up, but I will share that Saving Wihe offers a great twist at the end. I cant wait to see how Wren gets out of this one and where the story goes from there. This is shaping up to be a great series.
3589075
It's more than a tale, you step into the story and become immersed. The everyday disappears while the Frasers become blood and bone reality for a time.
4367399
Rachel Aaron has created an interesting world with a fresh twist an fantasy.
2717923
Construct is a fresh new take on fantasy, adding the best aspects of Steampunk and westerns into a mythical story. It's one of the best fantasy novels that I've read in years, on par with the Dresden Files, Iron Druid Chronicles, or the King Henry Tapes. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Luke Matthews has created a vibrant living world and as the book progresses from location to location his writing style conveys the depth and breadth of each part of his world in fantastic detail. And while some writers may get bogged down in creating such a lavish world, the pacing of Construct is phenomenal, picking up speed as you follow Samuel on his journey to discover the mystery of who he was.
1185807
wow.  great story.  nice chemistry.  takes you into a new world.
2359700
It's been a good long while since I've been able to immerse myself in a story like this.
  Men of Blood is equal parts alternate history, frontier adventure, living myth, political intrigue and religious mysticism. From pirates to warlocks, petty tyrants to gunslingers, soldiers to shamans, this story has a bit of something for everyone. Traveling from wretched back-alleys to mystical forests, the pinnacles of power to the lowest dungeon of torturous ruin, the many and varied facets of this world will keep you turning pages to find out what's around the next corner. The story is skillfully written, with plenty of unexpected twists, turns and surprises to keep you on your toes all the way to the end.
  Tolkien, King, Rothfuss and Paolini have set a high standard for me, for fantastic adventure, memorable characters and alternate planes of myth, legend and magic. So, when I say that this story had me riveted to the pages, living through the terror and triumphs, wonder and heartache, camaraderie and betrayal of its characters, I hope to impart to you in some small measure the vast, rich world that Tyler J. Hill has created here.
3534317
Lichgates is a vibrant, imaginative story of a world hidden within our world and accessed via a kind of portal called a Lichgate. Kara Magari is hiking along a hidden trail when she comes upon a Lichgate. She steps through and finds herself in Ourea, a world of mountains covered in deep forests and peppered with caves and massive waterfalls. She falls into a library and discovers the Grimoire, a magical book that has been hidden for 1,000 years. It turns its own pages, answers any question asked of it, and contain the images of a variety of magical creatures which can be called from the book into reality.

When she opens it, she becomes the new Vagabond, the bearer of the Grimoire and is tasked to continue the previous Vagabonds work of bringing peace to Ourea. The trouble is that the four different races all want to control the Vagabond and have access to the Grimoire's secrets.

She meets Braeden Drakonin, a native of Ourea, and reluctant prince of one of the races. He's spent his life trying to run from his evil father and hiding the nature of his heritage. He hopes that the Grimoire will free him from his father's control, so he aims to stay with Kara until he gets a chance to use it. But he ends up becoming her protector and only ally in a dangerous world.

Of the four races, only one is anything like humans, and none of them can be trusted. They live in amazing cities, one under the ocean and one built in huge trees. The world the author has built in this story is exceptional.

This is very much the first book in what promises to be an epic. Lichgate establishes the world, the task and the complex nature of the issues involved. As the story evolves so does our understanding of Braeden's personal challenge, one that echoes that of every child seeking autonomy from their parents, but in this case, the situation is painful and desperate.
The book held my interest and I enjoyed and grew close to all the characters. I particularly loved Flick, the little creature with the huge eyes and fury tail (I'm a sucker for that kind of character), and the characters of each of Kara's strange animal mounts and the relationship between them was beautifully done.

The book didn't so much end as just stop, which I didn't mind because it was a good place to stop and clearly we are just beginning the story. I finished it quite satisfied with the pace of the plot and the balance of action to character and relationship building scenes.

The only issues I had with the book were that although they were well done, the descriptions could have been tightened up quite a bit and made less repetitive, and there were some typos. Nothing that can't be easily fixed and I hope it will be. I'd like to give it 5 stars, but because of these issues which admittedly may not be noticed by other readers, I'm sticking with four. Anyone who likes high fantasy will enjoy this book, especially if you're looking for what is clearly going to be a good long ride through a wondrous world.
3152350
While not my normal cup of tea, Scarab is a story you can't help but get sucked into. Ethan's character draws you in to his focused desire to build and enter his own design. While this detached feeling seems off at times, I think it was intentional to give us a true understanding of his character. Being a hemophiliac is something most people don't have to deal with, but his health issues certainly don't dampen his drive. The story of Ethan and his Scarab will take you into various realities fraught with virtual and real dangers where often discerning between them is difficult. Where does reality stop and the virtual world begin? Ultimately, is death the same in both worlds? And who is behind the not-so-subtle attempted murders of Ethan and his friends? This is a great debut novel for Scott and a great introduction for Sci-fi readers looking to escape into a race for the finish and a new life, especially when life's deck of cards seems to have been stacked against you since birth. I enjoyed reading the novel and would recommend it to others, especially at such a great price.
1240661
I read a lot of novels in this genre, and the number one thing that separates a good fantasy series from a mundane one is the level of detail ingrained into the setting. In order to fully appreciate the story (and the viewpoints of the characters) you have to be able to immerse yourself in the same world in which they find themselves. Rouhier has managed to create an incredibly compelling and captivating universe for her story, and that same captivation extends to her plot and to her characters. The Bonded is an outstanding story, an outstanding world, and a stand out fantasy novel.
3576437
Wow. That' all I can say. After reading the first book, and not being pulled too much into the story, this one blew me away.

There was fantastic world building, and the parts that took real thinking on the reader's part really pulled me in. Magic, runes, fae, centaurs, banshees, elves, you name it, it is here.

As all the different characters were introduced, I almost thought I knew what would happen, but then the author would take an unexpected turn, and pull me in to this alternate world even more. It was a very pleasant escape, and I would do it all over again.

Do yourself a favor, and do not base this story on the first one, but allow yourself to be enticed into a fantasy world that is engaging and full of different emotions, as well as different levels of humanity, even though many of the characters are not even human.
313604
If you've a yearning for a great story and immersion in a fully-realized world where magic is as real as the nose on your face, you'll want to pick up Nether Isle. A story of a young man's search for his identity, it deftly navigates the boundaries between fantasy and "reality", childhood and adulthood, friends and family. Evans has an ear for dialogue and doesn't condescend to the reader, a welcome development. There's an occasionally off-kilter or oddly-cadenced sentence ("As soon as her last breath was gone, her parents released a heavy sigh and left the room."), which keeps the story from the the greatness it nears, but Evans has an ineffable "it" that makes me want to read more of her work. I look forward to sampling her other wares.
4504195
I love being thrown into a new world of new experiences around every corner. Every seemingly meaningless experience you encounter is expertly woven into the story, bit by bit, again and again, until each initial encounter is so controversial that the future of kingdoms had been inadvertently altered by it, and now advertantly depends upon it.

I'll put this book down for a bit, but I'll definitely be reading through it again.
2474959
A enchanting story, so full of "Power" and "Magic". Curses beneath her feet, is a wonderful story, a sliver into another world among our own. With characters that grow with you as the story concludes, it takes you on a trip into the depths of fantasy.  Very well written Loved it!