A fantasy certain to please genre fans and readers seeking a new approach to vampires.
A mystical epic chronicles the adventures of a vampire warrior set for battle.
This first volume in mother-daughter team Katie and Debra Keller’s fantasy series is headlined by a resilient warrior princess who comes of age in the magical island realm of Fanticlear. The island is populated by two opposing factions of immortal vampires with flying and invisibility traits: the Kihnalta (compassionate), who have ruled the area for five centuries, and the Fiantes (fierce), who surrendered the region after the Clash War but remain poised to eventually reclaim their territory, now shared with mortals. The story opens with a hopelessly barren Queen Jennifer and Prince Liam, who appeal to the wise sister-goddesses to bless them with a child soon. A baby christened Princess Skyler Victoria Connellan arrives by carriage. As Skyler matures, she becomes obsessed with becoming a soldier and suffers frightful nightmares and visions about an army of torch-wielding warriors led by a Fiante poised to overthrow the monarch. Skyler secretly trains with local soldiers in the woods and soon develops true fighting skills, including their unique mind-reading talents. But she angrily separates from her family once she realizes the queen mother has orchestrated an arranged marriage to a wealthy Fiante prince. The Kellers impressively expand the story through intricate plotting and a colorful cavalcade of detailed characters, incorporating themes of revenge, family loyalty, romance, destiny, and Fanticlear island pride. Along the way, there are dragons, talking trees, glowing fairies, and large, yellow-eyed trolls to keep readers bewitched as the finale arrives, pitting Fanticlear’s heiress and her assembled mystical army of oddities against a legion of Fiante soldiers in a territorial war for the enchanted island. All the best elements of fairy tales and epic battles are here, complete with an opening map of the Fanticlear territories. The authors have forged a creative tale replete with brisk pacing, uniquely distinctive creatures, medieval vernacular, and the age-old battle between good and evil. Once Skyler’s thrilling journey to defend Fanticlear (and herself) begins, readers will be glued to the page and remain eager for the next installment.
A fantasy certain to please genre fans and readers seeking a new approach to vampires.Pub Date: March 30, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-73-671401-0
Page Count: 402
Publisher: Bowker
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.
A young Navarrian woman faces even greater challenges in her second year at dragon-riding school.
Violet Sorrengail did all the normal things one would do as a first-year student at Basgiath War College: made new friends, fell in love, and survived multiple assassination attempts. She was also the first rider to ever bond with two dragons: Tairn, a powerful black dragon with a distinguished battle history, and Andarna, a baby dragon too young to carry a rider. At the end of Fourth Wing (2023), Violet and her lover, Xaden Riorson, discovered that Navarre is under attack from wyvern, evil two-legged dragons, and venin, soulless monsters that harvest energy from the ground. Navarrians had always been told that these were monsters of legend and myth, not real creatures dangerously close to breaking through Navarre’s wards and attacking civilian populations. In this overly long sequel, Violet, Xaden, and their dragons are determined to find a way to protect Navarre, despite the fact that the army and government hid the truth about these creatures. Due to the machinations of several traitorous instructors at Basgiath, Xaden and Violet are separated for most of the book—he’s stationed at a distant outpost, leaving her to handle the treacherous, cutthroat world of the war college on her own. Violet is repeatedly threatened by her new vice commandant, a brutal man who wants to silence her. Although Violet and her dragons continue to model extreme bravery, the novel feels repetitive and more than a little sloppy, leaving obvious questions about the world unanswered. The book is full of action and just as full of plot holes, including scenes that are illogical or disconnected from the main narrative. Secondary characters are ignored until a scene requires them to assist Violet or to be killed in the endless violence that plagues their school.
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374172
Page Count: 640
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.
On the orders of her mother, a woman goes to dragon-riding school.
Even though her mother is a general in Navarre’s army, 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail was raised by her father to follow his path as a scribe. After his death, though, Violet's mother shocks her by forcing her to enter the elite and deadly dragon rider academy at Basgiath War College. Most students die at the War College: during training sessions, at the hands of their classmates, or by the very dragons they hope to one day be paired with. From Day One, Violet is targeted by her classmates, some because they hate her mother, others because they think she’s too physically frail to succeed. She must survive a daily gauntlet of physical challenges and the deadly attacks of classmates, which she does with the help of secret knowledge handed down by her two older siblings, who'd been students there before her. Violet is at the mercy of the plot rather than being in charge of it, hurtling through one obstacle after another. As a result, the story is action-packed and fast-paced, but Violet is a strange mix of pure competence and total passivity, always managing to come out on the winning side. The book is categorized as romantasy, with Violet pulled between the comforting love she feels from her childhood best friend, Dain Aetos, and the incendiary attraction she feels for family enemy Xaden Riorson. However, the way Dain constantly undermines Violet's abilities and his lack of character development make this an unconvincing storyline. The plots and subplots aren’t well-integrated, with the first half purely focused on Violet’s training, followed by a brief detour for romance, and then a final focus on outside threats.
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374042
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
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