Indie Recommends Indie: Brett Salter

Hello friend. Today’s Indie Recommends Indie post features author Brett Salter and he shares his favorite indie reads. His book, The Search For Synergy, is a Middle Grade fantasy that you can learn more about it at the end of the post. Brett writes detailed reviews so expect some thorough thoughts on books below! 🙂

Welcome to Armed with A Book, Brett! Since it’s your first time on the blog, can you please tell me and my readers about yourself?

My background in writing stems mostly from the inspiration I found as a kid when I read Fantasy and Sci-Fi books. These include The Chronicles of Narnia, The Xanth Novels, The Time Quintet, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and everything from Shakespeare to Dr. Seuss. In my formative years, I joined several punk rock bands and wrote songs, poetry, and short stories aplenty. As an adult (?) I took on a dare and wrote the first book in my Talisman Series. I loved the feeling it gave me and the idea of inspiring others so much that I kept writing until I had an entire series.

Do you read a lot of indie books?

I usually read books of my fellow indie authors.  It’s a nice bond we have to read each other’s work and spread the word.  I do love the classics, though!

---

Brett’s Indie Recommendations

Why I love this book: Epic Sci Fi adventure series with phenomenal and intricate world building

Opening Line: “The relaxing buzz of the radio mixes with the sounds of clanging pans and running water.”

Favorite Lines: “Saraf’s expression shows shocked disgust. “Because they do cool things? That’s the best answer your feeble brain could come up with?” He exhales sharply. “We may be in trouble.””

The Review: “The Orphans of New Lur” is book one of author Blake Vanier’s The Anterra Collection series which follows several main protagonists’ adventures around the continent of Majirin on the planet Anterra.

The titular orphans of New Lur are (in order of my favorite to least favorite) Nero, Korbin, Thea, Ryder, and Iona. I use the words “least favorite” extremely loosely as all five of these characters are very well-defined and make for exceptionally fun reading. Please don’t get me wrong. They all have personalities and intricacies that make them loveable, I just wanted to show my order for you guys! We get the most time inside Nero’s and Iona’s perspectives while the other three do not have this insight in the first book. It’s very rare that a book can pack five characters into it while not confusing the reader with who is who or who did what. That is a testament to the author’s ability to make these characters original enough to stand alone in several scenes of the book. Their personalities and interactions with one another define their most applicable traits excellently.

With reviews, I usually follow the plot of a story, but with this one, I am going to focus on the world and characters, so I don’t spoil anything or “read the book for you”. Anyone who likes this genre should one thousand percent check it out. That is a given. I want to tell you what to EXPECT not what you will read. And you WILL read it!

I just want to start out by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It easily has all the elements one would come to expect from a book that fits right in with a modern-day, sci-fi adventure. Blake Vanier has created an absolutely prismatic world with Anterra that is vivid and beautiful and dangerous and intricate. His creativity knows no bounds in the first book introducing us to the 3 “main” races of Anterra. The Humans, the Borukins, and the Erohsians (though other races ARE introduced, the first book focuses on these 3 humanoid ones). Each of these races has their own distinct culture that is explored in the pages. We learn that the technology-dependent Erohsians are borderline oppressors in this world to the Humans, whereas the Borukins seem to draw influence from more peaceful societies. If I were to make a comparison, I would say the Borukin are a combination of the Na’vi from Avatar and the samurai culture of premodern Japan. Both being respectful, pensive, and artistic yet able to fight when pushed. The Borukin race is thoroughly studied in the first book, and we learn about their weaponry, their rituals, their form of government (monarchy), and even their traditions throughout. Sometimes it can be tricky to comprehend, but Blake has provided a glossary in the novel for assistance which readily clears up any questions.

The Humans also play an important role in this book as we enter the world during the fledgling rise of a revolutionary group called Catalyst that wishes to put an end to the Erohsian (the Mini’s) rule over them. The history of this world plays out in a variety of ways including exposition by several Borukin characters and even a short, narrative diary interwoven into the main story. The different tactics Blake uses to infuse this into the book are masterful and fresh each time. There’s not one character that just rattles on and on for chapters at as time telling us what we need to know. It was well crafted and planned, indeed. I don’t want to spoil anything because I want all of you to read this book, but the second book sets up for even more involvement with the Humans and their attempt to right the world.

Then, there is the world itself; Anterra. Wow! Blake has created a planet that is so rich in world-building that you cannot help but imagine the scenes in your mind’s eye as they take place on the page. From the treacherous jungles to the bustling towns, there is life all over this planet. And although most of it is nonviolent, there are plenty of threats that look to snuff out five orphan lives at every turn. I will say that at least the Humans have the ability to control Aether in order to survive the harsh wilds and other menaces which hit closer to home.

So, now that you know you are getting into a deep world with plenty of relatable characters, lets do the positives of the book. Blake’s vocabulary is tremendous which I find as a positive since I had to look up a couple words like “hackles” and “coprophagist” (heehee). Expanding my knowledge can ONLY be seen as a positive to me. There are a LOT of secondary characters in this book, but most stand out in their own way. From the mysterious woman who helps a couple times to the Borukin shopkeepers and royalty who provide plenty of exposition dumps, each one has their role in setting up the separate acts of the book. Sosimo is my favorite character. I love how he is given quirky traits, a believable backstory, and a solid character arc through the interaction with the orphans. I fully expect him to have an expanding role in the next books as well. A close second would be the Erohsian, Isis whose arc in the first book is that of pursuing antagonist. But I can feel changes on the horizon for her as well. My predictions aside, I look for a much larger role for her in the future volumes.

Lastly, the use of Aether is a fantastic and innovative ability for these characters. And the mystery of Nero’s special relationship with Aether is extremely cool. I really hope it unfolds more as the series progresses. The other orphans and their Aethersottos are equally as interesting. Again, no spoilers here, but I am fascinated to see Ryder’s use of his Biat Aether, awestruck by Thea’s quadcast status, and a little nervous to see what Korbin does with his Ru Aether. The Aether is such a cool idea and a fresh take on things like Avatar The Last Airbender or Fullmetal Alchemist where characters use different elements or energies to wield incredible powers. Cheers to that!

This is a great book! I mean it! It is easily one of the better ones I’ve read in the genre, and it DOES harken me back to the Mistborn series. So, that is high praise. I only had one problem with this book, and it is such a teensy-weensy nitpick that I hardly think it will deter any readers of the series. I am just not a fan of present tense writing. I know! So small a thing, right? I understand WHY the book is in present tense, but it threw me for a loop near the beginning. I will say, after a while I did not even notice it anymore as the book is very heavy in dialogue, so the tense doesn’t even matter. But that’s it! I had no other qualms or issues with the book at all. So, do yourself a service and go get it! And then, reach out to me so we can theorize the series together!

I would recommend this book for anyone interested in Sci-fi/Fantasy over the age of 14. There is mild cussing and fear, offscreen death, and child slave trafficking which may trigger younger readers.

Final Review: 4.7 Borukin styx out of 5 (4.7 / 5)

---

Why I love this book: Great character development and a fresh take on classic science fiction

Opening Line: “Watch where you’re going!” Orin yelled at the truck that had just side-swiped him, sending his hoverbike careening through the middle of a sidewalk cafe.”

Favorite Lines: “What’s that, General?” Orin asked. “It’s simple,” he replied. “We get our Mechs back.””

The Review: “Mech – Heart & Soul” is book one of author Ken Deeprose’s The Mech Trilogy which follows several main protagonists’ adventures on the planet of Cambria.

Mech is a great word to title this book because it is the main focus of everything Ken has put together. Although the main protagonists are humanoid, the life blood of this book revolves around the technology they’ve invented and the mechanical creations they continue to innovate as the story progresses; ESPECIALLY the Mechs themselves. It’s an appropriate juxtaposition assigned to the planet of Cambria which is mostly a barren wasteland. Though a few towns (Aldarae) are peppered across the area, the vast majority of the population live where the Emperor and his Elite family and friends reside. It’s the technology that keeps them in power over the middle class and the lowest caste, hods who serve as the personal slaves to the upper class. In Ken’s world, technology is power, and brains can get you to the top quickly.

Rather than read the plot for you, I want to take some time to focus on the positives of this book. I’ll start with the characters themselves. There are plenty of likeable characters in this book who form the ragtag group by the end of the book. As we follow along in the pages, we meet the individuals that eventually become the heroes fighting to save THEIR planet and others. While the core group is made up of some interesting personalities like Taz and Skeet (2 of my favorites), the two main protagonists give us the most insight into character development. Orin, the genius son of a….well….genius inventor/professor shows us Cambria from the struggling protagonist perspective. He is constantly met with challenges and overcomes them with ingenuity and help from his friends. His actions set the plot in motion and his relationship with the next character I want to discuss provide a pretty solid backbone for a possible love story in the future.

Another well-written character is Juna, the princess who you just HAVE to root for once you see the deplorable and sickening ideals her family means for her to embody. On multiple times, I gave controlled cheers when Juna accomplished certain goals, like putting someone in their place, or landing a quick roundhouse to the head! She also acts as the reader’s insight to plot developments that other characters would not be privy to thanks to her more clandestine abilities. It’s an interesting and positive tactic to release information to the reader without forcing us into drawn-out exposition dumps. When you combine Orin’s experiences in the world of the scientists, technicians, and freedom fighters with Juna’s proclivity to unearthing the antagonist’s schemes, the information is granted to the reader organically and fluidly. I really appreciate that since a world this deep would otherwise require laborious exposition. There is no clearer example of this other than when the first plot twists occurs. I did NOT feel the need to go back and check on it. It was there for me the whole time, I just did not figure it out. Magnificently done twist!

Another positive I want to talk about is the pace of the book. You can see by my Opening Lines segment that the action is never far from the core of these pages I would honestly say that the pages keep turning because of both the pacing of the plot and the vivid action sequences that show up every few chapters. Besides the ever-present actions scenes, the Mechs themselves are proponents of pacing. Each time we meet a new one, it adds to a sense of wonder and expectation to find out what they are capable of. The ONLY thing I wished for was more interaction between the characters and the Mechs. Gigahertz and Orin were meant to be best friends, but I only counted a handful of interactions between them. I am probably misremembering that, but I did feel like I wanted more between those two. And, of course, I wanted more from the Mechs!!! They’re so cool and I loved that they were broken into different types. I feel like there is a ton of room to grow and develop those differences in the rest of the trilogy.

The last thing I want to touch on is the heist portion that occurs just before the climax. It was marvelous! If I could describe it by using blockbuster media, I would say it reminded me of Ocean’s Eleven meets Transformers. Every character brings their special abilities to the plan and it goes just how you hope it would. I have a very soft spot in my heart for super Mecha having grown up on things like Voltron, Robotech, and Gundam, so the Mech fights drew my attention instantly. But to add the heist theme into the book really takes it to the next level.

This is a great book! I mean it! The genre definitely benefits from “Mech – Heart & Soul’s” inclusion. I could easily see this book translating into an animated movie or even a live-action series. It’s got that kind of throw-back feel to it while still maintaining cutting edge story telling from a witty and intelligent mind. And since everyone knows I am a huge theorizer, I went ahead and did some speculating of my own with this book. I can’t help but wonder if Ken means for the rest of the series to take place on the mystery planet that I like to call Earth??? But don’t listen to my crazy head canon, do yourself a service and go get the book from Freisden Press or Amazon!

I would recommend this book for anyone interested in Sci-fiction over the age of 10. If someone you know likes military mech anime, literature, or video games, then they will enjoy this book and its dive into technology and giant robots. The book is 100% clean with basically no triggers. The only reason I say an age as high as 10 is because I believe younger audiences may have trouble following the plot. There is nothing in this book for parents to fear.

Final Review: 4.7 giant AI robot missiles out of 5 (4.7 / 5)

---

Why I love this book: Intertwined cool characters with a deep backstory and interesting use of theological discussions

Opening Line: “Derkein Odessa sauntered into a study lined with bookshelves and a high ceiling of gold leaf and bas-relief sculptures.”

Favorite Lines: “Charlie addressed the crowd. “Look, nothing has changed – at least, not for me. I don’t want you to bow or call me Your Majesty, King Sol, or any other name that isn’t Charlie.” Hearing someone cough, his gaze shifted to Ash, and he rolled his eyes and said, “Or Dolittle.””

The Review: “Talisman of El” is book one of author Al Stone’s Arcadia Saga, which follows a collection of main protagonists’ adventures between Earth and the heavenly realm of Arcadia.

I usually like to start out my review with an examination of the title and what it brings to the proverbial table. In this case, we get a title that reveals to us the hidden, kingdom of the series and the main artifact used during the story. The talisman holds great power which causes some long-lasting trouble for our main squad of heroes. And Arcadia, although full of wonder and the promises of eternal life, can also be a perilous place for our protagonist mortals. Also, it gives us one of my favorite things to do when reading books. And that is to try and find symbolism in names. All the character names had me searching up on Google and scratching my head for religious symbolism, but the titular talisman stumped me the most. What the bloody ‘el does El mean? I hope to find out as I read the rest of the series.

I am going to do my best to NOT give away too much of the plot because I want you to read it and enjoy it like I did. So, let’s start with my favorite part of the book: The characters! The main protagonists include Charlie (our main dude), Alex (love interest that is actually interesting), Richmond (comic relief with a huge appetite), and Derkein (my favorite character). So, up front, although Charlie is an awesome character, I gotta say Derkein is my favorite for a bunch of reasons. Charlie maintains the hero that is clueless to his importance/identity extremely well in this novel. I was genuinely surprised when events happened to him, or information got dropped about his true purpose. As far as main characters who hold great power but do not know it go, I found Charlie to be perfectly written. The reader learned about his situation as he did. His dreams, his interactions, and his process of making his way to The Garden all lined up perfectly for a main character in this kind of story. But, Derkein stole the show for me. To sum it up in a few words, he was both the caring, nurturing adult for Charlie in glaring contrast to the rest of the adults in his life AND the figurative damsel in distress whose plight moved the entire plot and Charlie towards his destiny. He was equal parts hero and in need, all the while being an actual role model for Charlie. I found his presence an intriguing dichotomy.

The other main characters in our group included Alex and Richmond, who both befriend Charlie in different ways. Alex is the schoolmate whose eyes for Charlie go from onlooker to bully deterrent rather quickly. And Richmond, the lovable runaway, really finds a home (and plenty to eat) with his self-proclaimed brother, Charlie due to their similar orphan upbringing. While Richmond and Charlie get along classically as fast mates, Alex and Charlie’s interactions are much more interesting to me. At times, Alex’s teenaged-crush friction is subtle, like her standing up to a bully or making sly comments about how Charlie should “like” and compliment her. But other times, it is downright in your face. Alex is a complex character who feels the same jealousy, yearning, and disappointment we ALL felt when we were that age. That complexity is what I like about her. She shines on her own as a heroic type, and she crushes it as “the crush” to the main character all while adding some of the better elements of humor in the book. I can’t wait to see her development in the next installment.

I am going to dedicate one more paragraph to characters as we spend plenty of time with them. Now, this is going to be tough to not give too much away, but I definitely feel like I should mention these. First, Jacob, Charlie’s caretaker, is just rotten and totally deserving the worst. His deception was a nice swerve towards the beginning of the book because I totally did not see that coming. Great work, Al! Secondly, the Aeons of Arcadia are totally badass. You have Ash, whose good-natured ribbing of Charlie had me chuckling several times. And Oren who plays a perfect foil to Alex by giving her more than she can handle in the jealousy department. And Avaran who is the Guardian of the Fire Kingdom and a nice NPC to help move along the entire history of the world. We also meet others like Isis (reminds me of Shiva from Final Fantasy) who all play their part in defending our young wanderers from the dangerous Archons inside Arcadia. These Elementals and Lightworkers bring with them the secrets of Arcadia and the world after death, though besides the scene at The Garden, we have yet to see ALL that post-mortem Arcadia has to offer. Hopefully no more of Azrael. He was horrifying!

And that leads me to my next point. The action of the book. “Talisman of El” 100 percent held up its promise that “failure is not an option”. In the early scenes, Charlie’s struggles with earthly issues (Jacob and Josh) gave me the feeling that he was being set up for something more. And in the second half of the book, inside Arcadia, we see those struggles keep their ferocity, but also take on a much wider picture. In the beginning, only Charlie’s seems affected by the outside influences and stressors, but once we get to Arcadia, we see threats on a much grander stage as the entire human world is at stake. Charlie must take that next step into heroism and embrace his true nature in order to save all of humanity, not just himself. Another great job of setting up things in the first act that come to fruition in the second and third acts. Some parts, including the group’s narrow escapes upon arriving in Arcadia and the multiple encounters with the Archons kept me on the edge of my seat. I really love the Aeons ability to shapeshift and fight a huge melee against their darker counterparts. The action surrounding the group as they make their way to their final destination is spectacular and reminiscent of a certain dragon and knight duo that I have an extremely close attachment to. (wink, wink)

This is a terrific book! In my opinion! The action stayed true but did not overpower the character development or world building. The idea of religion being combined with fantasy was something I had never seen before, and the line between them was toed expertly. I think the real reason I loved this book so much was because of the similarities I saw in my own writing. Elements (earth, fire, water, and wind), and superpowered characters, and talismans, and good facing off against an evil horde really reminded me of the things that draw me to certain media like books, movies, and video games. And anyone can see these themes reflected in my works as well. But this is not about my works. In fact, I think this book is mostly about dream themes. It’s not on the surface, but we see plenty of dream sequences in the novel which got me thinking about possible underlying rug pulls down the road of the series. The main character suffers (?) from precognitive dreams, which I think, in a way, may be the author foreshadowing to us a little bit. Also, there is a certain amount of luck that accompanies Charlie and his friends on their quest including chance encounters as well as narrow escapes. So, what if this entire adventure was indeed a dream? What if by the end of the series, Charlie wakes up in his bed with his mum and dad and never actually fought a crusade to save humanity? Several times, we skip around to other places on the timeline, and they usually occur right after one of Charlie’s dreams sequences. Much like a dream, we the reader cannot control the next scene as the pages unfold. And I think perhaps Charlie is being pulled along with us by his subconscious as well. A subconscious that invents the conflict, the characters, and Charlie’s true identity. What a Wizard of Oz moment that would be if Charlie woke up, ran downstairs with his REAL brother Richmond, and had breakfast with his parents and Derkein, the foreign exchange student from America being housed by his family! Probably not the way it ends, but a guy can “dream”, right? Lol.

One last thing: I like to add this “one last thing” section as an insight into how weird I am when I read books. So, for the review of “Talisman of El”, I intentionally left out one character until now. I’m talking, of course, about Candra. Candra was one of the more mysterious characters for a couple reasons. During my research into name symbolism, I was unable to find anything biblical on “Candra”, but I did come across the Hindu God “Chandra” who is associated with the moon and nighttime. Now Candra goes through a transition in this book. She’s an Archon that redeems herself enough to become Charlie’s guardian. However, at the beginning, she is only seen at night, which I postulated was due to her affiliation with the Archons. And I found it interesting that she only came around at night like a ghost haunting a graveyard or something. And that left me with the image of the library ghost from the opening scene of Ghostbusters. I’m not sure that’s what Al Stone intended, but oh well. What can I say? I’m a weirdo!

I would recommend this book for anyone interested in fantasy, blended theology, or sci-fiction over the age of 10. As far as red alarm triggers, there are none. I would warn younger readers that Jacob has a list of unscrupulous behavior that is squirm-worthy and there is one mention of blood, but overall, Talisman of El is pretty much absent of cursing, sex, and bloody violence. Anyone sensitive to religious themes like The Garden of Eden may also balk, but I will say the symbolism is not over the top. It’s more engaging how its entwined in Charlie’s world than anything. Lastly, Azreal is written in the same vein as modern depictions of The Grim Reaper, so younger audiences may find his scenes unnerving, but that’s about it. Please do not let small things like that keep you or your kids from reading this book. It is definitely a must read!!

Final Review: 4.8 shapeshifting Aeons out of 5 (4.8 / 5)

---

Why I love this book: Similar writing style to me with cool RPG characters.  

Kaylen’s Rising is book one of author Yves Robichaud’s Tomes of Taria series which follows the main protagonist and main perspective of Kaylen, a cave elf living in the underground metropolis of Caverna.

14-year old Kaylen Amdir has been secluded at home by his pacifist parents all his life and knows nothing of the outside, wondrous world of Taria. Even in his hometown, he is ostracized and bullied by his townsfolk and his peers alike because of his family’s secrets and his abysmal knowledge of magic. You see, in Caverna, most cave elves enter into one of the apprenticeships needed to protect their kingdom from the constant threat from the humans of the kingdom of Voland. On this point, young Kaylen yearns to learn the ways of the magicians, and through a series of prophetic events, he discovers that he DOES in fact have powers of a rare and extraordinary kind. Along his journey to fulfill his own destiny, Kaylen meets some fascinating characters with some interesting quirks and powers. And it is a combination of ALL these allies that is needed to stay the looming war between the kingdoms. Will Kaylen and his friends see their quests to the end? Or will they become just another fairy-tale legend lost to the Tomes of Taria?

I just want to start out by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It easily has all the elements one would come to expect from a book that fits right in with the likes of Harry Potter; a relatable hero-in-training with a somewhat tragic backstory and an eclectic group of comrades to help him through both his internal struggles and the struggles of the world around him. The journey starts from Kaylen’s humble beginnings, takes you through several trials designed to test our diverse party of personalities, and finally concludes with an epic battle on a Tolkien-esque scale. As I read the book, I really felt as if I was witnessing a favorite Role-Playing Game converted from the console to the written page as I witnessed this motely group of elves, dwarves, and humans “level up” and fearlessly fight their way through challenge after compounding challenge. If you have an interest in charismatic characters, well-written dialogue, and action packed adventures in a fantastical land, then Kaylen’s Rising should immediately be placed in your Amazon cart.

Final Review: 4.5 summoned skeletons out of 5 (4.5/5)

---

Why I love this book: Quick, interesting read

Opening Line: “Lightning flashed across the distant night sky.”

Favorite Lines: “Lastly, Brie retrieved her lock-picking set from the folds of her ruined gown. She had grown accustomed to always carrying it, just as Taeo had instructed. He would be so proud of her. Brie rolled her eyes. Who was she kidding? He would probably be proud of himself for being correct.”

The Review: “The Blameless” is book one of author E.S. Christison‘s expected series which follows main protagonist Princess Briana’s adventures in the kingdom of Predonia.

I say Predonia is a kingdom, but in the first few pages, we realize along with Briana (Brie) that its monarchal leader has been deposed by an upstart madman with chaos on his agenda. Brie flees the castle having survived the murder of her family, but finds herself completely lost and helpless in the surrounding capitol city of Aldestone. We feel Brie’s anxiety and hopelessness as the pages unfold until she is aided by someone she never expected. Her savior is Flinton, one of the three Blameless who we come to absolutely flipping adore as the book goes on. I will not spoil everything, because Brie’s interaction with the Blameless and other characters is the SOUL of this book. Allow me to expand.

E.S. Christison has succeeded marvellously in her characterization of not only the main cast, but also the supporting characters in this book. Brie is all things readers look for in a protagonist for an introductory book. She is relatable and parallel to the reader in that we are experiencing all this for the first time at the same time as her. We learn about the world and its magic through her experiences at the same speed and follow her same highs and lows. She is our eyes and ears of this world, and she allows us to retain all history, the constraints, and the interactions of the world without having to go through large exposition dumps (much appreciated). Also, her arc is full as she goes from scared and unsure to resourceful and strong, just as we do as readers.

Another positive I want to talk about is the supporting cast of this book. Although having the well-crafted cover art for the book and an internal map as visual guides, there was no shortage of evoking Christison’s vision on the page. She brilliantly describes the characters and various settings letting us know exactly how they look. Illustration through words is one of Christison’s strong points as I never once needed to second guess how a character or place appeared. Her use and repetition of certain adjectives really gave the characters their own feel too. As if the words to describe them were their own. Flinton as a massive man, Kove as handsome and suave, and Derek as the more mysterious and stoic leader. She did a marvelous job with those three in particular. I knew exactly how they thought and acted, and even who I want from Hollywood to play them in the inevitable motion picture rendition of “The Blameless”

The last thing I want to touch on is the magic in this world. I don’t want to give away too many secrets, but I will say that it was a new and fresh spin on an old trope. In Predonia, the Blameless possess magic gifted to them by their three gods. From what I was able to discern of the first book, all the Blameless have similar powers in their source, but quite individualistic and specific in their execution. So, while I’ve read and seen many works of literature where the characters have abilities tied directly to them, the Blameless have very defined limits and origins of how their talents (Kove calls them gifts) are obtained. “It’s their deed that makes them worthy, not their family or their status”. Indeed, this is true, and the way their gifts are acquired and utilized is what separates this sensation from other titles.

This is a great book! I mean it! The fantasy genre has a talented writer on the horizon with a knack for telling an interesting story with harrowing escapes and ideas for plenty of imaginative magic. Her charter building is also on point with the “greats” of the fantasy genre. I would not be surprised at all to see THIS book and its presumed followers to be turned into a visual media such as a TV show or series of some kind. We have yet to see any monsters or mythological beasts in Predonia, but you never know what’s waiting in the surrounding hills and forests of Mount Elrad.

I would recommend this book for anyone interested in sword and sorcery at the YA/MG level. The only reason I include MG is because our main protagonist is 13-14 at the time of the book’s conclusion (I believe she had a birthday during the story). Recommended age would be 12 and up due to some violence. This is limited to some deaths such as patricide and a public execution. Also, the bad guy open-hand slaps a minor at one point which may trigger younger readers. Other than the expected violence for the fantasy genre, parents should have no worries with this book and should encourage their kids to celebrate its themes of triumph over adversity and the bonds of family.

One last thing: I like to add this “one last thing” section as an insight to how weird I am when I read books. Every time I read the character Taeo’s name in the text, I automatically changed it to “Taco” in my head. I have no idea why! But it made for some interesting interactions.

Final Review: 4.7 magically summoned notebooks out of 5 (4.7 / 5)

---

Readers who enjoyed The Wings of Fire Series and Percy Jackson and the Olympians would like this series.

---

Did you add any books to your TBR today based on this post or did you see any you have already read? Tell us in the comments!

If you are an indie or small press author who is an avid reader and wants to be featured, sign up using the form on the Indie Recommends Indie home page. This is a fantastic way to bring attention to fellow indie authors as well as your own book. 🙂

Thanks for hanging out with us today! Connect with Brett on Instagram and Goodreads.

Banner Photo of library by Alfons Morales on Unsplash