Book Review: The Bloodstone Key (Fantasy)

The Bloodstone Key

by

Jenni Boyd

Publisher: Jenni Boyd Books
Publication Date: 21st December 2013
Pages: 362
Format Read: ebook
Source: Courtesy of the author

 

It is Medieval times where the word of the King or Queen is law and a knight swore upon an oath, a code of chivalry to guard the Sovereign and protect the weak. The land is called Zanna, a place where mythical creatures and sorcerers of great power exist, a power used for both good and evil.
The Queen is dying, a secret closely guarded to protect the Princess, heir to the throne. The Royal Duke, the Queen's cruel and sadistic nephew believes the crown is rightfully his and will do whatever it takes to become King.
As a dark shadow of evil spreads across the land, whispers arise of an old legend passed down through the generations about 'The Child of the Gods', a child born to save the Kingdom from absolute terror!
A beautiful young woman with hair like liquid silver, finds herself in unfamiliar surroundings, with no recollection of her name or her past, but when the plight of the people of Zanna come to her attention, she defies all odds to stand up against the terror inflicted upon them, armed with nothing but her unique bow and arrows, earning herself the name 'The Silver Angel'.
A mysterious man aids her in her quest, telling her he knows her true identity and that she must seek a hidden object, one that possesses great power, but only she holds the key and the knowledge of its secret location. He insists it is imperative she find it in order to save the people. The Silver Angel questions his motive for helping her, for he hides behind a mask, refusing to reveal his face.
Despite all warnings and increasing suspicions as to his true identity, she falls in love with him, putting her life in great danger.

 

I originally read this book back in 2015 when the author gifted me with an ebook. I loved the story then and still remember the compelling mystery and startling twist. I was very pleased when the author offered to send me a print copy recently as she was thrilled that I loved her story so much.

Thank you Jenni Boyd, you are so very generous.

Below is my original review from 2015.

The Queen and her only living heir, Princess Felicia, have been murdered. The Queen’s nephew, the evil Terric, has taken the throne and now rules by fear and death. For the people of Zanna their only hope is a myth, passed down through the generations, that the “Child of the Gods” will one day free them from Terric’s rule.

Low Fantasy would have to be one of my favourite reads and “The Bloodstone Key” didn’t disappoint.
Other reviewers have mentioned that the start of the story is confusing and I will have to agree. It’s like “hang on, what just happened?” But this is all part of the mystery. The Bloodstone Key is full of mystery and the full explanation of what happened on that fateful night comes later in the story. So don’t despair if you feel a little lost, all will be revealed.
The Bloodstone Key is shrouded in mystery, romance, suspense and danger. The characters are likeable and well developed which makes you want them to survive and prosper. My favourite characters being little Henry, Matthew, Hamond, Edwin and David.
I found the violence is kept to a minimum with more telling than showing as the main theme is kept to one of hope and courage.
There are brief appearances of mythical creatures and minimal magic, so maybe not for High Fantasy fans.
A wonderful story for fans of good overcoming evil and love overcoming adversity.

My rating   5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

I was born in Australia and currently reside in Tropical Far North Queensland with my partner.

My early childhood years were spent constantly on the move, and at times places remote and so isolated I used my imagination to create friends and another world. My family eventually settled in Rural Northern NSW, and a part of my life where my real need to write came to me, secretly writing down my stories for only me to see.

Very few of my friends were aware of my desire to become an author, and as my family grew, so did my desire to write, until eventually taking the bold step to publish my first book, 'Natalia'.

I love the great outdoors, hitching up the camper trailer and travelling to far and remote places, some so vast you could disappear without a trace, but none the less beautiful.
I love anything that allows me to use my imagination and the freedom to be creative; writing, sewing and gardening.

 

Book Review: The Ruin of Kings (Fantasy)

The Ruin of Kings

by 

Jenn Lyons

Publisher:  Pan Macmillan 
Imprint: Tor UK
Publication date: 5th February 2019
Pages: 560
RRP: $29.99
Format Read: Uncorrected proof copy
Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

What if you weren't the hero?
Kihrin grew up on tales of long-lost princes and grand quests - despite being raised in a brothel, making money as a musician and street thief. One day he overreaches by targeting an absent noble's mansion, hunting for jewels. There he witnesses a prince performing a terrifying dark-magic ritual. Kihrin flees but he's marked by a demon and his life will never be the same again.

That night also leads to him being claimed as a lost son of that prince's royal house. But far from living the dream, Kihrin finds himself practically a prisoner, at the mercy of his new family's power plays and ambitions. He must also discover why his murderous father finds Kihrin more valuable alive than dead. Soon Kihrin attempts to escape his relative's dangerous schemes, but finds himself in far deeper waters
.
He becomes tangled in a plot to kill the Emperor, rob the Imperial Vaults, claim a god-slaying sword and free bound demons to wreak havoc across the land. Kihrin also discovers the old tales lied about many things: dragons, demons, gods, prophecies, true love - and the hero always winning. But maybe Kihrin isn't fated to save the empire. He's destined to destroy it.

 

The story opens with Kihrin in prison guarded by Talon. Talon asks, I should say forces, Kihrin to tell his story whilst she also narrates her part of Kihrin’s story.

Kihrin’s narration is in first person and starts as a 16 year old Kihrin is being sold in a slave auction. Talin’s is in third person and starts a year earlier with 15 year old Kihrin living with adoptive parents in the slums of the lower circle. He is musician by day and thief by night. The two narrations alternate but I found them easy to follow. There were also footnotes by the author but I skipped those because the printing was so tiny in my uncorrected proof I could hardly read it.

Kihrin is a likeable protagonist. He seemed to have morals in a world that had no morals. He had a sarcastic sense of humour that managed to surface even in the face of overbearing adversity. This slight lean towards humour took the edge off some of the darker moments.

The writing was exceptional and the world building was complex and intricate. There was so much going on in this novel I felt at times that I couldn’t take it all in. There was never a dull moment or a lapse in the action.

I was a bit disappointed that the women were so subservient. I would have liked a few more strong women. The men have little regard for women beyond their pleasurable use. Even the wives were beaten and then healed by other women to cover it up.

The novel is filled with the type of action dark fantasy fans have come to expect; murder, torture, demons, gods, dragons, kings, dark magic, undead, flesh eating shape shifters and allusions to rape and incest all ending with a tantalising cliff hanger.

The Ruin of Kings is a dark fantasy that will grip you with its world building and squeeze the air from your lungs with its unrelenting danger and battles.

Recommended for 18+ years

My rating    4/5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 *This review is: 

Book R in the Ginger Mom & Company AtoZ challenge

 

Photo credit: Goodreads

 Jenn Lyons lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, three cats and a nearly infinite number of opinions on anything from Sumerian mythology to the correct way to make a martini. She is a video game producer by day, and spends her evenings writing science-fiction, fantasy and paranormal mysteries. 

A long-time devotee of storytelling, she traces her geek roots back to playing first edition Dungeons & Dragons in grade school and reading her way from A to Z in the school's library. 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Thomas Wildus and the Book of Sorrows by J. M. Bergen

Thomas Wildus and the Book of Sorrows

by 

J. M. Bergen

Publisher: Elandrian Press

Publication Date: 2nd February 2019

Pages: 352

Format read: eBook

Source: Courtesy of the author via Book Publicity Services 

Thomas thinks he's an ordinary twelve year old, but when a strange little man with gold-flecked eyes gives him an ancient text called The Book of Sorrows, the world he knows is turned upside down. Suddenly he’s faced with a secret family legacy, powers he can hardly begin to understand, and an enemy bent on destroying everything he holds dear. The more he reads and discovers, the deeper the danger to himself and the people he loves. As the race to the final showdown unfolds, Thomas must turn to trusted friends and uncertain allies as he seeks to prevent destruction at an epic scale.  

I’ve read a few Middle grade books with the theme of magical crystals  and I’m always amazed how authors can write such diverse stories with the same basic theme; our protagonist must get to the crystals before the antagonist and thus save the world. Bergen has come up with an original take on this tried and true theme.

Thomas Wildus and the Book of Sorrows is a magical story filled with peril and friendship.

Thomas is an ordinary twelve year old who loves to read books about magic until one day he is given not a book about magic but a magical book. His father’s parting words ring in his ears “Magic is real, Thomas. No matter what happens, always remember that magic is real.”

The story starts with the everyday life of Thomas Wildus. He goes to school, hangs out with best friend Enrique, has problems with the school bully and has a crush on a pretty girl in his grade.

After Thomas receives the book the story changes to one of mystery, danger and suspense.

There is a slow build up to the main revelations about Tomas and his mission. The explanation of the magic and quantum physics was a bit long however the story kept my interest.

Overall Thomas Wildus and the Book of Sorrows was a good read filled with danger, suspense and magic. Thomas was a modest hero and a good role model.

Content: Scenes of mild peril

                 Words ‘bloody hell’ and ‘evil bastard’ are used sparingly.

Age: 8 – 12 years

 

My rating: 4/5         🌟🌟🌟🌟 

 

 

photo courtesy of Goodreads

J.M.’s debut fantasy/magic series originally started as a bedtime story for his oldest son. The story turned into a saga, and one book turned into five. The first book in the series, Thomas Wildus and The Book of Sorrows, is scheduled for release in February 2019.

When J.M. isn’t working on the Thomas Wildus books, you can find him playing with his kids, napping, or dreaming up new adventures. If you ever meet him and can’t think of anything to talk about, you might ask about Herman the Shark, the Kai and Eli stories, or why Riddle-Master by Patricia McKillip is his all-time favorite book. Or maybe, just maybe, you’ll have questions and stories of your own (if you do, he’ll think that’s far more interesting).

 

 

Book Review: James Clyde and the Tomb of Salvation by Colm McElwain

                          James Clyde and the Tomb of Salvation

 by

 Colm McElwain 

  

 

Publisher: Self Published

Publication date: 1st November 2018

Series: James Clyde Book #2

Pages: 352

Format Read: Paperback

Source: Copy courtesy of the author

 

Picking up shortly after the events of the first adventure, James Clyde returns with his best friends Ben and Mary Forester to his grandfather’s house in search of a map that will lead them to the Tomb of Salvation – an ancient shrine, where the three diamonds of Orchestra must be returned with the promise of immortality.

James and his company of adventurers journey through treacherous lands fraught with danger and meet many obstacles along the way – dangerous assassins on board a train, the dastardly Gilbert, also known as the ‘man in black’, and even an unlikely encounter with a fabled lake monster.

If they reach the Tomb of Salvation, James knows they will then face their greatest threat, for the tomb is said to be home to a terrifying demon – an entity that has shown no mercy to anyone who has ever entered its lair.

 

James Clyde and the Tomb of Salvation is the second book in the James Clyde series and follows straight on from book one, James Clyde and the Diamonds of Orchestra. You really need to read the first book in the series to get the most from this story.

James and his group of friends must reach the Tomb of Salvation before the evil Queen Abigail. The first to drink from the cup of salvation will receive ultimate power and everlasting life.

In the first book we learn that James has the power to fly and Mary has the power to heal but we are left in the dark as to Ben’s power. In this book we find out Ben’s talent bestowed on him by the diamond. The story is told in both James and Abigail’s POV.

The writing is uncomplicated and the short chapters are perfectly suited to children aged 7 – 11 years. There is lots of light-hearted banter and enough danger and adventure to keep readers turning the pages.

The kids, in the story, act like kids; they laugh a lot, make silly jokes, get scared at times but always venture on. They treat the whole thing like a big adventure, relishing time away from the adults. The adults, unsuccessfully, try to rein the kids in and tell them what to do but generally know that they are capable.

McElwain includes themes of working together, problem solving and decision making culminating in the ultimate question; is power more important than friendship?

The second novel in the James Clyde series will lead you on an action-packed adventure full of mystery, suspense, danger, hope – and, yes, salvation.

I highly recommend this series to Middle Grade readers.

My Rating    4.5/5                   🌟🌟🌟🌟.5 

watch the trailer here: https://youtu.be/7V_x8JLJRT0

 

 

photo courtesy of Goodreads

Colm was raised and educated in Monaghan, Ireland. He is a Physical Education and Business teacher and likes reading books, watching films and playing sport.                                                      He has always loved storytelling, whether through literature or film. James Clyde and the Diamonds of Orchestra is his first novel and brings a very fulfilling creative experience spanning a number of years to an end.