high fantasy | Ad Librum Aeternam

43976358. sy475

By Deston J. Munden

Genre: Epic fantasy, high fantasy, fantasy, swords and sorcery, adventure

Pages: 447

ISBN: 9781795562584

ASIN: B07PWTR89Q

Format: Paperback, Ebook (Kindle)

Publication date: March 2019

Publisher: Self-published

Type: Book, Novel, First in a series

*I received a free ecopy in exchange for an honest review. No compensation has been given and I write this book review willingly. A big thanks to BookTasters and Deston J. Munden!*

Introduction:

I was kindly offered by BookTasters to review one of the books they had, and Tavern’s blurb stood out to me. It sounded so fantasy-like and magical… How could I resist? So, here I am, reviewing it with pleasure!

I hope many of you will find this read to their liking as I did.

Shall we go on a quest together and explore this book in more details?

Come, dear reader…

Blurb:

Information, Power. Respect.

Xelnath of the Gnarled Root—a tavern owner, information broker, healer, and guildmaster of the Blackwind Company—has found a place, far better than the forest from which he came in the magical metropolis and city-state of Lladad in the Magiian Empire.

When a simple act of kindness draws the ire of a troubled assassin, his love-stricken Archmage father and an army of magically constructed golems, Xel must scheme with vipers of the high court, mingle with royalty at the castle, blackmail drug dealers in the slums, and fight assassins and mercenaries in the streets.

He needs to lean on the support of his motley crew of a dark elf assassin, a dragon pirate, a high elf royal, and a talking dog artificer to keep him from his own inner demons and doubts.

The Positive Sides:

For starters, may I say this lad writes excellent descriptions of fights and action scenes? Because it’s true. They were so engrossing and immersive! Moreover, the whole reading experience was amusing and thrilling (despite the first confusing chapter, though). The quest Xelnath embarks on is fun and so are the other, smaller adventures in his path.

Another magnificent point is how really exotic the story and settings are! There is an orc for a main character, as well as other creatures and tribes. And magic! Did I talk about this one yet? Nope. Here goes: I love the nature-based magic system found in Tavern. All this variety gives me the feeling I am reading The Witcher, which is amazing as I love this series. (I’m even reading it in Polish! Yup, that’s a polyglot for you.)

I loved being on this reading adventure with Xelnath the orc and his motley crew. It reminded me of why I enjoy High and Epic fantasy (I’ve been falling out of touch with it lately, but now I want to resume The Witcher books—still in Polish—and go back to Lord of the Rings). I call this a win by this book and author!

The Negative Sides:

However, I found that the text was sometimes too telling and not showing enough—it was rather straightforward in multiple occasions, but I’m not sure whether it’s a fault or the author’s intention. Hmmm… Also, the first chapter was confusing as h.

It took me a while to get used to the whole situation, the world, and the orc main character! Everything was too vague, and while I understand the strategy to keep his MC’s nature a mystery at the beginning, it doesn’t help the confusion. I had a hard time immersing myself or believing the story at first. But then after the first chapter, I had a blast reading!

In Conclusion:

What can I say? It rekindled my flame for this genre. I’ve had a blast (except that damn first chapter) and I can’t wait to read the next one in this series! I will definitely follow this series and author (already doing so on his Amazon Author’s page, yup). All in all, I give Tavern by Deston J. Munden a rating of 4 stars out of 5! If you enjoy high or epic fantasy, a big and varied cast of characters, and an intricate story with amusing parts, this is the read for you!

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit his Web site, you can also follow him on Goodreads and Twitter. You can also add Tavern to your bookshelves on Goodreads and LibraryThing.

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Fiction, Sci-fi

Pages: 436

ISBN: 9781627473934

Format: Paperback, eBook (Kindle)

Publication date: December 27th, 2018

Publisher: Tom Bird Retreats, Inc.

Type: Novel, Series

Introduction

When I saw that beautiful cover with three women and a dragon (a dragon, so great!) who all looked powerful and intriguing, I knew I wanted to review this book. I was kindly granted my request, but alas I don’t think this book fulfilled all of its promises. At least to me.

Read on to find what worked and what didn’t!

*I received a free ecopy in exchange for an honest review. No compensation has been given and I write this book review willingly. A big thanks to BookTasters and V. E. Patton!*

Blurb

On three distant worlds, three women journey towards their destinies. Before they started out, all three made a choice – to forget they share a single soul.

In tech-ruled post-Crack Earth, where magic doesn't officially exist, project manager Ali's humdrum life under the crumbling Melba Dome is becoming weirder by the day. Her fingers keep glowing, a snarky dragon takes up residence in her head, and people she thought were her friends keep trying to control, kidnap or assassinate her. To top it off, she can't figure out why her previously perfect memory is suddenly full of holes.

Meanwhile, on Heavens Gate, where magic and science have forged an uneasy alliance, research analyst Merindah is desperate to save her dying planet. What she lacks in magical ability, she more than makes up for in ambition, which comes in handy as she navigates family politics and feral deities. But when an impatient and not-so-extinct dragon begins to help her solve the puzzle of the Yarran journal, she realises her magic might not be as weak as she'd thought.

Finally, on Reverie, where magic rules unfettered, a young orphan becomes burdened with tainted magical gifts. Dee is alone, trapped in a waking nightmare. When she finally surrenders to the voices in her head, her out-of-control magic unleashes her dragon and propels her onto a path that could unravel the fabric of time and space.

Three women, three worlds – and their time is running out. Unless Ali, Merindah and Dee can reunite and unlock the secret of the Timegates in a single year, all is lost. They must each make unimaginable sacrifices to become the Key, the Gatekeeper, and the Fire who will save the Cosmos – or ignite Armageddon.

First though… they need to teach their soulmate dragons who's in charge!

The Positive Sides

The beginning of this book includes a beautiful, enchanting creation story. It’s magical and the most imaginative story I’ve read in a while—it’s intriguing. As for the writing, it is evocative with an enhanced vocabulary. Something I just crave! The descriptions are lengthy, detailed and crisp, which make them easy to picture. I love that we get clues and answers to a character’s situation from the other characters! All is connected very well, including the subplots. Wow! Another thing worth mentioning is that the women are older than what we usually see, too. Nice touch!

What about the characters? Well, first of all, I was surprised and delighted by the women run the planet of Heavens Gate. Such a good feminist take! It’s refreshing. Ali is so relatable to me anyway, what with her imagination and escapism, and also because she’s considered a weirdo. I loved her right away, then more and more. Plus, I connected so much with Merindah’s ambition. She was interesting to read. The bond between Ali, Merindah and Dee is so fun to unfold and discover!

But what really stood out to me, besides the graceful language, is the fantastic world-building. If you want to be transported out of this world, choose this book! The notions, concepts, and customs of the peoples we meet in this book are so different from ours. It’s a bit hard to grasp at first, but then you read and feel out of here. So pleasant! (Yes, this is escapism at its best, no regrets.)

The Negative Sides

This being said, if you want an easy read, look elsewhere. Everything sounds complicated and jumbled together. Moreover, the characters’ desires, thoughts and actions are overexplained. We often understand them from the context and their reactions, but now the author uses several paragraphs to explain them to us. It’s boring, and it also feels like she wants to cram the information in our head lest we forget. I found myself disconnecting from the story a lot. There is action and intense moments, but I fear it’s not enough.

In Conclusion

While the sheer idea, amiable characters and intense world-building made for a fun ride, the writing itself is too telling and explicative, it and weighs on the story instead of lifting it. Thus, I give Ochre Dragon a rating of 3.5 stars out of 5. I still recommend it to fantasy and world-building lovers, and even more if telling in stories doesn’t bother you. I think you’ll enjoy this read. But I’m not sure I’ll continue this series. Still, I’ll remember this book as having the best world-building I ever came across so far.

Cheers!

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit her Web site, you can also follow him on Amazon author page and Goodreads. You can also add Ochre Dragon to your bookshelves on Goodreads and LibraryThing.

*Please note this book review contains affiliate links. This means I receive a percentage off your purchase, but it doesn't cost you anything more should you buy the book via my links! Thank you.*