Indie Authors!

Tell me about indie authors you love!!

As soon as you mention indie/self-published/small press authors there are two that spring to mind.

The one I discovered first is AB Endacott who writes the fantastic Legends of the Godkissed Continent. I read Queendom of the Seven Lakes from NetGalley. I picked it up on a whim after the orange cover sparked my interest and I LOVED it. So much so that after harping about it on social media so much Alice offered to send me an eARC of the second book in the duology to review! There began my absolute adoration for the series as the second book added so much depth into this world and answered so many questions whilst still leaving me wanting more!

It’s an absolutely amazing YA fantasy series, written by a self published Australian author who is an absolute delight and I will continue to buy each and every one of her books. They’re written so wonderfully and I’m able to complete immerse myself in her world.

The second author is Caroline Logan, who writes the wonderful Four Treasures novels. This was recommended to me by Caitlyn from Mad Cheshire Rabbit, and I saw some other Scottish booktubers reading and enjoying it as well so I knew I needed to pick it up! Caitlyn saved me the trouble by gifting me the book (the most secure way of forcing me to read anything) and I’m so incredibly grateful that she did because this book is god damn great.

I’ve only read one book in the series so far but I already adore how she’s skewing gender norms, playing with Scottish folk lore, and generating in depth details about the world, the characters, and their relationships, and I am SO excited to continue on in the series! This is another YA fantasy series that should be so much more well known!!

Let me know if you’ve read anything from either of these authors, and recommend me other indie authors that you love!!

Deliverance of the Blessed – a review

Why am I onLY JUST REVIEWING THIS?!?!?! I read this, a book in one of my favourite EVER series, back in February after being given a free eARC in exchange for an honest review. I did pop up my rating on Goodreads and write a wee review but it has taken me FAR TOO LONG TO ACTUALLY DO THISSSS. Can you tell I’m annoyed at myself? I adored this book, I adore everything ever published in the Godkissed Continent! So let’s get into the good stuff!

This book is the first we’ve had that’s set in the First Country, one that keeps itself behind closed doors from the rest of the continent, so we’ve not heard a lot about it so far. We follow Kaylene, who is kept behind the walls of the sanctuary and away from the general population in order to keep them safe. She can’t be trusted to control herself. After the devastating loss of her partner life lost meaning to Kaylene, but when she meets an unknown woman the course of her life changes, and she determines that she’ll reach beyond the walls of death and bring her love back.

As always with Alice’s books, I need more!! As soon as this finished I was heartbroken that there wasn’t a sequel coming in the future that I could dive into! Despite this being (almost *wink*) a completely new cast of characters from previously I felt so emotionally invested in them straight away. The “magical” powers throughout this series manifest in different ways and I adored seeing how they presented themselves within those from this secluded nation with little knowledge of the outside ways.

The character development throughout was done beautifully, the way that they learnt the nuances of each others mannerisms and ways of being, as well as how their relationships deepened. As a group the dynamic altered throughout the book and I found that incredibly interesting and so realistic to real life! The strife as well as the intrinsic bond could be felt through all their words and actions and you could tell that these people had been together for many years.

The only reason that it didn’t quite hit 5 stars was that there was a beat of the plot that just didn’t quite feel natural. There had been some seeds laid to bring us to it but there was a bit too much of a jump for me and it pulled me out of the book a little. But that was literally the only downside!!! (other than there not being another sequel for me to read… please and thank).

Highlight here for trigger warnings: violence, wrongful persecution, loss of a loved one, death

Honestly if you enjoy reading YA fantasy then I can’t recommend any of the books in the Legends of the Godkissed Continent series enough! The way that they intertwin whist also standing on their own as in depth tales of each country? I adore them and I’m so excited to see where we get to go next!

Dark Heart by A.B. Endacott – a review

The third and final book in the Dark Trilogy and boy did this series go out with a bang! In book 3 we’re following Freya after the goals and ambitions of her group have been reached, and unlike with most books, where we’re left to imagine what happens next, A.B. Endacott has written a book that beautifully encapsulates all of the difficulties that come with winning your fight.

This book was a fantastic round off to the series. I really enjoyed looking more into how things settle after the main ambition of the group that Freya is within has been reached. Now they have to plan, and sort, and fix things. And try not to be just as bad as those who came before.

The Dark Trilogy follows Freya, a healer, who is Pious in faith, which is banned in the Third Country. As tensions rise across the nation, Freya has to decide who she’s going to be. Whether she will fight for the world she wants or if she’ll cling to that which she holds dear, and stick to the status quo.

I’m sure many of you can imagine what is happening in this book, whether you’ve read the series or not. But I would like to keep it spoiler free regardless. So my best attempts, as always, will be below and forgive me for being vague!

I really enjoyed reading the moral struggle that Freya and the others were going through in the duration of this book. These people have killed others, they’ve deceived the people they love, and they’re trying to not fall back into the ways of the Kade, the religion that had subjugated them for so long. But this is harder than it seems. How do you quell unrest without action? How do you act without being unjust but also preventing riots? Watching A.B. Endacott dance through these issues with a light foot and really bring them to life was more interesting than even I thought it would be going in! (and you guys know how much I love the Godkissed Continent).

I also liked the emotional maturity that has come to Freya. With so little control over her life previously, there wasn’t much that Freya had to think in depth about. There was no point. So when it comes down to it, at first her responses hadn’t been the best or the most well thought out. But over the time that we’ve been following her we really get to see her emotions come under her own control and see the mastery she has over them now.

Speaking of control and mastery! The magic system in this world continues to be one that I love. Based upon faith and able to be manipulated in various ways, it’s incredibly interesting and Freya definitely learns more about her own innate powers and starts to use them. This isn’t always a good thing, but that process is part of the development of her powers.

There were only two things that I wasn’t completely happy with in this book, although I promise they were very minor as I still gave the book a solid 4 stars! First up is that deaths that had occurred seemed to be glossed over a little. Not as much time was spent mourning as I would’ve expected. I know that they have a job to do, but that job should’ve just been made that much tougher not only by the loss of key people to the group but also by the emotional pain that this loss caused.

Secondly, during this book Freya travels to a new location (look I said it would be vague), and she seems to settle in there a little fast. Everything just kind of works in her favour, no opposition, everything going smoothly. Realistically her entrance should’ve resulted in a longer duration of mistrust (in my opinion), or an explanation as to why this trust was so easily established. And she departs swiftly too. I loved the time there but it felt too short and I wished that there had been more issues that had kept us there for longer!

But overall, this book is absolutely fantastic and it’s another wonderful addition to the Godkissed Continent world that A.B. Endacott is creating. I can’t wait to read the First Country book when it comes out as well as everything else she ever writes!

A Review of Dark Intent by AB Endacott

 

Welcome to the Third Country! Yet another book by the amazing AB Endacott, I have adored reading her works lately! This follows the woman councillor seen in Queendom of the Seven Lakes (review here) who is a healer named Freya Kuch. She lived in the Third country where a brutal takeover has occured from the Kade population which has left the Pious people as second class citizens. Freya, through determination, has managed to become the perfect Kade citizen. This is torn apart, however, when she is caught up in an explosion detonated by those less happy to be subjugated. From this point onwards her view of the world and her place in it is to be tested to the limits.

I adored this book, getting to delve into yet another section of this beautifully imagined world was a delight and I was quickly fully invested in Freya’s life and seeing her open her eyes to the truth in her country was so engrossing. I love how fleshed out all of the characters are and how much I was able to imaging the world in my head without there being any info-dumping.

The blurred lines between good and bad that are ever present in our day to day life are explored within this fantasy text in a way that can be extrapolated to real life. The contrast starts out quite strong, but quickly delves into the deep greys that come with life and show that nothing can quite fit neatly into a box. I love how Alice showed this and how it was interwoven into the story.

Freya’s relationships with both Simon and Ashtyn were really interesting and so different. I won’t tell you the nature of them in order not to spoil anything but I loved seeing the two very different sides to her and how she reacts differently to them both as the story goes on and she learns more about the country that they are living in and how they are all complicit.

The ending of this book is quite the cliffhanger! I’ve seen some reviews where people love it and some where they don’t. Me? I loved it! It turns out that it was actually an accident when this was uploaded and the ending was originally intended to be a little further into the story but I love the need to continue that this left me with and I’m so excited to pick up Dark Purpose soon and carry on with the series!

I of course adored this book and really really recommend picking it up!! (which you can do here, not affiliate I’m just lazy and assume others are too!)

Exploring the Fourth Country

I went on an AB Endacott binge in a pretty short period of time! Next up is The Ruthless Land which is the first book I’ve read from Alice that isn’t set within the Second Country and that has a different narrator. Although I’m sad to be leaving Elen-ai and Gidyon behind I have loved exploring more places within this beautifully written world.

Within The Ruthless Land, set in the Fourth Country, we follow Lexana as she is sent to the Academy atop a mountain, and filled with monks, in order to learn and develop knowledge that will be useful in running her family’s business that she is the heiress to. While there she starts to connect with Jaxen, one of the teachers in the Academy. When the worst happens in regards to her family, Lexa must leave to find her family and escapes down the mountainside and begins to make her way across the Fourth Country with Jaxen’s help.

Parallels can be drawn between the Fourth Country and countries with mandated face coverings for some of the population. Unlike most countries in real life, where women are the ones made to cover themselves, the Fourth Country insists that men cover themselves, showing that men have a lower status in society here similarly to in the Second Country. This was explored in such an interesting manner by Alice and I really loved the conversations she brought up about it.

Watching Lexa and Jaxen make their way across the Fourth Country avoiding bandits and roaming gangs, as well as keeping Lexa’s identity under wraps so that those who would be hunting her don’t find and kill her, was so engrossing and I found myself speeding through this book. I was so invested in all of the characters and their relationships and the only negative I can say is that I wish I had gotten to learn more about the Academy and the monks and teachers that lived there.

The book is set after the events of the Queendom duology and I love the links that Alice made between the two, one character in particular appears in both books and I was really surprised when I came to love her in this book! I love the different viewpoints that Alice has managed to show of this person and their role in the world. This can be read completely as a standalone book set in the Godkissed Continent (the same continent as Queendom) so don’t worry about that, and I absolutely recommend picking it up, along with everything else Alice has published! She is one of my absolute favourite authors (and a lovely person to boot!).

Buy The Ruthless Land here!

King of the Seven Lakes, a glowing review!

The second book in the Legends of the Godkissed Continent series by A. B. Endacott and oh boy did I love it just as much as the first one or what! This book continues to follow Elen-ai and Gidyon, if you haven’t read the beauty that is Queendom of the Seven Lakes I don’t want to spoil you! Click here to see my review of Queendom and come back once you’ve read it! There will be spoilers for the first book ahead!

Now that Gid is to be the King of this Queendom, some of the families have taken up stances against this. There are various allegiances forming across the different high-born families of the Seven Lakes who either believe that a man should not be in power or they want to take the power for themselves. Some think that Gidyon is not educated enough to rule, but Elen-ai is confident that he shall make a great King.

I was very happy as I read through to confirm that there is still no romance between Elen-ai and Gidyon. I personally wouldn’t mind them getting together, but this is either a non-existent or incredibly slow romance which is a very nice change from so many insta-loves we get in books.

The likelihood of an outbreak of a civil war starts to become a reality as we continue through the novel and this weighs heavily on all of our characters shoulders. There is also a personal battle that Elen-ai is facing as she cannot be an assassin of the Family at the same time as being a friend and advisor to the King. She has to choose between two worlds, her best friend, or her family.

Yet again Alice’s writing is absolutely gorgeous and engaging, I was fully absorbed into this world and the events happening within it that I was able to sit and read this in the living room as my parents watched TV and completely ignore the programme that was on! I am so excited for this book to get more hype behind it and have a much larger reader base as more people find this amazing series! This high fantasy book with a badass female lead and interesting political action could be great for both Young Adult readers and those that read more within the “adult” genre.

I am really looking forward to reading The Ruthless Land (the 3rd book in the series), although I won’t lie, I’m a little sad that it won’t be following Elen-ai and Gid and is instead based elsewhere in the Continent! I’m sure I’ll love it just as much, but I have definitely become very invested in these characters and I really hope that we come back to them again in the future and have Elen-ai as our PoV once again. However, damn am I excited to be seeing another part of this world! So much has been hinted at within the first two books but coming into this third one there is so much potential and so much scope for what could happen here.

Essentially, get on this bandwagon now! You’ll definitely regret it if you don’t!