Shortly before I read Healer’s Bane, I also read Hope’s ebook The Stealthmaster’s Shadow, which came out early last year. I decided I would subject you to my review on that one, too. Or you can check it out on Amazon. Or you can ignore me all together.
It’s ten confounded years since the war ended. Verus, a retired soldier, determines to enforce the peace the victory ought to have brought. His wanderings bring him to the city of Nerva, a sprawling riverside chaos no other Stealthmaster will touch. Commandeering the task of a former comrade, Verus presents himself to the governor and promises to search out hidden Subverters. After all, those brave enough to pit themselves against the ruling tyrant will need help. Weapons, perhaps, or information. The wishes of the Subverters themselves are immaterial. They weren’t there during the war. They didn’t see the horrors Tauscher spread. Verus has. So has the new ambassador from Zahavia who strides through the great doors of the feasting hall, bringing Verus face to face with nightmares from his past. As the simple mission dissolves into confusion, Verus struggles to help those he’s plunged into danger—from a trusting serving lad to the infuriating woman he’s taken to calling Princess. Fleeing will only make the enemy stronger. But staying… Staying could doom them all. Perfect for those who love fantasy but don’t have the time to sit down for a full-length novel, the fourth novella in the Legends of Light series presents the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses in a clean, exciting, and inspiring manner. Full of wit, secrets, danger, and distant threats looming on the horizon, this is more than the mere retelling of a favorite fairy tale. A stand-alone story, The Stealthmaster’s Shadow focuses on the fourth Fruit of the Spirit, long-suffering, while following the results of the war between the Prince and Tauscher. Hope Ann uses chocolate to bribe a wide ring of spies, from the realm leapers of Aslaria to the double agents of Elkbend, for their stories. Based in Indiana, she is the self-published author of the Legends of Light series, personal writing coach, and the Communications Coordinator for Story Embers. You can find out more about her at authorhopeann.com. “Never Regret Acts of Courage” . . . and Never Regret Reading The Stealthmaster’s Shadow! 5 Stars Ten years have passed since the last book in the incredible Legends of Light series, Shadows of the Hersweald. Those who accept the Prince’s pardon are now in danger of being outlawed. The Stealthmaster, Verus, has been sent to hunt them down, but he has a mission of his own. I received The Stealthmaster’s Shadow for my birthday. I made myself promise to read only one chapter a day, because, well, I just don’t have that sort of time to be on my computer. Besides, it made the adventure last longer, right? Yeah. That worked fine until about halfway through. I sat down and read the entire last half of the book in one afternoon. Hope kept me guessing—I was just as confused as Verus there at the beginning. I kept guessing right up until the last pages. The last half of the book was a tearjerker (and I don’t say that about many books). It never gets freaky with violence or graphic descriptions (despite the fact that it’s allegorical to the persecution of Christians). Also, there is no language or inappropriate boy/girl relationships. The ending is gorgeous—I love that she’s not just a “everybody gets rescued and they live happily ever after” kind of author. You never know what might happen! I didn’t have any trouble picking up on the worldbuilding. (And I don’t read a lot of fantasy, so that’s a big deal.) There’s lots to like with her characters: Verus is amazing. Adreana is a strong female character. And little Eolus! He is too sweet. This is a very timely and necessary story. It dives into the murky waters of suffering, persecution, and its purpose—and comes out with its head above water. As with all of Hope’s work, it is evident that she thought through the questions and answer—this isn’t a trite book that slaps a Band-Aid over suffering. So, my advice (if you care for that sort of thing)? “Never regret acts of courage” . . . and never regret reading The Stealthmaster’s Shadow!
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Kynet never planned to be at the forefront of the rebellion. That was her brother’s hobby: rallying the people. Plotting against the leaders. Running into dangers she’d have to negotiate him out of.
That was before the Poisoner tried to kill her. Left with strange powers in the aftermath of his attack, Kynet is even more convinced the rebellion isn’t worth it. For every life her healing saves, ten more are wasted. But her quest to stop the carnage before war breaks out will bring her face to face with the man who tried to murder her... and with her own helplessness against a grim reality she may not be able to change. Hope Ann uses chocolate to bribe a wide ring of spies, from the realm leapers of Aslaria to the double agents of Elkbend, for their stories. Based in Indiana, she is the self-published author of the Legends of Light series, personal writing coach, and the Communications Coordinator for Story Embers. You can find out more about her at authorhopeann.com. I received my copy on Monday and read the entire book three times since. (I’ve read the last chapter close to five times, I believe.) But here is my official review (if you believe in that sort of thing). You can also check the review out on Amazon. Healer’s Bane Sneaks in and Touches Your Heart While You’re Busy Turning Pages 5 stars If you could take the pain of the entire world, would you do it? That’s the question facing Kynet. Of course, she also has to deal with a brother who won’t give up his rebellion OR listen to her, and a poisoner who won’t quit stalking her. Oh. My. Goodness. I was hooked from page one. I. Could. Not. Put. It. Down. I saw it all like a movie. Hope has a way of painting such detailed pictures with her words. The ending will smack you out of nowhere—it takes epic and beautiful to a whole new level! I never saw it coming and immediately went back to discover what clues I had missed. Despite the fact that the majority of the book deals with pain and death, she never freaked me out with graphic descriptions. Also, there is no language or inappropriate boy/girl relationships. Hope’s worldbuilding is EXCELLENT! I saw and understood Lacrecia right away, and found it very interesting. (And I don’t read a lot of fantasy!) I jumped immediately into Kynet’s head—I saw what she saw, heard what she heard, felt what she felt. I could see each of the characters in my mind—Nayn, Lael, and yes, even the Poisoner. I adore little Ean—he is such a sweetheart! One of the things I love about Hope’s books is that with each one you can tell she put so much thought and work into how the world would work, and how the plot would surprise us, and how the characters would tug at us, and most importantly, what she would say through all of that. This book delves into the tough questions of pain, suffering, and their purpose. It’ll make you think. It also is an amazing starting point to sharing the Gospel—while the healers in this book may have been imperfect, there is a Healer Who is perfect. Please, please, please read this book. Healer’s Bane sneaks in and touches your heart while you’re busy turning pages. It's here! It’s like . . . a real book . . . like you can search it on Amazon . . . and there it is.
Death can die as easily as any other man. Cedra has kept her sister safe for years. None of that changes just because Pethra got herself kidnapped by Death himself. Claiming the questionable aid of Death’s weary older brother, the Shadowkeeper, Cedra forces her way through mist and shadows in pursuit of her hapless sister. But Death wants much more than he has revealed. A wish that will splinter her and Pethra’s world no matter what she chooses: death, or a chain. Loosely inspired by the stories of Hades and Persephone and Castor and Pollux, Shadowkeeper will sweep you into a world of wavering mists, shadowy passages, and the love of two siblings fastening them with ties stronger than Death himself. About Hope Ann: Hope Ann uses chocolate to bribe a wide ring of spies, from the realm leapers of Aslaria to the double agents of Elkbend, for their stories. Based in Indiana, she is the self-published author of the Legends of Light series, personal writing coach, and the Communications Coordinator for Story Embers. You can find out more about her at authorhopeann.com. I was very excited to get to read Shadowkeeper as part of an ARC, and I’m excited to share it with all of you. You can read my review below (or check it out on Amazon, assuming Amazon didn’t do anything goofy and delete it or something). Shadowkeeper is worth trying. 4 stars Shadowkeeper is about two sisters fighting death. No, really. It’s about two sisters fighting death. Cedra’s younger sister Pethra is kidnapped by Death, and Cedra teams up with Death’s older brother Shadowkeeper to save her. Only Death has an agenda of his own—trying to bring his sister back from a spot between life and death where she is trapped. So, what do you need to know about Shadowkeeper? I narrowed it down to four:
However, as an amateur realm-jumper on a borrowed dragon, I had a bit of dragon lag throughout this book. I was slightly confused as to how the world worked. I had trouble catching up with the world and the plot at the same time. Cedra talking to her dual personality in her head got awkward and confusing, too. I don’t think this is the book’s fault, I just think it was due to my inexperience with dragons. So, my take. If you don’t normally read fantasy, don’t normally read mythology, or have never read any of Hope’s books, I would recommend starting with her Legends of Light books first. By the time you come back to Shadowkeeper, you’ll have a handle on her writing style. Then, find a friend who knows fantasy, get something with caffeine, make sure your dragon knows and understands speed limits, and enjoy Shadowkeeper. If you adore fantasy and mythology, go ahead! Have a blast. In short, whoever you are—give it a try. I highly doubt you will be disappointed. SO . . . please tell me you want to read it. If you do, hop over to this link on Amazon. You can buy it there, and also track down her other books, too. Then, if you don’t mind, post a review on Amazon of Shadowkeeper (or Goodreads if you do that type of thing). https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LFMZ9ZD Burning Rose by Hope Ann really is fairy tales retold as you've never heard them before!
First of all, let me start this with the fact that I don't even usually read fantasy, and I. Love. This. Book. I was asked, "Do you want five stars?" My answer: "Is there anything higher than that?" I have composed "mini reviews" of each book in the collection, and I'll start with the book in general. General One might think that retold fairy tales would get predictable, but these definitely do not! All four of the books were amazing stories, full of imagination, cliche defiant, and hard to put down. Her imagery paints vivid pictures in an imaginative, creative way. The mystery draws you in, and there is always a twist that you would never expect. The content is clean, no inappropriate boy/girl relationships, gore, or language, which I appreciated very much--clean fiction is so lacking, even in Christian fiction. The books are presented in chronological order, which is also very helpful. Each successive book improved. She has creative characters that go beyond typical cliches and that you can relate to. And thank you for the pronunciation guides!!! The formatting is very neat and professional looking, and the cover design is beautiful. Was also excited that this came out in paperback, as I do not have access to a Kindle account. On both a writer's and a reader's standpoint, this book is incredible. I would recommend this book for teens on up or tougher upper graders, due to some violence and darker themes. There are a few (as in very few) typos and/or repeated phrases in the book. Book 1: Rose of the Night This book is very good to know before heading into Rose of the Oath, as it explains the background behind the story and characters. I was a little confused at the beginning, trying to establish world-building and setup, etc. However, that may have just been me not normally reading fantasy trying to get a grip on her world. It also was very fast-paced, so at times I almost had a hard time keeping up. It rivals with Shadows of the Hersweald as the darkest, but brings it all around to hope. A fantastic book! Book 2: Rose of the Night The pacing improves in this book, as does the set-up. I loved the interaction between Elissa and her silent host, "Beast." Interesting characters. Excellent book! For about three paragraphs at the beginning, I was a little confused about character relationships, but it quickly straightened out. *Book 3: Song of the Sword* I had a handle on the setup right away. The book launches you into the action first thing, and keeps you involved. I especially loved Andrinian and Punzel. I guess I don't have any comments. What's not to love about battles fought with music? Anyone know where I can find a fen-hopper . . . uh, Shadow-winger, sorry, Punzel. No? A messenger falcon maybe? Book 4: Shadows of the Hersweald This is my favorite out of the series. The story has an amazing theme of freedom and redemption. The book was perfectly paced--fast paced, but not overbearing. Very creative characters that I enjoyed and related to. It also has some darker themes, and is the most violent out of the four. I cannot complain about any element of this book. I recommend this to anyone who will listen (and even a few who don't :) ). An exceptional book all around! Hoping for more to come! Please keep writing! |
Rachel's Reads
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