What do you think?
Rate this book
Border Crossing
Seri the Teacher is the Captain of the Swordmasters, guardians of the Mixed-blood elves. He has held the role for a hundred years, since the death of his predecessor Weyrn. The past still haunts him, and he is convinced that Lord Hurion of the Valley-elves is constantly searching for a way to destroy the Swordmasters entirely.
Weyrn's son Seregei has grown up among the Swordmasters, and is now training to become one himself. With no sign of his training coming to an end, his patience is starting to wear thin.
But they must both try to put their own concerns aside when refugees flood into the forests around Duamelti, carrying stories of famine and war.
Weyrn's son Seregei has grown up among the Swordmasters, and is now training to become one himself. With no sign of his training coming to an end, his patience is starting to wear thin.
But they must both try to put their own concerns aside when refugees flood into the forests around Duamelti, carrying stories of famine and war.
475 pages, Paperback
Published January 29, 2023
2 people want to read
About the author
Becca Edney
5 books9 followersBecca currently lives in Cambridge, England, though her first steps and her undergraduate degree were both taken in Virginia, USA. She still considers herself to have a foot on either side of the Atlantic Ocean.
She has a particular interest in history, fantasy, and action-adventure, as well as the obsessive dissection of story structure and craft. That mostly takes place on her blog.
When not writing her own books or reading other people's, she also enjoys photography, historical re-enactment (especially renaissance fencing), and Dungeons and Dragons.
She has a particular interest in history, fantasy, and action-adventure, as well as the obsessive dissection of story structure and craft. That mostly takes place on her blog.
When not writing her own books or reading other people's, she also enjoys photography, historical re-enactment (especially renaissance fencing), and Dungeons and Dragons.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 8, 2024
I have read this book with a lot of enthusiasm. It had been five years since I read the first book, and when this one was announced, I reread it in preparation, since I barely remembered it. I was stoked. These five years have been a crucial formative time for me, and the experiences I have lived and the knowledge I have acquired on story craft have improved my reading experience of both books.
This book is different to its predecessor. For one, it is double the length. It is also more linear. The first book was more episodic and had several time jumps. This one takes place over the course of a few months, but its events are told in great detail. The first book took place in winter, and this one takes place in summer, as suggested by the covers. I do wonder what the next books’ covers will be like.
This book follows the same set of characters as the first one, and some new ones. I love that every single one of them, no matter how minor, is a distinct person with their own flaws, motivations and desires. These are conveyed through a thorough account of their actions, words and inner monologues. What I appreciate the most is that I can find pieces of myself in most of them. The reading experience is thus incredibly immersive.
The plot is still somewhat episodic, but much more centred, as I said. It became a bit repetitive at times, but each scene did further the story. It is the story of a refugee crisis, and of heritage and unity. The presence of so many distinct characters allows for many, tightly interwoven plots, in which every event contributes to the final picture. As with the characters, I could relate with many of the events, as I have lived or known about similar ones, and most of us have, I think.
All of this to say, when the characters suffer, you will suffer with them. Don’t let this prevent you from reading this book, please. There are happy moments too, and then you will be very happy.
The worldbuilding is impeccable, as well. I see the author took feedback and here the characters are very well described physically. Physical characteristics are also used to distinguish between different groups of people and cultures, which I appreciate. What I love the most is that there are several aspects that I haven’t seen anywhere else: two very different systems of government for different peoples coexisting on the same territory, the idea of one people united by their heritage and customs, not by borders, and the realistic portrayal of the mentality of beings that live for hundreds of years, that is, elves. All of them are elves, to my great enjoyment.
I think, that this book’s realistic rendering of people, places and events give it a valuable quality: it gave me pause and food for thought, but in a gentle way. I would be anxious and frustrated at one character or another, telling them how they could solve their issues, and then realise I do the exact same thing. Or it would make me feel for the characters trapped in terrible situations, in a way that the distant accounts of the real world never could.
If there is a third book, I will eagerly await it.
All in all, a much recommended read, both this and the first one!
Thank you for reading!
This book is different to its predecessor. For one, it is double the length. It is also more linear. The first book was more episodic and had several time jumps. This one takes place over the course of a few months, but its events are told in great detail. The first book took place in winter, and this one takes place in summer, as suggested by the covers. I do wonder what the next books’ covers will be like.
This book follows the same set of characters as the first one, and some new ones. I love that every single one of them, no matter how minor, is a distinct person with their own flaws, motivations and desires. These are conveyed through a thorough account of their actions, words and inner monologues. What I appreciate the most is that I can find pieces of myself in most of them. The reading experience is thus incredibly immersive.
The plot is still somewhat episodic, but much more centred, as I said. It became a bit repetitive at times, but each scene did further the story. It is the story of a refugee crisis, and of heritage and unity. The presence of so many distinct characters allows for many, tightly interwoven plots, in which every event contributes to the final picture. As with the characters, I could relate with many of the events, as I have lived or known about similar ones, and most of us have, I think.
All of this to say, when the characters suffer, you will suffer with them. Don’t let this prevent you from reading this book, please. There are happy moments too, and then you will be very happy.
The worldbuilding is impeccable, as well. I see the author took feedback and here the characters are very well described physically. Physical characteristics are also used to distinguish between different groups of people and cultures, which I appreciate. What I love the most is that there are several aspects that I haven’t seen anywhere else: two very different systems of government for different peoples coexisting on the same territory, the idea of one people united by their heritage and customs, not by borders, and the realistic portrayal of the mentality of beings that live for hundreds of years, that is, elves. All of them are elves, to my great enjoyment.
I think, that this book’s realistic rendering of people, places and events give it a valuable quality: it gave me pause and food for thought, but in a gentle way. I would be anxious and frustrated at one character or another, telling them how they could solve their issues, and then realise I do the exact same thing. Or it would make me feel for the characters trapped in terrible situations, in a way that the distant accounts of the real world never could.
If there is a third book, I will eagerly await it.
All in all, a much recommended read, both this and the first one!
Thank you for reading!
Displaying 1 of 1 review