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The Unspeller and the Book of Days
With no gift for magic and a dark prophecy hanging over his head, Aesa lives in a powerful world protected by his extraordinary family and a dragon. He seems destined to always need someone to protect him until he falls into the dangerous world of the wild Arkenians, whose ancient magic will unwittingly reveal that Aesa is more than just a boy with no gifts. He will collide with all the forces of magic and learn to stand on his own.
- GenresFantasyYoung Adult
294 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 5, 2010
1 person is currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Eileen Sharp
3 books16 followersEileen Sharp has a bachelor's from West Chester University and currently resides in Idaho with her husband of many years. They travel around the West as often as they can. Eileen has been writing for twelve years and is the author of several YA novels. Her favorite past times are calligraphy, antique books and biographies of interesting people.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 22, 2012
I was lucky enough to recieve a copy of this book from Goodreads First Reads! I dont have time to sit down and start this book just yet but I wanted to be quick about leaving some sort of feedback on this book (seeing as I was lucky enough to win a copy). So I carefully read the back of the book and read the first page of the book (so I could gather a opinion).
I really like YA titles and am finding myself having more and more of them on my wish list then ever before. I like the idea behind this story - a world where everyone is born with some sort of magic inside of them and there is one child who is shocked to discover hes the only person whos been born without any magic at all.
I cant wait to find out what sort of adventures this book holds and where the story will go. I think I will enjoy this one!
I really like YA titles and am finding myself having more and more of them on my wish list then ever before. I like the idea behind this story - a world where everyone is born with some sort of magic inside of them and there is one child who is shocked to discover hes the only person whos been born without any magic at all.
I cant wait to find out what sort of adventures this book holds and where the story will go. I think I will enjoy this one!
August 18, 2012
First of all, I know and love the author!
This book had a great plot - and I found myself really drawn into the story. I'll definitely read the sequel when it comes out. I feel that the beginning didn't clearly define many things, but as you read, you'll catch on to what is happening. I would have liked to see a clearer definition of what the different views of the Prophecy were, and there were some minor editorial mistakes, but overall, I really liked this one :)
This book had a great plot - and I found myself really drawn into the story. I'll definitely read the sequel when it comes out. I feel that the beginning didn't clearly define many things, but as you read, you'll catch on to what is happening. I would have liked to see a clearer definition of what the different views of the Prophecy were, and there were some minor editorial mistakes, but overall, I really liked this one :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2011
An interesting study of what it might be like to live in a world where everyone can use magic. The plot is rather aimless until about halfway through, when the main character learns why he's the only person who can't use magic. A sequel is due next year (2012), which I will probably check out, mostly because the second half of this book is much better than the first.
December 8, 2011
Engaging, fast-paced, and completely original. I love young adult fantasy, and this novel embodies everything that I look for in the genre. I cannot wait for the sequel in 2012!
July 10, 2021
Premise: Aesa Jereward lives in a world where everyone knows magic. His problem is that he might just be ungifted, the one and only person without magic and the fulfillment of a prophecy foretold by the oracle. His family is high-ranking and quite adept with their various magical tendencies, but his problem might mean trouble for him and his family since he has yet to show any aptitude in magic.
At school, he fails to prove he has any ability to perform magic after passing the usual age, and it is there where the professors look at him with the most scrutiny with his fate being more and more probable as the fulfillment of the prophecy and the bringer of the end of magic. His greatest enemy and critic at the school, Harlan, also happens to be an heir to the throne.
With the prophecy comes a terrible foe that could lead to the end of all magic and the endangerment of the entire land of Tuatha. With a powerful family and new-found friend in a dragon at his back, will it fall on Aesa to ultimately save the world?
Themes: Family plays an important role in The Unspeller. When Aesa is threatened with exile for possibly having no magic, his family rallies around him to protect and defend him.
The Unspeller is also a coming of age story with the expectations that come with rites of manhood at a certain age. When Aesa can’t pass or fulfill those rites, his usefulness and ability to even function in society are questioned, by others and himself.
This story is also one of self-discovery. With Aesa questioning himself, he learns so much more about who he is and what his role in life is. It is sometimes only through trials that those things can be discovered.
Pros: I thought the runic magic system was incredibly interesting and well-crafted. I loved how Aesa’s family each had a form of magic they were adept at that set them apart from each other and gave each of them a personality. It helped form likeable and unique characters just through the magic with the way it shaped each of their lives. The second half of the book is where this story shines, with an increasingly close relationship with the dragon Laeron and where the characters really start to show some depth. The twists at the end are enough to prove satisfying from some heavy-handed foreshadowing.
Cons: Self-published novels are difficult in this area, as one of the most common problems is in the editing. The Unspeller is no different in that it is full of little spelling and formatting errors. The story starts out fairly slow and is clunky at times, with parts that could have easily been edited out or tightened up.
Recommendations: I was surprised at how much I liked The Unspeller and the Book of Days. Most of the self-published books I have read have needed some major overhauls, but I won this on Goodreads and thought I would give it a try. This book wasn’t near as bad as some of those I have read. In fact, with some minor tweaks and a once-over by an editor, The Unspeller is a pretty good fantasy novel with twists and turns and a nicely crafted magic system that works very well. I would love to read book two in the series.
At school, he fails to prove he has any ability to perform magic after passing the usual age, and it is there where the professors look at him with the most scrutiny with his fate being more and more probable as the fulfillment of the prophecy and the bringer of the end of magic. His greatest enemy and critic at the school, Harlan, also happens to be an heir to the throne.
With the prophecy comes a terrible foe that could lead to the end of all magic and the endangerment of the entire land of Tuatha. With a powerful family and new-found friend in a dragon at his back, will it fall on Aesa to ultimately save the world?
Themes: Family plays an important role in The Unspeller. When Aesa is threatened with exile for possibly having no magic, his family rallies around him to protect and defend him.
The Unspeller is also a coming of age story with the expectations that come with rites of manhood at a certain age. When Aesa can’t pass or fulfill those rites, his usefulness and ability to even function in society are questioned, by others and himself.
This story is also one of self-discovery. With Aesa questioning himself, he learns so much more about who he is and what his role in life is. It is sometimes only through trials that those things can be discovered.
Pros: I thought the runic magic system was incredibly interesting and well-crafted. I loved how Aesa’s family each had a form of magic they were adept at that set them apart from each other and gave each of them a personality. It helped form likeable and unique characters just through the magic with the way it shaped each of their lives. The second half of the book is where this story shines, with an increasingly close relationship with the dragon Laeron and where the characters really start to show some depth. The twists at the end are enough to prove satisfying from some heavy-handed foreshadowing.
Cons: Self-published novels are difficult in this area, as one of the most common problems is in the editing. The Unspeller is no different in that it is full of little spelling and formatting errors. The story starts out fairly slow and is clunky at times, with parts that could have easily been edited out or tightened up.
Recommendations: I was surprised at how much I liked The Unspeller and the Book of Days. Most of the self-published books I have read have needed some major overhauls, but I won this on Goodreads and thought I would give it a try. This book wasn’t near as bad as some of those I have read. In fact, with some minor tweaks and a once-over by an editor, The Unspeller is a pretty good fantasy novel with twists and turns and a nicely crafted magic system that works very well. I would love to read book two in the series.
September 21, 2013
Unspeller by Eileen Sharp is a young adult fantasy book which I received a free copy of in return for my honest review. I liked this book, but my feelings on it are kind of mixed. Aesa is a young man growing up in a culture where everybody possess magic. However, Aesa himself has yet to develop his own magical ability. Because of a prophecy claiming magic will end, this leads some to believe Aesa is a sign that the end of magic is near and life as they know it will change forever.
There are many things to like about this novel. The magic system is unique, every individual is able to perform a base set of magical spells, but everyone also has a special gift, allowing them to specialize in a certain type of magic others are not able to cast. Magic is not all powerful, and while it makes many tasks, like long distances traveling, easier or more convenient, the society must still do normal everyday things without magic and is still subject to problems caused by weather and disease. The magical races in Unspeller are interesting, and I particularly liked the non-verbal communication employed by the Arkenian. Aesa’s positive relationships with the members of his large family are a strong point as well, and a nice change of pace from many other young adult protagonists.
However, there were several things I didn’t enjoy about Unspeller. Aesa lacked agency and never made any concrete decisions for himself. He never accepts (or attempts to deny) a call to action, instead the events of the plot push him along. Things happen in the book, and Aesa just rolls with it and does what everyone tells him to do without much thought or reaction to events. This makes it hard to relate to Aesa as I don’t get much of a sense for what his driving motivations and desires are. Because Aesa lacks magic, his family protects him, meaning a good chunk of the action happens off stage. The reader is only given a brief summary of events or battles without being able to see them unfold. Finally, the pacing is a bit loop-side, with more time being spent elucidating minor plot points in the first half of the book than on major plot points at the end of the book. These three weaknesses conspire to make Unspeller feel a bit dull.
There’s a lot of original ideas in Unspeller and hopefully Eileen Sharp makes the effort to craft Aesa into a character who can enhance them in the next instalment of the series.
I review indie books as well as the classics of science fiction and fantasy on my blog: http://nicolepoweleit.wordpress.com/
There are many things to like about this novel. The magic system is unique, every individual is able to perform a base set of magical spells, but everyone also has a special gift, allowing them to specialize in a certain type of magic others are not able to cast. Magic is not all powerful, and while it makes many tasks, like long distances traveling, easier or more convenient, the society must still do normal everyday things without magic and is still subject to problems caused by weather and disease. The magical races in Unspeller are interesting, and I particularly liked the non-verbal communication employed by the Arkenian. Aesa’s positive relationships with the members of his large family are a strong point as well, and a nice change of pace from many other young adult protagonists.
However, there were several things I didn’t enjoy about Unspeller. Aesa lacked agency and never made any concrete decisions for himself. He never accepts (or attempts to deny) a call to action, instead the events of the plot push him along. Things happen in the book, and Aesa just rolls with it and does what everyone tells him to do without much thought or reaction to events. This makes it hard to relate to Aesa as I don’t get much of a sense for what his driving motivations and desires are. Because Aesa lacks magic, his family protects him, meaning a good chunk of the action happens off stage. The reader is only given a brief summary of events or battles without being able to see them unfold. Finally, the pacing is a bit loop-side, with more time being spent elucidating minor plot points in the first half of the book than on major plot points at the end of the book. These three weaknesses conspire to make Unspeller feel a bit dull.
There’s a lot of original ideas in Unspeller and hopefully Eileen Sharp makes the effort to craft Aesa into a character who can enhance them in the next instalment of the series.
I review indie books as well as the classics of science fiction and fantasy on my blog: http://nicolepoweleit.wordpress.com/
December 2, 2012
I won this book in the Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I won it several months ago and I hate that it took me so long to read it. It was a quick read. I loved the story idea.
Basically, everyone is born with magic. Well, everyone except Aesa, although his family believes that given enough time, his magic will present itself. And there's a prophesy about magic ending.
I liked that magic wasn't done with wands, but with runes. I liked that there was a dragon involved. I liked that the people could travel from one town to another using magical gates. I liked that certain people developed specialties in certain areas of magic. I also liked the plot.
There were a few grammatical errors in the book but nothing that kept me from figuring out what was meant. The story flowed well enough although there were a few scenes that I felt were just filler. It wasn't a spectacular book but I have read far, far worse. I never felt like finishing the book was a chore, as I have some books. However, with so many other books in my to be read pile, I don't know if I'll ever read the sequel.
Basically, everyone is born with magic. Well, everyone except Aesa, although his family believes that given enough time, his magic will present itself. And there's a prophesy about magic ending.
I liked that magic wasn't done with wands, but with runes. I liked that there was a dragon involved. I liked that the people could travel from one town to another using magical gates. I liked that certain people developed specialties in certain areas of magic. I also liked the plot.
There were a few grammatical errors in the book but nothing that kept me from figuring out what was meant. The story flowed well enough although there were a few scenes that I felt were just filler. It wasn't a spectacular book but I have read far, far worse. I never felt like finishing the book was a chore, as I have some books. However, with so many other books in my to be read pile, I don't know if I'll ever read the sequel.
November 20, 2013
This was the second free book I got from the Goodreads first-reads giveaway program, and I wanted to think about it for a bit before reviewing it. Unfortunately, after 6 weeks of putting it off, I still both liked and hated it. In very short, it's refreshing to have a story where the hero is not an orphan, and actually quite likes his family. The writing was unfortunately not really up to par. In very short, it would probably be an excellent read for an actual young adult, but it's not strong enough to recommend for all ages.
It is worth mentioning that the second half is much stronger than the first (after a rather jarring transition segment) which could indicate that later books in the series will be an improvement over this volume.
It is worth mentioning that the second half is much stronger than the first (after a rather jarring transition segment) which could indicate that later books in the series will be an improvement over this volume.
July 17, 2013
This YA fantasy adventure is a refreshing break from the usual angsty, emotion-ridden rollercoaster. Interestingly enough, it's the book's emotions that help make the difference. Instead of emotions seemingly for their own sake, this book uses emotions realistically and strongly to show us the well-built world and how the characters interact with it and each other. Difficult to explain, but I enjoyed this story, even when the plot meandered and didn't seem to be going anywhere. The worldbuilding and the realism carried it. Despite a few grammatical lapses, mainly punctuation and either added or missing words, I never felt that continuing or finishing the book was a chore. Nicely done.
August 13, 2015
Very enjoyable. Great characters. I want more!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews