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Fragments of Magic: Shards of Allunatia Book 1
Amber's dull life tucked away in the woods is upended when her mentor, Sage, is captured by the King's men for crimes against the crown. Armed with an elemental magic she can only half wield, Amber must set off to journey across the realm to seek help in rescuing Sage from the palace dungeons. Quickly realizing she's in over her head, she turns to a thief named Brentan to help her. With elemental magic of his own, he's more than happy to help in exchange for a mysterious favor. Seeing no other options, Amber must place her trust in the untrustworthy stranger and hope he's not like the roguish thieves from her fairy tale books.
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Published February 24, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 24, 2023
This is a spoiler-free review of Fragments of Magic: Book 1 Shards of Allunatia.
We join Amber, a girl well-versed in all thing 'secluded forest,' on an impromptu adventure that turns her life and future upside-down. Along the way, Amber meets some colorful characters - some good and others questionable... and some just plain bad. We see most of Allunatia through the heroine, Amber's, eyes though the other perspectives in the book are written in well and you know each and every time whose perspective you are reading from. Amber herself is relatable, and I found myself very quickly identifying with her fears, apprehensions, joys, and wanderlust. Amber is a precious gem, and I likewise wanted to protect her as the book's author led us all on a wonderful adventure!
The book sets a good pace that is neither too fast nor too slow. Nothing seems out of place or forced, and the pages and chapters flow together nicely, weaving an intriguing and fun story as they go. The story itself is fantasy, and fantasy lovers will enjoy an open world of magic and adventure, journeying to far off lands and cities with Amber in an attempt to see her quest through to the end.
The book is very easy to pick up and harder to put down. In my first reading, I read straight through to chapter 15 before I felt like I could put it down for any length of time. Time was inconsequential and the trip to chapter 15 was eventful, fun, and at many moments jockeyed back and forth between humorous and suspenseful! That was a memorable first read, and I couldn't wait to pick Shards of Allunatia back up to continue the adventure. In my final read, I couldn't put the book down, and it is now 3:07am on a Friday where I am so happy with my purchase and first read-through of this book that I am writing a review. This will be the first of many reads of this book.
The book is suitable for all ages. It reads well at a teenage and older level - not being childish but making good use of the English language for a multitude of reader levels. Some phrases in the book, however, may not be suitable for some ages. Phrases like, "Pearls tits!" color some of the passages humorously, so parents may want to pre-read the book for pre-teens and younger to gauge best for their children if they should read this book yet or wait. Personally, as of this writing and reading, I would let my 9-year-old read the book. Nothing improper, nothing lewd, and nothing in the book that edges itself to an adult-only read.
The books greatest downfall is that Book 2 is yet unreleased. I wait now with baited breath on Book 2, hanging around C.L. Vuncannon's socials unceremoniously looking for droppings of what comes of Amber on her quest past Book 1. Really, I'll take anything she gives us - I am invested and cannot wait for the release of the second book to Fragments of Magic. With how exciting and moving the first book is, Book 2 is a sure bet to be fantastic!
Follow CL Vuncannon / FragmentsofMagic on her social media sites and subscribe to the mailing list to gain insight to the first book, get tidbits on the upcoming second book, and fall in love all over again with the amazing characters you meet along the way in the Fragments of Magic series: https://clvuncannon.com/ ♥ I highly recommend this book for all ages of readers and for all kinds of fantasy lovers!
We join Amber, a girl well-versed in all thing 'secluded forest,' on an impromptu adventure that turns her life and future upside-down. Along the way, Amber meets some colorful characters - some good and others questionable... and some just plain bad. We see most of Allunatia through the heroine, Amber's, eyes though the other perspectives in the book are written in well and you know each and every time whose perspective you are reading from. Amber herself is relatable, and I found myself very quickly identifying with her fears, apprehensions, joys, and wanderlust. Amber is a precious gem, and I likewise wanted to protect her as the book's author led us all on a wonderful adventure!
The book sets a good pace that is neither too fast nor too slow. Nothing seems out of place or forced, and the pages and chapters flow together nicely, weaving an intriguing and fun story as they go. The story itself is fantasy, and fantasy lovers will enjoy an open world of magic and adventure, journeying to far off lands and cities with Amber in an attempt to see her quest through to the end.
The book is very easy to pick up and harder to put down. In my first reading, I read straight through to chapter 15 before I felt like I could put it down for any length of time. Time was inconsequential and the trip to chapter 15 was eventful, fun, and at many moments jockeyed back and forth between humorous and suspenseful! That was a memorable first read, and I couldn't wait to pick Shards of Allunatia back up to continue the adventure. In my final read, I couldn't put the book down, and it is now 3:07am on a Friday where I am so happy with my purchase and first read-through of this book that I am writing a review. This will be the first of many reads of this book.
The book is suitable for all ages. It reads well at a teenage and older level - not being childish but making good use of the English language for a multitude of reader levels. Some phrases in the book, however, may not be suitable for some ages. Phrases like, "Pearls tits!" color some of the passages humorously, so parents may want to pre-read the book for pre-teens and younger to gauge best for their children if they should read this book yet or wait. Personally, as of this writing and reading, I would let my 9-year-old read the book. Nothing improper, nothing lewd, and nothing in the book that edges itself to an adult-only read.
The books greatest downfall is that Book 2 is yet unreleased. I wait now with baited breath on Book 2, hanging around C.L. Vuncannon's socials unceremoniously looking for droppings of what comes of Amber on her quest past Book 1. Really, I'll take anything she gives us - I am invested and cannot wait for the release of the second book to Fragments of Magic. With how exciting and moving the first book is, Book 2 is a sure bet to be fantastic!
Follow CL Vuncannon / FragmentsofMagic on her social media sites and subscribe to the mailing list to gain insight to the first book, get tidbits on the upcoming second book, and fall in love all over again with the amazing characters you meet along the way in the Fragments of Magic series: https://clvuncannon.com/ ♥ I highly recommend this book for all ages of readers and for all kinds of fantasy lovers!
March 30, 2023
An enticing adventure boasting a beautiful world, uniquely different characters, and elemental magic! This is a story of unlikely friends who journey together on a mission to glean hidden knowledge.
Fans of Sailor Moon, Deltora Quest, or Avatar the Last Airbender... you will fall in love with this adventure! It's a perfect balance of comedy and curiosity. There's even seeds of romance being planted. I personally can't wait to continue the journey!
Fans of Sailor Moon, Deltora Quest, or Avatar the Last Airbender... you will fall in love with this adventure! It's a perfect balance of comedy and curiosity. There's even seeds of romance being planted. I personally can't wait to continue the journey!
March 9, 2023
Reading this book was a surreal experience. I've known the author for many years. While I'm more familiar with the older version of this story, there are enough differences between it and this for it to stand on its own. The world and characters are, essentially, the same. The names were familiar from her older character drawings and, after looking them up, I wasn't wrong as to who was who.
It bothered me, though, that Amber is described as having auburn hair, yet her character art shows her with brown rather than a reddish tone. On the cover of both the ebook and paperback it looks black, but that could be chalked up to the lighting or something weird with how Amazon/KDP processes artwork. It was also weird that Brentan has a different last name than his parents.
I don't know who proofread this book, but they missed a bunch of things. Not to the point of being distracting, but enough that it could use another pass.
The setting and characters are easy to connect with. minor issues aside, it was an enjoyable read.
It bothered me, though, that Amber is described as having auburn hair, yet her character art shows her with brown rather than a reddish tone. On the cover of both the ebook and paperback it looks black, but that could be chalked up to the lighting or something weird with how Amazon/KDP processes artwork. It was also weird that Brentan has a different last name than his parents.
I don't know who proofread this book, but they missed a bunch of things. Not to the point of being distracting, but enough that it could use another pass.
The setting and characters are easy to connect with. minor issues aside, it was an enjoyable read.
March 28, 2023
4.75/5 (upped to 5 stars)
I absolutely adored this story. Although it took me around page 95 to really pick up for me, once it did I was totally immersed; I felt such a connection and love for the characters and their journeys. I found myself laughing out loud on multiple occasions, especially page 107 (the sass). I thought the worldbuilding was amazing and I can’t wait to learn more (I love large scale pantheons in fantasy!!).
The only areas it fell short involved the writing craft. I felt like the sentence structure could be improved, some writing felt repetitive/redundant here and there, and some sentences were wordy or hard to understand (had to read over them a couple times to get what was being said).
However, that being said, it’s more of an editing issue and doesn’t take away from the amazing story, characters, and worldbuilding in this book. Amber and Brentan have my heart and I will be waiting anxiously for the next book!!
I absolutely adored this story. Although it took me around page 95 to really pick up for me, once it did I was totally immersed; I felt such a connection and love for the characters and their journeys. I found myself laughing out loud on multiple occasions, especially page 107 (the sass). I thought the worldbuilding was amazing and I can’t wait to learn more (I love large scale pantheons in fantasy!!).
The only areas it fell short involved the writing craft. I felt like the sentence structure could be improved, some writing felt repetitive/redundant here and there, and some sentences were wordy or hard to understand (had to read over them a couple times to get what was being said).
However, that being said, it’s more of an editing issue and doesn’t take away from the amazing story, characters, and worldbuilding in this book. Amber and Brentan have my heart and I will be waiting anxiously for the next book!!
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January 18, 2026“All must return to Order in the end.”
Always awesome to read the finished version of a story whose drafting & beta phase I witnessed!! (And whose sequel I'm currently seeing come together!)
Lots of fun with charming characters (who have soooo much lovely character art if you just can't get enough of them). I especially love the worldbuilding. I adore a worldbuilding/magic system that starts from a simple, clear premise--in this case, gemstones and jewels--and that spins out into something unique, multifaceted (pun...intended?), and surprising. From the swear words to the fairy tales to the economy--fantastic! One of those worlds I would love an illustrated guide to.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews