Walka sylfa

Sylph #1

by L.J. McDonald

Romantyczna opowieść o baśniowym świecie i zakochanych z dwóch stron magicznego portalu

Są obdarzeni niszczącą siłą i nieodpartym męskim urokiem. Lecz każdy z nich marzy tylko o jednym: aby znaleźć tę jedyną - swoją królową...



Sylf to potężna magiczna istota. Lecz człowiek może zmienić go w niewolnika mrocznym rytuałem ? ofiarą z życia młodej kobiety.

Ale siedemnastoletnia Solie nie zamierza pokornie przyjąć wyznaczonej jej roli. Sama przejmuje władzę nad sylfem, dla którego miała być przynętą - młodym jak ona i niesamowicie pociągającym. Lecz od tej chwili razem z Heyou nie są bezpieczni ani w świecie sylfów, ani ludzi...

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy Romance, Magic, Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published February 19, 2010

About the author

I first started writing in 1986, when my grade ten English teacher read some of my poetry and said that I had talent. I was so floored at the concept that I started writing short stories. My parents weren't quite so thrilled that I was doing something that took my away from my schoolwork, so I arranged to write a novel for two school credits, thereby turning writing into homework. Those two credits resulted in the creation of the novel Cure for the Phoenix, which I haven't read in over twenty years and which will likely not see the light of day. Even now I remember it as being quite clichéd, though my husband likes it.
I did make some attempts to get published over the years, and almost made it at one point, but other things were on my mind. To me, not submitting was easier than dealing with rejection slips, so I stopped trying. I did still keep on writing though. It's true that for writers, it's a compulsion. I just never considered the idea that anyone other than my husband would want to read any of it.
That changed when I picked up a book titled Moongazer by Marianne Mancusi. It had an ad in it for the Shomi Romantic Fantasy Novel Writing Contest, where the winner would get a guaranteed publishing contract in Canada and the United States. I mentioned it to my husband and he nagged me until I entered the first three chapters of The Battle Sylph in March of 2008. Sometime after that, I was wandering the Shomi site and found a link to a page detailing what features the judges were looking for. Other than my book being fantasy, I hadn't done a single thing on the list and figured I must have lost. My husband said, okay, wait for them to confirm that, then ship it out to the next company. You're not hiding for the next twenty years this time.
So, time passed, and the contest closed. The day after the winner was chosen, I was emailed by someone at Shomi who did confirm that, yes, I'd lost the contest, but the head Editor liked my three chapters so much he wanted to see the rest of the book. So I had a minor heart attack and sent it in. I then heard nothing until November 2008, when I was contacted by Chris Keeslar, Senior Editor for Dorchester Publishing, asking if the book was still available. I said yes, as were the four sequels. A week later, he bought the first three books in the series and I had another near heart attack. I also decided I needed an agent.
It's a lot easier to find an agent when you submit emails with subject lines that read "I have a guaranteed publishing contract for three novels - need an agent". Within a month, I'd signed with Michelle Grajkowski with the Three Seas Literary Agency, and the rest, hopefully, will be happy history for everyone.

Reviews

[Helen 2.0 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for entertainment value. If you want a cute romantasy with solid worldbuilding and a golden retriever monster boyfriend, look no further.

In the medieval fantasy world of the Sylph series, there exists a medieval human realm and a magical realm of shape-changing spirits called sylphs. The sylphs have a society strongly structured around “hives” and divided by gender—female sylphs have elemental powers, while all male sylphs are warrior “battle sylphs” that protect and serve a hive queen.

Humans can summon sylphs by opening portals and enticing a sylph to cross over. A battle sylph can be drawn by presenting a woman, because male sylphs are wired to serve a female queen and feed from her energy in return. Human men capture and enslave the crossing battle sylph by offering up a woman, then killing her and enslaving the spirit before it can find another master. Really tough gig.

Solie, the heroine, is meant to be one of these virgin sacrifices, but she manages to escape and bind the battle sylph to herself.

The battler landed on the altar, bracing itself atop her, a beast formed of smoke and lightning, staring downward. She felt its emotions, its interest and its curiosity. Its eyes stared into hers, and she blushed as it slowly looked down the length of her body and then back up again. It purred, bent its head, and licked her from her navel up across her breasts and along her neck.

Incredible introduction 😍

She names him Heyou (“Hey, you”), and he vows to serve and love her. (Yep, there’s definite insta-love vibes.)

Surprisingly, though this is a spicy romance novel, the main characters are YA aged and act like it too. Solie is 17, and just as emotional, high-strung, and unsure of herself as you would expect a teen to be. Heyou is much older than that but still very young for a sylph. He spends the entire book acting like a lovestruck teenager—adorable, ditzy, horny AF.

Battle Sylph reads like an old-timey sweeping fantasy epic, with many POVs given to main characters, side characters, villains, you name it. This style makes for wonderful worldbuilding, but it also means that the main couple’s storyline takes a backseat in favor of side character development. At times it felt like this story wasn’t about Solie and Heyou at all.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I have had this book for months and months and I kept pushing it back because if you read the back of the book, it doesn't sound amazing.

So that being said, all my friends have loved this book. Not liked, but loved and I just didn't get it. 2 chapters in and I wasn't hooked.
But then I passed into chapter 3 and I was snared.
There is so much I want to say about this book, so be prepared for spoilers, and me talking a lot :)

The world building was extensive and easy to follow, I wasn't confused at any points, and I absolutely loved the characters. The main characters of Solie and Heyou are young, and happy and easy to love. But who they are at the beginning isn't who they stay. Heyou is a Battle Sylph. He comes from another world where the males are drones to their queens, and they very rarely get to feel the touch and love of their queen.

Solie's world abuses that aspect-they take a young maid, use her to lure a battler out of his world through a portal, then kill her and name the sylph, thus binding him to the man who does this. As we come to find out, the sylphs are lured wanting to love and protect their new queen, and once her blood is spilled, he is bound to her murderer. Well, what happens then? He is full of nothing but hate for the man who killed his queen. That hatred is what he projects and there are very few battlers for that reason.

Solie is the sacrifice for the prince, and his battler comes through and Solie had a small knife hidden in her hands, and had stabbed the prince. Then she called "Hey, you" to the sylph...and bound him to her by naming him. For the first time in history a girl had a battler.

The king is pissed because not only did a battler get bound to a girl, but his son was killed and Heyou then took off with Solie. So the king wants Solie dead which will send Heyou back to his world, letting the king cover up this mess. It's a very medieval world, but it's not our world. in fact, I'm not sure you could really classify this as a romance, it's more of a fantasy with a romance in it. In fact, the romance only took up the beginning, and once Solie and Heyou were bound to each other, it was about the treatment of the sylphs, and the building of a new community.

There's one big thing that the back of the book doesn't tell you-Once Solie and Heyou fell in love and were bound sexually, not just as a Master/Sylph relationship, she became his queen, and the queen of any sylphs in the area, virtually making their own hive. All the elemental sylphs were soo happy, and even a few of the battlers defected because the joy of having a new queen in this world where they have known nothing but hate was so immense.

I feel like there is so much I'm leaving out, but really without telling you the whole story, I can't describe this that well. (I know, I know, me? at a loss for words?)

I've just never read a book that held all the components this one did. It's a fantasy, but it's also a romance, and it's a series. And our main characters Solie and Heyou are young. Like 17 young. It felt really weird to me having such young MCs, but not have it be a Young Adult novel...because it's definitely not that!

But then we get the viewpoints from other characters, and we all know how much I can't stand too many changes in pov...and yet it worked! I mean I never felt annoyed once.

The best part of this whole book was watching Heyou and Solie go from being cocky and innocent to strong and intelligent. Solie only bugged me once when she told the Battle Sylphs not to kill. she meant well, but they were under attack. Luckily her battlers convinced her that they needed to have free reign to protect the Community. I think that some of the side characters were so so wonderful...my favorite was Ril. he was the battle sylph bonded to the king's head of security. (not his real title, but I can't remember it! argh) basically he trained all the guards and he took care of any dirty business the king wanted him to. BUT he was a great great character. I loved him, and his treatment of Ril.

Mace was the Battler of our resident jerk and bad guy, Jasar, but he broke free once he felt Solie ascend as queen (or when Heyou and Solie finally did it!) and he was my typical Alpha male. Ril would be the tortured hero, Mace our alpha, and Heyou our young adult hero...See a hero for everyone!

I can't wait to get the next two books in this series, and I won't spoil what happens with Ril, but I really hope he gets a book.

So my rambling lovefest of this book is done, and anyone who reads romance, paranormal romance, and fantasy will love this book.

[Zeek · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the world McDonald created, warrior Slyphs (creatures similar to faeries I believe) called Battle Sylphs, are enslaved by brutal trickery, tying them to men of the upper ruling classes. When the King decides it’s time for his weakling of a son to have a battle sylph of his own, something goes awry during the ceremony binding the creature to a helpless female instead.

Solie has no idea the turmoil she’s created by just surviving- all she knows is that something has irrevocably connected her to a fearsome battle sylph and that she is helpless to resist the creature she has inadvertently named Heyou. Still, the attraction she feels frightens her and she runs back home to escape the strange feelings constantly assaulting her whenever around him.

Heyou doesn’t know much, but he knows this- he cannot leave the beautiful girl he left his home to find. But a brutal attack and almost certain death at the hands of other battlers will separate them, only to bring them back together to create a new world where one girl will rise to rule- whether she wishes to or not.

I became excited as I started this story, because there is nothing I enjoy more than romantic tales in a classic fantasy setting. The instant chemistry between the H/H combined with the fact the author is not shy in her descriptions of their heated encounters, left me almost giddy with the thought of a new series to be enraptured by!

Only to be plummeted to earth by the silly heroine Solie becomes. It seriously annoys me to have to say I would call this an excellent romantic fantasy novel if it weren’t for the immature lead characters Solie & Heyou (yes, his name is Hey You), written as if from the pen of a teenager.

Made queen of the sylphs by sheer accident, Solie giggled and stammered her way through this book till I wanted to scream- “You’re a Queen, woman! Show some backbone and regal grace for crying out loud!”

And how does she become Queen of the World??

By having sex. Yeah. You heard me. All powerful queens are made by mating with the warrior sylph she loves. ::rolleyes::

Then, THEN, because she’s got some influential hooha I suppose, these all powerful warriors are so enamored with her, they turn into slobbering fools, following her around lusting and molesting her for all to see, hanging onto her every stammered word, and obeying her orders just because… well, just because!?

Very VERY bothersome.

And yet…

The plotting and action were so tense, so edge of your seat, that I was racing to get to the end to see how the epic battle of good vs. evil McDonald sets up would conclude!

That's right, despite her immature characterizations, McDonald manages to create such engaging good vs. evil battles, they rival any popular fantasy novel out there! Top that off with allowing the reader to have the payoff they deserve - all I can say is... I'm hooked! Yep, I'll be coming back for more-

I only hope Solie grows up before I see her again.

I'm struggling how to grade this-If I was grading on characterization alone, I would give this book a 2 out of 5- but because it ends up being a thoroughly entertaining read- I'm gonna go with 3.5 out of 5. Probably more than generous, but I'm sticking to it.

[Ronda Tutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! EXCELENT READ! POWERFUL! LUSTILY HOT! HYSTERICALLY FUNNY!

So full of action and excitement that you find this fast page turning book read before you know time has slipped away, excellent writing, I absolutely loved it.

In this crazy world full of Kings and peasants, Solie is running away from her father whom has arranged a marriage with an old man she has no wish to marry. The king needs a virgin sacrifice for his son to acquire a battle sylph and Solie just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. In the process of running away, she is kidnapped by one of the Kings guards in hopes to be of use by the King.

A priest conjures up a portal that the sylphs can look through so see their ever waiting queen that they hope to spend eternity with. But as Solie lays upon the alter naked and tied down, the sylph has the slightest clue that a trap awaits and finds himself through the portal only to find a man yielding a knife to kill his queen in order to gain ownership over him and then enslave him.

However, things don’t turn out as the King has planned and chaos erupts within the ritual as his son is killed and allows Solie and her new Battle Sylph “Hey You” escape.

Sylphs are Spirits or Evil creatures born only to destroy and are bound to serve human with their magic. In the beginning of this book, only men bound sylphs/men with high rank but as events happen throughout this wonderful story, Solie and Heyyou change things as their adventure begins.

Read on to escape into this great story and learn of the adventures between the amazing characters and lusty romance that happens between Solie and Heyyou. I promise you will want more and will be buying the second book “The Shattered Sylph”.

I loved all the characters. Solie (Human/Sylph Queen) and Heyou (Battle Sylph) romance or should I say lust for each other is excelent and funny. I love the fact that Solie named her Sylph "Hey You".

Alcor the King is an ass, there wasn't much on his sylph Thrall in this book so maybe next time around.

Jasar is a dick but I love his sylph Mace. Mace reminds me of Jason on True Blood - a big slut puppy.

Leon is the kind of loyal friend everyone wants to have and his sylph Ril is just as loyal and lethal.

Devon is sweet and his sylph Airi is very sweet too.

There are other characters that are wonderful in this story, I hope to see them in the next book.

[Bookwatcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this book, and I love it! Deserve 5 stars, and if I could I would give more! Fantastic!


So, I'll do something different, and answer imaginary questions about this book (probably the questions you would ask me)

What can you tell me about the Story?
I can tell little about the story, or will ruin the surprise. What I can say is that Sylph are ethereal creatures slaved by humans. There are a variety of kinds. Air, water, earth, healer, fire.. all Sylphs bonded to human to obey they orders. The most strong and hard to attract to earth is called Battle Sylph. They are also the most difficult to control, and only mens are able to control them.
The story begins with a teenager, Solie, captured to be sacrificed to bound a Battle Sylph to the prince (it's the only way to attract and bound this kind of Sylph... leave a naked girl under a portal open to the Hive World).
The plan of the King goes wrong, and them the incredible adventure of this book begin!

It's a YA book?
Yes and no. She is a teenager, and Heyou assume an aspect of a teenager boy to pleased her. BUT, it's not an innocent book... check this phrase, said by one Battle Sylph answering a question about they naughty way of approach womans:
The widow pursed her lips. “What is it with you battlers and sex?”
His answer was “That’s what we’re for. Fighting and sex.”
(can say who, or will spoil the surprise!)

So, it's could be a YA book, but in my view some scenes must be read by a teen over 16 years.

If it's not a Ya book what's?
Easy to answer... it's a wonderful fantasy book that will keep you turning pages up to the end! I read it on 2 days... just couldn't stop.
It's a book for everyone who search a complex world full of incredible creatures.
This book is repleted of turns and twists, that will make you laugh, sad, curious and (why not) cry.
The final battle was so vivid! It was like be there, fighting with the Battle Sylphs to defend the community!

It's a straight/linear story?
No, some actions was narrated by different points of view, and some times the story go back for fewer hours (after some important scene) to understand what was happening at the secondary stories.
And, yeah, I said secondary stories!
Obviously Solie and Heyou is the most important nucleus of the book, but you will get surprised how many others character will appear!
Galway, Ril,Leon, the sweet twelve-year-old Lizzi, king Alcor, Thrall (love so much him at the end! I laugh with him!), Jasar, Mace, Devon, Airi are some... yeah.. a lot of incredible characters that I love! My favorite was the Leon and Ril second story! I really was amazed reading the complex companionship of the human and his Battle Sylph! I bet you will love it as I!

So, cut the crap and tell me, do you recommend it or not?
Yes!!!! <---I'm doing my happy dance to convince you
Read it if you are a fantasy/sci-fi fan and if you want to read a romantic book... and obviously prepare yourself! Battle Sylphs are soldiers, but, most of all, they are lovers! Heyou is really naughty! Always trying to get his hands on Solie! Sooo funny! And I love it!

......End of the interview........
Have fun reading... I hope that you end this story like me, waiting for more! This story has a continuation (The Shattered Sylph), but the end was great! Everything that could be told about Solie and Heyoy was told, and now I can't wait to read more about Ril! No doubt that I'll read it!

[Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Badass Hidden Gem...

http://badassbookreviews.com/badass-h...

Even before I finished reading this book, I ordered the next one. I hated this book to end, it was that good. I was completely caught up in the world created by the author. Not only did McDonald create an impressive setting for the book but also created not one or two great characters, but numerous interesting secondary characters.

Usually when an author bounces from character to character in a book, it annoys me and it disrupts the flow of the book. Quite the opposite was true in this book. I found myself intrigued with all the characters and I wanted to know more about them. The secondary character's POV is vital for the story and McDonald handles it with ease!

The main characters in this story are Solie and her battle sylph Heyyou. Battle sylphs are creatures that inhabit a separate dimension. In Solie's world, she is a young farm girl who lives a simple existence. In a Battle sylph's dimension, a young girl like Solie is a "queen". Queens are to be loved and worshipped and most of all treasured and respected. Battle sylphs, curious about the abundance of "queens" in Solie's world, often will be enticed (and tricked) into her world. Unfortunately, they are tricked into this world by men with malicious motives of controlling the battle sylphs.

Solie, running away from her father (who plans to marry her off to a man she does not like) ends up being the tool to trick a battle sylph over to Solie's world. Thankfully, for Solie and Heyyou, everything goes wrong. Solie ends up with her own battle sylph and that is when the adventure begins.

Solie and her battle sylph Heyyou are playful, witty and engaging. Solie, who starts innocent and naive, learns plenty about the world around her and about herself. Heyyou, who starts angry and bitter, learns about true innocence and joy. The friendships the pair form and the adventures and challenges they endure make for a memorable story.

I would not call this book a paranormal romance. While there is romance in the story, it is much more a fantasy book.

Update- Just added to my "Favorite Book of 2010" shelf

[Ryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, this could have been so good. OOH! It makes me so mad...

First of all, props to the author, because she really had a good idea. It was a sweet blend of romance and fantasy that was soooo close to being a hit for me. What brought it down to a two-star rating? Her writing.

L.J. McDonald's bio says she's been writing since she was 15. Her writing style and grace suggest that she must be almost 16 now.

It was corny, but that I could forgive; it happens with romance novels. But the total childishness of it all was... I don't know. Something about her turn of phrase was not at an adult level, so I placed it in the YA genre. It does mention sex, but nothing too graphic, and it's definitely not well enough developed to be classified as adult reading. Sorry. She had SUCH potential in her characters, and the world/ideas were so... CLOSE. The main characters, especially, are quite childish (I think they're about 15 or 16), so the ending fell a little bit flat; too dramatic and not enough depth (I can't say more without giving the end away). I don't usually fuss so much over books, I either trash them or love them, but this was just sad to read because it could truly have been so much better...

Final verdict: I won't pick up another one in this series unless the synopsis somehow grabs hold of me and doesn't let me go. Or unless I'm very, very bored. But, ugh, the possibilities...

[Kiki · Rating 3 out of 5]

New concept in a way

It’s more like a 2.5 star.

I really didn’t like the MCs much.

TBH I preferred Mace the sylphwh*** and Ril the birdman much better. I’m rounding it up for the concept that the sylphs love and care and protect any woman/girl despite who they’re. It was a refreshing take away from the usual patriarchal dystopia we have in CRs.

There was some disturbing elements with Mace’s part in the story. With his random hookups up to an almost rape because of the order his master gave him. But at the end of the day, he chose a very morally strict, very dominating middle aged EXPERIENCED woman as his master and mate. Not because he’s submissive but because he respects the strength. I could feel he truly loved her and from the moment he realised she existed there was no one but her for him. He voiced as much.

Ril had a slightly sadder story and something a lot of people would find disturbing. His future mate and master Lizzie, he watched her being born, he watched her grow up, so that could give you an idea of pedophilia, but can be overlooked if you count that he spent all those year as a bird. He truly loved Lizzie and her sister, and even her mother. So much so that he could feel the pain during Betha’s labour. I dunno how others would feel. But my hurt broke every time I read about Ril. I loved how his master was redeemed. He truly loved Ril, he just didn’t know much about capturing a sylph, I’m guessing due to the priests’ lack of knowledge or deliberate manipulation to capture the sylphs.

I found the rest of the story to be a little lifeless. It felt as though the author didn’t use a storyboard correctly. We get an idea that Mace can overrule his master’s command as he is under the protection of a queen, but for some reason he was unable to do so in the last scene? I was a little confused.

But overall, it could have been a great book, but I guess that’s a bit hard when you hate both your main protagonists. Solie seemed like a spoiled princess when in real life she didn’t have the luxury to think as one. With a strict father and social standing of a peasant one would expect a little more maturity and humility from her. But you’ll be left wanting. Heyou was almost like a puppy dog, so no excitement there either. I can almost picture a French man chasing skirt comic strip every time I think of these to together. *Alas*

Would I be reading the next book? Yes, for Ril, anything after doesn’t seem remotely appealing.

[❀angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this story was inspired by bees. The word "hive" is thrown around a lot. The drones battler sylphs protect the queen and the colony Community.

Anyway, I liked Solie. I don't understand why people are calling her "dim" or "silly". She was able to bind herself to a battler. She didn't let other people make choices for her. She learned how to be a leader. She's a little naive, yes—she was raised as a simple farm girl, remember?

[Lynn Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

B+ at AAR, so 4.5 stars I reread this one over the weekend. Upon re-read, this one still works for me. I reviewed it back in 2010, and here is what I had to say:

Every now and then I read a book that I adore, but that I find difficult to describe without spoiling it for others. The Battle Sylph is just such a book. The plotting is good and the world created here rather intricate, but everything reveals itself in layers and the journey is part of the fun.

In Eferem, the upper classes of humans have bound sylphs to them. The elemental sylphs (earth, air, water, and fire) can be passed between masters and require no sacrifice to bind them. However, the much rarer battle sylphs held only by the very prominent can only be bound through the blood sacrifice of a virgin. Unlike the elemental sylphs, battle sylphs generally hate their masters but, having been bound, must obey them.

The author lays out a few of these rules of Eferem's world through the eyes of a young air sylph master awaiting the arrival of a party who will be binding a battle sylph that night. Though it's a bit of an infodump, it's handled gracefully and helped me get my bearings in this world quickly. Readers will need this because the pace of the story picks up rapidly after the prologue and it never really lets up.

This is a partial review. You can find the complete text at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent fantasy read with an action plot. The lead characters - Heyou [the battle sylph:] and Solie [a farm girl:] - meet up because she is kidnapped to be the virgin sacrifice to 'catch' a battler sylph. She defends herself from the Crown Prince's attempt to kill her giving the battle sylph time to come through the dimensional gate and rescue her; killing all present [including the prince:]. She inadvertently names him by calling out 'hey, you'. He is enchanted by his new queen and carries her away from danger.

Neither of the protagonists knows much of the world - essentially they are teenagers - hormones with feet and not much experience. If their storyline was the only one, it would be a good read but not a great one. But this plot contains several storylines - those of the other [older:] battlers, the King's efforts to destroy them, and the emerging culture of the Community where sylphs are friends, not slaves...

The action is intense and kept me turning the pages well into the night...

Sylph
1. The Battle Sylph (2010)
2. The Shattered Sylph (2010)

[L.J. McDonald]

I'm not going to rate my own book. Seems kind of tacky. :) It just seems silly not to have it on my shelf either.

[AH · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
What an interesting and unique world!

Sylphs are beings that are based on the earthly elements: air, wind, fire, and earth. These beings are bound to humans and serve them in various capacities. Most of the sylphs are female, but the rarest ones, the Battle Sylphs are male.

In this world, only males are deemed strong enough to control a Battle Sylph. Battle Sylphs are evil, ferocious creatures that emit hate. In order to summon a Battle Sylph, a ceremony was held and a virgin woman (why, oh why?) was used as bait, then sacrificed once the Battle Sylph crossed over.
Our story begins as the young Solie is tied to the altar. The king’s son is about to receive a Battle Sylph of his own when something goes wrong. Solie fights back and ends up with her very own sylph setting off an interesting chain of events. Solie is now bound to the unfortunately named Heyou (Hey, you!) and becomes his queen.

It must be neat to have your very own Battle Sylph. He can change shapes, fly, protect, even fight. He can even hunt whale and feed an entire community. In Solie’s case, Heyou changed shape to become the image of her ideal man. I loved Solie and Heyou together. Heyou was completely devoted to her. My only criticism about her character was that I felt she was a little too young and immature to be queen; however there was a lot of potential in her character for growth. I just wish her character was a little older.

The book was a lot of fun to read, however a few parts were a little slow. The battle scenes did make up for the slow parts, full of action and excitement. I loved learning about the sylphs and their culture. Once a queen was chosen, the sylphs rallied around a hive and were drawn to their queen. Quite fascinating.

This book is a solid start to a series and I can’t wait to get my hands on the rest of the books in the series.

Thank you Netgalley and Dorchester Publishing for a review copy of this book.

Check out my review and more on Badass Book Reviews

[SheLove2Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many in-depth reviews about the FANTASTIC book, I'm just going to tell you what I loved:

Everything.

No, seriously. This is an incredibly written, suck you in from page 1, highly addictive story that makes you wonder what kind of crack Ms McDonald was on when she wrote it and where can I get some for myself!

LOVE love love the main hero and heroine Solie and Heyou. The way he fought for her and nearly died for her...that's hard to beat. The way all the Sylph males revere females....made my heart melt. Ril and his anguish over his lost queen and his utter devotion to Lizzy and the sisters.....OMG someone please tell me he has a book of his own! Mace and Claw and Leon and Devon.....these are men to ride the river with, as Louis L'Amour would say.

I highly recommend this to anyone who loves sci-fi or fantasy. Rushing off to find the next book....

A+/5 stars

[Story_girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A prime example of how random surfing on goodreads can sometimes lead to uncovering hidden gems. The concept and world building in this book is fresh and fantastic. This book is especially for fantasy-romance lovers out there such as myself. And the books only keep getting better and better as the series progresses.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

1st reread: 11:10:17

[Lorena · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book started out quite interesting, the heroine Solie is kidnapped by the king's soldiers and is to be used as a sacrifice. Instead of letting the asshole prince kill her so that he can enslave a battle sylph - male sylphs who basically love ALL women and hate ALL men - to his service, she fights him and instead binds the battle sylph to her and naming him Heyou (the imaginative name shows her great mind at work). Okay beginning, but it just went downhill from there. Solie is taken away from this place of dark rituals by her new battle sylph, they're both naked, so of course there's instant lust. They are tracked down by one of the king's men who also has a battle sylph and there is a fight between them and after the smoke clears Heyou is nowhere to be seen, while Solie is rescued by some stranger called Devon.

Solie is a dumb, ignorant, childish, TSTL and weak girl and annoyed me so much, I just couldn't finish the book.

"Solie started to cry, not knowing what to do."

Hint: you get out of the fucking way.

This is in the middle of a battle between the two sylphs while the village around her is going up in flames, bodies lay scattered everywhere and she is about to be killed!



Well Devon shows up and thankfully saves her or she would have been killed, again. His motivations are unclear. And does she ever stop to wonder WHY exactly he's risking his life to safe her dumb ass? (my guesses are; he's a psychopathic maniac who will slowly torture and kill her, or he's unhappy about how the kingdom is run and wants to take a stand, or he's such a chivalrous, altruistic knight in shining fucking armor, or he's planning to sell her on a slave market)
No, of course not, Solie just blindly trusts the man she doesn’t know, entrusts her life entirely to him and just follows him around...like a little dog.

"He [Devon] never complained or protested her slow pace, helping her whenever she needed it, and unlike Heyou, he didn't try to convince her to sleep with him."

What a gentleman. Such a man definetely couldn't have a hidden agenda! Perhaps his life’s goal is to save as many too-stupid-to-live damsels in distress as he can. Either way, Solie's just glad she has a man who takes care of her.

Solie is a stupid, naïve girl with absolutely no survival instincts and who blindly trusts the help of strangers. She can only depend on a man to take care of her as she is unable rely on herself!

"She didn't know how she would have made it without a man."

She wouldn't have made it – ever.

And with that poignant sentence, on page 96 and at 30%, I’m done with this shit, as I have no interest in reading anything more of Solie needing a big strong man to take care of her because she’s too-stupid-to-live.

[Jen Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine a world filled with elemental beings, subjugated to human masters. These beings are called sylphs. Each female sylph has a special gift: power over healing, water, air, fire or water. The males are warriors... battle sylphs. Humans can open a portal to the sylph world and if the sylph sees someone worthy of being a master, they'll cross over. But the battle sylphs are being tricked. They see lovely young women in the portal... but when each battler crosses over, the humans kill the female lure and force the battle sylph into the service of a man.

The king's men planned that very scenario to lure a battler for the prince. But the young woman they kidnapped for the sacrifice was more resourceful than they expected. Solie turns the tables and manages to claim the sylph for her own. And instead of subservience through a bond of hatred... her sylph worships her... wants nothing more than to please her.

They make their way out of the kingdom and band with others wishing to live in a new way. In this makeshift community, the sylphs are tied to humans, but they are otherwise free. The many constraints of the kingdom don't exist. And as Solie and her battler grow closer, it creates lasting repercussions not only for them, but for all the sylphs around them.

The author has constructed a rich and complicated fantasy world. But I didn't have any trouble following it. And the more I read, the more I liked it. The secondary characters were every bit as interesting and engaging as the leads, maybe more so... and there were no points that I felt bored or anxious to get back to another POV.

I had only two complaints about the entire thing. Primarily, I wish Solie were older. She's only 17 and while it's very common for 17 year-olds to be sexually active, it was hard for me to think of her as a woman or a romantic lead. This is even more true with Lizzie --a side character who is even younger and clearly the intended love interest for the next book. (I pray there is a serious time jump.) --The second minor complaint... the battler's name. I never could get past her calling him "Heyou." I get it, but it annoyed me.

Please know that both these peeves amounted to very little in the grand scheme of things. I liked the book a lot --and I'm off to read The Shattered Sylph to see what happens next. 4 1/2 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

[Grace*dnfing books since 2022* · Rating 1 out of 5]

The synopsis of this story looked interesting, despite the cover. The first chapter also was quite good and had me thinking it might not too corny a romance. Soon, however, it started reading like fanfic, or YA. Just really simple, dumbed down writing, descriptions used to hit you over the head. Also, because it read so much like YA, I was kind of shocked when it got graphic so quickly. And so needlessly.

[Has · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to win an ARC of The Battle Sylph on Twitter. And I thank the book fairy goddess for gracing me with the luck of having an early chance to read this.

This is the start of a new fantasy romantic series by début author, L. J. McDonald. The world-building and setting is similar to that of Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, and the epic feel and tone of C. L. Wilson’s Tairen Soul series.

In the land of Eferem, the King and powerful Lords enslave and use elemental beings called Sylphs to do their bidding. Their powers are linked to elemental forces such as: air, fire, water and earth. But there are battle Sylphs who are used as powerful weapons due to the destructive nature of their shapeshifting abilities, and aggressive personalities. For battle Sylphs in particular, they must serve and bond with a queen which grounds them and also calms them – although in the human realm, men have used and taken advantage of this link to enslave them.

The first chapter starts off with a bang and consists of an abduction that leads to a bungled sacrifice, as well as one of the most unique introductory meetings between a hero and heroine I have read. In fact, I have to quote their first meeting because it was pretty humorous – despite the hectic events surrounding them – due to the heroine Solie, who instead of dying, names the Battle Sylph, thereby becoming its mate and master:

What had the King said? Name it.

“Hey, you,” she managed, barely able to speak at all, she was so frightened. She swallowed, trying to get her tongue untied enough to ask its name, and it breathed warm air on her.

Heyou, it repeated softly, the sound echoing in her mind.

Had she just named it?

Solie is unaware of the repercussions of linking up with an elemental/spiritual being, especially a very powerful and destructive one. And she finds herself on the run with him with their would-be captors on their tails: an influential Lord, and the King’s very own right hand man.

Although Heyou is a powerful elemental being, and can easily wipe out a whole contingent of soldiers, it was a nice surprise to see him as being young and inexperienced. This is a nice change to read about, as not only is he a match for Solie who is also young and inexperienced, but the fact that L. J. McDonald has turned this trope of an alpha/powerful hero on it’s head – usually the heroes are much older than their heroines, and either have a tortured past or their life experiences have left them jaded and/or world weary. IMO, this sometimes can overshadow and overwhelm their heroines which can affect the relationship and romance, but it’s a trope that’s almost clichéd. So it was really refreshing to see both being on an equal footing – in terms of their outlook of the new environment they find themselves in.

The evolution of their romance was fun to read about, as it was more light hearted. And it was quite refreshing to read, particularly in contrast to the grim events that occur in the book. However, I did have slight qualms in the beginning because there was a mating bond that Heyou and Solie forge between themselves, and considering their ages, I didn’t think this would work because of the power of imbalance it would bring.

Yet this was part of the world-building, and the bonds with which the Battle Sylphs and other Sylphs have, must be linked with a human so they can remain in the human lands. Solie’s and Heyou’s bond was the only link that entailed a true mating, and was healthy compared to those who enslaved the Sylphs and regarded them as sub-human. I also loved the fact that Solie was unsure of Heyou’s intentions, and despite the fact she later realises that she has more power over their bond, she is fair and sees him as a person in his own right.

However despite their ages and inexperience, both Heyou and Solie later find themselves as leaders of a group of rag-tag rebels, living with their bonded Sylphs in peace who have settled in a rugged and forgotten part of the kingdom. I liked that even though Heyou is powerful, and can become very temperamental due to his age, there were other Battle Sylphs in the book who were older, and more experienced than him. And I really liked that he would step back, and learn from those around him instead of assuming full control and making careless mistakes.

The supporting characters were also a gem to read, like the traveller Galway, who comes across Heyou during his time on the run. Heyou’s interactions with Galway not only give him insights about the world around him, but were also filled with quiet humour which made me chuckle out loud. Heyou soon finds that Galway is a father figure that he never had, and I look forward to seeing more of Galway in future books.

I cannot wait to see what will happen to Heyou’s fellow Battle Sylph, Ril, whose love/hate relationship with his master was one of the highlights for me in the book. Their relationship was filled with conflicting emotions, and Ril’s pent up resentment of his enslavement and his love of his captor’s daughter was heart-rending (note: she is in her early teens, and although he views her as his Queen, there was no imprinting or magical bonding) as he views her as a lifeline as well as the hope she can free him from his captivity. He will also feature as the main hero in the next book in this series, The Shattered Sylph, which I cannot wait to read.

The Battle Sylph is a fantastic start to a series. L. J. McDonald has captured humour, romance and imagination with a deft touch that has set many established tropes on their heads. This is a wonderful fantasy romance, with engaging and humorous characters and I am eagerly looking forward to the next book. Heyou’s and Solie’s romance was a joy to read, especially since it wasn’t something that I expected.

I give The Battle Sylph 4.5 out of 5. And it’s offically released on the 23rd, February.

[Ren Puspita · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

The Battle Sylph is the first book in Sylph series by L.J.McDonald who is a new author to me. This book had been on my radar for a long time due to raving reviews from my GR friends. Michelle called this a hidden gem and after finish the book, well, I agree with her. The Battle Sylph have some traditional PNR element such as alpha male and inexperience (also virgin, oh how I detest this kind) female. Yet, the story feel fresh, original and captivating. I know why my GR friends love this one now.

This series is unique because, of course the sylph. Contrary to popular belief that sylph just associated to wind, the sylphs in McDonald world are divided into so far six kind. Element sylph like water, wind, fire,and earth, then healer sylph, and the main focus of this series, the battle sylph. Not like their gentle cousins, all battle sylph are male. They crossed their otherworld hives to the human world to find a female, bound to her and make her as their queen, protect and pleasure her. Alas, what waiting them in the human world is eternal nightmare, for some men lure them with virgin maid, kill her and bound the battle sylph to unstoppable agony. Can't defect their master, only life with hatred and sorrow to lose their queen too early.

This practice happen over and over, and all change when the heroine, Solie manage to escape from her death and bound to the battle sylph instead. She and her sylph, Heyou flee from the King and the event that follow after change their life completely. Not just Solie and Heyou, but fate of Eferem people. Because Heyou make Solie his queen, all sylph now bound to Solie, especially the King general's battle sylph, Ril and Mace. Together, these 2 battle sylph, along with Ril's former master, Leon and Solie's people from her village, Devon and his wind sylph, Airi, also the Community-a place where Solie and Heyou take refuge, try to defend themselves from the attack of the King and their battle sylph.

The main strength of the Battle Sylph is the world building and also the character. When I knew that Solie still 17 years old and Heyou also young in the term of battle sylph, I think this one will be a YA book. Well, The Battle Sylph is intended for adult. There was a sex and also violence part that will make reader cringe even not uncomfortable. Make sense because master often treat their battle sylph unfair and they must life with the hatred. Beside the battle sylph hate male in the first place. Thanks to Solie, all her three battle sylph can tolerate male. Even Heyou bound to a man who safed his life when he got separated from Solie.

My disappointment maybe is because Solie and Heyou is too young and didn't get much development. Their relationship is based on lust and driven need for each other. This is not bad as it sound, it just theirs can be developed into more. On the other side, Heyou's absolute devotion to Solie is cute and endearing, sweet without make my teeth ache. It's a kind of devotion that will make any women swoon, want to have Heyou for their own. The battle sylph is like any women fantasy, for what woman who doesn't want to be called as "queen", less treated like one? The concept for the queen and the battle sylph is unique. There's just one mate to the Queen, like Solie and Heyou, so the other battler can bound to another female, called master to fulfil their carnal need. This also lead to another complicated matter, because there's just one queen for one hive, so Solie must handle this with care. Being Queen also dump some Community's problem to Solie's, and she's still young to absorbed anything that happen around her.

Another characters beside Solie and Heyou also shine. Especially the battle sylph Mace, Ril and Ril's master Leon. I'm glad that another sylph, Mace finally can be free from his cruel former master and found his happines in Solie, for he and Heyou is from the same hives. My heart break and ache for Ril, for his pain, his hatred but also love to Leon and Leon's family. Leon turned to be another pivot characters, together with Devon help Solie to adjust to her newest role as the Community's leader.

The ending of this book is very open. Solie, Heyou, Leon, Devon, Mace, Ril, Leon's family and the people of Community future is uncertain but have so much possibility. The Battle Sylph is a stunning debut by L.J.McDonald. This book is so underrated and I think all fantasy romance lover must read, because it's a promising start for a series. This book got me hooked and I can't wait to read the next book, The Shattered Sylph. Alas, when I go to McDonald website, seems like she got trouble with her old publishing, make her books rare. I'm lucky to have my own copy from Better World Books, but the 2 next books is not available in my local online bookstore. So guess, I will read the e-book version.

[Wendy *Sebella Blue* Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Running away from an arranged marriage to a fat, old man, Solie is captured by King Alcor's soldiers. She is to be used as bait to lure a prized battle sylph through the portal for the king's only son. Instead of being a sacrifice, Solie winds up being bound to the young battler, because she was the first to name him. When he first heard his name called, "Heyou" knew he was gazing upon his queen, and he would defend her to his death. After leaving the chamber in ruins, and killing Solie's attackers, Heyou takes Solie and flees to safety. Only there is very little safety to be found in this treacherous, barbaric land.

I was extremely surprised by how much I loved this book. This is not my type of normal selection at all, but I was mesmerized by the cover, so I said "Go, ahead. Give it a try." That try turned into a reading marathon, in which I gorged myself on the first three books of the series, almost non-stop. Solie started out as your pretty average village girl. She was a little young for my taste (17), but back in those days, you died young, so it was best to live your life as soon as possible. She was being forced to marry a man her father wanted to curry favor with. Luckily her aunt was an independent, free thinking woman, who had taught Solie the same values. I really liked Solie's character for her spunk and snark attitude. She did at times act like a giggly teenager, but that's what she is in this book.

Heyou has turned out to be one of my favorite characters. He is innately fierce and protective, but he is also very young for a battler. He is at times scared and uncertain. His biggest advantage though, is that Solie designs his appearance from the ground up. Sylphs come through the portal in a type of incorporeal form, that can be transformed into any shape. What a lucky girl! If that's not the best thing ever I just don't know what is. In the sylph world, a hive mentality is very much the norm, and males serve and adore their queen. This world just keeps getting better and better. It is a completely matriarchal society. Nirvana! Then they come to this side of the portal and ewwww! Women are more or less chattel. That's not right, let's fix it.

This book is an epic read that I encourage everyone, no matter your genre preferences ,to read. The cast of diverse characters, human and sylph alike, and their journey to find a life that is fair and free from slavery and abuse, is one of the most entertaining and enjoyable ensembles you will find on a book shelf. The action is non-stop. The reader goes to peaks and valleys of emotion that will leave you breathless. I will be updating you on the journey of the sylphs and their human counterparts. It was a journey I plan on taking many times. I hope you join me.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite the cheesy-sounding description of this book ("He is one of many: a creature of magic, unrelentingly male."), it's actually more fantasy than romance. The world-building here is very strong, and is hands-down the best part of the novel.

The author clearly put a lot of thought into the world the sylphs come from, and the complicated dynamic between the battle sylphs and their masters was fascinating. Unfortunately, the characters are otherwise pretty wooden and one-dimensional, which brought down my enjoyment of the book considerably.

The most obvious example of this is Solie, who intially appears to be our protagonist. We know next to nothing about Solie, other than the fact that she does not want to marry the man her family has chosen for her. We never quite learn what it is she does want, other than to get away, and perhaps most problematically, Solie never grows or changes because we know so little about her. If Solie is indeed supposed to be our protagonist, she's a pale and limp imitation of one. Solie eventually ascends to "queen" by having sex with Heyou, a battle sylph, though how this is any better than marrying the man her parents picked for her is not made clear.

Solie's relationship with Heyou is also pretty empty, which is kind of surprising considering that the summary of the book is clearly skewed towards the romance market. Heyou fixates on Solie because she's the first woman he sees, and Solie apparently picks Heyou for more or less the same reason. She later rejects other Sylphs' advances in favor of Heyou, but we're never given a reason why. They apparently like to have sex, but we never see them have any kind of a conversation or emotional connection. In fact, the dynamic of their relationship is pretty creepy: Heyou worships Solie, while Solie just sort of tolerates him. ("She still had Heyou and his unrelenting devotion. That kept her spirits up most of the time.")

None of the other characters fare any better than Solie and Heyou. Several other battle sylphs show up, all of whom want to have sex with Solie but more or less go on their merry way when she turns them down. The final, epic fight scene was fairly anticlimactic, mostly because we know so little about any of the characters that it's hard to care whether or not they die.

Overall, the world-building here was very strong, but the characters and story itself too weak to sustain an entire novel. When you factor in the problematic messages about women/power/sex, well, let's just say I won't be recommending this book any time soon.

[Melindeeloo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Battle Slyph starts off a new fantasy series in a world where magical elementals are lured from an alternate dimension and then bound to a master and forced to do their bidding. Trouble, adventure and love, well at least lust, occurs when the binding of the most powerful of all the Sylphs goes wrong.

I have to admit that I bought Battle Sylph because of the cover. And from the cover (picture, back blurb, and recs from authors) I thought that this was going to be a steamy fantasy romance. The Battle Sylph and his inadvertant mistress are key to the events which unfold, but sex between the pair is more of a catalyst for the events that follow than anything to do with romance. Also they are not the only stars of the story - there are also threads for other master sylph pairings.

Expectations aside, I really struggled with the first half of the book. I had a hard time getting used to McDonald's writing style - it was choppy or stilted or something and I just couldn't get into the flow of the story at first. Actually her style felt more like a young adult read even though it isn't.

But once the introductions of the cast were done, the rules of the world explained, and the story started to pick up speed, I did finally find my rhythym. The last half of the Battle Sylph had enough action and pathos to overcome its slow start and overall I ended up liking the story.

[Valerie ~ Val Hall ~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is set in a medieval world where people acquire energy-beings called sylphs to serve them. The sylphs help the everyday lives of the people. They are mostly elemental as fire, air, water and earth but a few sylphs are battle sylphs and even rarer healer sylphs. The battle sylphs are lured from a separate dimension by female human sacrifice and subsequently enslaved by men.

The main characters in this story are Solie and her battle sylph Heyyou. The sylph function as a hive mentality: one queen for each hive. The battle sylphs are then tricked into Solie’s world by the apparent abundance of ‘’queens’’, bound by men to serve and passed down from generation to generation of men. The story explore what happens when one girl does not lay down on the sacrificial altar and die as planned.

Solie and her battle sylph named Heyou are playful, innocent, witty and engaging. Their relationship grows as well as the lust for each other. The story bounces from character to characters, making the telling richer for the different POV of life in the kingdom. It could have been done slightly better but since it is a first novel I find the offering adequate.

A good summer reading, action and some romance.

[Jess the Romanceaholic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has got to be, hands down, my absolute FAVORITE fantasy romance series that I've read so far.

The worldbuilding is simply breathtaking -- L.J. McDonald manages to breathe such life and vitality into this world without bogging the reader down with superfluous details.

There is definitely a romance aspect, though it's not too high on the steamy end. Plenty of fighting and epic battles abound, however, and it's hard to even notice that the lovemaking is kind of tame ;)

I would urge both paranormal romance fans and fantasy fans alike to read both this book and the sequel, The Shattered Sylph (which I stupidly read first, not realizing it was a series lol)

A very solid 5 Stars

[Vanessa theJeepDiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible book with a uniquely different line of characters & beings in a setting that is in an alternate type world. The book starts off heavily as a fantasy adventure. Over all there is a very small amount of romance. The romance that is present is very consuming. Heyou CANNOT keep his hands off of Solie. His loving worship of her keeps you smiling. This is the first book in the series so the world and character development takes precedence. The characters are wonderful. The world is one of kings and peasants. Solie is kidnapped as she is running away from her arranged marriage. The king needs a virgin sacrifice for his son to acquire a battle sylph. The readers find out why the battlers constantly radiate hate. The sylphs come through a portal conjured by a priest expecting to get their queen only to watch her be killed by a man who claims ownership over them and then enslaves them. Heyou gets lucky and is not forced into slavery.

[Lindsay · Rating 1 out of 5]

What in the yuck

This book started out so good, but then took a weird turn around 40%. Solie and Heyou started out acting like adults and then started behaving more childlike. It's creeping me out. Especially since they want to have sex with one another. That's not the only gross thing. Another ancient battler is infatuated with a 12 y/o girl. The third battler wanted to have sex with a 14 y/o girl, but thankfully a widow stopped him and was protecting the kids. And for some reason all of the free sylphs take the form of children. It's all very icky and I'm super disappointed how this story turned out.

[Ann Aguirre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was ridiculously awesome. It's a fast read but a wholly gripping one. It made my time in the DFW airport fly by, and I'm normally super wriggly on planes, but this book consumed my attention completely, so I didn't even notice how long I was up in the air. If you want to know what it's about, read a synopsis.

Fab characterization, so different, interesting world, and keyed into a woman's psyche. I'd characterize this as romantic fantasy for women and unlike anything I've ever read. Soooo good. Adorable. Fun. Sexy. Dreamy. Just get a copy, okay?

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG this book was fabulous! A very different story than my usual vampires, witches, werewolves, etc that I read. I loved the concept of the Battlers and enjoyed the story thoroughly. The characters were interesting and I liked how it followed most of them, rather than a 1st person story. :-) Definitely recommend it and I'm looking forward to the next one out tomorrow!