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The Never Chronicles #1
Exiled
James has never known an ordinary life. As long as he can remember, he and his family have been on the run—moving from place to place, never settling down, never growing roots. Now, just when he’s on the brink of manhood, the very thing his family has been trying to prevent tears him from all he has ever known and thrusts him into a place where he is powerless and alone.
Bent on finding a way back, James must brave a place reserved for the worst of his kind. He quickly learns that the land itself poses a greater threat than its inhabitants and if he is to have any chance of returning, he must work with the very people he’s been raised to fear.
James has known magic since just after he was born. As a sorcerer, his skills are exceptional yet when he wakes in The Never, his abilities are gone. Armed with nothing but determination and the will to survive, he braves a land wrought with dangers, mysteries and temptations meant to ensnare both body and mind and prevent escape forever.
Bent on finding a way back, James must brave a place reserved for the worst of his kind. He quickly learns that the land itself poses a greater threat than its inhabitants and if he is to have any chance of returning, he must work with the very people he’s been raised to fear.
James has known magic since just after he was born. As a sorcerer, his skills are exceptional yet when he wakes in The Never, his abilities are gone. Armed with nothing but determination and the will to survive, he braves a land wrought with dangers, mysteries and temptations meant to ensnare both body and mind and prevent escape forever.
246 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 5, 2012
19 people are currently reading
1627 people want to read
About the author
J.R. Wagner
5 books79 followersJ. R. Wagner was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, during a blizzard. The snow made travel by car impossible, so his father called an ambulance when his mother went into labor. The ambulance became stuck at the bottom of their home’s driveway, prompting the dispatch of a fire truck, which towed the ambulance to the hospital where he was
born.
Maybe it was this experience that destined J.R. to love adventure.
A competitive cyclist, triathlete, mountain biker, and adventure racer, he once received a medal for saving a woman’s life during the kayaking section of an adventure race.
J.R. drafted his first story, a sequel to Return of the Jedi, when he was ten years old. A self-proclaimed Star Wars geek, he had lofty aspirations of working with George Lucas on filming the
project. In 1990, he began filming his version of The Lord of the Rings in his parents’ basement, but the plug was pulled after he nearly burned down the house. Since then, J.R. has written two
full-length screenplays and a thriller novel.
After graduating with a kinesiology degree from Arizona State University, J.R. returned to Pennsylvania, where he took up writing once again.
He began writing Exiled while vacationing in Maine.
born.
Maybe it was this experience that destined J.R. to love adventure.
A competitive cyclist, triathlete, mountain biker, and adventure racer, he once received a medal for saving a woman’s life during the kayaking section of an adventure race.
J.R. drafted his first story, a sequel to Return of the Jedi, when he was ten years old. A self-proclaimed Star Wars geek, he had lofty aspirations of working with George Lucas on filming the
project. In 1990, he began filming his version of The Lord of the Rings in his parents’ basement, but the plug was pulled after he nearly burned down the house. Since then, J.R. has written two
full-length screenplays and a thriller novel.
After graduating with a kinesiology degree from Arizona State University, J.R. returned to Pennsylvania, where he took up writing once again.
He began writing Exiled while vacationing in Maine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
August 11, 2023
Falsely accused James is sent into exile when he is convicted of a horrible crime.
I'm not a huge fan of books that go back and forth between different times, they are confusing and the book was slow at first. Saying that I really like the settings and the characters and the descriptions were great. The ending wasn't a great one, I'm not sure if I'll read the next one.
Thank you Live Oak Book Company and NetGalley for this ecopy to review!
I'm not a huge fan of books that go back and forth between different times, they are confusing and the book was slow at first. Saying that I really like the settings and the characters and the descriptions were great. The ending wasn't a great one, I'm not sure if I'll read the next one.
Thank you Live Oak Book Company and NetGalley for this ecopy to review!
May 3, 2012
http://theprettygoodgatsby.wordpress....
This book sounded so cool when I first read the summary! James, a gifted sorcerer at the ripe old age of 17, is convicted of a terrible crime and exiled to The Never - a place from which no one has escaped - and loses his powers. I couldn't wait to read Exiled!
Unfortunately, this ended up being a case where the idea was far more impressive than the execution. Wagner's writing was fine, and there were even a few moments of truly lovely wording and imagery; however, his main downfall was through the flashbacks.
Exiled takes place in Europe in the late 1800s. James Stuart is convicted of murder and as punishment, he is sent to The Never where he is stripped of his powers. Just as you're getting a feel for The Never, there's a flashback - and these were more often than not, not told from James's perspective. I usually enjoy flashbacks, but these ones had nothing to do with the chapter they preceded/followed. ...it was just a random point in the story.
The other issue I had was with the characters themselves. It would appear that many interactions happened off-screen so to speak, because you'd come to a chapter and suddenly these characters would truly care for one another despite having showed no signs of affection previously. It felt as though Wagner was forcing me to have some sort of emotion regarding the characters - particularly when Bad Things Happen, but that simply wasn't the case. The only thing I felt was a hearty meh.
There was a distinct lack of consistency that bothered me to no end. I get that James is a super awesome sorcerer, but he lost his powers once he was sent to The Never. No one is supposed to have any magical ability there whatsoever. ...yet nearly every character James runs into can do magic with ease, and after a while James regains his abilities.
When it comes to fantasy novels, a proper explanation of the magical system/world is absolutely dire. I was left confused by Exiled. There are the faithful and the unfaithful - those who believe in magic (??) are the faithful and obviously the unfaithful are those who did not. James's parents converted and it's apparently as simple as that to gain magical powers. Who'da thunk.
Also left unexplained were reasons regarding why James was the Anointed One. Again, this didn't get more than a 'meh' from me. I just couldn't care. I didn't feel connected enough to root for James in his struggle to find his way home. The Epoch Terminus confused me as well. I'm still not entirely sure what this was. A magical apocalypse of some sort? From what I understand, it was badbadbad for the magical people, but I'm not sure why. And how were these people able to live and work alongside the rest of the world without their abilities becoming known? IT'S A MYSTERY.
And, guys, since this is a young adult novel, let's discuss the romance! James is 17, remember? His love interest is 27. Yep. Seriously (I kid you not), there's a "love triangle" with a man who is over 100. Honest-to-goodness, James is JEALOUS that a man well over 100 is ~close~ to his near-30 girlfriend. I...I don't get it.
Exiled's ending seemed more like the ending of a chapter, than the ending of the book. The last chapter discusses something that happened to a random character and James isn't even mentioned. ..you know, the main character.
Oddly enough, despite all my griping, I actually looked forward to continuing after coming home from work, doing laundry, etc. A LOT happened in this book and I truly can't remember half of it (even though I just finished this morning!), but for some strange reason I liked it.
This book sounded so cool when I first read the summary! James, a gifted sorcerer at the ripe old age of 17, is convicted of a terrible crime and exiled to The Never - a place from which no one has escaped - and loses his powers. I couldn't wait to read Exiled!
Unfortunately, this ended up being a case where the idea was far more impressive than the execution. Wagner's writing was fine, and there were even a few moments of truly lovely wording and imagery; however, his main downfall was through the flashbacks.
Exiled takes place in Europe in the late 1800s. James Stuart is convicted of murder and as punishment, he is sent to The Never where he is stripped of his powers. Just as you're getting a feel for The Never, there's a flashback - and these were more often than not, not told from James's perspective. I usually enjoy flashbacks, but these ones had nothing to do with the chapter they preceded/followed. ...it was just a random point in the story.
The other issue I had was with the characters themselves. It would appear that many interactions happened off-screen so to speak, because you'd come to a chapter and suddenly these characters would truly care for one another despite having showed no signs of affection previously. It felt as though Wagner was forcing me to have some sort of emotion regarding the characters - particularly when Bad Things Happen, but that simply wasn't the case. The only thing I felt was a hearty meh.
There was a distinct lack of consistency that bothered me to no end. I get that James is a super awesome sorcerer, but he lost his powers once he was sent to The Never. No one is supposed to have any magical ability there whatsoever. ...yet nearly every character James runs into can do magic with ease, and after a while James regains his abilities.
When it comes to fantasy novels, a proper explanation of the magical system/world is absolutely dire. I was left confused by Exiled. There are the faithful and the unfaithful - those who believe in magic (??) are the faithful and obviously the unfaithful are those who did not. James's parents converted and it's apparently as simple as that to gain magical powers. Who'da thunk.
Also left unexplained were reasons regarding why James was the Anointed One. Again, this didn't get more than a 'meh' from me. I just couldn't care. I didn't feel connected enough to root for James in his struggle to find his way home. The Epoch Terminus confused me as well. I'm still not entirely sure what this was. A magical apocalypse of some sort? From what I understand, it was badbadbad for the magical people, but I'm not sure why. And how were these people able to live and work alongside the rest of the world without their abilities becoming known? IT'S A MYSTERY.
And, guys, since this is a young adult novel, let's discuss the romance! James is 17, remember? His love interest is 27. Yep. Seriously (I kid you not), there's a "love triangle" with a man who is over 100. Honest-to-goodness, James is JEALOUS that a man well over 100 is ~close~ to his near-30 girlfriend. I...I don't get it.
Exiled's ending seemed more like the ending of a chapter, than the ending of the book. The last chapter discusses something that happened to a random character and James isn't even mentioned. ..you know, the main character.
Oddly enough, despite all my griping, I actually looked forward to continuing after coming home from work, doing laundry, etc. A LOT happened in this book and I truly can't remember half of it (even though I just finished this morning!), but for some strange reason I liked it.
June 5, 2012
Review was posted on The Oaken Bookcase on June 5, 2012.
James is a young man living in a Harry-Potter-esque hidden magical society in England in the late nineteenth century. He is accused and found guilty of a crime he did not commit and banished to The Never, an alternate reality where his sorcery no longer works.
There were things I really liked about this story - both The Never and the areas visited on Earth are described in beautiful detail.
The story alternates between a chapter telling of James' adventures in The Never, then a flashback chapter to James' parents learning of his abilities and trying to keep him away from evil sorcerers and such when he was a young boy. The flashback chapters also aren't told in order, so I had to flick back to check dates quite a few times - something that isn't so easy with a digital copy. The jumping around in time confused me and I didn't think it added any benefit other than a bit of back story. The other odd thing with the chapter jumping was that sometimes time seemed to pass in the "main" story while the flashbacks were occurring - one moment James is just finding his feet in The Never and the next, a year has passed and he has good friends there.
In musical theory, there's a term called "dynamic range" - the difference between how loud the loud parts are and how soft the soft parts are. I felt that Exiled had a rather low dynamic range - there's sort of a middle level of excitement through the whole story. The story starts with James being banished with an exciting flourish and his adventures in The Never are moderately exciting, but the ending didn't build up to much of a climax. The story wasn't boring, it just wasn't all that brilliant.
James is the only character in the story who is described in much detail, apart from his skeptical and rather unpleasant mother. The other characters sound like their stories would be interesting, but we don't get to hear anything about them.
I liked the premise and the worlds created in Exiled and I thought the characters were interesting, but the execution of the story was disjointed. Hopefully things smooth out when the next in the series is released.
James is a young man living in a Harry-Potter-esque hidden magical society in England in the late nineteenth century. He is accused and found guilty of a crime he did not commit and banished to The Never, an alternate reality where his sorcery no longer works.
There were things I really liked about this story - both The Never and the areas visited on Earth are described in beautiful detail.
The story alternates between a chapter telling of James' adventures in The Never, then a flashback chapter to James' parents learning of his abilities and trying to keep him away from evil sorcerers and such when he was a young boy. The flashback chapters also aren't told in order, so I had to flick back to check dates quite a few times - something that isn't so easy with a digital copy. The jumping around in time confused me and I didn't think it added any benefit other than a bit of back story. The other odd thing with the chapter jumping was that sometimes time seemed to pass in the "main" story while the flashbacks were occurring - one moment James is just finding his feet in The Never and the next, a year has passed and he has good friends there.
In musical theory, there's a term called "dynamic range" - the difference between how loud the loud parts are and how soft the soft parts are. I felt that Exiled had a rather low dynamic range - there's sort of a middle level of excitement through the whole story. The story starts with James being banished with an exciting flourish and his adventures in The Never are moderately exciting, but the ending didn't build up to much of a climax. The story wasn't boring, it just wasn't all that brilliant.
James is the only character in the story who is described in much detail, apart from his skeptical and rather unpleasant mother. The other characters sound like their stories would be interesting, but we don't get to hear anything about them.
I liked the premise and the worlds created in Exiled and I thought the characters were interesting, but the execution of the story was disjointed. Hopefully things smooth out when the next in the series is released.
June 12, 2012
Review originally posted at http://www.mycutebookshelf.com/2012/0...
Real Score: 3.5 stars
In his debut novel, Wagner has created a wonderful and complex tale of magic, intrigue and heart-pounding adventure that held my attention from start to finish.
The magic in this book is intricate, complex but breathtakingly beautiful. I loved the whole historical background and the careful detail the author gave to every aspect of his magical world. This is a very well-conceived world that is easy to get lost in. The world of the Never was also well-constructed and enchanting in its mysterious and dangerous beauty. You might think it is hard to be original in a Fantasy novel, but this novel not only achieves it, but also excels.
The characters were a bit hard to connect with, but were intriguing nonetheless. I had a hard time really getting to know the real James and, though the mystery was part of the appeal of the rest of the characters, I felt like James personality should've been presented more in the story. Most of his characterization, which would've happened through his interactions with other characters and the bonds they develop, takes place out of the narrated story. Still, his story was entertaining and his journey fascinating and I really look forward to see how he grows with each installment in the series.
The writing in this novel is amazing and the imagery is constant and beautiful. The story is complex and convoluted at points, with a lot of things taking place at the same time, but the in between flashback chapters took a little bit of momentum off the main storyline. Nonetheless, I found these flashbacks fascinating, necessary and rich in details that ultimately strengthened the story.
Exiled is an entertaining, strong and exciting new start to a new series with great promise and potential. I look forward to meeting its intriguing characters, exploring its dangerously magical lands and enchanting world of magic once more in future installments.
Real Score: 3.5 stars
In his debut novel, Wagner has created a wonderful and complex tale of magic, intrigue and heart-pounding adventure that held my attention from start to finish.
The magic in this book is intricate, complex but breathtakingly beautiful. I loved the whole historical background and the careful detail the author gave to every aspect of his magical world. This is a very well-conceived world that is easy to get lost in. The world of the Never was also well-constructed and enchanting in its mysterious and dangerous beauty. You might think it is hard to be original in a Fantasy novel, but this novel not only achieves it, but also excels.
The characters were a bit hard to connect with, but were intriguing nonetheless. I had a hard time really getting to know the real James and, though the mystery was part of the appeal of the rest of the characters, I felt like James personality should've been presented more in the story. Most of his characterization, which would've happened through his interactions with other characters and the bonds they develop, takes place out of the narrated story. Still, his story was entertaining and his journey fascinating and I really look forward to see how he grows with each installment in the series.
The writing in this novel is amazing and the imagery is constant and beautiful. The story is complex and convoluted at points, with a lot of things taking place at the same time, but the in between flashback chapters took a little bit of momentum off the main storyline. Nonetheless, I found these flashbacks fascinating, necessary and rich in details that ultimately strengthened the story.
Exiled is an entertaining, strong and exciting new start to a new series with great promise and potential. I look forward to meeting its intriguing characters, exploring its dangerously magical lands and enchanting world of magic once more in future installments.
April 28, 2012
Firstly my thanks to Netgalley and Live Oak Publishing company for allowing me the chance to read this book.
So, what was it about? Is it worth reading? Gosh…this book was such a challenge for me. I started it last Monday and had the craziest week of my life so I only got to read bits and pieces until today. James is a…magic user. And he is also said to be the “anointed one.” But he is falsely accused of killing a man that is like a father to him and Banished into the Never. (banished Naked, I might say. They not only banish him, but they banish him without clothes. That’s so uncool.)
The things I enjoyed: I don’t know what it is but I’ve had some baddish luck with Netgalley books lately. I did not enjoy Exiled. It was a good story. Innocent hero banished from home for something he didn’t do into a land of magic water. I have to give Wagner credit for that. The world building was very interesting and having water that makes you powerful beyond measure is intruding. The writing was well done, and I found that his chapters were appealing.
THE THINGS I DISLIKED: That’s in bold because it needs to be pointed out, for me. The changing tenses and people really really irritated me. You’d be going along fine, and then all of a sudden your 20 years back in the past and with a different characters point of view when you really wanted to know if James falls into the magic water fall and dies. And then, it leaves you on a cliff hanger. Grr.
Overall, the things that was best about this book was its characters and then…there was a line that would occasionally catch your eye. Like this one on page 67: "Why limit our potential for fear of a word?" That’s good! I like that a lot. And the characters. Even with the changing tense you were rooting for James, and his journey. What I really wanted, and what I think would have worked for me is one POV with James in the lead. He had his flaws but it was his story, and though it wasn’t for me, it is a good one.
So, what was it about? Is it worth reading? Gosh…this book was such a challenge for me. I started it last Monday and had the craziest week of my life so I only got to read bits and pieces until today. James is a…magic user. And he is also said to be the “anointed one.” But he is falsely accused of killing a man that is like a father to him and Banished into the Never. (banished Naked, I might say. They not only banish him, but they banish him without clothes. That’s so uncool.)
The things I enjoyed: I don’t know what it is but I’ve had some baddish luck with Netgalley books lately. I did not enjoy Exiled. It was a good story. Innocent hero banished from home for something he didn’t do into a land of magic water. I have to give Wagner credit for that. The world building was very interesting and having water that makes you powerful beyond measure is intruding. The writing was well done, and I found that his chapters were appealing.
THE THINGS I DISLIKED: That’s in bold because it needs to be pointed out, for me. The changing tenses and people really really irritated me. You’d be going along fine, and then all of a sudden your 20 years back in the past and with a different characters point of view when you really wanted to know if James falls into the magic water fall and dies. And then, it leaves you on a cliff hanger. Grr.
Overall, the things that was best about this book was its characters and then…there was a line that would occasionally catch your eye. Like this one on page 67: "Why limit our potential for fear of a word?" That’s good! I like that a lot. And the characters. Even with the changing tense you were rooting for James, and his journey. What I really wanted, and what I think would have worked for me is one POV with James in the lead. He had his flaws but it was his story, and though it wasn’t for me, it is a good one.
June 26, 2012
What do you get when you cross the Harry Potter series with the television show "Lost"? The answer: The Never Chronicles by J.R. Wagner. Book 1 titled "Exiled" throws you into a magical world that intermixes with an island fantasy realm.
This YA book introduces you to James, the center of a prophecy that will bring about change in the magical and unmagical world (the faithful and the faithless). He is exiled to The Never for a crime he did not commit and has begun his journey on how to live up to being "The Anointed One" to "save the world".
This story was cleverly written by the author, but if you found yourself frustrated with "Lost" then you might have some issues. The characters are portrayed in such a way that at some point you feel like you are finally grasping who they are, but then other times there is mystery and aloofness and you realize you really know nothing about them. The islands of The Never bring about creatures, natives and happenings that will start to make sense as you grasp what The Never is about, but then the author will throw in something that makes you realize that there is a deeper meaning that is being foreshadowed and no-you will not understand unless you keep reading the books. So-yeah-if you cursed the writers of "Lost" you will be cursing Mr. Wagner saying "Why? Why do you do this to us? Now we have to wait until the next book to try to make sense of all of this!"
"Exiled" is also written in a way that jumps from the present happenings with James to other periods of time with him and his parents. No-they are not in chronological order, which will cause some confusion (at least it did for me), but once you get into the flow of the book, you glimpse a part of the author's reasoning which expains how the author is writing. But then he throws in a twist and you realize that he is not giving up everything for free...you have to earn it by continuing on with The Never Chronicles saga...
This YA book introduces you to James, the center of a prophecy that will bring about change in the magical and unmagical world (the faithful and the faithless). He is exiled to The Never for a crime he did not commit and has begun his journey on how to live up to being "The Anointed One" to "save the world".
This story was cleverly written by the author, but if you found yourself frustrated with "Lost" then you might have some issues. The characters are portrayed in such a way that at some point you feel like you are finally grasping who they are, but then other times there is mystery and aloofness and you realize you really know nothing about them. The islands of The Never bring about creatures, natives and happenings that will start to make sense as you grasp what The Never is about, but then the author will throw in something that makes you realize that there is a deeper meaning that is being foreshadowed and no-you will not understand unless you keep reading the books. So-yeah-if you cursed the writers of "Lost" you will be cursing Mr. Wagner saying "Why? Why do you do this to us? Now we have to wait until the next book to try to make sense of all of this!"
"Exiled" is also written in a way that jumps from the present happenings with James to other periods of time with him and his parents. No-they are not in chronological order, which will cause some confusion (at least it did for me), but once you get into the flow of the book, you glimpse a part of the author's reasoning which expains how the author is writing. But then he throws in a twist and you realize that he is not giving up everything for free...you have to earn it by continuing on with The Never Chronicles saga...
April 16, 2012
A fun beginning to what promises to be an exciting series. It flows a little like that TV show, Lost, with the jumps indicative of the mind of James, the main character. He's at once confused and resolved, strong and questioning; he knows what he must do, knows he has the power to do it, but harbors that nagging doubt in all of our minds.
The settings are well described, the characters have depths that can make you love and hate them, but you know them.
A for sure must read for teenagers of all ages!
The settings are well described, the characters have depths that can make you love and hate them, but you know them.
A for sure must read for teenagers of all ages!
February 13, 2012
well...since it isn't out yet, I'm the only one who gets to formulate an opinion! Don't worry, I'll take it down come June 5th and let the world decide.
May 14, 2015
After reading some other reviews of this book, I have to wonder if we read the same book/version. I have a feeling the older-style feel of the writing trips some people up or doesn’t move fast enough or seems boring, but for me the writing was perfectly fitted to the setting, pace, and themes of the story. The fantasy elements of the Never are described beautifully, and the dialogue feels natural and appropriately dated…if that makes sense. I thought the pacing was perfect, and I was never bored - there was so much going on!
I can’t exactly put my finger on what this reminded me of because the premise is quite unique, but it’s something like a mix of “Lost” and “Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell” and the creepy island parts of “Life of Pi.” The story moves forward while flipping back and forth between a few characters’ flashbacks, ever adding to your understanding of what is going on in the present timeline. There are so many fantastical twists that introduce magical elements, but at no point was the story confusing or overloaded. Everything fit in this world – both the 1890s England world and the magical purgatory-esque realm of The Never.
James is a great character – starting as a very young boy whose unasked-for destiny forever changes his life, ending as a semi-realized Savior character who still has to sort out who he is in the midst of coming to terms with that destiny. The use of the parent characters was really wonderful (so often parents are missing from magic stories), heartwarming, and added several complex layers to James’s development. Akil, the “greatest” sorcerer of them all, is a bit like Merlin but more dodgy and with secrets of his own. The “bad guy” character is pretty ambiguous at this point, but it’s enough to know that he has it out for James. And of course there’s a female love interest of sorts, but that’s not at all the focus. Really, most of the major and minor characters have a lot of secrets and backstory that we don’t even know about, so they feel just as full and lifelike as James.
Overall, I really, really liked this story and would love to see where it’s going. Things seem to be falling into place (and I loved the twist/explanation in the last chapter), but there’s also enough resolution at the end of this book to feel like a completed book.
I can’t exactly put my finger on what this reminded me of because the premise is quite unique, but it’s something like a mix of “Lost” and “Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell” and the creepy island parts of “Life of Pi.” The story moves forward while flipping back and forth between a few characters’ flashbacks, ever adding to your understanding of what is going on in the present timeline. There are so many fantastical twists that introduce magical elements, but at no point was the story confusing or overloaded. Everything fit in this world – both the 1890s England world and the magical purgatory-esque realm of The Never.
James is a great character – starting as a very young boy whose unasked-for destiny forever changes his life, ending as a semi-realized Savior character who still has to sort out who he is in the midst of coming to terms with that destiny. The use of the parent characters was really wonderful (so often parents are missing from magic stories), heartwarming, and added several complex layers to James’s development. Akil, the “greatest” sorcerer of them all, is a bit like Merlin but more dodgy and with secrets of his own. The “bad guy” character is pretty ambiguous at this point, but it’s enough to know that he has it out for James. And of course there’s a female love interest of sorts, but that’s not at all the focus. Really, most of the major and minor characters have a lot of secrets and backstory that we don’t even know about, so they feel just as full and lifelike as James.
Overall, I really, really liked this story and would love to see where it’s going. Things seem to be falling into place (and I loved the twist/explanation in the last chapter), but there’s also enough resolution at the end of this book to feel like a completed book.
August 7, 2012
Book Info: Genre: Fantasy Reading Level: Young Adult
Disclosure: I received a free ebook ARC from JKS Communications (the author’s publicist) in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: James has never known an ordinary life. As long as he can remember, he and his family have been on the run—moving from place to place, never settling down, never growing roots. Now, just when he’s on the brink of manhood, the very thing his family has been trying to prevent tears him from all he has ever known and thrusts him into a place where he is powerless and alone.
Bent on finding a way back, James must brave a place reserved for the worst of his kind. He quickly learns that the land itself poses a greater threat than its inhabitants and if he is to have any chance of returning, he must work with the very people he’s been raised to fear.
James has known magic since just after he was born. As a sorcerer, his skills are exceptional yet when he wakes in The Never, his abilities are gone. Armed with nothing but determination and the will to survive, he braves a land wrought with dangers, mysteries and temptations meant to ensnare both body and mind and prevent escape forever.
My Thoughts: This is book 1 in the Never Chronicles. It was released just this past week, although I’ve had a copy for a couple months now, which I had hoped to read before now; I just got bogged down.
Wow... just, simply … wow - I literally said that when I finished this book. The Never is a super-cool place. James is a very interesting boy, and the world of the faithful is a very interesting world. It is highly complex. This story is primarily giving us background – telling us about the magic users, showing us how James grew up, and his adventures in the Never. I’m not sure how many books will be in this series, but it is a series for which I will definitely be watching. Wagner is a talented story-teller, and I was captivated by this book. I think most people who enjoyed stories like the Chronicles of Prydain, the Harry Potter books, and even the tales of Narnia should enjoy this wonderful new fantasy adventure. Check it out - I highly recommend it!
Disclosure: I received a free ebook ARC from JKS Communications (the author’s publicist) in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: James has never known an ordinary life. As long as he can remember, he and his family have been on the run—moving from place to place, never settling down, never growing roots. Now, just when he’s on the brink of manhood, the very thing his family has been trying to prevent tears him from all he has ever known and thrusts him into a place where he is powerless and alone.
Bent on finding a way back, James must brave a place reserved for the worst of his kind. He quickly learns that the land itself poses a greater threat than its inhabitants and if he is to have any chance of returning, he must work with the very people he’s been raised to fear.
James has known magic since just after he was born. As a sorcerer, his skills are exceptional yet when he wakes in The Never, his abilities are gone. Armed with nothing but determination and the will to survive, he braves a land wrought with dangers, mysteries and temptations meant to ensnare both body and mind and prevent escape forever.
My Thoughts: This is book 1 in the Never Chronicles. It was released just this past week, although I’ve had a copy for a couple months now, which I had hoped to read before now; I just got bogged down.
Wow... just, simply … wow - I literally said that when I finished this book. The Never is a super-cool place. James is a very interesting boy, and the world of the faithful is a very interesting world. It is highly complex. This story is primarily giving us background – telling us about the magic users, showing us how James grew up, and his adventures in the Never. I’m not sure how many books will be in this series, but it is a series for which I will definitely be watching. Wagner is a talented story-teller, and I was captivated by this book. I think most people who enjoyed stories like the Chronicles of Prydain, the Harry Potter books, and even the tales of Narnia should enjoy this wonderful new fantasy adventure. Check it out - I highly recommend it!
May 20, 2012
Review:
After reading the book blurb and examining the atramentous, yet alluring cover art, I was ready to phase into the unfathomable world of The Never. The Exiled started out strong, J. R. Wagner's writing ability immediately apparent - his lambent language and imagery strewn across each page; however, after the first few 'flashbacks', I was more confused than engaged. The lines between past and present were unclear, and they did not seem to be in James' point of view, but recounted from a more omniscient perspective. I eventually got used to these 'transitions', they added to the complexity of the plot which I found very interesting, although I did not enjoy some of the stranger character relationships. With the time-changes came an influx of old and new character introductions from Jame's past and present as well as his parents' timeline. It took me a while to nail-down certain personalities and what parts they played. The relationship that perturbed me the most was seventeen year-old Jame's immutable fawning over the mid-twenty-something Kilani. Teens have crushes, understandable, but I did not find their bond realistic. The characters were well-developed physically and descriptively, unfortunately they were missing an emotional factor, making it hard for me to connect with them. Exiled took me longer than expected to read because of its hidden intricacies, I now understand why J. R. Wagner said that his obsession with LOST inspired him to write The Never Chronicles. I was a fan of that show too, until the constant back-and-forth story-line became daunting; hopefully some of the reader's questions will be answered in book two of the series - I would really like to figure out how everything plays out in the end. Overall, I found the book intriguing, but not as exciting as I would have hoped based on its description. An actual cliffhanger would have been appreciated... Recommended for teen and adult readers who enjoy a more challenging read - fans of LOST included.
Rating: Bounty's Out (3/5)
*** I received this book from the author (JKSCommunications) in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
After reading the book blurb and examining the atramentous, yet alluring cover art, I was ready to phase into the unfathomable world of The Never. The Exiled started out strong, J. R. Wagner's writing ability immediately apparent - his lambent language and imagery strewn across each page; however, after the first few 'flashbacks', I was more confused than engaged. The lines between past and present were unclear, and they did not seem to be in James' point of view, but recounted from a more omniscient perspective. I eventually got used to these 'transitions', they added to the complexity of the plot which I found very interesting, although I did not enjoy some of the stranger character relationships. With the time-changes came an influx of old and new character introductions from Jame's past and present as well as his parents' timeline. It took me a while to nail-down certain personalities and what parts they played. The relationship that perturbed me the most was seventeen year-old Jame's immutable fawning over the mid-twenty-something Kilani. Teens have crushes, understandable, but I did not find their bond realistic. The characters were well-developed physically and descriptively, unfortunately they were missing an emotional factor, making it hard for me to connect with them. Exiled took me longer than expected to read because of its hidden intricacies, I now understand why J. R. Wagner said that his obsession with LOST inspired him to write The Never Chronicles. I was a fan of that show too, until the constant back-and-forth story-line became daunting; hopefully some of the reader's questions will be answered in book two of the series - I would really like to figure out how everything plays out in the end. Overall, I found the book intriguing, but not as exciting as I would have hoped based on its description. An actual cliffhanger would have been appreciated... Recommended for teen and adult readers who enjoy a more challenging read - fans of LOST included.
Rating: Bounty's Out (3/5)
*** I received this book from the author (JKSCommunications) in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
July 14, 2012
Exiled opens up a new world that Fantasy lovers will have a blast exploring. Here we are introduced to the "The Never", a place where people go who have been exiled from normal society. Mysterious islands, giant plants, man-eating reptiles, it all makes an appearance here. Couple this new world with the fact that the rest of the book is set in Europe circa the late 1800's, and you have a very fascinating setting to get lost in. Hands down, this was my favorite part of the book.
The characters are also very well done. J.R. Wagner takes ample time to make sure that the reader is not only immersed in the world the characters live in, but that they understand the characters in depth as well. By the time I was mid way into the book I was invested in the characters so wholly that I was rooting for them! That's a good feeling while reading a Fantasy novel, especially since the cast of characters is so large. I liked James a lot. Although he is impulsive, it's easy to see why. His spirit definitely makes him a great protagonist to follow.
What fell short for me was the flow of the story. Exiled is told in a way that alternates between different time periods and points of view. At the beginning I had no problem following along, and the story was moving nicely. However as things moved along it began to get pretty confusing. Flashbacks are common throughout the story and, although they are labeled with the date, after a bit I was lost as to what age the characters were at the time and who was speaking. My other problem was that there was no cliffhanger. I liked the story well enough, but what is to keep me reading on?
Overall, Exiled was a great read by the end. I wish the balance between description and interaction had been a little bit more equal, but I did enjoy the read! I'd love to see a little more development in the next book in the series and, perhaps, a little romance? I'm a sucker for that. Either way if you like Fantasy this is a read to give a shot! Let J.R. Wagner take you into The Never.
The characters are also very well done. J.R. Wagner takes ample time to make sure that the reader is not only immersed in the world the characters live in, but that they understand the characters in depth as well. By the time I was mid way into the book I was invested in the characters so wholly that I was rooting for them! That's a good feeling while reading a Fantasy novel, especially since the cast of characters is so large. I liked James a lot. Although he is impulsive, it's easy to see why. His spirit definitely makes him a great protagonist to follow.
What fell short for me was the flow of the story. Exiled is told in a way that alternates between different time periods and points of view. At the beginning I had no problem following along, and the story was moving nicely. However as things moved along it began to get pretty confusing. Flashbacks are common throughout the story and, although they are labeled with the date, after a bit I was lost as to what age the characters were at the time and who was speaking. My other problem was that there was no cliffhanger. I liked the story well enough, but what is to keep me reading on?
Overall, Exiled was a great read by the end. I wish the balance between description and interaction had been a little bit more equal, but I did enjoy the read! I'd love to see a little more development in the next book in the series and, perhaps, a little romance? I'm a sucker for that. Either way if you like Fantasy this is a read to give a shot! Let J.R. Wagner take you into The Never.
July 12, 2012
Be at Behind A Million And One Pages on 12 June for a exclusive review of Exiled then stop back in on 13 June for an exclusive Interview with J.R. Wagner! Join the blog tour!
I am completely and in love with the world that J.R. has built in The Never! The world is built up perfectly and I am completely sucked into this new and exciting world. The character building of James on his journey through The Never as well as everything he discovers on the way, as well as things he doesn't discover just as yet. Just as all the major characters in this novel, like Kalani and Akil, are very important in the story as well as interesting to hear about and read. I love the way that everything is described in this novel, we see everything happening in our heads and feel like we're on the journey with James and his friends. I love how we're given background information about the world. I am completely taken with the idea of Faithfuls and Unfaithfuls, it makes the world bring itself closer to ours, with all the different beliefs. The constant jumping to different places and times is a little confusing at first, but we quickly get handle on it. We are left in agony waiting for the next novel to come out. We have so many questions that we want answered. It just got a little much with all of the flashbacks, I wanted to get a grip more on the present day than the time. Although I love the background information provided, because no one now-a-days really tells of the backstory when in another world.
I am completely and in love with the world that J.R. has built in The Never! The world is built up perfectly and I am completely sucked into this new and exciting world. The character building of James on his journey through The Never as well as everything he discovers on the way, as well as things he doesn't discover just as yet. Just as all the major characters in this novel, like Kalani and Akil, are very important in the story as well as interesting to hear about and read. I love the way that everything is described in this novel, we see everything happening in our heads and feel like we're on the journey with James and his friends. I love how we're given background information about the world. I am completely taken with the idea of Faithfuls and Unfaithfuls, it makes the world bring itself closer to ours, with all the different beliefs. The constant jumping to different places and times is a little confusing at first, but we quickly get handle on it. We are left in agony waiting for the next novel to come out. We have so many questions that we want answered. It just got a little much with all of the flashbacks, I wanted to get a grip more on the present day than the time. Although I love the background information provided, because no one now-a-days really tells of the backstory when in another world.
May 2, 2012
At most I'd give Exiled 3 stars. The book started out slowly, especially because there really wasn't too much dialogue in the very beginning. I have a hard time getting hooked when there's too much description and not enough interaction between characters. Also, this is another book where we jump around in time and events don't happen chronologically. After I got into the story further, this didn't bother me, but in the beginning I was really confused.
The concept seems like a better idea than it panned out to be. It seems like the author probably has a well drawn out plan for the upcoming events and that everything is already planned out, possibly for the entire series, but with the totatality of what happened in this book (book 1) and where the book ended, I'm not sure it was enough to entice readers to come back for more. At one time in my life, I never thought I'd be able to start a series and not finish it, but with my ever growing TBR list, there's never enough time to read all the books I want to read, and coming back for more after only an "okay" book is not always going to be possible. I've just got to face the fact that there might be some unfinished series in my life. As upsetting as that might be to my OCDness.
All of that being said, there was "something" that kept me coming back. I really did have moments when I'd be like "I just want to read Exiled." But I can't put my finger on exactly what kept me coming back. Anyway, that's about it for Exiled. Let me know what you think if you've read it too.
The concept seems like a better idea than it panned out to be. It seems like the author probably has a well drawn out plan for the upcoming events and that everything is already planned out, possibly for the entire series, but with the totatality of what happened in this book (book 1) and where the book ended, I'm not sure it was enough to entice readers to come back for more. At one time in my life, I never thought I'd be able to start a series and not finish it, but with my ever growing TBR list, there's never enough time to read all the books I want to read, and coming back for more after only an "okay" book is not always going to be possible. I've just got to face the fact that there might be some unfinished series in my life. As upsetting as that might be to my OCDness.
All of that being said, there was "something" that kept me coming back. I really did have moments when I'd be like "I just want to read Exiled." But I can't put my finger on exactly what kept me coming back. Anyway, that's about it for Exiled. Let me know what you think if you've read it too.
May 1, 2012
The first chapter of this book was so promising. It pulled me right into what I thought would be a really intriguing story.
And while it was intriguing and there were moments that were pretty good, this book unfortunately lagged in a lot of places and I found myself wanting to skim through the slow parts.
I think this could be a really great series. Maybe after the initial world and character building that always happens in the first books of new series, I will like this series a little more.
It was very creative and unlike a lot that is out there in the YA world so I hold out hope that it will indeed live up to my expectations in future installments.
And while it was intriguing and there were moments that were pretty good, this book unfortunately lagged in a lot of places and I found myself wanting to skim through the slow parts.
I think this could be a really great series. Maybe after the initial world and character building that always happens in the first books of new series, I will like this series a little more.
It was very creative and unlike a lot that is out there in the YA world so I hold out hope that it will indeed live up to my expectations in future installments.
July 30, 2025
James is The Anointed One, the magician who will save the magic faithful from their doomsday. Unfortunately, the current magic leadership doesn’t like the power he has, and exiles him to a mysterious plane called the Never. In the Never, any standing water will kill you, and you have incredible strengths after drinking running water, and…the language of magic doesn’t work. James teams up with people who have been stuck here for many years, to explore the Never and find a way out.
I found the concept and world interesting. The writing was frustrating though. The chapters alternate between current James in the Never, James and his mother when he is 13 years old, when he is 3 years old, and different scenes at those times. That would be ok, except that when you jump back to 3-year-old James…the chapter is taking place BEFORE the last time you read about him. To make it worse, in some of these past vignettes, somebody is meeting with James’ mother and telling a story of something that happened to them…and occasionally in THOSE tellings their self mentions something in yet a different time period….It is really awful.
Also, who ever tells what happened to them that is very important and says something like ‘he stepped into the light and I could see his face. I gasped.’. ….No. That portion should have been its own chapter with that person’s POV, or the person telling should actually talk like a real person.
Their magic conveniently has memory orbs so sometimes they just pull out a memory orb and the characters watch what happened. That was a little better except for the aforementioned inception issue. They also sometimes showed really unnecessary stuff.
And sometimes the consistent timeline—the one with James in the Never—was rocky too. A chapter will start up that seems like it continued right after the last time you saw James…then they start talking about stuff you know nothing about and you’re like wait when did they find these books? And then suddenly it’s casually mentioned he’s been there a year. What??
The characters have no character. James has an anger problem, it says, but this rarely manifests. He’s just extra magical and special. In case you forgot. The next character we see most of perhaps is his mother Margaret. When she’s first introduced it seems like she has some spunk but later on that wanes.
So, I finished the book. But it was annoying and I almost didn’t. I started skimming some of the last chapters because I was frustrated with all the stuff happening that didn’t matter. You get a whole lot of mysteries thrown at you and not a lot of resolutions. (Any??)
I think I would have more patience with the whole thing if those chapters didn’t jump around so. I read a review that complains about that when I was early in the book and I thought ‘but it’s not that bad’. …No, it’s that bad, because of the telling-within-a-telling problem.
I found the concept and world interesting. The writing was frustrating though. The chapters alternate between current James in the Never, James and his mother when he is 13 years old, when he is 3 years old, and different scenes at those times. That would be ok, except that when you jump back to 3-year-old James…the chapter is taking place BEFORE the last time you read about him. To make it worse, in some of these past vignettes, somebody is meeting with James’ mother and telling a story of something that happened to them…and occasionally in THOSE tellings their self mentions something in yet a different time period….It is really awful.
Also, who ever tells what happened to them that is very important and says something like ‘he stepped into the light and I could see his face. I gasped.’. ….No. That portion should have been its own chapter with that person’s POV, or the person telling should actually talk like a real person.
Their magic conveniently has memory orbs so sometimes they just pull out a memory orb and the characters watch what happened. That was a little better except for the aforementioned inception issue. They also sometimes showed really unnecessary stuff.
And sometimes the consistent timeline—the one with James in the Never—was rocky too. A chapter will start up that seems like it continued right after the last time you saw James…then they start talking about stuff you know nothing about and you’re like wait when did they find these books? And then suddenly it’s casually mentioned he’s been there a year. What??
The characters have no character. James has an anger problem, it says, but this rarely manifests. He’s just extra magical and special. In case you forgot. The next character we see most of perhaps is his mother Margaret. When she’s first introduced it seems like she has some spunk but later on that wanes.
So, I finished the book. But it was annoying and I almost didn’t. I started skimming some of the last chapters because I was frustrated with all the stuff happening that didn’t matter. You get a whole lot of mysteries thrown at you and not a lot of resolutions. (Any??)
I think I would have more patience with the whole thing if those chapters didn’t jump around so. I read a review that complains about that when I was early in the book and I thought ‘but it’s not that bad’. …No, it’s that bad, because of the telling-within-a-telling problem.
January 4, 2013
I want to thank the author, J.R. Wagner, for sending me a copy of his book to read and provide an honest review.
Blurb from Goodreads:
James has never known an ordinary life. As long as he can remember, he and his family have been on the run—moving from place to place, never settling down, never growing roots. Now, just when he’s on the brink of manhood, the very thing his family has been trying to prevent tears him from all he has ever known and thrusts him into a place where he is powerless and alone.
Bent on finding a way back, James must brave a place reserved for the worst of his kind. He quickly learns that the land itself poses a greater threat than its inhabitants and if he is to have any chance of returning, he must work with the very people he’s been raised to fear.
James has known magic since just after he was born. As a sorcerer, his skills are exceptional yet when he wakes in The Never, his abilities are gone. Armed with nothing but determination and the will to survive, he braves a land wrought with dangers, mysteries and temptations meant to ensnare both body and mind and prevent escape forever.
This book was an interesting mix between Harry Potter and The Hobbit! I was not expecting it to be so.
James is the main character, a young sorcerer accused of a heinous crime and banished to The Never after being accused of killing one of the greatest sorcerers, Akil. However, James insists that he is not the murderer. He is full of emotion and that seems to be his downfall, what gets him in trouble and ultimately gets him banished to The Never.
Wagner has created a world full of magic and fantasy. A world where things are never quite what they seem to be.
The book alternates between the present, where James is fighting to escape The Never, a feat never before accomplished (at least the the knowledge of those who are currently banished there) and to flashbacks of James' life as he grows to be known as The Annointed One (the one who will save humanity from the Epoc Terminus). The flashbacks provide the reader with a rich history of how James' father, Stuart, comes to know and acquire the abilities to do magic, and teach it to his son. It also provides us with clues of who James can and cannot trust. James' family does everything possible to keep him safe, including moving often from place to place, never settling down to become familiar with their surroundings and the people they meet.
I really enjoyed the world building that Wanger put into this novel. It's interesting to become familiar with the land of The Never, which never ceases to show James new and exciting things. It's also exciting to watch as James regains his magical powers (which were lost to him when first banished to The Never). Wagner's descriptions make you feel like you are walking right along side his characters.
James meets many new people while in The Never, including Luno, Kilani, Roger and William (all of whom become his partners in exploring the lands of The Never in the hopes of figuring out how to escape back to where they came from). Luno becomes a teacher to James, keeping him in the dark on many things so that James can ultimately understand he is the one meant to help others escape. I have to say that I do not trust Luno 100%. There is just something about him that makes me feel as if he will, in the long run, turn on James once he gets what he wants from him. Kilani is James' love interest. Although we do not see any romance in this book, you can feel the tension building between them. And several times it is mentioned how she makes James feel. I have to say that as I was reading this book, I had this flash of Ahsoka from Star Wars The Clone Wars, and I have no idea why! I suppose my knowledge that J.R. enjoys Star Wars may have some role to play in that. William and Roger are characters that aren't truly explored in this novel. We get a glimpse as to who they are and how they are willing to help, but I don't really get a deep sense of their characters and I hope to find out more about them in the futures.
I did find some discrepancies in the writing, mainly the ages given at the beginning of the flashback chapters not coinciding with the actual age of James during that chapter. I was told that this was an editorial mistake and has since been fixed. And I do have to say that I really don't have a sense of what James truly looks like. This bothers me as I really like to be able to picture my main characters in my mind when reading a book. Finally, I do understand the idea that James is the only one who can help them leave the never, but I question how Luno knows so much (although I know he's done his research) seeing as others have not been able to cross the water to the islands they visit during their adventures. I wonder why it is Luno believes that the islands hold the key to them being able to escape. I feel like I need a lot more background on this topic.
Wagner has definitely created an interesting world full of action, adventure, intrigue and mystery. I was captivated from start to finish. And what a cliffhanger of an ending! I have to say that I am not normally a huge fan of fantasy, but Wagner really weaves a delightful and entertaining story. I am truly looking forward to reading book 2 of this series.
4 out of 5 stars.
Review also posted on the following sites:
http://thecovercontessa.blogspot.com
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/exile...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1936...
http://www.librarything.com/addbooks
Blurb from Goodreads:
James has never known an ordinary life. As long as he can remember, he and his family have been on the run—moving from place to place, never settling down, never growing roots. Now, just when he’s on the brink of manhood, the very thing his family has been trying to prevent tears him from all he has ever known and thrusts him into a place where he is powerless and alone.
Bent on finding a way back, James must brave a place reserved for the worst of his kind. He quickly learns that the land itself poses a greater threat than its inhabitants and if he is to have any chance of returning, he must work with the very people he’s been raised to fear.
James has known magic since just after he was born. As a sorcerer, his skills are exceptional yet when he wakes in The Never, his abilities are gone. Armed with nothing but determination and the will to survive, he braves a land wrought with dangers, mysteries and temptations meant to ensnare both body and mind and prevent escape forever.
This book was an interesting mix between Harry Potter and The Hobbit! I was not expecting it to be so.
James is the main character, a young sorcerer accused of a heinous crime and banished to The Never after being accused of killing one of the greatest sorcerers, Akil. However, James insists that he is not the murderer. He is full of emotion and that seems to be his downfall, what gets him in trouble and ultimately gets him banished to The Never.
Wagner has created a world full of magic and fantasy. A world where things are never quite what they seem to be.
The book alternates between the present, where James is fighting to escape The Never, a feat never before accomplished (at least the the knowledge of those who are currently banished there) and to flashbacks of James' life as he grows to be known as The Annointed One (the one who will save humanity from the Epoc Terminus). The flashbacks provide the reader with a rich history of how James' father, Stuart, comes to know and acquire the abilities to do magic, and teach it to his son. It also provides us with clues of who James can and cannot trust. James' family does everything possible to keep him safe, including moving often from place to place, never settling down to become familiar with their surroundings and the people they meet.
I really enjoyed the world building that Wanger put into this novel. It's interesting to become familiar with the land of The Never, which never ceases to show James new and exciting things. It's also exciting to watch as James regains his magical powers (which were lost to him when first banished to The Never). Wagner's descriptions make you feel like you are walking right along side his characters.
James meets many new people while in The Never, including Luno, Kilani, Roger and William (all of whom become his partners in exploring the lands of The Never in the hopes of figuring out how to escape back to where they came from). Luno becomes a teacher to James, keeping him in the dark on many things so that James can ultimately understand he is the one meant to help others escape. I have to say that I do not trust Luno 100%. There is just something about him that makes me feel as if he will, in the long run, turn on James once he gets what he wants from him. Kilani is James' love interest. Although we do not see any romance in this book, you can feel the tension building between them. And several times it is mentioned how she makes James feel. I have to say that as I was reading this book, I had this flash of Ahsoka from Star Wars The Clone Wars, and I have no idea why! I suppose my knowledge that J.R. enjoys Star Wars may have some role to play in that. William and Roger are characters that aren't truly explored in this novel. We get a glimpse as to who they are and how they are willing to help, but I don't really get a deep sense of their characters and I hope to find out more about them in the futures.
I did find some discrepancies in the writing, mainly the ages given at the beginning of the flashback chapters not coinciding with the actual age of James during that chapter. I was told that this was an editorial mistake and has since been fixed. And I do have to say that I really don't have a sense of what James truly looks like. This bothers me as I really like to be able to picture my main characters in my mind when reading a book. Finally, I do understand the idea that James is the only one who can help them leave the never, but I question how Luno knows so much (although I know he's done his research) seeing as others have not been able to cross the water to the islands they visit during their adventures. I wonder why it is Luno believes that the islands hold the key to them being able to escape. I feel like I need a lot more background on this topic.
Wagner has definitely created an interesting world full of action, adventure, intrigue and mystery. I was captivated from start to finish. And what a cliffhanger of an ending! I have to say that I am not normally a huge fan of fantasy, but Wagner really weaves a delightful and entertaining story. I am truly looking forward to reading book 2 of this series.
4 out of 5 stars.
Review also posted on the following sites:
http://thecovercontessa.blogspot.com
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/exile...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1936...
http://www.librarything.com/addbooks
October 17, 2019
Una historia a dos tiempos, la niñez y adolescencia de un hechicero que es el elegido / nacido para salvar a todos los hechiceros y la magia, esta envuelta en un contexto de intriga política y lucha por el poder; me ha gustado James pero para mi gusto le faltó más magia.
A two-time story, the childhood and adolescence of a sorcerer who is chosen / born to save all sorcerers and magic, is wrapped in a context of political intrigue and struggle for power; I liked James but for me he lacked more magic.
A two-time story, the childhood and adolescence of a sorcerer who is chosen / born to save all sorcerers and magic, is wrapped in a context of political intrigue and struggle for power; I liked James but for me he lacked more magic.
May 31, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I tend to enjoy stories with magic, witches, wizards, any of that good stuff. Mostly because I wish so badly magic was real haha. This one was definitely a unique one though. The word witch or wizard is never used, instead magic users are referred to as sorcerers or "The Faithful" and the non- magic users are called the "Un-Faithful". The idea in this story is that everyone in the world is capable of magic. All that is required is complete faith and belief that magic exists, if you believe you will gain the power to wield magic. I really enjoyed this dynamic, it was something really new and unique. Usually in stories involving magic you don't get a choice whether you can wield magic or not so that was a nice new twist. Unfortunately most people are scared of magic and shun the idea. It's pretty much taboo. It's been getting progressively worse to the point that now there are very few magic users and they are at risk to becoming non-existent.
The main character James is part of a prophecy that is supposed to stop this from happening. Here's the kicker though, he's just a kid. When his father finds out about this prophecy James is just a toddler. His father immediately starts training himself in magic so he can protect his son as he grows. However things don't really go as planned, James ends up being banished to The Never. The Never is one scary place! I loved the chapters that took place in The Never. It's place where the world itself is in control. It's like sentient and self-aware...And it's not a happy, nice thing. It's cruel and hard, you are constantly surrounded by life threatening dangers. James is thrust there unexpectedly and is faced my the massively unknown. All he does know is that he has to find a way back out, but no one has ever come back from The Never. The only tools he knows how to use, being his great magic abilities, are stripped from him. How will he survive in a world that seeks to destroy it inhabitants? But survive he must if he is to escape and stop the Epoch Terminus, which is the end of magic.
But poor James has had to grow up with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He has constantly lived in a giant shadow of expectation. I can't imagine having to deal with the things he has at his age. He is one strong young man. A lot of people in his situation would succumb to cowardice, but not James. That being said, he does indeed feel the massive weight. Wherever he goes in life all these great things are expected of him. He doesn't feel special, or superior, but he holds steady and tries to fill the spot expected of him just the same. I really liked James for these reasons. Despite being the "chosen one" he remains a humble, strong, brave, person. He doesn't crumble under the weight placed upon him, and he also doesn't go the opposite and become cocky and conceited, believing himself to be so much better than others. He is just a regular guy trying to find his place in life, with this prophecy hanging over his head.
The story switches back and forth between past and present constantly. I think this is a tricky idea to pull off without confusing the reader but Wagner seems to pull it off easily. It's written in such a way that while we are reading about James' experiences in The Never we are also learning about the past and all the events that lead up to where he is now. It made the read an even funner adventure because it was like watching a puzzle being put together piece by piece. It also kept the story exciting, because we weren't left reading a bunch of lead up before getting to the more intense stuff. Not that the pieces from the past were any less boring in this case. But it was interesting and fun to switch back and forth. I am quite eager to see what happens next! By the time this review is posted there will only be another 5 days till the book is released. I would definitely recommend it! I hope we don't have to wait to long before book #2 comes out! I want some more Never adventures, and to read more about James. Thanks so much to J.R Wagner for sending me an ARC copy of his book! I really liked the story and I'm excited for book #2.
The main character James is part of a prophecy that is supposed to stop this from happening. Here's the kicker though, he's just a kid. When his father finds out about this prophecy James is just a toddler. His father immediately starts training himself in magic so he can protect his son as he grows. However things don't really go as planned, James ends up being banished to The Never. The Never is one scary place! I loved the chapters that took place in The Never. It's place where the world itself is in control. It's like sentient and self-aware...And it's not a happy, nice thing. It's cruel and hard, you are constantly surrounded by life threatening dangers. James is thrust there unexpectedly and is faced my the massively unknown. All he does know is that he has to find a way back out, but no one has ever come back from The Never. The only tools he knows how to use, being his great magic abilities, are stripped from him. How will he survive in a world that seeks to destroy it inhabitants? But survive he must if he is to escape and stop the Epoch Terminus, which is the end of magic.
But poor James has had to grow up with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He has constantly lived in a giant shadow of expectation. I can't imagine having to deal with the things he has at his age. He is one strong young man. A lot of people in his situation would succumb to cowardice, but not James. That being said, he does indeed feel the massive weight. Wherever he goes in life all these great things are expected of him. He doesn't feel special, or superior, but he holds steady and tries to fill the spot expected of him just the same. I really liked James for these reasons. Despite being the "chosen one" he remains a humble, strong, brave, person. He doesn't crumble under the weight placed upon him, and he also doesn't go the opposite and become cocky and conceited, believing himself to be so much better than others. He is just a regular guy trying to find his place in life, with this prophecy hanging over his head.
The story switches back and forth between past and present constantly. I think this is a tricky idea to pull off without confusing the reader but Wagner seems to pull it off easily. It's written in such a way that while we are reading about James' experiences in The Never we are also learning about the past and all the events that lead up to where he is now. It made the read an even funner adventure because it was like watching a puzzle being put together piece by piece. It also kept the story exciting, because we weren't left reading a bunch of lead up before getting to the more intense stuff. Not that the pieces from the past were any less boring in this case. But it was interesting and fun to switch back and forth. I am quite eager to see what happens next! By the time this review is posted there will only be another 5 days till the book is released. I would definitely recommend it! I hope we don't have to wait to long before book #2 comes out! I want some more Never adventures, and to read more about James. Thanks so much to J.R Wagner for sending me an ARC copy of his book! I really liked the story and I'm excited for book #2.
June 15, 2012
This review was originally posted on my blog on June 5th 2012, here
I was hooked on this book from the very first minute that I saw the synopsis. It was thrilling and enthralling and had me wanting to know so much more. I was not let down when this book finally made its way into my life. It is such a unique and interesting read that really pulls you headfirst into the story. I would have no trouble recommending this book to others so I urge you to go and pick up a copy. The story and style are original and really manage to get the reader pulled into the action. One thing to note is that the narrative is choppy, it jumps from one place to the next between chapters so if this isn't a writing style you like, this will not be an enjoyable book for you. I, on the other hand, thought it was fantastic and I marvelled over guessing what scene I was reading next - or if I would be coming back to this later on. It was brilliant.
I absolutely loved the concept of magic in this novel, I loved the Faithful and the Unfaithful and how it all came together. It was so intriguing to read and I found myself nodding along at parts because I could just see it happening. It was fascinating how it all came together and I really enjoyed witnessing the journey. I liked the ancient tongue and the fact that it was set in the 1800s, away from all our over-used technology. It really helped to bring an edge to the story, making it seem that much more realistic.
The characters were all fantastic. I loved James and the journey that I goes on. It's so nice being able to watch him grow, to become weak and strong and to just witness it all happening and know why he is, the way he is. It's a heavy burden to carry on your shoulders and I truly believed that he was carrying it as well as he could. I liked his relationship with Kilani and Luno, but also with his parents and with Akil. It was so complex and inspiring. It truly felt like this was a boy who needed to save everyone from things and I'm truly excited to see how his journey continues.
I really am intrigued by Kilani. She's so… mysterious and yet not so, all at the same time. I want to know her ins and outs, I want to know her secret. She has my mystified because I adored her character. I admired her strength and her will. She was willing to do what it took to get it all done in the end and it was great. On the other hand, I wasn't overly fond of Luno. I'm not entirely sure why but I feel like there's something… secretive about him and he seems more dark and dangerous then he probably is. It was probably just me but I couldn't help but double guess what he was doing all the time.
Along with the style, another great thing that must be mentioned is the description of the world. It is absolutely fantastic. I loved seeing the beautiful landscapes in my minds eye, imagining an island that is cut off from mainland everywhere. The exotic plants and creatures and the wonderful village. It was so well written that it was so easily seen within my minds eye - it was also just so beautiful and exotic. A great piece of creativity - that's for sure!
The only downside I had to this book was how long it took me to read but that was more my problem then anything else. Trying to read a book that makes you think while you have a groggy mind because you're ill is incredibly difficult. I also found it hard to keep my concentration for the same reason and some of the character names went over my head and I had to return to certain places in the book to remind myself. However, I do have a feeling that if I had read this while I was healthy, it would not have been such an issue and it, therefore, didn't sway too much of my rating decision. I am also looking forward to re-reading this when I am 100% better!
** I received this book from the publishers in return for an honest review **
Faye
I was hooked on this book from the very first minute that I saw the synopsis. It was thrilling and enthralling and had me wanting to know so much more. I was not let down when this book finally made its way into my life. It is such a unique and interesting read that really pulls you headfirst into the story. I would have no trouble recommending this book to others so I urge you to go and pick up a copy. The story and style are original and really manage to get the reader pulled into the action. One thing to note is that the narrative is choppy, it jumps from one place to the next between chapters so if this isn't a writing style you like, this will not be an enjoyable book for you. I, on the other hand, thought it was fantastic and I marvelled over guessing what scene I was reading next - or if I would be coming back to this later on. It was brilliant.
I absolutely loved the concept of magic in this novel, I loved the Faithful and the Unfaithful and how it all came together. It was so intriguing to read and I found myself nodding along at parts because I could just see it happening. It was fascinating how it all came together and I really enjoyed witnessing the journey. I liked the ancient tongue and the fact that it was set in the 1800s, away from all our over-used technology. It really helped to bring an edge to the story, making it seem that much more realistic.
The characters were all fantastic. I loved James and the journey that I goes on. It's so nice being able to watch him grow, to become weak and strong and to just witness it all happening and know why he is, the way he is. It's a heavy burden to carry on your shoulders and I truly believed that he was carrying it as well as he could. I liked his relationship with Kilani and Luno, but also with his parents and with Akil. It was so complex and inspiring. It truly felt like this was a boy who needed to save everyone from things and I'm truly excited to see how his journey continues.
I really am intrigued by Kilani. She's so… mysterious and yet not so, all at the same time. I want to know her ins and outs, I want to know her secret. She has my mystified because I adored her character. I admired her strength and her will. She was willing to do what it took to get it all done in the end and it was great. On the other hand, I wasn't overly fond of Luno. I'm not entirely sure why but I feel like there's something… secretive about him and he seems more dark and dangerous then he probably is. It was probably just me but I couldn't help but double guess what he was doing all the time.
Along with the style, another great thing that must be mentioned is the description of the world. It is absolutely fantastic. I loved seeing the beautiful landscapes in my minds eye, imagining an island that is cut off from mainland everywhere. The exotic plants and creatures and the wonderful village. It was so well written that it was so easily seen within my minds eye - it was also just so beautiful and exotic. A great piece of creativity - that's for sure!
The only downside I had to this book was how long it took me to read but that was more my problem then anything else. Trying to read a book that makes you think while you have a groggy mind because you're ill is incredibly difficult. I also found it hard to keep my concentration for the same reason and some of the character names went over my head and I had to return to certain places in the book to remind myself. However, I do have a feeling that if I had read this while I was healthy, it would not have been such an issue and it, therefore, didn't sway too much of my rating decision. I am also looking forward to re-reading this when I am 100% better!
** I received this book from the publishers in return for an honest review **
Faye
March 13, 2013
The review is also available on my blog, Bows & Bullets Reviews
Let me start off by saying that I really wanted to give this book 3 stars, but I just can’t. It was so bloody boring that it was nearly impossible to get through and even though the plot finally picks up in spots, it was too difficult to make it there for me to really have enjoyed it. I almost felt like I deserved a medal for making it to the half way point, much less beyond.
James is a sorcerer, maybe the best one ever, certainly one that has been prophesized about for centuries. With that in mind, you can imagine that James’ life was never normal, always expected to save the Faithful’s (aka the wizarding worlds) existence from the Epoch Termiuns, which is the beginning of the end for the Faithful. Beyond that, I can’t really say much because the whole plot is so drawn out that I don’t know what would be considered a spoiler and what wouldn’t.
I had two big problems with this book which is why this review is so late. I received a digital copy of this from the publisher sometime last year and tried to read it then but just couldn’t get into. Recently I have seen a ton of blogs doing “Review Copy Cleanups” and that kick started me to finish up all the eARCs/review copies I haven’t read yet, whether I am drawn in initially or not. With my renewed fervor, I set out to take this book out rather quickly and not let it set unread any longer. I promptly realized that this endeavor would be a bit arduous because my first issue is that the writing style is a little boring. Think about the beginning of the first Harry Potter book. No, not the bits where Dumbledore and McGonagall where dropping baby Harry off at the Dursleys doorstep, the rest of it. The following Mr Dursley around during his day job where weird shit keeps happening. The writing was all cut and dry and rather dull, right? That’s how most of this is written. I didn’t become particularly attached to the characters, I didn’t invest in their lives, and I certainly didn’t feel their emotions. I just felt rather bored. I will admit that I found the world of The Never fascinating, especially the bits on the Severed Heart, but it wasn’t enough to keep me dying to find out what happened next.
My other problem was all the flashbacks. Every other chapter was a flashback. Every. Single. One. It opens in “present” day then the next chapter is a flashback, then back to the present, then another flashback. The flashbacks aren’t even consecutive memories, just seemingly random bits of James’ past. In one flashback James is 5, then he is fourteen, then he is ten, and there is one that isn’t about James at all. Each flashback ends in a mini-cliffhanger-y fashion, but the subject is never touched on again! There is one where James’ mom goes to get him up one morning and he has run away and then end of chapter, back to present day.
And every chapter ending before going to flashback-land ends with a mini-cliffhanger. One minute James is dangling on a rope in the middle of a waterfall and then you have to read a whole chapter of boring, non-essential info before you are allowed to find out if he falls to his doom or not.
On a whole, I just can’t bring myself to really want to recommend this to anyone or read the sequel. I am vaguely curious as to what happens next because whole thing ends with a dreadful cliffhanger. I just found it too dull to truly love.
****Thank you to Greenleaf Book Group, for providing me with an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review****
Let me start off by saying that I really wanted to give this book 3 stars, but I just can’t. It was so bloody boring that it was nearly impossible to get through and even though the plot finally picks up in spots, it was too difficult to make it there for me to really have enjoyed it. I almost felt like I deserved a medal for making it to the half way point, much less beyond.
James is a sorcerer, maybe the best one ever, certainly one that has been prophesized about for centuries. With that in mind, you can imagine that James’ life was never normal, always expected to save the Faithful’s (aka the wizarding worlds) existence from the Epoch Termiuns, which is the beginning of the end for the Faithful. Beyond that, I can’t really say much because the whole plot is so drawn out that I don’t know what would be considered a spoiler and what wouldn’t.
I had two big problems with this book which is why this review is so late. I received a digital copy of this from the publisher sometime last year and tried to read it then but just couldn’t get into. Recently I have seen a ton of blogs doing “Review Copy Cleanups” and that kick started me to finish up all the eARCs/review copies I haven’t read yet, whether I am drawn in initially or not. With my renewed fervor, I set out to take this book out rather quickly and not let it set unread any longer. I promptly realized that this endeavor would be a bit arduous because my first issue is that the writing style is a little boring. Think about the beginning of the first Harry Potter book. No, not the bits where Dumbledore and McGonagall where dropping baby Harry off at the Dursleys doorstep, the rest of it. The following Mr Dursley around during his day job where weird shit keeps happening. The writing was all cut and dry and rather dull, right? That’s how most of this is written. I didn’t become particularly attached to the characters, I didn’t invest in their lives, and I certainly didn’t feel their emotions. I just felt rather bored. I will admit that I found the world of The Never fascinating, especially the bits on the Severed Heart, but it wasn’t enough to keep me dying to find out what happened next.
My other problem was all the flashbacks. Every other chapter was a flashback. Every. Single. One. It opens in “present” day then the next chapter is a flashback, then back to the present, then another flashback. The flashbacks aren’t even consecutive memories, just seemingly random bits of James’ past. In one flashback James is 5, then he is fourteen, then he is ten, and there is one that isn’t about James at all. Each flashback ends in a mini-cliffhanger-y fashion, but the subject is never touched on again! There is one where James’ mom goes to get him up one morning and he has run away and then end of chapter, back to present day.
And every chapter ending before going to flashback-land ends with a mini-cliffhanger. One minute James is dangling on a rope in the middle of a waterfall and then you have to read a whole chapter of boring, non-essential info before you are allowed to find out if he falls to his doom or not.
On a whole, I just can’t bring myself to really want to recommend this to anyone or read the sequel. I am vaguely curious as to what happens next because whole thing ends with a dreadful cliffhanger. I just found it too dull to truly love.
****Thank you to Greenleaf Book Group, for providing me with an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review****
December 6, 2012
Exiled (#1) by J. R. Wagner
Pages: 312
Release Date: May 5th, 2012
Date Read: 2012, April 17th-30th
Received: ARC via NetGalley
Rating: 2/5 stars
Recommended to: 12+
SUMMARY -
James, a boy who has trained to become one of the greatest magicians who ever lived, has been falsely accused of murder - murder of the man who he loved as his own father. His sentence: Exile to the Never. Naked, powerless, and lost in a land where nothing is as it seems, James must find a way out - and the truth about the Black Castle that calls to him - and prove is innocence, before everything he worked for means nothing at all.
MY THOUGHTS -
Exiled began brilliantly. I'm talking breathtaking prose, exemplary characters, great dialogue, vivid world building... I'd just read some really average and/or disappointing books and was dying for something exceptional. Unfortunately, this book started going downhill about 5 chapters in.
CHARACTER NOTES -
James, James, James. Who are you? I kept hoping to find out, but his voice felt more and more impersonal with every new page, like the novelty of his character wore off for the author and therefore the reader suffered as well. I had such high hopes for him, but was let down. The people James meets in the village started out fascinating as well, but I soon lost interest in them. They never grew or changed. Especially Kilani. I wanted to love her but she fell flat.
The most realistic character, who I actually really liked, was James' mother, Margaret. She was strong and her actions and decisions progressed with the story.
STORY NOTES -
Things started out brilliantly, like I said. I was flying, happy, weightless, joyful - but that didn't last. I dropped like a stone. Or really, the wind on which I flew just stopped all together. Sucks to be me.
Where was the excitement, the adventure, the mystery?? Well, I suppose it was there, or at least trying to be, but I didn't get it. Too much description in the action scenes, and too many slow breaks between the action scenes.
And then there's the POV/time shift. I'm sorry, but when I'm pleasure reading, I don't like being forced to remember dates and events in order, just so I can understand the flipping back and forth. For example:
James - now
Margaret - 1894
James - now
James - 1889
James - now
Margaret - 1886
Yep. It's that bad. That's not exact, but it hopped around like crazy! How can you expect me to enjoy that? I would have rather read from just Margaret's perspective in chronological order - and then, in a 2nd book, about James. Something like that.
Last thing - what the heck was that romance?! Or, that totally creepy "16-year-old boy falls in love with a 26-year-old woman who may or may not be in love with but has a strange and possibly intimate relationship with the boy's tutor"? Just too weird. Sorry, don't force romance. If there are no age-appropriate girls for your MC, don't worry - not every YA novel has to have a romance!
SUMMING IT UP -
So strange. Not the enjoyable kind either. I'm just so bummed it didn't stay 5-star quality throughout. i'm sure I'll read book 2. Maybe I'll just wait for reviews first...
For the Parents -
Really nothing to report. A minor curse or two, but nothing that stood out to me. Recommended 12+.
Read more reviews at Yearning to Read!
Pages: 312
Release Date: May 5th, 2012
Date Read: 2012, April 17th-30th
Received: ARC via NetGalley
Rating: 2/5 stars
Recommended to: 12+
SUMMARY -
James, a boy who has trained to become one of the greatest magicians who ever lived, has been falsely accused of murder - murder of the man who he loved as his own father. His sentence: Exile to the Never. Naked, powerless, and lost in a land where nothing is as it seems, James must find a way out - and the truth about the Black Castle that calls to him - and prove is innocence, before everything he worked for means nothing at all.
MY THOUGHTS -
Exiled began brilliantly. I'm talking breathtaking prose, exemplary characters, great dialogue, vivid world building... I'd just read some really average and/or disappointing books and was dying for something exceptional. Unfortunately, this book started going downhill about 5 chapters in.
CHARACTER NOTES -
James, James, James. Who are you? I kept hoping to find out, but his voice felt more and more impersonal with every new page, like the novelty of his character wore off for the author and therefore the reader suffered as well. I had such high hopes for him, but was let down. The people James meets in the village started out fascinating as well, but I soon lost interest in them. They never grew or changed. Especially Kilani. I wanted to love her but she fell flat.
The most realistic character, who I actually really liked, was James' mother, Margaret. She was strong and her actions and decisions progressed with the story.
STORY NOTES -
Things started out brilliantly, like I said. I was flying, happy, weightless, joyful - but that didn't last. I dropped like a stone. Or really, the wind on which I flew just stopped all together. Sucks to be me.
Where was the excitement, the adventure, the mystery?? Well, I suppose it was there, or at least trying to be, but I didn't get it. Too much description in the action scenes, and too many slow breaks between the action scenes.
And then there's the POV/time shift. I'm sorry, but when I'm pleasure reading, I don't like being forced to remember dates and events in order, just so I can understand the flipping back and forth. For example:
James - now
Margaret - 1894
James - now
James - 1889
James - now
Margaret - 1886
Yep. It's that bad. That's not exact, but it hopped around like crazy! How can you expect me to enjoy that? I would have rather read from just Margaret's perspective in chronological order - and then, in a 2nd book, about James. Something like that.
Last thing - what the heck was that romance?! Or, that totally creepy "16-year-old boy falls in love with a 26-year-old woman who may or may not be in love with but has a strange and possibly intimate relationship with the boy's tutor"? Just too weird. Sorry, don't force romance. If there are no age-appropriate girls for your MC, don't worry - not every YA novel has to have a romance!
SUMMING IT UP -
So strange. Not the enjoyable kind either. I'm just so bummed it didn't stay 5-star quality throughout. i'm sure I'll read book 2. Maybe I'll just wait for reviews first...
For the Parents -
Really nothing to report. A minor curse or two, but nothing that stood out to me. Recommended 12+.
Read more reviews at Yearning to Read!
May 15, 2012
BLURB from Goodreads
James has never known an ordinary life. As long as he can remember, he and his family have been on the run—moving from place to place, never settling down, never growing roots. Now, just when he’s on the brink of manhood, the very thing his family has been trying to prevent tears him from all he has ever known and thrusts him into a place where he is powerless and alone.
Bent on finding a way back, James must brave a place reserved for the worst of his kind. He quickly learns that the land itself poses a greater threat than its inhabitants and if he is to have any chance of returning, he must work with the very people he’s been raised to fear.
James has known magic since just after he was born. As a sorcerer, his skills are exceptional yet when he wakes in The Never, his abilities are gone. Armed with nothing but determination and the will to survive, he braves a land wrought with dangers, mysteries and temptations meant to ensnare both body and mind and prevent escape forever.
MY REVIEW
I did initially find this book difficult to get in to. I then finally got into the story only for the book to switch to a different time and place. The book was from James's point of view in The Never, then also telling his story from when he was younger, and also his parents story, so it had three perspectives which at times was a little confusing. I felt that I would just get into one perspective and then it would immediately jump to another perspective. this book is definitely not a light read, it has an involved and somewhat complex plot. I think it was made a little more difficult by the fact that James and his dad had exactly the same name.Having said all that by the end of the book I had grasped the plot and was liking what I was reading. I understand the climax at the ending that leaves us anxious to read BK2 but I also felt disappointment because I felt I was finally immersed in the plot and story only to have it pulled away from me at the very end. You would probably think that from my remarks that I did not enjoy the book and would not be interested in Bk2 , but you are so wrong I really do want to read Bk2 to find out what happens next. I usually can read anywhere, with/without music or a TV on etc but with this book I did need peace and quiet to fully take in what I was reading. I found that I rose to the challenge of the book and ended up feeling that I actually did enjoy it as much as I would have a light fluffy read. In fact even more so this may sound strange but I felt I had accomplished something by reading it! The relationships between the characters is complicated, and so is the plot, but that makes the book all the more interesting.
So did I enjoy the book? Once I got into it yes, Would I recommend it? To a serious reader who likes a deeper/heavier read yes, Would I read Bk2/more by J.R. Wagner? Yes please.
Available soon! 5th June 2012!
James has never known an ordinary life. As long as he can remember, he and his family have been on the run—moving from place to place, never settling down, never growing roots. Now, just when he’s on the brink of manhood, the very thing his family has been trying to prevent tears him from all he has ever known and thrusts him into a place where he is powerless and alone.
Bent on finding a way back, James must brave a place reserved for the worst of his kind. He quickly learns that the land itself poses a greater threat than its inhabitants and if he is to have any chance of returning, he must work with the very people he’s been raised to fear.
James has known magic since just after he was born. As a sorcerer, his skills are exceptional yet when he wakes in The Never, his abilities are gone. Armed with nothing but determination and the will to survive, he braves a land wrought with dangers, mysteries and temptations meant to ensnare both body and mind and prevent escape forever.
MY REVIEW
I did initially find this book difficult to get in to. I then finally got into the story only for the book to switch to a different time and place. The book was from James's point of view in The Never, then also telling his story from when he was younger, and also his parents story, so it had three perspectives which at times was a little confusing. I felt that I would just get into one perspective and then it would immediately jump to another perspective. this book is definitely not a light read, it has an involved and somewhat complex plot. I think it was made a little more difficult by the fact that James and his dad had exactly the same name.Having said all that by the end of the book I had grasped the plot and was liking what I was reading. I understand the climax at the ending that leaves us anxious to read BK2 but I also felt disappointment because I felt I was finally immersed in the plot and story only to have it pulled away from me at the very end. You would probably think that from my remarks that I did not enjoy the book and would not be interested in Bk2 , but you are so wrong I really do want to read Bk2 to find out what happens next. I usually can read anywhere, with/without music or a TV on etc but with this book I did need peace and quiet to fully take in what I was reading. I found that I rose to the challenge of the book and ended up feeling that I actually did enjoy it as much as I would have a light fluffy read. In fact even more so this may sound strange but I felt I had accomplished something by reading it! The relationships between the characters is complicated, and so is the plot, but that makes the book all the more interesting.
So did I enjoy the book? Once I got into it yes, Would I recommend it? To a serious reader who likes a deeper/heavier read yes, Would I read Bk2/more by J.R. Wagner? Yes please.
Available soon! 5th June 2012!
May 21, 2012
Posted on Book Chelle.
JR Wagner's Exiled is the first in The Never Chronicles series. The cover is dark and mysterious, a perfect reflection of the synopsis. I was intrigued by the story, and you know me, I was lured by the cover.
In Exiled, James Lochlan Stuart IV has been wrongly accused of murder. For his unfortunate punishment, he is exiled to The Never, a place no one escapes, and is stripped of his powers. Set in Europe in the late 1800s, James is determined to find his way back. What he doesn't expect are the discoveries that he stumbles upon during his time in the Exile.
James is the anointed one, with the promises of great power and magic. Being exiled was definitely a story standard, but Wagner wrote this hero in an interesting way. I admired James' strength, and I only wish to have see a lot more of it. Much more than the flashbacks. I wanted to know James in present day, but there are two other books to read through. I was immediately empathetic to James and his trials, and by the end, James was my hero.
Wagner's world is amazing. The Exiled is filled with water and magic, something that isn't usually used as a setting. He was detailed, enough so that I was there right next to James. I wish there was a little more to the character development of the supporting characters. Ankil should have been the other main character, but I didn't feel there was enough of him to invest in. I didn't appreciate Kilani as much as I wanted to. And really, too bad. This little glimmer of romance would have been so great in Exiled.
I felt a few disconnects throughout Exiled. In the beginning, I felt the nice speed of plot momentum, only to be halted by a flashback. It didn't flow, for me. A problem I have sometimes with fantasies are the details. Sometimes, I feel that there is too much detail to explain the world, the characters, and their history. It's like there is too much information and not enough interaction. Because of this, I couldn't fully connect to James.
I loved the concept of Exiled. I loved how Wagner too James' fears and turned them into something that he gathered his strength from. I loved the challenges that was set in front of James. I haven't seen any of these in a story in a long time. And while I had a few issues with the story, Wagner kept me interested throughout the book. Regardless of my own disconnects to the story, I was interested enough to keep going.
And I'm really glad I did. I wasn't exactly happy with the ending, but that usually happens for me when it's the first of a series.
JR Wagner's Exiled is the first in The Never Chronicles series. The cover is dark and mysterious, a perfect reflection of the synopsis. I was intrigued by the story, and you know me, I was lured by the cover.
In Exiled, James Lochlan Stuart IV has been wrongly accused of murder. For his unfortunate punishment, he is exiled to The Never, a place no one escapes, and is stripped of his powers. Set in Europe in the late 1800s, James is determined to find his way back. What he doesn't expect are the discoveries that he stumbles upon during his time in the Exile.
James is the anointed one, with the promises of great power and magic. Being exiled was definitely a story standard, but Wagner wrote this hero in an interesting way. I admired James' strength, and I only wish to have see a lot more of it. Much more than the flashbacks. I wanted to know James in present day, but there are two other books to read through. I was immediately empathetic to James and his trials, and by the end, James was my hero.
Wagner's world is amazing. The Exiled is filled with water and magic, something that isn't usually used as a setting. He was detailed, enough so that I was there right next to James. I wish there was a little more to the character development of the supporting characters. Ankil should have been the other main character, but I didn't feel there was enough of him to invest in. I didn't appreciate Kilani as much as I wanted to. And really, too bad. This little glimmer of romance would have been so great in Exiled.
I felt a few disconnects throughout Exiled. In the beginning, I felt the nice speed of plot momentum, only to be halted by a flashback. It didn't flow, for me. A problem I have sometimes with fantasies are the details. Sometimes, I feel that there is too much detail to explain the world, the characters, and their history. It's like there is too much information and not enough interaction. Because of this, I couldn't fully connect to James.
I loved the concept of Exiled. I loved how Wagner too James' fears and turned them into something that he gathered his strength from. I loved the challenges that was set in front of James. I haven't seen any of these in a story in a long time. And while I had a few issues with the story, Wagner kept me interested throughout the book. Regardless of my own disconnects to the story, I was interested enough to keep going.
And I'm really glad I did. I wasn't exactly happy with the ending, but that usually happens for me when it's the first of a series.
June 21, 2012
I was very excited about reading this book because I really like books with magic in them, but this book left something to be desired. The story started out strong and had me hooked, but then it just went downhill. First, there was the switching between time periods and points of view, which we really confusing, especially since the time periods were jumping all over the place back and forth and not in any sort of order. I kept loosing track of when the different events occurred and in what order.
There were also issues with the time and how it passed in the Never. I am just reading along and all of a sudden a whole year has passed and there is nothing said about it, except that it is a year later. Frankly, I have no clue how long James has been in the Never when the story ended.
There is also the issue of jumping between characters and time periods, all at once, as is the case with the jumping back to the parts about Ankil. Then, the book just ends. This is by far the worst cliff hanger ending I have ever read. I didn’t even know the book was done, I actually thought that the download wasn’t complete so I went and re-downloaded it just to check. Nope that was the ending.
I am not sure I will read the next one in the series, maybe, but it won’t be high on my list of books to review. I would definitely not purchase the next in the series. I would recommend only getting it from the library, if your library has it. I was not impressed and I really enjoy reading and tend to give books, especially the first in a series, the benefit of the doubt. I would not recommend this book, there are other books with magic that I have enjoyed much more, but this is one of the only books that I have read that has a strong male character and that is a positive in my book.
This book does not contain any sex and very little violence. It is appropriate for kids 6th grade and up. Both boys and girls would like this book, since the main character is a boy and he has special powers. There is almost no romance, definitely no kissing, so that should make boys more likely to read this book too. The magic and action scenes would also appeal to a boy.
I received this book as an ARC. I do not get paid to review books; I do so in order to assist parents and teachers in recommending appropriate books for your kids to read.
Please read more of my reviews on my blog: sarahereads(dot)wordpress(dot)com
There were also issues with the time and how it passed in the Never. I am just reading along and all of a sudden a whole year has passed and there is nothing said about it, except that it is a year later. Frankly, I have no clue how long James has been in the Never when the story ended.
There is also the issue of jumping between characters and time periods, all at once, as is the case with the jumping back to the parts about Ankil. Then, the book just ends. This is by far the worst cliff hanger ending I have ever read. I didn’t even know the book was done, I actually thought that the download wasn’t complete so I went and re-downloaded it just to check. Nope that was the ending.
I am not sure I will read the next one in the series, maybe, but it won’t be high on my list of books to review. I would definitely not purchase the next in the series. I would recommend only getting it from the library, if your library has it. I was not impressed and I really enjoy reading and tend to give books, especially the first in a series, the benefit of the doubt. I would not recommend this book, there are other books with magic that I have enjoyed much more, but this is one of the only books that I have read that has a strong male character and that is a positive in my book.
This book does not contain any sex and very little violence. It is appropriate for kids 6th grade and up. Both boys and girls would like this book, since the main character is a boy and he has special powers. There is almost no romance, definitely no kissing, so that should make boys more likely to read this book too. The magic and action scenes would also appeal to a boy.
I received this book as an ARC. I do not get paid to review books; I do so in order to assist parents and teachers in recommending appropriate books for your kids to read.
Please read more of my reviews on my blog: sarahereads(dot)wordpress(dot)com
June 3, 2012
Sunday, June 3, 2012Review:Exiled by J.R. Wagner
4 stars Exiled is a about a power fight,prophecy,magic and the boy it all falls around. This story jumps all around in time and place. I listened to it on my kindle and sometimes got lost because I did not realized it had jumped again. So I recommend just read it, don't listen to it. The story starts in 1989 in South America during a hearing. James Lochlan Stuart IV is on trial for murder. He is found guilty and sent to the Never. No one comes back from thier. James wakes up and has none of his powers and is in a strange and dangerous place. The 3 chapeter takes place in December 1894 England. the last chapter takes place in June 1626, Ireland. Akil Karanis wants to find the person who the prophecy says will save their people. For many years the ones who do not believe in magic kill those who do. While thier laws prohibt fighting back. The prophecy says the fourth of the name with strong magic will save them. James the third is told about it and shown the world of magic and tells him his son will be the one it speaks of. So James third learns magic so he can teach and protect his son. Anyone can learn magic if they believe in it. They can use this powder to go to anyland that they have been before. You can transport to a place you dont know. This tale is good but I hate when you finsh a book and the story is not done and you have to wait for it. James when he gets to the never he meets the people that have been banished to thier and when they hear his name recognized him as the one who can save them. No one can drink standing water without dying. They can't travel across the ocean it spits them back out or they drown. There are a lot of different creatures and dangerous plant life. But they believe James can change that. In fact they build a small boat and have him sail across the bay and he survives and give the people hope. So they build a bigger boat so a group and can try and gather the things they will need to leave. Thier is so many unanswered questions that I want answered. Oh well I will have to wait for the next book. I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley. 05/05/2012 PUB Greenleaf Book Group
4 stars Exiled is a about a power fight,prophecy,magic and the boy it all falls around. This story jumps all around in time and place. I listened to it on my kindle and sometimes got lost because I did not realized it had jumped again. So I recommend just read it, don't listen to it. The story starts in 1989 in South America during a hearing. James Lochlan Stuart IV is on trial for murder. He is found guilty and sent to the Never. No one comes back from thier. James wakes up and has none of his powers and is in a strange and dangerous place. The 3 chapeter takes place in December 1894 England. the last chapter takes place in June 1626, Ireland. Akil Karanis wants to find the person who the prophecy says will save their people. For many years the ones who do not believe in magic kill those who do. While thier laws prohibt fighting back. The prophecy says the fourth of the name with strong magic will save them. James the third is told about it and shown the world of magic and tells him his son will be the one it speaks of. So James third learns magic so he can teach and protect his son. Anyone can learn magic if they believe in it. They can use this powder to go to anyland that they have been before. You can transport to a place you dont know. This tale is good but I hate when you finsh a book and the story is not done and you have to wait for it. James when he gets to the never he meets the people that have been banished to thier and when they hear his name recognized him as the one who can save them. No one can drink standing water without dying. They can't travel across the ocean it spits them back out or they drown. There are a lot of different creatures and dangerous plant life. But they believe James can change that. In fact they build a small boat and have him sail across the bay and he survives and give the people hope. So they build a bigger boat so a group and can try and gather the things they will need to leave. Thier is so many unanswered questions that I want answered. Oh well I will have to wait for the next book. I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley. 05/05/2012 PUB Greenleaf Book Group
June 11, 2012
The Story
There is the world of people who don't believe in magic, the "unfaithful" and in this same world there are the "faithful" who believe in and can perform magic. The faithful have a prophecy about the end of all magic and sorcerers, there is also a prophecy about one who can save them all. James has trained his whole life knowing that he was this person the prophecy told about, however, events have been sent into motion and he has been exiled to The Never. The Never is a place outside of the world, some believe a grand sorcerer created the place and it is where all of the magical criminals go. James can no longer use his magic and he must find a way out of there or else all the people he cares about and all the people who have sacrificed for him will be lost. This story tells of James' time in The Never and also flashes back to the events that led up to his training of magic.
Likes
--The world building is spectacular! There are reasons and explanations and yet so many mysterious areas we have yet to learn about.
--James as a character is good, he is young and has faced many hard things, not growing up as a normal kid and has doubts and fears and confidence as well.
--Kalani, I liked her too and can't wait to learn more about her
--Akil is interesting as a sorcerer and mentor and the last chapter of the book makes me so much more curious about him.
--The writing was descriptive and pulled you in and set the environment. I could see in my mind what was happening.
Dislikes
--I still don't really know if Alvaro is really a bad guy. I am thinking that yes he is, but so far as James knows there is no proof that he has done what they are telling him. Maybe I am being a conspiracy theorist and everything is as it seems, but maybe not.
Conclusion
This is a YA read, probably 13 up due to some of the words...I'm in my 20s and found a word or two that I needed to use the dictionary for. I would recommend for anyone interested sorcery and magic, Eragon without the dragons, Harry Potter without other kids, friends, or school (if you understand any of that)...this is a darker world set in the past and is quite intriguing. I am very excited to read the next book when it comes out.
There is the world of people who don't believe in magic, the "unfaithful" and in this same world there are the "faithful" who believe in and can perform magic. The faithful have a prophecy about the end of all magic and sorcerers, there is also a prophecy about one who can save them all. James has trained his whole life knowing that he was this person the prophecy told about, however, events have been sent into motion and he has been exiled to The Never. The Never is a place outside of the world, some believe a grand sorcerer created the place and it is where all of the magical criminals go. James can no longer use his magic and he must find a way out of there or else all the people he cares about and all the people who have sacrificed for him will be lost. This story tells of James' time in The Never and also flashes back to the events that led up to his training of magic.
Likes
--The world building is spectacular! There are reasons and explanations and yet so many mysterious areas we have yet to learn about.
--James as a character is good, he is young and has faced many hard things, not growing up as a normal kid and has doubts and fears and confidence as well.
--Kalani, I liked her too and can't wait to learn more about her
--Akil is interesting as a sorcerer and mentor and the last chapter of the book makes me so much more curious about him.
--The writing was descriptive and pulled you in and set the environment. I could see in my mind what was happening.
Dislikes
--I still don't really know if Alvaro is really a bad guy. I am thinking that yes he is, but so far as James knows there is no proof that he has done what they are telling him. Maybe I am being a conspiracy theorist and everything is as it seems, but maybe not.
Conclusion
This is a YA read, probably 13 up due to some of the words...I'm in my 20s and found a word or two that I needed to use the dictionary for. I would recommend for anyone interested sorcery and magic, Eragon without the dragons, Harry Potter without other kids, friends, or school (if you understand any of that)...this is a darker world set in the past and is quite intriguing. I am very excited to read the next book when it comes out.
April 10, 2012
I really wanted to like this book, but I just don't think it was for me. I didn't like it, but I didn't NOT like it either, so I'm giving it two stars for just okay.
The first chapter had me so intrigued, and I was sure I was going to like this one. However, the rest of the book was not as exciting as the first chapter, and I patiently went through the pages waiting for something to happen. There were small adventures here and there, but by the end of the book, I didn't feel as if I was any further along in the grand scheme of things, and I'm still left with a lot of questions about Akil (though I did learn more about him in the last chapter but he's still mysterious to me) and what's so important about the Anointed One (I know he's supposed to save everyone but I still don't understand how or the role he really plays).
I was a bit disoriented with the switching back and forth of present and past. I think it was because the past wasn't told in chronological order, and I had to keep going back to check the dates and see if it was before or after the last flashback. There were some chapters that Wagner tells us right away how old James right away, but most of them told us later on. It was just kind of hard to put everything in order.
There were some things that I liked. I like how Wagner is really descriptive. I had no question about what was going on, and I could visually see what was unfolding in my head. I liked James for his strength and for his humanity.
But I did not like Margaret or Kilani very much. Margaret is really foolish, and the way she treats her husband when he comes back, she's mean, difficult and jealous with no reason, making unfounded accusations. And I know she must posses a lot of strength after everything that's happend, but I find it hard to sympathize with her. As for Kilani, I just don't trust her. I know she is reserved, but she is at least 10 years James senior, and even though I know he's mind and soul is older than his mere 17, there's just something about her I don't like that I can't put my finger on.
Overall, it's not a bad read at all. I was just kind of expecting something more exciting.
The first chapter had me so intrigued, and I was sure I was going to like this one. However, the rest of the book was not as exciting as the first chapter, and I patiently went through the pages waiting for something to happen. There were small adventures here and there, but by the end of the book, I didn't feel as if I was any further along in the grand scheme of things, and I'm still left with a lot of questions about Akil (though I did learn more about him in the last chapter but he's still mysterious to me) and what's so important about the Anointed One (I know he's supposed to save everyone but I still don't understand how or the role he really plays).
I was a bit disoriented with the switching back and forth of present and past. I think it was because the past wasn't told in chronological order, and I had to keep going back to check the dates and see if it was before or after the last flashback. There were some chapters that Wagner tells us right away how old James right away, but most of them told us later on. It was just kind of hard to put everything in order.
There were some things that I liked. I like how Wagner is really descriptive. I had no question about what was going on, and I could visually see what was unfolding in my head. I liked James for his strength and for his humanity.
But I did not like Margaret or Kilani very much. Margaret is really foolish, and the way she treats her husband when he comes back, she's mean, difficult and jealous with no reason, making unfounded accusations. And I know she must posses a lot of strength after everything that's happend, but I find it hard to sympathize with her. As for Kilani, I just don't trust her. I know she is reserved, but she is at least 10 years James senior, and even though I know he's mind and soul is older than his mere 17, there's just something about her I don't like that I can't put my finger on.
Overall, it's not a bad read at all. I was just kind of expecting something more exciting.
June 14, 2012
Exiled is an exciting adventure which takes place within the realm of The Never as well as the everyday world. James, a young sorcerer destined to become the Anointed One, is forced to live a life on the run, as his parents do everything they can to protect him.
A twist of fate sees James being banished to The Never, a magical realm created for those found guilty of various crimes. He wakes up to find he no longer has his powers, and he struggles with the new, strange world he finds himself in. But James soon meets up with others who have been sent to The Never, and that is when the adventure really begins. Along with his new friends, he goes in search of a way back to the normal world. Their explorations lead to a number of interesting discoveries, as James' destiny as the Anointed One begins to take shape.
This book was an exciting read. What I loved most of all was the world building, especially when it came to The Never. Wagner's descriptions made it feel like I was actually there, exploring this strange land for myself. I loved the idea of the fire plants. They were a tiny detail in the book but the imagination that brought them to life left me in awe. I love stories set in fictional worlds, because I am fascinated by their creation and what it must take to think of such things. It's sheer brilliance!!
Throughout the book the timeline changes. It goes from the present to the past and then back again. Although I enjoyed reading about the occurences that led up to James' current situation, I would have preferred them to run in chronological order, because at times it got a bit confusing. Having said that, it didn't take away from the overall pleasure of reading this book, and believe it had a lot to do with the easy flow of the story.
The ending is a definate cliffhanger. I got to the last page and I wanted to scream. I wasn't sure if I should be mad that I was left hanging, or if I should be excited by the cleverness of it all. I need the second book, and I need it now!
A twist of fate sees James being banished to The Never, a magical realm created for those found guilty of various crimes. He wakes up to find he no longer has his powers, and he struggles with the new, strange world he finds himself in. But James soon meets up with others who have been sent to The Never, and that is when the adventure really begins. Along with his new friends, he goes in search of a way back to the normal world. Their explorations lead to a number of interesting discoveries, as James' destiny as the Anointed One begins to take shape.
This book was an exciting read. What I loved most of all was the world building, especially when it came to The Never. Wagner's descriptions made it feel like I was actually there, exploring this strange land for myself. I loved the idea of the fire plants. They were a tiny detail in the book but the imagination that brought them to life left me in awe. I love stories set in fictional worlds, because I am fascinated by their creation and what it must take to think of such things. It's sheer brilliance!!
Throughout the book the timeline changes. It goes from the present to the past and then back again. Although I enjoyed reading about the occurences that led up to James' current situation, I would have preferred them to run in chronological order, because at times it got a bit confusing. Having said that, it didn't take away from the overall pleasure of reading this book, and believe it had a lot to do with the easy flow of the story.
The ending is a definate cliffhanger. I got to the last page and I wanted to scream. I wasn't sure if I should be mad that I was left hanging, or if I should be excited by the cleverness of it all. I need the second book, and I need it now!
May 3, 2012
Exiled
By J.R. Wagner
James has been falsely accused of a murder he did not commit and exiled to The Never. Though James is the Anointed One, a powerful sorcerer who will bring about the end of the Epoch Terminus a war between the Faithful, those who believe in magic, and the Unfaithful, those who do not, in The Never James does not have any powers in this strange land where even the plants are dangerous. Along the way he meets a woman who shows him how to find water that makes him feel stronger and introduces him to her village where they have been awaiting him to save them all.
The main story line of this book is very interesting but it’s the secondary story line that became quite irritating. The Secondary story line is a mass of events that took place after James was discovered to be the Anointed One and mainly involves James’ mother the irritating part is that they have no flow to them for instance in one chapter his mother is visiting the seer and roughly a hundred pages later it is his mother and father on their way to the seer. This notwithstanding it could definitely use a bit more editing there are several places where the he is confused with she and vice versa, this would not be so bad but when there are both male and female in the scene it makes it confusing. I would like to see what happens next, this book just ended abruptly I think to get the reader to check out the next book, all in all it’s not a terrible book the main story line is actually quite enthralling just be sure to pay attention to the dates on the secondary one!
As always if you have any requests or recommendations email me at:
Reflections.of.a.BookWorm@gmail.com
Be sure to visit my blogs at:
http://reflectionsofabookworm.wordpre...
http://bookwormrflects8.blogspot.com/
You can even follow me on Twitter
@BookWormRflect
By J.R. Wagner
James has been falsely accused of a murder he did not commit and exiled to The Never. Though James is the Anointed One, a powerful sorcerer who will bring about the end of the Epoch Terminus a war between the Faithful, those who believe in magic, and the Unfaithful, those who do not, in The Never James does not have any powers in this strange land where even the plants are dangerous. Along the way he meets a woman who shows him how to find water that makes him feel stronger and introduces him to her village where they have been awaiting him to save them all.
The main story line of this book is very interesting but it’s the secondary story line that became quite irritating. The Secondary story line is a mass of events that took place after James was discovered to be the Anointed One and mainly involves James’ mother the irritating part is that they have no flow to them for instance in one chapter his mother is visiting the seer and roughly a hundred pages later it is his mother and father on their way to the seer. This notwithstanding it could definitely use a bit more editing there are several places where the he is confused with she and vice versa, this would not be so bad but when there are both male and female in the scene it makes it confusing. I would like to see what happens next, this book just ended abruptly I think to get the reader to check out the next book, all in all it’s not a terrible book the main story line is actually quite enthralling just be sure to pay attention to the dates on the secondary one!
As always if you have any requests or recommendations email me at:
Reflections.of.a.BookWorm@gmail.com
Be sure to visit my blogs at:
http://reflectionsofabookworm.wordpre...
http://bookwormrflects8.blogspot.com/
You can even follow me on Twitter
@BookWormRflect
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