The Four Forges

The Elven Ways #1

by Jenna Rhodes

The Four Forges is the first novel in the spellbinding fantasy epic, The Elven Ways .   

Brought to the world of Kerith by an unknown cataclysm, the Vaelinar race is both magical and arrogant, considering themselves far superior to the natives whose own magic has been shorn away by a civil war. As hated as they are revered, the Vaelinars have retreated to seclusion after anchoring their magic to the new world by a series of Talent-wrought Ways, passages of power, always hoping that one day they will create the Way back to the world they lost.

Two young people, one broken of soul and the other broken of mind, find their fates intertwined as their mixed bloodlines both curse and bless them. Can a river-borne slave and a street-savvy half-breed find their own personal truth in time to avert another civil war?

Genres: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, M M Romance, LGBT, Fairies

616 pages, Paperback

First published May 2, 2006

About the author

Jenna Rhodes (a pseudonym used by R.A.V. Salsitz), was born in Phoenix, Arizona and is a writer of science fiction, fantasy, and mystery novels. She also writes under the names Emily Drake, Anne Knight, Elizabeth Forrest, Charles Ingrid, Rhondi Vilott Salsitz, R.A.V. Salsitz, Rhondi Vilott, and Rhondi Greening. Rhodes has been writing since she was in 3rd grade. She has published over 50 books and short stories. She can be found at rhondiann.com

Reviews

[Charlotte Kersten]

This popped up in my library search bar when I was looking for something completely different and I take it as an Elfy Sign that I need to read this soon.

[Normalene · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the third of the Elven Ways trilogy, King of Assassins, finally coming out this November, a reread of the first two was in order, The Four Forges and The Dark Ferryman. The world of Kerith holds native species, such as Galdarkans, Kernans, Bolgers and new arrivals, the Vaelinar who came there from somewhere else. Vaelinar are elvish, magic and have ruled the land for many years. The natives don’t like the Vaelinar and revolution is stirring. The main characters are not your usual star-crossed lovers, Sevryn is a half-Vaelinar warrior, pledged to the protection of the Vaelinar Queen and Rivergrace is full Vaelinar, abandoned by her real family and raised by a human family, but she serves as a lady in waiting to the Queen. Sevryn is smart and sensitive while wielding a mean sword and Rivergrace is no slouch at defending herself either. The worldbuilding is deep and broad, encompassing wars, treaties, betrayals, the history of each of the peoples of the land and magic. The characters are many, some human, most not; but all of them well-developed, interesting and relevant to the plot. The Dark Ferryman takes up where The Four Forges leaves off with Sevryn and Rivergrace possibly farther apart than ever and the revolution heating up. November can’t come soon enough, I have waited long enough and I must know what happens. Rhodes is also Emily Drake, Anne Knight, Elizabeth Forrest, Charles Ingrid, Rhondi Vilott Salsitz, R.A.V. Salsitz, Rhondi Vilott, Jenna Rhodes and Rhondi Greening.

[Viktor]

had to dnf this one idk just i enjoyed it just took me so long to get only 200 pages in

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The romantic part of the story was underdeveloped and I could have done without it, but everything else was fantastic. Would definitely recommend to fans of both high and epic fantasy.

[Lauren]

DNF at about 25%. I liked the worldbuilding and the potential it had, even though some of the races were a bit derivative of Tolkien. Warring and violent elves called Vaelinor, some with magic Talents, get transported to a world with other cultures and peoples. The novel begins hundreds of years later after the Vaelinor have settled uneasily in Kerith, and mainly seems to follow a half-elf Sevryn who has inherited magic, and a younger elf Rivergrace with no memory of her past whose parents were enslaved to another Vaelinor.

The book is just too slow, the plot not focused enough with a clear direction by the quarter mark. I generally love slower, classic fantasy worldbuilding focused novels, but this one needed to be tightened up a bit. There are only vague potential conflicts appearing by that point, and neither Sevryn nor most other point of view characters have much of a personality, which makes reading their chapters tedious and repetitive when they’re drawn out. I just can’t take another 450 pages of this.

[Gabriel Vidrine · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is just too slow. I'm a third of the way through it and all that has happened is some farm girls getting into mischief and a little danger and some villain set up that could have happened in many fewer pages. The characters are introduced in a way that's difficult to follow and keep track of, and after only being a third of the way in, there are both too many characters (many of whom die immediately, so why in the world were they not cut as being arbitrary?) and too many still being introduced. Descriptions are vague. There were two - two - forwards (infodumps) but yet I still do not know what the "people" look like. Bolgers are described as smelly and ugly, but are they orc-like or what? Are Dwellers human or halfling? I mean, I can understand not wanting to use those terms, but it would be nice to know what Bolgers are other than just ugly. I decided I'd given this one enough time and now it's time to move on.

[Richard · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm going to be blunt and to the point, unlike this book. This book is a waste of time, if the author had only stuck to one story or a small handful of characters this would have been readable. I made it half way through and gave up, I had my wife (who is an avid reader) read this book and she made it 3/4 the way through this book and this is the first book she has ever read that made her give up on it. Each chapter in this book is dedicated to a different character and is never revisited or talked about in any other chapter ever. If this is a series of short stories in a single book all of the chapters ends on cliffhangers. I don't recommend this author or her books to anyone. If I could give negative stars to this book I would.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book although sometimes it is a chore to remember all of the characters.

[Brian Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was very slow at times .chapters dragged on before actually getting somewhere.Probably won't read the next book.

[Patrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

too epic descriptive poetic

[Onyx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really really enjoyable!!!!

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, decent pacing. =)

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ten years ago when I first read this I had been a big fan of Bordertown collections edited by Terri Windling and Mercedes Lackey's Bedlam Bards, both series of urban fantasy novels featuring elves living with humans in the modern world.

In this series the elves have been violently evicted from the home realm for constant fighting amongst themselves into a world populated by humans (also hobbits with names changed to protected the author from Tolkien.)

These beautiful, magic wielding, pointy-eared, long lived invaders are not welcome in this war torn medieval world. Human magic is gone with the Magi having exterminated each other. War ensues, the elves win and establish their rule. Now centuries later we begin this story of a half breed elf boy and a slave born, full blood elf girl, both moving toward a destiny.

This is what I'd call fantasy light. There is a lot of everyday melodrama, humorous interactions and romance. Much time is spent on fleshing out the fabric of the lives of the protagonists in this mixed race world where the elves have improved living standards for all but have also generate hatred and jealousy.

The reading is an easy one, a nice change from philosophically dense or bloody and grim fantasy I read these days.

[Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it was interesting and lots of stuff happens, I felt that the pacing was a bit slow (probably that's why it took me ages to finish). Also interested to see if Rhodes ties up the loose ends in the second book.

I loved how the close the Farbranches were (thanks to the slow pace, it gave quite a bit of depth to the family) and they were convincing as a family.

Not so much Sevryn and Rivergrace's love for each other. I don't know if I've been corrupted by those trashy romance novels I read, but I felt that their relationship was a bit stiff and awkward... Maybe a bit forced too, as if Rhodes was holding two dolls and making them kiss by smooshing their faces together. Actually, there was even less chemistry between them than that! Jeredon and Nutmeg has more tension / chemistry than they do.

I know this sounds awful, but I am a bit peeved Sevryn came back.

[Michael H · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book - interesting plot, good character development. I would have given it four starts, but at multiple points, the writing was very choppy. I would be reading, and suddenly some action or event would have happened (i.e., an event had already taken place) with no explanation as to how it happened. I began to wonder whether sentences or whole paragraphs were missing from the book. I probably will read the rest of the series, but wonder whether the author (or editor) was a bit sloppy.

[Ruby Ridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

The slow pace of the first two thirds of the book gets us to know and like the Farbranch dweller (almost a Hobbit) family. The last section seems a little rushed but I suspect this is intentional as you kinda get caught up in the increasing pace. Almost lost a star for the insta-love but rescued by the characters of Nutmeg and the warrior queen. Already got the next part and look forward to reading it

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could not put the book down. The pacing of the story and the flow of the words just carried me along until the end. Well-plotted with interesting characters and a new fantasy world to discover. Very recommended.

[Noel Winter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, I love stories like this. My only problem was that there was just so much packed into the book; lots of different scenes and lots of different characters. I got halfway through and had to stop just because I couldn't keep reading. (And I ran out of library renewals.)

[Burt]

OK, I'm usually not in for all things elvish and waifish, but this doesn't seem too bad for a start. LEt's see what happens. So far the book's tagline of 'not your typical elf world' is accurate.

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, but there are some things that shouldn't have gotten by the editors. I'm noticing this more and more lately. Perhaps it's a trend in the publishing industry?

[Elizabeth]

TBR

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good start to a new series. I enjoyed the development and am curious to see where it goes from here.

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story involving more interesting character development.

[Darlene Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book, could hardly put it down.

[Alexis Ames]

DNF. I hear there are queer characters in this, which is the only reason I wanted to read it, but it was too damn slow for me to make it far enough to see if that was actually true.