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Gharantia's Guardian
The devastating gods’ war that ravaged the other side of the world for centuries is coming to Gharantia. Its rulers, Princess Melane and Criterious, the Guardian, stand as sentinels, safeguarding their cherished realm.
As the Queen’s protective mist—the Bleak—rolls away after another winter, prophetic dreams haunt Melane and mysterious strangers converge on their city.
Criterious must unravel the truth behind the war before it destroys them all. Who will stand with Gharantia against the coming tide?
In this epic fantasy adventure alliances will be forged, loyalties will waver, and destinies collide.
As the Queen’s protective mist—the Bleak—rolls away after another winter, prophetic dreams haunt Melane and mysterious strangers converge on their city.
Criterious must unravel the truth behind the war before it destroys them all. Who will stand with Gharantia against the coming tide?
In this epic fantasy adventure alliances will be forged, loyalties will waver, and destinies collide.
- GenresFantasy
470 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 25, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 2, 2024
A solid debut full of political intrigue, serpentine shenanigans and the whispers of a more epic story to come.
December 30, 2024
This is a great first book into a series.
L.M. does a superb job presenting the characters and the world in a natural manner. Her handling of pace and flow within the story and with each different character is a strength of hers, and it is on show, throughout the book, from Prologue to epilogue.
Criterious and Pilt are compelling, charming characters on their own rights. You want to know more, discover more of them with each passing page.
The way the gods and magic exert their presence, the way it is felt in the world is, in a sense, reminiscent of the old stories. They are, it exists, but unlike those stories, here we get to see a darker side to them.
Douglas crafted great characters, full of life, vibrancy, and each with their very unique motivations and stories, and all of those are woven together in a tight story that resembles a colorful tapestry that occupies a majestic mountain, so big it is, that you can't discover or understand it in its entirety from just this first book's glimpse.
I can't wait to read book 2!
L.M. does a superb job presenting the characters and the world in a natural manner. Her handling of pace and flow within the story and with each different character is a strength of hers, and it is on show, throughout the book, from Prologue to epilogue.
Criterious and Pilt are compelling, charming characters on their own rights. You want to know more, discover more of them with each passing page.
The way the gods and magic exert their presence, the way it is felt in the world is, in a sense, reminiscent of the old stories. They are, it exists, but unlike those stories, here we get to see a darker side to them.
Douglas crafted great characters, full of life, vibrancy, and each with their very unique motivations and stories, and all of those are woven together in a tight story that resembles a colorful tapestry that occupies a majestic mountain, so big it is, that you can't discover or understand it in its entirety from just this first book's glimpse.
I can't wait to read book 2!
January 24, 2025
A fantastic debut novel!
I was quickly drawn into the world of Gharantia and its unique magical system and before long I was fully committed to the characters and their fates.
Douglas left plenty of question marks to be answered in the next book of the series, and I loved how the apparently completely different players came together, moving the central plot forward.
A must read for the fans of the fantasy genre and I'm looking forward to reading book 2!
I was quickly drawn into the world of Gharantia and its unique magical system and before long I was fully committed to the characters and their fates.
Douglas left plenty of question marks to be answered in the next book of the series, and I loved how the apparently completely different players came together, moving the central plot forward.
A must read for the fans of the fantasy genre and I'm looking forward to reading book 2!
September 7, 2024
Criterious is the kingdom of Gharantia's guardian, tasked with keeping the queendom safe. He is the husband of princess Melane, and therefore receives a portion of her magic. With something unexplained threatening the queendom, he is frustrated as he is left in the dark when all he wants is to do what is right, his anger and ego getting in his own way.
Pilt is a young bowman and musician who stumbles into Gharantia, getting arrested (and released) for illegally hunting a deer on royal property. An outsider with a mysterious past, just trying to survive one day at at time in this cruel world, he makes friends with an innkeeper couple and starts to establish a new life for himself.
Between the princesses prophetic dreams, a strange ship arriving in port, and cruel behavior by the queen, Criterious investigates these potential threats while struggling with his own demons related to his relationship with Melane and those he protects.
Douglas is at her best when we are in Criterious's head, puzzling through the mysterious of Gharantia. She does an excellent job at creating a principled but flawed main character who grows throughout the story. And unlike some of the Criterious haters who say he needs his ears boxed (you know who you are), I found myself sympathizing with the man who is trying his best when those in power aren't telling him anything. Maybe it just hits close to home because a common phrase around my house is “use your words”, which Melane needs to hear as well.
My favorite part of the entire book was the interactions with the ship Lady Cross. The conflict, fallout, and new POV character we get as a result are all intriguing and well written. I won't spoil much, but Pallemina is probably my favorite character after Criterious.
The one thing holding this story back is the lack of a through-line plot that ties Gharantia's Guardian together. There is so much great characterization and intrigue about the world, but answers are mostly left for later books, leaving this one without much of a climax.
Regardless, I enjoyed Gharantia's Guardian and fans of political intrigue, complex relationships, and princesses with magical powers will too.
Pilt is a young bowman and musician who stumbles into Gharantia, getting arrested (and released) for illegally hunting a deer on royal property. An outsider with a mysterious past, just trying to survive one day at at time in this cruel world, he makes friends with an innkeeper couple and starts to establish a new life for himself.
Between the princesses prophetic dreams, a strange ship arriving in port, and cruel behavior by the queen, Criterious investigates these potential threats while struggling with his own demons related to his relationship with Melane and those he protects.
Douglas is at her best when we are in Criterious's head, puzzling through the mysterious of Gharantia. She does an excellent job at creating a principled but flawed main character who grows throughout the story. And unlike some of the Criterious haters who say he needs his ears boxed (you know who you are), I found myself sympathizing with the man who is trying his best when those in power aren't telling him anything. Maybe it just hits close to home because a common phrase around my house is “use your words”, which Melane needs to hear as well.
My favorite part of the entire book was the interactions with the ship Lady Cross. The conflict, fallout, and new POV character we get as a result are all intriguing and well written. I won't spoil much, but Pallemina is probably my favorite character after Criterious.
The one thing holding this story back is the lack of a through-line plot that ties Gharantia's Guardian together. There is so much great characterization and intrigue about the world, but answers are mostly left for later books, leaving this one without much of a climax.
Regardless, I enjoyed Gharantia's Guardian and fans of political intrigue, complex relationships, and princesses with magical powers will too.
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December 17, 2024*I helped with editing this book so I like to keep ratings removed from a professional standpoint, but still want to highlight/support indie books*
Gharantia’s Guardian is a political intrigue fantasy which barely scratches the surface of a deeper conflict outside the protective borders of the city of Gharantia. This first book is clearly setting up not only a major war between some squabbling gods, but also setting the stage for our heroes to overcome their own internal obstacles.
Despite the backdrop of a looming war, outside of a prologue character partially connected with one of the main characters, this story has a very limited cast. Told predominately through two points of view (plus a smaller third who will become a larger POV in future books), GG focuses on its core cast, showing us their external and internal conflicts in the build-up to the god’s war.
Criterious is the aforementioned Guardian, a sort of chosen protector of Gharantia, and he could be considered the main character. Criterious is loyal to country and his wife Melane (almost to a fault where he reallllly wants to be loved by her), stubborn & hard-headed, courageous, and intelligent. But Criterious also suffers from his hubris as his bonded magic with Melane (a really neat magic concept) suffers greatly throughout this book and is put to a test later when he meets another magic wielder. Our other main point of view character is Pilt, a young man who might have magical powers but we don’t really know (his backstory unravels as the story goes on). Pilt was a lot of fun because he is just this derpy young man who knows nothing about nothing and is caught in political threads way over his head. By far my favorite character is Pallemina, a serpent-bonded lady (and third POV). She comes later in the story and is at the crux of the overall plot. I know she’ll be a much bigger player in later books and I can’t wait to see where Douglas takes us with her because there is such a mysterious presence about her (and the serpent). Melane, Kywren (the queen’s man and mysterious former bad guy), Tower (a mage as old as dirt), and Queen Velardis are all great supporting characters. Some shine more than others (Kywren most of all) while others definitely round out the plot for various reasons.
The plot I’d call a political intrigue largely because a lot revolves around the queen of Gharantia and the plenty of schemes unbeknownst to Criterious (and Melane, despite being the princess and cousin to said queen). There are hints dropped along the way of things not being what they should seem with the queen and her new lover, but it’s not until we spend much of the book with Pallemina’s introduction/arc, that we learn there is a coming god’s war. Pilt is also drawn into this overarching plot due to his backstory, but we don’t really get a lot there until the very very end of the book. So it’s safe to say, a lot of the plot is set-up for the rest of the series. That’s not to say this book isn’t good, quite the contrary, just be advised there isn’t a clean ending to this book, there is farrrrrrr more to come. There are plenty of lore tidbits dropped all over the place and it shows us how big this world truly is.
The prose is accessible and the pace is fairly steady. L.M. Douglas aimed to give us a deep connection with our POV characters so we do spend a lot of time within their noggins, contemplating their thoughts and misgivings. There isn’t a ton of action scenes, but the ones we do get are well-realized, especially in the climax with Pilt and a cool beastie. And while the magic system is fairly soft in terms of rules and what a wielder can do, the magic does have some really neat concepts, such as the bonding magic between Criterious/Melane, as well as everything about Pallemina.
For a debut, I found Gharantia’s Guardian to be a fun story that is only just beginning. There is a big war on the horizon and I’m looking forward to seeing where this series goes! #SecretScribes
Gharantia’s Guardian is a political intrigue fantasy which barely scratches the surface of a deeper conflict outside the protective borders of the city of Gharantia. This first book is clearly setting up not only a major war between some squabbling gods, but also setting the stage for our heroes to overcome their own internal obstacles.
Despite the backdrop of a looming war, outside of a prologue character partially connected with one of the main characters, this story has a very limited cast. Told predominately through two points of view (plus a smaller third who will become a larger POV in future books), GG focuses on its core cast, showing us their external and internal conflicts in the build-up to the god’s war.
Criterious is the aforementioned Guardian, a sort of chosen protector of Gharantia, and he could be considered the main character. Criterious is loyal to country and his wife Melane (almost to a fault where he reallllly wants to be loved by her), stubborn & hard-headed, courageous, and intelligent. But Criterious also suffers from his hubris as his bonded magic with Melane (a really neat magic concept) suffers greatly throughout this book and is put to a test later when he meets another magic wielder. Our other main point of view character is Pilt, a young man who might have magical powers but we don’t really know (his backstory unravels as the story goes on). Pilt was a lot of fun because he is just this derpy young man who knows nothing about nothing and is caught in political threads way over his head. By far my favorite character is Pallemina, a serpent-bonded lady (and third POV). She comes later in the story and is at the crux of the overall plot. I know she’ll be a much bigger player in later books and I can’t wait to see where Douglas takes us with her because there is such a mysterious presence about her (and the serpent). Melane, Kywren (the queen’s man and mysterious former bad guy), Tower (a mage as old as dirt), and Queen Velardis are all great supporting characters. Some shine more than others (Kywren most of all) while others definitely round out the plot for various reasons.
The plot I’d call a political intrigue largely because a lot revolves around the queen of Gharantia and the plenty of schemes unbeknownst to Criterious (and Melane, despite being the princess and cousin to said queen). There are hints dropped along the way of things not being what they should seem with the queen and her new lover, but it’s not until we spend much of the book with Pallemina’s introduction/arc, that we learn there is a coming god’s war. Pilt is also drawn into this overarching plot due to his backstory, but we don’t really get a lot there until the very very end of the book. So it’s safe to say, a lot of the plot is set-up for the rest of the series. That’s not to say this book isn’t good, quite the contrary, just be advised there isn’t a clean ending to this book, there is farrrrrrr more to come. There are plenty of lore tidbits dropped all over the place and it shows us how big this world truly is.
The prose is accessible and the pace is fairly steady. L.M. Douglas aimed to give us a deep connection with our POV characters so we do spend a lot of time within their noggins, contemplating their thoughts and misgivings. There isn’t a ton of action scenes, but the ones we do get are well-realized, especially in the climax with Pilt and a cool beastie. And while the magic system is fairly soft in terms of rules and what a wielder can do, the magic does have some really neat concepts, such as the bonding magic between Criterious/Melane, as well as everything about Pallemina.
For a debut, I found Gharantia’s Guardian to be a fun story that is only just beginning. There is a big war on the horizon and I’m looking forward to seeing where this series goes! #SecretScribes
May 29, 2024
Gharantia's Guardian is a unique and fresh debut novel in epic fantasy by author L.M. Douglas.
GG is the first entry into the Chronicles of the Endless War and there are multiple points of view, but the story is primarily focused on 2 mains. Criterious, the Guardian, and Pilt, a young, troubled boy who is searching for his tribe after some catastrophic events set him on a wandering path. We also have a few other points of views that pop up throughout, that tend to add some extra depth to the story. I liked the added touch, as it was nice to see the events and happenings through other prominent character's eyes.
My favorite aspects of GG were most definitely the magical world that Douglas has created. The fantastical elements are littered through the entire book. Just in the beginning chapters you are introduced to another realm/dimension, as well as the bleak, a mysterious mist that comes to Gharantia every winter. These are only the beginnings of Douglas' original ideas. Criterious receives magic abilities through his bond with his wife, Melane, and those abilities are also stronger/weaker depending on the couple's bond and how close, intimately, they seem to be at a given time. There is one of the coolest races I have come across in fantasy here with the Synatha. I don't want to spoil what the Synatha are but trust me when I say this is cool.
There were a few things that didn't work for me, mainly some of the actions and innerworkings of Criterious and Melane, but I haven't read a lot of romance/romantic relationships in books, so it could definitely be a me thing. I just did not agree with all of the choices that these characters made during a couple of events. That being said, as individual characters, I did find myself rooting for these two, as well as the majority of the main cast.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time in the world and will most definitely be continuing with this series as it continues. I look forward to seeing these characters grow and find more answers about some of this mysterious cast.
3.5 out of 5 rounded up.
GG is the first entry into the Chronicles of the Endless War and there are multiple points of view, but the story is primarily focused on 2 mains. Criterious, the Guardian, and Pilt, a young, troubled boy who is searching for his tribe after some catastrophic events set him on a wandering path. We also have a few other points of views that pop up throughout, that tend to add some extra depth to the story. I liked the added touch, as it was nice to see the events and happenings through other prominent character's eyes.
My favorite aspects of GG were most definitely the magical world that Douglas has created. The fantastical elements are littered through the entire book. Just in the beginning chapters you are introduced to another realm/dimension, as well as the bleak, a mysterious mist that comes to Gharantia every winter. These are only the beginnings of Douglas' original ideas. Criterious receives magic abilities through his bond with his wife, Melane, and those abilities are also stronger/weaker depending on the couple's bond and how close, intimately, they seem to be at a given time. There is one of the coolest races I have come across in fantasy here with the Synatha. I don't want to spoil what the Synatha are but trust me when I say this is cool.
There were a few things that didn't work for me, mainly some of the actions and innerworkings of Criterious and Melane, but I haven't read a lot of romance/romantic relationships in books, so it could definitely be a me thing. I just did not agree with all of the choices that these characters made during a couple of events. That being said, as individual characters, I did find myself rooting for these two, as well as the majority of the main cast.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time in the world and will most definitely be continuing with this series as it continues. I look forward to seeing these characters grow and find more answers about some of this mysterious cast.
3.5 out of 5 rounded up.
February 20, 2024
I loved this book! It ticked all the boxes for an epic, sweeping fantasy. In this intricately built world, women hold the power and the magic, only sharing it as needed. But the queen is keeping secrets from those closest to her, and the magic is changing. The Guardian, Criterious, strives to perform his duties to his country, even as he deals with the pain of his wife pulling away from him so she can investigate newfound powers she isn’t supposed to have. Beautiful writing and powerful imagery. Perfect for fans of The Kingkiller Chronicles and Game of Thrones
November 1, 2023
I highly recommend this book! Gharantia’s Guardian is an epic fantasy with an intriguing and unique magic system. Fans of high fantasy and detailed world building are going to love this book!
March 19, 2024
Such a fun read. I was absorbed by the world building!
March 4, 2025
Welcome to Gharantia, where the queendom is not a man’s world and magic is very real, indeed.😉
Our man of the hour, Criterious, is bonded, married to Princess Melane.
As bears, they have hibernated in the mist, the Bleak, for the winter, under the queens protection. However, as Melane senses, the world has changed upon awakening. How, you ask? Only this book will tell.
Queen Valdaris has her own plans, some include Kywren. However, characters, mysterious ships, and other entities arrive and may or may not disrupt her plans.
Will all of Gharantia be able to work together to stop the endless war?
Ferta mer, this was good! I found myself picking up the book whenever I had the chance to do so.
The worldbuilding with magic I love. The depth of characters cherished. Plot enjoyed.
If it had not been for other commitments, I would have read the second book today. 😊💙📚
I wish I had the right words to do this book justice. 🥰
Oh, and there is a map! Don't you just love maps of new worlds?
Our man of the hour, Criterious, is bonded, married to Princess Melane.
As bears, they have hibernated in the mist, the Bleak, for the winter, under the queens protection. However, as Melane senses, the world has changed upon awakening. How, you ask? Only this book will tell.
Queen Valdaris has her own plans, some include Kywren. However, characters, mysterious ships, and other entities arrive and may or may not disrupt her plans.
Will all of Gharantia be able to work together to stop the endless war?
Ferta mer, this was good! I found myself picking up the book whenever I had the chance to do so.
The worldbuilding with magic I love. The depth of characters cherished. Plot enjoyed.
If it had not been for other commitments, I would have read the second book today. 😊💙📚
I wish I had the right words to do this book justice. 🥰
Oh, and there is a map! Don't you just love maps of new worlds?
November 3, 2024
This review was originally posted on SFFINSIDERS.COM
If you just read the blurb for Gharantia’s Guardian by L.M. Douglas, you’d expect a fairly traditional epic fantasy full of political scheming, magic, and gods. And Gharantia’s Guardian has all of those things, of course, but at its core, this is a character driven story–and what amazing characters they are!
Gharantia's Guardian by L M Douglas
Criterious: the valiant guardian who struggles to make decisions throughout.
Melane: his wife, a princess of Gharantia, who is a powerful magic user.
Pilt: a young musician and singer who’s not quite as ordinary as he seems.
Douglas writes well and gives us a lot of emotional depth in her characters, something I look for in a book. The characters grow and change and they’re absolutely three-dimensional.
But let’s talk about the plot first. Gharantia is a queendom–more on that later–under the always watchful eye of Queen Velardis, who I hereby nominate for the Most Likely to Receive a Punch in the Nose by Dave award. She’s also a powerful magic user and a less than loving cousin to Melane. She has found a new man, Kywren, and basically forced him to bond with her, and Criterious can’t stand this new man who’s threatening his guardianship status. When the story begins, Criterious is also upset with Melane because she has been avoiding him and not letting him share her bed, as she’s having odd dreams and the dreams disappear if she renews her bonds with Criterious.
So it’s a bad day for Criterious. The Queen is bringing in new guys to threaten his position in the Gharantia, and his wife is being less than affectionate. Then, a serpent woman shows up–spoiler alert, she kinda likes Criterious–and Pilt arrives as well, bringing intrigue along with him. All Criterious wants to do in get his wife to bed to, ahem, renew their bonds, and instead he’s having to deal with all sorts of annoyances.
Criterious is the main POV and he’s awesome. A strong man who’s not afraid to feel emotions, a man who loves his wife but also can’t fight off the magic of the serpent woman, Pallemina, who has decided Criterious will bond with her. He’s a loyal husband, but magic is powerful. Melane is also a strong character and I enjoyed her interactions with Criterious. Pilt’s sections weren’t as interesting to me at first, but he grew on me as the novel progressed. However, the unsung hero of this novel is Pallemina. Half woman, half serpent. Lost, alone, searching for someone to bond with. She’s chosen Criterious and doesn’t care that he’s a married man. There’s a lot of tension between the two as she uses her magic to attempt to seduce Criterious several times, and it adds a nice layer of conflict between Criterious and Melane as well.
If you’re reading this and thinking this is a spicy read, you’re wrong. Douglas fades to black and nothing is explicit, though sex is an important part of the magic system, as the magic users–all women in Gharantia–use their magic to bond with their chosen partners, strengthening their partner through the sexual act. At the beginning of the novel, Criterious feels his connection with Melane weakening because she’d been avoiding him, and it’s hurting his performance as Guardian. This is a world where women reign, and I loved that. There’s an awesome magic system and so much world building, and I was hooked from the beginning. Amazing characters, emotional depth, an awesome magic system, intrigue and political scheming, and a world run by strong women. I absolutely loved this book.
We do end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but hey, book 2 is out and you can jump right into it!
I highly recommend this novel. One of my favorites of the year!
If you just read the blurb for Gharantia’s Guardian by L.M. Douglas, you’d expect a fairly traditional epic fantasy full of political scheming, magic, and gods. And Gharantia’s Guardian has all of those things, of course, but at its core, this is a character driven story–and what amazing characters they are!
Gharantia's Guardian by L M Douglas
Criterious: the valiant guardian who struggles to make decisions throughout.
Melane: his wife, a princess of Gharantia, who is a powerful magic user.
Pilt: a young musician and singer who’s not quite as ordinary as he seems.
Douglas writes well and gives us a lot of emotional depth in her characters, something I look for in a book. The characters grow and change and they’re absolutely three-dimensional.
But let’s talk about the plot first. Gharantia is a queendom–more on that later–under the always watchful eye of Queen Velardis, who I hereby nominate for the Most Likely to Receive a Punch in the Nose by Dave award. She’s also a powerful magic user and a less than loving cousin to Melane. She has found a new man, Kywren, and basically forced him to bond with her, and Criterious can’t stand this new man who’s threatening his guardianship status. When the story begins, Criterious is also upset with Melane because she has been avoiding him and not letting him share her bed, as she’s having odd dreams and the dreams disappear if she renews her bonds with Criterious.
So it’s a bad day for Criterious. The Queen is bringing in new guys to threaten his position in the Gharantia, and his wife is being less than affectionate. Then, a serpent woman shows up–spoiler alert, she kinda likes Criterious–and Pilt arrives as well, bringing intrigue along with him. All Criterious wants to do in get his wife to bed to, ahem, renew their bonds, and instead he’s having to deal with all sorts of annoyances.
Criterious is the main POV and he’s awesome. A strong man who’s not afraid to feel emotions, a man who loves his wife but also can’t fight off the magic of the serpent woman, Pallemina, who has decided Criterious will bond with her. He’s a loyal husband, but magic is powerful. Melane is also a strong character and I enjoyed her interactions with Criterious. Pilt’s sections weren’t as interesting to me at first, but he grew on me as the novel progressed. However, the unsung hero of this novel is Pallemina. Half woman, half serpent. Lost, alone, searching for someone to bond with. She’s chosen Criterious and doesn’t care that he’s a married man. There’s a lot of tension between the two as she uses her magic to attempt to seduce Criterious several times, and it adds a nice layer of conflict between Criterious and Melane as well.
If you’re reading this and thinking this is a spicy read, you’re wrong. Douglas fades to black and nothing is explicit, though sex is an important part of the magic system, as the magic users–all women in Gharantia–use their magic to bond with their chosen partners, strengthening their partner through the sexual act. At the beginning of the novel, Criterious feels his connection with Melane weakening because she’d been avoiding him, and it’s hurting his performance as Guardian. This is a world where women reign, and I loved that. There’s an awesome magic system and so much world building, and I was hooked from the beginning. Amazing characters, emotional depth, an awesome magic system, intrigue and political scheming, and a world run by strong women. I absolutely loved this book.
We do end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but hey, book 2 is out and you can jump right into it!
I highly recommend this novel. One of my favorites of the year!
January 29, 2026
This review is available on Grimoire Ink Reviews
Gharantias Guardian is the debut novel from L.M Douglas, and the first book in The Chronicles of the Endless War.
It's a solid start to the series, and drew me in, gradually building the story, but by no means giving it all away.
We are introduced to all the characters from their own POVs, without being overwhelmed with a massive cast of characters, whilst the world is being built for us, which is a very positive thing from my perspective.
There's still a lot of uncertainty in regards to who the "bad guys" are, as we haven’t really met them yet, but we are given a sense of what it will mean when they rock up to create havoc. I enjoyed the pacing of the book, and the magic system is intriguing, but again, not too much is given away, so we are left wanting to know more.
Criterious, my man. This poor guy is being pulled in all directions, and I fear for his mental health! 🤣 He's a good man, being sorely tested, and not understanding how or why everything is happening. He's married to Melane, the queens sister, who actually is a pain!
Pilt, well, his story is very much a mystery, and we are only given a bit of his background, enough to know he's more than he seems. I have yet to work out if he's as innocent as he seems, but I'm rooting for him, particularly in light of the goddamn loose ends we were left with at the end of the book! 🫣😤
I'm now off to read book 2, in the hopes that we get some much needed answers, or I may riot! 🤦♀️
If you've seen the book, but have yet to decide if you want to read it, then I would highly recommend giving this new author a whirl, as I think we'll be seeing a lot more of her, if this debut is anything to go by. It gets a solid 4.5 stars from me, with the hopes that a second novel will have that extra polish as the craft of writing evolves.
Gharantias Guardian is the debut novel from L.M Douglas, and the first book in The Chronicles of the Endless War.
It's a solid start to the series, and drew me in, gradually building the story, but by no means giving it all away.
We are introduced to all the characters from their own POVs, without being overwhelmed with a massive cast of characters, whilst the world is being built for us, which is a very positive thing from my perspective.
There's still a lot of uncertainty in regards to who the "bad guys" are, as we haven’t really met them yet, but we are given a sense of what it will mean when they rock up to create havoc. I enjoyed the pacing of the book, and the magic system is intriguing, but again, not too much is given away, so we are left wanting to know more.
Criterious, my man. This poor guy is being pulled in all directions, and I fear for his mental health! 🤣 He's a good man, being sorely tested, and not understanding how or why everything is happening. He's married to Melane, the queens sister, who actually is a pain!
Pilt, well, his story is very much a mystery, and we are only given a bit of his background, enough to know he's more than he seems. I have yet to work out if he's as innocent as he seems, but I'm rooting for him, particularly in light of the goddamn loose ends we were left with at the end of the book! 🫣😤
I'm now off to read book 2, in the hopes that we get some much needed answers, or I may riot! 🤦♀️
If you've seen the book, but have yet to decide if you want to read it, then I would highly recommend giving this new author a whirl, as I think we'll be seeing a lot more of her, if this debut is anything to go by. It gets a solid 4.5 stars from me, with the hopes that a second novel will have that extra polish as the craft of writing evolves.
November 5, 2024
Immediate Spoilers: There is a capital G-guardian, and he is guarding Gharantia.
Douglas has a way of setting a scene, and doing a terrific job of putting you in the mindset of the characters, even if they act frustratingly at times.
It's hard to discuss this without spoiling much, but there is a sense of rising tension throughout the novel as it becomes clearer and clearer that something is looming. From the first page, it's obvious something *isn't right*.
There were some issues here and there, but none that were so glaring that I couldn't enjoy the story. The largest "issue" might be one of the biggest selling points for fans of epic fantasy- this first novel, while it does have its own A plot, feels largely like a setup for a grander narrative.
It's clear this novel was just the beginning of a much larger story and unknown danger looms on the horizon. This was between a 4 and 5 for me, so rounded up of course.
Douglas has a way of setting a scene, and doing a terrific job of putting you in the mindset of the characters, even if they act frustratingly at times.
It's hard to discuss this without spoiling much, but there is a sense of rising tension throughout the novel as it becomes clearer and clearer that something is looming. From the first page, it's obvious something *isn't right*.
There were some issues here and there, but none that were so glaring that I couldn't enjoy the story. The largest "issue" might be one of the biggest selling points for fans of epic fantasy- this first novel, while it does have its own A plot, feels largely like a setup for a grander narrative.
It's clear this novel was just the beginning of a much larger story and unknown danger looms on the horizon. This was between a 4 and 5 for me, so rounded up of course.
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