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The Rise of Aredor #1
The Rise of Aredor
Lost in a foreign land and separated from his family, Corin does his best to survive as a slave in the household of a Calorin lord. With newfound friends he fights for survival in ambushes and wars. For one act of bravery, he is awarded his freedom and returns to a home that has been invaded and ravaged by the Calorin armies. When Corin sets foot on Aredor's shores, he has one goal in mind: find his family. He is driven into the forest, where he is reunited with childhood friends. From the shelter of the woods, they begin a spirited rebellion against Corin's former cruel master, who now holds sway over Aredor. Follow Corin's path in his quest to free his imprisoned brother, find a father who has vanished, and ultimately free his country in The Rise of Aredor.
324 pages, Paperback
First published March 11, 2014
10 people are currently reading
906 people want to read
About the author
Claire M. Banschbach
7 books199 followersClaire M. Banschbach also writes as C.M. Banschbach.
Claire M. Banschbach is a native West Texan. She discovered a deep and abiding love for fantasy and science fiction at a young age, prompting her to begin exploring worlds armed only with an overactive imagination and a pen. She's an overall dork, pizza addict, and fangirl. She enjoys meshing stories of family and faith with healthy doses of action and adventure. She talks to fictional characters more than she should while trying to find time for all their stories.
She currently resides in Arlington, TX where she works as a Pediatric Physical Therapist.
Claire M. Banschbach is a native West Texan. She discovered a deep and abiding love for fantasy and science fiction at a young age, prompting her to begin exploring worlds armed only with an overactive imagination and a pen. She's an overall dork, pizza addict, and fangirl. She enjoys meshing stories of family and faith with healthy doses of action and adventure. She talks to fictional characters more than she should while trying to find time for all their stories.
She currently resides in Arlington, TX where she works as a Pediatric Physical Therapist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
June 5, 2022
Have you read one of those books that makes you irresistibly happy? What about a book where you fall in love with the characters so much that you miss them once you finish the novel? Or maybe you've found a book that makes you sit on the edge of your seat, laugh at every joke and humorous circumstance, and talk to the characters aloud as if they were real?
Well, The Rise of Aredor is that book for me. I've found myself returning again and again to this book just to visit with the characters.
This swashbuckling, Robin Hood-esque story captivated me from the start. I quickly fell in love with Corin, Emmeth, and Martin (and pretty much the rest of the cast, but I don't want to bore you with a super long list). I found myself gripping the cover too tightly quite often (like THE ENDING D: D:).
While this book does have a slower start, the book explodes with action towards the end. About half of the book is devoted to Corin's time away from home, and while I wished for Corin to return to Aredor I did find myself enjoying Corin and Emmeth's friendship. :P When Corin does return home, the pace quickens and the feel becomes very Robin Hood-esque.
If you love Robin Hood stories, fantasy, or any story at all, you should totally check this out.
Well, The Rise of Aredor is that book for me. I've found myself returning again and again to this book just to visit with the characters.
This swashbuckling, Robin Hood-esque story captivated me from the start. I quickly fell in love with Corin, Emmeth, and Martin (and pretty much the rest of the cast, but I don't want to bore you with a super long list). I found myself gripping the cover too tightly quite often (like THE ENDING D: D:).
While this book does have a slower start, the book explodes with action towards the end. About half of the book is devoted to Corin's time away from home, and while I wished for Corin to return to Aredor I did find myself enjoying Corin and Emmeth's friendship. :P When Corin does return home, the pace quickens and the feel becomes very Robin Hood-esque.
If you love Robin Hood stories, fantasy, or any story at all, you should totally check this out.
November 22, 2015
I couldn’t help but give this one four stars. Though the beginning was a bit rough, The Rise of Aredor by Claire Banschbach was ultimately a great read for me.
The story starts off by introducing a young boy named Corin, his father and mother, who are the king and queen; and his sister, brother, and friends. We get to know them in this simple, happy setting, until something quite unexpected happens. From there, years pass, and we follow Corin as he braves incredible trials, engages in terrible battles, and ultimately becomes a young man known as The Hawk.
As I mentioned above, the beginning of The Rise of Aredor was a little choppy. Some incidents were alluded to, but the action skipped, leaving me feeling a bit out of the story. So for the first half of the book or so, I struggled to get into it, even though I was enjoying some aspects. There were all male characters, and the constant battling left me feeling like boys twelve and up might enjoy this story more than me.
But then… Oh yes, we definitely have a very bright other side to this! :) I feel like sometimes new authors just have a hard time with the beginning of their books. (I know I’ve done that; the start of the book you’re trying to find your style and figure everything out)… and then suddenly, you find your flow, and it all comes together beautifully. So at some point, the writing did loose its choppy feeling and I fell into the story. Also, I think it helped when some girl characters appeared. After that, I finished The Rise of Aredor quickly, quite loving it! :)
So Part Two of the story kind of had a Robin Hood retelling feel. I adored it so much!! :D I don’t know, it was just a fantastic idea that made a great tale! I know my younger brother would love it too, for the battles and Robin Hood feel, and also because of the fact that he loves hawks, and there’s a certain endearing hawk involved in The Rise of Aredor.
Oh, and there’s lots and lots of action. Battles, and sneaky raids, and daring rescues. Nothing too complex though. Though I got a little tired after a while of all the battles in the beginning (felt like perhaps it dragged on a little/the plot wasn’t progressing), Part Two was just so much fun for me, :) I really enjoyed the humor, the different friendships, and the girl’s roles in The Rise of Aredor also.
There wasn’t any romance, though there were some sweet relationship between men and women. It was all pretty much a brother/sister feel… though some of them could perhaps develop into romances in the future…? ;)
As for spiritual, Lleu was alluded to at various times in the book. I’m not sure if he represented the Creator of the world, or just a “god” of one of the land’s. There is a scene where an angelic messenger comes to a man in his dream, which I thought was a really neat, poignant moment.
This is a non-magical fantasy, in case you didn’t know. Which, a note on that… I would perhaps call The Rise of Aredor a historical with made-up places and such over fantasy. There were no strange creatures, or special abilities, or anything really like that. But, I guess I don’t really know exactly what “fantasy” entails… so whatever. Doesn’t matter much anyway.
There was quite a bit of violence in this story, but nothing terribly graphic at all. I’m hoping to get my ten-year-old brother to read it, actually! :)
To say what I’m thinking overall about this book; the hard beginning was definitely made up for by the spectacular-ness of Part Two. A non-magical fantasy… a retelling of Robin Hood… a harrowing, satisfying adventure… I’m happy to have read The Rise of Aredor! :) Looking forward to reading the second book.
I received a copy of The Rise of Aredor from the author in exchange for my honest review.
The story starts off by introducing a young boy named Corin, his father and mother, who are the king and queen; and his sister, brother, and friends. We get to know them in this simple, happy setting, until something quite unexpected happens. From there, years pass, and we follow Corin as he braves incredible trials, engages in terrible battles, and ultimately becomes a young man known as The Hawk.
As I mentioned above, the beginning of The Rise of Aredor was a little choppy. Some incidents were alluded to, but the action skipped, leaving me feeling a bit out of the story. So for the first half of the book or so, I struggled to get into it, even though I was enjoying some aspects. There were all male characters, and the constant battling left me feeling like boys twelve and up might enjoy this story more than me.
But then… Oh yes, we definitely have a very bright other side to this! :) I feel like sometimes new authors just have a hard time with the beginning of their books. (I know I’ve done that; the start of the book you’re trying to find your style and figure everything out)… and then suddenly, you find your flow, and it all comes together beautifully. So at some point, the writing did loose its choppy feeling and I fell into the story. Also, I think it helped when some girl characters appeared. After that, I finished The Rise of Aredor quickly, quite loving it! :)
So Part Two of the story kind of had a Robin Hood retelling feel. I adored it so much!! :D I don’t know, it was just a fantastic idea that made a great tale! I know my younger brother would love it too, for the battles and Robin Hood feel, and also because of the fact that he loves hawks, and there’s a certain endearing hawk involved in The Rise of Aredor.
Oh, and there’s lots and lots of action. Battles, and sneaky raids, and daring rescues. Nothing too complex though. Though I got a little tired after a while of all the battles in the beginning (felt like perhaps it dragged on a little/the plot wasn’t progressing), Part Two was just so much fun for me, :) I really enjoyed the humor, the different friendships, and the girl’s roles in The Rise of Aredor also.
There wasn’t any romance, though there were some sweet relationship between men and women. It was all pretty much a brother/sister feel… though some of them could perhaps develop into romances in the future…? ;)
As for spiritual, Lleu was alluded to at various times in the book. I’m not sure if he represented the Creator of the world, or just a “god” of one of the land’s. There is a scene where an angelic messenger comes to a man in his dream, which I thought was a really neat, poignant moment.
This is a non-magical fantasy, in case you didn’t know. Which, a note on that… I would perhaps call The Rise of Aredor a historical with made-up places and such over fantasy. There were no strange creatures, or special abilities, or anything really like that. But, I guess I don’t really know exactly what “fantasy” entails… so whatever. Doesn’t matter much anyway.
There was quite a bit of violence in this story, but nothing terribly graphic at all. I’m hoping to get my ten-year-old brother to read it, actually! :)
To say what I’m thinking overall about this book; the hard beginning was definitely made up for by the spectacular-ness of Part Two. A non-magical fantasy… a retelling of Robin Hood… a harrowing, satisfying adventure… I’m happy to have read The Rise of Aredor! :) Looking forward to reading the second book.
I received a copy of The Rise of Aredor from the author in exchange for my honest review.
June 29, 2016
I didn’t know what to expect from this book. I was thinking that I would at least like it. But no. It was way better than that. I loved it! It was so exciting and enjoyable to read!
Prince Corin of Aredor lived a normal life until around twelve years of age. Then he was stolen and sold as a slave. His defiance brings him trouble and he struggles to survive. But he will not be broken. Though his country is conquered by another and his family is probably dead or captured, he will not give up hope. He will survive. He will return. And he will take back his kingdom.
I loved these characters. They were characters that almost as soon as they were introduced you fell in love with them. The characters were endearing to me. Corin was, of course, my favorite. It was neat to see how he changed as he grew up. At first, he was a rambucksious boy who was always getting himself into trouble. He was funny and talkative. As he grew older and went through so much hardship, he became solemn and reserved. But there was always a quiet defiance about him. He had a temper that he barely kept under control. Emeth was awesome. He was humorous. He was a great friend to Corin. He brought him out of the darkness that Corin had sunk him. Azrahil was a great captain. He was stern, but he cared about his Phoenix Guard. Nicar was the learned in healing. He was calm and wise. Ahmed was quiet, but very loyal. I would like to learn more about him, I feel like I hardly know anything about him. Martin was fun and a bit reckless. He was so willing to do anything to save his friends.
The plot was extremely exciting. It was so fast paced. I was sucked in from the beginning. There were many dangerous battles. It got a bit violent, but I loved how medieval it felt. It felt like I was back in time on real campaigns. That was cool. People were captured. Towards the halfway point it had a Robin Hood feel as Corin took risks to take back Aredor. It was really fun. It had me stressed too many time to count. Especially at the end, I was worried.
The only problem I had was that the book was very rushed. It moved fast, which moving fast isn’t bad, but it was a bit too fast. I felt that it could have been more drawn out. That there could have been some more dialogue. The beginning was also a bit choppy with the way it moved fast through the first few years, but then it smoothed out and kept a pretty even pace.
Overall, it was a great book. One that I would recommend to all teens. I am very excited to start the next book and read more about these wonderful characters!
I got this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
You can check out this review on my blog too, at: https://aheartredeemed.wordpress.com/... Thanks!
Prince Corin of Aredor lived a normal life until around twelve years of age. Then he was stolen and sold as a slave. His defiance brings him trouble and he struggles to survive. But he will not be broken. Though his country is conquered by another and his family is probably dead or captured, he will not give up hope. He will survive. He will return. And he will take back his kingdom.
I loved these characters. They were characters that almost as soon as they were introduced you fell in love with them. The characters were endearing to me. Corin was, of course, my favorite. It was neat to see how he changed as he grew up. At first, he was a rambucksious boy who was always getting himself into trouble. He was funny and talkative. As he grew older and went through so much hardship, he became solemn and reserved. But there was always a quiet defiance about him. He had a temper that he barely kept under control. Emeth was awesome. He was humorous. He was a great friend to Corin. He brought him out of the darkness that Corin had sunk him. Azrahil was a great captain. He was stern, but he cared about his Phoenix Guard. Nicar was the learned in healing. He was calm and wise. Ahmed was quiet, but very loyal. I would like to learn more about him, I feel like I hardly know anything about him. Martin was fun and a bit reckless. He was so willing to do anything to save his friends.
The plot was extremely exciting. It was so fast paced. I was sucked in from the beginning. There were many dangerous battles. It got a bit violent, but I loved how medieval it felt. It felt like I was back in time on real campaigns. That was cool. People were captured. Towards the halfway point it had a Robin Hood feel as Corin took risks to take back Aredor. It was really fun. It had me stressed too many time to count. Especially at the end, I was worried.
The only problem I had was that the book was very rushed. It moved fast, which moving fast isn’t bad, but it was a bit too fast. I felt that it could have been more drawn out. That there could have been some more dialogue. The beginning was also a bit choppy with the way it moved fast through the first few years, but then it smoothed out and kept a pretty even pace.
Overall, it was a great book. One that I would recommend to all teens. I am very excited to start the next book and read more about these wonderful characters!
I got this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
You can check out this review on my blog too, at: https://aheartredeemed.wordpress.com/... Thanks!
April 20, 2018
Oh my goodness! I have so many wonderful things to say about this book! It is like "The Horse and His Boy" meets "Ben Hur" meets "Robin Hood." The characters are real, endearing, and inspiring. I want them to be my friends.
There are some books out there that tell you the MC is a tough warrior who has been through a lot, and you kind of just have to believe them. But this book takes you on the journey with Corin and you get to see how all the experiences in his life turned him into the man he is. And did I say that I loved this character? He is so stubborn and brave but also struggles with shame and bitterness. One of the things that I loved most about him is that when he is thrust into leadership, he keeps his doubts to himself. He feels unqualified, but he doesn't put on false humility. Instead, he steps up and leads to the best of his ability.
The side characters: Emeth, Ahmed, Trey, Tristan, Martin, and Liam are all engaging. One of this book's strengths is the dialogue. I loved the witty banter in the band of outlaws and how it never took away from the genuineness of the characters and their struggle.
This is a patient book with a big story to tell. Banschbach builds it one brick at a time until it is a beautiful piece of architecture! There are some minor issues in storycraft, like uneven pacing and mixed tone in a few scenes. But the heart of the story shines loud and clear.
This is a great piece of fiction and I can't wait to read more from this author!
There are some books out there that tell you the MC is a tough warrior who has been through a lot, and you kind of just have to believe them. But this book takes you on the journey with Corin and you get to see how all the experiences in his life turned him into the man he is. And did I say that I loved this character? He is so stubborn and brave but also struggles with shame and bitterness. One of the things that I loved most about him is that when he is thrust into leadership, he keeps his doubts to himself. He feels unqualified, but he doesn't put on false humility. Instead, he steps up and leads to the best of his ability.
The side characters: Emeth, Ahmed, Trey, Tristan, Martin, and Liam are all engaging. One of this book's strengths is the dialogue. I loved the witty banter in the band of outlaws and how it never took away from the genuineness of the characters and their struggle.
This is a patient book with a big story to tell. Banschbach builds it one brick at a time until it is a beautiful piece of architecture! There are some minor issues in storycraft, like uneven pacing and mixed tone in a few scenes. But the heart of the story shines loud and clear.
This is a great piece of fiction and I can't wait to read more from this author!
March 6, 2015
From the first time I heard about this book several months ago, when the author posted in a forum I frequent asking for reviews, I wanted to read this book. Unfortunately, I was rather overwhelmed at the time, and had to turn down the offer. However, last month she contacted me again, and since my plate was relatively emptier, and she's about to release the sequel, I agreed to it.
I read it in one night, staying up well past midnight to do so, but more because I was reading a PDF file and didn't want to loose my place, than because of the story itself. I was thoroughly intrigued by the premise, but it jerked awkwardly, especially at the beginning,
The basic plot? The book's description did a pretty good job of sharing it. I don't know if I could do any better without telling you the whole book. The first half was a lot of set up and battle scenes, and could probably have done without a few of the chapters. The second half was about how Corin frees his native country from the oppressive power of the country that enslaved him. So, in a way, it's kind of a Joseph story, but more fighting.
A lot of reviewers are comparing the story to The Horse and His Boy, and it's a comparison it fully deserves. After all, if you have a missing prince named CORIN, made a slave in an Arabian-esque country called CALORIN (Calormen, anyone?) ... yeah, obvious connections can be made there, yes? However the writing style was very different from Lewis. It read more like a Henty novel, save for the fact that it didn't take place in actual history, and our hero wasn't married at the end. Good characters that can be sometimes hard to connect with, and an intriguing, twisting plot that took forever to get going.
A lot of readers are comparing the second half to Robin Hood, and I can see that ... but it reminded me more of William Wallace, since they weren't fighting off an oppressive government, but rather oppressive invaders.
But as much as I love Henty and Narnia, they didn't mesh well in this book. The magic of Narnia is the delightful world, and the rich truths that Lewis conveyed. The magic of Henty is the in-depth history and all of the historical figures that the hero rubs shoulders with. Rise of Aredor had neither, as its world is quite fictional, though realistic. While God - called Lleu - did have a presence in the book, He was usually only mentioned when things were going terribly wrong and they could no longer do it on its own. I would have liked to have seen the characters ask His guidance when making their troubles, to have seen a bit stronger faith. It made sense in the first half, but in the second, I would have really liked to have seen the characters asking Lleu's guidance BEFORE they made all of their grand schemes.
I did like the book, not enough to put it on my list of favorites, but enough that I'm tempted to buy a copy for my cousins (three rowdy boys who would love this sort of story) for Christmas, and enough that I'm eager to read the sequel, which is waiting for me on my Android. The author has a lot of potential, and I can't wait to see where the series goes.
I read it in one night, staying up well past midnight to do so, but more because I was reading a PDF file and didn't want to loose my place, than because of the story itself. I was thoroughly intrigued by the premise, but it jerked awkwardly, especially at the beginning,
The basic plot? The book's description did a pretty good job of sharing it. I don't know if I could do any better without telling you the whole book. The first half was a lot of set up and battle scenes, and could probably have done without a few of the chapters. The second half was about how Corin frees his native country from the oppressive power of the country that enslaved him. So, in a way, it's kind of a Joseph story, but more fighting.
A lot of reviewers are comparing the story to The Horse and His Boy, and it's a comparison it fully deserves. After all, if you have a missing prince named CORIN, made a slave in an Arabian-esque country called CALORIN (Calormen, anyone?) ... yeah, obvious connections can be made there, yes? However the writing style was very different from Lewis. It read more like a Henty novel, save for the fact that it didn't take place in actual history, and our hero wasn't married at the end. Good characters that can be sometimes hard to connect with, and an intriguing, twisting plot that took forever to get going.
A lot of readers are comparing the second half to Robin Hood, and I can see that ... but it reminded me more of William Wallace, since they weren't fighting off an oppressive government, but rather oppressive invaders.
But as much as I love Henty and Narnia, they didn't mesh well in this book. The magic of Narnia is the delightful world, and the rich truths that Lewis conveyed. The magic of Henty is the in-depth history and all of the historical figures that the hero rubs shoulders with. Rise of Aredor had neither, as its world is quite fictional, though realistic. While God - called Lleu - did have a presence in the book, He was usually only mentioned when things were going terribly wrong and they could no longer do it on its own. I would have liked to have seen the characters ask His guidance when making their troubles, to have seen a bit stronger faith. It made sense in the first half, but in the second, I would have really liked to have seen the characters asking Lleu's guidance BEFORE they made all of their grand schemes.
I did like the book, not enough to put it on my list of favorites, but enough that I'm tempted to buy a copy for my cousins (three rowdy boys who would love this sort of story) for Christmas, and enough that I'm eager to read the sequel, which is waiting for me on my Android. The author has a lot of potential, and I can't wait to see where the series goes.
August 5, 2016
Plot- 15/20
Characters- 20/20
Creativity- 18/20
Writing- 17/20
Pace- 8/10
Ending- 7/10
85/100= B
4.5/5 stars
I found the plot slightly confusing, but the characters made up for it. I LOVED the characters. I will be looking forward to purchasing the second book! :)
Characters- 20/20
Creativity- 18/20
Writing- 17/20
Pace- 8/10
Ending- 7/10
85/100= B
4.5/5 stars
I found the plot slightly confusing, but the characters made up for it. I LOVED the characters. I will be looking forward to purchasing the second book! :)
February 20, 2017
This book . . . wow! I don't even know where to start. It moves from one action-packed adventure to another, seemingly without a break. In the first third, it seemed a bit "jumpy", jumping 2 weeks here, 3 months there, 8 years here. I love the young Corin, and his brother Darrin. So realistic and mischievous, I could see my younger brothers in them. All the characters had a decent amount of depth, but you never really "got inside" their heads and truly felt their emotions. But, it was still well done in my opinion, it had me chuckling in parts and crying in others.
I loved the action. In a lot of fantasy novels I have read, the action scenes often are depicted quite graphically, with a lot of blood and gore, and detailed descriptions of injuries and deaths. Not so in this case. It wasn't too vague that you had no idea what just happened, but wasn't overly graphic either. The action scenes were tastefully and tactfully done, near perfection of the way an action scene should be in my opinion.
I loved the comradery between Hamid, Emeth, Ahmed and the other men. Sometimes it felt overdone, but overall I really liked it.
I would have to say I liked the second part much better than the first. It had a very "Robin Hood feel" to it, without being cliché, which I loved. (although I have actually never read Robin Hood. :P) The way Corin and his men outsmarted the "bad guys" was so fun to read, and I felt like getting up and giving a hurrah after each incident.
The end battle was epically awesome! So cool! I loved it, and was on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next.
My main issue with this book, is the subject of religion. I assume it was written from a Christian perspective, but it was never clear. There was mention of a god named Lleu, as well as 'other gods'. I am not sure if Lleu was meant to portray God (as in the one true God), or just a fictional god. I wish that would have been portrayed more clearly.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and would read it again.
I loved the action. In a lot of fantasy novels I have read, the action scenes often are depicted quite graphically, with a lot of blood and gore, and detailed descriptions of injuries and deaths. Not so in this case. It wasn't too vague that you had no idea what just happened, but wasn't overly graphic either. The action scenes were tastefully and tactfully done, near perfection of the way an action scene should be in my opinion.
I loved the comradery between Hamid, Emeth, Ahmed and the other men. Sometimes it felt overdone, but overall I really liked it.
I would have to say I liked the second part much better than the first. It had a very "Robin Hood feel" to it, without being cliché, which I loved. (although I have actually never read Robin Hood. :P) The way Corin and his men outsmarted the "bad guys" was so fun to read, and I felt like getting up and giving a hurrah after each incident.
The end battle was epically awesome! So cool! I loved it, and was on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next.
My main issue with this book, is the subject of religion. I assume it was written from a Christian perspective, but it was never clear. There was mention of a god named Lleu, as well as 'other gods'. I am not sure if Lleu was meant to portray God (as in the one true God), or just a fictional god. I wish that would have been portrayed more clearly.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and would read it again.
April 11, 2016
WOW!! This was a great book!! The beginning was magnificent, after about halfway through it got a little less exciting, but it was still great. So o like the first half the best. I just LOVE Corin!!! For people who love battles and wars this is a great book for you. Everyone should read it. I recommend it for ages, 12-13-up. there is a bit of violence that might scare younger audiences.
August 12, 2017
Claire M. Banschbach got to an incredible start to her two-book series in her first book The Rise of Aredor. Since I had the chance to read the second book in the series, I was looking forward to reading this book when I received a free kindle copy as a part of a promotional event.
Of course, I wasn’t disappointed. One thing that really stood out to me was how easily the author could introduce a new or minor character and have them endeared to your heart and memory with a simple character description. All of the battle scenes flowed smoothly and gave just enough detail for it to be well done without going into unnecessary detail. The author’s creativity especially in Corin’s character was well done and I enjoyed the bold plans and daring rescues that were distinctly Corin’s.
The storyline begins with twelve year old Prince Corin of Aredor. We get just a short glimpse of his royal life before the he is kidnapped by slavers and taken to the south to the country of Calorin. There he becomes a slave to a rather cruel Calorin, Lord Balkor. There he is given a new name, Hamíd, which he goes by for the rest of his time in Calorin.
After several years of service to Lord Balkor, he is sold to another Calorin, Lord Rishdah, who is an important advisor to the Sultaan. He is trained in the Calorin weapons and quickly masters them well enough to become a part of the Phoenix Guard, Lord Rishdah’s best men that serve as a bodyguard to him. He also becomes fast friends with Emeth and Ahmed.
These three friends stand together through the thick and thin. I really enjoyed their teasing but loyal friendship. The second book (which I read before the first) is told from Emeth’s perspective and I enjoyed hearing about some of the harrying events that had been only referenced. The scenes between camp healer Nicar and Emeth who always had to be patched up were comical and were characteristic of the humor throughout the entire book.
The Calorins are always fighting, even during the rare times when they aren’t at war with a country. There always seems to be battles of some sort and life as part of the Phoenix Guard wasn’t boring for anyone. However when Calorin declares war unexpectedly on Aredor, Corin is torn. He is loyal in heart to his home country but he pledged his service to Lord Rishdah. He is simply thankfully that the Sultaan doesn’t send Lord Rishdah’s men to Aredor to fight.
Corin almost dies after he saves the life of Lord Rishdah’s oldest son Ismail from a lion’s attack. When he recovers, Lord Rishdah finds out Corin’s real name and heritage. The lord decides then to release him of his pledge and allow Corin to leave the Phoenix Guard if that was his choice. So, with a promise to never forget those whose lives he fought with, he leaves his friends and Lord Rishdah.
He is free, but free to go to what? His family is scattered, if still alive. His country is in ruins and occupied by the Calorins and their allies the Argusians. What does he have left? And what will it cost him to become Prince Corin of Aredor and not Hamíd of the Phoenix Guard?
The first half of the book ends on that note. It would be easy for me to tell you how the last part plays out because where a lot of action directly from Corin comes from and makes great reading. However I have to be careful not to give any spoilers so I’ll refrain and hope that you read the rest of The Rise of Aredor for yourself.
Of course, I wasn’t disappointed. One thing that really stood out to me was how easily the author could introduce a new or minor character and have them endeared to your heart and memory with a simple character description. All of the battle scenes flowed smoothly and gave just enough detail for it to be well done without going into unnecessary detail. The author’s creativity especially in Corin’s character was well done and I enjoyed the bold plans and daring rescues that were distinctly Corin’s.
The storyline begins with twelve year old Prince Corin of Aredor. We get just a short glimpse of his royal life before the he is kidnapped by slavers and taken to the south to the country of Calorin. There he becomes a slave to a rather cruel Calorin, Lord Balkor. There he is given a new name, Hamíd, which he goes by for the rest of his time in Calorin.
After several years of service to Lord Balkor, he is sold to another Calorin, Lord Rishdah, who is an important advisor to the Sultaan. He is trained in the Calorin weapons and quickly masters them well enough to become a part of the Phoenix Guard, Lord Rishdah’s best men that serve as a bodyguard to him. He also becomes fast friends with Emeth and Ahmed.
These three friends stand together through the thick and thin. I really enjoyed their teasing but loyal friendship. The second book (which I read before the first) is told from Emeth’s perspective and I enjoyed hearing about some of the harrying events that had been only referenced. The scenes between camp healer Nicar and Emeth who always had to be patched up were comical and were characteristic of the humor throughout the entire book.
The Calorins are always fighting, even during the rare times when they aren’t at war with a country. There always seems to be battles of some sort and life as part of the Phoenix Guard wasn’t boring for anyone. However when Calorin declares war unexpectedly on Aredor, Corin is torn. He is loyal in heart to his home country but he pledged his service to Lord Rishdah. He is simply thankfully that the Sultaan doesn’t send Lord Rishdah’s men to Aredor to fight.
Corin almost dies after he saves the life of Lord Rishdah’s oldest son Ismail from a lion’s attack. When he recovers, Lord Rishdah finds out Corin’s real name and heritage. The lord decides then to release him of his pledge and allow Corin to leave the Phoenix Guard if that was his choice. So, with a promise to never forget those whose lives he fought with, he leaves his friends and Lord Rishdah.
He is free, but free to go to what? His family is scattered, if still alive. His country is in ruins and occupied by the Calorins and their allies the Argusians. What does he have left? And what will it cost him to become Prince Corin of Aredor and not Hamíd of the Phoenix Guard?
The first half of the book ends on that note. It would be easy for me to tell you how the last part plays out because where a lot of action directly from Corin comes from and makes great reading. However I have to be careful not to give any spoilers so I’ll refrain and hope that you read the rest of The Rise of Aredor for yourself.
June 13, 2016
3.5 stars
This book is divided into two segments or "books" (Book One: The Phoenix Guard, Book Two: Hawk Uprising), basically defining two parts of Corin's (or Hadmid's) life.
I couldn't really discover a plot for the first part of the book -- it seemed like the story was being driven from event to event, told in an overview sort of way. I didn't really get "into" the characters. However, when it came to the second book, I thoroughly enjoyed it! There was definitely a strong plot as Corin set to work at finding his family and summing up the courage of the Aredorians. In some ways it made me think of Robin Hood.
There were a few things that I either missed or they weren't there -- for example, who was the inside informant of Lord Rishdah?
What I liked:
- I appreciated the "no magic" in this book!
- It was very clean as far as no morally compromising situations (really, no romance at all), no bad words; there weren't any scenes that made me feel uncomfortable
- Karif. You'll have to read the book to find out who Karif is. ;)
- The humor. Ah! I did laugh a few times throughout this book!
- I didn't find it extremely gruesome, though about 90% of the book was descriptions of war and fighting. There were tortures, but they were mentioned, not detailed.
What I didn't like:
- I can't call this a Christian book. The higher powers of Zayd and Lleu is mentioned. Hope of earning a place in Lleu's halls.
- I'm not big on dreams, and there were two scenes: one where Hamid dreamed that a dead friend warned him of upcoming danger, another where a wounded man dreamed that he talked with a messenger from Lleu then was healed. Those were just a little weird to me.
- From a fictional point of view, I enjoyed it. They seemed to always get the inside scoop, always be one step ahead, always have mistakes turn into victory, etc. (exception at the climax, of course) If I wanted to read a story where the good guys always managed to be smarter and more skilled than the bad guys, this was it. But if you like realistic stories (which, I tend to...), too many good things happen to make it believable.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading The Wildcat of Braeton in the next month or so!!!
*I received this book from the author in exchange of my honest review*
This book is divided into two segments or "books" (Book One: The Phoenix Guard, Book Two: Hawk Uprising), basically defining two parts of Corin's (or Hadmid's) life.
I couldn't really discover a plot for the first part of the book -- it seemed like the story was being driven from event to event, told in an overview sort of way. I didn't really get "into" the characters. However, when it came to the second book, I thoroughly enjoyed it! There was definitely a strong plot as Corin set to work at finding his family and summing up the courage of the Aredorians. In some ways it made me think of Robin Hood.
There were a few things that I either missed or they weren't there -- for example, who was the inside informant of Lord Rishdah?
What I liked:
- I appreciated the "no magic" in this book!
- It was very clean as far as no morally compromising situations (really, no romance at all), no bad words; there weren't any scenes that made me feel uncomfortable
- Karif. You'll have to read the book to find out who Karif is. ;)
- The humor. Ah! I did laugh a few times throughout this book!
- I didn't find it extremely gruesome, though about 90% of the book was descriptions of war and fighting. There were tortures, but they were mentioned, not detailed.
What I didn't like:
- I can't call this a Christian book. The higher powers of Zayd and Lleu is mentioned. Hope of earning a place in Lleu's halls.
- I'm not big on dreams, and there were two scenes: one where Hamid dreamed that a dead friend warned him of upcoming danger, another where a wounded man dreamed that he talked with a messenger from Lleu then was healed. Those were just a little weird to me.
- From a fictional point of view, I enjoyed it. They seemed to always get the inside scoop, always be one step ahead, always have mistakes turn into victory, etc. (exception at the climax, of course) If I wanted to read a story where the good guys always managed to be smarter and more skilled than the bad guys, this was it. But if you like realistic stories (which, I tend to...), too many good things happen to make it believable.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading The Wildcat of Braeton in the next month or so!!!
*I received this book from the author in exchange of my honest review*
Read
June 21, 2017The main storyline here is engaging enough - a young prince called Corin is enslaved and sent far away from his homeland to the land of Calorin.
When he finally gains a kind master, Calorin invades his homeland. His master discovers who Corin is and ponders (my favourite line):
"What do you do with a prince whose country you have just invaded?"
What indeed? The answer to this question changes Corin's life forever.
I could only give this two stars as the writing is really choppy (lots of head hopping, showing not telling) especially in the first half of the novel. The writing does improve in the second half.
Also there are a lot of fighting scenes in this book. I fast forward fighting scenes in movies and skim them in books, only tolerating them as a necessary evil for character/plot development. Having to skim so many fighting scenes detracted from my enjoyment of this story. If you like action however this may be a bonus for you as this is very action orientated.
I was given a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
When he finally gains a kind master, Calorin invades his homeland. His master discovers who Corin is and ponders (my favourite line):
"What do you do with a prince whose country you have just invaded?"
What indeed? The answer to this question changes Corin's life forever.
I could only give this two stars as the writing is really choppy (lots of head hopping, showing not telling) especially in the first half of the novel. The writing does improve in the second half.
Also there are a lot of fighting scenes in this book. I fast forward fighting scenes in movies and skim them in books, only tolerating them as a necessary evil for character/plot development. Having to skim so many fighting scenes detracted from my enjoyment of this story. If you like action however this may be a bonus for you as this is very action orientated.
I was given a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2016
I loved this book because it got me reading again when I had stopped for a long time. It is full of brotherhood, loyalty, and friendship with a little action and suspense. It ends well and is easy to read. It is a great book to ease you back into reading.
March 3, 2015
3.5 stars
Recommended for: Ages 10 to Adult
Rating: PG (for violence)
This is a rather difficult review to write. I really wanted to love this book. Claire likes a lot of the same books as me, like Narnia, Lord of the Rings, and Ilyon Chronicles, and even watches Doctor Who. I thus had high hopes for The Rise of Aredor, but it never made it to my favorites list.
Writing: 3/5
As other reviewers have said, the beginning of this book is rather choppy. There was a good bit of head hopping, and it changed scenes too dramatically too often. This definitely evened out later on and got much better. There really wasn't any character voice, though, and I was never really drawn into the story. Grammatically, it was well done, though I did notice a handful of typos.
Setting: 4/5
The Rise of Aredor is set in a magic-free fantasy world with a medieval-type feel. The setting actually reminded me a good bit of The Horse and His Boy, and some elements (like the skin dye) of The Last Battle, particularly Calorin, which had several similarities to Calormen. While there were many similarities to Narnia, it still was different enough to be it's own world. Narnians will be quite at home there.
Plot: 3/5
I liked the plot of Part 2. Part 1 really felt to me more like backstory or a prologue. Part 1 tells of how Corin was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Calorin and his life there. I really felt, especially in this part, that there was too much shoved into the space so that none of it had time to be explored properly. There were a lot of battles (though none of them very graphic), as Corin, now called Hamid, became a soldier for Calorin. I like a good battle as a climax (Molly Evangeline does an excellent job at this), but too many battles tend to bore me. Which is why my sisters and I are not big fans of the movie Gettysburg. I would have preferred more time to be spent on the characters than the battles. The second part was definitely better, as it had an objective: freeing Corin's family and the country of Aredor. It was more interesting, as there was more action that wasn't a battle (and there were finally a few girl characters). I think the book would have been better had Claire picked the important parts of the story to delve deeply into and omitted the endless battles. Still, she definitely has potential, and I hope she keeps writing.
Character Development: 4/5
The characters are fairly well developed and each seem unique, but I never really connected to any of them. I felt more like an outsider watching a group of close friends interact than a part of the inner group. I think deep character point of view would have helped me to connect. I was concerned for Corin when he got hurt, and for other characters when they had their injuries and illnesses, I just never really felt what they were going through.
Claire M. Banschbach has a lot of potential as a writer, it was just not fully realized in this, her first novel. While The Rise of Aredor is unfortunately not a favorite of mine it is still a good book and I still have high hopes for the sequel, The Wildcat of Braeton.
I received a free e copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.
For more reviews from me and my sisters, visit www.shirereviews.blogspot.com
Recommended for: Ages 10 to Adult
Rating: PG (for violence)
This is a rather difficult review to write. I really wanted to love this book. Claire likes a lot of the same books as me, like Narnia, Lord of the Rings, and Ilyon Chronicles, and even watches Doctor Who. I thus had high hopes for The Rise of Aredor, but it never made it to my favorites list.
Writing: 3/5
As other reviewers have said, the beginning of this book is rather choppy. There was a good bit of head hopping, and it changed scenes too dramatically too often. This definitely evened out later on and got much better. There really wasn't any character voice, though, and I was never really drawn into the story. Grammatically, it was well done, though I did notice a handful of typos.
Setting: 4/5
The Rise of Aredor is set in a magic-free fantasy world with a medieval-type feel. The setting actually reminded me a good bit of The Horse and His Boy, and some elements (like the skin dye) of The Last Battle, particularly Calorin, which had several similarities to Calormen. While there were many similarities to Narnia, it still was different enough to be it's own world. Narnians will be quite at home there.
Plot: 3/5
I liked the plot of Part 2. Part 1 really felt to me more like backstory or a prologue. Part 1 tells of how Corin was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Calorin and his life there. I really felt, especially in this part, that there was too much shoved into the space so that none of it had time to be explored properly. There were a lot of battles (though none of them very graphic), as Corin, now called Hamid, became a soldier for Calorin. I like a good battle as a climax (Molly Evangeline does an excellent job at this), but too many battles tend to bore me. Which is why my sisters and I are not big fans of the movie Gettysburg. I would have preferred more time to be spent on the characters than the battles. The second part was definitely better, as it had an objective: freeing Corin's family and the country of Aredor. It was more interesting, as there was more action that wasn't a battle (and there were finally a few girl characters). I think the book would have been better had Claire picked the important parts of the story to delve deeply into and omitted the endless battles. Still, she definitely has potential, and I hope she keeps writing.
Character Development: 4/5
The characters are fairly well developed and each seem unique, but I never really connected to any of them. I felt more like an outsider watching a group of close friends interact than a part of the inner group. I think deep character point of view would have helped me to connect. I was concerned for Corin when he got hurt, and for other characters when they had their injuries and illnesses, I just never really felt what they were going through.
Claire M. Banschbach has a lot of potential as a writer, it was just not fully realized in this, her first novel. While The Rise of Aredor is unfortunately not a favorite of mine it is still a good book and I still have high hopes for the sequel, The Wildcat of Braeton.
I received a free e copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.
For more reviews from me and my sisters, visit www.shirereviews.blogspot.com
September 25, 2014
Age Appropriate For: Ages 13 and up for violence
Best for Ages: 13 and up
Sometimes it is really hard to do reviews on debut novels, and this was one of those hard ones. Debut novels often show promise, but leave lots of room for improvement. This book shows a lot of promise, and I really look forward to seeing this author’s books in the years to come.
The first third of this book was very choppy and poorly written, but after about the first third, the author hit their stride and it began to improve. By the end of the book, I saw a lot of promise and really hope that this author will continue to write.
The story itself was good, even with the choppy writing. A prince who is captured and sold into slavery and treated poorly is a great start to a story. When the prince is sold again to a kind master who wants to teach him to fight, it gets even more interesting. When he finally gets a chance to go home, you don’t want to stop reading.
Even though the characters weren’t deep, they were likable. Corin and his many adventures kept me interested in turning the pages. He was a very likable hero who overcomes every challenge he faces.
The strongest point of this book was the male characters interacting. There were many jokes and fun parts between Corin and his friends. The male friendships were very masculine, which was very nice.
There was a lot of talk of wars and blood in this book, but nothing that was so graphic as to make me feel sick. There wasn’t any romance, nor was there a message of faith.
I recommend this to those who like non-magical fantasy, adventure stories, and strong male leads.
I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.
Best for Ages: 13 and up
Sometimes it is really hard to do reviews on debut novels, and this was one of those hard ones. Debut novels often show promise, but leave lots of room for improvement. This book shows a lot of promise, and I really look forward to seeing this author’s books in the years to come.
The first third of this book was very choppy and poorly written, but after about the first third, the author hit their stride and it began to improve. By the end of the book, I saw a lot of promise and really hope that this author will continue to write.
The story itself was good, even with the choppy writing. A prince who is captured and sold into slavery and treated poorly is a great start to a story. When the prince is sold again to a kind master who wants to teach him to fight, it gets even more interesting. When he finally gets a chance to go home, you don’t want to stop reading.
Even though the characters weren’t deep, they were likable. Corin and his many adventures kept me interested in turning the pages. He was a very likable hero who overcomes every challenge he faces.
The strongest point of this book was the male characters interacting. There were many jokes and fun parts between Corin and his friends. The male friendships were very masculine, which was very nice.
There was a lot of talk of wars and blood in this book, but nothing that was so graphic as to make me feel sick. There wasn’t any romance, nor was there a message of faith.
I recommend this to those who like non-magical fantasy, adventure stories, and strong male leads.
I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.
April 18, 2014
This is a very competent and stylish fantasy story which will entertain readers of all ages from I'd say fourteen or so and over. The story of a Prince who is kidnapped and sold into slavery, it is the tale of one man's battles to regain his honour, as well as his fallen status. Branded as a slave, name changed to heap further shame upon him, our hero must overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. There are wars to fight along the way, friendships to forge in the most dire of circumstances and allegiances to make, debts to repay. He has to learn who he can trust, in a world where trust is everything.
The story is fast-paced. Perhaps a little too pacey at times as more world building could have been slotted in for my personal taste. However, the editing and writing is of a high standard and the characters are extremely well developed, each having their own personality traits which grab you without you even realising it. I was drawn into the make believe world easily, which is a great credit to the author.
I'm told this is a first novel and as such it is a very encouraging first foray into the world of literature. If M/s Banschbach continues to hone her talents, we are in for some wonderful adventures.
The story is fast-paced. Perhaps a little too pacey at times as more world building could have been slotted in for my personal taste. However, the editing and writing is of a high standard and the characters are extremely well developed, each having their own personality traits which grab you without you even realising it. I was drawn into the make believe world easily, which is a great credit to the author.
I'm told this is a first novel and as such it is a very encouraging first foray into the world of literature. If M/s Banschbach continues to hone her talents, we are in for some wonderful adventures.
January 14, 2016
While this book starts a little slow, the actions builds and builds until the climatic ending. It reminded me of a saga with the way it follows the main character for a decade of his life. The time the book spends on the MC's life is well-spent. The friends he makes in his early life re-appear in an interesting way that deepens the final conflict. In the end, will loyalty to country triumph over the loyalty of friendship? Is there a way to have both even when the friends are on opposite sides?
There was very little to no references to God, but the book remained clean and the characters held to morals despite the desperate situations they were placed in. I'd recommend this book for anyone who loves good, clean, action-packed adventure novels.
There was very little to no references to God, but the book remained clean and the characters held to morals despite the desperate situations they were placed in. I'd recommend this book for anyone who loves good, clean, action-packed adventure novels.
April 15, 2019
The Rise of Aredor brought me back to the various adventure films in historical settings I've enjoyed over the years, such as the movies of Charlton Heston or the 2010 Prince of Persia adaptation (yes, that IS a great film and I will fight to defend its honor if necessary). Though Rise is a fantasy book by virtue of its otherworld setting, there isn't any magic to speak of here, nor do magical creatures exist in the book's reality. This in no way makes Rise any less entertaining, however. The emphasis here is on well-written characters, deep world-building, and epic battles, all of which combine to create a book you won't be able to put down. I felt a strong emotional investment in the lives of the characters by the time the story was finished and couldn't wait to move on to Book 2.
November 13, 2021
I can’t remember where I heard about this book, but I purchased it in 2017 when it was on sale, and saved it for my 2018 reading challenge. I started it early January, and was not disappointed! It was a bit slow (mostly talking about the first two or three chapters here), but then it jumped right into the action and never slowed back down! Since slow beginnings never cause me to slow down or stop reading, I’m not going to hold that against the book. I’m just stating it was a bit...well, not as exciting as the rest of the book.
But the rest of the book...wow. Wowwowwowwow. Words fail me. I utterly enjoyed every single page of it. THIS. This book. This is what I am looking for when I read!! Thrilling adventures. Wonderful characters. Beautiful storyworld.
There was a G.A.Henty feel to the book, which I really enjoyed! Claire is a master storyteller, and I never once felt like the narrative was rough or choppy. The descriptions were satisfactory and the dialogue humorous. With so many battle scenes, it could have been easy for the book to get a little boring or tedious, but I never found it so! I absolutely loved the characters, and I am a character-driven reader. This book did not disappoint! Each and every character was a pleasure to read about!
There was a Narnia feel to the book which made me smile. It was slightly distracting from time to time, but once I read the whole thing, it didn't bother me, as I am able to see it as it's own story.
Magic: None. There is one scene where a character gets a dream with a message from a character who had recently died. Some people may not be bothered by this at all, but I’ve never liked “dreams” and such.
Language: Nothing said word for word, though there are lines that read “so-and-so muttered a curse.”
Skip-Worthy: This is clean, with no explicit scenes. Very little romance, though there are a few characters who are perhaps a little super-nice to each other. But nothing edgy.
Gore: This is a fantasy novel, and one full of battles. So there are spears thrown and wounds received. Nothing is terribly graphic, and while a few characters are tortured, those scenes are not given. But there is still some blood letting and pain within the pages.
OVERALL REACTION: I have fallen in love with this book, and can’t wait to read the next one! When I finished this book, I was utterly speechless, and just stared into space, trying to gather my thoughts (which took me a while). I laughed and cried and held my breath in suspense while reading, and really, what more can I ask for? This book is just what I like. 5 stars!
But the rest of the book...wow. Wowwowwowwow. Words fail me. I utterly enjoyed every single page of it. THIS. This book. This is what I am looking for when I read!! Thrilling adventures. Wonderful characters. Beautiful storyworld.
There was a G.A.Henty feel to the book, which I really enjoyed! Claire is a master storyteller, and I never once felt like the narrative was rough or choppy. The descriptions were satisfactory and the dialogue humorous. With so many battle scenes, it could have been easy for the book to get a little boring or tedious, but I never found it so! I absolutely loved the characters, and I am a character-driven reader. This book did not disappoint! Each and every character was a pleasure to read about!
There was a Narnia feel to the book which made me smile. It was slightly distracting from time to time, but once I read the whole thing, it didn't bother me, as I am able to see it as it's own story.
Magic: None. There is one scene where a character gets a dream with a message from a character who had recently died. Some people may not be bothered by this at all, but I’ve never liked “dreams” and such.
Language: Nothing said word for word, though there are lines that read “so-and-so muttered a curse.”
Skip-Worthy: This is clean, with no explicit scenes. Very little romance, though there are a few characters who are perhaps a little super-nice to each other. But nothing edgy.
Gore: This is a fantasy novel, and one full of battles. So there are spears thrown and wounds received. Nothing is terribly graphic, and while a few characters are tortured, those scenes are not given. But there is still some blood letting and pain within the pages.
OVERALL REACTION: I have fallen in love with this book, and can’t wait to read the next one! When I finished this book, I was utterly speechless, and just stared into space, trying to gather my thoughts (which took me a while). I laughed and cried and held my breath in suspense while reading, and really, what more can I ask for? This book is just what I like. 5 stars!
September 29, 2017
As a child, Corin was kidnapped while on a journey with his father. His existence as the second son of the King of Aredor was kept secret while Corin became a slave to a cruel master. Time passed, circumstances chagned, and Corin became a great warrior under a new name. But his allegiance to his homeland and his family never left, and if given the chance, he would do anything to return to his family.
I really enjoyed The Rise of Aredor. It was very much the story of a young man growing into an warrior, a prince, and a man. He began as a scared child and grew into an adult with the help of the people around him. Given the right circumstances, he thrived. The book showed his conquests as a warrior before returning him home to use his talents to rescue his family and nation from their troubles. I appreciated the build up where they showed exactly where he gained his skills and then showed how they were ultimately useful to him.
The setting was a fantasy world very similar to a number of medieval cultures in the real world. Corin was the prince of the British-type medieval nation, Aredor, but he was taken to a desert nation that reminded me strongly of certain Arabic traditions. Since the main character spent much of his life in the Arabic-ish country, a large amount of the book featured the country. It was fascinating. I loved reading about it and comparing it to the European traditions.
I liked the book as a whole. It was a tad slow at the beginning. It had to set up the circumstances before jumping into the action, but it was still slow. Also, it was interesting for me to note that there was no romance. Not like the majority of fantasy books, anyway. There were a few characters who shared a special connection, but not the main character and not in depth. It focused much more on Corin's growth into a man.
I recommend this book to fans of YA fantasy and coming of age novels. There are no content warnings. Also, I had the impression, when I started, that this book was Christian. Thinking back, I didn't see a distinct Christian message or related allegory, but the messages and morals of this book matched up with the general Christian beliefs.
I received a complementary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed The Rise of Aredor. It was very much the story of a young man growing into an warrior, a prince, and a man. He began as a scared child and grew into an adult with the help of the people around him. Given the right circumstances, he thrived. The book showed his conquests as a warrior before returning him home to use his talents to rescue his family and nation from their troubles. I appreciated the build up where they showed exactly where he gained his skills and then showed how they were ultimately useful to him.
The setting was a fantasy world very similar to a number of medieval cultures in the real world. Corin was the prince of the British-type medieval nation, Aredor, but he was taken to a desert nation that reminded me strongly of certain Arabic traditions. Since the main character spent much of his life in the Arabic-ish country, a large amount of the book featured the country. It was fascinating. I loved reading about it and comparing it to the European traditions.
I liked the book as a whole. It was a tad slow at the beginning. It had to set up the circumstances before jumping into the action, but it was still slow. Also, it was interesting for me to note that there was no romance. Not like the majority of fantasy books, anyway. There were a few characters who shared a special connection, but not the main character and not in depth. It focused much more on Corin's growth into a man.
I recommend this book to fans of YA fantasy and coming of age novels. There are no content warnings. Also, I had the impression, when I started, that this book was Christian. Thinking back, I didn't see a distinct Christian message or related allegory, but the messages and morals of this book matched up with the general Christian beliefs.
I received a complementary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
August 8, 2020
VIDEO REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/xaJiuFwEKXk
I loved getting to know and cheer for Corin in this book! I found the first "book" (first half) to be very engaging, even if it was fast-paced in the time frame as well as heart breaking. The "brotherhood" is what won me over and just wanted to give these guys a group hug. Loved them so much! I also enjoyed the second "book" (second half) in seeing how Corin has grown into the man he is by the end.
Though there was a lot more fighting then I anticipated (though I will definitely assure that this book is not gory), I quite enjoyed the war aspect of Corin's life. Reading about how they planned to ambush a certain place or the plans they had to defend was interesting and left me wondering what was going to happen next (and if Corin would live :p).
Since it would be a spoiler, I will mention that I very much enjoyed how this cover comes into play. I also loved the ending! The author really gave me a brief moment of panic until a certain dream (thank goodness for it).
Overall, a great read and am looking forward to continuing to see where these characters will take me next in book two!
*(I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed are my own and was not required to write a positive review.)*
I loved getting to know and cheer for Corin in this book! I found the first "book" (first half) to be very engaging, even if it was fast-paced in the time frame as well as heart breaking. The "brotherhood" is what won me over and just wanted to give these guys a group hug. Loved them so much! I also enjoyed the second "book" (second half) in seeing how Corin has grown into the man he is by the end.
Though there was a lot more fighting then I anticipated (though I will definitely assure that this book is not gory), I quite enjoyed the war aspect of Corin's life. Reading about how they planned to ambush a certain place or the plans they had to defend was interesting and left me wondering what was going to happen next (and if Corin would live :p).
Since it would be a spoiler, I will mention that I very much enjoyed how this cover comes into play. I also loved the ending! The author really gave me a brief moment of panic until a certain dream (thank goodness for it).
Overall, a great read and am looking forward to continuing to see where these characters will take me next in book two!
*(I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed are my own and was not required to write a positive review.)*
April 5, 2016
A good first book
The story was an interesting look at the challenges invoked by imprisonment and fractured loyalties. The only point I would raise is the lack of really strong female counterpoints to the men. There was Kara and I would have liked more of this character because she had some intriguing quirks and personality. Overall, the book carried a lot of action and fighting, with many injuries inflicted along the way. There were strong relationships formed along the way and some of the banter was full of humour and wit! I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series and seeing how the author progresses with the story!
The story was an interesting look at the challenges invoked by imprisonment and fractured loyalties. The only point I would raise is the lack of really strong female counterpoints to the men. There was Kara and I would have liked more of this character because she had some intriguing quirks and personality. Overall, the book carried a lot of action and fighting, with many injuries inflicted along the way. There were strong relationships formed along the way and some of the banter was full of humour and wit! I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series and seeing how the author progresses with the story!
July 1, 2016
What a wonderful story that drew me in and kept the pages turning. Thank you Claire for bringing this to life. I enjoyed it.
April 2, 2017
3.5 stars. This was an exciting, action-packed novel about a young prince (Prince Corin) that is kidnapped and sold into slavery, but grows up to be a powerful warrior who ends up fighting to protect his homeland (Aredor) from its enemies. The book is split into two parts- book 1 is about what happens before he gains his freedom, and book 2 is what happens after and the fight to save Aredor.
I enjoyed it for the most part, especially book 2. I really liked the characters, and the banter between the soldiers and Prince Corin was pretty funny at times. I loved the loyalty and comradeship displayed by the soldiers for each other and for their friends, and admired their bravery when they risked their lives to save their fellow soldiers.
However, even though I like action, the book was very heavily filled with fight scenes...almost to the point where some of the scenes got repetitive and it was one fight scene after another (although I did not find it very gory, which I appreciated). And even though I loved the characters, there were so many of them that sometimes they got blurred together and didn't stand out. I would have liked deeper and more detailed descriptions about the characters.
All in all, I enjoyed it and found it interesting. I look forward to reading the next one in this series!
* I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed it for the most part, especially book 2. I really liked the characters, and the banter between the soldiers and Prince Corin was pretty funny at times. I loved the loyalty and comradeship displayed by the soldiers for each other and for their friends, and admired their bravery when they risked their lives to save their fellow soldiers.
However, even though I like action, the book was very heavily filled with fight scenes...almost to the point where some of the scenes got repetitive and it was one fight scene after another (although I did not find it very gory, which I appreciated). And even though I loved the characters, there were so many of them that sometimes they got blurred together and didn't stand out. I would have liked deeper and more detailed descriptions about the characters.
All in all, I enjoyed it and found it interesting. I look forward to reading the next one in this series!
* I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
September 28, 2017
Starting this book, and for the first 3/4 of it, I was reminded pleasantly of the first time I read The Horse & His Boy by C.S. Lewis. It was my first experience with Narnia, and honestly I only picked it up because I was a horse-crazed child and there was some mention of talking horses on the back cover.
What I found within, was a world that had been living and thriving long before I ever drew breath. Well-developed, carefully organized, cultured and varied as the 'real' world, and written in such an effortless way that you couldn't doubt or deny the existence of this world.
Yes, that is what Calorin, Argus and Aredor felt like. It felt like the long journey back to Narnia, a place I had never been to, but hungered for, fraught with peril and unexpected allies. That was a beautiful feeling to receive again, and wholly unexpected.
The first half of the story is really setting the stage for the second half. As Banschbach covers around a decade of our main character's life it sometimes felt like paraphrasing. As Corin grew into Hamíd, I realized that this was necessary in order to give meaning and background to the characters going forward. So, while it was a bit of a trudge at first, it paid off.
Banschbach did a great job using cultures and traditions at play in our real world to inform and familiarize ourselves with the world of Aredor and it's bordering countries. One could easily identify the Braetons with our Scots, but it was done gently, without beating you over the head with it.
I loved the characters of Emeth (Aidan) and Ahmed, and the brotherhood that they formed with Hamid (Corin) and Nicar. These friendships were a sunny spot within a book overflowing with war and heartache. I loved the way they grew to depend on each other, and reading their antics reminded me fondly of my own brothers.
If there was one weakness, it would be in the character development department. Our main character, Corin, was a bit too perfect for me. I'm not a thoroughly good or talented person, and I like my characters to have flaws, or at least one fatal flaw (it makes me feel better about being so imperfect, I suppose). It also makes it easier to sympathize. I am a firm believer that flaws are often what make a person likable. Positive attributes are to be admired, even imitated, but flaws are what make you love a person. With Corin, it seemed he was good at everything, and liked by just about everyone (except the bad guys, naturally). This made him difficult, though not impossible, for me to identify with him.
I think it is, perhaps, for this reason that I liked Emeth's character so much. He has a tragic backstory lurking, just out of reach, and a battle-rage that scares even him. He is mentally scarred, and uses his good humor as a cover and defense. He was easily the most fascinating character within the book, and I was very glad to find the next book would focus more on him.
An element I really liked was the use of names. Both Hamíd & Emeth are assumed names that Corin and Aiden take on as foreigners in Calorin. I thought the transformation of Corin into Hamíd, and then back to 'himself' upon returning to Aredor was an interesting and intriguing touch. The fact that Aiden undergoes a similar journey, though in his own very Aiden-way, was nice. I like that the names carry an adopted persona, and that when switching languages they often switch names. It was a nice touch.
Despite taking place during war and dangerous skirmishes, the story lacked a certain heft in the suspense and danger. The characters were often hurt badly, but I quickly learned to stop taking it seriously, because they always seemed to recover with little to no repercussions. This took away a lot of the weight or gravity of the situation. I stopped believing they could die. Even Corin, mauled by a wild lion, now with a permanent limp, goes into battle, rides his horse, climbs battlements, with little to no issue. I often forgot he had a limp, unless it was specifically mentioned. Again, I would have liked to have seen him struggle more with this, as a sign of weakness would have made me root for him harder.
All that being said, this novel showed some wonderful sparks of potential, and left me looking forward to the next book.
What I found within, was a world that had been living and thriving long before I ever drew breath. Well-developed, carefully organized, cultured and varied as the 'real' world, and written in such an effortless way that you couldn't doubt or deny the existence of this world.
Yes, that is what Calorin, Argus and Aredor felt like. It felt like the long journey back to Narnia, a place I had never been to, but hungered for, fraught with peril and unexpected allies. That was a beautiful feeling to receive again, and wholly unexpected.
The first half of the story is really setting the stage for the second half. As Banschbach covers around a decade of our main character's life it sometimes felt like paraphrasing. As Corin grew into Hamíd, I realized that this was necessary in order to give meaning and background to the characters going forward. So, while it was a bit of a trudge at first, it paid off.
Banschbach did a great job using cultures and traditions at play in our real world to inform and familiarize ourselves with the world of Aredor and it's bordering countries. One could easily identify the Braetons with our Scots, but it was done gently, without beating you over the head with it.
I loved the characters of Emeth (Aidan) and Ahmed, and the brotherhood that they formed with Hamid (Corin) and Nicar. These friendships were a sunny spot within a book overflowing with war and heartache. I loved the way they grew to depend on each other, and reading their antics reminded me fondly of my own brothers.
If there was one weakness, it would be in the character development department. Our main character, Corin, was a bit too perfect for me. I'm not a thoroughly good or talented person, and I like my characters to have flaws, or at least one fatal flaw (it makes me feel better about being so imperfect, I suppose). It also makes it easier to sympathize. I am a firm believer that flaws are often what make a person likable. Positive attributes are to be admired, even imitated, but flaws are what make you love a person. With Corin, it seemed he was good at everything, and liked by just about everyone (except the bad guys, naturally). This made him difficult, though not impossible, for me to identify with him.
I think it is, perhaps, for this reason that I liked Emeth's character so much. He has a tragic backstory lurking, just out of reach, and a battle-rage that scares even him. He is mentally scarred, and uses his good humor as a cover and defense. He was easily the most fascinating character within the book, and I was very glad to find the next book would focus more on him.
An element I really liked was the use of names. Both Hamíd & Emeth are assumed names that Corin and Aiden take on as foreigners in Calorin. I thought the transformation of Corin into Hamíd, and then back to 'himself' upon returning to Aredor was an interesting and intriguing touch. The fact that Aiden undergoes a similar journey, though in his own very Aiden-way, was nice. I like that the names carry an adopted persona, and that when switching languages they often switch names. It was a nice touch.
Despite taking place during war and dangerous skirmishes, the story lacked a certain heft in the suspense and danger. The characters were often hurt badly, but I quickly learned to stop taking it seriously, because they always seemed to recover with little to no repercussions. This took away a lot of the weight or gravity of the situation. I stopped believing they could die. Even Corin, mauled by a wild lion, now with a permanent limp, goes into battle, rides his horse, climbs battlements, with little to no issue. I often forgot he had a limp, unless it was specifically mentioned. Again, I would have liked to have seen him struggle more with this, as a sign of weakness would have made me root for him harder.
All that being said, this novel showed some wonderful sparks of potential, and left me looking forward to the next book.
March 11, 2018
Not bad, y'know? Some things just have that tendency to be bad, foul, and overall just uncommonly maleficent to one's tastes, but apparently this book just isn't one of them because I rather enjoyed it. (If you like, you can drop the "rather," to make it sound more convincing, because this book was really very fun.)
That said, there are a few points I would like to consider, but they aren't related to this book, so I shan't consider them.
That much more said, let's do some discussion here. One-sided discussion, of course. The characters are really very fun. I like just pretty much all of them. The plot is a good one, one of those plots that pretty much go just sort of like that, a description which does you no good at all, so ha-ha, I'm really just being unhelpful here. You'll enjoy it [the book] if you share the element of my mental processes that enjoyed it in my case. The fictional world the author has going here is a good one. Not bad a'tall. Quite suitable. Perhaps not as thrillingly complicated as some, but bah, what good does it do to complain these days?
Now, sadly, I must complain. But it's not too much of a complaint. Here, have it, all nicely written up for you in Latin characters: for a while, the writing just wasn't clicking with me. It clucked a few times, maybe even clacked, but there was a breathless long moment there where it just couldnae seem tae click, do nae ye ken. But, by the end of it, I was in another moment that had breath, so issue resolved, eh?
Oh, speaking of "tae," there was some of that sort of accent going on with some characters; kinda fun.
But, yeah, I've got to get back to working on fictional moon dynamics and stuff, and to reading the next book in this duology, which I'm enjoying even more than I enjoyed this one (at least I think I am). So, there you go. *invisibly waves farewell*
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That last bit there isn't part of the review, just so you know.
——————————————————————————
Oh, yes, I forgot. Lots of battles in this book. I enjoyed them.
That said, there are a few points I would like to consider, but they aren't related to this book, so I shan't consider them.
That much more said, let's do some discussion here. One-sided discussion, of course. The characters are really very fun. I like just pretty much all of them. The plot is a good one, one of those plots that pretty much go just sort of like that, a description which does you no good at all, so ha-ha, I'm really just being unhelpful here. You'll enjoy it [the book] if you share the element of my mental processes that enjoyed it in my case. The fictional world the author has going here is a good one. Not bad a'tall. Quite suitable. Perhaps not as thrillingly complicated as some, but bah, what good does it do to complain these days?
Now, sadly, I must complain. But it's not too much of a complaint. Here, have it, all nicely written up for you in Latin characters: for a while, the writing just wasn't clicking with me. It clucked a few times, maybe even clacked, but there was a breathless long moment there where it just couldnae seem tae click, do nae ye ken. But, by the end of it, I was in another moment that had breath, so issue resolved, eh?
Oh, speaking of "tae," there was some of that sort of accent going on with some characters; kinda fun.
But, yeah, I've got to get back to working on fictional moon dynamics and stuff, and to reading the next book in this duology, which I'm enjoying even more than I enjoyed this one (at least I think I am). So, there you go. *invisibly waves farewell*
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That last bit there isn't part of the review, just so you know.
——————————————————————————
Oh, yes, I forgot. Lots of battles in this book. I enjoyed them.
August 29, 2016
'Kay. Where to start? I rather enjoyed this. The overall plot and story was really pretty cool.
Corrin/Hamid was an interesting main character. At first he wasn't quite realistic and I didn't connect with him as much as I wanted to but then around 1/4 of the way through I started connecting with him. And he was great after that. And his Robin Hood stage - just epic.
The plot was cool, and quite original and page-turning. The entire beginning felt a bit like a side-track and it dragged out a bit. Possibly one of the factors in that was because I'd been expecting the entire plot to be mostly just re-taking Aredor when that only really started in the second half, but it was still all cool.
The writing style itself felt a bit forced every now and then, but alright overall. The part that threw me a bit was some of the battle scenes in the first half where they sounded a bit like a detailed history book. But mostly, it was fine.
The characters were reasonably well written. The backstory and friendships everyone had, and how that effected their lives was amazingly detailed for several of them (Aiden and Corrin, I'm looking at you). In the second half I got a little confused with all the new names popping up everywhere and I couldn't keep track of who was who, but that might just be my brain. I think even by the end, there were a few faceless names around. But for the main characters, I enjoyed experiencing the story through their eyes.
The Point Of View changes were a bit distracting at times when it just slipped from Emeth's brain into Hamid and then back again. Whenever it happened I was drawn out of the story and it took a page or two to really get back in again.
At the beginning I was slightly put out by the fact that when the character got a beating it was all impersonal and I wanted to actually see everything happen even though it would've been painful. Then a bit further through I was much happier. Lion mauling always adds a nice touch of tension and excitement. To be honest, it was probably my favourite scene. That may or may not be a good thing. I'm rather one for blood and gutsy stuff in books, I admit. Give me aall the suffering and feels.
So on that note, the ending was also really cool. And the fact that the underlying Christian theme came out just a tad more at the end was perfect. It was one of those well done Christian themes where it just lay under the surface. There, but not at all preachy. It was really good. The ending was great.
So I recommend The Rise of Aredor. It could've been better, but I managed to look past the faults and get into the story. If you start and the beginning seems to lag, don't worry, the second half is the best bit.
An easy, creative and unique read.
[NOTE: I received a free copy of this book from the author for my honest review.]
Corrin/Hamid was an interesting main character. At first he wasn't quite realistic and I didn't connect with him as much as I wanted to but then around 1/4 of the way through I started connecting with him. And he was great after that. And his Robin Hood stage - just epic.
The plot was cool, and quite original and page-turning. The entire beginning felt a bit like a side-track and it dragged out a bit. Possibly one of the factors in that was because I'd been expecting the entire plot to be mostly just re-taking Aredor when that only really started in the second half, but it was still all cool.
The writing style itself felt a bit forced every now and then, but alright overall. The part that threw me a bit was some of the battle scenes in the first half where they sounded a bit like a detailed history book. But mostly, it was fine.
The characters were reasonably well written. The backstory and friendships everyone had, and how that effected their lives was amazingly detailed for several of them (Aiden and Corrin, I'm looking at you). In the second half I got a little confused with all the new names popping up everywhere and I couldn't keep track of who was who, but that might just be my brain. I think even by the end, there were a few faceless names around. But for the main characters, I enjoyed experiencing the story through their eyes.
The Point Of View changes were a bit distracting at times when it just slipped from Emeth's brain into Hamid and then back again. Whenever it happened I was drawn out of the story and it took a page or two to really get back in again.
At the beginning I was slightly put out by the fact that when the character got a beating it was all impersonal and I wanted to actually see everything happen even though it would've been painful. Then a bit further through I was much happier. Lion mauling always adds a nice touch of tension and excitement. To be honest, it was probably my favourite scene. That may or may not be a good thing. I'm rather one for blood and gutsy stuff in books, I admit. Give me aall the suffering and feels.
So on that note, the ending was also really cool. And the fact that the underlying Christian theme came out just a tad more at the end was perfect. It was one of those well done Christian themes where it just lay under the surface. There, but not at all preachy. It was really good. The ending was great.
So I recommend The Rise of Aredor. It could've been better, but I managed to look past the faults and get into the story. If you start and the beginning seems to lag, don't worry, the second half is the best bit.
An easy, creative and unique read.
[NOTE: I received a free copy of this book from the author for my honest review.]
April 14, 2020
This book was so good. I don't even know how to review it.
I love Corin. He is brave, strong and makes friends easily. He also experiences fear, uncertainty, self-doubt and a desire for vengeance. I really enjoyed his friendships both in the first half of the book and the second. I just wish that we could have seen more interaction of Corin's Calorin and Aredorian friends, because I didn't want to stop seeing Emeth, Ahmed, Ismail, Castimir, Nicar and Azrahil when the second half of the book started, but then I came to enjoy Corin's friendships with Martin, Trey, Tristan, and Liam.
The world had incredible depth. There is a map at the beginning of the book, and while I used the map, I didn't think it was detailed enough. I really, really want to learn more about this world.
I do have a few comments on where Claire M. Banschbach could improve her writing in the future, though most of them involve spoilers. Even with these points that could be improved, I really, really, REALLY enjoyed this book.
I feel like the book could have been made longer and split into two volumes. Or maybe that's just me wishing it had been longer. At least there is The Wildcat of Braeton for me to read as soon as I can get it.
I love Corin. He is brave, strong and makes friends easily. He also experiences fear, uncertainty, self-doubt and a desire for vengeance. I really enjoyed his friendships both in the first half of the book and the second. I just wish that we could have seen more interaction of Corin's Calorin and Aredorian friends, because I didn't want to stop seeing Emeth, Ahmed, Ismail, Castimir, Nicar and Azrahil when the second half of the book started, but then I came to enjoy Corin's friendships with Martin, Trey, Tristan, and Liam.
The world had incredible depth. There is a map at the beginning of the book, and while I used the map, I didn't think it was detailed enough. I really, really want to learn more about this world.
I do have a few comments on where Claire M. Banschbach could improve her writing in the future, though most of them involve spoilers. Even with these points that could be improved, I really, really, REALLY enjoyed this book.
I feel like the book could have been made longer and split into two volumes. Or maybe that's just me wishing it had been longer. At least there is The Wildcat of Braeton for me to read as soon as I can get it.
August 6, 2016
I've received this book from Goodreads.
The Rise of Aredor is a good read. I especially like the hero Corin
The Rise of Aredor is a good read. I especially like the hero Corin
January 14, 2014
This is Miss Banschbach's first book, and it is a page-turning, nail-biting, can't-put-down fantasy-fiction! It will be enjoyable for teens and adults. I highly recommend "The Rise of Aredor"!
Here is the full-blown review:
http://mphilliber.blogspot.com/2014/0...
Here is the full-blown review:
http://mphilliber.blogspot.com/2014/0...
December 1, 2014
This was like your favourite candy bar.. something you rip into, devour and wish you had more of. It was really well written, good characters, excellent plot. my only wish was that it was longer. I look forward to seeking more of Claire's work in the future.
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