Healer's Touch

Touch #1

by Deb E. Howell

The Young Riders meet The Vampire Diaries in this tale of brother versus brother and blood-magic set in a gaslamp fantasy world. Book 1 in the Deadly Touch Trilogy.

Llew has a gift. Her body heals itself from any injury, at a cost to anyone nearby.

Llew’s father disappeared when she was eleven, leaving her orphaned, as far as she knew.

Since then, Llew has learned to survive the streets of the gold-mining town of Cheer – full of opportunistic men and desperation. It’s a hard existence made tougher when her so-called friend accuses Llew of murder, sending her to the gallows.

Llew’s Aenuk ability to absorb life means she doesn’t stay dead for long, but she does leave a trail of death behind her.

Escaping the hangman’s noose sees Llew fall into the hands of Jonas: the man with the knife and the Karan power to kill Llew’s kind. If Llew can nurture the attraction he has to her, maybe she can keep that knife from her heart.

But lurking in the shadows is Jonas’s half-brother, Braph: the man who has learned to combine Aenuk and Karan powers into infinite and addictive magical potential.

Healer's Touch is a fantasy novel flavored with a wild west setting, steampunk-like technology, enough romance to draw you in, horror to keep you hooked, and just enough sex to keep things spicy.

CW: Sexual assault, rape. Some swearing.

Genres: Fantasy, Steampunk, Ebooks, Fiction, Romance, Magic, Young Adult

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 25, 2013

About the author

Deb E could never write a *short* story for English class assignments. She took up writing stories as a hobby in high school, often sharing these with her friends at lunch time, but pushed fiction to the side for the sake of a few serious years of science writing for under- and post-graduate study in Zoology. Then it was time to adult and get paying work. Eventually, she landed a job that didn't occupy her mind fully enough, and soon pen joined paper and a fantasy novel had begun which, after several false starts and some shaping and moulding, turned into Healer's Touch.

Deb lives near Dunedin, New Zealand with her family and a menagerie of pets.

Reviews

[Kat Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really, really liked the beginning of this book. I think it's well written and the world setting is quite interesting. The first 25% certainly kept my attention though I had trouble connecting to the characters other than Llewl.

At 42% in, I felt it started to lose focus and Llewl's relationship with the characters felt more and more disingenuous. I thought this was a shame since it started so strong. My biggest struggle with the book was in trying to visualize things. Howell is a little vague on creating atmosphere, but the only reason I stopped reading this was a pretty personal one. I'm sure many other readers will get a lot out of it.

So, give it a go if you're looking for a fantasy series like Touch of Power to fill your reading time with.

[Pauline Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is billed as a steampunk fantasy, but don’t be fooled. The steampunk elements are negligible. In reality, this is a romance with a fantasy background. Since the heroine is seventeen and there’s a bit of a love triangle, I suppose it’s YA, too. The book has perhaps the most cliché-riddled opening I've ever encountered. The main character is an orphan with mysterious powers. She makes a living on the streets as a pick-pocket [*], disguised as a boy. Despite the disguise, twice during the first couple of chapters she suffers violent attempted rapes. She is betrayed by a former friend, arrested for a murder she didn't commit, and condemned to death. But she escapes and manages to run away. It's all pretty familiar stuff. It just needs a prophecy, a magic sword and a quest to complete the set (maybe that comes later...). And yet, despite the predictability, I kept reading, which is, I suppose, a testament of sorts to the author's writing ability, if not her originality.

[*] Why oh why do orphaned children always end up on the streets in fantasyland, their only option thievery or prostitution? Did their parents have no friends who might help them out? Is the town so lawless that orphans are simply abandoned to their fate? Is there really no honest work to be had?

The biggest interest for me is the main character's magical ability. Llew has the power to heal herself when injured, but only by drawing the life force from some other living thing - human, animal or plant. This is such an intriguing power that I really want to know more about it. Then there's Braph, a man with a mysterious background who is clearly searching for Llew, for reasons unknown. (Horrible thought: maybe she's the secret heir to the kingdom? No, surely not.) Less intriguing by far is the romantic interest. We know he's the romantic interest from the start because Llew comments on his nice ass, and mentions how handsome he is. Needless to say, he dislikes her on sight.

The plot isn’t much to write home about, but it’s serviceable. Llew picks up with a group heading north to the only port on a long, thin island-continent (really? no other suitable place?). There are encounters with highwaymen, Braph the Mysterious and the law, since Llew is still wanted for murder, and now witchcraft, since she used her magic to escape hanging. This is all good fun, and there’s the expected moment where Llew’s less-than-convincing boy disguise fails, and her new friends pop her in a frock for dinner. Cue much ogling from the men. There are some logic fails: a day when they appeared to have lunch twice, a bedroom scene segues to the garden and back again, and a time on a boat when Llew needed a living being to draw energy from, and everyone forgot about the horses in the hold. But still, things rattle along nicely, with one misadventure after another.

In a shock twist (not), the group includes the romantic interest, Jonas, who despite being a mean, cynical killing machine, immediately gets the hots for our heroine. He also shows his sensitive side, bringing her cloths when her period starts, giving her cute little hugs when she’s down and cuddling in bed in a heroically non-libidinous way at night. I began to wonder when they would start doing each other’s hair. But this does highlight the biggest problem I had with this book - the characters don’t behave in believable ways. When Jonas and Llew sneak out at night to meet up with Braph, a man known to be hostile and with probably evil intentions, how do they pass the time while they wait for him to show up? Sharpening their knives, perhaps? Discussing tactics? Hiding so they have the element of surprise? No, they lie down in plain view and get all hot and steamy. And when a child is accidentally killed, everyone acts like it’s the greatest tragedy ever, and Jonas is so distraught he gets wildly drunk. This is the man who says ‘I’ve killed... dozens, hundreds.’ Then when Braph does eventually turn up, no one recognises him or gets even remotely alarmed. There are any number of oddities like this.

I found this a very frustrating read. On the one hand, there's some wonderful magic, solid world-building and an interesting steampunkish vaguely western feel to it. The author's writing style is neat and unobtrusive, and the plot moves along at a fair canter. On the other hand, the romantic element pops up at the most inopportune moments, and the characters just don't behave rationally. There are also aspects that aren't explained well (or perhaps I just failed to get it, I don't know; I never did work out quite who Emylia was - friend, relative or paid chaperone?), so there are a number of wait-did-we-know-that? moments along the way. Better editing would have smoothed out some inconsistencies and odd hiccups, filled in the strangely sketchy minor characters and produced a better flow. But despite all the issues, I kept reading, sneaking a chapter here and there when I was supposed to be doing something else, until the ending lost me. Sadly, the last few chapters are littered with unlikely events, coindidences and outright deus ex machina. For those who can enjoy the romance, the interesting setting and a terrific magic system, and don’t mind the implausibilities, this would be a great read, and it’s clear the author can write, but for me it just didn’t work. Two stars.

[Kelsea David · Rating 5 out of 5]

To start off, I requested this book because it seemed like wild west adventure. Which is something I have never read, though the wild west does appeal to me. Then I started the book and it was a wild westish fantasy world. I was so excited, because I love new worlds and this one just seemed really cool with the Karans and the Aenuks. I think it would be scary to belong to either of those races and I thought it was really brilliant of Howell to create these species.

There are going to be tons of spoilers ahead, so either go read it or ignore this and read on.

I also really likes Jonas and Llew, I liked them together and apart. Though I was really surprised when we found out that Jonas had a bunch of kids around... He seemed young to me, and so it really surprised me. I do like how these two enemies fell for each other. It made me think of how opposites attract and I just wanted to see more and more interactions between them. I wanted to know more of his past, though it made me really uncomfortable to learn about his wife and I was definitely with Llew on that one. I was sad he had lost them, but I was happy at the same time because otherwise he would not have met Llew.

Also, at first I really liked Aris, I thought he was really kind to take in Llew, but then the more I learned about him the less and less I liked him. First off he was extremely hypocrtical telling Llew on the boat not to save anyone no matter what, but when his (maybe) lover almost died he told her to heal. And ugh what pissed me off most was that he didn't want Llew to sleep with Jonas because she wasn't a Karan. I hated that he was just using Jonas as a breeder, and I am a bit scared that jonas might not be able to say no to him even though he and Llew are together now and having a baby (yay! you know how much I love it when characters have babies). I know I seem like I am complaining, but I am not. It is a good thing that the characters make me feel this way, because it means they are like real people and are well formed characters.

Something that did make me uncomfortable though is the fact that every guy seemed to think Llew was super hot when she dressed as a girl. I thought that was a bit weird since Llew even said she was taller and broader than most girls, and I am not sure if they fell for her because she was an available girl or because she was that beautiful. I am not sure, but I didn't like that Alvaro fell for her like that and how he got so weird about it later in the book. One thing that made me mad, but that I also think was very believable was how when Cassidy died Alvaro flipped out and blamed Llew for letting him die because she wanted to save Jonas instead. It made me mad because she was trying to save Cassidy and couldn't bring him back if he had been dead too long, and she was trying to save as many people as possible. But I was willing to forgive Alvaro for this because grief can make people act in horrible way, though I feel like Llew made an enemy for herself. And saying that I do kind of feel that Alvaro might be a bit right. Llew could have just healed Cassidy and let Jonas die, but she couldn't live without him, so instead of doing that she risked them both dying.

I thought Braph was an interesting character. It was hard to tell whether he was just a crazy psychopath, or if he had been normal at some point and that the horrible things that happened in his life made him into such a monster. I think that he most have feelings somewhere because he feels guilt and remorse at certain points in the book. And then when it came to the crystals we find out that they are addictive, so maybe he was normal and then started experimenting with the crystals and that made him crazy. But in order to get the first crystals he would have had to torture Llew's mother and a sane person would never do that. I am hoping we will learn more about him at some point if there is a second book, and while I don't like him and want him dead, I think he is very scary and interesting.

I just have to say that I really loved Anya I thought she was really funny and really helped Llew sometimes with insight into the females world (This was mostly later in the book)

I really really loved this book, and I was actually kind of pissed when it ended because I wanted to know more! I want to see more of that world and the characters, I feel invested in their lives. And I really hope that Deb is coming out with a sequel. I will be waiting with baited breath! loved it! 5 out of 5.

[Eli Adelholm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another book that I read a while ago, so bear with the lack of depth in the review.

This book was given to me by Kristell Ink in exchange for this review. My thanks to Sam who was the person I got in contact with.

When first I was made aware of the existence of this new novel, the author described it as “Fantasy with a twist of Steampunk (and a little romance).” Not what I would normally consider my cup of tea. However, there was something about it that intrigued me and drove me to plead Kristell Ink for a review copy – and what a pleasant surprise this read turned out to be!

Healer’s Touch is a mix of romance, steampunk and high fantasy done the right way and written in just the right kind of style. I have to say that this book has made me a fan of Deb E. Howell.

The plot is well planned and played-out. For a book that involves almost nothing but fleeing and travelling I must say I am impressed that it never once got boring. It is as fast-paced as the blurb says and constantly new things are added to the table; new troubles or new knowledge that makes the situation of our group worse by the chapter.

The universe is the author’s own and seems to be more well-constructed than is let on in this book, with a history that is merely hinted at here and there. It is clear that the world isn't the focal matter of the story.

The characters are very vivid and came alive before my eyes as I read. I love them all. Except Braph. I hate Braph with a passion. But another thing I really love is how it is not only the humans that play the vital roles in this story. The nature is used actively to underline the themes of life versus death, health versus destruction.

It is a world of contradictions; a world where mortal enemies fall in love, and where the knife that can kill the unkillable is made from the very source of life-energy.

The story is not particularly original. In fact, it reminded me extraordinarily much of another story I reviewed earlier this year, namely the novella High Witch by Mona Hanna.

In both stories the main plot revolves around an extremely powerful witch (or healer) fleeing from a man that seeks to use her to gain power for himself. There are many other similarities that I will refrain from mentioning to avoid spoiling anything, but I have to say that as far as comparisons go I really think this story is better developed than High Witch. Its themes and conflicts seem to run a lot deeper.

As I wrote in my review of High Witch: “I will start off by confessing that I am a hopelessly unromantic sort of person, so please take some of my opinions on this point a bit lightly. This story sure does contain its share of romantic twaddle!”

The romance is a vital part of Healer’s Touch, but it is not the most important thing. And also, Deb E. Howell does not twaddle. She keeps the romance interesting. It is intense without ever getting over the top.

When I first started reading this book I found it hard to put it down again. I don’t think it took me much more than a single weekend to completely devour it. And that says a lot for someone who is as slow a reader as I admit to be!

Healer’s Touch brought very real, very wet tears to my eyes on several occasions, and this is one of the signs that let me distinguish between good authors and great authors. The good ones tell you a story while great ones let you feel it.

I really felt this book.


More High Fantasy reviews by Hypervorean at Numinous Publications: http://hypervorean.blogspot.com

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an epic fantasy adventure with a wild west flavor and is a tiny bit reminiscent of an Eddings book or something similar. Llew is a healer, but knows nothing of her people, history or abilities. She has to get out of town fast when she heals herself in public and the townsfolk come after the "witch". She hooks up with a girl and her guards who are going across the countryside to meet her new arranged husband.

Llew has been hiding in plain sight as a boy since her father disappeared when she was 11. She hasn't had an easy time of things, and even though she makes friends in her new travel companions, things aren't that easy. Her abilities are a double-edged sword, sure she can heal, but she pulls the life force from living things and can kill people, animals and plants using her healing powers. Because she is so dangerous to living things, her kind is not popular in many countries. Llew starts to find out who and what she is, a bit of a coming of age and taking responsibility for ones actions - I always love stories like that!

Jonas is also gifted and is the mortal enemy of the healers. So guess what happens :)

Llew is a strong heroine I loved reading about. She is pragmatic, women aren't treated very well but she has learned some tricks and stands up for herself physically and verbally. I wanted to cheer her on a few times when she stood up for herself. I was also embarrassed for her a time or two when she couldn't control her mouth. Double edged sword. It is funny, I was reminded of the fairy tale Ring of Consequences while reading this story, because the ring grants wishes, but you never knew what the result of the wish would be: something good and something bad, that dang double edged sword again!

This story does have a little romance in it, but it is pretty PG13 and stays fairly clean even though there are definitely adult "situations". There is a lot of death, some curse words and they have to deal with rape. Nothing violently written, and it was "well done" but it was still a bummer and the characters struggle with it - as they should.

Ok, so this is an epic fantasy, and there are three books planned for the series and I was super worried it would end with them in the exact middle of a quest on the trail or something, and while there is more story to tell, it was ok. Shew! It wasn't one big book cut into three parts (cough, LOTR cough). But I want the next book NOW! There are some things, and some decisions, and what will happen and some what about that guy questions I would really like to get some answers to. So this is a rainbow day (happy yet sad) I am happy to have read this early, but I read it early and now have longer to wait! My life is so tough. :) I give this book 4.5 glowing stars.

I was given this book for an honest review.

[Eclipse Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the age of eleven Llew have been picking pockets and surviving on her own. Her father and mother gone, she has no one to care for her. Now a young woman Llew disguises as a boy to try and avoid trouble with men and stay alive.   But Llew has a secret she kept to herself, that is until her town hangs her for murder. With the secret revealed Llew runs from the authorities. She died and came back to life. She runs into two men and their friends. Having met them before Llew is cautious. She did steal the ones knife and he did take it back, with force.  

She is offered to journey with them to another town. Believing that she is a boy the extra hand is welcomed. But as the journey continues her secrets starts slipping out and Jonas is there to pick them up with ease. He kills people like her, hates people like her – Healers the unkillables. But fate had other plans for both of them.  

Ones in a while you find a book with characters in it that cannot be ignored. I found these in many series that became my favorites. I found characters that grabbed at my heart and forced me to journey with them. I found another book to add to this list. Its Healer's Touch.  

From the first chapter Llew grabs hold of your heart and you are there fighting with her. Then comes Jonas and I found myself sometimes wishing I could reach into the book and slap him. Jonas was a frustrating character that demanded you either hate him or start loving him. I was relieved that it ended in love. There where many moments when I felt heartbroken for Llew. She has a really shitty journey that not many woman would have survived so easily.

Just like Mac from the Fever Series, Roza from the Vampire Academy Series and so many more, Llew leaves her touch on you when your done with this book. You will think about her for a long time to come. So young and innocent her fight for survival had started, she faced so many bad things and yet there she was standing up and fighting back. There she was saving others, even after all the bad crap that she had to endure.  

Again referring to the Fever series she falls for the one guys that can and wants to kill her. Its a brutal start for her, but I am so glad the author had pity on me to end it so beautiful. I must admit I was stressing real bad of how this plot was going to turn out. But this is just the beginning, Llew's just getting started and there is a mountain of payback coming to Braph and his allies. Deb E Howell you have a new stalker, and I cant wait for the next book to be released. Well done and a well deserved 5 stars from me.  

Quote from the book: “No Aenuks don't come back from the dead,” Jonas muttered. “No. Aenuks don't. Just how bad was it?” “I think I died. Again.”
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[Tixie Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Healer’s Touch is billed as a mix of steampunk, fantasy and wild west. After spending the last few nights reading it – I have to agree. It reminded me of Joe Abercrombie in style, and I loved the darkness and grit to the characters. No-one seems to be whiter than white, and the MCs all have flaws that help make them believable.
The story follows Llew, an orphan with the ability to heal, but to do so she must ‘steal’ life force from living things. A wonderful gift but a terrible curse. She attracts the attention of Jonas, a warrior sworn to kill all like Llew (reasons why explained in the story). Cue romance. Yeah, there’s romance. And there’s nothing quite like a good, complicated romance. But this doesn’t drive the story... while it’s an important factor the most important threads of the story simmer away in the background and it’s only near the end that we realise just what’s going on... this world better prepare itself as I see things getting very messy.
Have I mentioned Braph? No? Braph is the half brother of Jonas and while Jonas is blinded by loyalty and duty – Braph is out for himself. He does some truly awful things in this book and as a woman he should make my skin crawl, but instead, I found myself warming to him and actually, I think he’s my favourite character. Wrong wrong wrong – but that is a testament to Deb E Howell’s writing ability. She can craft a layered character perfectly and give us (readers) reasons to love or hate them. And I love Braph.

The writing was good and well structured. Dialogue tags were smooth and adverbs used appropriately. I loved the mixture of traditional writing and the more ‘modern’ cleaner writing. I admit, I’m a lover of older, description laden fantasy so this was the perfect blend for me.
I’m eager to see what happens in book 2, and if it’s half as good as book 1 – I’ll be extremely happy.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book, full of adventure, pain, love, fighting, great strong characters, and a whole new society and world to get to know. Llewella has spent the last 5 years living as a boy in the run down, tough and mean town of Cheer. Her father ran off, or was killed, she doesn't know, and her mother was kidnapped long before that even. She knows she'll never survive as a young girl on her own, so she's cut her hair and donned boy's clothes, and goes by Llew.
Another difference for Llew is that she can heal. All she has to do is touch the grass, a tree, another person, just for a second, and the tingling starts and her wounds heal. One night, coming home a bit too late from who she thought was a friend's house, Llew runs into trouble when a drunk realizes she's a she. Instead of getting what he wants, however, Llew wakes the next morning, covered in a massive amount of her own blood, with the drunk on top of her- and he's dead. She killed him healing herself as he stabbed her the night before.
And her trouble doesn't stop there. The next day, her so called friend accuses her of murdering his boss, and she's eventually hung, where she dies, and then comes back, thanks to a bunch of livestock that had been under the stand she hang above. And the story goes from there. She's on the run with strangers she tried to steal from, and there is so much she learns about herself, and her world. Amazing story, and I'm looking forward to the next book later this year.
Review by Kendra of www.FaeBooks.co.uk

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased Healer's Touch on Kindle and read it in a couple of sittings. I really enjoyed this - it has a fast pace and well developed characters, especially the MC, Llew, whose healing talent is a blessing and curse (depending on who and what you are). Along with a sympathetic and gutsy MC, there are a host of other great characters. I have a certain soft spot for the strong and brooding Jonas, and despised the baddie of the piece, Braph. To have such reactions to characters is a mark of good writing in my opinion. In particular, the tenuous (and tongue-in-cheek) relationship that develops between Jonas and Llew is very well handled, in light of the fact that Jonas has the implement which can kill Llew. And the book is full of such moments, which leave you wondering what will happen next!

It was a completely unique reading from the get go and the first book I have come across that has a mix of western, fantasy and steam-punk elements, and as I said in the beginning, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The world-building was very well detailed and I got a keen sense of the world and peoples Deb E Howell has created.

In saying that, I'm now really looking forward to the next instalment in the series. The ending of the first book left me wanting to know more - there were hints of drama and trials to come, so I guess I'll just have to be patient!

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a pleasant surprise.
The story has good pacing and an interesting and deep setting. It has maps.

I'm not saying it is a great piece of literature for the ages, but it isn't meant to be. It is just a plain fun read. It is easy to read and, apart from a couple of rough patches, has impressively readable and organic dialogue.

Its subplots weren't really my thing, it is aimed slightly more at a female reader, but they are well constructed and add to the story in a cohesive fashion.

All up, I can recommend this book - especially to anyone who will enjoy New Zealandisms popping up in a fantasy world.

[Paige Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I initally started the book I wasn't if I was going to like it. I'll come out of the closet and say that I'm kinda iffy on steampunk. Some of it I like really well other stuff... Anyway, in the beginning it was a bit of a slow start for me, but about a quarter of the way through it really started to pick up. I'm always a sucker for epic journeys with cast of colorful characters.

Llew, the main character, was definitely likeable. She was naive in some ways, but yet wordly in other ways. I felt for her and her plight. But the character that came shining through for me was Jonas. I really liked him and the author did a great job with his back story and making an initially gruff man into a sympathetic character. I did like the other characters, but those two caming shining through for me.

Braph was a jerk and she really hit a homerun with showing was evil that Braph was capable of. It literally made me shutter at points.

Some of the races and nationalities were a little hard for me to keep track of, but it wasn't so offputting that I couldn't keep up with the plot.

I will be looking foward to the sequel. Good Job!

[Hazel *Craves the Angst Reviews* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find This and Other Reviews At Craves The Angst.

I received this eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Outstanding Stars!
A Fantastic Infusion of Fantasy, Realism and Romance! I loved it!

The Rundown:
In the town of Cheer, Llew, a young female orphan who uses a boyish disguise as a survival tool, lives a lonely existence surfing the streets as a pickpocket. She’s different from most people and this all comes home to her after a harrowing attack one night that leaves her for dead. Only she doesn’t die. Shocked, Llew continues on with her life of pick pocketing until she picks the wrong pocket and run across an intimidating yet attractive stranger. But he is on his own mission and pays very little attention to Llew, dismissing her with a warning. Her gift comes in handy once more after she is hanged for a murder she did not commit and throws the town into chaos when she wakes from what should have been a permanent death.

Knowing she needs to skip town before she’s caught again, she ventures out on her own but soon realizes her plan of escape with no provisions was folly. Llew quickly happens across a traveling bunch who accepts her into their fold, including the infamous Jonas who bested her on the streets of Cheer. Friendships are soon made, but as she gets to know the unsociable Jonas better, she realizes he is Syakara, a race of people who destroy her kind, Syaenuk. So Llew is forced to keep her gift of self healing a secret. But secrets have a way of coming out as Llew is faced with enemies coming from all sides. One wanting to breed her, one wanting to destroy her and one wanting to study her but all wanting to strip her freedom from her. And on top of all this, there’s an enemy who’s tracking and attacking their group so he can get Llew’s blood for his own magical purposes. With all this going on, it’s hard to trust anyone and she finds herself having to trust the one person who should have killed her on sight.

The Review:
Deb E. Howell comes out swinging! Her debut novel, Healers Touch is book one in the Touch series and I have to say, I was completely immersed in this thrilling adventure and captivated by these exciting characters.

The intriguing and violent world the author creates is unparalleled in its rustic simplicity. It had a fantasy yet realistic feel as the author blends these elements seamlessly into her backdrop. The scenery, the names of characters and places and the mythology behind the world building were all wound together to create a gripping tale of would-be friends journeying across treacherous lands while romance is in the air and enemies at the gate. And the writing was brilliant! I can’t say enough about the chilling imagery of certain scenes and the horrific events introduced in this story. I simply couldn’t put this book down and I most certainly can’t wait for book two!

Characters…
I loved that the main characters were sworn enemies. I’m a sucker for “opposites attract” or “forbidden love” stories and these two characters were definitely on opposite sides. But I loved the mythology woven into this forbidden tale because when it’s all laid out for the reader, you can’t help but root for the budding couple.

Llew is unique, remarkable and inspiring. Her character went through an assortment of appalling events but she stays determined and resilient as her moral compass never wavers. I loved Llew. I loved that she could be rough and tough with the boys and sweet and pretty with the girls. And the fact she never complained and had a strong will to live even when things seemed dire only endeared her to me more. She was the ultimate heroine.

Jonas is an imposing Syakara warrior with a traumatic past. He’s serious, commanding and he fights for the Quaven army to rid the world of Aenuks. But when he meets Llew, he fights his ingrained hatred of her race to try and see past the surface to the soul underneath the title. I adored this character. Jonas encompassed the best of what we love in our heroes. He has extraordinary fighting skills and is affecting with his sincerity and loyalty. I loved his instant connection with Llew even when he tried to deny his feelings.

The sub-characters ensured there wasn’t a dull moment in this book and I thoroughly enjoyed keeping time with them as they forged reliable friendships to one another throughout their travels.

The Wrap Up:
There were many intricate weavings in this incredible story with so many things going on and they all connect with an impressive imagery and wondrous tale. The combination of powerful world building, unique fantasy drama with a wild-west feel and skillful and compelling writing will definitely have me coming back for more. Book two, Warrior’s Touch (Touch #2), is in the works slated to come out sometime this year (2013) and I’ll be eagerly waiting for the journey of Llew and Jonas to continue. Bravo Deb E. Howell for an awesome debut novel and thank you so much for allowing me to participate in this amazing adventure!

[Mark McCabe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much I can’t wait to read the sequel - Warrior’s Touch. I just couldn’t put this story down. Not only was the storyline innovative, which in itself drew me in, but the characterisation just added to the enchantment. Highly recommended in my view.

[Chy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really excited to read this book. I got to read an early version of the first chapters and enjoyed it and really wanted to know where things went. Like I said, I really enjoyed those chapters, but they’ve been vigorously rewritten, and are just leagues better. Quite a feat. I got into things much more quickly, and everything was more vibrant.

The world is intriguing and Howell never fails to give a sense of the surroundings in ways that lend to the whole feel (rather than the beat-you-on-the-head method some writers indulge in.) I thought the history was leaked in well, and though a lot of that was based on the main character being ignorant of it, I didn’t actually notice that up-front-like until I sat down to write this review.

Got a sense of the characters in the same way. One thing that really struck me was that Jonas is your dark past/bad boy, but he didn’t irk me the way most such love interest characters do. Cassidy and Alvaro were great secondaries. And, as is seldom the case with this reader, I didn’t mind reading POV sections from the “bad guy.” (This is really saying something.)

I did run into some characterization problems with Aris and Anya. I thought Aris was going to be this avuncular type---and though it’s fine (and even really great sometimes) to slowly realize a impression like that is incorrect, this wasn’t so smooth. That is, it really piqued my interest to find out that he had these things about him that made me want to hit him, but I wasn’t fully confident the writer had my back on those things.

With Anya, it just would have made later conversations with her feel more natural if there’d been more characterization of her earlier on. Not a big deal, actually, but noticeable because of how well things flowed when everything was just right.

Llew, our main character, reminded me just a big of the main character of the Hunger Games trilogy. Not in any “Itemized list” sort of way. Just that she had ways of thinking at times that went against the grain of goody-good thinking. And I loved that about her. It seems like, with so many novels, female leads don’t get the same kinds of flaws that male leads get---flaws just like Llew’s. And I love to see it, because it’s real.

There were a few wobbles along the way, like at the ball a little over halfway through. To repeat myself just a little, I liked that Llew stood up for herself, but it just seemed the build-up hadn’t been there, especially since we’re in the POV of the one who has the blow-up. Things continued to be a bit wobbly in the character-actions department for about ten pages, but after that things got rolling more fluidly once more and then it was a race to see what would happen next. To the point I forgot about supper and almost boiled a pot of water down to nothing.

I love the idea behind the tree---the history of its kind and its ‘interactions’ with Llew, and the promise of what might happen with its kind from here on out.

And there were so many little character interactions that made me grin and even laugh out loud. Made the people not only completely real, but made them people I wanted to hang out with. That’s worth some A+’s from a reader who’s as obsessed with characters as I am.

I thought the ending was perfect. It was great place to sort of regroup and get ready for everything that’s left to do. Perfectly frustrating---because I can’t really complain about getting to a stopping point there, but it also makes me very eager to read the next one in the series. The very best kind of ending for a book that has sequels.

In truth, I’m feeling about a 3.5, but I have no problems with rounding up. It’s a worthy first novel from a writer who shows real, glorious potential.

[Cathy Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of weird, I've been reading two books at the same time about blood with magical powers, this one and Tyler Hamilton's expose/memoir about blood doping and all the other cheating that goes on in pro bicycle racing. Maybe that's how I came to picture Jonas looking kind of like Lance Armstrong with long hair. Hey, I bet a syakaran would do great in the Tour de France!

This excellent first novel uses some traditional fantasy dynamics, then takes chances in presenting them. That's one of the things I love about reading first novels--it's all fresh, and even if the writing includes some wonky bits, enthusiasm more than makes up for it. Deb Howell's story comes across as new without seeming amateurish. The pacing and timing are excellent; for example, just as I was really starting to wonder whether Lleu's powers could heal others as well as herself, this came up in the story, and at an important point to boot. Right around 70%, I thought the writing went up to a new level. For this and many other reasons, I’m really looking forward to Book 2.

The setting has a western feel, but with old world touches--Kiwi Western, I guess? Whatever you want to call it, the story world has a flavor all its own. The dynamic between aenuk and karan, the two races with supernatural powers, reminded me of vampires and vampire hunters. But it's not vampires, but a totally different take on blood with supernatural and dangerous powers.

From peeking at other reviews, I expected more steampunk, but the only real steampunk element is the bad guy, Braph, who's kind of a mad scientist who invented his own brand of magical technology.

One thing that struck me was how the male hero and the bad guy, Jonas and Braph, are so alike they're like two versions of the same person. This isn't lost on Lleu, the heroine, either. She loves one and hates the other, but they're so much alike that she feels a lot of emotional confusion. When you come down to it, both of them want to take Lleu into custody so they can use her power. Do we let Jonas off the hook just because he falls in love with her? Maybe. But there are strong hints that Braph is in love with Lleu's mother (a character whose presence is strong in the book, though she doesn't show up.) I was almost disappointed that Braph turned out to have such nasty methods, because I would have loved to see Jonas and Braph as moral equivalents who happened to be on opposite sides.

Lleu is likable as the main character, a seeming orphan who's made a life for herself on the streets before she sets off on her quest. She's had to masquerade as a boy (Seriously, I think I would too, if I lived in Cheer!) and doesn't think much of anything girly. Still, she makes a good female friend in Anya--a friendship that may be important in the next book of the series. She has strong feelings and emotions. “‘Would you kill me if I asked you to?’” Dang, that line got me.

The book could have used more careful editing. It was full of punctuation errors and typos, plus a few continuity mistakes. I think this publishing company is new, so maybe I should cut them some slack, but I got the feeling whoever edited the book did it in a hurry. Hopefully they’ll do a more careful job on the books they put out in the future.

[aprille · Rating 4 out of 5]

Healer's Touch is the story of Llew, a young pickpocket living on the streets of Cheer. Whilst Llew is already a pretty kickass young woman, she comes with an ability that is more than it seems.

Llew is a healer, but for her to heal, something else dies. Plants and grass are her beginning tools for healing, but as her adventure progresses, so does the need for more powerful sacrifices.

I love the concept of this book, and Llew is the perfect MC to carry it out. Howell has created a fantastic Western fantasy world (complete with awesome name - Aghacia) with amazing mythological elements. Some of the bits I loved most about this book were the explanation and history of this world, the wars that had been fought, the powers that had been abused and the prejudices that had come about.

I liked Jonas, though he sometimes really annoyed me. One of my favourite characters was Anya, because she was the pinnacle of everything that Llew had never known. It was a glimpse into the world of the upper class, and provided a rich setting to contrast the stark wilderness the group travelled through. Cassidy was a favourite also.

I really enjoyed the first third of this book, when Llew is by herself and the rules of her healing are explained. I loved seeing how independent she was and how she lived by herself with no one to defend her. The middle of this book lost me a little, but the end made up for it completely, and I was glued to every page. Some very cool, but very creepy, little inventions come to pass which made for a very good visual in my mind's eye. I loved Llew's inner strength in the last few chapters; it added to her character even more.

The writing was strong, without too much telling without showing and vice versa. It was easy to picture their surroundings, fashions, looks and landscape, which I find I struggle with a lot with some authors.

Needless to say, I'm pretty keen for the sequel, Warrior's Touch. HT left it on a rather forbidding note and I can't wait to see how it progresses.

I'd recommend this for anyone who enjoys strong characters, original inventions, alternate fantasy and beautiful settings.

[Dean Lombardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Healer’s Touch Delivers a Transfusion of Originality to Fomulaic Fantasy Genre

Healer’s Touch by Deb E. Howell is an entertaining mix of fantasy, western, steampunk, romance, and even a bit of horror that provides a refreshing transfusion of new blood to a fantasy genre suffering from a super-saturation of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings rip-offs. In the land of Aghacia, Llew, an orphan and pickpocket, discovers there’s something very special about her after she survives a brutal, bloody attack and then a public hanging. This special power is the ability to heal herself (or others) by siphoning the life force from nearby living plants or creatures. Believed by the citizens of the ironically named ‘Cheer’ to be a witch, Llew escapes to the main continent with a group of travelers, including Jonas, a soldier of superhuman speed and strength. Despite being from two different and often-warring tribes, Llew and Jonas are drawn to one another, protect and save one another, and form a romantic bond. However, Braph, Jonas’ jealous brother, wants to kidnap Llew for her healer’s blood so that he can defeat Jonas and become an invincible wizard.

The novel is a compelling read throughout, but there are two scenes that will stay with me for a long time and that are a testament to Howell’s multi-genre versatility as an author. The mechanical, bloodsucking spiders used to drain Llew of her healer’s blood are absolutely frightening and the scene where the magician Braph hijacks Llew’s nervous system in order to rape her is another unforgettable aspect to this novel and leads me to believe that Howell could easily move into horror writing if she ever desired to do so. Healer’s Touch is beautifully written and well-paced, and the paperback edition is just gorgeous to hold and consume. This is a highly recommended read.

[Tywyll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Healer's Touch was an enjoyable fantasy romance novel. The characters were likeable. Each has their own voice. Llew's ability was quite intriguing, especially the fact that it had consequences. I loved Jonas' tattoo and his skills as well. I enjoyed Howell's writing style. For her first book, it's a pleasure to read. The use of words one doesn't commonly come across, like detritus, was quite refreshing. I appreciated the maps placed strategically in the book, so the reader could follow Llew and the rest of the party to each of their destinations. I enjoyed their world having special races and a history to go with it.
I didn't realize this have so much "romance" in it. Thankfully, the love scenes were brief and not overly descriptive. In this same aspect, I disliked the amount of rape (actual or attempted) in this novel. In the first 3 chapters alone, there are 2 instances. I understand why the author used this for "plot purposes" but still, it's a bit much. Braph's actions were completely unnecessary in my opinion. It made no sense why he'd do that, aside from being sick and twisted. I found it unrealistic that almost every guy she came across salivated and lusted over her.
Other than those few things, I really enjoyed the book and the entire concept. I look forward to reading the continuation of Jonas' and Llew's adventures.

Note: I received a free copy from the author for a fair and honest review.

[Jacque Stengel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take a bit of steampunk with a flavor of the old West, add lots of adventure and fantasy...putting in a few more bites of romance and I'll say it...even a dash of horror. What do you have? A page turner that kept me on the edge of my seat for a couple days.
I really liked the set up that was woven in this book...a little slow to action, but when it gets hot..it gets hot! I never felt lost in this new world as the author has an amazing way of letting you know where you are with great descriptions that don't go too far off the deep end. The character development was much more complete in some of the characters than in others...really hope we learn more about the secondary characters in the next book..(there is a next book right?)
If you are a bit squeamish there are parts in this book that might make you want to duck and cover (even I...found myself squirming during a couple of scenes). However, I still would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 14. Did I say Buy It? BUY IT!
Disclosure: I had originally gotten this as a review copy...but ended up buying it anyway because I loved it and wanted to support the author.

Jacque S. of www.FaeBooks.co.uk

[Fionna Mccormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a page turner that I could not put down. I love fantasy, but have found it more difficult to lose myself in as I have grown older. A lot of books become far too predictable, gladly not so with
Healer's Touch. This is one of those books you finish so quickly through sheer excitement, that you wonder if you should read it again immediately to check if you missed any more juicy bits. Really enjoyed the plot, characterisation, the rich scene, and the use of a western- fantasy cross over which I found refreshing.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spent many hours with LLew and her band of travelers. I really loved this amazing story. I would put it down only to pick it back up again to see what happens next. I loved the way that the author painted a picture so that you could "live" in the story. I felt like I was traveling right alongside LLew. Llew herself is an amazing strong character who is beautifully written. This is probably one of my favorite books. I can't wait to see if there's a sequel because I want to see where the story goes next! Reviewed by Lee of Fae books.

[Ravencrantz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This was supposed to be Steampunk? Really? How? Where's the Steampunk aspect? I mean, there was that thingy Braph had on his arm and all the crazy inventions he did, but how does that one little piece translate into the whole book being Steampunk? I just don't see it.

What do I say about this book? I enjoyed it, but it had flaws. It went by pretty fast, but I kept getting stuck at points and needed to take a break. I mean, most of this was travelling. There were plot points through out all that travelling, but sometimes you just need something other than "and then we traveled down another road..." There were many punctuation and continuity errors, so I do hope that the editor will look closer on the next book.

Llew was an interesting enough character. I love the concept of her power. It falls in the equivalent exchange, where in order to get something, you must put in something of equal value to balance it out. In order for Llew to heal, she must take life and energy from something or someone else. I love that concept. I love the turmoil it causes her when she wakes up and sees the destruction around her. I love that she masquerades as a boy to protect herself from being raped, but is that really helpful when people still realize HEY YOU HAVE BOOBIES LEMME JUST RIP YOUR CLOTHES OFF?

At least she fights them off. Usually. Do we really know that she's preggers with Jonas' baby? I mean, she gained her super speed and strength after Braph raped her. How do we know the baby isn't his? Maybe it has something to do with their race, but really that's never explained.
My favorite descriptor of Llew is when she found out she has super speed like The Flash.
"She kept running into trees."
OUR HEROINE, EVERYONE
Okay, I'm not being fair. She just found out she has super speed and doesn't know how to control it. I'm sorry, but I just found that line hilarious.

There was one scene in particular that sticks out. It's when Llew and Jonas finally have their sexy time. It starts in the garden at the ball, then they realize they want more privacy, so head back to Llew's room. Then she ends up pressing Jonas into flowerbeds. Are there flowerbeds in Llew's room? Did they somehow magically transport back to the garden? What's going on here?

There was another line, where Llew stole Jonas' knife (again) and he came looking for it.
"She had been preparing for this, but she still wasn't prepared."
Something seems...off about this sentence. What if I went up to a professor and said "Oh, I was preparing for this test, but I'm still not prepared." Imagine the look I would get. How can you prepare for something and still not be prepared? I feel like saying that she had been preparing already implies that she should be ready. I don't know, really. It just sounds weird to me.

Then there was the little exchange between Llew and Jonas where I had a little Avatar moment. You know how there was that scene with Zuko and Mai where Zuko says "I don't hate you" and Mai responds with "I don't hate you, too"? Yeah, that pretty much happened here. I'm for serious.

I laughed when Zuko and Mai did it, and I laughed when Llew and Jonas did it. I know it's supposed to be all cute and a roundabout way to say "I love you," but it just sounds so hilarious.

Finally, the last third or so of the book, the word "niggling" kept popping up. I'd never heard that word before, and then suddenly I saw it maybe five times? Maybe a bit of overkill with a new word.


The second book isn't high up on my to-read list. In fact, according to Goodreads, it's not there at all. There are many questions left unanswered that I hope and assume will be answered in the next book, but I won't be going out of my way to get my hands on it. This was an enjoyable book, with flaws and all, but it ended pretty well. If I get my hands on the next book, I'll read it. I do recommend this book to people who enjoy adventures and love triangles and magic and turmoil.

[D.A. Bale · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off I'd like to clarify the rating as a 3 1/2 star (if anyone knows how to make a half star, I'd appreciate the hint). There were several things I liked about this novel and several things I believe could be strengthened.

This is really a fantasy novel in a fantasy world, not a wild-west or steampunk setting. I understand the western themed moniker to give it a semblance of time and setting, but I think that reference in the book blurb is misleading. There are characters with special powers I found very interesting, particularly the healer's touch component that our protagonist, Llew, possesses.

Llew is a teenaged orphan, living on the streets of Cheer (a misnomer) as a boy since her father disappeared. One night she is attacked when a man realizes she is a woman. When Llew tries to fight him off, he starts slashing at her with a broken bottle. However, each time he slashes at her and she touches him to fight off the attack, a transfer of life occurs and Llew is healed. Eventually she passes out, realizing the connection she maintained with the man sucked the life out of him to heal her - and his lifeless body lay beside her.

When the townspeople of Cheer realize a murdering witch is in their midst, Llew is forced to flee into the unknown. Along the way, she encounters a group of wealthy adventurers escorting a young woman to another land to meet her betrothed. They agree to take her on as another protector - and for the time being Llew's secret is safe. But the traveling troupe has many secrets of their own, the warrior Jonas being more than a distraction.

This wasn't a story that kept me reading into the wee hours of the morning, but it was one that kept me coming back over the course of several days as I had availability. So without giving away too much, here we go. The first third of the book was interesting as I got to know Llew and her predicament, her strong and determined personality, and as she grew more aware - and sometimes frightened - of her strange power. The last third was both exciting and heartbreaking as Llew fought for her freedom, her life, and for the lives of others.

The main problem I had was with the middle third, as it got bogged down and at times felt as if the author had lost direction. The characters even changed in odd ways and didn't stay true to what they were at the beginning and end. One of the most irritating was the changing speech patterns of several characters, in particular Jonas. He had disappearing and reappearing accents that varied throughout the story. In the beginning he carried a normal speech pattern, and then suddenly he sounded like a southerner from Texas, then the Bayou, and then back to no discernible accent. The middle could be cut waaay back without losing any significant aspect of the story.

Then, besides Llew, there was little development of any other character to give the reader a sense of depth, motivations, and more than one-dimensional representation. I think this would have helped the middle section from feeling so wooden and would have also made our antagonist feel more like a flesh and blood man instead of a spoiled brat throwing a temper-tantrum.

There were very few editing errors and point-of-view stayed fairly strong without jumping around from character to character in the midst of a scene (bravo and thank you, Ms. Howell!!!). In the end, I think the story ended on an appropriate note and made me interested in continuing with the next leg of Llew's journey.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admit, I was hot and cold for this book. I liked the world it was set in: Western meets Fantasy. I liked hearing about the different races, their specialties, and their dark little secrets, but I was left feeling like I wanted more. We get a lot of information about their world scattered in bits and pieces across the book instead of one huge package of exposition, which is good. However, I still had lots of questions at the end of the book that I hope the next one will answer.

That was some of the “hot” part. Now to the “cold” part. The pacing of the book was a bit off for me. There are some good action scenes in the book, but maybe after reading things like that over and over, the “final” conflict of the book just didn't seem all too exciting for me. Think of it like being on a roller coaster where you think that last drop is going to be the best and biggest. You get lots of good drops in before that, but when you get to that final drop, it happens and you just kind of go “Oh.” I kept anticipating that big moment and scene that was going to make me go “Whoa!” but the last conflict just did not do that for me, even if it was bigger than what the characters had faced before.

The characters are another hot/cold thing for me. I was glad to see a female character take the lead in a fantasy novel and I liked how Llew started out. I really did cheer Llew on, wanted make sure she was safe, and to see her keep going. But some of her actions (especially those involving Jonas) just had me sighing and going “Why oh why?” I guess I was just a little miffed that this headstrong and fierce girl was suddenly different and melting around this guy.

The romance between Llew and Jonas put me off. Yes, their relationship is interesting. Yes, I admit that they are good together. But maybe their romance was rushed for me. They warmed up to each other quickly, when not long before they were rubbing each other the wrong way. Jonas kept switching between “No, I cannot. Let me brood.” and “Oh yes, come here and let us do things.” Llew kept switching between “I cannot have you!” and “I must have you!” This constant flip-flopping on BOTH their parts annoyed me. The addition of Al and his petty selfish actions also made me cringe, even if I liked him at first.

I feel so conflicted about this book because despite all the things I hate about the characters and their actions, I want to know more. It’s like something is being dangled in front of you, and you try to grab it only to have it pulled away at the last second! Crazy! It’s oddly addicting.

Overall: I really like the world presented, I want to learn more about the conflict between the nations, their “special” armies, and what else is going on in their world. The characters in the book were torn between choices they had to make, and I was torn over the characters. I really hope there’s less flip-flopping in the next book. All in all, I did enjoy this book, but not as much as I thought I would. But I’m eagerly awaiting the next book because I’m dying to know the answers to the questions I had at the end! I hope we learn more about the life that Aris and Jonas led before they met Llew, Braph’s life away, and maybe even Al.

[S.J. Higbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of KINDLE Ebook Healer’s Touch by Deb E. Howell
Looking for something enjoyable and interesting to read, I found this offering languishing in my TBR pile…
Llew has a gift. Her body heals itself from any injury - but at a cost to anyone nearby. In a country fearful of magic, freeing yourself from the hangman's noose by wielding forbidden power brings dangers of its own. After dying and coming back, Llew drops from the gallows into the hands of Jonas: the man carrying the knife with the power to kill her - permanently.
Llew has had a hard time of it. Abandoned by her drunken father and swindled out of her rightful inheritance by the city authorities, she finds herself on the streets dressed as a boy and thieving to stay alive – until she steals the knife of a well-dressed stranger. And everything changes… Often protagonists appear to be able to cope with difficult conditions unrealistically – but Llew is able to soak up a huge amount of physical punishment by pulling life energy from her surroundings to heal herself. I really liked this character. She is genuinely tough, both physically and emotionally, so that when she hits hard times she tends to get on with it. Having spent six years on the streets, she is used to fending for herself and I liked the fact she is flummoxed by wearing a dress and suddenly very unsure of herself when mixing with other girls of her own age.
I also loved the premise – the healing power she generates has to come from somewhere and given she is totally untrained, it comes from any living thing within her orbit. Often in fantasy books, those objecting to magical powers seem simply prejudiced about something different. But I felt the folks that went around exterminating anyone with Llew’s powers had a point – in the wrong circumstances, she is simply lethal. Jonas is one such individual – but when their paths cross unexpectedly, he finds himself very reluctant to carry out his mission. The romance is well handled so that it doesn’t become the main issue, but acts as an engine to drive the plot forward as the classic fantasy theme – how do we treat someone with good intentions who nevertheless has the potential to be destructive – plays out.
And when someone with such a powerful gift pops up, you can bet there will be someone else all too happy to track them down and use said destructive gifts for their own ends. Sure enough, there is a powerful magic-user who is on Llew’s trail with a dark agenda of his own regarding her powers. I liked the backstory regarding Jonas and Braph’s past and how their own genetic heritage plays out in the world Howell has depicted.
I’m conscious this sounds like a purely classic fantasy tale – but Howell takes those genre tropes and gives them a spin. Llew isn’t some helpless female unable to cope without a man looking after her – indeed, she becomes part of a guard detail, herself. And while I liked and sympathised with her, I winced at the trail of damage she leaves in her wave and found it only too understandable why most of her kind have been killed. This is a well written, interesting tale that has stayed with me since I’ve read it and I highly recommend this one for any fantasy fan who enjoys a well-told adventure with some interesting twists.
9/10

[Nicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

I absolutely devoured this book! I really really hope there is going to be another one because I will definitely read it too.

[Sonya Lano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did I hear someone say awesome?
No?
Oh, yeah, duh, that's because it was me, thinking... Awesome! About this book. Because it is. Awesome. The concept, the writing, the characters.
So yeah, now that I've gotten that out and now that you know that it is... awesome... I'm going to actually write something to explain why I think that!

First of all, the writing:

“Turhmos,” Llew breathed. In the middle of the country that wanted her children, with the man that wanted her blood.

Does that not speak for itself? Yes, no?
Doesn't matter, because I'm going to expound anyway.
The writing is eminently readable: lively, brisk, fresh and breezy. Not that it's a summer breeze, but it reads so well that it truly is smooth flowing. Deb has an adroit way of using a few words to paint a scene. The characters' actions speak louder than their words, so you can see their emotions rather than being told about them. And both dialogue and prose have some lovely pearls in there that made me giggle.

“I’ve got him,” Cassidy released an arrow after the man. “I don’t got him. Sorry, Jonas, too many trees.” - This line gets me laughing every time!

The plot / concept:

I'm not good at plot blurbs so I filched this from the author's blog: "On the run after surviving the hangman’s noose, Llew learns that her ability to heal herself and others is more dangerous than she could have imagined. And her greatest hope of remaining free of those who would use her power for ill lies with the man who would kill her if he ever found out what she was… or would he?" Dun dun dun...!

So, the whole concept of a girl that heals herself by stealing energy from others (or heals others by giving energy from herself) just impressed the heck out of me the first time I saw it. I mean, it's just - awesome, and the actual logistics of living with such a 'gift' are really interesting to follow - even the characters themselves sometimes forget!

“Llew!” He knelt on the wet floor, reaching out to her. “Are you all– Ow!”

Sorry, dude, I know I shouldn't laugh but... yeah, and watch out when she gets a hangover!

The characters:

The characters are down-to-earth. No excessive angst. There are lovely snippets of conversation and humor that catch you at unexpected moments. The exchanges and interactions between the characters are natural. They're real people.
I love the reunion between Llew and Jonas. And when they run... in love... not watching... Ha!
And really, who can't love a character who can give her hangover to you?

In general, I found Healer's Touch a lot of fun to read. It's not perfect (though really, there are so very few books out there that ARE perfect), but there's nothing that will make me say it's anything less than a great book! And considering this is the author's debut, hats off to her for a fantastic read!

And speaking of hats...

"But she was alive. Cassidy was alive. Jonas was alive. What more could a girl want?
Her hat.
She had left her hat behind."

Ah, yes, there's the hats off, literally.
Cheers :o)

[Noor Jahangir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Howell's Healer's Touch is an interesting twist on a stock fantasy character class. Instead of Healers being gentle and mild-mannered clerics, they are highly feared by the populace and coveted by military powers for their destructive abilities. Healer's Touch title character, Llew is a street urchin who has suffered abandonment by both parents at a tender age and has to get by on her wit and her disguise of passing herself of as a boy. Neither of these things seem to be serving her too well for at the opening of the book, she is cornered by a drunk on her way home, who discovers that she is actually a girl. His failed attempt at raping her ends with him slashing her face and chest to ribbons with a broken bottle and her draining the life out of him to heal herself. Things only get worse for Llew as she is accused of murder and then branded a witch by the townspeople. Help comes from an unlikely source, a dark haired stranger with a wicked looking knife, haunting memories of his past and secret powers of his own.
The book is pitched as a steampunk western-styled fantasy, although the first half of the book is reminiscent of Twilight, with Llew caught in a love triangle between two men who desire her, with the one she is falling for being unable to return her love due to their kind being sworn enemies. But Howell's Llew is more a feisty Lois Lane than an awkward and whiny Bella of the Twilight novels. She is slightly uncouth, always says the wrong thing, pragmatic to a fault and more comfortable being a guy than hanging with the girls.
The writing is of a decent standard and the plot, though at times predictable, has enough interesting twists in it to keep the reader hooked. The characterisation is good and I quickly found myself in Llew's corner and cheering her on as she tried to win over the 'enigmatic' Jonas. The dialogue was annoyingly 'modern', with the turn of phrases and structure of sentences. Jonas had what I can only assume is either a Southern drawl or a New Orleans twang. However, the ending was rather abrupt and had me turn back a page in surprise, thinking that perhaps I flipped too far forward.
There are several points in the story that make for uncomfortable reading, where Howell has done a great job of showing how a woman has to disassociate herself from what his happening to her that reminded me of the case of the Ohio sex-slave girls, which reveals that Howell is only scratching the surface of her writing talents and worth watching as the series develops.
Healer's Touch gets a sturdy three out of five stars for promise and a decent read.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't tend to read much adult fantasy, so it's a slightly new genre for me. (I've read much more in the way of children's fantasy.) This is a big story, and plainly has a long way to go, with more books in the series to come. Being someone who skims rather too much for his own good, I sometimes lost track of which group was which - not the characters themselves but their tribal backgrounds and so on. Still that was a minor point, and my fault, not the author's.

There's a lot of energy in the book, plenty of surprises: just when it seems it's going one way it twists off into another. The opening is so terrifically done that it draws you into the dark world speedily, and before you know it you're caught up. Occasionally there were passages that seemed to me to be a bit too drawn-out, but the big set pieces are well done. The heroine, Llew, is a great character, full of angst and emotion and guts and determination. She's pretty well matched by Jonas, the man who initially should be killing her because of their backgrounds but who falls, almost unwillingly, in love with her. He's passionate, struggling with his own past, and continually trying to deal with things that aren't going according to plan.

I only had a couple of quibbles about it: my impression from the presence of horses, telegraph, and other 19th century ways of living was that the book takes place at some time in the past, but the characters' language varies quite a bit between modern slang and swear words, and old-fashioned conversation. Maybe I misunderstood the 'time' it takes place in, but for me hearing characters using expletives that have only become common in the last few decades or so was a bit disconcerting.

Secondly, the references - very few - to New Zealand flora and fauna seemed a bit confusing. It plainly doesn't take place in New Zealand geographically and historically (even given that it's a fantasy) so I wasn't sure why bellbirds and totaras, for example, made appearances alongside made up places and trees.

Anyway, it's an achievement for a first time author to make up characters and a world on such a scale. Looking forward to the next episode, in which no doubt Braph continues to cause problems for all and sundry...!

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seventeen-year-old pickpocket Llewella (known as Llew) has been surviving on the streets for some time. It hasn't been easy trying to pass herself off as a boy, but it's even worse living as a girl. When a man attacks her, Llew fights back and loses. She's certain she died for a few moments until energy from her attacker restores her to life and he dies. As more trouble befalls Llew, she must leave town fast, and begs for help from a group of people leaving for parts unknown. It's a rough beginning as, days earlier, she tried to steal a knife from one of the travelers. Although Jonas is tempted to kill her rather than let her tag along, he holds back and so begins an intense relationship.

Healer's Touch introduces a world with its own rules, countries, and conflicts. Author Deb Howell does a nice job of developing Llew's character from a sneaky pickpocket, to a frightened girl, to a determined and powerful young woman. The book's strengths lies in the careful development of relationships between a half dozen characters. While the powers that Jonas and Lew possess are intriguing, the backstory takes a long time to unfold.

I wish Howell provided more information about the setting in the book. The time period is never mentioned. There are no vehicles, and judging from the lifestyle and fashion, the story appears to take place in the late nineteenth century or earlier. The two countries named are unique, so perhaps the story unfolds in current time with a race of people who are technologically clueless. It's hard to say, and I like to know these things, although I realize that others don't mind. I mean, the time period wasn't an issue for Lord of the Rings, right?

The other problem is that readers will have to read the next book to see if the big issues are resolved. This book primarily focuses on relationship building and uneasy alliances. The evil, jealous villain isn't overly interesting, so even though I liked the book I'm undecided about whether I'll continue on.