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War-Torn Realms #1
The Spilling of Blood
It has been three centuries since the Great War. Peace between the realms of men and the Venern people came not through a truce, but via a split that permanently altered their world. On the brink of destruction, the Venerns crafted the Great Barrier—a magical division in the fabric of reality. This barrier allowed both races to lay down their arms, rebuild their cities, and heal.
Now, travelers from afar, known as the Keepers, with formidable arcane powers, have penetrated this enforced peace and threaten to destabilize the world. With the safety of the Venern people compromised, the threat of war looms ominously. Lefel, a seventeen-year-old Venern, becomes a prime target of the Keepers' machinations. He must unearth why the Keepers are intent on killing him, bridge the divide between the two races, and unite them against the enigmatic Keepers.
Now, travelers from afar, known as the Keepers, with formidable arcane powers, have penetrated this enforced peace and threaten to destabilize the world. With the safety of the Venern people compromised, the threat of war looms ominously. Lefel, a seventeen-year-old Venern, becomes a prime target of the Keepers' machinations. He must unearth why the Keepers are intent on killing him, bridge the divide between the two races, and unite them against the enigmatic Keepers.
- GenresFantasy
490 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 31, 2024
5 people are currently reading
2863 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 5, 2024
I would like to begin by thanking BookSirens for the free ark, for which I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It was my first time browsing BookSirens, and I was really interested in this novel the moment I read the description and the excerpt. I’ll start with the positive aspects, and the first is the fighting scenes. Their description and having each nation have specific fighting styles really added depth to the story. I also liked the fact there are also women among the Sudin, especially their magic system. It made me wonder about the origin of the stones and whether they will be related in any way with the Keepers or their temples. When Lefel discovered the stones that light up in the temple, I thought they might be the same kind of stones, and that maybe Lefel will now be a white Sudin as well. Oh well, there’s always time for that in a future book.
I also liked the little details that made each character who they are. One example is Nahaj, whose experience as a Venern soldier made him notice and appreciate things like Odefel’s people blending in as commoners. These were the kind of things that made the novel more realistic—a soldier with the qualities and attentiveness of one.
As the story unfolded, and here I’m mostly talking about the second part of the novel, the pace increased, just as the intrigue, making it more engaging. I admit that at times it was rushed—some deaths and even Lefel’s “grief”, but it was somewhat covered by humorous (Gerelli not believing Lefel is the Venern king) and wholesome moments (Deseaa finding out she is married to Jeannia’s son and realizing she once again has a mother). Towards the end, I was really curious of what will happen, as I had multiple theories.
But, as all things must have negative parts, this novel had them too. In the first part of the story, something felt really off about the writing, and it took me a while to realize it was because the dialogue and even some of the characters and relationships were superficial. I’ll start with this one example—Deseaa and Lefel being in love? Clearly wholesome since a royal is in love with a servant, right? But nothing, at least in the beginning, about them indicated two young people in love—more than anything, it felt like they “loved” each other only because of the forbidden aspect of their relationship, or because they had no better options. I won’t go more into detail here as I don’t want to spoil anything, but the more I read, the more it made me wonder whether he really cared. Maybe if their backstory was told or even what led to their blooming feelings, then their relationship wouldn’t have been so shallow. This is just me, though.
There’s also the fact the novel was quite predictable at times, like Lefel being prince Panor. Might have been a mistake, but before it was even revealed, he was referred to as Panor once. There’s also Flint and Derkin, whom I knew will become the highest ranked Sudins, but I wasn’t sure at first whether they’ll be best pals or “enemies” (by which I mean friends that actually get along really well, but enjoy mocking and competing with each other). Nonetheless, their friendship might have been one of my favorite aspects of this novel.
While this issue was solved as the story went on, at least the first half felt like a lot of information was simply dumped without a second thought, as if the author made so much research and wanted to make sure every little thing was mentioned just to make things appear complex. And yes, there were enough aspects to make this novel complex in a good way, but since I believe this is going to be a series, there was just too much for one book, at least in the way it was presented. If only it would have been written differently, then it wouldn’t have been an issue. Not only this, but too many characters were given names, although their absence wouldn’t have affected the story in any way. I had to go back several times to check whether someone was previously mentioned or if they’re just new.
Last but not least, this isn’t actually bad, but a suggestion for improvement: considering the uniqueness of the character names, having a guide on how to pronounce them would have been really nice. Perhaps even something to explain words such as season—I assumed one season means a year, but I wasn’t fully sure until close to the end, when they mentioned something in years instead of seasons.
Taking all these into consideration, I rate this novel 3.5 stars, which I will round up to 4. Can’t wait to see what the future holds for Lefel and his friends.
It was my first time browsing BookSirens, and I was really interested in this novel the moment I read the description and the excerpt. I’ll start with the positive aspects, and the first is the fighting scenes. Their description and having each nation have specific fighting styles really added depth to the story. I also liked the fact there are also women among the Sudin, especially their magic system. It made me wonder about the origin of the stones and whether they will be related in any way with the Keepers or their temples. When Lefel discovered the stones that light up in the temple, I thought they might be the same kind of stones, and that maybe Lefel will now be a white Sudin as well. Oh well, there’s always time for that in a future book.
I also liked the little details that made each character who they are. One example is Nahaj, whose experience as a Venern soldier made him notice and appreciate things like Odefel’s people blending in as commoners. These were the kind of things that made the novel more realistic—a soldier with the qualities and attentiveness of one.
As the story unfolded, and here I’m mostly talking about the second part of the novel, the pace increased, just as the intrigue, making it more engaging. I admit that at times it was rushed—some deaths and even Lefel’s “grief”, but it was somewhat covered by humorous (Gerelli not believing Lefel is the Venern king) and wholesome moments (Deseaa finding out she is married to Jeannia’s son and realizing she once again has a mother). Towards the end, I was really curious of what will happen, as I had multiple theories.
But, as all things must have negative parts, this novel had them too. In the first part of the story, something felt really off about the writing, and it took me a while to realize it was because the dialogue and even some of the characters and relationships were superficial. I’ll start with this one example—Deseaa and Lefel being in love? Clearly wholesome since a royal is in love with a servant, right? But nothing, at least in the beginning, about them indicated two young people in love—more than anything, it felt like they “loved” each other only because of the forbidden aspect of their relationship, or because they had no better options. I won’t go more into detail here as I don’t want to spoil anything, but the more I read, the more it made me wonder whether he really cared. Maybe if their backstory was told or even what led to their blooming feelings, then their relationship wouldn’t have been so shallow. This is just me, though.
There’s also the fact the novel was quite predictable at times, like Lefel being prince Panor. Might have been a mistake, but before it was even revealed, he was referred to as Panor once. There’s also Flint and Derkin, whom I knew will become the highest ranked Sudins, but I wasn’t sure at first whether they’ll be best pals or “enemies” (by which I mean friends that actually get along really well, but enjoy mocking and competing with each other). Nonetheless, their friendship might have been one of my favorite aspects of this novel.
While this issue was solved as the story went on, at least the first half felt like a lot of information was simply dumped without a second thought, as if the author made so much research and wanted to make sure every little thing was mentioned just to make things appear complex. And yes, there were enough aspects to make this novel complex in a good way, but since I believe this is going to be a series, there was just too much for one book, at least in the way it was presented. If only it would have been written differently, then it wouldn’t have been an issue. Not only this, but too many characters were given names, although their absence wouldn’t have affected the story in any way. I had to go back several times to check whether someone was previously mentioned or if they’re just new.
Last but not least, this isn’t actually bad, but a suggestion for improvement: considering the uniqueness of the character names, having a guide on how to pronounce them would have been really nice. Perhaps even something to explain words such as season—I assumed one season means a year, but I wasn’t fully sure until close to the end, when they mentioned something in years instead of seasons.
Taking all these into consideration, I rate this novel 3.5 stars, which I will round up to 4. Can’t wait to see what the future holds for Lefel and his friends.
August 23, 2024
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This story unfolds much like a general devising a meticulous strategy to win a battle. It features three main characters, each with their own unique journey. As the plot progresses, the various elements come together harmoniously, forming a cohesive plan where everything aligns perfectly, much like a well-oiled machine.
We are transported to a magical realm where two distinct types of magic exist: human magic, which is drawn from within, and Verern magic, which is borrowed from nature.
Lefel is a vernern servant who spends a lot of time with the Princess, despite it being forbidden. However, things take a turn for the worse when he undergoes basic soldier training. This is because, after a long period of peace following the Great War, humans have once again waged war against the vernern people. Unthinkable events unfold when long-forgotten signs foretell the arrival of a great evil. It’s a race against time to discover how to prevent the keepers from annihilating entire races, not just the Vernern people.
I was thoroughly enchanted by the story. The magical world captivated me from beginning to end, with numerous plot twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. It masterfully revealed that not everything is as it seems, making for a truly unforgettable experience
This story unfolds much like a general devising a meticulous strategy to win a battle. It features three main characters, each with their own unique journey. As the plot progresses, the various elements come together harmoniously, forming a cohesive plan where everything aligns perfectly, much like a well-oiled machine.
We are transported to a magical realm where two distinct types of magic exist: human magic, which is drawn from within, and Verern magic, which is borrowed from nature.
Lefel is a vernern servant who spends a lot of time with the Princess, despite it being forbidden. However, things take a turn for the worse when he undergoes basic soldier training. This is because, after a long period of peace following the Great War, humans have once again waged war against the vernern people. Unthinkable events unfold when long-forgotten signs foretell the arrival of a great evil. It’s a race against time to discover how to prevent the keepers from annihilating entire races, not just the Vernern people.
I was thoroughly enchanted by the story. The magical world captivated me from beginning to end, with numerous plot twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. It masterfully revealed that not everything is as it seems, making for a truly unforgettable experience
September 3, 2024
This book was a lot of fun! I greatly enjoyed the individual adventures and was impressed with how everyone came together as the plot developed. I’m intrigued by the worldbuilding and excited to learn more about these worlds and the mysteries they hold.
June 28, 2024
It is a huge honor to be the first reviewer of this novel on Goodreads. I just wish I could give it 5 stars and a glorified recommendation. Unfortunately, that is not the case for the stars, but still, I find it to be a worthwhile read, and I will recommend it with some caveats.
Before I go into more details, I would like to mention and thank BookSirens for the free ARC. In return, here is my honest review:
Lost heir, the chosen one (kind of, maybe?), the mentor, prophecies and destinies, hidden royalty, secret societies (kind of, maybe?), portal to another world, sorcerers and wizards, noble knights, forbidden love, trials and tribulations, mysterious strangers, magical realms, hidden talents, sacred texts, war between kingdoms, necromancy, and healing magic are some of the tropes found in this epic tale.
All the basics are given, even the cover looks great to make it an unforgettable story, but it is not quite there yet. It is missing depth, and a lot of it. Things just happen without lead-up or explanation. The backstories are shallow, and so is the whole world presented. The magic system is basic, at best mediocre, with a hint of nuance, but only just enough so that it can’t be called a one-on-one copy-paste from probably hundreds of others who wrote the same before.
I am not an advocate for ostentatious prose in Fantasy, so in the beginning, I was glad for the simplicity of the author’s writing style. It flows quite well, and it is incredibly easy to follow and understand. After a couple of hundred pages, the balance shifted towards the other end, and I was yearning for some picturesque descriptions that never came. I like to say that most of the time the important part is to transmit the message, not the way itself how you choose to do it, but in this case, I was left unfulfilled. Now that I think about it, the whole book feels like a detailed draft, waiting for the artist to give it the fine touches that would turn it into a novel. At this point, I also have to mention that dynamic scenes like fights and altercations, where a lot of things were happening all at once, were masterfully written. Hands down, some of the most enjoyable parts of the novel. I wish that the whole story had been made from a huge fight scene so that I would have more positives to draw from.
There is not much I can mention about the characters. Derkin and Flint started out great, but after they had their own chapter or two, even they faded out into the abyss with the rest of the cast. Droh and Serel looked really promising in the beginning as well, but they had barely any part in the whole story. Plus, I feel like the author only scratched the surface of their arc and then let them go in order to bring in even more characters with nearly no background.
Overall, I have enjoyed this read and would recommend it for newfound fantasy readers. I might even give the continuation of the story a shot to see if some things improve over time, but I can’t give this one more than 2.5 stars/3 rounded up with positivity and wishes of great success to the author.
Before I go into more details, I would like to mention and thank BookSirens for the free ARC. In return, here is my honest review:
Lost heir, the chosen one (kind of, maybe?), the mentor, prophecies and destinies, hidden royalty, secret societies (kind of, maybe?), portal to another world, sorcerers and wizards, noble knights, forbidden love, trials and tribulations, mysterious strangers, magical realms, hidden talents, sacred texts, war between kingdoms, necromancy, and healing magic are some of the tropes found in this epic tale.
All the basics are given, even the cover looks great to make it an unforgettable story, but it is not quite there yet. It is missing depth, and a lot of it. Things just happen without lead-up or explanation. The backstories are shallow, and so is the whole world presented. The magic system is basic, at best mediocre, with a hint of nuance, but only just enough so that it can’t be called a one-on-one copy-paste from probably hundreds of others who wrote the same before.
I am not an advocate for ostentatious prose in Fantasy, so in the beginning, I was glad for the simplicity of the author’s writing style. It flows quite well, and it is incredibly easy to follow and understand. After a couple of hundred pages, the balance shifted towards the other end, and I was yearning for some picturesque descriptions that never came. I like to say that most of the time the important part is to transmit the message, not the way itself how you choose to do it, but in this case, I was left unfulfilled. Now that I think about it, the whole book feels like a detailed draft, waiting for the artist to give it the fine touches that would turn it into a novel. At this point, I also have to mention that dynamic scenes like fights and altercations, where a lot of things were happening all at once, were masterfully written. Hands down, some of the most enjoyable parts of the novel. I wish that the whole story had been made from a huge fight scene so that I would have more positives to draw from.
There is not much I can mention about the characters. Derkin and Flint started out great, but after they had their own chapter or two, even they faded out into the abyss with the rest of the cast. Droh and Serel looked really promising in the beginning as well, but they had barely any part in the whole story. Plus, I feel like the author only scratched the surface of their arc and then let them go in order to bring in even more characters with nearly no background.
Overall, I have enjoyed this read and would recommend it for newfound fantasy readers. I might even give the continuation of the story a shot to see if some things improve over time, but I can’t give this one more than 2.5 stars/3 rounded up with positivity and wishes of great success to the author.
July 31, 2025
3.75/5
Thank you so much for letting me ARC read this book 🙆♀️
Let’s start with the word - OH MY. literally. it was so well built. interesting, deep but not overly complicated. i could easily understand it, but it wasn’t flat.
this book had two (or three 👀) words combined, 4 kingdoms in total and i didn’t - even once - find myself in a situation when i asked myself „where are we? what is going on?”
what i feel like i need to share:
FIGHTING SCENES 🗣️
when the author can describe fighting really good, make it understandable, interesting and make it seem real? then im bought.
i could easily see what was going on, which was amazingigigigigigig 💆♀️
and don’t get me started on the magic - because this one delivered as well.
two different magics?
two different magic sources?
oh yes count me in!
i got kinda confused during unity prayer but then i got uncofused 🤓
also my absoluty favourite part of this book - Sudin 🧎♀️- ESPECIALLY FLINT 🧎♀️🧎♀️🧎♀️
tell me why everything he came up i was like „oh hi baby? ☺️🤭”
nah but for real, the Sudin part, those tests - definitely my favourite part
what i liked less is Lefel 😔
don’t get me wrong, i started to like him a bit somewhere in 70% of this book, but he just felt… boring? i don’t know but i was kinda disappointed whenever his chapter started
also his lover 🤨 girlllll, she was kinda pointless in my opinion? i mean i get it, she’s important for next book(s) but in this one she was kind of an obstacle until very very last
but even if i didn’t like all of the characters i have to admit that they were well written, not flat and diverse. so that’s a plus.
but it took me like haft of this one to connect that Lefel is… yk who 🫡
anwaysssss it was fun, i had fun, i’ll probably read the next one too!!
Thank you so much for letting me ARC read this book 🙆♀️
Let’s start with the word - OH MY. literally. it was so well built. interesting, deep but not overly complicated. i could easily understand it, but it wasn’t flat.
this book had two (or three 👀) words combined, 4 kingdoms in total and i didn’t - even once - find myself in a situation when i asked myself „where are we? what is going on?”
what i feel like i need to share:
FIGHTING SCENES 🗣️
when the author can describe fighting really good, make it understandable, interesting and make it seem real? then im bought.
i could easily see what was going on, which was amazingigigigigigig 💆♀️
and don’t get me started on the magic - because this one delivered as well.
two different magics?
two different magic sources?
oh yes count me in!
i got kinda confused during unity prayer but then i got uncofused 🤓
also my absoluty favourite part of this book - Sudin 🧎♀️- ESPECIALLY FLINT 🧎♀️🧎♀️🧎♀️
tell me why everything he came up i was like „oh hi baby? ☺️🤭”
nah but for real, the Sudin part, those tests - definitely my favourite part
what i liked less is Lefel 😔
don’t get me wrong, i started to like him a bit somewhere in 70% of this book, but he just felt… boring? i don’t know but i was kinda disappointed whenever his chapter started
also his lover 🤨 girlllll, she was kinda pointless in my opinion? i mean i get it, she’s important for next book(s) but in this one she was kind of an obstacle until very very last
but even if i didn’t like all of the characters i have to admit that they were well written, not flat and diverse. so that’s a plus.
but it took me like haft of this one to connect that Lefel is… yk who 🫡
anwaysssss it was fun, i had fun, i’ll probably read the next one too!!
September 5, 2024
The Venern and the nation of Men have been split and a barrier has been built to maintain peace. Now, thanks to the Keepers there's going to be war. They've come from afar and have taken the king of Men and his family hostage. Only his son was able to escape and now has to find out why the Keepers want him dead and how to stop the war.
It took me longer than usual to get through this book, but that's mostly because I didn't feel a real connection to any of the characters.
I disliked Deseaa from the start and it didn't get better. The love story between her and Lefel was something I didn't need and didn't really like.
The only character I really liked a lot was Nahaj.
The writing style is good and the story is easy to follow. I just wished that the characters had more depth to them.
It would've also been nice if the magic system had been described in more detail. I don't need a hard magic system (although I love it when there is one), but more information on the magic in the book to get a deeper understanding would've been nice.
Overall, it was a solid read, just not really my cup of tea. I'll probably read the next book though to see how the story progresses.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It took me longer than usual to get through this book, but that's mostly because I didn't feel a real connection to any of the characters.
I disliked Deseaa from the start and it didn't get better. The love story between her and Lefel was something I didn't need and didn't really like.
The only character I really liked a lot was Nahaj.
The writing style is good and the story is easy to follow. I just wished that the characters had more depth to them.
It would've also been nice if the magic system had been described in more detail. I don't need a hard magic system (although I love it when there is one), but more information on the magic in the book to get a deeper understanding would've been nice.
Overall, it was a solid read, just not really my cup of tea. I'll probably read the next book though to see how the story progresses.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews