A Toast to Allies and Vengeance

by Maria Angelina

Shayle has had no time for trust or companionship in her life while on the run from the orcs. They deserved the massacre she brought to their compound after abducting her and keeping her as a personal assassin for decades, but now they’re the ones out for revenge.

Her life of hiding comes to an abrupt halt when she finds herself waking up in the restricted Druid Wilds after an attack, discovered by a royal sorceress, an ex-pirate captain, and a chatty gnome. This strange team has been tracking druid activities, and they’re very curious as to why Shayle is in their territory.

A race to recruit allies ahead of the druids will bring them across the continent, through pirate abductions, orcish combat trials, and the underground city of the dark elves, but even they don’t know who will join them when the first battle begins. And Shayle's involvement may have consequences—both for herself and the self-exiled orc with whom she's developed an unexpected friendship.

Genres: Fantasy

402 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 17, 2024

About the author

Aside from writing, Maria likes to spend her free time traveling, gaming, reading, exploring new spots around town, or attending events like rock concerts, beer fests, and drag shows. She's been to over thirty countries and spent four years living abroad before settling back down in Cleveland and adopting a cat. Her passion for fantasy RPGs led to the creation of her first book series, and she's excited to continue creating new worlds and characters in the future.

Reviews

[shadowarc13]

"I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.” A toast to allies and vengeance. This novel delivers a richly layered fantasy that balances brutal survival with unexpected tenderness. Shayle is a compelling protagonist, hardened by decades of captivity and violence, yet never reduced to a mere weapon. Her past with the orcs casts a long, bloody shadow, and the consequences of her escape feel visceral and earned rather than convenient. The story wastes no time pulling us into motion, and the moment Shayle awakens in the forbidden Druid Wilds, the narrative opens into something far larger and more dangerous than simple revenge. The royal sorceress, the ex pirate captain, and the endlessly talkative gnome provide contrast and warmth without undercutting the stakes. Their search for answers propels the story across a vividly imagined continent filled with pirate ambushes, brutal orcish trials, and the haunting underground city of the dark elves. Every location feels purposeful, steeped in history and tension, and the question of who can truly be trusted lingers throughout.
What elevates the story most is its emotional core. Shayle’s guarded humanity, particularly her unexpected bond with a self exiled orc, adds depth and resonance to the larger conflict. Their relationship quietly challenges the cycle of hatred driving the world toward war, making the looming battles feel personal as well as epic. The ending leaves just enough unresolved alliances uncertain, consequences looming that I didn’t hesitate to go straight into the second book. This is a beautifully told fantasy that rewards investment, blending action, character growth, and worldbuilding into a story that stays with you long after the final page.💛

[Whitney Weaver]

I loved this story! all the different characters and their backgrounds were introduced so well. it's a fun, easy read with a great story line. I have the second book on its way already!

[Gemma Wells]

4.5 ⭐️ a brilliant debut novel filled with action, humour and emotion. The author does a brilliant job creating each characters backstory and weaving the individual personalities into the plot. I loved the multiple POV which gave the story a dynamic feel and explored every ounce of the story. The world building is done well, while still leaving plenty yet to be revealed. I was immediately drawn into the tale and found myself staying up late into the night for just one more chapter, and given how this book ended will be diving into the next one immediately!!

[Satviki]

A Toast to Allies and Vengeance starts off the series strong by introducing us to some very interesting characters, characters that were developed surprisingly well. Additionally, the reasoning every character has for joining the quest is actually reasonable. While this might seem like something to take for granted, it was a welcome reprieve from some of the absolute confusion that certain modern novels are. That already gives the book 3 stars, but the next was earned by the variety of magical creatures and nations in the book. As in, orcs, elves, druids, mermaids, sorceresses...do I need to go on? The book was so diverse in the best way, with all the different races facing different difficulties. Plus, the team dynamics were amazing! Shayle, one of the POVs, starts off without trusting anyone, and seeing her view of how the team interacts along with her slow integration into the dynamics was truly phenomenal.
This book had a lot going for it including decent worldbuilding, a variety of magical species, and intriguing characters. The reason that I only gave it 4 stars though was that the middle felt a bit slow, and the writing style simply did not resonate. On the other hand, the writing style of ACOTAR also did not resonate, so you should probably give this a try anyway. Honestly, ATTAAV was pretty good for a debut novel.
While A Toast to Allies and Vengeance was a very good book, it just was not the right book for me, though it might be the right one for you!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[TeeJayB]

Admittedly I was not excited to read an authors debut novel. I don’t have a lot of free time, so I choose the books I read very carefully. Allies and Vengeance was recommended to me by a friend who gave it very high praise. I have to say, it did not disappoint. This series starter is a wonderfully enjoyable contradiction.

Though it is fast paced, the story has a very cozy vibe that draws rich character backstories, world building, and lore. POV personalities are beautifully fleshed out and the creative banter feels like spending time with old friends. There is no question who these allies are and what they stand for. I laughed, I empathized, I fell in love with the morally ambiguous (don’t we all?).

Fantasy readers and RPG gamers will notice some very familiar themes. However, Maria has created something entirely unique in spite of the inspirations. She takes the stories and source material we all love delivers a narrative that keeps you on your toes.

While it’s clear that this book is building suspense and anticipation for the series ahead, Maria solves the decades long question “why is our party traveling together?”. Why would a princess need help from a pirate? Why would an elf befriend an orc? Book one builds a sense of camaraderie far deeper than “drinking in the same tavern”. Allies and Vengeance grabbed me from the first paragraph and I’m looking forward to what’s next!

[Dionne Muller]

Upon picking up A Toast to Allies and Vengeance, the first instalment in The Druid War Trilogy by Maria Angelina, I had high hopes for an enthralling fantasy adventure. However, as I delved into the pages, I found the novel fell somewhat short of my expectations.

The pacing felt sluggish at times, with the plot meandering and getting bogged down in excessive details that didn't always serve to propel the story forward.

I kept waiting for the action and intensity to ramp up, but instead encountered stretches that dragged on without a strong sense of momentum or urgency.

While the worldbuilding showed promise and there were glimmers of intrigue, overall, the execution left me wanting more.

I had anticipated an epic tale that would sweep me away, but ultimately the plodding pace dampened my enthusiasm and made it a bit of a disappointing read.

Hopefully the next books in the trilogy will tighten up the pacing and deliver more of the exhilarating adventure I was hoping for.

[Morgan]

This is my first book by this author so please do not hate me.

I do and I don't like how this story plays out. One hand, I love that we get each character's viewpoints. On the other, it does get a little confusing at times. I mean like chapter 20. It speaks from Briala's view and talks about the summit along with Bo's "lover" arriving and speaking with her before the other orcs arrive. But the previous chapter, talks from Bo's view about his woman arriving and them speaking. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy the different perspective from the different people. How each "race" is thinking and how each one interprets the acts or words from the others. But with how certain chapters rewind like chapter 20 did, it just gets confusing a little.

Having Aezrael and Pylor within the gang does make things wary. However, Aze has proven herself a few times but Nadi and Shay have spoken about how wary they are of her. Aze does seem to be hiding secrets, which everyone is entitled to. But some are dangerous than others.

With the ending.... Ouch. I knew something was

[Sandra Mascio]

I was totally absorbed stepping into the world of Serabat and it's distinct nations. The characters are so well developed and have incredibly distinct personalities. I could picture them through the descriptions of their physical attributes and clothing choices. They also can be funny and sarcastic and not afraid to laugh at themselves.

The plot is well laid out and easy to follow. As the group travels through the countries trying to determine who are allies and who are enemies as an impending war looms, they have many adventures in some very unique settings including the world of the mer creatures and the underground city of the Dark Elves.

The theme of unlikely friendships stands out to me and the duality of the soul--that there can be good and bad battling within. This was a great first book of a trilogy and I can't wait to see what my new friends get up to in Book 2.

[Serina’s Stories wolfganghollows]

I couldn’t remember what this book was supposed to be about when I picked it up which I think made it better because it was a complete surprise. You can tell the author is a fan of fantasy/fantasy games, the book has a real Lord Of The Rings, wheel of time, legend of Zelda feel all in one. And also some pirates. I really liked it, it has some great LGBTQ representation amongst the characters and I look forward to reading book 2.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kat M]

This was a strong start to the Druid War Trilogy series, it had a great overall feel that worked overall with the genre. The characters were everything that I was looking for, the characters had that element that I wanted and enjoyed the overall fantasy element going on. I thought the pirate elements worked and glad I was able to read this. I can't wait to read more in this series and from Maria Angelina.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Gemma Rasmus]

In her inaugural novel, Maria Angelina creates a fantasy world which resonates with ageless themes: fealty, acceptance, war. The first book in the Druid Wars Trilogy, “A Toast to Allies and Vengeance” introduces us to the protagonist, Shayle, a 150-year-old elf who has become an assassin for the orcs who expunged her clan. These are some of the best delineated characters in anything that I have recently read. Intrigue, humor, and double cross with equal amounts of humor await the reader.

[Shawna sadzewicz]

Fun and easy to read character and world building! I loved the little gnome nadi! She was the best with her banter and mannerisms. It leaves you hanging at the end, ready for the story to continue on in the next book!

[Marilyn Formosa]

A well written first installment. Great world building, politics and warfare. While you have POVs from different characters the story flows well. Friendship, mysteries, betrayal and revenge.

[isa ˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚]

4 ✨
The way I gobbled down these group dynamics as if they were a feast should be studied, fr.
On a more serious note, the characters are already very well-rounded and fleshed out when they’re introduced to the story. You can really feel how much work was put into their diverse personalities and how well this effort translates into the writing. Everything flows very naturally, from dialogue to plot and banter (Nadi & Zed >>>>>>>). Additionally, the world-building and info dumps are very digestible, and the way we learn about different places and races makes a lot of sense. Never once did I feel confused or overwhelmed.
As for the story, it’s interesting but very low stakes. The brewing war feels very distanced from our group, which led to an interesting journey but a lack of action. Weirdly, I feel like the pacing is good and well-timed, but I see how people could potentially find it a bit dull since there’s not a lot of movement.

You can tell that the novel was inspired by fantasy RPGs. Our friend group is really just a group of adventurers doing a bunch of quests. Instead of following the main quest, though, they’re just chilling and farming XP through side quests.
I hope the second book will focus more on the main quest, but I’m really excited to see where it will lead us.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Brit Lake]

ATTAAV is a thought-provoking and engaging read. Maria Angelina’s storytelling prowess shines through, making this a must-read for fantasy fans of character-driven narratives filled with intrigue and moral complexity. Whether you’re seeking a gripping tale of revenge or an exploration of the power of friendship, this book delivers! Highly recommended!

On a side note.. Hello, Zasheid 👀🥵