A Student's Syn

by J.R. Martin

Can Ahanti unlock the secrets of her synesthesia and master her newfound powers before it's too late?

Ahanti, a teenage girl reeling from the tragic murder of her family, discovers a hidden world of people with extraordinary abilities - the Hallowed. Chosen to inherit the power of knowledge, she must train to avenge her family and expose the truth behind their deaths.

As Ahanti delves deeper into this world, she realizes that knowledge comes at a deadly cost. With her newfound powers enhancing her synesthesia, she experiences a symphony of colors, sounds, and scents while uncovering a dangerous conspiracy that threatens to destroy everything she holds dear.

Can Ahanti master her powers and survive the trials ahead, or will she become another victim of the Hallowed's deadly secrets?

Find out in A Student's Syn - a thrilling urban fantasy adventure that will leave you breathless.

Readers who enjoyed Raybearer, Children of Blood and Bone, and Akata Witch will love this book.

70 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 11, 2024

About the author

J. R. Martin was born in Texas to military parents. Due to constant travel, they ensured he had plenty of books to read. Soon reading wasn't enough, and he began writing stories of his own. Now you can find him in such collections as Gunfight on Europa Station, released by Baen, and From Planet Texas, With Love and Aliens. He also received an honorable mention in L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future contest.

His first novel will release in 2023.

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much, I couldn't believe the author wrote a entire book in 49 pages. This is a book full of diversity and a great mix of characters.

The plot and the world the author created was unique and there were new types of magic that I hadn't heard of.

The dialogue was also believeable and helped with the world building.

Thos might only be a very short book but there was so much action packed into it. I do wish it had been a bit longer.

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

[Athena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this short story to be a great introduction to this storyworld and its characters. The magic system of unique abilities passed on through blood inheritance felt new and fresh. I really hope to see more of this storyworld (as well as the character that I'm told is shared between a few different works despite being different universes) in a fully fleshed out rendition and/or different POV.

What drew me to this story was the very unique combination of synesthesia with a little appreciated power of perfect knowledge/recall. And while our MC wasn't that great at putting her pieces of knowledge together consistently (ultimately boils down to "book smarts" vs street smarts i guess - though Ishwa frequently boiled it down mostly to her age, which I personally had a bit of issue with), the inclusion of her knowledge and synesthesia was really consistently incorporated. It created much appreciated consistency and imagery that kept me present in the narrative.

However, for readers that are more sensitive than I am, there were some formatting oversights and grammar errors that sometimes tripped me up. Most notably: quotation marks for dialogue and the absence of dinkus/scene breaks to indicate the little time skip between two moments.


Favorite quotes:

No, experts have experience in use. You will have perfect knowledge. They are not the same.

Intelligence is the creative application of knowledge.

Ponderings for storyworld expansion:
What exactly is Tinker since he is not a Hallowed? What is Ishwa's backstory? Does Tafakari need to know the person he is travelling to via reflection? Why did the residents/workers of the prison gasp at the mention of the Hallowed? What are the functions of the Library? And how will Ahanti's inheritance of the position impact its functioning? How will Ahanti's revealed ability to detect Hallowed be of relevance?

Could one say that a mind wraith is like artificial intelligence? We saw Ishwa's mind wraith spawn into presence without being prompted, but does the that only happen after a purposeful initial summoning of that particular one? Or will Ahanti be plagued by other mind wraiths until she learns control of it? What would be the function of a mind wraith? Comfort? Sounding board? Embodiment of knowledge? Could Ahanti potentially make a wraith of people she knew prior to receiving this power? Or is her knowledge/recall of them too incomplete?

[Agnes Odek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahanti finally comes to terms with the fact that knowledge is power and it comes at a cost. These are words Ishwa keeps repeating like a broken record. What started as a thirst for revenge becomes more than she could have imagined. A world of extraordinary people exists, the Hallowed, and Ishwa chooses her to inherit his power. Will she cave under the pressure, or will she succeed?

A Student Syn, Tales From The Hallowed: Book 1 is an exciting book filled with unexpected events. It also happens to be fast-paced as well as plot-driven. The author J.R. Martin is descriptive in his writing. This brings the book to life. Ahanti's synaesthesia is enhanced by her power, making her experience colours, sounds, and scents in a new way. The author describes all this in a manner that makes one see what Ahanti may be seeing. He incorporates humour into the book. It brings balance from the book's intensity. For example, Ishwa and Ahanti’s banter is so wholesome and funny.

There is nothing I disliked about this book. I would rate five out of five. It is an entertaining read. The cover matches the book's interior well. Warning: The book contains acts of violence but not much. I promise you'll love this book as much as I did if you enjoy adventures and fantasies.

I willingly left this review after receiving a free advance review copy.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Student’s Syn is a captivating introduction to the Tales From the Hallowed series and a solid entry into this hidden world of inherited power.

What really stood out to me was the magic system. The idea that abilities are passed down through blood inheritance felt fresh (to me), and I liked the sense of legacy and responsibility tied to it. Ahanti’s synesthesia woven into her gift of knowledge adds a vivid sensory layer — colors, sounds, and scents shaping how she experiences power.

Even as a short read, the story held my interest. I enjoyed the characters and was curious to see where the larger plot will go.

Since the story is told from Ahanti’s point of view, I found myself wishing for a bit more explanation about how her synesthetic powers work. I would have loved clearer insight into what specific colors meant so I could interpret clues alongside her, almost like solving a mystery in tandem. I also think the book could benefit from some gentle editing.

Overall, this feels like a promising start to a series with a unique magical twist.

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

[Just D · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Student’s Syn is a captivating introduction to the Tales From the Hallowed series, and I found myself completely drawn into Ahanti’s story. The magical system is beautifully crafted, adding layers of depth and wonder to the world. I loved the glimpses of its intricacies and can’t wait to learn more in future books.

The pacing keeps the story moving, making it an engaging read from start to finish. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it moved a bit too fast, I wanted to linger in the world and get to know the characters even more. By the end, I wasn’t ready for it to be over, which is both a testament to its intrigue and the one reason I held back from giving it five stars.

Overall, this is a strong start to a promising series, and I truly hope it expands into a longer book or series. If you enjoy fast-paced fantasy with a rich magical system, this is definitely worth picking up!

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but exceedingly weird story. You can’t read this like you would any other book this one requires that you not come in with any preconceived ideas and just open yourself up to what is actually written. I enjoyed the book but the ending was just wow and so sad. The gift required s sacrifice so great I can only think of one other sacrifice that was given to all of us many many years ago.

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

[Toria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted so badly to enjoy this book but I struggled. Pros were the diversity of the characters and unique story line and magic systems. Dialogue was also used well to help with the world building.

Cons to me were:
- character development and behaviour for Ashanti did not seem organic. There were even some moments she’d think something and I found it so odd
- although the story was short because of the way it was written it was hard to follow. I wish the author spent more time world building, there were a few cuts from scenes that I feel could have developed a character or even the landscape a bit more
- there were many moments where the relationship between the two main characters felt icky. I think the author knew this because based on some funny dialogue used, it was clear. However it still didnt translate well.

All in all it was a jam packed book with action for sure however it should have been longer and more time spent developing the world and characters.
** I also spotted about 2 or 3 typos/grammatical errors

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