Narrow Mountain

by Alex Evans

Do you believe in old legends?

For Victoria, a brilliant inventor and the daughter of a wealthy American entrepreneur, marriage is like one of her a tool and a mean to an end. When she needs to get her hands on a mine of a rare metal for a new invention, she agrees to an arranged marriage with István Farkas, the impoverished crown prince of Taliskia, a mysterious kingdom nestled deep in the Carpathians. Her plans are dashed on their wedding day, when a bomb kills her father and leaves her gravely injured. Though her fiancé escapes unscathed and flees back to his country, Victoria is determined to find the murderer. All clues point to Taliskia, and Istvàn himself is the prime suspect. Under a false identity, she travels to Taliskia to investigate. Shortly after arriving, she uncovers a dark underworld of secrets and legends. Rumors persist that a monstrous wolf stalks the palace grounds, but as Victoria delves deeper into the mystery, she realizes that the truth may be far more strange.

Narrow Mountain has been previously published as The Wolf of Taliskia . This new edition entirely revised and edited.

205 pages, Paperback

Published November 11, 2024

Reviews

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable Romantasy with Steampunk. The author created an interesting world and characters and would have loved to see it last a little longer.

[Hazel · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Narrow Mountain" is a romance novel by Alex Evans that centers on Victoria Valiant. She is an intelligent inventor and the daughter of a wealthy American entrepreneur. As a wealthy heiress at Valiant Industries, finding a man for her to marry is not inconvenient at all. Her wealth protected her from sprinterhood. But his father, Victor, and King Oscar Farkas agree to set up an arranged marriage for their children. For four million dollars, the wedding ceremony happened, but what was expected as a happy day turns out to be a tragedy that kills hundreds of people, including Victor. The explosion of the bomb leaves Victoria severely injured, but Prince Istvan escapes unscathed and flees back to his country. They believed that the shocking incident was the work of the anarchists, but is it true? As time heals for Victoria, she embarks on a mission with a false identity to find the murderer for justice for her father. Further, Victoria not only discovers the truth behind the bombing but also uncovers dark underworld secrets and old legends.

“Narrow Mountain” is a novel interwoven with political intrigue, legends, magic, and romance. Through Evans’ writing, readers seemed to experience a cinematic presentation of a fairy tale set in the little kingdom of Taliskia. The setting and characters seemed real, and readers could visually imagine them as if they were part of the story. Emma Stephenson’s entry offers more excitement and intrigue in the plot, especially about her visit to the royal castle. There, she discovered things beyond what she had planned for. Her gradual relationship with Prince Istvan was one I’m excited to follow; it was sweet and surprising. Their brave adventure in the Forest of the Shadows keeps me entertained. It was an experience that challenged their love and bravery. I enjoyed Prince Istvan, as his character was filled with magic and mystery in his shadowed past. His heroic act of saving Victoria from Countess Tanzar made me admire his protective side. Every major twist Evans made was a pleasure to read and easy to navigate. I especially like the intimate moments between Victoria and Prince Istvan, as they are inseparable. They become my favorites because their tandem is perfect for a movie.

Evans flawlessly delivered the intersection of events, putting my reading experience at ease. Not only the main plot and main characters were remarkable, but also the subplot and supporting characters. Even Wanda, as a maid, plays a vital role in caring for the needs of Victoria, just as Aunt Zoe did. Alex Evans’s narration was intelligible, making all aspects of the book understandable. Though I found some punctuation errors, I can’t think of any other thing that makes this book less desirable. Therefore, the highest rating is well-deserved.

I recommend this professionally edited book to fans of steampunk romance. Since the book contains two erotic scenes and some profanities, a mature audience is best suited to it. The story involves magic and old legends that are spiced up in the narrative, which makes “Narrow Mountain” one of the best romance books I’ve read. Through this, I became an Alex fan of her works and upcoming ones!

[Raw Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Narrow Mountain" by Alex Evans is a meticulously crafted fantasy novel with an expansive and intricate plot that delves into the realms of science, technology, politics, tradition, religion, and love. The storytelling is robust, and the originality of the plot is an enchanting element that sustains interest throughout the book. The writing style is moving and well-paced, while the world-building, particularly the vivid portrayal of Taliskia, is epic in scope.

Alex adeptly weaves complex character dynamics, creating an intriguing contrast between István and Victoria. István, born into royalty, embraces superstition and dreams of finding love, while Victoria, raised in poverty, has known a childhood marked by anger, fear, and hunger. Her only refuge from this world was her father's success as an inventor. Unlike most girls seeking a prince charming, Victoria prefers to spend her time in her workshop building things. If it lacks scientific proof, it's not worth believing for her. The stark differences between Victoria and István raise thought-provoking questions about the coexistence of light and darkness.

Nevertheless, the plausibility of Victoria firing a weapon in the presence of military officers in Taliskia without facing interrogation strains credulity and feels out of place in any realistic setting. Additionally, the excessive use of certain catchphrases such as "Something straight out of a novel," "the Fox Inn seemed to come straight out of a dime novel," and "It was like a chapter straight out of a dime novel!" creates redundancy in the narrative.

In conclusion, "Narrow Mountain" by Alex Evans is an enigmatic fantasy novel that keeps readers engaged, but it has a few elements that could benefit from refinement.

[Kayenta · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received an ARC for free via NetGalley and am reviewing voluntarily.*

When an inventor's heiress finds her wedding to a mysterious foreign husband laid waste by a bomb attack, she's determined to figure out the truth.

What worked:
- The main character, Victoria, is quite interesting. She's intelligent (a couple of obvious plot points notwithstanding) and has a real interest in machines. She's not conventionally pretty for reasons both before and after her accident, so wit is her weapon.
- Steampunk vibes!! Could have seen a bit more of Victoria's inventiveness throughout rather than just the beginning, but I enjoyed the aspects we did see.
- This is a shorter length book, less than a four hour read so it made a nice break from my other reading.

What didn't work:
- The other characters. Basically all of them were one-dimensional and for the most part not very well developed.
- The ending. I don't want to get into spoilers but soooo much happens in the last 15% and very little of it felt like it had built up properly over the course of the book. For example, there's a pretty significant 'confrontation' towards the end between FMC and another female character, but they'd only had maybe one conversation the whole book.
- The ARC copy would have really benefitted from another round of edits. My impression from the author's goodreads is that they may not be a native English speaker and that was also the vibe I got while reading. Understandable, but the publisher should have picked up on this I think.

For me, this was worth reading and was enjoyable enough, but on the whole I can't see myself picking up the next one.

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

I really liked this book and I need more of this author soon. I loved that it was written so well and still had a little fantasy that kept the book mysterious. I thought Evans’ writing style was well done and the author knew how to keep the readers wanting more and more. I know that I want to know what happens next, more like I need to know.

I thought the character Victoria was well done. I loved that she is a hardheaded, stubborn young woman who knew what she wanted in life and was not scared to find out the answers to questions. I also thought having her be a plus sized character was well done, I know that we are seeing more and more characters like that in books but its still nice to see it more and more done. I thought the whole amputee part of a character I won’t say who it was, but I love that you get to see the invention of the arm and how this character handles this part of their life now.

I am still curious about the Istvan character, and I want to learn more about him. From what I learned in this book I am already liking it but I want more and that ending is like OMG!

I loved the steampunk vibes, the romance, and the mystery in this book. As well as the legends in the book.

I want to thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the opportunity to review this book

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Narrow Mountain is a good easy read. It was enjoyable and quite short, but I think that lends itself well to the book.

For the most part I enjoyed Victoria/Emma as the MC, she was a bit weird at times but it added to her character. I think the characters and story could use a bit more refinery, some things seemed abrupt while others dragged on, and some character traits and actions seemed to contradict the characters themselves.

I really enjoyed the steampunk industrial world, and the FMC being an intelligent engineer. Very interesting! It had a few touches of romance and also fantasy to give it a magical edge which was enjoyable. Overall I think it was good, if not a bit choppy.

I do think this could benefit from another edit round, I saw a bunch of instances where it said ‘he or him’ instead of ‘she or her’ when talking about Victoria, as well as a few other grammar mistakes.

If there is going to be a second one, I would read it to see what happens next, however I assume the ending was the end. It was a bit abrupt too, I had 15 minutes left and felt like everything quickly wrapped up all at once - the drama of the ending could have stretched out in more detail a bit.

*this book was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review*

[Adrianna Heaney-velu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victoria, an American heiress and skilled engineer, finds herself betrothed to Prince István of the enigmatic Taliskia, nestled in the Carpathian Mountains. This alliance promises Victoria the resources she needs for her inventions, while saving István's family from financial ruin. However, their carefully laid plans shatter on the wedding day when a catastrophic explosion claims Victoria's father and leaves her injured. Driven by grief and suspicion, Victoria is determined to infiltrate Taliskia in pursuit of her father's killer, whom she believes to be István himself.

As she delves into the heart of Taliskia, Victoria uncovers a realm steeped in myth and secrets, far removed from her rational and scientific upbringing. It's a world where truth and reality blur, and things are not as they initially appear.

“Narrow Mountain” by Alex Evans was absolutely amazing. I loved the steampunk Victorian feel to America being foiled with the legends and old-world mythology of István’s country. I was shocked so much by the ending and now I cannot get enough. I will definitely be reading the other works by Alex Evans. It’s an undeniable 5 out of 5 stars.

[Rea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Narrow Mountain is a shorter novel about a political marriage gone wrong and our main character Victoria's plan to figure out what went wrong and get revenge.

This is an entertaining story that keeps you interested in what will happen next. There is almost a fairytale atmosphere created as we learn more lore about this world.

Unfortunately, I thought there were a lot of things holding this novel back. It definitely needs another round of edits, both developmental and by line, as there were many technical errors. The pacing seems off in many places, and the writing feels a little choppy in some places. While I liked our main character, she did seem like a "not like other girls" girl and was inconsistent in her motivations and actions at times. The romance was a little forced at times, and I don't think the ending was fleshed out as well as it could have been, but there were some really sweet moments between them.

Overall, I think this was an interesting idea but lacking in execution.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the review copy.

[TheHomesteadReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This particular ARC version of Narrow Mountain has fantastic bones but is a bit all over the place. (It has since gone through some heavy editing). Set in a steampunk world it traverses the realms of espionage, fantasy, and mythical legends. There were aspects that felt a little too convenient while others made me wonder what role they were really playing in the story.
Characters had some intriguing aspects to their personalities but lacked the polishing to make them really shine. Victoria is incredibly smart but certain actions seem contradictory to her overall story. Ivstan comes across shallow but ends slightly more redeemable then he started out.
It reads quite quick and Id like to get my hands on a final version to see how drastic of a change it has gone through. This has quite a bit of promise to be a fantastic quick stand alone fantasy the genre desperately needs.

ARC kindly provided via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Victoria, an inventor, has agreed to an arranged marriage to, Istvan, the crown prince of Taliskia, a mysterious Kingdom in the Carpathians. Her wedding ends in tragedy when a bomb explodes, killing her father and the king of Taliskia, as well as badly injuring her. During her months of recovery, Victoria has only one thing on her mind, finding the person behind that attack and bringing them to justice. So she goes undercover to Taliskia. While there she learns more about the man she married as well as the superstitions that run rampant through the woods of this country. Superstitions that as a person of logic she scoffs at, but will she learn that sometimes logic can't explain everything? Will she discover who killed her family? And will she find something she never expected, love?
Interesting story, a little short, could have used more action.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the author for an honest review, which I voluntarily leave.

[Hayley Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really enjoyable read. A fun mix of engineering and folk tales. I personally would have liked a little more of the folklore to be present in the book.

There was quite a few grammatical errors in the book, mainly mixing up him and her but that didn't take away my enjoyment from the story.

The story itself was fun and exciting and had good pacing. I found the characters to be likeable and enjoyable too.

[Haley Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really beautiful writing and imagery. I love the blend of realism and fantasy it coincides beautifully. Ialso love the fact that she was working on an arm prosthetic at the beginning because, I myself am a bilateral leg amputee and love seeing this kind of stuff! Such a great story, so sad it was so short!

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Victoria. She is plucky and a problem solver, and the kind of princess that would rescue the prince instead of the other way round. I liked the plot and the settings, and even the steampunk-ish bits - and I've never been a fan of steampunk! This was a very enjoyable read with a non-traditional romantic element which appealed to me.

[KerryO · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Carpathian legend. Victoria travels to Taliskia to not only discover herself, but the killer of her father and learn the true nature of her husband. Interesting time travel with a shape shifter thrown in. I received an ARC from NetGalley, and the opinions expressed are my own.

[Mark Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Science and magic entwine.

The only thing I disliked about this book was how short it is. It's a story of an alternative US timeline, with airships and cars, and a European folklore from deep in a forest of antiquity.

Where love is not the only magic in the air.

[Silvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A modern Fairy Tale

Enjoyed this book.
The writing style is a bit.
The end is predictable but still....a very enjoyable tale.
It was a fun read

[Chantall Font · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun chill read