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Vale Chronicles #1
Quickbane: Part One
Jesobel Vine wants nothing more than to be a typical Pyxie teenager. She wants to ride her beloved horse, Firefly, shoot her bow, and fall in love with her dreamy best friend, Glyn. But Jesobel is marked not only as the future Royal Starkeeper of Pyxis, but as the Heart of Azimuth—the one to lead her people back to their lost realm—a burden too dangerous for daydreams. As Jesobel struggles to accept her destiny, reluctantly studying mystic magic, she becomes doubtful she will ever be worthy to rule. And when her fiery temper enrages the daemon-possessed Starkeeper of Equuleus with a hex-gone-wrong—igniting an orphic war—Jesobel must find a way to alter the global disaster foretold by a celestial legend.
- GenresFantasyYoung Adult
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 4, 2014
1 person is currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
Chelsea Starling
14 books28 followersChelsea loves to have a cup of tea with a good book. She lives with her partner, who encourages her love of books by building her new shelves, and their menagerie of house plants.
She can be found on Instagram @chelseastarlingwriter.
She can be found on Instagram @chelseastarlingwriter.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 2, 2014
One of my favorite authors of all time is Neil Gaiman, and the first book of his that I read was Stardust. The story of fairy-like gypsies takes a backseat to the main story line in his book, but with Quickbane, they are front and center in the form of Pyxies. The horse-loving, nomadic people have magic weaved into their culture so deeply that it is second nature to them and they cannot be separated from it, and I love how the author immerses us into the culture of their kind so completely, that we understand the character motivations from the start.
Jesobel Vine has been chosen since birth for a destiny she has no idea she's a part of. She and her horse, Firefly, are kindred spirits that were even born on the same day. Together they have a connection that makes them inseparable. If you are a horse-lover, this book will definitely draw you in with the relationship created between Jesobel and Firefly. Luckily, I'm a horse lover as well as a lover of Fantasy, and this intricately woven story grabbed me from the beginning and left me wanting more. This will be a series to watch for!
Jesobel Vine has been chosen since birth for a destiny she has no idea she's a part of. She and her horse, Firefly, are kindred spirits that were even born on the same day. Together they have a connection that makes them inseparable. If you are a horse-lover, this book will definitely draw you in with the relationship created between Jesobel and Firefly. Luckily, I'm a horse lover as well as a lover of Fantasy, and this intricately woven story grabbed me from the beginning and left me wanting more. This will be a series to watch for!
December 2, 2014
I was first drawn to this book by its beautiful, and very different, cover. What I found beneath was just as wonderful.
A magical adventure story of courage, sacrifice and love, filled with great action and plenty of emotion. I really felt for Jessa as she tried to come to terms with the fact that her life was not completely her own, but that destiny ruled her future, and no matter how much she wanted things to be different, they would never be.
I was extremely surprised by the final moments in this story, and I am only all the more eager to dive right into Part Two to see what lies in store for Jesobel, and whether she will rise above all that stands against her.
A magical adventure story of courage, sacrifice and love, filled with great action and plenty of emotion. I really felt for Jessa as she tried to come to terms with the fact that her life was not completely her own, but that destiny ruled her future, and no matter how much she wanted things to be different, they would never be.
I was extremely surprised by the final moments in this story, and I am only all the more eager to dive right into Part Two to see what lies in store for Jesobel, and whether she will rise above all that stands against her.
September 28, 2014
Absolutely amazing story about a Pyxie who is faced with a life that doesn't seem to be her own. All of her decisions have already been made, and she feels like she's caught up in a tidal wave of responsibility with no chance for a happy life. Should the well-being of her people preclude her from having any kind of happiness, or is having those thoughts the epitome of selfishness?
I devoured this book in only two and a half days. The imagery is beautiful, the characters complex, and I can't wait to get my grabby hands on book 2!
I devoured this book in only two and a half days. The imagery is beautiful, the characters complex, and I can't wait to get my grabby hands on book 2!
December 26, 2014
What I liked: Excuse me but the dedication of the book is golden. “For every person who struggles with depression, anxiety or PTSD. Never give up. I believe in you.” I’m not sorry, I was so incredibly touched by that. I cried because it hit home and felt personal to me. Points to the outstanding dedication Starling. As for the book, I really enjoyed the way it came together little by little, and the way how we had clues to figure out some things but we weren’t always given a direct answer as to what it was. Like quickfire, we weren’t told what it was but we got the sense it was important and could mostly figure it out with the clues. I liked that, how we weren’t given everything and the character didn’t really have internal dialogue trying to explain everything about her world. Jesobel is a character who’s motives and ideas are easily seen. She wants to be normal, not have some big destiny. She doesn’t even want to be the Starkeeper of her people! Yet, little by little she accepts and tries to do better. Aggie was a character who I was on and off about, mainly because when she was trying to teach Jesobel she didn’t have any patience with her or listen to Jesobel. And of course, sometimes Jesobel had some important things to tell Aggie.
What I didn’t like: If I hadn’t been told Glyn was her best friend in the summary I really wouldn’t have know. He barely shows up, and really doesn’t say anything. I just felt that he was sorta there, and only served as a way to give Jesobel some angst (because every heroine needs that right?).
Overall Review: Quickbane is a read that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon with the way its characters stood out, and the way the magic was shaped. With characters who at the end leave you wanting more, you can be sure I’m already eager to read the next one!
Recommend?: I do! I know I recommend a lot of my fantasy reads, but they’re almost always really good reads that I pick!
What I didn’t like: If I hadn’t been told Glyn was her best friend in the summary I really wouldn’t have know. He barely shows up, and really doesn’t say anything. I just felt that he was sorta there, and only served as a way to give Jesobel some angst (because every heroine needs that right?).
Overall Review: Quickbane is a read that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon with the way its characters stood out, and the way the magic was shaped. With characters who at the end leave you wanting more, you can be sure I’m already eager to read the next one!
Recommend?: I do! I know I recommend a lot of my fantasy reads, but they’re almost always really good reads that I pick!
January 4, 2015
Quickbane Part One is a short book packed with rich lore and some great foreshadowing. It is a story of courage, love and inner strength.
Our main character Jesobel, the future Royal Starkeeper of Pyxis and as she finds out she is also the Heart of Azimuth as well. She is not only a future leader but now she has the pressure of leading her people back to their lost homeland. It’s a dangerous goal and one that Jesobel struggles to find the will to do. Her magic studies are difficult for her and it isn’t until it’s too late to turn back from her fate that shes truly grows to accept what she has to do. I love her attitude even when it gets her in trouble. She’s a wild girl, who prefers to ride her horse, run barefoot, and shoot her bow…and she is hesitant to part with that side of herself in favor of the girl her people need her to be. I can see how Jesobel is going to grow and it makes me excited to see what she is capable of. There is a touch of romance but it is relevant to the story and is incredibly sweet.
Quickbane Part One is a quick read, but that doesn’t stop it from pulling you in and immersing you in the story. Chelsea manages to pack plenty of interesting lore and a new magic system into the story without loading it down and making it feel sluggish. In fact the farther you go into the story the quicker the story seems to flow (or maybe I was just reading it faster because I couldn’t put it down). And that ending! I can’t wait for Part Two to come out, because I NEED to know what is going to happen to Jesobel.
This is perfect for fantasy lovers who don’t want to wade through 600 pages of world-building. Sterling manages all of that and still leaves you thirsty for more in less than 200. Not to mention a great main character and some awesome foreshadowing involving a rather nefarious character.
Our main character Jesobel, the future Royal Starkeeper of Pyxis and as she finds out she is also the Heart of Azimuth as well. She is not only a future leader but now she has the pressure of leading her people back to their lost homeland. It’s a dangerous goal and one that Jesobel struggles to find the will to do. Her magic studies are difficult for her and it isn’t until it’s too late to turn back from her fate that shes truly grows to accept what she has to do. I love her attitude even when it gets her in trouble. She’s a wild girl, who prefers to ride her horse, run barefoot, and shoot her bow…and she is hesitant to part with that side of herself in favor of the girl her people need her to be. I can see how Jesobel is going to grow and it makes me excited to see what she is capable of. There is a touch of romance but it is relevant to the story and is incredibly sweet.
Quickbane Part One is a quick read, but that doesn’t stop it from pulling you in and immersing you in the story. Chelsea manages to pack plenty of interesting lore and a new magic system into the story without loading it down and making it feel sluggish. In fact the farther you go into the story the quicker the story seems to flow (or maybe I was just reading it faster because I couldn’t put it down). And that ending! I can’t wait for Part Two to come out, because I NEED to know what is going to happen to Jesobel.
This is perfect for fantasy lovers who don’t want to wade through 600 pages of world-building. Sterling manages all of that and still leaves you thirsty for more in less than 200. Not to mention a great main character and some awesome foreshadowing involving a rather nefarious character.
January 23, 2015
I saw a friend recommending it during a "free promotion." I saw that it had magic and pixies in it, so I downloaded it.
Oh man, what a thrill-ride! No fantasy EVER BEFORE had prepared me for the magnitude of emotion contained within this book. I felt the constant buzz of distraction, felt the terror of evil beings, felt the wrenching of painful decisions...
The premier feature of any book that I am immediately drawn to is the use of language: what words are used to describe things, and how vivid are the sensory images they evoke? In this, "Quickbane" excelled. Every description used the strongest words possible, and every movement so strikingly presented that I was immediately drawn into Jessa's head. Every moment I read the book, I was Jessa. Such care and deliberation in crafting a novel makes "Quickbane" a treasure that I will think about constantly till the sequel comes out! Cheers to Part 2!
Oh man, what a thrill-ride! No fantasy EVER BEFORE had prepared me for the magnitude of emotion contained within this book. I felt the constant buzz of distraction, felt the terror of evil beings, felt the wrenching of painful decisions...
The premier feature of any book that I am immediately drawn to is the use of language: what words are used to describe things, and how vivid are the sensory images they evoke? In this, "Quickbane" excelled. Every description used the strongest words possible, and every movement so strikingly presented that I was immediately drawn into Jessa's head. Every moment I read the book, I was Jessa. Such care and deliberation in crafting a novel makes "Quickbane" a treasure that I will think about constantly till the sequel comes out! Cheers to Part 2!
June 24, 2015
Eep! I really enjoyed this book! Jessa is a wonderfully flawed heroine. She means well, but usually ends up making a mess of things. So she's very relatable. ;-) The demon Vallax was sufficiently terrifying and I can't wait to see what his nefarious plans are. But mostly I loved the magic. Jessa's quickflame and her adorable spark fairies, the creepy, dark orphic magic... Chelsea has created an amazing, magical world and I cannot wait to read the next installment!
August 31, 2014
Review coming soon.
July 16, 2015
I love Quickbane! Chelsea paints such a vivid world with such interesting characters.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews