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Outsider #1
Outsider
After witnessing the murder of her parents for marrying outside of their race, half-blood Astrid wants nothing more than to be left on her own. Placed in the care of Dag, a forgetful but well-meaning warlock, she vows to never feel as lost and helpless as she did on the day they were killed, and turns her back on the elves and the dwarves for destroying her life.
Forty years later, young dwarf Jarl Vǫrn is certain that his city, Bjargtre, is under threat from an emerging goblin King. When his fears are dismissed, he asks Astrid to help him and his adoptive son, Knud, to reach the capital of Lǫgberg safely, and Astrid finds herself pulled back into a world she never wanted to be a part of again.
Forty years later, young dwarf Jarl Vǫrn is certain that his city, Bjargtre, is under threat from an emerging goblin King. When his fears are dismissed, he asks Astrid to help him and his adoptive son, Knud, to reach the capital of Lǫgberg safely, and Astrid finds herself pulled back into a world she never wanted to be a part of again.
257 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 7, 2014
15 people are currently reading
525 people want to read
About the author
Klaire de Lys
2 books114 followersBorn in 1991, London, Klaire de Lys has always had a love of art, music and writing. Being an avid reader of fantasy and science fiction, Klaire eventually decided to show one of her many stories to her A-level English teacher, who to her surprise, enthusiastically encouraged her to keep writing, which she did. Promising him that if she ever published one of her books she would dedicate it to him to say thank you.
Six years later Klaire has published her first book, Outsider and, as promised, dedicated it to her English teacher.
Six years later Klaire has published her first book, Outsider and, as promised, dedicated it to her English teacher.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 23, 2014
Okay, so...I'm finding writing a review for this book incredibly difficult and I believe that it's because I feel such an emotional attachment to the author having followed her on social media for many years now. If I was younger, perhaps, or had a lesser grasp on the English language I might rave wildly about this book but as such I'm afraid I just can't.
Now the plot of this book is wonderful, and leaves so much open for the reader to question and to look forward to having those questions being answered in future books. The characters are individual and the dialogue is well written enough to make it easy to keep track of who is speaking without the need to be told all of the time. The world is vast and hardly touched upon in the book. The Leshy, Dip Wolves, Goblins are all just a few of the beings that inhabit this world and this is where I start to have trouble with the book.
Everything has just been touched upon. The character development could be so much more. They each have brilliant qualities, however, they are all just skin deep. I just couldn't like them enough to care about the situations or arguments they were in, which is a real shame as I'm sure with a bit more fleshing out I really could fall for the characters. The same goes for the world of Ammastein. It is on the precipice of becoming a Tolkien-esque world but it's just not got the depth behind it. The inhabitants of the land are handed to us and then removed just as quickly so we don't get enough time to fall for the landscapes, the creatures, the places...the magic.
I'm willing to wager that this world is so three dimensional in the author's head that it would make us gasp in wonderment at it but I just couldn't get it to lift off of the page for me.
Which brings me onto the writing of the book. Now, I have the utmost respect for the author who not only wrote this novel but wrote it whilst struggling with Dyslexia (which she mentions in her Acknowledgements at the end) but I cannot take that and use it as an excuse to sugar coat my comments on the generic, clichéd writing style of the book. I feel truly awful for saying that but I got bored of Astrid constantly walking away from the group (I understand the character enjoys her solitude but it got far too repetitive far too quickly), the misuse of descriptions - where a character would "strole" across a room to then be tentatively reaching for the door, not wanting to be heard - and the extremes of emotions which the characters had. Never subtle always cartoon like and, like I said, to the extreme.
The book itself is too short. It needs to be given muscle, sinew, flesh. To me it's a skeletal draft of a novel that could be so, so much more and I hope that the future novels that come from this author are less rushed and in less of a hurry to show us all of the world in one go. The author needs to understand that we, as readers and fans of her work, are willing to wait. She needs not dispatch of characters within chapters of introducing them. She needs not force characters into relationships just to set up cliff hangers. She needs to understand this fact that we have faith and her writing is in the beginnings of excellence as are her characters and the world and inhabitants of Ammastein.
I do recommend this book on some levels but be aware that this is the author's first novel and it is heavily flawed. But like any gem, with more work and polish her writing will become something beautiful.
Now the plot of this book is wonderful, and leaves so much open for the reader to question and to look forward to having those questions being answered in future books. The characters are individual and the dialogue is well written enough to make it easy to keep track of who is speaking without the need to be told all of the time. The world is vast and hardly touched upon in the book. The Leshy, Dip Wolves, Goblins are all just a few of the beings that inhabit this world and this is where I start to have trouble with the book.
Everything has just been touched upon. The character development could be so much more. They each have brilliant qualities, however, they are all just skin deep. I just couldn't like them enough to care about the situations or arguments they were in, which is a real shame as I'm sure with a bit more fleshing out I really could fall for the characters. The same goes for the world of Ammastein. It is on the precipice of becoming a Tolkien-esque world but it's just not got the depth behind it. The inhabitants of the land are handed to us and then removed just as quickly so we don't get enough time to fall for the landscapes, the creatures, the places...the magic.
I'm willing to wager that this world is so three dimensional in the author's head that it would make us gasp in wonderment at it but I just couldn't get it to lift off of the page for me.
Which brings me onto the writing of the book. Now, I have the utmost respect for the author who not only wrote this novel but wrote it whilst struggling with Dyslexia (which she mentions in her Acknowledgements at the end) but I cannot take that and use it as an excuse to sugar coat my comments on the generic, clichéd writing style of the book. I feel truly awful for saying that but I got bored of Astrid constantly walking away from the group (I understand the character enjoys her solitude but it got far too repetitive far too quickly), the misuse of descriptions - where a character would "strole" across a room to then be tentatively reaching for the door, not wanting to be heard - and the extremes of emotions which the characters had. Never subtle always cartoon like and, like I said, to the extreme.
The book itself is too short. It needs to be given muscle, sinew, flesh. To me it's a skeletal draft of a novel that could be so, so much more and I hope that the future novels that come from this author are less rushed and in less of a hurry to show us all of the world in one go. The author needs to understand that we, as readers and fans of her work, are willing to wait. She needs not dispatch of characters within chapters of introducing them. She needs not force characters into relationships just to set up cliff hangers. She needs to understand this fact that we have faith and her writing is in the beginnings of excellence as are her characters and the world and inhabitants of Ammastein.
I do recommend this book on some levels but be aware that this is the author's first novel and it is heavily flawed. But like any gem, with more work and polish her writing will become something beautiful.
May 26, 2015
I really wanted to like this book, I tried my best. Like many others I see who reviewed this book I am a huge fan of the authors YouTube channels and bought the book without question in order to support her, but despite that I could not like it as much as I truly wanted to. it's not 'bad', but to put it politely, it's this author's first book and you can tell. It is written in a way that is supposed to be intimate, but instead just sort of feels. ..cute, and not in a good way. Perhaps with more practice and working with others to sharpen her skills Clare may have a good book in her, but this is not the book.
I honestly like all her other stuff, look up her YouTube and blog. She is really creative. I hope someday her writing is as good as her visual art and we all look back at Outsider as the not that good book compared to her others.
I honestly like all her other stuff, look up her YouTube and blog. She is really creative. I hope someday her writing is as good as her visual art and we all look back at Outsider as the not that good book compared to her others.
July 15, 2014
Really good storyline so far and can't wait for the next one in the series to come out. It gripped me right from the start! Love the characters - would be great to find out a little more of Jarl's background in the next book maybe.
February 7, 2015
OMG, she wrote a book. I've been a fan of Klaire de lys long before she wrote this book. I've seen every video she has made on youtube. And i'm so proud she did it, when I saw that vid with that she wrote a book I thought that, this book I got to have.
Outasider: it's about this beautiful young girl who lost her parents at a young age. Taken in by a friend of her parents tough by a dwarf and a gobblin to fight. This girl is a mixture if two worlds both elf and dwarf. And there's she has her eyes from, green and silver.
The book takes us with Astrid from her childhood and to Jarl and Knud to help them to Bjargtre. To bad it ended like it did. Because the book was so addictive the I wanted to read more of Astrid Jarl and Knud. I wonder what will happen with them.
I would have loved to read more of here when i was finished with the book. So Klaire. You go girl.
Outasider: it's about this beautiful young girl who lost her parents at a young age. Taken in by a friend of her parents tough by a dwarf and a gobblin to fight. This girl is a mixture if two worlds both elf and dwarf. And there's she has her eyes from, green and silver.
The book takes us with Astrid from her childhood and to Jarl and Knud to help them to Bjargtre. To bad it ended like it did. Because the book was so addictive the I wanted to read more of Astrid Jarl and Knud. I wonder what will happen with them.
I would have loved to read more of here when i was finished with the book. So Klaire. You go girl.
December 11, 2014
I read this book a couple months ago, when it first came out, and overall I enjoyed it. The prose wasn't great, and there were some distracting grammatical and spelling errors (but these don't really detract from the experience, and they weren't so common when you consider that the author is dyslexic), but overall it was a very fun adventure story. As I read it, I kept thinking that I would love to see this as a graphic novel, because my only real issue with it is the prose. The characters are fun, if a little thin, and the story moves along quickly once it gets going. It does take a little time to get going, though...
Worth a read if you're a fan of fantasy novels, especially the magical road-trip types (stuff like The Hobbit and Eragon).
Worth a read if you're a fan of fantasy novels, especially the magical road-trip types (stuff like The Hobbit and Eragon).
December 10, 2014
I am such a fan of all of Klaire's work, so I was so excited to see that she wrote a book! Astrid completely captured my attention, I found her very entrancing. She has this secret she keeps from everyone, and has this internal juxtaposition of fear and love for elves and dwarves, I found her to be incredibly brave and kind. I think Jarl was a little predictable in how he regards her, but Knud more than made up for him because he was the comedy and life to the journey. Great fiction novel, great first novel, and I can't wait to read the next one(s).
March 16, 2015
I absolutely loved this book. It has all the elements that I like: a Lord of the Rings-like setting, adventure, dangerous situations and romance. The characters are complex and their stories are very well constructed, as is the main plot. I could barely stop reading to get some sleep. Being the kind of book that I love and being so well written, it has definately become one of my favorite books ever! Well done, Klaire, well done! I can't wait to read the next book!
April 25, 2023
I am in need of the next book! I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from this book, but it is amazing! It's a fantasy story that is familiar, yet new at the same time! Klaire, is an amazing storyteller! I will be posting a video review soon! So many things to talk about
Video Review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLbb0...
Video Review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLbb0...
July 20, 2014
Oh I can't even begin to tell you how much I Loved this book! I can't wait for the next book in the series!!! I love the characters, the creatures, the whole story was fascinating and I couldn't put it down!!
August 23, 2014
For a first-time author, I thought this book was good. It had its issues (but what book doesn't). Overall I really enjoyed reading this book.
I can't wait to read the second one!
I can't wait to read the second one!
September 11, 2018
Was not fond of this. It was a chore to read.
Seemed cliche and lacked plot and character development.
I don't recommend this to anyone with high-level tastes.
Seemed cliche and lacked plot and character development.
I don't recommend this to anyone with high-level tastes.
October 31, 2015
If I was rating this book purely on ideas and passion, then this would be 5 stars. It is easy to see that this author is bursting with ideas and can't wait to put pen to paper.
I enjoyed the book; fantasy is one of my favourite genres and I think Klaire has done an excellent job in creating her own world which she is steadily filling with her fascinating creations. However, for that reason I would have probably liked a little more depth, I feel like I don't know enough about many elements - I know a little about a lot. I think this is because Klaire has so many things that she wants to tell us about and show us, that she tried to pack in as much as she possibly could. So my one piece of advice would be to slow down - your readers will be patient because we can't wait to see what magnificent creation you conjure up next, so take your time and put in as much detail as possible.
Writing structure is not the best in my opinion, however, as a first novel I think she has done well and I'm sure it will improve in time as her writing continues to evolve.
Astrid is an extremely intelligent, interesting, multifaceted character who I think people will be able to relate to in the fact that most people have felt like an outsider at least once in their lives.
There is a slightly predictable romance with the ever so dashing Jarl, however this does promise some turmoil as a result of Astrid's heritage, therefore I shall withhold judgment on this topic until I know more.
Knud is my absolute favourite, he's just so adorable and I want to give him a hug...nothing more to say there really.
I will definitely be reading the next books in this series, as I am completely fascinated by this new world that has been created and can't wait to learn more.
I enjoyed the book; fantasy is one of my favourite genres and I think Klaire has done an excellent job in creating her own world which she is steadily filling with her fascinating creations. However, for that reason I would have probably liked a little more depth, I feel like I don't know enough about many elements - I know a little about a lot. I think this is because Klaire has so many things that she wants to tell us about and show us, that she tried to pack in as much as she possibly could. So my one piece of advice would be to slow down - your readers will be patient because we can't wait to see what magnificent creation you conjure up next, so take your time and put in as much detail as possible.
Writing structure is not the best in my opinion, however, as a first novel I think she has done well and I'm sure it will improve in time as her writing continues to evolve.
Astrid is an extremely intelligent, interesting, multifaceted character who I think people will be able to relate to in the fact that most people have felt like an outsider at least once in their lives.
There is a slightly predictable romance with the ever so dashing Jarl, however this does promise some turmoil as a result of Astrid's heritage, therefore I shall withhold judgment on this topic until I know more.
Knud is my absolute favourite, he's just so adorable and I want to give him a hug...nothing more to say there really.
I will definitely be reading the next books in this series, as I am completely fascinated by this new world that has been created and can't wait to learn more.
March 27, 2016
Really liked this book a lot. It had the attention to detail when it comes to the descriptions, the fact that the characters has their own languages and that the author has created a world where they live in. I can honestly say that it gave me perspective and I felt a lot of sympathy for the characters in this book, as they have suffered tremendously. Some of the descriptions can be a bit grotesque, but I love it, as it makes the story more real.
Only thing I will complain about is the grammar. There are a few typos in the text, and since I am a sucker for such, it kind of bugged me. However, the story in itself is so well written that I can look past the mistakes.
Only thing I will complain about is the grammar. There are a few typos in the text, and since I am a sucker for such, it kind of bugged me. However, the story in itself is so well written that I can look past the mistakes.
January 6, 2016
this is one of those books that is so brilliantly written and gorgeously explained that i dont want to share it with my friends or even fangirl about it. this is quite possibly the single best books i have ever read. i am still deciding if it is better than throne of glass by Sarah j maas. I just.... i absolutely love how the characters are old for human years, but young for there race. (i.e. Astrid being 47 years old) it gives the appearance of being a yound child, but also someone with wisdom beyond their years. until i get book 2, i am just going to reread book 1 :)
September 14, 2014
Enjoyed this book so much!!
Read a different review which was very thorough and I agree with most parts. I did find it a little hard to get the scene off of the page for the most part but some had such clarity, I found myself fully involved with the characters and all they went through. For a first book this was amazing :)
Read it in one day! haha!!
Read a different review which was very thorough and I agree with most parts. I did find it a little hard to get the scene off of the page for the most part but some had such clarity, I found myself fully involved with the characters and all they went through. For a first book this was amazing :)
Read it in one day! haha!!
January 4, 2015
Great Story
Though I thought the book a little short, it was so hard to put down once I started reading it. I look forward to additional additions to this story to see where this tale ends up. I only gave the book three stars due to it ending before I felt it should have. I will absolutely be purchasing the next book as I am assuming this will be a series.
Though I thought the book a little short, it was so hard to put down once I started reading it. I look forward to additional additions to this story to see where this tale ends up. I only gave the book three stars due to it ending before I felt it should have. I will absolutely be purchasing the next book as I am assuming this will be a series.
August 22, 2014
Just. Amazing! It made me laugh, it made me cry. Just, all the feels!
April 1, 2015
Fantastic, didn't want it to end!! Can't wait to see what comes next!
January 25, 2016
Absolutely amazing!
I learned about this author from YouTube (she also does amazing makeup tutorials), and I definitely don't regret picking up this book!
I learned about this author from YouTube (she also does amazing makeup tutorials), and I definitely don't regret picking up this book!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews