Depths of Vanalf

Grimnir Chronicles #1

by Brady Hunsaker

Magic is earned by venturing through the depths of Vanalf, a dangerous cave filled with monsters, and depending on how people survive, they emerge with different powers.

As an initiate, Hallik is determined to go through Vanalf despite the danger, hoping that the magic will help him locate his lost father, but when monsters start showing up on their island, the entire nation is on high alert. This could only mean one thing. The shield that has been protecting them from the fallen world is failing, and it’s only a matter of time before it breaks completely.

Hallik pairs up with three others, hoping they can find a way to restore the shield, but their path must first take them through the depths of Vanalf.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook, High Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Magic

502 pages, Paperback

Published April 8, 2025

About the author

Brady was born in a stronghold at the base of the Rocky Mountains. He currently resides there with his wife, their two daughters, and a few domesticated house lions of a rare breed. He set out with the goal to write fantasy that anybody could read, with characters who face real life struggles. Everyone deserves to feel like there is hope.

Reviews

[Paris (parismaereads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Quick Takes:
- 5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Language 🤐 none
- Spice ❤️‍🔥 none
- Content 🤔 death, killing, violence

I am so here for this series, there’s so much potential for what could come next! It’s a great mix of Norse mythology, dungeons and dragons style monster/boss fighting, and goal-oriented/achievable magical powers.

The world building kept my interest and there’s nonstop action throughout. The plot is good v. evil, the evil being monsters that can be both mythical and magical. There are also good magical creatures that make quick appearances along the storyline, I hope to see more of them in coming books.

While this is a YA, there are points of view from “older” characters that make it enjoyable for adults to read as well. There are also themes throughout of teamwork, intrinsically motivated right v. wrong, leadership and so much more that, as a parent, I love seeing in books geared toward the YA age range. I hope to see more character development and world building in the next books as the characters continue to learn and mature. This is a series I will absolutely be recommending to a YA audience.

I listened to the audio (surprisingly my library had it upon the book’s release) and love a multiple narrator situation. It delivered! If you’re an audiobook reader highly recommend going that route. It’s also accessible on kindle unlimited with full color character art throughout. The detail in the book design alone is what initially sparked my interest of this book. I loved it so much I’ve now ordered my own physical copy to add to my “trophy” shelf of books.

I can’t wait to see what Hunsaker does in the next books. There’s so much that can still be explored and developed, he’s set himself up well to have a successful epic fantasy series.

[trice (semi ia) · Rating 2 out of 5]

i can't do this...good premise, terrible execution.

weak worldbuilding. everything came off as awfully dry cuz of overly detailed and descriptive writing. there were no distinct characterizations; everyone was homogenously brave and desperate to go to vanalf. i got so bored and now idgaf about any of the characters.

dnf @ 39%

[Melanie (lemonyreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

The world building was beautifully done, and fantasy writers need to take notes from how easily it was delivered. It’s high fantasy but felt effortless and incredibly thought through.

The originality and uniqueness of this book was joyous. I’ve read too much of the same thing lately and this was a huge breath of fresh air. It almost played out like a video game in my mind, and I mean that in the best way. It had quests, loads of monsters, battles, magical reveals, etc. If you've loved playing games like Zelda and D&D, then this will absolutely fit your vibe.

There’s no romance in this book, but there are some little glances that I think may lead to some relationships in the next book. And honestly, the characters are so busy, there’s really no time for romantic escapades.

The friendships were strong, and I thought it was cleverly done how they came together. There were also a lot of POV's but they all worked together, and I didn't feel overwhelmed.

The pacing was fantastic. I could also be influenced by the audiobook which was wonderful. It was a truly fun experience.

THOUGHTS:
This is mostly plot driven and it’s not a bad thing. It means there were immense amounts of action and entertainment and battles. The downside of this (for me) is there’s less of a focus on the characters and more of what’s happening around and to them. I’d say 85% plot and 15% character focused. I wanted to feel like they were my best friends, instead they are simply cool people. Bjorn and one other character are the exception and my favorites so far.

I wish we’d spent more time in the cave. With the buildup to this moment, it felt a bit rushed.

It is labeled as adult, but some of the characters felt a bit YA. This didn’t influence my rating, but if you’re looking for all the characters to be older and intensely gritty, this isn’t that.

OVERALL:
This is for the high fantasy lover, the gamer, D&D player and anyone who wants heaps of action and a truly unique fantasy book. I would recommend it to adults and teens.

[deza ☕️]

[Unfortunately] DNF at 46%.

I was so excited to read this book after seeing all the reviews praising it. I'm always craving my next self-pub high, and I don't think twice about giving them a shot—and most of the time, I end up loving them. So believe me when I say that I wanted so badly to like this book, and I did... at first. But despite the intriguing premise and very interesting concept and world, I simply couldn't get past the lack of depth and personality in these characters.

Before anything, I feel like it's important for whoever is reading this to know one very specific thing about me as a reader, and how it might have stopped me from enjoying this book: the one thing that makes or breaks a book for me is the characters. The plot and everything else could be a flaming can of shit and completely dubious in quality, but if I like the characters and I'm captivated by them, I'll eat that shit up and even give it a reasonable rating.

Which was not the case with this book.

And it's not that they had no personality at all, it's just that it felt more like a list of traits that needed to be checked. Instead of showing us, we were constantly told—by them, and by every other character, not just in their thoughts but in actual dialogue, more than once—what each of their personalities was supposed to be.

That was scenes that had me rolling my eyes every time they mentioned how 'perceptive' a certain character was (once by the character himself). Like, come on. There were so many [better] ways to show this naturally instead of just declaring it.

Oh, and don't get me started on the team that was rushed together and had the most forced interactions I've ever read. It was quite painful, and I was having physical reactions to some of the dialogues.

Anyway, the book may have had other issues, or maybe this won't be an issue at all for some people other than me, but this just gripped me by the throat and refused to let me think about anything, and it came to the point I had to accept it was time to move on.

[Christopher Hart · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am so glad I have finally suffered my way through that. having been entrapped by the social media storm that surrounded the release of this book, I was very excited for what It brought. Alas, this book is so awful it will inspire me to learn how to write, publish, and author my own fantasy series to ensure no one ever has to read such drivel again.

Character development is done in a single line.
Lore and background crafting is simplistic and lacking.
'By the Depths' as a curse word is repeated on most pages.
Every possible archetypal stereotype is both glaringly obvious and painfully dull.
storyline are both convenient, limp, and lack any real build-up. Everything 'just happens.' The protagonist is so bland, and there is so little danger to the characters that the whole story is mind numbingly dull.

I would give 0 stars if possible.

[Mary Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dang! That was awesome! The world building was incredible, I love the characters, but I do hope to get context on their relationships in the future books! I also feel like a few folks went missing, so I do hope the next book explain where they went to! (Or what fate they met 😬)
I was shocked at how effortlessly this book fit right in with other big names in epic high fantasy. Incredible action from start to finish! Even when there were "slow" parts it made sense and gave me a realistic timeline of their travels, and really the book was timed perfectly. I also read on kindle and love the pictures! They're beautiful! Five stars, this is a top read for me this year!

[Just · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 25%

I really wanted to like this. Like, REALLY wanted to. It had everything I wanted, epic magic system, a trial, portals, mystery... but I just couldn't. I found the characters could have been replaced with cardboard cut outs and the story wouldn't have changed. Except one character. Jaysen Bjorn. Say that name slowly... yup. Funny, but then he slowly morphed to cardboard.
I don't know if it was the pacing or plot that I struggled more with, but I thought life is to short, so it's a DNF from me.

[Dani Rymers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this after seeing an ad on Instagram about it, applying to see if I could get an ARC copy, didn’t get one, but then was emailed a ebook copy later and dove in. I didn’t have a lot of context going in aside from knowing it was high fantasy. As others have mentioned, I enjoyed the world building, magic systems, and the overall themes of perseverance and friendship found throughout. I found some of the pacing a bit odd, (more on that below) but I had a good time and would definitely recommend this as a strong high fantasy read for those who enjoy high fantasy but maybe don’t want to be bogged down the entire time trying to figure out characters and places etc. that can sometimes happen with other books in the genre. I will definitely be back for part 2!

Unfortunately I think the title sort of led me astray in that I assumed the bulk of the book would be the dungeon trek into Vanalf, so I was thrown off when I had read 70% of it and they had just arrived to the cave opening. I was then thrown off even more when there wasn’t a whole lot done in Vanalf itself. This slowed me down when reading it quite a bit because I was confused as to where it was going and it distracted from my reading experience.

All that said, I really love Hallik, Elowyn, Bjorn, and Lorelai, and I am excited to see where they go next in the following books, and my assumption was a mistake on my part so I don’t want that to detract from the rating. (Just a heads up for future readers!) I think it is a very strong, easily digestible high fantasy that anyone familiar with the genre would enjoy- just maybe would’ve done better on my part if the title was something else!

[Madison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great plot idea, writing was so basic no emotion to the story or characters.

[Vidumavi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a 3.5 stars for me, but this book had so much potential, and I am definitely picking up part 2.

Let's start with whats great about this book, and that's the worldbuilding. It's clear Hunsaker put a lot, and I mean a lot, of thought in not only his world mythology, but also it's beastiary and the magics in place. We learn enough to be knowledgeable about this world and magic, but little enough to keep mystery. We meet characters from 'beyond', like Jaysen Bjorn, who keep us guessing, while lore-dump like Elowyn keep feeding us information. The island being shielded is an interesting premise, but the ending opens up the world, and I can't wait what Hunsaker comes up with in the next installment.

The characters, while very YA, are fleshed out enough to be interesting. I might be biased, because one of the characters (the baddest bitch in town) shares a name with my bestie, so that character can't do no wrong. But Hallik and Elowyn read like actual elder teenagers, Lorelai reads like early 20's (yes, she's an 'older one' in their group, but even her frontal lobe isn't completely developed yet). The elder characters (adult Grimnir) feel older than the main cast, and that's something that is often not done well in fantasy, so definite props for that.

I feel like most of the gripes I have with this book can be atributed to the editing. In the first two chapters for instance, the exact same sentence is used for a bit of lore dump. And editor should have picked this up. The same with some sentences that just don't roll, and the pacing which can be off in some parts. It's not enough to distract from the story itself, but it is noticable enough to bump down it's rating a bit.

To put it simply, this is high fantasy for teenage boys. And I mean that with the utmost respect. There is no spice, no romantic subplot, but plenty of action and 'level ups'. It's a type of story that has been lacking in modern fantasy, and if you want to get teenage boys back into reading, this is the type of story we should be recommending them. I'd really love for this to be picked up by a traditional publisher and get the attention it deserves.

[Nikki · Rating 1 out of 5]

I came to know of this book's existence via the for your page on Instagram. I believe it was a reel made by the author about this, saying that if you love Witcher and Norse mythology then this might be up your alley. I believe this was independently published and I found it available on Kindle Unlimited.
The story primarily follows two characters, Hallik and Elowyn, students training to descent into Vanalf and become Grimnirs. Grimnirs are some sort of magical guardians of the land and they gain their abilities after traveling through the depths of Vanalf, reaching the bottom of the cave and then ascending. Whether the author got the word Grimnir from norse mythology or from warhammer is not my concern. As a reader you quickly find out that the island is isolated from the rest of the world and that the outer world has been ravaged by monsters fighting for dominance over humanity. Portals keep the shield up, although it is not explained how and the book begins with some of these portals seemingly weakening and things passing through into the island.
To say that I did not like this is an understatement. The writing is very juvenile and with a lot of info dumping. There are moments when characters encounter a creature, they fight it and one of the characters asks: what is that? and another proceeds to give a lesson to the rest of the group. The rest of the group just nod their heads and remember that they too knew of this creature, they just needed to hear what mostly Elowyn had to say. These moments are also to show that Elowyn is the smartest of the group.
Characters wise, as mentioned there are two main protagonists: Hallik and Elowyn. Two more are added to the group later: Lorelai and Bjorn. Elowyn feels like she is supposed to be a combination between Arya Stark and Hermione and Ciri from the Witcher series. She has no personality other than the smart one of the group, who knows everything because she has read every book at the academy and her mother also knows the old songs and passed them to her. There is nothing special of her family other than maybe Elowyn's grandfather might have been this water monster. Elowyn's purpose is solely to info dump on whatever creature they encounter or place they reach. She smiles and pats Hallik on the shoulder.
Hallik is supposed to be the main character, the capable man. He makes jokes and people find him endearing for it because he is the main character. He has no idea what he is doing, where he is living and what creatures exist in the world. But he is the strongest, all the monsters want to hunt him down and drink his blood because there is something special about his blood. He says stuff like this:
“He’s not grumpy, Elowyn,” Hallik said. “That’s just the way he smiles. I’ll be worried about him when those eyebrows of his aren’t scrunched up.”
The next male protagonist is a monster called named Jaysen Bjorn. Please say that name slowly. Yup. Yup. Bjorn is literally Geralt of Rivia, a cardboard cutout of Geralt of Rivia. He grunts, he has a lot of weapons, he hunts monsters. He likes to travel alone.
The fourth character is Lorelai. She seems to originally be some sort of adviser to the king, a wanna-be master of spies, but she is somehow thrown into this fighting worlds and although she has zero training she knows how to work herself on the battlefield and fight close-combat with a knife. She is the least active character, almost as if she was not supposed to be there, but the author tried to have a 4 person group instead of a 3.
The plot of this is all over the place. There are too many plot lines happening at the same time, too many things happening to keep up and everything happens way too fast for anything to make sense.Oh no, we have to travel to Vanalf, but Hallik before you do that you have to go find your father. Wait, his father is alive? How? Yes, but I cannot explain how, use this wisp to guide you. You found your dad, but now you have to go get a magical sword that is guarded by a dragon. Wait, there is a dragon on this island? yes, now go. Now can we go into Vanalf? Yes, but first here is another subplot about a demon trying to enter the island and enslave everyone. At a certain point a gnome just randomly appears and replaces Hallik's sword with a stick. Why? I have no idea, do it for the plot development. Which plot development you may ask? There is no plot development, just a series of events happening one after the other without any need for them to happen. Take any moment out and the story could still occur in the same way.
The best way for me to explain exactly how this book reads is like this: if you have ever played any role playing video games, you recognize this flow: you arrive in a new area, start talking to NPCs. They info dump on the area. You do a quest or two and then there is a boss fight. Collect some loot and then you leave and head onto the next are. This is exactly how this book reads. It felt as if the author had played Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, liked the story and decided he wanted to make a Witcher story as well, but call them Grimnirs not Witchers. The fighting sequences feel like boss fights from a game and the dialogue is just the main characters asking questions and the side characters answering them.
I want to talk about the structure of this book as well. If this book was edited, they did not do a good job. There are duplicate chunks of text, mostly info dumps, some phrasing errors. The writing is very stiff. This reads like a first draft, it does not feel like a complete novel. The sheer number of plot lines is enough to indicate the author had many ideas and just kept writing without any intent of taking them out later or maybe saving some for future books. Other plot lines start and end in a chapter although the preparation for the plot lines feels like a larger part in the story. (ex: dragon hoarding many weapons, some even cursed.)
The names of things were chosen just to sound cool and norse inspired, even if the worlds does not feel norse. It's just another kingdom from the witcher saga thrown on an island.
I honestly feel like I wasted time and brain cells reading this. This is not a complete novel, this is a first draft and it needs some serious editing and re-writes. The characters are cardboard copies of characters from other book series or from video games and the world has no foundation to keep it up.

[Jordy Rousse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love this book. The whole idea of no one being born with powers and having to earn them in a cave adventure drew my attention immediately. And Brady 100% delivers! Highly recommend and can’t wait for book 2 and to try his other works!

[olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Depths of Vanalf follows Hallik and his comrades as they learn more about themselves and the monsters around them. Not every monster is what they seem, and working together is the only way to survive the Depths of Vanalf as well as the impeding war against monsters.

The beginning was a little slower as the setting is described and the group forms. I thoroughly enjoyed the world building and found myself tensing up during the charged fight scenes.

At the end, Hallik’s comrades turn into his friends and I am looking forward to reading about their adventures in the next Grimnir Chronicles book!

[Aubree Bohrer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bruh 😒

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Depths of Vanalf
By Brady Hunsaker

I really enjoyed the multi-POV in this one. I can’t always say that, but Hunsaker did such a great job utilizing the POVs to really get the reader invested in the characters. Even the POVs outside of our main four protags helped me really invest in this world and these people.

The world building was a lot of fun as well. A lot of the magic system is still to be discovered and I’m REALLY looking forward to that in future books.

I enjoyed the Norse influences. I’m not familiar enough to say how much or how good of a job it did, so I’d be interested to hear from other readers how that lined up for you! (Siri Pettersen’s books are very different so I’m not sure those are helpful in that respect, haha)

My only tiny quibble is… Jaysen Bjorn. I like Easter eggs sometimes but this name just seemed too on the nose or something. Pulled me out of the story a bit.

But if a name is my only meh moment, must be a pretty solid read!

Go check it out! I’ve heard the audiobook is also good and it may be on Libby through your library.

Thanks to the author for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Kirsten Medina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was too long in my opinion, and the end was thoroughly predictable. I enjoyed the plot though, it read like a DnD campaign where the party finds themselves thrust together under weird circumstances and there are different side quests on the way for fulfilling their main quest. Some instances of the book felt quite convenient and took me out of the story, like one of the characters having the perfect lineage to know how to use her powers. Overall it was mostly entertaining for the first part but dragged at the end.

[Franck · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 ⭐️ (english version below)

Histoire simple et classique, mais qui m’a apporté quelques déceptions.

Ce que j’avais adoré en lisant le résumé, c’était l’idée que les personnages n’étaient pas prédestinés à avoir des pouvoirs, et que ceux-ci seraient propres à chacun.

Cette description est juste, mais alors pourquoi ai-je été déçu ? J’ai trouvé que les pouvoirs manquaient d’originalité : je pensais qu’ils étaient aléatoires, alors qu’en réalité chaque personnage n’a qu’une possibilité parmi quatre. Même les sorts ne sont pas vraiment libres : on a l’impression d’être dans un litRPG où les protagonistes choisissent leur sort dans un catalogue déjà établi. C’est dommage, car les mêmes sorts/classes reviennent pour tout le monde, ce qui enlève de la variété et du suspense.

Je ne sais pas si c’est une question de rythme, de développement ou une combinaison des deux, mais certaines scènes qui auraient dû être marquantes – les morts, l’invasion, ou encore la « révélation » concernant le père d’Hallik – manquent d’impact. J’ai eu l’impression que j’aurais dû être plus touché, que ces moments auraient dû être mémorables, mais pour moi ça a été un loupé.

Le récit tombe parfois dans le cliché :
• L’opposition Bien/Mal
• Le père « disparu », évidemment vivant, avec un rôle essentiel et des capacités spéciales
• Les pouvoirs obtenus après Vanalf : quatre personnages, quatre pouvoirs différents

Le rythme pose aussi problème : tout s’enchaîne trop vite, sans réelle profondeur ni conséquences, notamment lors du passage dans la grotte. J’aurais préféré que le roman s’attarde davantage sur cette partie, en développant une aventure immersive avec plus d’épreuves et de défis (et pourquoi pas d’autres personnages pour montrer certains échecs ?).

Au final, ce qui aurait dû être LE moment du livre – le fameux test pour lequel ils s’entraînent depuis des années – est expédié en quelques chapitres, et les résultats étaient prévisibles : aucun mort, tout le monde obtient un pouvoir, chacun différent.

Quant aux personnages, certains choix m’ont semblé peu crédibles.
Elowyn, par exemple, semble tout savoir : l’histoire de son peuple, les animaux, les sorts… La scène où elle sauve le père d’Hallik m’a semblé forcée : elle vient à peine d’obtenir ses pouvoirs, les maîtrise déjà parfaitement, et réussit en plus un sort rare et compliqué, inconnu de tous.

Hallik, lui, souffre du syndrome du héros trop parfait, ce qui limite l’attachement à son évolution. Il est gentil, veut toujours faire le bien, reste enjoué, enthousiaste et de bonne humeur. À cela s’ajoute le fait que son père est spécial et donc lui aussi, et qu’il est littéralement increvable.

Je pense que ce livre aurait gagné à proposer des personnages moralement gris.

⸻

English Version

3/5 ⭐️

A simple and classic story, but one that left me somewhat disappointed.

What I loved when reading the blurb was the idea that the characters weren’t predestined to have powers, and that the powers would be specific to each of them.

That description is accurate, but then why was I disappointed? I found the powers lacked originality: I thought they would be random, but in reality each character only has one option out of four. Even the spells aren’t really free; it feels like a litRPG where characters choose from a predefined catalog. It’s a pity, because this repetition of the same classes and spells removes variety and suspense.

I’m not sure if it’s a matter of pacing, development, or a mix of both, but some scenes that should have been impactful – the deaths, the invasion, or the “revelation” about Hallik’s father – fell flat. I felt like I should have been more moved, but those moments lacked weight.

The story also falls into some clichés:
• The Good vs Evil opposition
• The “disappeared” father who is obviously alive, important, and has special powers
• The four characters each getting a different power after Vanalf

The pacing is another issue: everything happens too quickly, without depth or real consequences, especially during the cave sequence. I would have preferred the novel to focus more on this part, with a more immersive adventure full of trials and challenges (maybe adding extra characters who could fail).

In the end, what should have been THE moment of the book – the long-awaited test they had been training for – was rushed in just a few chapters, with predictable results: no deaths, everyone gets a power, and of course each one is different.

As for the characters, some choices felt unconvincing.
Elowyn, for instance, seems to know everything: her people’s history, animals, spells… The scene where she saves Hallik’s father felt forced. She had just obtained her powers, yet she already mastered them perfectly and even pulled off a rare, complex spell unknown to everyone else.

Hallik, on the other hand, suffers from the “too perfect hero” syndrome, which makes it hard to care about his growth. He’s kind, always wants to do the right thing, cheerful and optimistic all the time. On top of that, his father is special, which makes him special too, and he’s literally unkillable.

I think this book would have benefited from more morally grey characters.

[Caleb Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the premise and flow of the book. Fairly straightforward good vs evil with some good ole clean killing and violence. This series has a lot of potential and can’t wait for the next book!

*****slight spoilers maybe*****





One thing I struggled with was the name Jaysen Bjorn….. I couldn’t get past it. Especially since his character is great at hand to hand and with weapons.

I do wish there was more time spent in the cave, but I have a feeling we might be returning to there in future books.

[Margo Wiens · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. The description was very cool "Survive the depths of Vanalf and come out with a magical power". I got half way through this book and had to stop listening to it. My mind wondered constantly. It just wasn't interesting to me. It mainly centers around a war against mythical creatures. The main characters also seemed to have no depth. I still can't tell you anything about them other than their names. The audiobook was very well done though with several narrators. I think this would be a really good book for someone that likes Dungeons and Dragons.

[Adrienne Deitz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Depths of Vanalf by Brady Hunsaker offers a really cool concept with clear potential, but suffers from an unfortunately clumsy execution.

Hunsaker appears to have no shortage of ideas, but lacks the narrative discipline and technical finesse to bring them to life. Character development is surface-level, world-building is virtually non-existent, and major plot points are often glossed over without adequate explanation.

The novel’s pacing is erratic. Key story events are presented abruptly, without buildup or emotional weight. Rather than unfolding organically, the plot moves forward because the author insists it must. For instance, dramatic revelations like “My dad is missing” are dropped into the story without any explanation, leaving reader to feel more frustrated than compelled. The entire narrative rushes ahead like a bat out of hell, or in this case, a demon out of Vanalf.

Characters frequently unload entire backstories in a single breath, make life-altering decisions within seconds, and form alliances for no better reason than proximity. Emotional connections are weak or nonexistent, and the result is a reading experience that feels more like an info-dump on fast-forward than an immersive fantasy journey.

Frankly, I’m growing tired of stories where the fate of the world rests in the hands of unprepared teenagers, and this novel is a prime example. The protagonists are little more than generic templates with one or two defining traits. If I were to go back into the novel and strip away the character names, even with context it would be nearly impossible to differentiate who is speaking or acting. There is a severe lack of individuality, distinct voices, or meaningful growth. A particularly frustrating example is Lorelai, a who is not much more than a secretary with no apparent combat training, that constantly leaps into battle wielding a weapon as though born to it. There’s nothing wrong with writing faults into your characters, and if you’ve clearly stated that one is a civilian, make her behave like one.

Another issue is the constant introduction of new protagonists, often at the expense of developing the ones already on the page. Characters are introduced early on with the implication that they’re integral to the plot, only to vanish entirely a few chapters later. It feels like Hunsaker is trying to juggle too many pieces without fully committing to any.

The setting suffers from a similar lack of clarity. Is this a school? A palace? A forest? A village? The geography is vague and inconsistent, everything seems to be within running distance, yet there's little sense of spatial logic. Hunsaker tends to tell us where we are without ever painting a clear picture. The result is a world that feels more like a string of disconnected locations than a cohesive, living environment. Most disappointing of all, for a book titled Depths of Vanalf, our time in said depths is minimal. It’s not an epic journey—it’s an errand.

I won’t be recommending this book. While it has moments of entertainment and might serve as a gateway to fantasy for some readers, it ultimately falls short.

That said, thank you for the read, Brady. I sincerely hope you take this criticism constructively. The ideas are there, but this manuscript desperately needs another draft.

Also… Jayson Bjorn? Really?

[Don Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thoroughly did not enjoy this book. If I were 10 years old, then maybe I would like it. If I never read a fantasy book in my life and maybe I would like it. It reminded me when I was 10 years old about those choose your own adventure books, every situation had a nice swift and nifty conclusion.

The story was too simple , I didn’t care about any of the characters. The magic was laughable as was it implementation.

Not for me, but if you are 10 and you want to pick up your very first fantasy book and maybe give it a go

[Victor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book!

I wasn’t expecting much from it because I just happened on Hunsaker’s TikTok one day and saw this book being promoted, but I figured I would give it a shot and support an indie author. Depths of Vanalf has a strong cast of characters and an interesting world that seems heavily inspired by Norse mythology. I think the world building was appropriately done for the first book, as there’s a promise of more lands to explore in later installments.

The characters and writing feel cliche at times, but I do think there’s more to this story than surface level humans fighting monsters. The prose is by no means on the level of Tolkien, but it’s a good fantasy read and I’m looking forwards to what’s next for the series (and really what more could you ask for from a book).

**minor spoilers**

Favorite character is definitely Bjorn. It’s obvious from the beginning that he’ll become a Grimnir with the other three but his character arc still had decent pay off. It was fun seeing Hallik’s influence over him as his chapters progressed.

**end spoilers**

4.5/5 stars, but I rounded up.

[Stacey Markle · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was definitely a lot of world building in this first of the series. While I really liked the premise of the story, I felt like it lost a bit of focus here and there. There are a lot of characters and situations to keep track of. I loved that the audiobook had multiple narrators! The quality of the audio was top tier as well. 
Even though this book is YA, anyone can enjoy it as it stands. There is solid writing and good character work. 
The author has a ton to build on with this story and I'm so excited to see what book 2 brings us. 

[Sarah Cochois · Rating 3 out of 5]

+ =
- système de magie super intéressant, sans hiérarchie entre les pouvoirs. il n’y en a pas un qui est moins bien que les autres
- worldbuilding top mais super facile à comprendre pour autant (malgré le nombre de monstres différents, tout est super facilement compréhensible)
- intrigues intéressantes, tout est bien ficelé sans trop de lourdeur malgré le nombre de plots différents

- =
- personnages qui manquent de profondeur, on a du mal à s’y attacher
- quelques petits couacs grammaticaux qui m’ont fait toquer, notamment sur les répétitions. dommage car on s’attarde dessus au lieu de profiter pleinement du livre à certains moments

[Ali Hamadryad · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review -

A dark, immersive fantasy with vivid monster descriptions, multiple POVs, and striking artwork throughout. The worldbuilding is rich, though some of the names can be tricky to pronounce. I would’ve loved a more in depth glossary or pronunciation guide (there is a glossary at the back but it’s very simple).
Overall, an intriguing start to the series, and I’m excited to see where the story goes next!

[Lotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deaths, despair, magic, campaign. Great worldbuilding and characters. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. I think that is mostly because I listened to the audio version. Any future parts of this series I will have to get my hands on a hardcopy.

[Queenie2023 aka Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good story!! Definitely ready for book 2 and can’t wait to also listen to the audiobook !! Loved it !

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved all the characters and I loved the D&D vibes.

[Capria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 This was a fun YA fantasy book, I liked the audiobook. I think this was a good setup to a series. There is plenty of room for growth in the characters, monsters and worlds. I’ll continue the series!

[Cody Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book with a cool concept. I’ll for sure be continuing the series.