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Othila
What if you could experience a world where truth still matters, and life is still real?
Enter The Turning of the Sword. A true epic fantasy adventure.
In a world where ancient runes bind power to bloodline and breath, two destinies awaken on opposite sides of a crumbling nation.
Liam, an adopted swordsman from a forgotten valley, discovers he wields Othila—Odien's blade that remembers what the world has forgotten. When darkness descends on his home, he must learn to survive in a world where no space is safe.
Elysia, a priestess of the Sacred Flame, trains in the ancient art of Melding—where presence becomes power and two souls fight as one. But faith alone won't save her people from the empire closing in.
As the Kaethamar Empire spreads its shadow across the land, wielding twisted magic and bone-wrought armies, ancient powers stir and forgotten blades awaken.
One carries a sword that shouldn't exist.
The other bears a flame that refuses to die.
And the world is running out of time.
Othila is the opening volume of The Turning of the Sword—an eight-book epic where spirit meets steel, and presence is the only weapon that matters.
Enter The Turning of the Sword. A true epic fantasy adventure.
In a world where ancient runes bind power to bloodline and breath, two destinies awaken on opposite sides of a crumbling nation.
Liam, an adopted swordsman from a forgotten valley, discovers he wields Othila—Odien's blade that remembers what the world has forgotten. When darkness descends on his home, he must learn to survive in a world where no space is safe.
Elysia, a priestess of the Sacred Flame, trains in the ancient art of Melding—where presence becomes power and two souls fight as one. But faith alone won't save her people from the empire closing in.
As the Kaethamar Empire spreads its shadow across the land, wielding twisted magic and bone-wrought armies, ancient powers stir and forgotten blades awaken.
One carries a sword that shouldn't exist.
The other bears a flame that refuses to die.
And the world is running out of time.
Othila is the opening volume of The Turning of the Sword—an eight-book epic where spirit meets steel, and presence is the only weapon that matters.
484 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 24, 2025
About the author
B Rave
1 book1 followerB Rave writes from the backcountry of New Zealand — Canterbury plains, mountains on the horizon, sky wide enough to remember what silence sounds like.
Othila was written in 2.5 months while beach camping. No outline. No plan. Just 25 years of meditation practice, a lifetime of epic fantasy, and the story that demanded to be told.
The world arrived whole. The bibles exist. Eight books, mapped from beginning to end. The path is clear.
My Promise to You
A story without an end is no story.
I've watched readers fall in love with worlds that were never finished. I've felt that betrayal. I won't do that to you.
This is an eight-book journey. I will finish it.
You give me your trust. I give you my word.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 17, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review!
This is the first book in a new series that I believe is planned to be 8 books long. There are 2 concurrent stories running; Liam's and Elysia. Both coming of age stories and both involving particular rituals when you come of age. For Liam, this means completing the Rites. The Rites are a series of physical and combat focussed challenges. For Elysia, she undergoes the Melding, where a priestess and a knight are joined together to become one. They each end up finding out there is more to their stories than they realised, both essentially being chosen ones.
I unfortunately did struggle quite a bit to read this book. While the story is really interesting and there's a lot of really cool and well thought out world building, the writing pretty consistently wasn't great quality. The writer constantly used unnecessary comparisons, metaphors etc. There were times the author I think wanted to show off a strong writing technique but it then wouldn't work and/or make sense, e.g. "his broad scarred hands moved with deliberate stillness". It was quite a jarring and difficult book to get through because of the writing techniques honestly.
If you can see past the writing style or it gels with you, the actual content is good. The story is really interesting, there's strong world building, there's time spent on exploring the characters. Unfortunately I won't be continuing with this series but I'm sure there are plenty of people who will enjoy book 1 and look forward to continuing with the series!
This is the first book in a new series that I believe is planned to be 8 books long. There are 2 concurrent stories running; Liam's and Elysia. Both coming of age stories and both involving particular rituals when you come of age. For Liam, this means completing the Rites. The Rites are a series of physical and combat focussed challenges. For Elysia, she undergoes the Melding, where a priestess and a knight are joined together to become one. They each end up finding out there is more to their stories than they realised, both essentially being chosen ones.
I unfortunately did struggle quite a bit to read this book. While the story is really interesting and there's a lot of really cool and well thought out world building, the writing pretty consistently wasn't great quality. The writer constantly used unnecessary comparisons, metaphors etc. There were times the author I think wanted to show off a strong writing technique but it then wouldn't work and/or make sense, e.g. "his broad scarred hands moved with deliberate stillness". It was quite a jarring and difficult book to get through because of the writing techniques honestly.
If you can see past the writing style or it gels with you, the actual content is good. The story is really interesting, there's strong world building, there's time spent on exploring the characters. Unfortunately I won't be continuing with this series but I'm sure there are plenty of people who will enjoy book 1 and look forward to continuing with the series!
March 11, 2026
Othila – Book one of The Turning Of The Sword
In a world where ancient runes bind power to bloodline and breath, two destinies awaken on opposite sides of a crumbling nation.
This is a book that requires some grit to stick with.
The story begins with Liam, an adopted child living in a tough farming valley, who is just coming of age. He explores some old ruins where he discovers Othila – Odien’s blade. When darkness descends on his home, the blade and his own history are revealed setting him on a journey to discover more and to save the Kingdom.
Concurrently we have the story of Elysia, a priestess of the Sacred Flame. Elysia is also coming of age and expected to undergo a “Melding” where a Priestess and a Knight are joined together to become one, powerful whole. Elysia discovers a hidden temple of her Goddess and finds that she is her chosen one.
The author has clearly put a lot of time into the world building – there are maps and promises for a complete eight book series on the website and the story is intriguing and (eventually) engaging.
Unfortunately to get to the good part you have to grit your teeth through some jarringly bad writing techniques.
While reading the book it becomes increasingly apparent that the author repeats some tropes. A lot. I mean a LOT.
For example, every character seems to have a sharp gaze and constant tension. The world must have held it’s breath more times than a free diver too.
Also, almost everything in this book is Not something else.
There’s lots of similes and metaphors that just don’t work for me too:
The worst habit though is what I unconsciously started to call the Rule of Three: The use of three words to describe an object or action can be an effective way to add weight to the writing but the authors overuse of it starts to get very tiresome. Plus this one reads like a perfume ad:
Overall I feel that this isn’t a particularly bad book and if you can get past those annoyances you’re rewarded with some great battles and lore that does give me hope that the series will improve with the next volume.
** I received a free Kindle edition of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review **
(Original review posted at CymruBoyosBookBlog )
In a world where ancient runes bind power to bloodline and breath, two destinies awaken on opposite sides of a crumbling nation.
This is a book that requires some grit to stick with.
The story begins with Liam, an adopted child living in a tough farming valley, who is just coming of age. He explores some old ruins where he discovers Othila – Odien’s blade. When darkness descends on his home, the blade and his own history are revealed setting him on a journey to discover more and to save the Kingdom.
Concurrently we have the story of Elysia, a priestess of the Sacred Flame. Elysia is also coming of age and expected to undergo a “Melding” where a Priestess and a Knight are joined together to become one, powerful whole. Elysia discovers a hidden temple of her Goddess and finds that she is her chosen one.
The author has clearly put a lot of time into the world building – there are maps and promises for a complete eight book series on the website and the story is intriguing and (eventually) engaging.
Unfortunately to get to the good part you have to grit your teeth through some jarringly bad writing techniques.
While reading the book it becomes increasingly apparent that the author repeats some tropes. A lot. I mean a LOT.
For example, every character seems to have a sharp gaze and constant tension. The world must have held it’s breath more times than a free diver too.
"The air itself seemed to hold it’s breath"
Also, almost everything in this book is Not something else.
There’s lots of similes and metaphors that just don’t work for me too:
"Arrows jutting from their flanks like broken prayers"
The worst habit though is what I unconsciously started to call the Rule of Three: The use of three words to describe an object or action can be an effective way to add weight to the writing but the authors overuse of it starts to get very tiresome. Plus this one reads like a perfume ad:
"Quiet. Sacred. Inevitable"
Overall I feel that this isn’t a particularly bad book and if you can get past those annoyances you’re rewarded with some great battles and lore that does give me hope that the series will improve with the next volume.
** I received a free Kindle edition of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review **
(Original review posted at CymruBoyosBookBlog )
April 26, 2026
On paper, this story offers a classic high-fantasy setup: ancient runes, a looming empire, and a legendary blade named Othila. However, the execution leaves much to be desired for readers looking for emotional depth or a steady build-up.
While the writing itself is descriptive, the plot moves at a breakneck, almost dizzying speed. Significant milestones—like the protagonist, Liam, discovering a legendary sword or undergoing sacred village rites—are glossed over with such brevity that they lose all weight. Key moments feel convenient rather than earned, as if the story is rushing toward a finish line without letting the world or its stakes breathe.
The characters also struggle to find their footing. Liam, the young protagonist, spends much of the opening chapters wallowing in self-pity over his adopted status, a trope that feels repetitive and lacks the nuance found in more seasoned YA protagonists.
Perhaps most distracting is the "uncanny valley" feel of the prose. Between the strange sentence structures and a general lack of substance, the book bears the hallmarks of AI-generated content. It mirrors the hollow efficiency of an algorithm rather than the soulful, paced storytelling of a human author. If you enjoy rapid-fire action and don’t mind a "whirlwind" pace, you might find some entertainment here, but those seeking a story with real heart and logic may want to look elsewhere.
While the writing itself is descriptive, the plot moves at a breakneck, almost dizzying speed. Significant milestones—like the protagonist, Liam, discovering a legendary sword or undergoing sacred village rites—are glossed over with such brevity that they lose all weight. Key moments feel convenient rather than earned, as if the story is rushing toward a finish line without letting the world or its stakes breathe.
The characters also struggle to find their footing. Liam, the young protagonist, spends much of the opening chapters wallowing in self-pity over his adopted status, a trope that feels repetitive and lacks the nuance found in more seasoned YA protagonists.
Perhaps most distracting is the "uncanny valley" feel of the prose. Between the strange sentence structures and a general lack of substance, the book bears the hallmarks of AI-generated content. It mirrors the hollow efficiency of an algorithm rather than the soulful, paced storytelling of a human author. If you enjoy rapid-fire action and don’t mind a "whirlwind" pace, you might find some entertainment here, but those seeking a story with real heart and logic may want to look elsewhere.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews