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The Recovery #1
Scars
324 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 5, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 14, 2026
An epic adventure tale of found family, magic and fantasy. Looking forward to Book 2!
April 9, 2026
Scars is a character-driven fantasy story, written in third person POV. The main focus shifts within the chapter though, giving the reader an insight in internal monologues, dialogues (yes, some also internal), thoughts and feelings of every character involved.
Set in the world of Litharia, we follow Kel'rak Zaulyl, a man burdened with grief for his wife, but trying to make a new life for himself. A peculiar find steers him in a completely different direction, though.
Amelia is a healer, living a quiet and fulfilling life until her village is ransacked by brutes and she is left for dead. Driven by revenge and the need to keep her son alive she discovers abilities she never thought possible.
The magic in this world - which was thought to be eradicated - is based on emotions. If there's anything these characters have, it's feelings: grief, sadness, rage, but along their adventures also joy and companionship.
I loved the diversity in characters, both human and mythical. Every character had it's distinct personality and each was likeable in their own way, and I found myself not favoring one over the other.
One downside for me was the overly descriptive language. It sometimes felt like the author was losing himself in describing how a setting sounded, felt, looked, ... and I felt myself skimming those passages, because I was losing the storyline.
Overall I did enjoy this book. It wasn't a happy, cozy, comfy read. There were absolutely times where I had to put the book down because of the dark turns the story took. But I respect a writer who doesn't shy away from difficult scenes, but embraces them; knowing it will wreck the reader if done well.
I kindly received an ARC from the author through Bookfunnel. The opinions in this review are completely my own.
Set in the world of Litharia, we follow Kel'rak Zaulyl, a man burdened with grief for his wife, but trying to make a new life for himself. A peculiar find steers him in a completely different direction, though.
Amelia is a healer, living a quiet and fulfilling life until her village is ransacked by brutes and she is left for dead. Driven by revenge and the need to keep her son alive she discovers abilities she never thought possible.
The magic in this world - which was thought to be eradicated - is based on emotions. If there's anything these characters have, it's feelings: grief, sadness, rage, but along their adventures also joy and companionship.
I loved the diversity in characters, both human and mythical. Every character had it's distinct personality and each was likeable in their own way, and I found myself not favoring one over the other.
One downside for me was the overly descriptive language. It sometimes felt like the author was losing himself in describing how a setting sounded, felt, looked, ... and I felt myself skimming those passages, because I was losing the storyline.
Overall I did enjoy this book. It wasn't a happy, cozy, comfy read. There were absolutely times where I had to put the book down because of the dark turns the story took. But I respect a writer who doesn't shy away from difficult scenes, but embraces them; knowing it will wreck the reader if done well.
I kindly received an ARC from the author through Bookfunnel. The opinions in this review are completely my own.
October 7, 2026
Wow. Where do I start? This book was f*cking amazing. Every moment felt immersive. J.A. McCoy has certainly honed his craft when it comes to imagery. There was never a moment where I couldn’t see everything that was happening. Imagination isn’t necessary when the author can write this good.
Pay attention to the trigger warnings and be warned that this book is not for the faint of heart! Some content matter may be overwhelming for certain readers! Triggers are all clearly outlined and I don’t feel as any subject matter was missed.
As far as what I loved, certainly the imagery as I mentioned, but I also was a fan of the magic system. It was extremely thought out and unique. I felt as if the dialogue was mastered as well. There truly were no cons with this story. As I said, it was amazing.
I’m looking forward to the next installment and I’d recommend putting J.A. McCoy on your indie auto buy author list. Can’t wait to read more of his work.
Beautiful. 5/5. No notes. Amazing.
Pay attention to the trigger warnings and be warned that this book is not for the faint of heart! Some content matter may be overwhelming for certain readers! Triggers are all clearly outlined and I don’t feel as any subject matter was missed.
As far as what I loved, certainly the imagery as I mentioned, but I also was a fan of the magic system. It was extremely thought out and unique. I felt as if the dialogue was mastered as well. There truly were no cons with this story. As I said, it was amazing.
I’m looking forward to the next installment and I’d recommend putting J.A. McCoy on your indie auto buy author list. Can’t wait to read more of his work.
Beautiful. 5/5. No notes. Amazing.
August 24, 2026
I really enjoyed this one! Dark magic, vengeance, necromancy, broken characters, and a sentient dagger that feeds on dark emotions? Yes, please. 🖤
Scars is a dark and emotional fantasy about pain, survival, and turning the things meant to break you into something powerful.
Definitely recommend checking it out!
Scars is a dark and emotional fantasy about pain, survival, and turning the things meant to break you into something powerful.
Definitely recommend checking it out!
Review of advance copy received from Author
What a fantastic debut!! Loved the story, loved the writing style, loved the imagination. Very unique fantasy with forgotten gods, sentient weapons and magic based on emotions. Can't wait for the next book!
August 27, 2026
Such a great read! The author has a way of pulling you in instantly with a truly unique story, and he doesn’t hold back on the punches early on. This is definitely a dark read, so if that’s your thing—you’re gonna love it! I’m excited for this entire series!
September 14, 2026
A character driven, heart-wrenching story exploring all things emotionally complex. As someone in the mental health field, I appreciated the walk toward the emotional depth Kel’rak had to face in order to face his grief. What a great debut for more to come!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was lucky enough to read this as a beta reader and was on the edge of my seat waiting for more chapters. I loved how it dove into the power that emotions can have and the control they can have on you and an outcome. So far Amelia and Colson are my favorites. I can’t wait for book 2!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews