Isolt's Enchantment

Daughter of Light #0.5

by Heidi Garrett

Isolt of the Waters is an ancient water elemental whose betrayal and enchantment has forever changed the Whole. When a young scholar in Idonne discovers her story, along with tales of dwarf magic and the birth of Umbra—a malevolent entity dwelling in the Void—he dreams of a life filled with adventure and heroism.

Whimsical and edgy, Daughter of Light is an epic fantasy with an intriguing cosmology and well-developed characters for readers of all ages.

200 pages, ebook

First published May 4, 2015

About the author

www.heidigarrett.com

Reviews

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Young Ryder learns the epic histories of the Realm of Faerie and longs to travel there himself.

First and foremost, this book is a teaser to entice readers to enjoy more books in the series. I grabbed this on a free download, and I must say that it certainly served its purpose. This is a delightful teaser, and I'd love to read more of the story.

Ryder is ready to take his vows as a priest, or well sort of. He doesn't have much interest in it. He wants to be a Guard. But in order to pursue his dream, he has to take his vows and continue his mentor's work.

Ryder's story is actually quite small. The majority of the narrative is the stories he reads in the scrolls, information regarding the Realm of Faerie. I enjoyed those stories very much. I loved the beauty of the world when Vulcan first meets Una, and I especially enjoyed the explanation of Umbra. Isolt's vengeance was absolutely delicious, and I could recommend this book based solely on that scene.

This is high fantasy in a realm that has been developed quite nicely by the author. She has carefully crafted her world, and I enjoyed taking this short stroll through its history.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

First things first: This has a gorgeous cover. I can't help but stare at it, with the contrast between the dark background and the lightning spheres. SO PRETTY.

This reads very much like mythology for the most part, which I enjoy. A restless young lad named Ryder wants nothing more than to fight and go out on adventures, but since he's in the order of priests he must dedicate his life to retrieving information--and doing nothing with it.

This gives us dual stories--the real-time one, in which Ryder negotiates a deal so that he can do physical training in exchange for research, and the stories he researches. Some of these were about characters we haven't met in the actual Daughters of Light series, but others we do know made an appearance, which made it all the more fun. Flora and Ryder were the two I relished the most, and their respective parts in Isolt's Enchantment made it all the more enticing.

Which isn't to say it couldn't stand on its own two feet without them. The story of Una and Vulcan, of the two dwarves who found Isolt, and Isolt's revenge were well written and still had depth despite sounding more like a fable. It's been a few years since I first initially read the series, and this prequel did a fantastic job of getting me amped up to read them again, changes and all.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as the first in the series (although I'm guessing from the .5 that it was later added on) but in a way, I wish I would have read it later on. In Isolt's Enchantment, the main characters are somewhat introduced along with the missing holes of their backgrounds--and what interesting backgrounds they are!

We meet Ryder's mother (the scholar who studies Isolt's story) and the tragic story behind his birth as well as up-bringing. Through nicely placed re-tellings, which he is forced to study as a priest, Isolt's story comes to life. The author does a great job weaving these ancient myths in, and although we only get them through Ryder's studies, the characters still come to life. I think I was even more excited than him to find out what would happen next.

Ryder's part in the story felt more jarred. Although he is the main character, and we learn about everything that will drive him in the later story, his story feels a little incomplete. He is a very intriguing character, and it's easy to feel for him as he struggles against what he wants and what those around him want for him. Still, this first book leaves him hanging a bit, and since book 1 doesn't pick up with him for several chapters, this left me wishing to learn what happens with him sooner. In other words, this book is simply not a stand-alone, and if the reader goes into it knowing this and remembering this, all is good and well.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book after I had read Half-Faerie even though it is the prequel to the series. Thus for me it was a interesting back story of Ryder and Anton . It explained much of Ryder's behavior in the Half-Faerie. I enjoyed the unique way in which Ms. Garrett created the Whole and the history of the Faerie world. I actually enjoyed it so much that I have gone on to re-read The Half-Faerie again. I recommend it to those who believe in fairy tales and magic and the ability of those who are different( or just think that they are different from those around them) to find their path.I particularly like stories with character development as much as story lines so this series works for me.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read, whether you read it before or after you read Half Faerie. I read it after and I loved gaining the backstory of everything. I have always loved gaining the story behind everything in books I've read especially when the past plays an important role. I felt that by reading it, I was able to understand a lot of what had happened in Half Faerie better. Reading it after Half-Faerie was perfect since answered questions that I had. At the end glossaries of characters, creatures, places and things where included and I found them to be extremely useful.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, I enjoy anything written by author Heidi Garrett. Recommend this book for anyone intrigued by the faery world.