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Druids of the Faerie #1
Druids of the Faerie: Gather the Champions
Young Baytel, overshadowed by his imperious father, King Vokat, and by his increasingly demonic twin brother, Ravek, is being tutored by a Tree Faerie, Cyr. Fueled with idealistic courage and no knowledge of the land outside his father’s realm, Baytel abandons his birthright and duties and begins a journey to fulfill the destiny he senses within himself. His quest leads him to become a Citadel Druid, skilled in the healing arts and self-reliance. He devotes himself to enabling peaceful coexistence among the many sects of humanity who inhabit the One Land. All of this is in grave conflict with his father’s and brother’s plans of conquest.
Through mysteries and battles that leave him severely at odds with his father’s ideas of domination, Baytel’s quest leads him to learn of his grandfather he had never met, his ancestry in a powerful sect, and a magic of the ages emerging within him. His adventures unite him with a group of men and women with particular individual skills and resourcefulness.
To bring peace requires violent counter-action, brilliant quick thinking, steadfastness, a bit of humor, and magical happenings, all enveloped in their devotion to the quest and the ripening of friendships.
Baytel’s globe is breathtakingly real, in an era of castles, blacksmiths, pulsing forests and swamps, magic and spirits, self-sustaining villages, and diverse beings and creatures--a living earth with individuals of honor and evil.
Through mysteries and battles that leave him severely at odds with his father’s ideas of domination, Baytel’s quest leads him to learn of his grandfather he had never met, his ancestry in a powerful sect, and a magic of the ages emerging within him. His adventures unite him with a group of men and women with particular individual skills and resourcefulness.
To bring peace requires violent counter-action, brilliant quick thinking, steadfastness, a bit of humor, and magical happenings, all enveloped in their devotion to the quest and the ripening of friendships.
Baytel’s globe is breathtakingly real, in an era of castles, blacksmiths, pulsing forests and swamps, magic and spirits, self-sustaining villages, and diverse beings and creatures--a living earth with individuals of honor and evil.
383 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 5, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 17, 2017
2.5 stars total.
I had an extremely hard time rating this book. I knew that it fell at 2.5 I just couldn't figure out whether to give it the extra bump to 3, or demote it down to 2.
This book floated on some kind of weird little edge for me. It definitely wasn't bad (little reminder that even 2* is "OK" according to goodreads) it had a bunch of things that I just couldn't get down with.
First: Baytel leaves his messed up father and brother because they are corrupted by dark magic and he thinks that if he becomes a Druid he might be able to save them. So he does this at The Citadel. My problem is this: He trained so fast to become so awesome that I can't believe it is possible. Gazoul tried to explain himself out of the fast turned around from bumpkin to stud muffin, but it didn't fly with me.
Second: Every character in the book felt like a cookie cut out. Nobody really stood out to me, and everyone seemed so similar I found myself going back and looking at the sentence I just read to see who it was that said it. Was it Telek? Or Areus? I couldn't figure it out. Usually I can follow that very easily, but because everyone was so similar it was hard to tell. Until the end of the book when I met Dalphinade, she was awesome. Tough, strong, doesn't take crap from anyone. Yeah, I like her. To bad she was the only one kind of fleshed out.
Third: How in the crap did Baytel meet so many people for 2-3 days that he just somehow knew he was going to "have a lifetime friendship with"? Like, really dude, come one. Don't BS me. You ain't ever calling them again! I know it, you know it, don't try and fool me. I wish it was that easy to make lifetime friendships.
Those are just some of the flaws. And while it may sound like I'm ripping on this pretty bad, for all the flaws it was still a fun book. This is an old school fantasy reminiscent of Tolkein or C. S. Lewis. And I love that kind of stuff. Sure it can fall into tropes at times, but I like it regardless. And to give Gazoul some credit; even though it felt like that type of fantasy this was a world all his own. At least how I had imagined it in my head.
I think that Gazoul has a lot of potential as an author and I hope that he continues writing, because he is close to great and he is writing in the genre I love. Work out a few kinks and deliver us a beautiful new book. I don't know when I will start, but I most likely will be reading the sequel because...this just wasn't bad.
This is one of the most conflicted I've been on giving a review to a book ever. It does have lots of problems, but I just couldn't find myself not enjoying the book quite a bit in some moments. I hope book 2 sees a big improvement. I know it's possible.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I had an extremely hard time rating this book. I knew that it fell at 2.5 I just couldn't figure out whether to give it the extra bump to 3, or demote it down to 2.
This book floated on some kind of weird little edge for me. It definitely wasn't bad (little reminder that even 2* is "OK" according to goodreads) it had a bunch of things that I just couldn't get down with.
First: Baytel leaves his messed up father and brother because they are corrupted by dark magic and he thinks that if he becomes a Druid he might be able to save them. So he does this at The Citadel. My problem is this: He trained so fast to become so awesome that I can't believe it is possible. Gazoul tried to explain himself out of the fast turned around from bumpkin to stud muffin, but it didn't fly with me.
Second: Every character in the book felt like a cookie cut out. Nobody really stood out to me, and everyone seemed so similar I found myself going back and looking at the sentence I just read to see who it was that said it. Was it Telek? Or Areus? I couldn't figure it out. Usually I can follow that very easily, but because everyone was so similar it was hard to tell. Until the end of the book when I met Dalphinade, she was awesome. Tough, strong, doesn't take crap from anyone. Yeah, I like her. To bad she was the only one kind of fleshed out.
Third: How in the crap did Baytel meet so many people for 2-3 days that he just somehow knew he was going to "have a lifetime friendship with"? Like, really dude, come one. Don't BS me. You ain't ever calling them again! I know it, you know it, don't try and fool me. I wish it was that easy to make lifetime friendships.
Those are just some of the flaws. And while it may sound like I'm ripping on this pretty bad, for all the flaws it was still a fun book. This is an old school fantasy reminiscent of Tolkein or C. S. Lewis. And I love that kind of stuff. Sure it can fall into tropes at times, but I like it regardless. And to give Gazoul some credit; even though it felt like that type of fantasy this was a world all his own. At least how I had imagined it in my head.
I think that Gazoul has a lot of potential as an author and I hope that he continues writing, because he is close to great and he is writing in the genre I love. Work out a few kinks and deliver us a beautiful new book. I don't know when I will start, but I most likely will be reading the sequel because...this just wasn't bad.
This is one of the most conflicted I've been on giving a review to a book ever. It does have lots of problems, but I just couldn't find myself not enjoying the book quite a bit in some moments. I hope book 2 sees a big improvement. I know it's possible.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
September 17, 2017
DNF - review to come
December 22, 2015
Written in the vein of epic fantasy involving a world of druids and magic, goblins and evil men, and a quest to propel a land in conflict toward peace, Lewis Gazoul's first book is a fast paced story full of action. Lewis' strong writing style, spendid vocabulary and picturesque descriptions make for an enjoyable experience. Definitely a tale for a seasoned reader who enjoys Tolkein-like good versus evil adventures. A number of story plots play against one another which allow for changes in perspective and thought in how they will all play out. Chapters are just long enough to allow for a convenient place to stop for late night readers with limited reading time. The 372 page first book is a companion to Lewis' second work, Druids of the Faerie - Baytel and the Goblin Horde. Highly recommended from a 50 year old lover of LOTR and reader of George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones.
November 22, 2016
This is a really creative novel that I enjoyed reading. I love the epic feel of the story and the imaginative world it is set in. The excitement, originality, and fantasy elements will appeal to a wide age range. This novel is a lot of fun, and I look forward to the next book!
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book!
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews