What do you think?
Rate this book
The Daughter of Chaos #1
Eversong
Elora's past lay hidden in a web of lies and half-truths; the secrecy weaved by her uncle to keep her from harm, or to keep her from harming the world. But she put her voice to a song, the wrong song and now the web is unravelling and she begins to understand why she is different, why she has violet eyes, why she has a ferocious temper that erupts on the slightest of whims.
A darkness is rising, the tide growing stronger as legions of an evil army, loyal to a dead God, prepare to cross the weakening barrier to deliver chaos and death to Earth.
Elora maybe the only weapon Earth has to stand against the evil, if she doesn't destroy the world first.
A darkness is rising, the tide growing stronger as legions of an evil army, loyal to a dead God, prepare to cross the weakening barrier to deliver chaos and death to Earth.
Elora maybe the only weapon Earth has to stand against the evil, if she doesn't destroy the world first.
497 pages, Paperback
First published February 12, 2016
281 people are currently reading
2209 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
April 25, 2016
Wildly entertaining and packed with plenty of twists and turns, Eversong is a great introduction to Adrian Salter's "Daughter of Chaos" series. Elora, the main protagonist, is a feisty and well-rounded heroine and I can't help but feel the book would also make a great film. The story includes a wide and interesting cast of characters and combines a good mix of fantasy, horror and action. All of them play their part as the story is propelled onwards without ever meandering.
The author has filled this saga of two "twin" realities (One Earth, the other Thea) with abundant mythologies and ideas- the various gods and demons are possibly my favourite characters and remind me somewhat of the Greek classics- which I hope we'll learn about in more detail as the series progresses.
All in all a very promising start to the series.
The author has filled this saga of two "twin" realities (One Earth, the other Thea) with abundant mythologies and ideas- the various gods and demons are possibly my favourite characters and remind me somewhat of the Greek classics- which I hope we'll learn about in more detail as the series progresses.
All in all a very promising start to the series.
November 6, 2016
The cover drew me in first! There’s something mesmerising about the cover, and then the title got my attention. Eversong. What is the ‘eversong’ I asked myself … and started reading. I really don’t want to spoil this for you by launching into a synopsis of the tale, but allow me to say this: the Eversong is all-important to saving not only one, but two, civilisations! And the song resides in Elora! All is not what it seems, though, and it is for very good reason that Elora is warned from a young age to never sing.
Enter the Shadojak and his Shaigun, assassins with a noble mission. One falls for Elora and the consequences will reach across realms. Add in a few strange creatures both adorable and particularly nasty and I know you want to read this now!
Despite a typo here and there, I am giving Eversong 5 stars. Great cover, great title, huge imagination, a fantastic tale!
Enter the Shadojak and his Shaigun, assassins with a noble mission. One falls for Elora and the consequences will reach across realms. Add in a few strange creatures both adorable and particularly nasty and I know you want to read this now!
Despite a typo here and there, I am giving Eversong 5 stars. Great cover, great title, huge imagination, a fantastic tale!
March 26, 2016
I've been lucky enough to read Eversong before it was published I've been hooked from the start, it's everything I love in a book it draws you in with its twists and turns, I would love to see this made into a film even if it's just to see my favourite character gurple come to life.
Read
February 6, 2017great book lots of action paranormal fantasy sci fi . great read fast pace .wonderful imagery
November 16, 2017
Wow! What an imagination this A.C. Salter has. This fantasy novel is the first in the trilogy entitled 'DAUGHTER OF CHAOS'. There was never a dull moment in this gripping action filled story of how Elora learns that she is no ordinary teenager but the daughter of the God Solarius. This God however is more demon and bent on controlling both Earth and Thea - Elora's childhood home. There are a wealth of characters who both aid and thwart her attempt to prevent her father's venture to dominate two worlds.. Salter weaves a fantastical story around this intriguing supporting cast and whether you love them (Bray and Shadojak) or loathe them (Silk and Reuben) you can't ignore them. I loved the scene where Ejan is trying to instruct Elora in the art of fighting with a sword.
This author is a born storyteller and I'm sure we'll hear more about him in the future.
A highly recommended read.
This author is a born storyteller and I'm sure we'll hear more about him in the future.
A highly recommended read.
March 19, 2017
From page one to the end I couldn't put it down loved every minute of it
December 11, 2017
Eversong was a delightful mix of genres that I didn’t expect to see together. The thing I enjoyed most about the story was the pure imagination that went into building the world.
Eversong's world was supplemented tremendously by Salter's skill for description. Not only did he imagine things into being that I couldn't have thought of in my most disturbing dreams, he beamed them intensely and perfectly into my head to enjoy (or dread).
Elora, as it turns out, is speculated to be the incarnation of the goddess Minu, while not so speculatively, she is the daughter of the God of Chaos. She grows up on Earth under the attentive eye of her uncle, Nathanial, an old but powerful Minuan who can manipulate the elements with song. Elora's journey begins when she makes a heap of money for a talentless bard and friend by singing the Eversong for a group of patrons. The power of the song ignites the fuse set to release her father, the evil God, and it seems the enemy is one step ahead of the smartest defenders in the powerful ensemble until the very end. Their cunning and manipulation doesn't succeed, however. Elora not only manages to defeat her father (after accidentally summoning him from his prison), she simultaneously manages to defeat one of the strongest warriors in both worlds (it was consensual), thereby propelling her into the role of the Shadojak.
It takes a lot for me to be impressed by the twists in a story. I was shocked not once, but twice, at Salter's evil plot twists. Of course, I have no complaints because it's clear that he laid all the puny little clues out for us to pick up on.
For the record, I enjoyed Eversong so much that I WILL be purchasing the sequels, and I will likely follow Salter in his other writing pursuits. I'm very glad that I received a free copy, and that every minute of the seven/eight some-odd hours I spent reading the story was very well spent. So, while I do have some complaints, take this as the main note of my review: "Totally worth it."
[Here Begins My Few Complaints]
1. If you like City of Bones or the Iron Fey, you’ll probably find these characters a bit familiar.
I don’t read YA novels with Romance much anymore, I think because I got scared that the trope recycling would ruin the books I had really treasured. The ensemble trope that I have begun to see a lot of was repeated in this story.
Elora is a confusing character. She starts off being somewhat unlikable. She’s sullen, a bit disrespectful to her uncle, but she’s got this incredible singing voice that makes her intriguing. You can tell there is good in her based on the moral voice that crops up when she’s being a real jerk, but often that wavering between sweet and mean at unpredictable times made her character seem inconsistent.
It’s all too easy to make your super-powerful character a self-sacrificing, beautiful, and talented character as well, so I think I would have liked Elora more if her temper truly proved to be a problem before her powers came in. She needed more spice and less nice. I didn’t find her believable all the time as it was, and she blended in with all other YA heroines who fall in love quickly, give without regard for herself, and kick ass when the timing is right. Now, I DO understand that her struggle between good and evil is important to the plot, but I’m just saying I would have liked her to have more grit in her character.
Bray, while quite nice to imagine, is also a bit of a cookie cutter character for me, little different from Cassandra Clare’s Jace prototype, though Bray takes more of his own flavor as the book proceeds. Bray starts off hard-hearted, duty-driven, and incredibly good at hand-to-hand combat. He also drives this incredible motorcycle with his half-elf super reflexes (that was probably one of my favorite parts). But, being thrown in with Elora and her Elor-ing eyes (yes, that was a poor attempt at a pun), almost immediately shatters the resolve of years of training to become a powerful swordsman and restorer of balance to the magic and non-magic worlds.
While I LOVE the idea of the Shadojak and the Shaigun, I found Bray’s abandonment of his life’s ambition to become a Shadojak for a girl he has known for 55 percent of the book to be too hard to believe, or I just straight up didn’t understand his choice. Bray admits his love for Elora after knowing her for two days, and though I can understand the adrenaline, Elora’s singing voice, her self-sacrificial character to be a hard-sell, it threw me out of the story to have proclamations of love that soon, especially knowing this will be an ongoing series.
Diagus was probably the most unique character. He goes from adversary to friend at all the right times. Diagus is duty and wisdom, power and legend.
Otholo, however, seems to be another sort of “Puck” kind of character. He’s got some lusty, mischievous impulses that make him fun and interesting, and he’s got this bit of wisdom that they really need him for, the song, his heritage, his humor. I do like that A.C. Salter didn’t take this a direction he could have by making a love triangle including Otholo. I would not have liked that, I don’t think. But, I’m never a huge fan of love triangles. The best part about Otholo is that he has this demon inside him that makes him dangerous and dark. I like that he got some real edge to him with that, and I think despite the fact that Otholo as the whimsical, song-writing, virginity stealer feels familiar, the demon-possession adds a flare.
I think, overall, the secondary characters stole the show. Norgie, Ragna and Ejan, and Gurple were all lovely and unique additions to the story. Ejan is a total babe, Norse, killer with an unshakable loyalty to her fat, but super-strong Viking husband who is a total softie. I loved them, and Norgie stole my heart from the beginning along with our little, furry elf-like friend, Gurp.
2. The dialogue can be cheesy.
My complaints about dialogue are few, but I will say that I was taken out of the story at times by things that felt cheesy, repetitive, or unnecessary. In these action-packed, slightly romantic stories, quippy dialogue is pretty common.
I’m not a staunch opponent of cheesy dialogue. I was watching a Hallmark movie last night that created the same sinful situation where the scene should have ended, but they had to recap some feelings before they could close the scene with a kiss. I personally find this sort of dialogue a bit over-indulgent, but a lot of that comes with the genre, and I understand that.
The sappy love dialogue was part of that, the wondering “Is that what I’m feeling after only knowing this girl for two days? Love?” and Elora's "I can't imagine how I would feel if Bray got hurt," after Ejan's life partner and beloved husband is killed in battle (self-consumed, much Elora? Not her shining moment). So, perhaps the root of my issue is the two days to fall in love thing, though I did notice dialogue issues with villains that said typically villainous things, thugs that were typically rapey, and uncles that were typically stern and mysterious.
3. The Pacing oscillates between “oh, days have passed?” to “how is it that we still have half the book left?”
The last complaint, concerning pacing, is brief and not really too much of an issue.
I liked, that Salter got right to the action with the story. There was barely a scene or two before there was the threat of pain or death (excluding the pre-chapter where things got dark and scary real quickly). Salter escalates the action when the Leviathans sing, and I almost feel like, “Oh, here’s the real action. Now we’re getting going.”
Briefly, though, when Elora, Diagus, and Otholo are traveling to the Ram’s Keep, it’s very difficult to tell how much time has passed until someone outright says it. It’s tragedy after tragedy after tragedy, back-to-back-to-back and it almost feels like this is all happening in one day until someone mentions they’ve been on the road for a week. This, I feel, was an error in pacing that confused me and dampened my sympathy for the victims Elora encounters.
Lastly, I return to the “I love you, I will give up my career for you,” too early in the book. The “world-ending” action came in the first 30-40 percent of the book with the Leviathan song, and we’ve still got hundreds of pages until they get to Solarius. Again, a minor complaint because for the most part, I’m enjoying the ride, but I think that the relationship between Bray and Elora could have been deepened on this journey, could have been more moving and believable considering they have sixty percent of the book to form a bond that makes sense.
Overall, I highly recommend you take the time to read the book.
I think the most tell-tale sign of a well-written story is that you crave it when you’re not reading it. I dreamed about it, and if I wasn’t dreaming about it, exactly, I was dreaming up other interesting worlds for my own writing. I was challenged by Salter’s passion for creating an interesting world to incorporate that in my own writing.
Salter pretty much creates his own mythology by slightly modifying some existing mythos and adding about a thousand interesting layers. So, not only did we encounter urban fantasy “magic meets reality,” we encountered myths and legends, and apocalyptic fiction. It’s a unique combination that made it fun to read the entire way through.
Eversong's world was supplemented tremendously by Salter's skill for description. Not only did he imagine things into being that I couldn't have thought of in my most disturbing dreams, he beamed them intensely and perfectly into my head to enjoy (or dread).
Elora, as it turns out, is speculated to be the incarnation of the goddess Minu, while not so speculatively, she is the daughter of the God of Chaos. She grows up on Earth under the attentive eye of her uncle, Nathanial, an old but powerful Minuan who can manipulate the elements with song. Elora's journey begins when she makes a heap of money for a talentless bard and friend by singing the Eversong for a group of patrons. The power of the song ignites the fuse set to release her father, the evil God, and it seems the enemy is one step ahead of the smartest defenders in the powerful ensemble until the very end. Their cunning and manipulation doesn't succeed, however. Elora not only manages to defeat her father (after accidentally summoning him from his prison), she simultaneously manages to defeat one of the strongest warriors in both worlds (it was consensual), thereby propelling her into the role of the Shadojak.
It takes a lot for me to be impressed by the twists in a story. I was shocked not once, but twice, at Salter's evil plot twists. Of course, I have no complaints because it's clear that he laid all the puny little clues out for us to pick up on.
For the record, I enjoyed Eversong so much that I WILL be purchasing the sequels, and I will likely follow Salter in his other writing pursuits. I'm very glad that I received a free copy, and that every minute of the seven/eight some-odd hours I spent reading the story was very well spent. So, while I do have some complaints, take this as the main note of my review: "Totally worth it."
[Here Begins My Few Complaints]
1. If you like City of Bones or the Iron Fey, you’ll probably find these characters a bit familiar.
I don’t read YA novels with Romance much anymore, I think because I got scared that the trope recycling would ruin the books I had really treasured. The ensemble trope that I have begun to see a lot of was repeated in this story.
Elora is a confusing character. She starts off being somewhat unlikable. She’s sullen, a bit disrespectful to her uncle, but she’s got this incredible singing voice that makes her intriguing. You can tell there is good in her based on the moral voice that crops up when she’s being a real jerk, but often that wavering between sweet and mean at unpredictable times made her character seem inconsistent.
It’s all too easy to make your super-powerful character a self-sacrificing, beautiful, and talented character as well, so I think I would have liked Elora more if her temper truly proved to be a problem before her powers came in. She needed more spice and less nice. I didn’t find her believable all the time as it was, and she blended in with all other YA heroines who fall in love quickly, give without regard for herself, and kick ass when the timing is right. Now, I DO understand that her struggle between good and evil is important to the plot, but I’m just saying I would have liked her to have more grit in her character.
Bray, while quite nice to imagine, is also a bit of a cookie cutter character for me, little different from Cassandra Clare’s Jace prototype, though Bray takes more of his own flavor as the book proceeds. Bray starts off hard-hearted, duty-driven, and incredibly good at hand-to-hand combat. He also drives this incredible motorcycle with his half-elf super reflexes (that was probably one of my favorite parts). But, being thrown in with Elora and her Elor-ing eyes (yes, that was a poor attempt at a pun), almost immediately shatters the resolve of years of training to become a powerful swordsman and restorer of balance to the magic and non-magic worlds.
While I LOVE the idea of the Shadojak and the Shaigun, I found Bray’s abandonment of his life’s ambition to become a Shadojak for a girl he has known for 55 percent of the book to be too hard to believe, or I just straight up didn’t understand his choice. Bray admits his love for Elora after knowing her for two days, and though I can understand the adrenaline, Elora’s singing voice, her self-sacrificial character to be a hard-sell, it threw me out of the story to have proclamations of love that soon, especially knowing this will be an ongoing series.
Diagus was probably the most unique character. He goes from adversary to friend at all the right times. Diagus is duty and wisdom, power and legend.
Otholo, however, seems to be another sort of “Puck” kind of character. He’s got some lusty, mischievous impulses that make him fun and interesting, and he’s got this bit of wisdom that they really need him for, the song, his heritage, his humor. I do like that A.C. Salter didn’t take this a direction he could have by making a love triangle including Otholo. I would not have liked that, I don’t think. But, I’m never a huge fan of love triangles. The best part about Otholo is that he has this demon inside him that makes him dangerous and dark. I like that he got some real edge to him with that, and I think despite the fact that Otholo as the whimsical, song-writing, virginity stealer feels familiar, the demon-possession adds a flare.
I think, overall, the secondary characters stole the show. Norgie, Ragna and Ejan, and Gurple were all lovely and unique additions to the story. Ejan is a total babe, Norse, killer with an unshakable loyalty to her fat, but super-strong Viking husband who is a total softie. I loved them, and Norgie stole my heart from the beginning along with our little, furry elf-like friend, Gurp.
2. The dialogue can be cheesy.
My complaints about dialogue are few, but I will say that I was taken out of the story at times by things that felt cheesy, repetitive, or unnecessary. In these action-packed, slightly romantic stories, quippy dialogue is pretty common.
I’m not a staunch opponent of cheesy dialogue. I was watching a Hallmark movie last night that created the same sinful situation where the scene should have ended, but they had to recap some feelings before they could close the scene with a kiss. I personally find this sort of dialogue a bit over-indulgent, but a lot of that comes with the genre, and I understand that.
The sappy love dialogue was part of that, the wondering “Is that what I’m feeling after only knowing this girl for two days? Love?” and Elora's "I can't imagine how I would feel if Bray got hurt," after Ejan's life partner and beloved husband is killed in battle (self-consumed, much Elora? Not her shining moment). So, perhaps the root of my issue is the two days to fall in love thing, though I did notice dialogue issues with villains that said typically villainous things, thugs that were typically rapey, and uncles that were typically stern and mysterious.
3. The Pacing oscillates between “oh, days have passed?” to “how is it that we still have half the book left?”
The last complaint, concerning pacing, is brief and not really too much of an issue.
I liked, that Salter got right to the action with the story. There was barely a scene or two before there was the threat of pain or death (excluding the pre-chapter where things got dark and scary real quickly). Salter escalates the action when the Leviathans sing, and I almost feel like, “Oh, here’s the real action. Now we’re getting going.”
Briefly, though, when Elora, Diagus, and Otholo are traveling to the Ram’s Keep, it’s very difficult to tell how much time has passed until someone outright says it. It’s tragedy after tragedy after tragedy, back-to-back-to-back and it almost feels like this is all happening in one day until someone mentions they’ve been on the road for a week. This, I feel, was an error in pacing that confused me and dampened my sympathy for the victims Elora encounters.
Lastly, I return to the “I love you, I will give up my career for you,” too early in the book. The “world-ending” action came in the first 30-40 percent of the book with the Leviathan song, and we’ve still got hundreds of pages until they get to Solarius. Again, a minor complaint because for the most part, I’m enjoying the ride, but I think that the relationship between Bray and Elora could have been deepened on this journey, could have been more moving and believable considering they have sixty percent of the book to form a bond that makes sense.
Overall, I highly recommend you take the time to read the book.
I think the most tell-tale sign of a well-written story is that you crave it when you’re not reading it. I dreamed about it, and if I wasn’t dreaming about it, exactly, I was dreaming up other interesting worlds for my own writing. I was challenged by Salter’s passion for creating an interesting world to incorporate that in my own writing.
Salter pretty much creates his own mythology by slightly modifying some existing mythos and adding about a thousand interesting layers. So, not only did we encounter urban fantasy “magic meets reality,” we encountered myths and legends, and apocalyptic fiction. It’s a unique combination that made it fun to read the entire way through.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2016
(No spoilers here...others have revealed the meat of the story !)
I truly would have liked to give "Eversong" 5 stars but am tempted to give it 3 and a half. After much inner debate, however, I find that I feel comfortable giving 4 stars, because:
The story was gripping, right from the beginning; there's nothing I approve of much more than a female character who isn't afraid to get her hands dirty and jump into the midst of battle (I can certainly relate!).
Although the concept of alternate dimensions/worlds is in no way new, nor magic, faeries, elves and monstrous demons, and nor even "demi-gods" as half god, half human, the story behind Elora's life on earth, outside of the world to which she was born, and her ultimate destiny IN her world, is one I have not read before. In short, the story is exhilarating, stimulating.
It is not until later in the book that we discover the reason Elora came to grow up here on earth, an orphan being raised by her uncle, but we are well prepared for the story to unfold by the excellent storyline leading up to each tell-tale experience, from the first chapter to the final confrontation in the last.
Each turn of events which shed light on her birthright, her particular powers and her initiation into such knowledge...and her acceptance of all of this strangeness...is well thought out. It cannot have been a simple task to portray how a basically decent hearted young person is able to accept the revelation that she is the offspring of such a vile being as was her father, and the way that she was conceived, but Mr. Salter succeeded in that and more. He very ably expressed her feelings of horror at that evil versus her innate goodness.
The prologue which introduces the first of the insect creatures that like to invade their victims bodies in order to possess them (ewwww!! :O ), the details of the towns, cities, stores and living quarters, in the dimensions of both earth and Aslania and the descriptions of the battles fought...all effectively drop the reader into the middle of the action.
Eversong would have been easy to read, if only the punctuation and grammar/spelling had not been so consistently neglected for three or four chapters at a time; it appears that these chapters were never proofread or edited at all.
As much as I enjoyed the book as a whole, it was very distracting to re-read long sentences without commas or semi-colons, and improper uses of words like there/their, your/you're and instances of the use of such as "been", instead of "being", in order to follow along seamlessly with the story.
And I DID love the book (and the cover, too, btw!) I enjoyed it immensely and recommend it to anyone who likes the feeling of goosebumps, the thrill of magical adventures and ever so discreet, sweet love stories.
It is well worth the read, editing warts and all.
I truly would have liked to give "Eversong" 5 stars but am tempted to give it 3 and a half. After much inner debate, however, I find that I feel comfortable giving 4 stars, because:
The story was gripping, right from the beginning; there's nothing I approve of much more than a female character who isn't afraid to get her hands dirty and jump into the midst of battle (I can certainly relate!).
Although the concept of alternate dimensions/worlds is in no way new, nor magic, faeries, elves and monstrous demons, and nor even "demi-gods" as half god, half human, the story behind Elora's life on earth, outside of the world to which she was born, and her ultimate destiny IN her world, is one I have not read before. In short, the story is exhilarating, stimulating.
It is not until later in the book that we discover the reason Elora came to grow up here on earth, an orphan being raised by her uncle, but we are well prepared for the story to unfold by the excellent storyline leading up to each tell-tale experience, from the first chapter to the final confrontation in the last.
Each turn of events which shed light on her birthright, her particular powers and her initiation into such knowledge...and her acceptance of all of this strangeness...is well thought out. It cannot have been a simple task to portray how a basically decent hearted young person is able to accept the revelation that she is the offspring of such a vile being as was her father, and the way that she was conceived, but Mr. Salter succeeded in that and more. He very ably expressed her feelings of horror at that evil versus her innate goodness.
The prologue which introduces the first of the insect creatures that like to invade their victims bodies in order to possess them (ewwww!! :O ), the details of the towns, cities, stores and living quarters, in the dimensions of both earth and Aslania and the descriptions of the battles fought...all effectively drop the reader into the middle of the action.
Eversong would have been easy to read, if only the punctuation and grammar/spelling had not been so consistently neglected for three or four chapters at a time; it appears that these chapters were never proofread or edited at all.
As much as I enjoyed the book as a whole, it was very distracting to re-read long sentences without commas or semi-colons, and improper uses of words like there/their, your/you're and instances of the use of such as "been", instead of "being", in order to follow along seamlessly with the story.
And I DID love the book (and the cover, too, btw!) I enjoyed it immensely and recommend it to anyone who likes the feeling of goosebumps, the thrill of magical adventures and ever so discreet, sweet love stories.
It is well worth the read, editing warts and all.
March 26, 2018
This book is a whirlwind of an adventure that I enormously enjoyed. Elora’s world as she knows it is turned upside down in a very abrupt manner, all because she decided one afternoon to share her beautiful voice while singing a song that sits close to her heart. This dangerous and forbidden song is not one that Elora has ever been taught, she just simply ‘knows’ it. This one afternoon spent singing opened doors to a world that Elora was sheltered from her entire life. Elora soon discovers that she is not who she thought she was and, she is forced to embark on a very dangerous journey to discover her true self, and her past, all while fighting, many different types of creatures from another realm. Elora must not only try to keep herself alive, but she must also save more than one planet, not only Earth but also the world she came from.
I loved the journey that author took me though while reading this book. The journey was full of adventure, wild and creative imagination and anticipation. I read almost the entire book except for 150 pages in one sitting, as I found myself not wanting to put it down. The book was very well written and constructed in such a way that I did not have an issue following the different story lines, and points of view introduced. It all blend very well together for me and ending with me immediately searching for book 2 in the trilogy.
If you are looking for adventure, a a wile and vivid imagination and worlds so unlike our own, I recommend you pick up this book immediately.
I loved the journey that author took me though while reading this book. The journey was full of adventure, wild and creative imagination and anticipation. I read almost the entire book except for 150 pages in one sitting, as I found myself not wanting to put it down. The book was very well written and constructed in such a way that I did not have an issue following the different story lines, and points of view introduced. It all blend very well together for me and ending with me immediately searching for book 2 in the trilogy.
If you are looking for adventure, a a wile and vivid imagination and worlds so unlike our own, I recommend you pick up this book immediately.
July 9, 2017
This is the most unique and original story I have read in a long time. Mr. Salter has captured the true spirit of Fantasy Adventure. It is a rare thing to find such a great story and to find someone who know how to spin a tale that is captivating and draws the reader into the story.
Mr. Salter has gone far above the normal intrigues and has created a great and wonderful world I want to leave the mystery of the story a mystery, but want to say more authors who want to write in this Genre should read Mr. Salter's work for pointers on how to set up a good story.
Mr. Salter has gone far above the normal intrigues and has created a great and wonderful world I want to leave the mystery of the story a mystery, but want to say more authors who want to write in this Genre should read Mr. Salter's work for pointers on how to set up a good story.
February 16, 2017
There was something about this book that called to me even though I rarely read fantasy books. I was not disappointed and I look forward to reading the sequel in the near future.
In my humble opinion, this book is a mixture of what some might call heroic fantasy and magical realism with a touch of mystery.
Urged by a fellow musician, Elora sang a song. Little did she know this would send her on a journey to a far away place.
I really enjoyed how Mr. Salter shared Elora's story. While I could not hear the actual song, I think a part of it rang through the pages and into my heart.
Warning: There is violence as well as some adult language and situations.
In my humble opinion, this book is a mixture of what some might call heroic fantasy and magical realism with a touch of mystery.
Urged by a fellow musician, Elora sang a song. Little did she know this would send her on a journey to a far away place.
I really enjoyed how Mr. Salter shared Elora's story. While I could not hear the actual song, I think a part of it rang through the pages and into my heart.
Warning: There is violence as well as some adult language and situations.
July 1, 2019
Elora, a feisty young girl with a spectacular talent for singing and an unknown past, finds out that she is a part of something much bigger than she ever would have imagined. Her life spirals into chaos when she goes against her Uncle Nat’s wishes. He warned her to not sing a particular song, but what harm could it do? She was only singing, and the people seemed to love it the last time she had done it. What her Uncle didn’t know wouldn’t hurt, right?
What I think drew me to it the most was how real it felt, even in despite of the fictitious setting. How human emotion has more control over us than we think, or more than others would like, and how much it influences us in decisions, be them small or life changing.
I would gladly read more from A. C. Salter, and I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
What I think drew me to it the most was how real it felt, even in despite of the fictitious setting. How human emotion has more control over us than we think, or more than others would like, and how much it influences us in decisions, be them small or life changing.
I would gladly read more from A. C. Salter, and I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
March 9, 2017
An unwinding epic journey
A fabulous book with great, diverse characters. Absolutely loved this narrative. The characters were well developed and believable. The story had enough twists and turns to keep you turning the pages. There were many edge of your seat moments and great action scenes. This narrative was well written with intertwining plots. I love mythology so I found the incorporation of myths within this book fantastic. I also loved the descriptive writing; it was as if you were there taking part in it all. The different worlds and creatures were also very imaginitive. Congratulations to the author, I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
A fabulous book with great, diverse characters. Absolutely loved this narrative. The characters were well developed and believable. The story had enough twists and turns to keep you turning the pages. There were many edge of your seat moments and great action scenes. This narrative was well written with intertwining plots. I love mythology so I found the incorporation of myths within this book fantastic. I also loved the descriptive writing; it was as if you were there taking part in it all. The different worlds and creatures were also very imaginitive. Congratulations to the author, I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
March 26, 2016
Whoa.....that opening chapter! A fabulous dark fantasy tale spinning its story between worlds and times. Absolutely loved it from start to finish. I can't wait for Volume II and the continuation and evolvement of the drama. My favourite character? Gurple. No spoilers here so you'll have to read the book to find out why!
Currently reading
February 27, 2016Mindblowingly spectacular
This book has had me hooked from the moment I started it. It is fantastic and has had me glued from the first page. I cannot wait for the second installment and I urge people to read it.two very big thumbs up!!
This book has had me hooked from the moment I started it. It is fantastic and has had me glued from the first page. I cannot wait for the second installment and I urge people to read it.two very big thumbs up!!
July 18, 2016
I loved this novel and am looking forward to reading Shadojak.
April 29, 2025
This book is everything that i wanted in book ! I like romance and smutt but you dont Allways need that and this book was so good without it too !
April 23, 2017
I brought this book from the author himself,i was completly gripped from start to finish,well written story greta charachters from mytholigy of variety of religions, loved reading this from first to last page great twister and keeps you wanting more best book ive read in a while and loved every moment from start to finish had me lol at some points. Raggie by far is my favorite character of book as love norse mytholgy and his family are true viking through and through cant wait for second chapter of trillogy.
April 26, 2025
Barely 2 stars. I can’t stand these heroines that are more powerful than the hero/romantic interest. Total inversion of the traditional hero’s quest and natural gender dynamics. Didn’t particularly care about the characters, didn’t feel the romance. Diagus was the only one interesting character in the book. Started out pretty strong, but by the end, I just didn’t care. Too many fantasy books coming out like this. It’s all so derivative at this point.
June 12, 2017
I've given this book 4☆
I read the self published version of the book, so I will mention that I found a number of spelling or grammatical errors throughout the book, though these did not detract from the story at all. The formatting of the book was sometimes difficult to read especially when viewpoints were changed without any obvious signs of it.
Eversong follows the story of Elora and her transition from small town girl into sword-wielding songstress.
From the very first page I was completely drawn in by the writing style, the world building is outstanding. The story is told from various viewpoints to fully bring the reader in. The story is fast flowing and vibrant.
The wealth of characters in the book were lovely. Norgie and the little fluffy troll are particular favourites as is Ejan.
The only negative thing I have to say about the characters and their relationships is that Elora and Bray's relationship just seemed so unlikely (even though it was obviously going to happen) I found the dialogue between them unrealistic and it made them seem much younger than they actually are.
There were a few surprise moments for me which was wonderful, and I am 100% looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.
This will remain a firm favourite for me.
I live in Gloucestershire so the opening scenes with Elora were particularly lovely as I could picture the exact paths she took, as I've taken them myself many times. Visit if you can!
Huge thanks to the author for allowing the school I work at to have a copy of this in our library, I'm going to make sure our students know it's a top read!
I read the self published version of the book, so I will mention that I found a number of spelling or grammatical errors throughout the book, though these did not detract from the story at all. The formatting of the book was sometimes difficult to read especially when viewpoints were changed without any obvious signs of it.
Eversong follows the story of Elora and her transition from small town girl into sword-wielding songstress.
From the very first page I was completely drawn in by the writing style, the world building is outstanding. The story is told from various viewpoints to fully bring the reader in. The story is fast flowing and vibrant.
The wealth of characters in the book were lovely. Norgie and the little fluffy troll are particular favourites as is Ejan.
The only negative thing I have to say about the characters and their relationships is that Elora and Bray's relationship just seemed so unlikely (even though it was obviously going to happen) I found the dialogue between them unrealistic and it made them seem much younger than they actually are.
There were a few surprise moments for me which was wonderful, and I am 100% looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.
This will remain a firm favourite for me.
I live in Gloucestershire so the opening scenes with Elora were particularly lovely as I could picture the exact paths she took, as I've taken them myself many times. Visit if you can!
Huge thanks to the author for allowing the school I work at to have a copy of this in our library, I'm going to make sure our students know it's a top read!
March 8, 2018
So March was declared the month of the kindle for me. I started with A.C. Salter’s EVERSONG Daughter of Chaos. Let me just say I have no clue what genre this book would fall into because I’ve never read anything like it but I’m guessing fantasy would best fit it. I’m not one to read fantasy. I’ve never read The Hobbit series or even the Narina series but y’all I LOVED THIS BOOK! I repeat I LOVEDDDDD this book! @asalter201 takes the reader on a journey between Earth and it’s twin Thea. Elora sets off on a voyage full of characters that could easily overwhelm the reader but done with such a perfection you can’t imagine the adventure without even the least of them. She ventures between worlds to not only find her true identity but to save both worlds from total destruction. I would love to see this book and I’m sure the entire series turned into a movie because it would be a blockbuster no doubt. I’m headed now to download the next two books in the trilogy because I have to know what happens next. 5 🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡 for this book that has officially made me a fan of the fantasy genre!
August 21, 2019
Starting with an almost perfectly normal Earth, in the City of Gloucester, our view of our world alters imperceptibly until it becomes sudden total post apocalyptic chaos. Imagine a world without... No. That's a spoiler. The scene building, the world building, is so real, so believable, that we don't notice as it shifts into the different order where the plot lies.
The characters, the world, even the minor characters, they all have three dimensions. We can taste what the characters taste, feel what they feel, even when we're not going to meet them again, ever, they're crafted from substantial stuff.
The pace never lets up. Reality merges into fantasy without the need to suspend disbelief, and the fantasy becomes the new reality. The volume, for it is the first volume in a multi-volume odyssey, is sufficiently complete to stand alone in its own right, but makes you want to read the next.
Exciting, believable, well drawn, and un-put-downable. Unfortunately I had to go to sleep twice at past midnight, but picked it up again as soon as I could on waking the next day
The characters, the world, even the minor characters, they all have three dimensions. We can taste what the characters taste, feel what they feel, even when we're not going to meet them again, ever, they're crafted from substantial stuff.
The pace never lets up. Reality merges into fantasy without the need to suspend disbelief, and the fantasy becomes the new reality. The volume, for it is the first volume in a multi-volume odyssey, is sufficiently complete to stand alone in its own right, but makes you want to read the next.
Exciting, believable, well drawn, and un-put-downable. Unfortunately I had to go to sleep twice at past midnight, but picked it up again as soon as I could on waking the next day
September 11, 2020
I dislike fantasy. That feeling and thought lingered in my mind when I opened A.C. Salter's "Eversong". As I navigated to the first page, I told myself I needed to broaden my horizons.
I perused the first chapter and loved “Eversong” from the start. Elora is a fantastic character who I loved and related to. She guided me through the story and experienced the extraordinary events with a clarity which made the story believable. I loved every part of this book and each beautiful and less beautiful world A.C. Salter created. Great descriptions are essential to a fantasy novel and Mr. Salter gave me just that. He also put a lot of suspense and some romance into "Eversong", which I relished.
A.C. Salter made me realize fantasy contains lots of beauty. I think all of us have a penchant for fantasy lying somewhere within ourselves. Anyhow, this book forms a treat to both fantasy lovers and non-fantasy lovers.
I perused the first chapter and loved “Eversong” from the start. Elora is a fantastic character who I loved and related to. She guided me through the story and experienced the extraordinary events with a clarity which made the story believable. I loved every part of this book and each beautiful and less beautiful world A.C. Salter created. Great descriptions are essential to a fantasy novel and Mr. Salter gave me just that. He also put a lot of suspense and some romance into "Eversong", which I relished.
A.C. Salter made me realize fantasy contains lots of beauty. I think all of us have a penchant for fantasy lying somewhere within ourselves. Anyhow, this book forms a treat to both fantasy lovers and non-fantasy lovers.
June 22, 2018
As an editor, I expect to see a few typos in a book - we're all human, we all make the odd error, and I can ignore them. However, if it looks as though the author hasn't bothered even re-reading what they've written, I don't leave a review and seldom read to the end.
I've sat on this one for a long time and decided to make an exception in this instance, purely because the story is good (verging on great). This is the only reason I read to the end, so kudos to Salter for keeping me interested.
However, the lack of editing had me screaming for my virtual red pen. Silly issues have been missed; things that could have been caught by a spell-check, or a run through on Grammarly, or even a simple read-through. It felt as though the author lost interest and smacks of laziness. Sort this issue out and I will happily upgrade to 5 stars.
I've sat on this one for a long time and decided to make an exception in this instance, purely because the story is good (verging on great). This is the only reason I read to the end, so kudos to Salter for keeping me interested.
However, the lack of editing had me screaming for my virtual red pen. Silly issues have been missed; things that could have been caught by a spell-check, or a run through on Grammarly, or even a simple read-through. It felt as though the author lost interest and smacks of laziness. Sort this issue out and I will happily upgrade to 5 stars.
August 11, 2017
Free
Ihchivh oh oops j. Jon. Join j ooh hi I ho h jojoba on. Hobo ho ho h oh oh oh o
Ihchivh oh oops j. Jon. Join j ooh hi I ho h jojoba on. Hobo ho ho h oh oh oh o
July 21, 2024
It turns out I actually pick some books that I like! If you have been reading the latest review that I have posted, you’d see I have been having a hard time picking books that I really enjoyed. And that’s why I am so excited to be talking about Eversong by A.C. Salter.
⠀
The first thing that I have to say is that you have to get through the first 50 pages of the book. They are quite slow and I almost consider DNFing. As I have meting I have been having this trend in which I don’t enjoy the books I read as much as I would like to. And I was not about to read another book that annoyed me. But I have this thing… I am terrible at quitting books, and basically anything. But once you get to page 51, you cannot put this book down.
⠀
The first thing that is really compelling is that there has been quite a long time since I read urban fantasy. Which is something I really enjoy. And this now is really well done. But the best of it is that it is not only urban fantasy but it is also high fantasy. It has a magic system that it is somewhat explained, but as we are discovering the world at the same time that Elora is, we don’t know the full extend of it just yet. However it does not feel like a chaotic magic system, and the things that are explained on this book are quite logical. In fact the expansion of this universe it is the thing that I am most looking forward on the next book on the series.
⠀
The characters are good. Enjoyable. Not the best defined characters I have ever read and at times they feel a bit plain. But the story is so god that it is something that I can overlook. There are a few instances in which mostly Elora and Bray are a bit annoying (how someone is so utterly in love as this two after having meet each other for less than 2 days?) but overall they are not punchable. And the secondary characters are so good, that the “but”´s of the main characters can be forgiven. I loved everyone, specially Norgie and Gurple. And I am also quite fond of Zionbuss. If you have already read the book you’ll know what I am talking about. And if you haven’t yet read the book, stop what you are doing so you can understand me.
⠀
Plotwise it is really interesting and immediately reminded me of one of my favorites books that I read back in high school: Memorias de Idhun by Laura Gallego. Its similarities being that they have people from other worlds, that are living on Earth, but somehow have to get back to their home world to save it from a great tyrant. But at the same time it was vastly different and even though I get that nostalgic feeling because I am reading something similar, it is completely new.
⠀
There were a bunch of plot twist that I did see coming. But I am a seasoned fantasy reader. However I think that this book is perfect for those starting to read fantasy for the first time.
⠀
This book could have been easy a 5 stars for me, because it was one of those books that reminded me why I felt in love with reading in the first place. But the slow pace at the beginning and the fact that my edition had quite a few typos diminished my enjoyment a bit. And so I am giving it 4 stars. And will be definitely reading the next book in the series shortly, so stay tuned if you want to know more about this universe.
⠀
The first thing that I have to say is that you have to get through the first 50 pages of the book. They are quite slow and I almost consider DNFing. As I have meting I have been having this trend in which I don’t enjoy the books I read as much as I would like to. And I was not about to read another book that annoyed me. But I have this thing… I am terrible at quitting books, and basically anything. But once you get to page 51, you cannot put this book down.
⠀
The first thing that is really compelling is that there has been quite a long time since I read urban fantasy. Which is something I really enjoy. And this now is really well done. But the best of it is that it is not only urban fantasy but it is also high fantasy. It has a magic system that it is somewhat explained, but as we are discovering the world at the same time that Elora is, we don’t know the full extend of it just yet. However it does not feel like a chaotic magic system, and the things that are explained on this book are quite logical. In fact the expansion of this universe it is the thing that I am most looking forward on the next book on the series.
⠀
The characters are good. Enjoyable. Not the best defined characters I have ever read and at times they feel a bit plain. But the story is so god that it is something that I can overlook. There are a few instances in which mostly Elora and Bray are a bit annoying (how someone is so utterly in love as this two after having meet each other for less than 2 days?) but overall they are not punchable. And the secondary characters are so good, that the “but”´s of the main characters can be forgiven. I loved everyone, specially Norgie and Gurple. And I am also quite fond of Zionbuss. If you have already read the book you’ll know what I am talking about. And if you haven’t yet read the book, stop what you are doing so you can understand me.
⠀
Plotwise it is really interesting and immediately reminded me of one of my favorites books that I read back in high school: Memorias de Idhun by Laura Gallego. Its similarities being that they have people from other worlds, that are living on Earth, but somehow have to get back to their home world to save it from a great tyrant. But at the same time it was vastly different and even though I get that nostalgic feeling because I am reading something similar, it is completely new.
⠀
There were a bunch of plot twist that I did see coming. But I am a seasoned fantasy reader. However I think that this book is perfect for those starting to read fantasy for the first time.
⠀
This book could have been easy a 5 stars for me, because it was one of those books that reminded me why I felt in love with reading in the first place. But the slow pace at the beginning and the fact that my edition had quite a few typos diminished my enjoyment a bit. And so I am giving it 4 stars. And will be definitely reading the next book in the series shortly, so stay tuned if you want to know more about this universe.
February 16, 2018
Eversong- The Daughter of Chaos: Volume 1
Author: A.C Salter
Pages: 358
Synopsis:
Eversong is the first book in the 'Daughter of Chaos' trilogy. Elora, the female lead discovers that she isn't the normal girl she thought she was. Despite her uncle's best efforts to keep her safe by keeping her true identity a secret, Elora learns the truth about her parents and where she was born. Without realising Elora welcomes danger to her door and she must rely on the Shadowjak's apprentice Bray to keep her safe from the people that want her dead and the monsters that want to use her because of her strong gifts. Elora has to embark on a challenging mission in order to save all those she loves and do the right thing for mankind- even if that means she could die.
Firstly despite the quote, "Never judge a book by its cover," I found that the cover of this book grabbed my attention and became one of the main reasons to why I picked this book. The synopsis also left me intrigued and wanting more, I loved the fact that it didn't give too much away. After being reeled in by the synopsis, I then went on to read the prologue which straight away set the scene and painted a very vivid picture in my head.
Elora was a character I could connect with because she presented herself as a strong and determined character, who knows her own mind. The love that she felt for humankind made turned her into a fighter and she stood up for what was right. I was eager from the start to find out her true identity. I loved the classic forbidden love between her and the main male Bray. Bray was the knight in shining armour and I hoped that their love would be strong enough to come through in the end, I wasn't disappointed. I would also like to add, that I fell in love with the character Gurple from the start, he definatley tugged on my heart strings.
Eversong was packed with action from the start and after the second chapter I became hooked. I loved the unexpected twists that kept me on my toes and found that it was hard to predict what would happen next. My only critics is that firstly I found the ending a slight anti-climax, especially after all the action that built up to the main part. I honestly think Elora's battle with the enemy should've put me on edge and left me nervous, however it seemed to be over very quickly. My other critic is at the very beginning of the book, I found a spelling mistakes and some words had spaces inbetween them which I found a little off putting.
To summarise, I enjoyed this action packed, fantasy book. I really enjoyed that it took me to another world and A.C Salter's imagination really shone through with the monsters and creatures he created. When the author can take you to another place completely, you know they've done a good job.
Author: A.C Salter
Pages: 358
Synopsis:
Eversong is the first book in the 'Daughter of Chaos' trilogy. Elora, the female lead discovers that she isn't the normal girl she thought she was. Despite her uncle's best efforts to keep her safe by keeping her true identity a secret, Elora learns the truth about her parents and where she was born. Without realising Elora welcomes danger to her door and she must rely on the Shadowjak's apprentice Bray to keep her safe from the people that want her dead and the monsters that want to use her because of her strong gifts. Elora has to embark on a challenging mission in order to save all those she loves and do the right thing for mankind- even if that means she could die.
Firstly despite the quote, "Never judge a book by its cover," I found that the cover of this book grabbed my attention and became one of the main reasons to why I picked this book. The synopsis also left me intrigued and wanting more, I loved the fact that it didn't give too much away. After being reeled in by the synopsis, I then went on to read the prologue which straight away set the scene and painted a very vivid picture in my head.
Elora was a character I could connect with because she presented herself as a strong and determined character, who knows her own mind. The love that she felt for humankind made turned her into a fighter and she stood up for what was right. I was eager from the start to find out her true identity. I loved the classic forbidden love between her and the main male Bray. Bray was the knight in shining armour and I hoped that their love would be strong enough to come through in the end, I wasn't disappointed. I would also like to add, that I fell in love with the character Gurple from the start, he definatley tugged on my heart strings.
Eversong was packed with action from the start and after the second chapter I became hooked. I loved the unexpected twists that kept me on my toes and found that it was hard to predict what would happen next. My only critics is that firstly I found the ending a slight anti-climax, especially after all the action that built up to the main part. I honestly think Elora's battle with the enemy should've put me on edge and left me nervous, however it seemed to be over very quickly. My other critic is at the very beginning of the book, I found a spelling mistakes and some words had spaces inbetween them which I found a little off putting.
To summarise, I enjoyed this action packed, fantasy book. I really enjoyed that it took me to another world and A.C Salter's imagination really shone through with the monsters and creatures he created. When the author can take you to another place completely, you know they've done a good job.
May 27, 2019
Book Review
Basic Details:
Book Title: Eversong
Subtitle: (The Daughter of Chaos #1)
Author: A.C. Salter
Genre: Fantasy/paranormal
Part of a series? Yes
Order in series: 1
Best read after earlier books in series? No
Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Overall score:
I scored this book 4/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Short Summary of the book:
This book tells the story of a young girl who grows up with her uncle after having escaped from the war. She has a great voice which ultimately leads to her discovery. Elora does not know her history and the truth of her past. Still, she does what she is able to do to save her uncle and the world she knows.
What I liked about the book:
I particularly liked how Elora was able to overcome the dark in herself and turned her powers and strength towards doing good.
What I didn’t like about the book:
I did not find anything about the book I did not like other than slightly short sentences at times making the rhythm of the book rather dreary at times. It did, however, not take away from the great story.
My favourite bits in the book:
I loved where Elora knew what she needed to do to succeed. She did not find it easy but did the right thing however much it hurt to do so.
My least favourite bits in the book:
I enjoyed the entire book.
Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?
I understand this is the first in a series of books by this author.
What books could this be compared to and why?
This book reminded me of other paranormal books I have read. The fight between good and evil.
Recommendation:
In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:
Children No
Young Adult Yes
Adult Yes
If you like Fantasy and paranormal books this book might be the book for you.
I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Book Description by Author:
Elora's past lay hidden in a web of lies and half-truths; the secrecy weaved by her uncle to keep her from harm, or to keep her from harming the world. But she put her voice to a song, the wrong song and now the web is unravelling and she begins to understand why she is different, why she has violet eyes, why she has a ferocious temper that erupts on the slightest of whims.
A darkness is rising, the tide growing stronger as legions of an evil army, loyal to a dead God, prepare to cross the weakening barrier to deliver chaos and death to Earth.
Elora maybe the only weapon Earth has to stand against the evil, if she doesn't destroy the world first.
Basic Details:
Book Title: Eversong
Subtitle: (The Daughter of Chaos #1)
Author: A.C. Salter
Genre: Fantasy/paranormal
Part of a series? Yes
Order in series: 1
Best read after earlier books in series? No
Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Overall score:
I scored this book 4/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Short Summary of the book:
This book tells the story of a young girl who grows up with her uncle after having escaped from the war. She has a great voice which ultimately leads to her discovery. Elora does not know her history and the truth of her past. Still, she does what she is able to do to save her uncle and the world she knows.
What I liked about the book:
I particularly liked how Elora was able to overcome the dark in herself and turned her powers and strength towards doing good.
What I didn’t like about the book:
I did not find anything about the book I did not like other than slightly short sentences at times making the rhythm of the book rather dreary at times. It did, however, not take away from the great story.
My favourite bits in the book:
I loved where Elora knew what she needed to do to succeed. She did not find it easy but did the right thing however much it hurt to do so.
My least favourite bits in the book:
I enjoyed the entire book.
Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?
I understand this is the first in a series of books by this author.
What books could this be compared to and why?
This book reminded me of other paranormal books I have read. The fight between good and evil.
Recommendation:
In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:
Children No
Young Adult Yes
Adult Yes
If you like Fantasy and paranormal books this book might be the book for you.
I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Book Description by Author:
Elora's past lay hidden in a web of lies and half-truths; the secrecy weaved by her uncle to keep her from harm, or to keep her from harming the world. But she put her voice to a song, the wrong song and now the web is unravelling and she begins to understand why she is different, why she has violet eyes, why she has a ferocious temper that erupts on the slightest of whims.
A darkness is rising, the tide growing stronger as legions of an evil army, loyal to a dead God, prepare to cross the weakening barrier to deliver chaos and death to Earth.
Elora maybe the only weapon Earth has to stand against the evil, if she doesn't destroy the world first.
June 23, 2017
Elora can barely remember her childhood before her uncle, Nat, immigrated with her to Gloucester, but she inherently can produce an enchanting tune that appears to affect the basic elements and entrance people, a tune that her uncle has warned her not to sing in public. However, when she sings the song on the street with a homeless friend, the song alerts various dangerous entities to her presence and existence, beings that seek her death or control over the powers of which she is unaware she has. As she soon discovers, she was not born in an Eastern European country, but in a parallel world to Earth, where her father, the evil god, Chaos, forcefully impregnated her mother in order to pass his powers to a progeny. Her uncle took Elora away through the shadowlands between her world and Earth to save her, but as she learns the truth of her existence, can she determine who to trust and figure out what is the right way? The main characters in this action fantasy have been well written and are easily empathized in both their internal and external conflicts. The swordplay and physical conflicts provide more than enough thrills for action adventure aficionados. However, the mythos structure behind the story is revealed slowly, appears to be a blending from disparate mythological backgrounds that seems to waver between a strict and vague sense of righteousness, and seems designed by the author mainly to support the various twists in the plot. A major concept in the story is that science and technology on Earth is just another magical construct that is easily upended by another mystical and magical mythology. If readers can accept this mythos construct, then they will enjoy the action scenes.
May 26, 2018
Firstly, let's get out of the way any issues I had with this book. There are some grammar issues and the book's description is far to vague for the epic story it holds. It in no way does it justice. That's it. That's literally it. I love this book (thank you A.C. Salter!) and here is why.
Within the first chapter you are pulled into a grand life or death struggle with a seemingly unimportant character in a grungy, dirty London cellar. You are nail bitingly terrified for him. The descriptions are creepy, vivid and downright scary. The best part about it? You have no idea where it's going. None at all and there's nothing I love more than a young adult (new adult?) book that casts aside a lot of tropes.
After this grim introductory prologue chapter you will meet your main heroine, Elora. Elora is your typical beautiful teenage star of the show but, fear not dear reader, she has a lot of depth. She is willful, determined and brave. All quite necessary traits for any fantasy heroine but Salter has written her in such a way to make it endearing and not cringe worthy. Alongside Elora you will meet many diverse supporting characters. The ancient, grizzled, and war weary Shadojak, Diagus. His eager to please apprentice Shaigun, and Elora's love interest, Bray. A bawdy and brawny couple of Vikings, a trusty manservant, an adorable furry troll creature that loves cuddles, some sinister demons and one seriously malevolent dead God.
This book is chock to the brim full of epic sword fights, magic, love, friendships and horrors. The twists, turns and storytelling is compelling. You will not be able to guess what happens next. It's absolutely superb and ticks a lot of boxes for me, as a reader, that even very popular series can't. It can comfortably stand up to the big dogs of the YA world and easily has more scope than most of them.
My recommendation?
Join Elora to journey across worlds and bargain with death to find out who she is, where she comes from and why she wields the power of the Eversong.
Within the first chapter you are pulled into a grand life or death struggle with a seemingly unimportant character in a grungy, dirty London cellar. You are nail bitingly terrified for him. The descriptions are creepy, vivid and downright scary. The best part about it? You have no idea where it's going. None at all and there's nothing I love more than a young adult (new adult?) book that casts aside a lot of tropes.
After this grim introductory prologue chapter you will meet your main heroine, Elora. Elora is your typical beautiful teenage star of the show but, fear not dear reader, she has a lot of depth. She is willful, determined and brave. All quite necessary traits for any fantasy heroine but Salter has written her in such a way to make it endearing and not cringe worthy. Alongside Elora you will meet many diverse supporting characters. The ancient, grizzled, and war weary Shadojak, Diagus. His eager to please apprentice Shaigun, and Elora's love interest, Bray. A bawdy and brawny couple of Vikings, a trusty manservant, an adorable furry troll creature that loves cuddles, some sinister demons and one seriously malevolent dead God.
This book is chock to the brim full of epic sword fights, magic, love, friendships and horrors. The twists, turns and storytelling is compelling. You will not be able to guess what happens next. It's absolutely superb and ticks a lot of boxes for me, as a reader, that even very popular series can't. It can comfortably stand up to the big dogs of the YA world and easily has more scope than most of them.
My recommendation?
Join Elora to journey across worlds and bargain with death to find out who she is, where she comes from and why she wields the power of the Eversong.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews