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Tales of the Forest #3
Full Circle: Forester Triad Act Three
“I have great responsibilities, but my path ahead is as foggy and blurred as the path behind me.”
With forester Taruif freed, Kelnaht has claimed him openly at Solstice before tribe and Ma’terra as his partner, but with their third, Ianys, bound by an old promise, their triad is still incomplete. Sneaking around puts the most strain on Ianys. He and Kelnaht must keep their relationship a secret or he will lose his daughter, Atèn.
When several children fall ill with more than a summer bug, truth seeker Kelnaht is assigned once more to investigate. What he finds is deadly and threatens the life of every underage child in the tribe, including Atèn. Then a wounded traveller is found in the forest, left to die after a vicious attack.
With Taruif and his apprentice on the hunt for a cure, Kelnaht focusses on the attacks, but the clues are few and more children are infected. Nothing seems to connect until both the traveller and Atèn dream of the same grey-haired elf. Driven by fear for his daughter, Ianys pulls away from his lovers. Kelnaht can only pray Ma’terra will guide him to a solution that brings them all together and keeps Atèn safe from harm.
With forester Taruif freed, Kelnaht has claimed him openly at Solstice before tribe and Ma’terra as his partner, but with their third, Ianys, bound by an old promise, their triad is still incomplete. Sneaking around puts the most strain on Ianys. He and Kelnaht must keep their relationship a secret or he will lose his daughter, Atèn.
When several children fall ill with more than a summer bug, truth seeker Kelnaht is assigned once more to investigate. What he finds is deadly and threatens the life of every underage child in the tribe, including Atèn. Then a wounded traveller is found in the forest, left to die after a vicious attack.
With Taruif and his apprentice on the hunt for a cure, Kelnaht focusses on the attacks, but the clues are few and more children are infected. Nothing seems to connect until both the traveller and Atèn dream of the same grey-haired elf. Driven by fear for his daughter, Ianys pulls away from his lovers. Kelnaht can only pray Ma’terra will guide him to a solution that brings them all together and keeps Atèn safe from harm.
140 pages, ebook
First published August 15, 2016
23 people want to read
About the author
Blaine D. Arden
30 books145 followersBlaine D. Arden is an EPIC Award-winning author of Romantic Speculative Fiction. Non-binary and proud, ey sings eir way through life in platform boots and delights in creating magical worlds for queer heroes to bump into the loves of their lives at just the wrong—or right—moment. Ey believes in celebrating the transformative power of diversity and inclusivity in all aspects of life, and that our unique experiences and perspectives are what make us strong: “Our Difference is Our Strength.”
Born and raised in Zutphen, the Netherlands, Blaine spent eir youth immersed in books, daydreaming, and making up stories. Quite content in entertaining emself, ey evolved from telling stories to eir favourite doll, to acting them out with eir Barbies, and finally, putting pen to paper.
When not writing, Blaine enjoys singing, sewing, and indulging in building LEGO botanical sets. Ey lives in the Netherlands with eir supportive partner of over thirty years. Despite their differences—Blaine craves shade and doesn’t drink the beers he brews, he doesn’t read romance and loves soaking up the sun—they enjoy watching quiz shows during dinner and playing cooperative games.
From the award-winning Oren’s Right to Aliens, Smith and Jones, Blaine’s books offer readers a safe and enchanting escape into richly imagined worlds with a unique blend of adventure, emotional depth, and belonging.
______________________
Non-Binary / Asexual
ey/em/eir | she/her | Mx.
Born and raised in Zutphen, the Netherlands, Blaine spent eir youth immersed in books, daydreaming, and making up stories. Quite content in entertaining emself, ey evolved from telling stories to eir favourite doll, to acting them out with eir Barbies, and finally, putting pen to paper.
When not writing, Blaine enjoys singing, sewing, and indulging in building LEGO botanical sets. Ey lives in the Netherlands with eir supportive partner of over thirty years. Despite their differences—Blaine craves shade and doesn’t drink the beers he brews, he doesn’t read romance and loves soaking up the sun—they enjoy watching quiz shows during dinner and playing cooperative games.
From the award-winning Oren’s Right to Aliens, Smith and Jones, Blaine’s books offer readers a safe and enchanting escape into richly imagined worlds with a unique blend of adventure, emotional depth, and belonging.
______________________
Non-Binary / Asexual
ey/em/eir | she/her | Mx.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 30, 2022
Absolutely Incredible!!!!! Full of ALL the feels!
As good as they were book three just blew the first two books out of the water!! What a ride this was! And one filled with lots of tears both of sorrow and happiness! My sinuses are still clogged! It truly felt as if I lived this book with all the characters in it! Pure genius by the author!
As good as they were book three just blew the first two books out of the water!! What a ride this was! And one filled with lots of tears both of sorrow and happiness! My sinuses are still clogged! It truly felt as if I lived this book with all the characters in it! Pure genius by the author!
November 6, 2016
All the ‘Tales of the Forest’ I have read so far have been excellent, but this third book in the Forester Triad is something special. The characters – Kelnaht, Taruif, and Ianys – truly come into their own in this finale, and even with all the tensions caused by Ianys’s circumstances and the multiple obstacles between them and happiness, they manage to grow the depth of their relationship. Then there is the mystery of the children falling ill – much worse than can be explained by the “summer bug” that is initially thought to be the cause. Between Kelnaht investigating the causes and trying to find whoever is behind the life-threatening attack and some old history reappearing, this novella had me spellbound and turning the pages as quickly as possible.
Kelnaht, with his magical abilities to track criminals, is a very busy elf as soon as the healers realize that what ails several of the tribe’s children is far more severe than the summer bug. The deeper he digs, the more unpleasantness he finds, and he ends up being attacked himself once the perpetrator sees him as a threat to their plans. Between the professional stress and his personal life still being up in the air, Kelnaht has his hands full. He hates that Ianys can’t openly be with him and Taruif, and I can see why - he is a truth seeker and an upstanding member of elf society, and all the sneaking around gets to him more than it might to some others.
Taruif is enjoying his new status – no longer being shunned has all kinds of perks. He is still getting used to it, and hiding the fact that Ianys is as much his lover as Kelnaht is stressful, but on the whole he is much happier now than he was during the twenty years of being “ignored” by everyone. Taruif is also a balancing element in the triad, and his support means a lot to Kelnaht and Ianys.
Ianys is in real trouble. His emotions are all over the place from being torn between his daughter and his lovers, but when his daughter falls ill and exhibits symptoms of the debilitating mystery illness, Ianys comes close to losing it. Not that I blame him in the least!
The resolution of this latest “case” is fascinating, and had my attention all the way. The struggle for emotional stability between the three men and the hope for a solution was just as intense. The way Blaine D. Arden managed to resolve these two big and various other story threads was a joy to watch – and relieved me to no end. The additional story elements she managed to “sow” in the final few chapters even make me hope there will be more stories set in this fascinating world.
If you like stories set in fantasy worlds where the rules are slightly different from our reality yet close enough to be instantly recognizable, if you think that three men who have loved each other for years but were unable to be together deserve a happy end, and if you’re looking for a suspenseful read that is as spellbinding as it is emotionally rewarding, then you will probably like this novella as much as I do. I hope there will be more books in this series – soon!
NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Kelnaht, with his magical abilities to track criminals, is a very busy elf as soon as the healers realize that what ails several of the tribe’s children is far more severe than the summer bug. The deeper he digs, the more unpleasantness he finds, and he ends up being attacked himself once the perpetrator sees him as a threat to their plans. Between the professional stress and his personal life still being up in the air, Kelnaht has his hands full. He hates that Ianys can’t openly be with him and Taruif, and I can see why - he is a truth seeker and an upstanding member of elf society, and all the sneaking around gets to him more than it might to some others.
Taruif is enjoying his new status – no longer being shunned has all kinds of perks. He is still getting used to it, and hiding the fact that Ianys is as much his lover as Kelnaht is stressful, but on the whole he is much happier now than he was during the twenty years of being “ignored” by everyone. Taruif is also a balancing element in the triad, and his support means a lot to Kelnaht and Ianys.
Ianys is in real trouble. His emotions are all over the place from being torn between his daughter and his lovers, but when his daughter falls ill and exhibits symptoms of the debilitating mystery illness, Ianys comes close to losing it. Not that I blame him in the least!
The resolution of this latest “case” is fascinating, and had my attention all the way. The struggle for emotional stability between the three men and the hope for a solution was just as intense. The way Blaine D. Arden managed to resolve these two big and various other story threads was a joy to watch – and relieved me to no end. The additional story elements she managed to “sow” in the final few chapters even make me hope there will be more stories set in this fascinating world.
If you like stories set in fantasy worlds where the rules are slightly different from our reality yet close enough to be instantly recognizable, if you think that three men who have loved each other for years but were unable to be together deserve a happy end, and if you’re looking for a suspenseful read that is as spellbinding as it is emotionally rewarding, then you will probably like this novella as much as I do. I hope there will be more books in this series – soon!
NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
August 20, 2016
I’ve been following the Tales of the Forest trilogy since the first book came out back in 2011, and have waited a long time for the payoff for Kel, Taruif, and Ianys. I suppose I can sum things up for this triad, now, with third time’s the charm—Blaine D. Arden has delivered what I’ve been waiting for, for years.
Where some higher fantasy can often leave me feeling as though I need an encyclopedia of terms and characters, the world-building in this series spares readers from excess minutiae while still offering enough detail to sink us into the otherness of its elven realm. There is an order to the society which gives a certain realistic tone to the storyline, an entire population—children, parents, elders—and within the village, there is a working community, though there is never a moment that the fantasy of place is overshadowed. It’s the mystical elements that serve as the reminder that you’re grounded in an alternate world, and the village, in spite of its idyllic setting, is not without its imperfections. There are crimes which Kelnaht, as truth seeker, is involved in solving. And, of course, as you would expect with this sort of woodland fantasy, magic serves a place in both the crimes and their investigation.
The mystery in this novel serves as a catalyst for change in the romantic relationship between the threesome. There’s a fair bit of their history doled out over the course of the trilogy, so the books need to be read in order to fully appreciate the progression of their bond—first Kel and Ianys, then Kel and Taruif, and finally the burden the three of them share in a promise Ianys had made to his dying wife, and the way that vow affects and strains the love the three elves feel for each other. When children in the village begin to fall ill, Ianys’s daughter, Atèn, among them, it serves to drive an even greater wedge between Ianys and the men he’s been denied spending his life with.
One of the things I love about the society built within the series is the lack of censure in the makeup of its families and partnerships. Polyamory is a part of the structure of this world, alongside couples, though rather than it being made a point to juxtapose one family to another, it’s merely another layer of world-building and diversity within its structure.
There’s a poignant streak a mile wide that Arden has capitalized on with these characters and the heartbreaking restraint of their love for each other. However, there’s also a romantic payoff at the end of Full Circle, as the title alludes to, that the author delivers in a most satisfying way.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach Reviews
Where some higher fantasy can often leave me feeling as though I need an encyclopedia of terms and characters, the world-building in this series spares readers from excess minutiae while still offering enough detail to sink us into the otherness of its elven realm. There is an order to the society which gives a certain realistic tone to the storyline, an entire population—children, parents, elders—and within the village, there is a working community, though there is never a moment that the fantasy of place is overshadowed. It’s the mystical elements that serve as the reminder that you’re grounded in an alternate world, and the village, in spite of its idyllic setting, is not without its imperfections. There are crimes which Kelnaht, as truth seeker, is involved in solving. And, of course, as you would expect with this sort of woodland fantasy, magic serves a place in both the crimes and their investigation.
The mystery in this novel serves as a catalyst for change in the romantic relationship between the threesome. There’s a fair bit of their history doled out over the course of the trilogy, so the books need to be read in order to fully appreciate the progression of their bond—first Kel and Ianys, then Kel and Taruif, and finally the burden the three of them share in a promise Ianys had made to his dying wife, and the way that vow affects and strains the love the three elves feel for each other. When children in the village begin to fall ill, Ianys’s daughter, Atèn, among them, it serves to drive an even greater wedge between Ianys and the men he’s been denied spending his life with.
One of the things I love about the society built within the series is the lack of censure in the makeup of its families and partnerships. Polyamory is a part of the structure of this world, alongside couples, though rather than it being made a point to juxtapose one family to another, it’s merely another layer of world-building and diversity within its structure.
There’s a poignant streak a mile wide that Arden has capitalized on with these characters and the heartbreaking restraint of their love for each other. However, there’s also a romantic payoff at the end of Full Circle, as the title alludes to, that the author delivers in a most satisfying way.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach Reviews
June 23, 2022
A thrilling finale to the Forester Triad series. The world the author has created is truly magical and as a reader, I have become so involved with the workings of the Elven village and especially our triad, dedicated truth-seeker Kelnaht, recently pardoned Taruif, the forester, and the village smith Ianys.
The strains and tension due to an old promise come to the fore in this story when Ianys feels disconnected from the newly pledged Kel and Taruif. When a mysterious illness threatens the village children, including Ianys's beloved daughter, Kel is under huge pressure to find the cause and bring the evildoer to justice, while his personal life is under severe strain.
I found this a completely absorbing read and was wholly emotionally involved in the story and wished a much-deserved Happy Ever After for our triad.
The strains and tension due to an old promise come to the fore in this story when Ianys feels disconnected from the newly pledged Kel and Taruif. When a mysterious illness threatens the village children, including Ianys's beloved daughter, Kel is under huge pressure to find the cause and bring the evildoer to justice, while his personal life is under severe strain.
I found this a completely absorbing read and was wholly emotionally involved in the story and wished a much-deserved Happy Ever After for our triad.
February 4, 2024
M/M/M fantasy romance with a murder mystery as the backdrop. There is a lot more violence than in previous books.
Book 3/3.
Told from Kelnaht’s POV, a cloud elf detective of sorts and as he investigates several murders and other related crimes.
With the crimes hitting real close to home as Ianys is directly affected, the triad faces a real crisis (not like the manufactured one in book 2).
The plot was better weaved but more violent.
The chemistry was off with Ianys in most of the plot. Ianys is a complete asshole since book 1 which was confirmed here when we see how stupid Ianys has been with all the assumptions he took yet they affected Kel the most. As predicted, it was all maddeningly unnecessary!
Not much relationship development except maybe a little between Taruif and Kel.
There was two barely there sex scenes (more frottage, eye roll!)
The scene at the solstice circle again shows how overly dramatic everything is in these plots. It ends on HEA but I honestly don’t think Iayns deserves it.
Book 3/3.
Told from Kelnaht’s POV, a cloud elf detective of sorts and as he investigates several murders and other related crimes.
With the crimes hitting real close to home as Ianys is directly affected, the triad faces a real crisis (not like the manufactured one in book 2).
The plot was better weaved but more violent.
The chemistry was off with Ianys in most of the plot. Ianys is a complete asshole since book 1 which was confirmed here when we see how stupid Ianys has been with all the assumptions he took yet they affected Kel the most. As predicted, it was all maddeningly unnecessary!
Not much relationship development except maybe a little between Taruif and Kel.
There was two barely there sex scenes (more frottage, eye roll!)
The scene at the solstice circle again shows how overly dramatic everything is in these plots. It ends on HEA but I honestly don’t think Iayns deserves it.
July 20, 2023
Great trilogy
What an unexpected delight this trilogy of books was to me. These three went through all kinds of challenges and they solved many a mystery to get to the end of this story with their HEA. Adored this.
What an unexpected delight this trilogy of books was to me. These three went through all kinds of challenges and they solved many a mystery to get to the end of this story with their HEA. Adored this.
September 10, 2022
See my web site for a full review of “Full Circle”.
June 14, 2017
I'm honestly not sure what to think of this book. It was a murder mystery of sorts with some menage mixed in. That wasn't the problem, but I wish I could explain what the problem was. To be honest, I just really didn't care for the book that much. This can be read as a standalone but reading the first two helps understand background more. That may be the problem for me as I haven't connected with these characters from the start.
As a murder mystery of sorts it was fine. People in the village are being murdered and the truth seeker Kel is on the hunt to find out what is going on and who would do such a heinous crime. His vowed, Forester Taruif, is trying to find a cure as well as help seek this person down. But it hits close to home when their lovers’ daughter becomes sick like the other children. Ianys is overwrought with grief as they try to heal her and the others and solve this mystery before other are hurt. This part is the intriguing part of the story. The whole whodunit.
Out of all the characters, I think I liked Kel the most, though I still didn’t really connect with anything as a whole. He seemed the most relatable as you can feel his empathy with the parents and his people as they struggle and grieve with sickness and death. Plus he isn't afraid to be strong and do what needs to be done. When they capture who has been doing these things, he has to see some nasty things in the mind of the evil person. And although he has to be strong to do his job, he also isn't afraid to cry. That takes real strength.
I wish I could say more about this book, but it left me feeling blah. It was hard for me to get into. I tried to highlight the finer points for anyone who wants to read it but it's not a book I would put on my to be read list.
As a murder mystery of sorts it was fine. People in the village are being murdered and the truth seeker Kel is on the hunt to find out what is going on and who would do such a heinous crime. His vowed, Forester Taruif, is trying to find a cure as well as help seek this person down. But it hits close to home when their lovers’ daughter becomes sick like the other children. Ianys is overwrought with grief as they try to heal her and the others and solve this mystery before other are hurt. This part is the intriguing part of the story. The whole whodunit.
Out of all the characters, I think I liked Kel the most, though I still didn’t really connect with anything as a whole. He seemed the most relatable as you can feel his empathy with the parents and his people as they struggle and grieve with sickness and death. Plus he isn't afraid to be strong and do what needs to be done. When they capture who has been doing these things, he has to see some nasty things in the mind of the evil person. And although he has to be strong to do his job, he also isn't afraid to cry. That takes real strength.
I wish I could say more about this book, but it left me feeling blah. It was hard for me to get into. I tried to highlight the finer points for anyone who wants to read it but it's not a book I would put on my to be read list.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews