What do you think?
Rate this book
Light in the Darkness: A Noblebright Fantasy Boxed Set
Ten noblebright fantasy novels of beauty and wonder!
Noblebright fantasy characters have the courage to risk kindness, honesty, integrity, and love; to fight against their own flaws and the darkness of the world around them; and to find hope in a grim world.
This boxed set includes novels by:
C. J. Brightley - The King's Sword: A disillusioned soldier. A spoiled, untried prince. And a coup that threatens the country they both love.
Lindsay Buroker - The Emperor’s Edge — A law enforcer being hunted for a crime she didn’t commit must work with a cold-hearted assassin to save the only person who can clear her name.
Sabrina Chase - The Last Mage Guardian: Most thought the Mage Guardians simply a myth, but their old enemy knows better--and of their number only one remains to thwart his plan of magical domination and revenge.
Francesca Forrest - Pen Pal: It starts with a message in a bottle and ends with revolution.
Kyra Halland - Beneath the Canyons: A bounty-hunting wizard and a rancher's daughter with untrained powers must stop a renegade wizard who is tampering with dangerous magic.
Angela Holder - Into the Storm: A massive hurricane will destroy Elathir unless Larine and her fellow wizards sacrifice everything to stop it.
Ronald Long - On the Shores of Irradan: Ealrin Belouve and his friends travel to a new land and face new dangers in search of a tree that may restore magic to one of their own.
Mike Reeves McMillan - Hope and the Patient Man: A talented young mage must overcome a curse to be with the wounded hero who loves her.
Sherwood Smith - Lhind the Thief: Lhind enjoys life on the run, taking what she wants, until her secrets are uncovered one by one.
Emily Martha Sorensen - The Keeper and the Rulership: In a world where mathematics and magic are forbidden, Raneh's growing magic and can't figure out how to stop.
Most books in this set are appropriate for ages 13+, but Hope and the Patient Man is appropriate for ages 16+.
As of March 2, 2017, this boxed set no longer contains Six Celestial Swords by T. A. Miles or Rise of the Storm by Christina Ochs.
Noblebright fantasy characters have the courage to risk kindness, honesty, integrity, and love; to fight against their own flaws and the darkness of the world around them; and to find hope in a grim world.
This boxed set includes novels by:
C. J. Brightley - The King's Sword: A disillusioned soldier. A spoiled, untried prince. And a coup that threatens the country they both love.
Lindsay Buroker - The Emperor’s Edge — A law enforcer being hunted for a crime she didn’t commit must work with a cold-hearted assassin to save the only person who can clear her name.
Sabrina Chase - The Last Mage Guardian: Most thought the Mage Guardians simply a myth, but their old enemy knows better--and of their number only one remains to thwart his plan of magical domination and revenge.
Francesca Forrest - Pen Pal: It starts with a message in a bottle and ends with revolution.
Kyra Halland - Beneath the Canyons: A bounty-hunting wizard and a rancher's daughter with untrained powers must stop a renegade wizard who is tampering with dangerous magic.
Angela Holder - Into the Storm: A massive hurricane will destroy Elathir unless Larine and her fellow wizards sacrifice everything to stop it.
Ronald Long - On the Shores of Irradan: Ealrin Belouve and his friends travel to a new land and face new dangers in search of a tree that may restore magic to one of their own.
Mike Reeves McMillan - Hope and the Patient Man: A talented young mage must overcome a curse to be with the wounded hero who loves her.
Sherwood Smith - Lhind the Thief: Lhind enjoys life on the run, taking what she wants, until her secrets are uncovered one by one.
Emily Martha Sorensen - The Keeper and the Rulership: In a world where mathematics and magic are forbidden, Raneh's growing magic and can't figure out how to stop.
Most books in this set are appropriate for ages 13+, but Hope and the Patient Man is appropriate for ages 16+.
As of March 2, 2017, this boxed set no longer contains Six Celestial Swords by T. A. Miles or Rise of the Storm by Christina Ochs.
- GenresFantasy
2990 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 18, 2016
22 people are currently reading
164 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Brightley
28 books254 followersC. J. Brightley lives outside Washington, D.C., with her husband and their two young children. When she's not busy writing, she teaches karate, bakes too many desserts, and makes jewelry. She loves to connect with readers!
Follow C. J. Brightley at https://www.facebook.com/CJBrightley and https://www.instagram.com/cjbrightley/
Follow C. J. Brightley at https://www.facebook.com/CJBrightley and https://www.instagram.com/cjbrightley/
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 18, 2016
I was really interested in this concept because I am a bit tired of all the darker themed YA fantasy that is ubiquitous now. Not that I object to it, it just can weigh on me if I overdose on it. I miss the kind of fantasy I grew up on - heroes striving to do goof versus really really evil bad villains.
As soon as I got my review copy I opened it to Sherwood Smith's book. Sherwood is one of my favorite fantasy writers, and I'd never read this one yet. Lhind the Thief is a YA mystery adventure that is the beginning of it's own series. It was originally published in 2013, and if you purchase it separately it would cost $4.99. But in this collection it just costs around 16 cents (I did the math).
I love that on the Kindle (and Fire) this is so organized! The table of contents has each book by author, and each book expands to it's own table of contents. And when you are reading one of the books, the status bar on the bottom acts just like it would in a regular book - if you are halfway through the book, it shows half, even though the book is at the end of the collection. Very nice.
Anyway, the rest of my review is on my blog www.bookhorde.org.
If you are looking for the TL;DR version: Incredible deal, wonderful collection, great gift for teen & pre-teen readers too and you won't have to worry about content.
As soon as I got my review copy I opened it to Sherwood Smith's book. Sherwood is one of my favorite fantasy writers, and I'd never read this one yet. Lhind the Thief is a YA mystery adventure that is the beginning of it's own series. It was originally published in 2013, and if you purchase it separately it would cost $4.99. But in this collection it just costs around 16 cents (I did the math).
I love that on the Kindle (and Fire) this is so organized! The table of contents has each book by author, and each book expands to it's own table of contents. And when you are reading one of the books, the status bar on the bottom acts just like it would in a regular book - if you are halfway through the book, it shows half, even though the book is at the end of the collection. Very nice.
Anyway, the rest of my review is on my blog www.bookhorde.org.
If you are looking for the TL;DR version: Incredible deal, wonderful collection, great gift for teen & pre-teen readers too and you won't have to worry about content.
October 22, 2016
I was pleased to be offered this boxed set, as it contains two books I have already read and enjoyed very much, and more in the same vein seemed likely to be a good thing. So far, it is. The books are by no means all the same (how could they be?) so I will offer comments on them individually below. The project as a whole is a pleasing one: books that address the problems of flawed people trying to do right in difficult circumstances. (One might argue that even some 'grimdark' fantasy tries to do that, albeit in more extreme cases, but there is only so much negativity one should imbibe at any one time, and I just finished the superb Broken Empire sequence, so I was due some sweetness and light!) (Also, I am pleased to be able to recommend most of these to my 11 and 14 year olds!)
The premise of "The King's Sword" is common enough: a disinherited prince, trying to regain his throne. The twist is that it is told from the point of view of the soldier who comes across him face down in the snow, who must decide if said prince is worth helping or not. The situations that follow allow for serious consideration of what is needed in a good ruler. Just for a change, it turns out that excellence as a warrior is not on the list. Good manners apparently is, though; a judgement with which any modern monarch would surely agree.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and heartily recommend it. The writing is good, the characters engaging, and the plotting is exciting overall (though for myself I thought the resolution a bit sudden). There are two more books in the series, which flesh out the characters further, and are equally enjoyable.
"The Emporer's Edge" is a really fun read, both for the characters and the situations. The world is steampunk but not Victorian (just for a change). The characters are highly entertaining: slightly OCD ex-enforcer (female, probably attractive but not about to admit it, creatively competent in a pinch), a scarily good assassin (called Sicarius; but there doesn't appear to be a religious reason for his profession, unlike the original sicarii); a male escort of noble origin; a librarian; and a thief. Oh, and an idealistic, in-over-his head Emperor. Bandinage ensues. And escapades. All good, reasonably well-written fun. I will investigate the rest of this series.
"The Last Mage Guardian" is another steampunk world, plus magic. The situation is quasi-1920's -- one war recently finished, another potentially brewing amid racial tensions and economic crises. Mores are firmly Victorian; women are to be supported and not, under any circumstances, to do magic. Our main character, of course, is, it gradually appears, a very powerful mage indeed. This scenario did not play out quite as I expected it to, much to the author's credit. The mage neither pretends to be male, nor hides behind a male assistant (at least, not as a rule). I really enjoyed the story; the plot was twisty and inventive, the characters were engaging and believable (mostly), and the writing was good. The game of "guess which European country this is" was entertaining; I got Bretagne wrong for about 2/3 of the book. Again, I will look out for other books by this author.
"Lhind the Thief": I really, really enjoyed this book. The main two characters are well-developed; perhaps the others are less so, but they are still engaging. Still, Lhind herself is worth the price of admission. The adventures (or perhaps escapades is a better word) are exhilarating, the world is intriguing and original, and the writing is sure and accomplished. I particularly liked that Lhind is tempted by rather attractive evil (actions and characters), and sometimes succombs and has to find her way back.
"Six Celestial Swords", in contrast with the above books, is a terrific book that seriously needs a good editor. The plot is great, the world is intriguing, the pace of revelations is good, the characters are appealing (though frankly, the length of the main character's hair is a little beyond a joke. I had long hair for years, and the trouble loose hair that long would cause on an extended wilderness trip doesn't bear thinking about.). But, and it is a strong but, the writing is frustratingly erratic. Some of it is beautiful. Some of it sounds like it's been translated from a different language (I did occasionally wonder if this was deliberate). Idioms are misused, the wrong form of words is often chosen (one can "stand in amazement", or "stand amazed", but to "stand in amaze" conjures up hedges ...). There is also a tendency to repeat information, and several times characters come to the same personal realisation more than once. All of these things should be caught and corrected by a good editor.
I am not myself opposed to creative use of language; I revelled in Howard Pyle as a child, I adore Tolkein, and I view the vocabulary of the Thomas Covenant series as a blessing rather than a curse. But creativity must be tempered with clarity, and too often I had to go back and puzzle out what was meant from what had been said, or mentally substitute the word that seemed better to fit the context. (So many words in English are only nearly synonyms!) So, a qualified recommendation, though I want to know what happens badly enough that I will read the rest of the series.
"Hope and the Patient Man" seemed a quirky inclusion for this series. It is definitely more of a romance than any other sort of story. But it is an endearing romance, entertainingly told, and the obstacles the lovers must overcome (curses and psychological blocks) are original. And the world is enchanting. I probably will look out other books from this author. This one was just fun.
"The Keeper and the Rulership" is the first of the books in this set that has not appealed to me. That is not to say it will not appeal to others; it just wasn't a world I wanted to spend time in, myself.
Another book that is not so much to my taste was "Into the Storm". It is well written, and the world and it's magic are novel (wizards are required to work entirely through familiars), but the story felt a bit manipulative to me. Too much of a tear-jerker. Mind, I don't like Romeo and Juliet either. This is a prequel to a series; perhaps it is as it is to give a backstory of sufficient depth to later developments.
So, of eight books read so far, I really enjoyed six. Four to go, but six good books for the price is still good going, and I've been introduced to at least 4 new authors I will look for in the future.
The premise of "The King's Sword" is common enough: a disinherited prince, trying to regain his throne. The twist is that it is told from the point of view of the soldier who comes across him face down in the snow, who must decide if said prince is worth helping or not. The situations that follow allow for serious consideration of what is needed in a good ruler. Just for a change, it turns out that excellence as a warrior is not on the list. Good manners apparently is, though; a judgement with which any modern monarch would surely agree.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and heartily recommend it. The writing is good, the characters engaging, and the plotting is exciting overall (though for myself I thought the resolution a bit sudden). There are two more books in the series, which flesh out the characters further, and are equally enjoyable.
"The Emporer's Edge" is a really fun read, both for the characters and the situations. The world is steampunk but not Victorian (just for a change). The characters are highly entertaining: slightly OCD ex-enforcer (female, probably attractive but not about to admit it, creatively competent in a pinch), a scarily good assassin (called Sicarius; but there doesn't appear to be a religious reason for his profession, unlike the original sicarii); a male escort of noble origin; a librarian; and a thief. Oh, and an idealistic, in-over-his head Emperor. Bandinage ensues. And escapades. All good, reasonably well-written fun. I will investigate the rest of this series.
"The Last Mage Guardian" is another steampunk world, plus magic. The situation is quasi-1920's -- one war recently finished, another potentially brewing amid racial tensions and economic crises. Mores are firmly Victorian; women are to be supported and not, under any circumstances, to do magic. Our main character, of course, is, it gradually appears, a very powerful mage indeed. This scenario did not play out quite as I expected it to, much to the author's credit. The mage neither pretends to be male, nor hides behind a male assistant (at least, not as a rule). I really enjoyed the story; the plot was twisty and inventive, the characters were engaging and believable (mostly), and the writing was good. The game of "guess which European country this is" was entertaining; I got Bretagne wrong for about 2/3 of the book. Again, I will look out for other books by this author.
"Lhind the Thief": I really, really enjoyed this book. The main two characters are well-developed; perhaps the others are less so, but they are still engaging. Still, Lhind herself is worth the price of admission. The adventures (or perhaps escapades is a better word) are exhilarating, the world is intriguing and original, and the writing is sure and accomplished. I particularly liked that Lhind is tempted by rather attractive evil (actions and characters), and sometimes succombs and has to find her way back.
"Six Celestial Swords", in contrast with the above books, is a terrific book that seriously needs a good editor. The plot is great, the world is intriguing, the pace of revelations is good, the characters are appealing (though frankly, the length of the main character's hair is a little beyond a joke. I had long hair for years, and the trouble loose hair that long would cause on an extended wilderness trip doesn't bear thinking about.). But, and it is a strong but, the writing is frustratingly erratic. Some of it is beautiful. Some of it sounds like it's been translated from a different language (I did occasionally wonder if this was deliberate). Idioms are misused, the wrong form of words is often chosen (one can "stand in amazement", or "stand amazed", but to "stand in amaze" conjures up hedges ...). There is also a tendency to repeat information, and several times characters come to the same personal realisation more than once. All of these things should be caught and corrected by a good editor.
I am not myself opposed to creative use of language; I revelled in Howard Pyle as a child, I adore Tolkein, and I view the vocabulary of the Thomas Covenant series as a blessing rather than a curse. But creativity must be tempered with clarity, and too often I had to go back and puzzle out what was meant from what had been said, or mentally substitute the word that seemed better to fit the context. (So many words in English are only nearly synonyms!) So, a qualified recommendation, though I want to know what happens badly enough that I will read the rest of the series.
"Hope and the Patient Man" seemed a quirky inclusion for this series. It is definitely more of a romance than any other sort of story. But it is an endearing romance, entertainingly told, and the obstacles the lovers must overcome (curses and psychological blocks) are original. And the world is enchanting. I probably will look out other books from this author. This one was just fun.
"The Keeper and the Rulership" is the first of the books in this set that has not appealed to me. That is not to say it will not appeal to others; it just wasn't a world I wanted to spend time in, myself.
Another book that is not so much to my taste was "Into the Storm". It is well written, and the world and it's magic are novel (wizards are required to work entirely through familiars), but the story felt a bit manipulative to me. Too much of a tear-jerker. Mind, I don't like Romeo and Juliet either. This is a prequel to a series; perhaps it is as it is to give a backstory of sufficient depth to later developments.
So, of eight books read so far, I really enjoyed six. Four to go, but six good books for the price is still good going, and I've been introduced to at least 4 new authors I will look for in the future.
October 16, 2016
***** Reviewing “The Keeper and the Rulership” by Emily Sorensen *****
Raneh faced a dilemma. Which bouquet would she accept of the two being offered? Jontan was more a brother to her, boring and predictable; his total loyalty given to the Rulership, even over family, annoyed her. Derrim was fun, but he was also rude and caustic. So it was hard to choose between them. Getting ready for the party, Raneh talked with the house magician who was magically styling her hair. Raneh asked how it felt to use magic publicly, which was forbidden to landowners such as she. In fact, using magic without renouncing status was an automatic death sentence! So she went to her garden to let her magic drain into her groverweed.
Ranah is a good person who seems to care about others. But when the Ruler becomes interested in her family, her life could be at great risk? How can she deal with this situation? What will she do about her unique magic?
I enjoyed this book very much. The author introduced a new world to me. The concept of status was fascinating, as it could be given away, taken, or accepted as people interacted. Roles were clearly defined and people had to live within the confines of those roles. There was a social hierarchy that had to be followed. I loved it! The character development was great. The reader quickly knew them all and their personalities. This was a wonderful world to explore! I voluntarily reviewed this book and my comments reflect my honest opinion.
Raneh faced a dilemma. Which bouquet would she accept of the two being offered? Jontan was more a brother to her, boring and predictable; his total loyalty given to the Rulership, even over family, annoyed her. Derrim was fun, but he was also rude and caustic. So it was hard to choose between them. Getting ready for the party, Raneh talked with the house magician who was magically styling her hair. Raneh asked how it felt to use magic publicly, which was forbidden to landowners such as she. In fact, using magic without renouncing status was an automatic death sentence! So she went to her garden to let her magic drain into her groverweed.
Ranah is a good person who seems to care about others. But when the Ruler becomes interested in her family, her life could be at great risk? How can she deal with this situation? What will she do about her unique magic?
I enjoyed this book very much. The author introduced a new world to me. The concept of status was fascinating, as it could be given away, taken, or accepted as people interacted. Roles were clearly defined and people had to live within the confines of those roles. There was a social hierarchy that had to be followed. I loved it! The character development was great. The reader quickly knew them all and their personalities. This was a wonderful world to explore! I voluntarily reviewed this book and my comments reflect my honest opinion.
January 28, 2017
A wonderful (affordable) collection containing some stories I already own and love and some new friends. If any of the authors are among your favourites, I suggest you grab this collection to find similar writers.
May 10, 2017
A jewel, especially for the price. I've enjoyed every offering so far. I often read 1st chapters and decide not to go on, so a curated collection that I enjoy is particularly awesome.
May 11, 2017
I finally finished. Wow, this set had over a dozen fantasy works including the short stories at the end. Most were good, a couple fell flat, one I couldn't finish, and I also happened to find some great new authors. One reason it took so long was that some were the first in a series and I had to finish up that series before I moved on to the next book. This box set was a perfect way to try out some new authors. Overall with some fives and some twos, and a lot of three and four stars, I can give four stars to the set.
June 8, 2019
TOO MANY BOOKS WITH LONG CHAPTERS...but overall, a good read!
January 7, 2017
Angela Holder's Into the Storm is the only story included in this collection that I couldn't find a solo listing for, so I'll review it here.
This was an interesting world, with the concept of wizards and their familiars doing work to heal people and animals. However, if you think about how this works, the magic system is essentially religious - the wizards are all called by the Mother, all power comes from her, they can heal literally anything and all it seems to require is faith (and a familiar) rather than specific knowledge. It goes back and forth a bit to show Larine in the present, and the things she endured to get here, touching on her husband, her son, and her first love. I didn't like any of them, including Larine.
**spoilers*
The whole point of the story is a huge sacrifice that the wizards need to make to save the city, and Larine nearly screws the whole thing up through complete stupidity. It's actually unbelievable, the whole thought process is so ridiculous. She's worried about her horrible son being traumatized by her death and going back to his criminal ways, so to save him she's considering not following through with the sacrifice that THIRTY pairs of wizards and familiars have already given their lives for. And if she doesn't, their sacrifice is for naught, a monster storm hits the city and thousands of people die, city is destroyed...the same city that her son lives in, so he's likely to die too, which has already been mentioned (charming boy, his last words to her were "I hate you! I'm glad you're going to die!"). Her familiar dies for no reason, because her ex-husband is a selfish, horrible person, and she is really about to throw in the towel and just let everyone die when a last minute save from the Mother happens. And to completely screw up the whole faith angle, she wants the Mother to explain why she has to die before she does it - no, I don't think it's unrealistic to ask "why," if she had asked that even a few hours earlier, but not when you're literally standing within seconds of disaster if you don't follow through. The author failed completely to make me feel any sympathy or attachment to the characters, even making the "romance" so hollow I was uninterested.
I did like one quote from the story, said by a wizard upon the loss of his familiar. "I grieve for what I’ve lost, but I rejoice for what we shared, and for the joy he now knows in the Mother’s presence. Those of us who’ve stood before her and spoken with her understand what that means. This life she’s given us is a precious gift. The power that she grants wizards that allows us to preserve that life for her children Is an equally precious gift. But in our eagerness to heal, we must never forget that death, when it comes in her time and according to her design, is not an evil to be feared or fought. It’s the natural and beautiful end of one story and the beginning of another.”
This was an interesting world, with the concept of wizards and their familiars doing work to heal people and animals. However, if you think about how this works, the magic system is essentially religious - the wizards are all called by the Mother, all power comes from her, they can heal literally anything and all it seems to require is faith (and a familiar) rather than specific knowledge. It goes back and forth a bit to show Larine in the present, and the things she endured to get here, touching on her husband, her son, and her first love. I didn't like any of them, including Larine.
**spoilers*
The whole point of the story is a huge sacrifice that the wizards need to make to save the city, and Larine nearly screws the whole thing up through complete stupidity. It's actually unbelievable, the whole thought process is so ridiculous. She's worried about her horrible son being traumatized by her death and going back to his criminal ways, so to save him she's considering not following through with the sacrifice that THIRTY pairs of wizards and familiars have already given their lives for. And if she doesn't, their sacrifice is for naught, a monster storm hits the city and thousands of people die, city is destroyed...the same city that her son lives in, so he's likely to die too, which has already been mentioned (charming boy, his last words to her were "I hate you! I'm glad you're going to die!"). Her familiar dies for no reason, because her ex-husband is a selfish, horrible person, and she is really about to throw in the towel and just let everyone die when a last minute save from the Mother happens. And to completely screw up the whole faith angle, she wants the Mother to explain why she has to die before she does it - no, I don't think it's unrealistic to ask "why," if she had asked that even a few hours earlier, but not when you're literally standing within seconds of disaster if you don't follow through. The author failed completely to make me feel any sympathy or attachment to the characters, even making the "romance" so hollow I was uninterested.
I did like one quote from the story, said by a wizard upon the loss of his familiar. "I grieve for what I’ve lost, but I rejoice for what we shared, and for the joy he now knows in the Mother’s presence. Those of us who’ve stood before her and spoken with her understand what that means. This life she’s given us is a precious gift. The power that she grants wizards that allows us to preserve that life for her children Is an equally precious gift. But in our eagerness to heal, we must never forget that death, when it comes in her time and according to her design, is not an evil to be feared or fought. It’s the natural and beautiful end of one story and the beginning of another.”
Read
December 3, 2016This is actually a set of 12 books, so I think it is unfair to give them all one rating. I picked it up because I wanted to read the Lhind book, which I did enjoy.
Overall, I liked The Last Mage Guardian and Lhind the Thief, and might re-read those. I also enjoyed Pen Pal, although it is a much more serious, darker sort of book.
The King's Sword by C.J. Brightley - did-not-finish. Too many training montages (in very careful detail) for my taste.
The Emperor's Edge by Lindsay Buroker - did-not-finish. I liked the beginning, but then lost interest.
The Last Mage Guardian by Sabrina Chase - I enjoyed this, although the world building felt weak. (I wasn't sure why )
Pen Pal by Francesca Forrest - one of the better books in the set, this features a protagonist who is young, but it is definitely not YA. This explores themes of social justice and revolution. I particularly liked that while we may see the injustice, the young heroine often doesn't, because to her it is just life.
Beneath the Canyons by Kyra Halland - I didn't care for this. It treads to close to the "noble savage" version of Native Americans in a sort of alternate Wild West, and I thought the
Into the Storm by Angela Holder - did-not-finish. I'm not generally interested in stories about familiars these days.
On the Shores of Irradan by Ronald Long - did-not-finish. Couldn't make it past the first few chapters.
Hope and the Patient Man by Mike Reeves-McMillan - did-not-finish. It never quite interested me.
Six Celestial Swords by T.A. Miles - did-not-finish. Not my cuppa tea.
Rise of the Storm by Christina Ochs - did-not-finish. Too dark for my taste.
Lhind the Thief by Sherwood Smith - I liked the book, although I spent most of it being very confused .
The Keeper and the Rulership by Emily Martha Sorensen - I didn't care for this. The world didn't make any sense to me.
Overall, I liked The Last Mage Guardian and Lhind the Thief, and might re-read those. I also enjoyed Pen Pal, although it is a much more serious, darker sort of book.
The King's Sword by C.J. Brightley - did-not-finish. Too many training montages (in very careful detail) for my taste.
The Emperor's Edge by Lindsay Buroker - did-not-finish. I liked the beginning, but then lost interest.
The Last Mage Guardian by Sabrina Chase - I enjoyed this, although the world building felt weak. (I wasn't sure why )
Pen Pal by Francesca Forrest - one of the better books in the set, this features a protagonist who is young, but it is definitely not YA. This explores themes of social justice and revolution. I particularly liked that while we may see the injustice, the young heroine often doesn't, because to her it is just life.
Beneath the Canyons by Kyra Halland - I didn't care for this. It treads to close to the "noble savage" version of Native Americans in a sort of alternate Wild West, and I thought the
Into the Storm by Angela Holder - did-not-finish. I'm not generally interested in stories about familiars these days.
On the Shores of Irradan by Ronald Long - did-not-finish. Couldn't make it past the first few chapters.
Hope and the Patient Man by Mike Reeves-McMillan - did-not-finish. It never quite interested me.
Six Celestial Swords by T.A. Miles - did-not-finish. Not my cuppa tea.
Rise of the Storm by Christina Ochs - did-not-finish. Too dark for my taste.
Lhind the Thief by Sherwood Smith - I liked the book, although I spent most of it being very confused .
The Keeper and the Rulership by Emily Martha Sorensen - I didn't care for this. The world didn't make any sense to me.
March 20, 2021
Hard to Summarise.
There are three different authors with three different stories, how to comment? I liked two was a page turner on one. Two of the stories I had read before and those two I liked. But, saying 2 out of 3 means 66% is unfair to the compilation.
There are three different authors with three different stories, how to comment? I liked two was a page turner on one. Two of the stories I had read before and those two I liked. But, saying 2 out of 3 means 66% is unfair to the compilation.
August 12, 2017
All of my favorite authors in one convenient collection.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews