Rain

Chronicles of the Third Realm #0.5

by E.J. Wenstrom

After Nia’s father dies from a mysterious illness that even the gods’ First Creatures cannot stop, she grows in isolation amidst the fear and suspicion from her village. So when an impulsive moment leads to a passionate romance with an angel, Nia will stop at nothing to keep them together, even defy direct orders from the gods themselves.

Meanwhile, the middle realm of Terath begins to show cracks. Both First Creatures and men grow angrier at the gods’ disinterest, and everything the gods put in Order begins to unravel. When Nia’s angel steals magic from one of the gods to enchant her parting gift, it causes a rift that triggers a downward spiral.

This novella is a Chronicles of the Third Realm War prequel. Get it for FREE at www.ejwenstrom.com by joining E. J. Wenstrom’s mailing list.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction

126 pages, ebook

Published September 10, 2016

About the author

E. J. Wenstrom believes in complicated heroes, horrifyingmonsters, purple hair dye and standing to the right on escalators so the leftside can walk. Her award-winning fantasy series Chronicles of the Third RealmWar features a mashup of mythology, folklore, and a little chaos. It starts with Royal Palm Literary Award Book ofthe Year Mud (#1), Tides (#2), and Sparks (#3), as well as the prequel Rain(#0).

When she isn’t writing fiction, E. J. Wenstrom is a regular contributorto DIY MFA and BookRiot,and co-hosts the FANTASY+GIRL Podcast.

Get a FREE novella when you join E. J. Wenstrom's email list: http://ejwenstrom.com/rain/

Reviews

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dangers of curiousity and stubbornness.
Q:
...angels—it is as if the time and place they are in do not bind them. As if they see something beyond them...
Is he listening to Theia? Or to the realm shifting under our feet? The whispers of the trees? (c)
Q:
“Dust to dust, flame to flame, dream to dream,” (c)
Q:
It was me, I want to shout. I killed her with my arrogance and stubbornness. With my resentment and my thoughtless need to fill my craving for something peaceful. (c)
Q:
The necklace whispers its secrets to me, and I learn how to keep the men under control. How to command them to do my bidding. How to temper their edginess by bringing them to my bed. It keeps the fear and loneliness of the world from swallowing me up. (c)

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book of the series (and that is saying a lot)!!
After completing the three books in the main series, I wasn’t sure what more there needed to be or that this story needed to be told. Was I wrong!!
It is an intriguing tale of love and heartbreak.
It is easy to get into the characters shoes and see the world from her perspective. And I love how there are big and little ties to the world and larger stories spread throughout.
If you haven’t read this series, read it now!

[Becca Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read this author before so I thought I would give it a go, it was the title that caught my attention.
I didn't really find the romance convincing since it happened so quickly, and in fact I don't think Nia even loved Calipher but loved his aura as it took her pain away. I believe he loved her though since he was trying to defy his goddess. Everytime they were together it was that she focused on, she had to be near him to feel the peace he gave her.
What Nia did with Bastus was just so wrong. She knew he cared for her and made him put on another face so she could be happy.
I don't think she really cared for anyone but herself and her own feelings which was then proven later in the book with her daughter and she kept using the necklace, forcing others to her will so she was not alone or felt pain and lonliness. I kind of understand this though since she lost her father young and her mother showed her no care either. She wasn't really shown love and affection.
I loved the whole concept of it with the three gods having a representative in each town/village.
I kind of understand why Nia was so desperate for peace. Nothing seemed to be going right for her, it was only natural to find a source of peace for a moment. It's why what she did to Bastus makes sense, desperation makes you do strange things just for a moment of happiness.
I liked Calipher and want to see more of him. Bastus and Peri were great support characters. Bastus was definitely my favourite and hope he has a happy ending!
I loved how badly Calipher messed up. Thinking he was trying to help her, he left her a gift that turned her mad. He wanted her to be loved, it did that just not in the way that was expected. It goes to show that higher beings are not perfect either.

It does make me curious to read Mud, which is always good if the story wants to make you read more. So I look forward to the next one!

[Christinaraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different take on a romance that cannot last and is doomed to fail. This was the first book I read in the Third realm universe so I started the series blind. I thought Nia and her Angel's romance would end differently then it does in the book but was not disappointed. I can see how a small romance in a tiny town can cause a spark that causes a war. It was interesting enough as a prequel that I now want to go read the first book to see what happens next. Liked that the sex scenes were not in nasty detail but most left to my imagination when compared to other books I have read. Interesting take on doomed romance that I want to read the first book because it has a different take on supernatural creatures like angels and demons.

[BP34 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the prequel to Chronicles of the Third Realm War. A paranormal mythological fantasy that is interesting. Not the normal genre that I like to read but found it easy to read. The story is about a mortal who falls in love with an angel. Star crossed lovers whose relationship was doomed to fail. A sad tale that was well written. I received an arc copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.

[Mystee Pulcine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! You can get this book free by joining the author's mailing list, but it and its sequels are well worth the cost. It's an engaging story that could be ready first or last in the series. Relatable, fallible characters make this series strong and coherent though each book is told from a different character's perspective. Worth a read for sure.

[Jacqueline Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Story!

A prequel to Mud book one . It is a unique story and a good read. I am guessing it paves the way for the first book which I just purchased. Cannot wait to see what happens!

[Sabrina Jacklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book within 3 hours of reading the first page, and loved it enough to review it on Amazon. I highly recommend it and cannot tell you what I want to about it without spoiling the story. Trust me, once you pick up this book, you won’t be able to put it down.

[Jeni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read the free ebook available through the author's website. This is a prequel novella to her fantasy novel "Mud" & is basically about Nia's forbidden romance with an angel. Very much a character driven story and somewhat predictable. Not my type of story.

[alice Tileston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recieved free for review:
When angels walk among humans chaos follows.....
Beware angels bearing gifts, you may get more than you hoped for!

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

This was a good book. I enjoyed the storyline. I look forward to reading more in this series.

I recommend this book to fantasy lovers.

[Lyle Kroeker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall it was a good book. Now on to book 1

[MGB · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a line between Angels and people that should never be crossed. Nia crosses this line as do others. The result is an unpredictable reality. The reality hits Nia where it hurts most.

[Nicolas Lemieux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rain and Mud, Two Stories by E.J. Wenstrom

I did not find clichés in E.J. Wenstrom’s stories. Instead, the author used mythical creatures I thought I knew too well, an angel for instance, or a golem… and she did something wholly unexpected with them. After a delightful series of riveting twists and turns, Wenstrom delivered something both unexpected and inevitable. In both cases.

E.J. Wenstrom’s stories meandered in ways I did not anticipate. Both stories, Rain and Mud, had me absorbed, enthralled and surprised. Delightful.

And forget about simple, cute happy endings. E.J. Wenstrom has better things in store for you. Hats off.

Read the entire review on my blog!
https://www.nicolaslemieux.com/post/r...

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've read Wenstrom's book Mud, you'll definitely enjoy this prequel novella. (If you haven't, go read it!) It manages to find a very different voice for a narrator, but is still recognizable as part of the series. The protagonist is awful, but in a way that is compelling, interesting, and somehow understandable. This novella helps flesh out the universe of this series and provides background on the mysterious necklace we get glimpses of in Mud, while still being a solid story on its own.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nia's father dies from a mysterious illness that not even magic can save him. She isolates herself from the villagers but falls in love with an angel. Unrest is making everything worse. Great story , even better writing. Loved it

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great reading by a fantastic author. I borrowed this book from a friend and am planning on buying my own copy, so I can reread it whenever I wish

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A forbidden love. Nia's obsession & need for Calipher twists quickly out of control. He leaves her with a parting necklace but that just starts her descent into madness.