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Iron Breakers Trilogy #1
Stag's Run
Edited and updated version released June 2017
Book one of the Iron Breakers Trilogy.
Ren Frayne is the bastard son of the Queen of Frayne, a title he’s more than comfortable with when it brings him limited responsibilities and all the luxuries of life he could ever want. But when the king and Ren’s half-brother, Crown Prince Hellic are brutally murdered, Ren is accused. Now, he is forced to flee the city together with the mysterious prisoner Anik who may know how to survive in the wild, but who seems to have an agenda of his own, one that may spell danger for Ren.
Ren’s accuser now sits on his family’s throne, and things are about to get much, much worse. It may be time to seek help in unexpected places.
Book one of the Iron Breakers Trilogy.
Ren Frayne is the bastard son of the Queen of Frayne, a title he’s more than comfortable with when it brings him limited responsibilities and all the luxuries of life he could ever want. But when the king and Ren’s half-brother, Crown Prince Hellic are brutally murdered, Ren is accused. Now, he is forced to flee the city together with the mysterious prisoner Anik who may know how to survive in the wild, but who seems to have an agenda of his own, one that may spell danger for Ren.
Ren’s accuser now sits on his family’s throne, and things are about to get much, much worse. It may be time to seek help in unexpected places.
251 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 18, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
July 6, 2021
Here it is, my first book of 2017.
I liked the story, a lot, even though it was nothing I hadn't seen before. This is the story of Ren, accused of treason against his own family, and Anik, accused of having killed the King and Crown Prince under Ren's orders. You may think this is the typical boy meets boy trope: they both escape, save each others a few time while they're on the run and fall in love and blablabla. Well yeah, except for the last part, at least for this book, and that's what I liked so much.
Ren and Anik are both strong-minded, they're full of sass and - basically - dislike each other, so it would have been so damn weird if they had fallen in love within the space of only one week, and I'm so glad they didn't. Because yeah of course you know something's gonna happen between the two of them, but it just wasn't the point of this first book. Like, do you really fall in love after you've seen your little brother dead on the floor ? No. Let's be realistic for one second.
This book focused mainly on explaining to us why all this shit was happening, and on building a kind-of friendship between Ren and Anik. We needed a book without romance so they could both discover each other without "oh gosh, he's so hot, what if I'm in love with him ?" and all this bullshit. No, we don't have time for this in this first book. And I liked it.
I can't wait to read the second book to see what happens to all of them, and see some character development.
I liked the story, a lot, even though it was nothing I hadn't seen before. This is the story of Ren, accused of treason against his own family, and Anik, accused of having killed the King and Crown Prince under Ren's orders. You may think this is the typical boy meets boy trope: they both escape, save each others a few time while they're on the run and fall in love and blablabla. Well yeah, except for the last part, at least for this book, and that's what I liked so much.
Ren and Anik are both strong-minded, they're full of sass and - basically - dislike each other, so it would have been so damn weird if they had fallen in love within the space of only one week, and I'm so glad they didn't. Because yeah of course you know something's gonna happen between the two of them, but it just wasn't the point of this first book. Like, do you really fall in love after you've seen your little brother dead on the floor ? No. Let's be realistic for one second.
This book focused mainly on explaining to us why all this shit was happening, and on building a kind-of friendship between Ren and Anik. We needed a book without romance so they could both discover each other without "oh gosh, he's so hot, what if I'm in love with him ?" and all this bullshit. No, we don't have time for this in this first book. And I liked it.
I can't wait to read the second book to see what happens to all of them, and see some character development.
December 15, 2016
I came across of a beautiful artwork on tumblr couple of weeks ago and immediately wanted to know who the artist was and who were the characters. As it turned out the characters and the art belong to talented Zaya Feli. I was even more excited to find out that she's writing the the trilogy with these characters! The first book is Iron Breakers: Stag's Run and it's been available to read since the end of November.
Why did I jump into the story as soon as I was able to get my hands on it? Kingdom politics set in medieval-ish society with bisexual bastard prince as the protagonist!
The book tells us about the bastard prince who was framed for killing his father king and his brother and as a result the enemy forces are in the capital and all the prince can do now is run. He escapes the capital with Anik, (former) slave from the other nation.
Our protagonist is Ren and he's a well-drafted little muffin ( oops, I intended to write the serious review, but I can't help, Ren is adorable, he's clueless about life outside of his royal privileges. It's great to see him grow and open his eyes on the problems in the country he grew up in but knew nothing about. I bet my ereader he will abolish slavery!)
So a spoiled prince with good heart and total ignorance about life outside his castle. He has great arc ahead of him. I can't wait to see him grow into the man he can be. (If he survives the trilogy, of course).
The other main character is Anik. Ren and his relationship is the classic enemy-to-friends (well not friends exactly, but we are getting there, hopefully). I'm looking forward to discovering different sides of Anik and learning more about his life before the events of the trilogy.
The narration is fast-paced and the story is easy to follow. You can read the whole book in one seat, unfortunately I had work keeping me away from the book and it took me several days to finish it.
This book is relatively short and I can name major plot events and twists in couple of sentences. To give the book credit it's just the beginning of the series. I believe the main purpose of the 1st book is to set up the conflict, introduce main characters and give a reader the feel of the world the story takes places. The author accomplished all of this. I'm dying to read book 2!
Iron Breakers: Stag's Run is a debut novel of self-published author Zaya Feli and the book is an entertaining enjoyable read with great promise for future development of the story. The book is worthy of you time and as it's currently free to download on Amazon, I don't see reason for you guys not to give the book a shot.
Why did I jump into the story as soon as I was able to get my hands on it? Kingdom politics set in medieval-ish society with bisexual bastard prince as the protagonist!
The book tells us about the bastard prince who was framed for killing his father king and his brother and as a result the enemy forces are in the capital and all the prince can do now is run. He escapes the capital with Anik, (former) slave from the other nation.
Our protagonist is Ren and he's a well-drafted little muffin ( oops, I intended to write the serious review, but I can't help, Ren is adorable, he's clueless about life outside of his royal privileges. It's great to see him grow and open his eyes on the problems in the country he grew up in but knew nothing about. I bet my ereader he will abolish slavery!)
So a spoiled prince with good heart and total ignorance about life outside his castle. He has great arc ahead of him. I can't wait to see him grow into the man he can be. (If he survives the trilogy, of course).
The other main character is Anik. Ren and his relationship is the classic enemy-to-friends (well not friends exactly, but we are getting there, hopefully). I'm looking forward to discovering different sides of Anik and learning more about his life before the events of the trilogy.
The narration is fast-paced and the story is easy to follow. You can read the whole book in one seat, unfortunately I had work keeping me away from the book and it took me several days to finish it.
This book is relatively short and I can name major plot events and twists in couple of sentences. To give the book credit it's just the beginning of the series. I believe the main purpose of the 1st book is to set up the conflict, introduce main characters and give a reader the feel of the world the story takes places. The author accomplished all of this. I'm dying to read book 2!
Iron Breakers: Stag's Run is a debut novel of self-published author Zaya Feli and the book is an entertaining enjoyable read with great promise for future development of the story. The book is worthy of you time and as it's currently free to download on Amazon, I don't see reason for you guys not to give the book a shot.
dnf
September 24, 2020Another new-to-me-author, another DNF. This was her debut novel, though, and I still have hopes for Teeth, which was published after this series and is waiting in my TBR pile.
The event that sets up this story requires believing that people would think/react/behave in a way I cannot believe they would think/react/behave. And I'm not just talking one or two characters, but a whole host of them. It's the plot device that gets the book (and presumably series) underway, and it is simply not credible.
I might have been willing to grit my teeth and soldier on, but by that point in the book I'd already been unimpressed by the rushed and perfunctory worldbuilding. For example, the book starts with the lamest boar-hunting scene I've ever read. Granted I've never hunted boar myself, but I'm under the impression that it's a dangerous undertaking, dangerous on horseback, dangerous on foot, just flipping dangerous because boar are strong and smart and brave and do not go gentle into that good night. This boar hunt, however, was infused with all the urgency and sense of peril of a nap in a hammock.
Oh well. Better luck next time, I'm hoping. 🤞🏼
The event that sets up this story requires believing that people would think/react/behave in a way I cannot believe they would think/react/behave. And I'm not just talking one or two characters, but a whole host of them. It's the plot device that gets the book (and presumably series) underway, and it is simply not credible.
I might have been willing to grit my teeth and soldier on, but by that point in the book I'd already been unimpressed by the rushed and perfunctory worldbuilding. For example, the book starts with the lamest boar-hunting scene I've ever read. Granted I've never hunted boar myself, but I'm under the impression that it's a dangerous undertaking, dangerous on horseback, dangerous on foot, just flipping dangerous because boar are strong and smart and brave and do not go gentle into that good night. This boar hunt, however, was infused with all the urgency and sense of peril of a nap in a hammock.
Oh well. Better luck next time, I'm hoping. 🤞🏼
dnf
September 24, 2020DNF at 30%
If I had to use one word to describe the writing style and the story it would be ‘superficial’. There’s nothing awful about this book, but everything lacks complexity and depth. Big, serious, even tragic, things happen and the writing makes them sound like it’s everyday business. Same thing for the worldbuilding (I don’t need an essay on slavery if an author wants to include it in their worldbuilding, but maybe don’t throw it in like you would say, oh, look, there are goats in this fantasy world) and the characters’ reactions, which were unrealistic at times, with the characters going along with things just because it suited the direction the author wanted the story to take.
In short, I liked the idea behind the story and the execution wasn’t terrible, but I’m not in the mood to stick with it when I already know the highest rating it could earn from me is 3 stars and even that is in doubt.
I’m still interested in giving this author another chance, though, given that this is a debut.
If I had to use one word to describe the writing style and the story it would be ‘superficial’. There’s nothing awful about this book, but everything lacks complexity and depth. Big, serious, even tragic, things happen and the writing makes them sound like it’s everyday business. Same thing for the worldbuilding (I don’t need an essay on slavery if an author wants to include it in their worldbuilding, but maybe don’t throw it in like you would say, oh, look, there are goats in this fantasy world) and the characters’ reactions, which were unrealistic at times, with the characters going along with things just because it suited the direction the author wanted the story to take.
In short, I liked the idea behind the story and the execution wasn’t terrible, but I’m not in the mood to stick with it when I already know the highest rating it could earn from me is 3 stars and even that is in doubt.
I’m still interested in giving this author another chance, though, given that this is a debut.
May 3, 2018
☒ the writing is so weak i honestly started skipping whole paragraphs somewhere in the middle. it's not bad bc it's simple but rather it just doesn't make sense. especially in descriptions of characters' actions u just get Things™ ppl always do (raising eyebrows, sighing, holding breath, rolling eyes, etc.) & there's literally nothing behind that. it's like the author thought oh, it will sound good for this person to shake their head now but forgot to give them a reason to do that?
☒ the characters themselves aren't properly fleshed out and frankly i don't care one way or another what happens to any of them. they're just there, names in the dark doing things and saying things and wanting things for reasons that don't make sense.
☒ the Hate to Love trope i was promised basically just ended in some random banter btwn the guys that wasn't even entertaining and definitely didn't leave me wishing for them to become friends. we're told they're supposed to hate each other but it's not really shown to us at all? (like nothing else is...) the slave actually helps the prince from the very start so like what gives.
☒ and omg don't get me started on the dialogues! they're so unnatural & ridiculous but my biggest pet peeve is that they use a very modern language, including swear words and what feels like a lowkey internet slang in a historical fantasy setting... i get the author isn't an english native speaker but come on.
☒ the plot doesn't rly hold up either but i would be okay with that if at least the characters were great & the writing was impressive. as it is...
☒ anyway i will still read the next one bc apparently i like to read mediocre shit :// fingers crossed for it to get better!!
☒ the characters themselves aren't properly fleshed out and frankly i don't care one way or another what happens to any of them. they're just there, names in the dark doing things and saying things and wanting things for reasons that don't make sense.
☒ the Hate to Love trope i was promised basically just ended in some random banter btwn the guys that wasn't even entertaining and definitely didn't leave me wishing for them to become friends. we're told they're supposed to hate each other but it's not really shown to us at all? (like nothing else is...) the slave actually helps the prince from the very start so like what gives.
☒ and omg don't get me started on the dialogues! they're so unnatural & ridiculous but my biggest pet peeve is that they use a very modern language, including swear words and what feels like a lowkey internet slang in a historical fantasy setting... i get the author isn't an english native speaker but come on.
☒ the plot doesn't rly hold up either but i would be okay with that if at least the characters were great & the writing was impressive. as it is...
☒ anyway i will still read the next one bc apparently i like to read mediocre shit :// fingers crossed for it to get better!!
August 11, 2018
I don't know why it's not showing the review I wrote the first time I read it so I guess click here if you want to read it. My thoughts haven't really changed. But I'd like to add that having a fantasy world in which being part of the lgbtqiap+ community isn't looked down on is really nice!
4.25
4.25
March 4, 2019
DNF @ 45%
I don’t want to make a habit of rating books I DNF, especially when less than 50% was read... but I couldn’t continue this. Nothing was changing, and although it moved along quickly and was easy to read, I was still bored and annoyed.
Here’s the thing:
•Lost me at the nonchalant inclusion of “slaves.” It’s just thrown in there like some offhanded fact about this world. And everyone, including the main character, is okay with this— that there are slaves everywhere (who are also used for sex, apparently). So, rape from the get-go!
•The cavalier attitude towards problematic material is off-putting. Again, right from the start, our MC, Ren, talks about bidding slaves/servants to his bed, and how he had sex with his half-brother’s personal slave (when he was “of age”, of course). Still gross. Still reeks of Stockholm Syndrome when we meet the slave again, and it’s all goo-goo eyes and warm embraces.
Soooo
Non-con sex from the MC...
who is portrayed as the hero, the good guy, the charming prince...
who, only 15 pages in, we’re supposed to root for and follow for 240 more pages??
Yeah, no.
•Whiny, smug, condescending, highly prejudiced MC. Maybe further along in the series, his arc makes him less of a spoiled brat, but I’m not waiting around to find out.
•Cliche, generic story and dialogue.
•Extremely poor/almost nonexistent world-building.
*People may bring up the fact that while I have issue with the content in this book, I still gave five stars to Marlon James’s Black Leopard, Red Wolf, where there was sexual assault of all sorts nearly every page...
Let me just say that with BLRW, the characters were all portrayed as amoral. Some were antiheroes, yes, but none were good people. Right from the start, we know this. So, yes, despicable activity from already pretty despicable characters is understandable. And now, with this goddamn book, when the characters are written as good/nice/charming/whatever, and engage in problematic behavior with no consequences or commentary by the author on how that is not okay, that shit is getting called the fuck out!!
I’m just glad this book was free.
I don’t want to make a habit of rating books I DNF, especially when less than 50% was read... but I couldn’t continue this. Nothing was changing, and although it moved along quickly and was easy to read, I was still bored and annoyed.
Here’s the thing:
•Lost me at the nonchalant inclusion of “slaves.” It’s just thrown in there like some offhanded fact about this world. And everyone, including the main character, is okay with this— that there are slaves everywhere (who are also used for sex, apparently). So, rape from the get-go!
•The cavalier attitude towards problematic material is off-putting. Again, right from the start, our MC, Ren, talks about bidding slaves/servants to his bed, and how he had sex with his half-brother’s personal slave (when he was “of age”, of course). Still gross. Still reeks of Stockholm Syndrome when we meet the slave again, and it’s all goo-goo eyes and warm embraces.
Soooo
Non-con sex from the MC...
who is portrayed as the hero, the good guy, the charming prince...
who, only 15 pages in, we’re supposed to root for and follow for 240 more pages??
Yeah, no.
•Whiny, smug, condescending, highly prejudiced MC. Maybe further along in the series, his arc makes him less of a spoiled brat, but I’m not waiting around to find out.
-Also gives the B in LGBT a bad rep. Nearly every new character mentioned or brought up is someone Ren has “bedded.” (Ha-Ha, because all bisexuals have a lot of sex, AMIRIGHT??)
•Cliche, generic story and dialogue.
•Extremely poor/almost nonexistent world-building.
*People may bring up the fact that while I have issue with the content in this book, I still gave five stars to Marlon James’s Black Leopard, Red Wolf, where there was sexual assault of all sorts nearly every page...
Let me just say that with BLRW, the characters were all portrayed as amoral. Some were antiheroes, yes, but none were good people. Right from the start, we know this. So, yes, despicable activity from already pretty despicable characters is understandable. And now, with this goddamn book, when the characters are written as good/nice/charming/whatever, and engage in problematic behavior with no consequences or commentary by the author on how that is not okay, that shit is getting called the fuck out!!
I’m just glad this book was free.
April 28, 2019
3.5 stars
The resemblance to Captive Prince is quite obvious and I don't think it can be denied. However this was a quick and enjoyable read that left me wanting to continue on with the series.
Ren and Anik are interesting characters and I'm looking forward to reading more of their interactions and what the two of them are going to do after the ending of this first installment.
If you enjoyed Captive Prince, then definitely give this a try.
The resemblance to Captive Prince is quite obvious and I don't think it can be denied. However this was a quick and enjoyable read that left me wanting to continue on with the series.
Ren and Anik are interesting characters and I'm looking forward to reading more of their interactions and what the two of them are going to do after the ending of this first installment.
If you enjoyed Captive Prince, then definitely give this a try.
September 27, 2020
The idea behind this one wasn't bad, but I couldn't connect with the characters. The story reads as a sketch, without depth and the situations and reactions from the characters, sometimes were unbelievable. I know, I know, this is fiction, but still, I need to believe in the world we're into, and that was even difficult because the worldbuilding was non existent...
So, it wasn't bad, really, I've read worse and paid for the privilege (I got this one as a freebie), but not enough for me.
So, it wasn't bad, really, I've read worse and paid for the privilege (I got this one as a freebie), but not enough for me.
May 3, 2018
3.5
Trigger Warnings: Violence, Murder, War.
Rep: Bisexual MC.
This book was a good start to the trilogy and I’m looking forward to the next books. It was a little on the short side, especially for a Fantasy.
The characters were my favorite part. Ren started off spoiled and while sweet he was also quite shallow. He seemed content to let his younger brother( the rightful king) take on all the kingdom responsibilities and be there if needed. However shit hit the fan and now Ren and a slave who very much hates him is the kingdom’s only hope. If that doesn’t make you want to give this trilogy a try I don’t know what will.
While I enjoyed the book for the most part it did feel slightly underwhelming. The world building was non existent and the history between the Frayne’s & Skarlan’s wasn’t explained enough. I have so many question which I’m hoping book two will answer. I’d also like some more character growth and to know more about Anik and where he came from exactly?
Overall not a bad first book. It set the conflict and story up nicely. It had its problems but I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing how the author takes the story forward and what’s to become of our characters.
Trigger Warnings: Violence, Murder, War.
Rep: Bisexual MC.
This book was a good start to the trilogy and I’m looking forward to the next books. It was a little on the short side, especially for a Fantasy.
The characters were my favorite part. Ren started off spoiled and while sweet he was also quite shallow. He seemed content to let his younger brother( the rightful king) take on all the kingdom responsibilities and be there if needed. However shit hit the fan and now Ren and a slave who very much hates him is the kingdom’s only hope. If that doesn’t make you want to give this trilogy a try I don’t know what will.
While I enjoyed the book for the most part it did feel slightly underwhelming. The world building was non existent and the history between the Frayne’s & Skarlan’s wasn’t explained enough. I have so many question which I’m hoping book two will answer. I’d also like some more character growth and to know more about Anik and where he came from exactly?
Overall not a bad first book. It set the conflict and story up nicely. It had its problems but I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing how the author takes the story forward and what’s to become of our characters.
February 10, 2019
Rating : 3.75 stars
Honestly, this could be a Captive Prince fanfic in an alternate universe.
Look my dudes, there is denying the similarities between this and Captive Prince. But there is no denying that this was fun. It was quick (a bit too short for my taste), fun and frankly engaging. Although it was predictable in parts, I think the author did a good job with the characters. Also, a well done slow burn romance is hinted and I am down for it like the filthy slow-burn whore I am. I am gonna binge this series because it is so short, it will take me less than a week and will probably be some real good immersion.
This is gonna be fun, or at least it seems so.
Above them, dark clouds rolled in. It began to snow.
Honestly, this could be a Captive Prince fanfic in an alternate universe.
Look my dudes, there is denying the similarities between this and Captive Prince. But there is no denying that this was fun. It was quick (a bit too short for my taste), fun and frankly engaging. Although it was predictable in parts, I think the author did a good job with the characters. Also, a well done slow burn romance is hinted and I am down for it like the filthy slow-burn whore I am. I am gonna binge this series because it is so short, it will take me less than a week and will probably be some real good immersion.
This is gonna be fun, or at least it seems so.
April 22, 2017
It's a pretty good effort for a first book and I liked it. Let's call it solid but I didn't exactly chew my fingernails off while reading it. I'll probably read the second book in the series (if only because this one here just ends. It's a bit of a cliffhanger but I didn't spend a sleepness night wondering about about what is going happen next. Still I want to know.)
As for the story... It's kind of predictable but not so badly that I feel my intelligence as a reader insulted. Well, just a tiny bit. I mean, Niklas, please... Who'd have thunk?
What I mean to say is that the book is actually rather well crafted but I feel that the author needs to break the mold and get a bit wild. The craft is there (and trust me - that is a compliment from me). Now it needs be infused by a little more vision, a little more daring. I'll keep my eye on this author for sure.
As for the story... It's kind of predictable but not so badly that I feel my intelligence as a reader insulted. Well, just a tiny bit. I mean, Niklas, please... Who'd have thunk?
What I mean to say is that the book is actually rather well crafted but I feel that the author needs to break the mold and get a bit wild. The craft is there (and trust me - that is a compliment from me). Now it needs be infused by a little more vision, a little more daring. I'll keep my eye on this author for sure.
June 25, 2020
EDITED REVIEW.
My past review of this was not helpful, and I apologize for that.
After reading this trilogy I did enjoy it immensely. The problem with the first book does not pertain to the last two. They are well formulated, the plot is sound, and the m/m romance is a very sweet slow burn enemies to lovers.
The first book, to put bluntly is slow. It does not pick up until the very end, and then gives the audience a giant cliffhanger where you feel forced to get the next one. I was grumpy about this (therefore the previous review was short and cutting). Nevertheless, Feli is a solid writer, and I loved seeing the improvement in their newest YA fantasy "Teeth".
My past review of this was not helpful, and I apologize for that.
After reading this trilogy I did enjoy it immensely. The problem with the first book does not pertain to the last two. They are well formulated, the plot is sound, and the m/m romance is a very sweet slow burn enemies to lovers.
The first book, to put bluntly is slow. It does not pick up until the very end, and then gives the audience a giant cliffhanger where you feel forced to get the next one. I was grumpy about this (therefore the previous review was short and cutting). Nevertheless, Feli is a solid writer, and I loved seeing the improvement in their newest YA fantasy "Teeth".
October 24, 2019
A great start to a new series. I was invested enough to buy the subsequent books for a complete read-through over two days.
February 4, 2022
**grm** (some spoilers)
I rated this book 4.5 stars because it was really well written and the story was interesting. The world building had color and the characters had a distinct personality. The romance was really a slow burn and actually not until the end of book 2 we saw a kiss between the main couple. I liked all this really a lot, and I didn't mind at all that there wasn't a sex scene. Ren was the bastard son of the Queen, he was 22 years old and the oldest of the other princes. His adoptive father, the King(that married into royalty thanks to Ren's mother, the Queen), was always like a father to him and also if Ren wasn't born after the royal wedding, and for this reason could never be the crown prince, he and his other 2 brothers were always like family to him and the King was never cruel. Sure maybe Thais, the youngest prince, was a bit snarky with Ren, but that was also because the boy was only 16. Hellic the crown prince was 20, he and Ren were also best friends, not only brohers. I was really sad when Hellic died, I could feel Ren's pain and the fact that they tried to frame him, for the murder of Callum(the King/adoptive father) and his brother, mad this even worse. During his young life, Ren focused more on the hedonistic side of being a prince, but not sharing the responsability of being the future king. He liked to have lovers, women and men, and also if smart anf fit, he never really cared a lot about studying and practicing the sword. For this reason Anik was crucial in his escape and survivability. Anik a slave, a proud Lowlanders that had been taken prisoner by the enemy King and then framed with Ren, for the death of the two royals. Anik was a few years older than Ren, maybe 24, and he was grumpy, a kind of lone wolf, and really way too handsome to be a slave. He was an Alpha male, but had plenty of kindness and was quite a bit romantic(something visible only reading btw the lines). They were complete opposites, but perfect for each other. I run to read book 2, and sadly my rating there dropped a bit.
Ps= I need an Anik!!
I rated this book 4.5 stars because it was really well written and the story was interesting. The world building had color and the characters had a distinct personality. The romance was really a slow burn and actually not until the end of book 2 we saw a kiss between the main couple. I liked all this really a lot, and I didn't mind at all that there wasn't a sex scene. Ren was the bastard son of the Queen, he was 22 years old and the oldest of the other princes. His adoptive father, the King(that married into royalty thanks to Ren's mother, the Queen), was always like a father to him and also if Ren wasn't born after the royal wedding, and for this reason could never be the crown prince, he and his other 2 brothers were always like family to him and the King was never cruel. Sure maybe Thais, the youngest prince, was a bit snarky with Ren, but that was also because the boy was only 16. Hellic the crown prince was 20, he and Ren were also best friends, not only brohers. I was really sad when Hellic died, I could feel Ren's pain and the fact that they tried to frame him, for the murder of Callum(the King/adoptive father) and his brother, mad this even worse. During his young life, Ren focused more on the hedonistic side of being a prince, but not sharing the responsability of being the future king. He liked to have lovers, women and men, and also if smart anf fit, he never really cared a lot about studying and practicing the sword. For this reason Anik was crucial in his escape and survivability. Anik a slave, a proud Lowlanders that had been taken prisoner by the enemy King and then framed with Ren, for the death of the two royals. Anik was a few years older than Ren, maybe 24, and he was grumpy, a kind of lone wolf, and really way too handsome to be a slave. He was an Alpha male, but had plenty of kindness and was quite a bit romantic(something visible only reading btw the lines). They were complete opposites, but perfect for each other. I run to read book 2, and sadly my rating there dropped a bit.
Ps= I need an Anik!!
April 15, 2018
So yesterday I left Akata Witch, the book I am currently reading at home and this all trilogy - courtesy of Line who pointed out it was free on amazon - was on my kindle.
I started reading on the commute to work and I was hooked. I am in fact half way through book three type of hooked.
I have decided to come back and rate the trilogy when I finish book 3, in the meantime though: this is a highly entertaining series, an easy (as in a well written, easily flowing) read with interesting characters and relentless action. Thoroughly enjoying it!
And here I am as promised: the whole series is a solid 4.5 stars for me and it goes on my favourite shelf.
All in all I enjoyed this to no end and highly recommend it
I started reading on the commute to work and I was hooked. I am in fact half way through book three type of hooked.
I have decided to come back and rate the trilogy when I finish book 3, in the meantime though: this is a highly entertaining series, an easy (as in a well written, easily flowing) read with interesting characters and relentless action. Thoroughly enjoying it!
And here I am as promised: the whole series is a solid 4.5 stars for me and it goes on my favourite shelf.
All in all I enjoyed this to no end and highly recommend it
November 29, 2016
4.5/5
This review contains some spoilers for Telltale's Game of Thrones game, so beware!!
Let me preface this by stating the comparison between this book and Captive Prince is extremely over exaggerated. The only similarities is a prince on the run, who happens to be bisexual, and teams up with the last person he would expect to, who happens to be a slave and apparently "not a prince" (but I have theories about that). That's where the similarities end. To me this book reminded me of the Telltale Game of Thrones game, with the Forrester's storyline in the North at Ironrath being the most similar. Hellic being Ethan, Thais would definitely be Ryon, Ren would be Asher/Rodrick, Anik would be Beshka? King Halvard would be Ramsay Snow. Either way, I saw the most similarities between these two than I did with Captive Prince, but that could change with later books.
I think two of the biggest faults with this book is the shortness of it, I was able to read it all within an hour and at times it felt as though everything was happening too fast. But even with those two issues, this book doesn't stop it from being a great read. It was fast-paced with interesting characters; the world building was pleasantly well done for being such a short book (hopefully the next books are way longer with a bit more world-building). I love Ren's and Anik's growing friendship/relationship (NO INSTA LOVE THANK THE GODS!) and can't wait for what the next two books have in store.
This was a very strong debut from a new author and I can't wait to see what else she has in store.
Also, can we talk about how beautiful the cover is (which is the only reason I purchased this book to be honest). I need a paperback/hardcover of this book solely for the cover.
This review contains some spoilers for Telltale's Game of Thrones game, so beware!!
Let me preface this by stating the comparison between this book and Captive Prince is extremely over exaggerated. The only similarities is a prince on the run, who happens to be bisexual, and teams up with the last person he would expect to, who happens to be a slave and apparently "not a prince" (but I have theories about that). That's where the similarities end. To me this book reminded me of the Telltale Game of Thrones game, with the Forrester's storyline in the North at Ironrath being the most similar. Hellic being Ethan, Thais would definitely be Ryon, Ren would be Asher/Rodrick, Anik would be Beshka? King Halvard would be Ramsay Snow. Either way, I saw the most similarities between these two than I did with Captive Prince, but that could change with later books.
I think two of the biggest faults with this book is the shortness of it, I was able to read it all within an hour and at times it felt as though everything was happening too fast. But even with those two issues, this book doesn't stop it from being a great read. It was fast-paced with interesting characters; the world building was pleasantly well done for being such a short book (hopefully the next books are way longer with a bit more world-building). I love Ren's and Anik's growing friendship/relationship (NO INSTA LOVE THANK THE GODS!) and can't wait for what the next two books have in store.
This was a very strong debut from a new author and I can't wait to see what else she has in store.
Also, can we talk about how beautiful the cover is (which is the only reason I purchased this book to be honest). I need a paperback/hardcover of this book solely for the cover.
February 5, 2019
Let me just start off by saying that this cover art is insanely gorgeous! This was a splendid start to the series, loved Ren and Anik, it had a couple great plot twists and I definitely look forward to completing the rest of the books in this trilogy. I did wish there was a bit more depth to the story and that it had been longer, I just felt like more could’ve happened? Anyway, onto book two!
Want to read
April 21, 2018💝 FREE on Amazon today (4/21/2018)!💝
September 15, 2017
actual rating: 3.5 stars
how dare they leave it like that I need to start book 2 asap
how dare they leave it like that I need to start book 2 asap
July 24, 2017
~ 3.5 stars ~
June 9, 2021
3.5/5
He encontrado en este libro una grata sorpresa, al inicio me daba vibras a Captive Prince, pero mientras avanzaba notaba que era tan solo su apariencia. Stag's Run es mucho menos crudo y más ameno, más fácil de leer, con la capacidad de enganchar al lector con rapidez.
La historia de Ren y Anik es complicada al inicio, pero interesante, se nota que manejan un slow burn desde el inicio y AMO EL SLOW BURN CON MI VIDA. Nada mejor que un romance bien fundamentado.
La construcción de mundo me parece buena pero me gustaría mucha más información, espero sea dada en los próximos libros.
A pesar de lo entretenido, en algunas partes se me hizo predecible (admito que aún así me emocionaba) y hasta cansaba que dieran rodeos para alcanzar lo obvio.
Me encantan las personalidades de Ren y Anik, además siento que pegan muy bien juntos (LA QUÍMICA SEÑORES, LA QUÍMICA) y la tensión que se cargan... UF
Stag's Run es ideal para pasar un rato genial leyendo algo de fantasía, alejándonos de lo pesado o sobrecargado de otras historias. Perfecta para leerla de una sentada, y con ese final querrás tener el segundo libro a la mano para seguir devorándola.
He encontrado en este libro una grata sorpresa, al inicio me daba vibras a Captive Prince, pero mientras avanzaba notaba que era tan solo su apariencia. Stag's Run es mucho menos crudo y más ameno, más fácil de leer, con la capacidad de enganchar al lector con rapidez.
La historia de Ren y Anik es complicada al inicio, pero interesante, se nota que manejan un slow burn desde el inicio y AMO EL SLOW BURN CON MI VIDA. Nada mejor que un romance bien fundamentado.
La construcción de mundo me parece buena pero me gustaría mucha más información, espero sea dada en los próximos libros.
A pesar de lo entretenido, en algunas partes se me hizo predecible (admito que aún así me emocionaba) y hasta cansaba que dieran rodeos para alcanzar lo obvio.
Me encantan las personalidades de Ren y Anik, además siento que pegan muy bien juntos (LA QUÍMICA SEÑORES, LA QUÍMICA) y la tensión que se cargan... UF
Stag's Run es ideal para pasar un rato genial leyendo algo de fantasía, alejándonos de lo pesado o sobrecargado de otras historias. Perfecta para leerla de una sentada, y con ese final querrás tener el segundo libro a la mano para seguir devorándola.
April 17, 2018
I didn't gel with this from the second it mentioned slaves. The few pages before that were okay, although they did not draw me in too much either. I just did not feel the world as it was not fleshed out much beyond generic medieval-ish terms and then the slaves were mentioned without explaining how that fit into the wider world or kingdom politics and ... just naaah. Such a topic should not just be thrown in for flavour and should be explored more in depth. The book might actually do that at some point, but the offhand mention and lack of worldbuilding just do not get my hopes up there.
I read on some more and just ... the generic plot at the beginning along with the barely-there worldbuilding just failed to draw me in.
I read on some more and just ... the generic plot at the beginning along with the barely-there worldbuilding just failed to draw me in.
December 31, 2018
OMG! I am obviously reading the next one immediately.
Ok ok ok
So, Ren is the bastard son of the Queen and lives happily as one of the princes in the castle.
Everything changes once his little (half) brother (the crown prince) and the King are killed. To add more to the drama, Ren is accused of the murder and has to run away with the slave Anik to Stag’s Run (a fort protecting the North) to get the help of his uncle and have him claim the throne as regent while Ren’s youngest brother comes of age and can finally be the rightful king.
OMG! So now the book ended in the worst way possible and I have to go read the next one... goodbye life.
Ok ok ok
So, Ren is the bastard son of the Queen and lives happily as one of the princes in the castle.
Everything changes once his little (half) brother (the crown prince) and the King are killed. To add more to the drama, Ren is accused of the murder and has to run away with the slave Anik to Stag’s Run (a fort protecting the North) to get the help of his uncle and have him claim the throne as regent while Ren’s youngest brother comes of age and can finally be the rightful king.
OMG! So now the book ended in the worst way possible and I have to go read the next one... goodbye life.
February 25, 2018
White redemption story with savages and slaves? I absolutely hated every single second of this book. Unless you absolutely loved Captive Prince (which I also disliked severely), I would not recommend this book to anyone.
July 19, 2019
Stumbled across this on Tumblr, the amazing cover and the blurb drew me in, and when I discovered the first book was for free I thought I’d give it a go straight away!
I’m on a mission to find and read more self published and indie authors as I’m starting to get very sick of mainstream ya/fantasy novels, they’re all the same!!! Anyway, that’s why I was really hoping to love this book even if my expectations weren’t too high.
Verdict: it was an easy read and I could feel both the story and the writing improving the further in I got, and I believe it’s a great START to the series. Because that’s what it felt like: an introduction or even a prologue to the “real” story.
It’s too short to flesh out the characters and build the world properly, thing seemed to happen too easily? The writing is a bit off at times (but improves, and I reckon it’ll only get better) and there’s a lot more “tell” than “show”. Aaaaand because it has to be said (as it has by every other person on here), the modern speak in a medieval setting is..weird. It threw me at times, but I also didn’t mind that much.
Also, REN is probably the most useless prince I’ve ever come across. The man has never even read a map? Like?????
Anyway, I’ll continue the series and see how it develops. I mean, a LGBTQ-friendly fantasy world? I’m not just gonna abandon that ship because of uneven writing.
I’m also super excited to try out this author’s other series (I forgot the name) but it sounds amazing!
I’m on a mission to find and read more self published and indie authors as I’m starting to get very sick of mainstream ya/fantasy novels, they’re all the same!!! Anyway, that’s why I was really hoping to love this book even if my expectations weren’t too high.
Verdict: it was an easy read and I could feel both the story and the writing improving the further in I got, and I believe it’s a great START to the series. Because that’s what it felt like: an introduction or even a prologue to the “real” story.
It’s too short to flesh out the characters and build the world properly, thing seemed to happen too easily? The writing is a bit off at times (but improves, and I reckon it’ll only get better) and there’s a lot more “tell” than “show”. Aaaaand because it has to be said (as it has by every other person on here), the modern speak in a medieval setting is..weird. It threw me at times, but I also didn’t mind that much.
Also, REN is probably the most useless prince I’ve ever come across. The man has never even read a map? Like?????
Anyway, I’ll continue the series and see how it develops. I mean, a LGBTQ-friendly fantasy world? I’m not just gonna abandon that ship because of uneven writing.
I’m also super excited to try out this author’s other series (I forgot the name) but it sounds amazing!
June 22, 2019
55% — 2.75 stars
A bit pile of eh that's significantly less eh than a lot of other books because it's gay and it's pride month and I'm here for it.
The world was interesting and I wished we knew a bit more about it, the writing was so bland, and the plot was choppy. I didn't click with the characters until the second half because although Ren's relationship with his brother I adored, his ignorance was appalling and I'm just not here for it. Anik, yes, Anik all the way. Everyone else was irrelevant (except Ilias, the biggest uwu who deserves the world).
So after writing this review I'm like yeah, lemme lower the rating ahahaha here we go.
But I'm definitely completing the trilogy because uh, I bought them all on a whim because they were less than $3 combined.
A bit pile of eh that's significantly less eh than a lot of other books because it's gay and it's pride month and I'm here for it.
The world was interesting and I wished we knew a bit more about it, the writing was so bland, and the plot was choppy. I didn't click with the characters until the second half because although Ren's relationship with his brother I adored, his ignorance was appalling and I'm just not here for it. Anik, yes, Anik all the way. Everyone else was irrelevant (except Ilias, the biggest uwu who deserves the world).
So after writing this review I'm like yeah, lemme lower the rating ahahaha here we go.
But I'm definitely completing the trilogy because uh, I bought them all on a whim because they were less than $3 combined.
December 28, 2021
This reads like mediocre fanfic, but I bought them thinking they were, as advertised, like The Captive Prince - they’re not. I read them over the Xmas break, skipping chunks, curious to see if the ‘slave’ would ever gain a character (er, no) or if the plot would lift beyond simplistic (with added deus ex machina). But I was in a hotel, quite chilled, so I did finish - and went on to the next - and so two stars, one partially for what this could have been and one for the hero finally getting a clue about his world’s reality.
never-finished
February 2, 2021Nothing compelling about it, and it reads a bit too amateurish.
October 29, 2025
Alors alors… alors sachant que je viens de relire la trilogie Prince Captif, je peux dire que j’étais à fond dans l’ambiance. J’adore ce type de roman et j’aime également énormément les romans Young Adult. Et soyons honnête, j’adore le prénom Ren alors forcément, ce roman partait déjà avec des points positifs.
Et il a largement été à la hauteur de mes espérances. J’ai dévoré ce roman en quelques heures. Certes il est relativement court mais une fois commencé, impossible de le lâcher. La plume de l’auteure est super addictive et les événements s’enchaînent de manière fluide et entraînante. J’ai retrouvé des similitudes avec d’autres romans du genre que j’ai également adoré comme Prince Captif ou les Chroniques de Ren mais l’auteure nous propose un point de vue différent tout à fait novateur.
J’ai vraiment adoré avoir cette vision des choses. Le personnage de Ren est un peu un anti-héros au début du roman et va petit à petit s’affirmer et grandir. J’ai aimé la façon dont Ren va doucement mais surement prendre conscience des enjeux de la cours et de la politique de son royaume et des royaumes environnants. Sujets qui jusque là ne le concernaient pas du tout mais qu’il va devoir assimiler rapidement dans des conditions plus que compliquées.
On le voit énormément évoluer au fil des pages , que ce soit du fait de la situation ou du temps passé avec Anik. Ren va passer du statut de prince indolent et oisif à celui de dernier espoir pour son royaume, avec toutes les responsabilités et tous les risques que cela entraîne. Les événements vont lui faire perdre sa naïveté et son innocence et j’ai hâte de voir ce que ça va donner dans les prochaines tomes
Le personnage d’Anik est également très intriguant. J’ai vraiment hâte d’en apprendre un peu plus sur lui même si on découvre pas mal de choses au fil des pages. J’ai aimé l’humour qui se dégage de ce personnage et sa vision des choses et de Ren.
J’ai été surprise par la relative noirceur de ce roman d’autant plus qu’il s’agit d’un roman Young Adult. Attention, j’ai bien dit relative dans le sens ou ce n’est pas sombre mais qu’il y a quand même pas mal de morts dont certaines assez difficiles compte tenu de la cible visée.
Pour autant ce premier tome, pose les bases d’une trilogie qui s’annonce palpitante. L’univers est parfaitement maîtrisé par l’auteure et s’annonce très riche. Que ce soit au niveau des différents pays, cultures et personnages mais également au niveau des péripéties déjà présentes et à venir.
En résumé un très bon premier tome d’une trilogie qui s’annonce vraiment excellente et dont j’ai hâte de lire les prochains tomes.
Et il a largement été à la hauteur de mes espérances. J’ai dévoré ce roman en quelques heures. Certes il est relativement court mais une fois commencé, impossible de le lâcher. La plume de l’auteure est super addictive et les événements s’enchaînent de manière fluide et entraînante. J’ai retrouvé des similitudes avec d’autres romans du genre que j’ai également adoré comme Prince Captif ou les Chroniques de Ren mais l’auteure nous propose un point de vue différent tout à fait novateur.
J’ai vraiment adoré avoir cette vision des choses. Le personnage de Ren est un peu un anti-héros au début du roman et va petit à petit s’affirmer et grandir. J’ai aimé la façon dont Ren va doucement mais surement prendre conscience des enjeux de la cours et de la politique de son royaume et des royaumes environnants. Sujets qui jusque là ne le concernaient pas du tout mais qu’il va devoir assimiler rapidement dans des conditions plus que compliquées.
On le voit énormément évoluer au fil des pages , que ce soit du fait de la situation ou du temps passé avec Anik. Ren va passer du statut de prince indolent et oisif à celui de dernier espoir pour son royaume, avec toutes les responsabilités et tous les risques que cela entraîne. Les événements vont lui faire perdre sa naïveté et son innocence et j’ai hâte de voir ce que ça va donner dans les prochaines tomes
Le personnage d’Anik est également très intriguant. J’ai vraiment hâte d’en apprendre un peu plus sur lui même si on découvre pas mal de choses au fil des pages. J’ai aimé l’humour qui se dégage de ce personnage et sa vision des choses et de Ren.
J’ai été surprise par la relative noirceur de ce roman d’autant plus qu’il s’agit d’un roman Young Adult. Attention, j’ai bien dit relative dans le sens ou ce n’est pas sombre mais qu’il y a quand même pas mal de morts dont certaines assez difficiles compte tenu de la cible visée.
Pour autant ce premier tome, pose les bases d’une trilogie qui s’annonce palpitante. L’univers est parfaitement maîtrisé par l’auteure et s’annonce très riche. Que ce soit au niveau des différents pays, cultures et personnages mais également au niveau des péripéties déjà présentes et à venir.
En résumé un très bon premier tome d’une trilogie qui s’annonce vraiment excellente et dont j’ai hâte de lire les prochains tomes.
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