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Spirit Followers
When a Royal dies, the realms elect the one to take their place. By reasons Camaria does not know, her realm elects her as the next Royal. Now that she is the new-found sixteenth Royal of the nation of Mirabelle, Cam embarks on a journey with her sisters and a young huntsman to the four realms of the nation to complete training in the four kinds of magic. Once she has completed this training, she will then be permitted to consume her annual amount of magic and possess manifested powers. Her ventures are unexpectedly steeped in precarious events when Cam discovers a secret plan of revolt, a past she never knew, and an ancient people group thought dead who call themselves the Spirit Followers.
- GenresFantasy
332 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 6, 2019
I have finally finished editing!!! And I am so excited to share this with all of you!! I did give my book five stars because no one should write a book that they wouldn't love themselves. Just sayin.'
Instead of giving a full out reveiw of a book no one has read yet (but my editors and myself) I will give a quick "parents guide" rundown. I'm not expecting parents to read this necessarily but if anyone wants to know the levels of violence, sexual content etc. it is here.
Drinking, drugs, etc:
Adults and older teenagers drink at social events. One young man becomes drunk and his following actions are not the most prudent.
Sexual content:
there is no kissing (yet) except when a young man forcibly kisses a girl...he apologizes later (which by no means excuses him.) There are mentions of prostituion against someone's will but no actual scenes of this content. Darker themes involving sex are explored. It is not detailed but is still talked about.
Violence:
the violence is pretty heavy in this book, but it is a story involving battle and such so it is to be expected. The violence isn't described in extreme detail though some of it is rather gruesome. On a scale of one to five (one being not very violent and five being very violent) this book falls at a four.
Instead of giving a full out reveiw of a book no one has read yet (but my editors and myself) I will give a quick "parents guide" rundown. I'm not expecting parents to read this necessarily but if anyone wants to know the levels of violence, sexual content etc. it is here.
Drinking, drugs, etc:
Adults and older teenagers drink at social events. One young man becomes drunk and his following actions are not the most prudent.
Sexual content:
there is no kissing (yet) except when a young man forcibly kisses a girl...he apologizes later (which by no means excuses him.) There are mentions of prostituion against someone's will but no actual scenes of this content. Darker themes involving sex are explored. It is not detailed but is still talked about.
Violence:
the violence is pretty heavy in this book, but it is a story involving battle and such so it is to be expected. The violence isn't described in extreme detail though some of it is rather gruesome. On a scale of one to five (one being not very violent and five being very violent) this book falls at a four.
July 16, 2021
Thank you to the author for providing this free copy in exchange for an honest review!
The book is more than mere words in it.
I went into this book full of hope. The summary was so interesting, and the worldbuilding was solid. The kingdom and the realms, the magic, that were introduced at the beginning were perfect to lure you in.
However, Spirit Followers feels more like the first draft, or if someone were telling me what the story is about, instead of me actually reading it. It is almost like seeing the bones of the story, but no meat. There is none of so much needed substance. Many of us can even skip some parts of the books, because we don't deem them significant. But when they are missing, you realize just how important they are to the story.
There were some tiny grammatical errors and typos. However, they were negligible considering the author self-published. Sometimes even traditionally published books can have them so I had no problem disregarding them.
But there were too many plot hole and simply instances when a scene was glazed over for me to let it go.Sometimes you need to write some things even if you don't like them. I will go over several of them. Keep in mind, there are many more.
How can they travel between realms so quickly?! No matter from which realm they're starting, it never takes them more than a day or two. Surely certain realms are farther from each other?
Cam's training is extremely hurried. For example, the first realm she was training in was Gnosi. They didn't do any training whatsoever. They talk and finally, when she is supposed to start training, she drinks some liquid which is their realm's magic and temporarily has eidetic memory. (Which only took up exactly two sentences). The next thing we read, Cam is told she completed her training.
After fleeing Gnosi realm, they stop and rest. While talking, they ask Feira why she's behaving in that way toward Caleb. All of a sudden, she shouts and flees the conversation. There was no escalation. Maybe she got red in her face out of anger/annoyance? Maybe she slams the dishes she's washing before running off?
There are no transitions between the scenes. For example, one moment they are dining in an inn, the next, Cam is waking up screaming from the nightmare. At the very least, there could have been an extra empty line between these two. There was nothing to indicate the end of the scene for dinner so it took me by surprise. There were many others like that throughout the book.
When they come back home for a visit after the Gnosi realm, one moment we have her parents sitting down in the sitting room. The next, Cam is pulling back from a hug with her father. What happened in between? Maybe she hugged him tight because she missed him? Maybe we get a description of his smell and she relaxes against him because he represents safety? After all, olfactory sense is the most powerful when it comes to memories. It is the author's job to keep us engaged.
By the end, she accuses her mother out loud to be lying. But then when she ignores Cam, she lets it go. In the next moment, we have a family dinner where she's completely civil towards them until they were the ones to instigate a fight. If Cam already decided to accuse her out loud, surely she would keep insisting to be told the truth?
The final battle scene was pitifully short. I personally am not the biggest fan of fight/battle scenes. But if you're including them in the story, they should be properly written. Usually, there are just far longer and more detailed descriptions. This is true for training scenes as well. I feel like at leas tome kind of martial arts should have been researched in order to know how to properly write scenes with weapons.
Unfortunately, there are far too many shortcomings for me, therefore I cannot give it more than 2 out of 5 stars. This is my offer to the author if she ever reads this review. I would be more than happy to go over the book again and take notes in order to help you improve this book. I strongly believe that with my suggestions, I would give it 4 stars, easily. This has so much potential, I would love to see it fulfilled.
The book is more than mere words in it.
I went into this book full of hope. The summary was so interesting, and the worldbuilding was solid. The kingdom and the realms, the magic, that were introduced at the beginning were perfect to lure you in.
However, Spirit Followers feels more like the first draft, or if someone were telling me what the story is about, instead of me actually reading it. It is almost like seeing the bones of the story, but no meat. There is none of so much needed substance. Many of us can even skip some parts of the books, because we don't deem them significant. But when they are missing, you realize just how important they are to the story.
There were some tiny grammatical errors and typos. However, they were negligible considering the author self-published. Sometimes even traditionally published books can have them so I had no problem disregarding them.
But there were too many plot hole and simply instances when a scene was glazed over for me to let it go.
How can they travel between realms so quickly?! No matter from which realm they're starting, it never takes them more than a day or two. Surely certain realms are farther from each other?
Cam's training is extremely hurried. For example, the first realm she was training in was Gnosi. They didn't do any training whatsoever. They talk and finally, when she is supposed to start training, she drinks some liquid which is their realm's magic and temporarily has eidetic memory. (Which only took up exactly two sentences). The next thing we read, Cam is told she completed her training.
After fleeing Gnosi realm, they stop and rest. While talking, they ask Feira why she's behaving in that way toward Caleb. All of a sudden, she shouts and flees the conversation. There was no escalation. Maybe she got red in her face out of anger/annoyance? Maybe she slams the dishes she's washing before running off?
There are no transitions between the scenes. For example, one moment they are dining in an inn, the next, Cam is waking up screaming from the nightmare. At the very least, there could have been an extra empty line between these two. There was nothing to indicate the end of the scene for dinner so it took me by surprise. There were many others like that throughout the book.
When they come back home for a visit after the Gnosi realm, one moment we have her parents sitting down in the sitting room. The next, Cam is pulling back from a hug with her father. What happened in between? Maybe she hugged him tight because she missed him? Maybe we get a description of his smell and she relaxes against him because he represents safety? After all, olfactory sense is the most powerful when it comes to memories. It is the author's job to keep us engaged.
By the end, she accuses her mother out loud to be lying. But then when she ignores Cam, she lets it go. In the next moment, we have a family dinner where she's completely civil towards them until they were the ones to instigate a fight. If Cam already decided to accuse her out loud, surely she would keep insisting to be told the truth?
The final battle scene was pitifully short. I personally am not the biggest fan of fight/battle scenes. But if you're including them in the story, they should be properly written. Usually, there are just far longer and more detailed descriptions. This is true for training scenes as well. I feel like at leas tome kind of martial arts should have been researched in order to know how to properly write scenes with weapons.
Unfortunately, there are far too many shortcomings for me, therefore I cannot give it more than 2 out of 5 stars. This is my offer to the author if she ever reads this review. I would be more than happy to go over the book again and take notes in order to help you improve this book. I strongly believe that with my suggestions, I would give it 4 stars, easily. This has so much potential, I would love to see it fulfilled.
December 6, 2016
3 stars
(I was sent a copy of this book by Lydia Redwine in return for an honest review.)
Okay. First, let me interpret what '3 stars' means in my Goodreads rating language. My scale goes like this: 1 star = I hated it, 2 stars = I didn't like it, 3 stars = liked it, 4 stars = really liked it, 5 stars = loved it.
‘Spirit Followers: Instruments of Sacrifice’ was a very interesting read for me. I’m not really used to reading books of this particular genre, so it forced me to do something different, which was good. :) It reminded me of books by Jill Williamson or Wayne Thomas Batson. Sort of 'magical fantasy’.
I’m going to talk about the characters. So first, we’ll begin with the main character and focal point of this story: Camaria. I felt an immediate emotional attachment to her. Having recently turned sixteen myself, it was fun to sort of imagine myself in her place, you know?
I think the author did a beautiful job of displaying Camaria's character and personality, not all at once, but slowly revealing it as the book went on. I would have liked to know even more about her, though. . . what she liked, disliked, a few of her favorite things, etc. I feel like that would have made me become more attached to her.
I liked Caleb. . . and Peter. But there were a lot of characters so it’s hard to remember them all.
And Riah’s story was very interesting! Not the typical thing you’d read about. It added some spice and originality to the plot.
But although that was true, I was still confused by the story. I felt like I had just figured out what was going on before the characters were whisked away to another setting and new dangers. That was good in a way that it kept the story flowing and not halting for long periods of time, but it left me baffled at what was going on.
I loved the magic. I thought it was so cool! Ms. Redwine did an excellent job portraying what the magic was and what it could do . . . it made me wish such a fantasy could actually be possible!
I noticed a lot of typos throughout the story: *they blue lilies, *her back fell from her back, *shear despair, *he words were true, etc. But nothing too terrible. And I noticed one incident where the tense changed abruptly, *She fled towards the castle. She casts glances back at Cam.*
It just confused me a little bit, like "Oh, wait, who are they talking about?"
Another thing I loved about this book were the similes and metaphors. For instance; instead of saying 'black' which can be boring and repetitive, Ms. Redwine described the cloak as 'a raven's wing's color.' It forced me to think of ravens, which also sort of magically added to the evilness of the character.
This book took me almost a month to read... mostly because I had to read it on my iPad, and in-between constantly having to charge it and not being able to use it at night because of the brightness, it was difficult to find free time to spend reading it.
I liked the way it ended. I thought that it left just the right amount of surprise, and suspense, that may just make me pick up a copy of the second part when it comes out :)
So if you like a story with magic, danger, adventure, true love. . . then please read this book! You’ll probably love it.
"Bravery wasn't about being well balanced physically and mentally to fight. It was about having the courage to stand up for someone else out of love. Love transformed them into new people. It ignited a flame that burned brightly and showed the whole world that they were not ashamed of their love."
(I was sent a copy of this book by Lydia Redwine in return for an honest review.)
Okay. First, let me interpret what '3 stars' means in my Goodreads rating language. My scale goes like this: 1 star = I hated it, 2 stars = I didn't like it, 3 stars = liked it, 4 stars = really liked it, 5 stars = loved it.
‘Spirit Followers: Instruments of Sacrifice’ was a very interesting read for me. I’m not really used to reading books of this particular genre, so it forced me to do something different, which was good. :) It reminded me of books by Jill Williamson or Wayne Thomas Batson. Sort of 'magical fantasy’.
I’m going to talk about the characters. So first, we’ll begin with the main character and focal point of this story: Camaria. I felt an immediate emotional attachment to her. Having recently turned sixteen myself, it was fun to sort of imagine myself in her place, you know?
I think the author did a beautiful job of displaying Camaria's character and personality, not all at once, but slowly revealing it as the book went on. I would have liked to know even more about her, though. . . what she liked, disliked, a few of her favorite things, etc. I feel like that would have made me become more attached to her.
I liked Caleb. . . and Peter. But there were a lot of characters so it’s hard to remember them all.
And Riah’s story was very interesting! Not the typical thing you’d read about. It added some spice and originality to the plot.
But although that was true, I was still confused by the story. I felt like I had just figured out what was going on before the characters were whisked away to another setting and new dangers. That was good in a way that it kept the story flowing and not halting for long periods of time, but it left me baffled at what was going on.
I loved the magic. I thought it was so cool! Ms. Redwine did an excellent job portraying what the magic was and what it could do . . . it made me wish such a fantasy could actually be possible!
I noticed a lot of typos throughout the story: *they blue lilies, *her back fell from her back, *shear despair, *he words were true, etc. But nothing too terrible. And I noticed one incident where the tense changed abruptly, *She fled towards the castle. She casts glances back at Cam.*
It just confused me a little bit, like "Oh, wait, who are they talking about?"
Another thing I loved about this book were the similes and metaphors. For instance; instead of saying 'black' which can be boring and repetitive, Ms. Redwine described the cloak as 'a raven's wing's color.' It forced me to think of ravens, which also sort of magically added to the evilness of the character.
This book took me almost a month to read... mostly because I had to read it on my iPad, and in-between constantly having to charge it and not being able to use it at night because of the brightness, it was difficult to find free time to spend reading it.
I liked the way it ended. I thought that it left just the right amount of surprise, and suspense, that may just make me pick up a copy of the second part when it comes out :)
So if you like a story with magic, danger, adventure, true love. . . then please read this book! You’ll probably love it.
"Bravery wasn't about being well balanced physically and mentally to fight. It was about having the courage to stand up for someone else out of love. Love transformed them into new people. It ignited a flame that burned brightly and showed the whole world that they were not ashamed of their love."
October 18, 2016
*** 4.5 EMPOWERING STARS ***
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
***
(I was sent a copy of this book by Lydia Redwine in return for an honest review.)
The first thing I noticed going into this book was how beautifully it was written. I mean by that, that it was written in proper formal english as you would expect royalty to speak. Posh english, so to say. (for example the use of "queried" instead of "asked")
In the beginning it was weird to read but you grew accustomed to it real quick.
Starting this book I immediately got Hunger Games and Divergent vibes with the world having different realms (Hunger Games' districts) and the fact that at the age of 16 the younger have to choose a realm to live in (Divergent's factions ceremony).
But that is also where the similarities end. This book was on FIRE!
Before I start raving about it I will first point out a few small criticisms.
There were a LOT of editing mistakes in this copy.
For example Glusta instead of Glista, no time to waist instead of waste, is instead of it, new instead of knew, valet instead of valey etc etc...
BUT I do suspect that I was sent the unedited version so that would quickly end problem number one.
Then second and also last problem I had with it is that sometimes in between chapters it jumped from one situation to another. I mean with this that for example in one paragraph you have Camaria and her sisters conversing, doing or planning stuff in the Medulla realm and in the next paragraph it's suddenly Riah and his father over at Gnosi.
It sometimes left me confused as to who I was reading about, it would seem better to me to have character switches during chapter switches. If that makes any sense. Or at least make it a little more more obvious when you're switching.
NOW over to the raving, because this book's review DOES deserve to end on a positive note!
I thought this was SO. GOOD. It was so interesting and there wasn't a single dull moment.
Had I not taken my time to read this one I would've flown through it. As soon as I picked it up I got sucked into the story and had to literally force myself out of it.
This story is about a Nation divided in different realms. Whenever a royal dies, the realm elects someone to take the deceased's place. For the Medulla realm, 16 years old Camaria Briar has been elected, to her biggest surprise.
As the new-found royal of her realm she embarks on a journey, with her sisters (Fiera, Terra, Adria and Mista) and a huntsman (Caleb). She travels to the four realms to complete her training in the four kinds of magic. (INDEED, this book has magic!!) But on her journey she discovers things about her past she never knew, plans of a revolt from a realm and a group of people (the Spirit Followers) who were initially thought to be dead, etc etc... In other words; shit is about to get down!
And shit DID go down, multiple times! Honestly, this was so good.
I also really liked the fact that the magic was limited in this book and that they focussed on family love rather than romance!
(Although I do hope something happens between Camaria and Peter because god damn I'm rooting for them!)
Cam was such a good character though, I loved her, she had her priorities straight and was incredibly brave as were her sisters.
And Peter, darling Peter. Actually, I liked almost every character, apart from Glista who can suck it and two other people who I will not name because it might spoil something.
Either way, I would DEFINITELY recommend to read this book as it was really good and I DO hope this goes viral.
This work deserves to be read by many!
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
***
(I was sent a copy of this book by Lydia Redwine in return for an honest review.)
The first thing I noticed going into this book was how beautifully it was written. I mean by that, that it was written in proper formal english as you would expect royalty to speak. Posh english, so to say. (for example the use of "queried" instead of "asked")
In the beginning it was weird to read but you grew accustomed to it real quick.
Starting this book I immediately got Hunger Games and Divergent vibes with the world having different realms (Hunger Games' districts) and the fact that at the age of 16 the younger have to choose a realm to live in (Divergent's factions ceremony).
But that is also where the similarities end. This book was on FIRE!
Before I start raving about it I will first point out a few small criticisms.
There were a LOT of editing mistakes in this copy.
For example Glusta instead of Glista, no time to waist instead of waste, is instead of it, new instead of knew, valet instead of valey etc etc...
BUT I do suspect that I was sent the unedited version so that would quickly end problem number one.
Then second and also last problem I had with it is that sometimes in between chapters it jumped from one situation to another. I mean with this that for example in one paragraph you have Camaria and her sisters conversing, doing or planning stuff in the Medulla realm and in the next paragraph it's suddenly Riah and his father over at Gnosi.
It sometimes left me confused as to who I was reading about, it would seem better to me to have character switches during chapter switches. If that makes any sense. Or at least make it a little more more obvious when you're switching.
NOW over to the raving, because this book's review DOES deserve to end on a positive note!
I thought this was SO. GOOD. It was so interesting and there wasn't a single dull moment.
Had I not taken my time to read this one I would've flown through it. As soon as I picked it up I got sucked into the story and had to literally force myself out of it.
This story is about a Nation divided in different realms. Whenever a royal dies, the realm elects someone to take the deceased's place. For the Medulla realm, 16 years old Camaria Briar has been elected, to her biggest surprise.
As the new-found royal of her realm she embarks on a journey, with her sisters (Fiera, Terra, Adria and Mista) and a huntsman (Caleb). She travels to the four realms to complete her training in the four kinds of magic. (INDEED, this book has magic!!) But on her journey she discovers things about her past she never knew, plans of a revolt from a realm and a group of people (the Spirit Followers) who were initially thought to be dead, etc etc... In other words; shit is about to get down!
And shit DID go down, multiple times! Honestly, this was so good.
I also really liked the fact that the magic was limited in this book and that they focussed on family love rather than romance!
(Although I do hope something happens between Camaria and Peter because god damn I'm rooting for them!)
Cam was such a good character though, I loved her, she had her priorities straight and was incredibly brave as were her sisters.
And Peter, darling Peter. Actually, I liked almost every character, apart from Glista who can suck it and two other people who I will not name because it might spoil something.
Either way, I would DEFINITELY recommend to read this book as it was really good and I DO hope this goes viral.
This work deserves to be read by many!
October 16, 2019
I give Spirit Followers a solid 4.25! As with any book where a new world is created there will almost always be some small issues. However that doesn’t take away that Lydia Redwine did a wonderful job introducing us to Mirabelle and the realms within.
So many characters, betrayals, tests, and growth.
I will say the reason I didn’t give a 5 was because there were a bit too many characters and I got confused a bit especially towards the end when this journey was wrapping up.
Camaria the main character of the book on her journey to prove she has what it takes to be a royal discovers that not everything in the nation of Mirabelle, in her realm of Medulla, or even in her own family is as it seems. With so many people keeping secrets from her it’s hard to know who is friend or foe until the final moment.
So many characters, betrayals, tests, and growth.
I will say the reason I didn’t give a 5 was because there were a bit too many characters and I got confused a bit especially towards the end when this journey was wrapping up.
Camaria the main character of the book on her journey to prove she has what it takes to be a royal discovers that not everything in the nation of Mirabelle, in her realm of Medulla, or even in her own family is as it seems. With so many people keeping secrets from her it’s hard to know who is friend or foe until the final moment.
December 5, 2016
Wow.... I am VERY impressed!! I've read many books written by my friends before and very few of them had the depth that I saw in Spirit Followers! I REALLY enjoyed reading it!!
First, the characters:
I really liked the characters! Lydia did a great job keeping them all straight and giving each one their own part in the story. I especially enjoyed the parts with Saffira and Riah! They were awesome together! One thing that bothered me, with the main characters like Cam and Peter, as a reader I really want to see emotions. There was always lots of action, which was great, but there was rarely moments of emotion and bonding I guess with the main characters. Another thing, maybe it was just me, but until the last three chapters, I thought Amelia and Lia were the same person... Oops... I assumed it was a nickname... Saffira and Ira was also a little confusing at times. I really wanted to get to know Terra and Adria a little more. Often times they felt just there. Mista was hilarious!! I adored her!!
The plot:
The whole story line was obviously very well planned and thought out. The plot twists caught me off guard, and I was shocked by many of them. Way to go! Plot twists are hard, for me anyway! I loved all the things you took from the Bible and changed them just a little. Very well done!
Other random things I liked:
The fact that Cam used a slingshot! It's always swords, in every book, and I was quite thrilled by the idea of a slingshot!
Caleb and Fiera were hilarious! Their bickering was enjoyable to read!
Your language use was beautiful! I could vividly see what was happening in the book and I loved that!
The magic system was structured and not a repeat of another book.
THE CASTLE IN AN OLD VOLCANO!!!! HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!?!
Tree jumpers?! I loved it!!
Overall, four out of five stars only for the lack of connection I felt with the characters at times. A beautifully well written book that I would recommend to others! I can't wait to find out what happens next! :)
First, the characters:
I really liked the characters! Lydia did a great job keeping them all straight and giving each one their own part in the story. I especially enjoyed the parts with Saffira and Riah! They were awesome together! One thing that bothered me, with the main characters like Cam and Peter, as a reader I really want to see emotions. There was always lots of action, which was great, but there was rarely moments of emotion and bonding I guess with the main characters. Another thing, maybe it was just me, but until the last three chapters, I thought Amelia and Lia were the same person... Oops... I assumed it was a nickname... Saffira and Ira was also a little confusing at times. I really wanted to get to know Terra and Adria a little more. Often times they felt just there. Mista was hilarious!! I adored her!!
The plot:
The whole story line was obviously very well planned and thought out. The plot twists caught me off guard, and I was shocked by many of them. Way to go! Plot twists are hard, for me anyway! I loved all the things you took from the Bible and changed them just a little. Very well done!
Other random things I liked:
The fact that Cam used a slingshot! It's always swords, in every book, and I was quite thrilled by the idea of a slingshot!
Caleb and Fiera were hilarious! Their bickering was enjoyable to read!
Your language use was beautiful! I could vividly see what was happening in the book and I loved that!
The magic system was structured and not a repeat of another book.
THE CASTLE IN AN OLD VOLCANO!!!! HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!?!
Tree jumpers?! I loved it!!
Overall, four out of five stars only for the lack of connection I felt with the characters at times. A beautifully well written book that I would recommend to others! I can't wait to find out what happens next! :)
September 27, 2018
Redwine delivers a fresh and enchanting young adult fantasy.
When Camaria is abruptly elected as one of the leaders of Mirabelle, she begins her journey across the nation to learn the four different kinds of magic. On her travels, she begins to learn of a revolt that could have dire consequences for the entire nation. As she struggles with a hidden past, she encounters a secret group called the Spirit Followers. She must make the arduous decision about who to trust, and maybe even more paramount, what to believe.
Redwine's passion for writing is evident in her beautifully woven start to the Instruments of Sacrifice series. Bringing a fresh perspective to the young adult genre, Spirit Followers will keep you constantly captivated, and impatiently turning pages to find out what happens next.
When Camaria is abruptly elected as one of the leaders of Mirabelle, she begins her journey across the nation to learn the four different kinds of magic. On her travels, she begins to learn of a revolt that could have dire consequences for the entire nation. As she struggles with a hidden past, she encounters a secret group called the Spirit Followers. She must make the arduous decision about who to trust, and maybe even more paramount, what to believe.
Redwine's passion for writing is evident in her beautifully woven start to the Instruments of Sacrifice series. Bringing a fresh perspective to the young adult genre, Spirit Followers will keep you constantly captivated, and impatiently turning pages to find out what happens next.
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December 21, 2019Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of her book in exchange for an honest review.
I went into this book expecting a plot-driven "chosen one" story in an interesting fantasy world. Although it is a common trope, I enjoy these types of stories a lot. However, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised when this book strayed from the typical YA Fantasy path.
Although the main protagonist, Camaria, is the "chosen one," she wasn't the usual YA heroine. She was not inexplicably good at fighting despite having lived a sheltered childhood. She was not quick to lose her temper and snap at enemies. Nor was she quick to jump on the bandwagon with the rebels and the "good side"; she wanted to be sure she was making the right decision first.
The other protagonist was a morally gray "prince" named Riah and his chapters were usually my favorite. He makes bad decisions but still comes off a lovable character to me. Riah's motivations are believable and he will surprise you throughout the story! Both Camaria and Riah were contemplative and very independent, even though they were constantly surrounded by people who tried to tell them what to do. They were widely different from their stubborn (although endearing) companions. I thought that these two protagonists were fresh and just as enjoyable, if not more enjoyable, than the typical stubborn YA protagonist.
The plot was fast-paced, without the long traveling that plagues most fantasy books. This kept me turning the pages. The world was really well-developed by the end of the book and I enjoyed learning about the 4 different (diverse!) cultures -- the country of Mirabelle is definitely more fleshed out than the YA fantasy worlds that I am used to reading about. I wasn't as interested in the Christianity-like religion because I had been expecting a more unique religious system; however, I appreciated that the Spirit Followers didn't push their religion on others. There were many heroes in the book who were nonbelievers/non-followers and Camaria herself questions their belief.
The magic system was refreshing and a lot different from the other fantasy books I have read. I especially liked the concept that their magic in their land was limited and that the characters could decide when they would eat it to aid them. And my favorite part of this book was the characters! Even though it was a wide cast, I could distinctly tell them apart from one another. I especially liked reading about their bonds with one another, especially the bonds between Camaria and her sisters.
Romance wasn't really present in this book and the book showed that friendships and sibling relationships are equally important. This is the message that books, tv shows, and movies often miss. The very slow-burn romances were good nonetheless; the love interests (not a love triangle!) were gentle and were humans with emotions rather than being the usual cold YA bad boys. And to the authors and screenwriters who believe that a character can't be complete without a romantic interest, they need to read this book!
I recommend this book to anyone searching for a refreshing religious YA fantasy, plot-focused with believable characters and with a heroine who exudes quiet strength.
I am really interested to see where the second book takes the characters to next!
I went into this book expecting a plot-driven "chosen one" story in an interesting fantasy world. Although it is a common trope, I enjoy these types of stories a lot. However, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised when this book strayed from the typical YA Fantasy path.
Although the main protagonist, Camaria, is the "chosen one," she wasn't the usual YA heroine. She was not inexplicably good at fighting despite having lived a sheltered childhood. She was not quick to lose her temper and snap at enemies. Nor was she quick to jump on the bandwagon with the rebels and the "good side"; she wanted to be sure she was making the right decision first.
The other protagonist was a morally gray "prince" named Riah and his chapters were usually my favorite. He makes bad decisions but still comes off a lovable character to me. Riah's motivations are believable and he will surprise you throughout the story! Both Camaria and Riah were contemplative and very independent, even though they were constantly surrounded by people who tried to tell them what to do. They were widely different from their stubborn (although endearing) companions. I thought that these two protagonists were fresh and just as enjoyable, if not more enjoyable, than the typical stubborn YA protagonist.
The plot was fast-paced, without the long traveling that plagues most fantasy books. This kept me turning the pages. The world was really well-developed by the end of the book and I enjoyed learning about the 4 different (diverse!) cultures -- the country of Mirabelle is definitely more fleshed out than the YA fantasy worlds that I am used to reading about. I wasn't as interested in the Christianity-like religion because I had been expecting a more unique religious system; however, I appreciated that the Spirit Followers didn't push their religion on others. There were many heroes in the book who were nonbelievers/non-followers and Camaria herself questions their belief.
The magic system was refreshing and a lot different from the other fantasy books I have read. I especially liked the concept that their magic in their land was limited and that the characters could decide when they would eat it to aid them. And my favorite part of this book was the characters! Even though it was a wide cast, I could distinctly tell them apart from one another. I especially liked reading about their bonds with one another, especially the bonds between Camaria and her sisters.
Romance wasn't really present in this book and the book showed that friendships and sibling relationships are equally important. This is the message that books, tv shows, and movies often miss. The very slow-burn romances were good nonetheless; the love interests (not a love triangle!) were gentle and were humans with emotions rather than being the usual cold YA bad boys. And to the authors and screenwriters who believe that a character can't be complete without a romantic interest, they need to read this book!
I recommend this book to anyone searching for a refreshing religious YA fantasy, plot-focused with believable characters and with a heroine who exudes quiet strength.
I am really interested to see where the second book takes the characters to next!
February 16, 2017
*Disclaimer: I was sent a free copy of Spirit Followers in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much Lydia! (There will be spoilers in this review, so if you haven't read Spirit Followers, don't read this!)*
First off, I loved Spirit Followers. It was a great story, and I thought I found Christian themes/allegory elements in it, which I also loved. Overall, Spirit Followers was well-written and thought out, and although I thought it contained elements that weren't entirely new, Lydia wove her ideas and old ones together to create an entirely new, unique story.
Even though I enjoyed the story, I did have some problems with it:
First of all, when I started the novel, I had a bit of a time trying to even get into it, I thought the beginning was a bit slow, and at once I was introduced to Cam and all of her sisters and family. It was a bit overwhelming trying to keep all the names and people straight, but I figured it out eventually. :)
I also didn't really enjoy Cam as a character. I know, I'm sorry. I get the feeling that she was created to be the female able-to-protect-herself type of character. But while that was mostly accomplished, I felt that I never really got to know the true Cam. She always seemed unsure and indecisive, and sometimes a bit weak, honestly. I did like how she started out being a bit protected and weak, but by the end had become stronger and more independent. But also, I found myself annoyed with her over the course of the book. Like I said, she was indecisive and weak but also passive. Things would occur during the story and I never saw true emotion from her, or if there was, it felt kind of fake/forced. Idk. I just found I didn't enjoy her thought process.
During the story, there was a lot of action and things happening all at once. And for a lot of it, I never saw it coming. For instance, [and SPOILER ALERT] when Silva and Kazbek 'turned evil' I was shocked, like, it came out of nowhere; there was no warning, nothing in their earlier characters that hinted at them being the bad guys. It was like BAM! now they're bad! It was the same for Glista. She seemed like the average dumb girl in a ball gown who flirts with everybody and then she's suddenly holding a knife to Cam's throat. Like, what? I would have like some hints, or even events leading up to the big reveal that hinted to their true character. But the one thing I found really unbelievable was the fact that they sold their own daughter to their people. I know they were evil but really, selling their own flesh and blood, and Silva even tried to kill Fiera at the end!
And also I felt that some of the characters weren't even introduced or explained properly, they just kinda showed up. Especially with the past of the Shadow Bearers and Followers, we did get some explanation, but I needed some more backstory. And Riah! I thought his character was so intriguing and mysterious! There so much room for a backstory and what ever happened to his little boy?! I felt he was a truly good person under all the lies and deceit, but we were never really told what happens to him or what about him and Saffira? I don't know, maybe most of this will be explained/ expanded on in the sequel?
I did notice several editing/spelling mistakes that needed to be revised/edited, and since reading others' reviews I have noticed and discovered that I was sent an unfinished copy, which is fine, but it might explain some of the mistakes/ problems I had with the book.
Other than that, I think the book was really great and well written.
Now onto the fun part:
So I loved the world that Lydia created for Spirit Followers. While it was a bit difficult to distinguish between them at times, I loved the different realms and cities. They each were different and I loved the descriptions of their magic!!! It was so cool to learn about each realm and the wonderful, powerful magic at their very foundations. There was a lot of world building in the story, which was fine, but I felt that it took away from the story a bit.
I think one of my favorite characters was Grandfather. I felt a real connection with him, and I loved his closeness and love he had for Cam, even though he's not her true grandfather. He was so warm and kind and loyal, and I could just picture him in my mind. He was a really great three-dimensional character and I loved his scene towards the end; he truly had nothing but love in his heart and I loved him for it.
The ending was a bit of a let down. I thought there would be some confrontation or huge battle, but all of the enemy suddenly died because of Elyon. That all good and well, but I felt that everything was so rushed afterwards. All of a sudden everything's back to normal and there's new rulers and suddenly Cam/everyone else has PTSD. I wish there would have been more closure and hints for the next book. And I would have liked to know more about the mysterious Crown everyone is trying to find as well.
It broke my heart when many of my favorite characters were killed. I had grown to like many of them, and it was really depressing. :(
But I really did love the story. Lydia is a great writer and should be very proud of herself. I know how hard it can be to write a book and it's inspiring to me that someone my age has self-published a book.
Overall, I gave this book 4 stars and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy, adventure, and stories like Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, The Grisha Trilogy or other magical, action-packed series. Thanks again to Lydia Redwine for sending this to me, I highly enjoyed it and can't wait to read the sequel! :)
First off, I loved Spirit Followers. It was a great story, and I thought I found Christian themes/allegory elements in it, which I also loved. Overall, Spirit Followers was well-written and thought out, and although I thought it contained elements that weren't entirely new, Lydia wove her ideas and old ones together to create an entirely new, unique story.
Even though I enjoyed the story, I did have some problems with it:
First of all, when I started the novel, I had a bit of a time trying to even get into it, I thought the beginning was a bit slow, and at once I was introduced to Cam and all of her sisters and family. It was a bit overwhelming trying to keep all the names and people straight, but I figured it out eventually. :)
I also didn't really enjoy Cam as a character. I know, I'm sorry. I get the feeling that she was created to be the female able-to-protect-herself type of character. But while that was mostly accomplished, I felt that I never really got to know the true Cam. She always seemed unsure and indecisive, and sometimes a bit weak, honestly. I did like how she started out being a bit protected and weak, but by the end had become stronger and more independent. But also, I found myself annoyed with her over the course of the book. Like I said, she was indecisive and weak but also passive. Things would occur during the story and I never saw true emotion from her, or if there was, it felt kind of fake/forced. Idk. I just found I didn't enjoy her thought process.
During the story, there was a lot of action and things happening all at once. And for a lot of it, I never saw it coming. For instance, [and SPOILER ALERT] when Silva and Kazbek 'turned evil' I was shocked, like, it came out of nowhere; there was no warning, nothing in their earlier characters that hinted at them being the bad guys. It was like BAM! now they're bad! It was the same for Glista. She seemed like the average dumb girl in a ball gown who flirts with everybody and then she's suddenly holding a knife to Cam's throat. Like, what? I would have like some hints, or even events leading up to the big reveal that hinted to their true character. But the one thing I found really unbelievable was the fact that they sold their own daughter to their people. I know they were evil but really, selling their own flesh and blood, and Silva even tried to kill Fiera at the end!
And also I felt that some of the characters weren't even introduced or explained properly, they just kinda showed up. Especially with the past of the Shadow Bearers and Followers, we did get some explanation, but I needed some more backstory. And Riah! I thought his character was so intriguing and mysterious! There so much room for a backstory and what ever happened to his little boy?! I felt he was a truly good person under all the lies and deceit, but we were never really told what happens to him or what about him and Saffira? I don't know, maybe most of this will be explained/ expanded on in the sequel?
I did notice several editing/spelling mistakes that needed to be revised/edited, and since reading others' reviews I have noticed and discovered that I was sent an unfinished copy, which is fine, but it might explain some of the mistakes/ problems I had with the book.
Other than that, I think the book was really great and well written.
Now onto the fun part:
So I loved the world that Lydia created for Spirit Followers. While it was a bit difficult to distinguish between them at times, I loved the different realms and cities. They each were different and I loved the descriptions of their magic!!! It was so cool to learn about each realm and the wonderful, powerful magic at their very foundations. There was a lot of world building in the story, which was fine, but I felt that it took away from the story a bit.
I think one of my favorite characters was Grandfather. I felt a real connection with him, and I loved his closeness and love he had for Cam, even though he's not her true grandfather. He was so warm and kind and loyal, and I could just picture him in my mind. He was a really great three-dimensional character and I loved his scene towards the end; he truly had nothing but love in his heart and I loved him for it.
The ending was a bit of a let down. I thought there would be some confrontation or huge battle, but all of the enemy suddenly died because of Elyon. That all good and well, but I felt that everything was so rushed afterwards. All of a sudden everything's back to normal and there's new rulers and suddenly Cam/everyone else has PTSD. I wish there would have been more closure and hints for the next book. And I would have liked to know more about the mysterious Crown everyone is trying to find as well.
It broke my heart when many of my favorite characters were killed. I had grown to like many of them, and it was really depressing. :(
But I really did love the story. Lydia is a great writer and should be very proud of herself. I know how hard it can be to write a book and it's inspiring to me that someone my age has self-published a book.
Overall, I gave this book 4 stars and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy, adventure, and stories like Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, The Grisha Trilogy or other magical, action-packed series. Thanks again to Lydia Redwine for sending this to me, I highly enjoyed it and can't wait to read the sequel! :)
July 9, 2021
My rating= 3.75
This book is beautifully laid out. I’m obsessed the writing style! The world building is AMAZING, it was pretty easy to understand and imagine. Also, the plot twists????
omg it definitely caught me off guard.
However, I didn’t get emotionally attached to any of the characters. Don’t get me wrong, I adored the characters. But I didn’t exactly ‘feel’ their emotions, theres a lot of telling but not enough showing :(
Nevertheless, this is definitely a commendable debut. This series has so much promise and potential and Lydia is an incredibly talented writer! This was such an enjoyable read and I’m extremely excited to pick up the next book!
This book is beautifully laid out. I’m obsessed the writing style! The world building is AMAZING, it was pretty easy to understand and imagine. Also, the plot twists????
omg it definitely caught me off guard.
However, I didn’t get emotionally attached to any of the characters. Don’t get me wrong, I adored the characters. But I didn’t exactly ‘feel’ their emotions, theres a lot of telling but not enough showing :(
Nevertheless, this is definitely a commendable debut. This series has so much promise and potential and Lydia is an incredibly talented writer! This was such an enjoyable read and I’m extremely excited to pick up the next book!
July 5, 2020
I don't know where to start: the writing style? The world-building? It was absolutely sublime! The writing was poetic and lyrical, and even though this made it hard for me to read at times, I really loved it, and it was a plus to the novel. The world-building was what really grabbed my attention, though: done in a subtle way, but it really transported me.
The story, however, fell a little flat for me. It was a little slow at times, and my thoughts kept straying from the page. I wished the pacing was a little quicker.
The story, however, fell a little flat for me. It was a little slow at times, and my thoughts kept straying from the page. I wished the pacing was a little quicker.
December 20, 2022
I had the privilege of copyediting this book, so I may not be entirely unbiased ;)
A wonderful example of indie fantasy! The characters are well-developed and diverse. I feel passionately about diverse characters in fiction and was delighted to find characters of all different races and countries (hailing from the fictional world, of course). Cam shows character growth throughout the book, as do her sisters. It may be difficult to keep them all straight at first, because there are quite a few of them, but it's a rewarding experience because they're all so sweet and feisty. There are several pairs of characters who I enthusiastically ship and I hope they will end up together in the next book!
The religion in the book seems to be inspired by Christianity but at no times is it overly preachy or overbearing. It was the perfect balance and is exactly what I hope for in books that have religion in them.
Trigger warnings are spoilery:
A wonderful example of indie fantasy! The characters are well-developed and diverse. I feel passionately about diverse characters in fiction and was delighted to find characters of all different races and countries (hailing from the fictional world, of course). Cam shows character growth throughout the book, as do her sisters. It may be difficult to keep them all straight at first, because there are quite a few of them, but it's a rewarding experience because they're all so sweet and feisty. There are several pairs of characters who I enthusiastically ship and I hope they will end up together in the next book!
The religion in the book seems to be inspired by Christianity but at no times is it overly preachy or overbearing. It was the perfect balance and is exactly what I hope for in books that have religion in them.
Trigger warnings are spoilery:
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