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Ceryn Roh Saga #1

The Healer's Rune

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Three hundred years after a great war shattered the Council of Races, the warriors of Rüddan have all but eradicated their cousins, the faerie Aethel. In so doing, they decimated the Dryht sages and enslaved mortal Humanity. Now a young voice with a dangerous secret calls her people to rebel. Young Sabine, one of the Human slaves, must overcome centuries of lies and prejudice to forge an alliance among four enemy races. But what chance does Sabine have when her very existence threatens the planet?

326 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2016

21 people are currently reading
520 people want to read

About the author

Lauricia Matuska

3 books106 followers
Lauricia Matuska grew up in Roswell, New Mexico but graduated high school and moved to college one year before the city’s alien visitations became public knowledge. An ardent adorer of the stars, stationary, and scones, Lauricia writes captivating fantasy that ignites the imaginations of YA and adult readers, alike. Her debut novel, The Healer’s Rune, is a 2017 Carol Award finalist. Based in the Houston area, Lauricia collects fairy tales from all over the world and inflicts her findings upon her husband, two dogs, and two birds. Visit her website at LauriciaMatuska.com, and sign up for her newsletter to receive exclusive content, book reviews, writing updates, and more.

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5 stars
68 (62%)
4 stars
28 (25%)
3 stars
8 (7%)
2 stars
3 (2%)
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2 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
Profile Image for Fire.
433 reviews2 followers
January 27, 2016
The Healer's Rune is book one in this series, and I'm really excited to see what comes next. If you are a fan of fantasy this book is for you, its a fresh thought and unique concept in the fantasy stories I have ready. Many others have too many similarities that reading this was a refreshing change.

Mankind has been oppressed as slaves, but can man change their fate? Without the use of magic how can they overcome their oppressors? Sabine works to start a revolution to free mankind from their suppressed state. As a healer in the village she is from she has a unique opportunity to reach out to the sick and hurting. She must overcome prejudices, fears, and lies that have kept human kind beneath the heel of their oppressors.

I really enjoyed this fresh approach to a fantasy novel and I'm can't wait to see where this story takes us in the next book. It is a fun read with a great pace, the characters have depth and you feel a connection with Sabine. 5 Stars!
Profile Image for Jenelle.
Author 20 books259 followers
March 9, 2021
Political intrigue // oppressed society of humans living in slavery and fear and uneducated // hints of magic // feisty MC who I wanted to shout at constantly because she never moved fast enough! // edge of my seat // bit of a cliff-hanger ending
Profile Image for C.O. Bonham.
Author 15 books37 followers
February 18, 2016
I loved this story so much.

The Healers Rune by Lauricia Matuska, is the first book in a new series that gives a refreshing twist to the Fantasy novel.

One trope that I’ve come to expect from fantasy novels is the long, perilous, and often unexpected journey.

This novel does not have that. Instead this novel is set almost entirely in and around the village of Khapor.

In this world the Fey like Rüddan rule. Human kind has been subjugated and are little better than slaves. Sabine is the village Healer, through her eyes we see the injustice and suffering caused by the Rüddan. This is a novel of revolution, of uprising. Think British occupied Boston in 1773, or Nazi occupied France during WWII. That is what sets this story apart from other Fantasy novels. It does not rely on magic, though it has some, it is a story built solidly on the human spirit and its resistance to oppression.

I can’t wait to get the next one.
Profile Image for Diane Perry.
1,281 reviews38 followers
January 26, 2016
I was asked to read this book in exchange for an honest review. This not my typical genre, but I found myself drawn into the story. It is very well written. The characters are interesting and imagery is beautifully done. Even as it is categorized as YA, I can see it appealing to many ages who love fantasy.
Profile Image for Elise Taake.
1 review
March 5, 2016
One of my new favorite books. It takes you into the story and doesn't let go even after your done. In my opinion it is ranked right up there with the inheritance series by Christopher Paolini if not higher.
16 reviews1 follower
February 1, 2016
Dystopian society... riddled with breaking the chains of history that's been changed... human slavery.... action and fantasy! Exciting read and read it twice already! Good read, Matuska! Well written
Profile Image for R.J. Rodda.
Author 4 books74 followers
August 4, 2018
I enjoyed this introduction to a new fantasy world. Nothing resolves particularly by the end but the journey was interesting enough to make me look for the next book. I liked the MC and her desire to do the right thing whatever the cost.
Profile Image for Glenn Haggerty.
Author 4 books276 followers
April 13, 2016
Sabine is a young healer for the human settlement of Khapor long under the heel of brutal overlords. When the Rudden publicly execute her friend, Sabine launches into a quest for truth. She discovers Ruddan lies about their mutual history, the truth of all four races of Ceryn Roh, and inklings of her father’s part in an underground rebellion brewing against their cruel Ruddan masters. Sabine also discovers she holds a secret that will affect Ruddan, Aethel, Dryht and human destiny. But how can she overcome the seemingly invincible power of the Ruddan warriors, the mistrust between the races, and the betrayal of her jealous sister?

Lauricia Matuska has constructed an intricate and cohesive fantasy realm packed with Christian allegory in the tradition of Lewis and Tolkien. The Healer’s Rune has enough action to keep the boys interested and the heroine’s point of view, moral dilemma and strong character will keep the girls onboard too. I’m looking forward to Book 2.
Profile Image for Kristen Joy Wilks.
Author 13 books64 followers
March 16, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. The fantasy world was interesting and compelling kind of a Nazi Germany meets Lord of the Rings setting. The protagonist makes me want to pull for her and I really want to know what happens in the second book, now that the heroine knows some key things that she found out right at the end. A fun read for teens and adults.
20 reviews1 follower
February 29, 2016
I LOVED this book! Could not put it down and cannot wait for the next one to come out. Lauricia Matuska has such an elegant writing style with characters that draw you in emotionally. If you like fantasy novels, do not pass this one up. It is also friendly for any age, which is a plus in my book!
20 reviews1 follower
February 29, 2016
I LOVED this book! Could not put it down and cannot wait for the next one to come out. Lauricia Matuska has such an elegant writing style with characters that draw you in emotionally. If you like fantasy novels, do not pass this one up. It is also friendly for any age, which is a plus in my book!
Profile Image for Avily Jerome.
Author 49 books15 followers
August 26, 2016
I really enjoyed this story. Can't wait for the next one!
Profile Image for Alice McKnight.
Author 2 books3 followers
June 6, 2022
At a glance, The Healer's Rune is about a young human woman, Sabine, from a small village living under the rule of the Ruddan, a tyrannical race intent on wiping out humanity. After witnessing her friend's execution at the hands of the Ruddan, Sabine seeks out the truth of what really happened in the history of her country and how the human race came to be controlled. In seeking out these truths, Sabine gains access to powerful players in what could become the political uprising of a lifetime.
The Healer's Rune was an incredibly intense read, and it was the first book in years that I haven't been able to put down. There was more than one night that I fell asleep with my face in the pages, but I couldn't even bring myself to regret it in the morning. It was just that good! Sabine herself is a fun character with a sharp wit. As a healer, she has a strong sense of morality that lets her sympathize not just with her patients, but with her enemies and potential allies as well. Finally, I felt like I was reading a main character who was more than just a self-insert. Sabine has such a strong personality and commitment to her ideals, and both of those things helped move her character through the action of the plot flawlessly.
The politics of it all was really what kept me coming back to it, though. The power struggle between the Ruddan and the humans kept the atmosphere of the story tense with conflict, and the mysteries of what secrets Sabine was discovering had my brain itching to know what would come next.
All in all, an amazing read. I'm off to get my hands on the next volume!
Profile Image for Victoria Glaze.
252 reviews
March 9, 2025
Two sentences into this book, I knew it wasn't going to be like my other author friends' books. Which is to say, a dramatization of the author's life.

Laura IMMEDIATELY makes you forget the reason you're reading her book to be supportive. In fact, you'll quickly forget all about Laura, and your reality, and the laundry you need to do. You'll be busy surviving a cruel world and navigating magical problems. Not only is the characters, story, and tone compelling, but so is the plot! The plot grabs you by the collar from page 1 and doesn't stop pulling you along until the final page.

The brilliant imagery in this story leaves you flabbergasted. How Laura's mind created such a intricate and unique world is mesmerizing to me. It showcases her phemonomial imagination and creativity. I am eagerly awaiting to read book #2.
Profile Image for Jessica.
360 reviews
March 23, 2021
An epic tale beginning!

Wow! I really enjoyed this story. Sabine, our main character, has had a rough life under the ruling class. Humans are the lowest among the races and are completely subjugated. She somehow is able to live alone and has a bit of protection as one of the only healers. Things slowly spin out of control after she finds a mysterious, injured man on her property.

This book has it all. Relational conflict, flawed characters, tough decisions and a well described world. The magic system is interesting but not overly complicated. Sabine is likeable but at times frustrating. :) She can't always stay quiet when she should.
Profile Image for Shirley McClay.
40 reviews1 follower
June 28, 2017
Cliffhanger

I really enjoyed the book but it feels like just the first half of the book. It ends on a cliffhanger with so many things still not explained or just hinted at without being fleshed out. Really love the story and the main character but she's the only person you really get to know while there are a few others who pop in and out that I would love to know more about. Well worth reading but if I had it to do over I would have waited till the whole series was available and then read them all together.
Profile Image for Janelle.
Author 2 books29 followers
May 27, 2018
3 1/2 stars. This was a little hard to rate. I found both Sabine and the plot frustrating in the first two thirds of the book. However the action picked up in the last third of the book and Sabine finally started figuring things out. The ending of the book left me hungry for more, but unfortunately I don’t think the sequel has been published yet :(
This book does have its share of violence, and as a fairly squeamish reader I usually avoid such scenes. In this case, although I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t view it as gratuitous or unnecessary to the plot.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
274 reviews9 followers
March 19, 2021
Well-written, edge-of-your-seat adventure! Excellent world building. Interesting and intriguing characters. Once I was really into the story, I didn’t want to put it down. Stayed up past my bedtime more than once because it was so good!

The Healer’s Rune is probably best classified as high fantasy with elements of a Christian worldview.

I’d recommend this book to adults and young adults only due to graphic violence.
Profile Image for Annie Lima.
Author 34 books174 followers
November 5, 2021
This was a great story! It captured my attention and held it. All the characters are unique and interesting (and I really like their names!). I just bought the sequel and can't wait to read it too!
I would have given it five stars, except it could have used some more thorough proofreading, but the errors weren't bad enough to make me put the book down.
Profile Image for Rose.
254 reviews10 followers
May 23, 2022
I came across this book on NetGallery, the title drew me in. And OMG excellent! I literally could not stop reading. What an adventure! The next in the series cannot come soon enough..and as I see now, I was confused. Off to read the second and if I saw right, hopefully the third in the series doesn’t take too long!
Profile Image for Lisa.
Author 32 books174 followers
January 13, 2018
I really liked everything about this story! Can't wait for the sequel.
Profile Image for Lucas Mattila.
163 reviews22 followers
July 3, 2018
A book that could be great if it didn't have boring world building and all of the Christianity with none of the Jesus.
Profile Image for Caprice.
278 reviews6 followers
September 28, 2016
Interesting world building

The Healer's Rune is the story of Sabine, a human healer in a world controlled by the Rüddan, the only remaining magical race in the empire of Ceryn Roh. Centuries before, the Rüddan were an outside race who asked to join the empire in equal partnership with Humans, Aethel, and Dryht. With time, the Rüddan slowly took over the empire, slaughtering the Aethel, devising a plague that attacked magic users to decimate the Dryht, and subjugating humans.

As the story begins, Sabine is forced to watch the public execution of one of her only friends, and sister appreciate healer. The Rüddan have outlawed magic use, reading, and many other activities. Because of this, healers especially are in more danger than the average person because of their use of herbcraft. However, Sabine is in especial danger due to her ability to read and possession of scrolls that tell of a different history than people are taught. When a new edict is passed demanding that any infant born to a couple who already has an heir be killed, she must choose if she will obey the law or do what is right. Compounded by the unexpected arrival of an injured Aethel in her garden, Sabine ends up arrested and locked in the Tower of Rüddan. As she is tortured to try to make her reveal all she knows, all she can think about is escape, even if it is through death, which is the way the vast majority of humans leave the Tower.

I enjoyed reading this book. The world building is very good, most of the main characters are well developed, and the writing is error free. It did take me a while to really get into the book, but once I did, I couldn't put it down, finishing it at 4 a.m. The human situations are quite believable, especially the conflict between Sabine and her sister Elise, and the loving relationship between Sabine and her dog Belle. One of my favorite parts of the book was the discussion of the Creator God and his son, the Morning Star, which is clearly a reference to God the Father and his son Jesus. One of the biggest things I appreciated about this book is that there is no bad language and no sexual scenarios.

One of the things I didn't like about the book is that because this is the first book in a series, the ending is quite a cliffhanger. It's like 20 pages of action leading up to the end, 1 1/2 pages of safety, and the book ends. I would have liked for the safe time after Sabine's arrival in the safe place to have lasted a little longer and be fleshed out a little before the book ended. I would also have liked to learn more about some of the secondary characters, especially Auda, the retired healer and Tayte, the potter, who is hiding secrets of his own. I'm hoping that at least Tayte's backstory will be filled in some in future books in the series.

It is really nice to find a fantasy book for teens and young adults that actually doesn't include witches, sex scenes, no matter how mild, and curse words. I think it's important to have fantasy books that young Christians can read that don't include content that would conflict with their Christian beliefs. There are plenty of fantasy novels out there that non Christian teens are reading, and if Christian young people don't have access to the fantasy genre in a way that doesn't conflict with their beliefs, they will read the books that do. I appreciate Lauricia Matuska's efforts to write fantasy books that won't leave Christian young people questioning whether or not the topics explored in other fantasy books are really that bad. I would encourage all teens and young adults to read this book if they are interested in reading fantasy. It does have some mild violence and some descriptions of wounds and such that may be disturbing to tweens and younger.
Profile Image for David Bergsland.
Author 126 books49 followers
October 26, 2016
What a fun ride this was. A world in which to escape with enough truth to keep it real. That’s what I look for in Christian fiction. This book qualifies.

Christian fantasy entertainment
This is not redemptive, yet it certainly could be in future books. It’s full of magic, danger, realistic characters, and everything else.

The world is well-built, complex, and intriguing. As usual, with a book of this quality, it was hard to leave and I’m really upset that books two and three (or whatever) are not available.

Spiritually, I’ll give it a three
We have a Creator God and his Son. It’s inferred that this Son did something special, though it isn’t clear he’s a true savior yet. There’s no mention of a Holy Spirit, which is always sad.

But I am very hopeful, going into book Two that Lauricia will take care of all of that. Enough so, that I am awarding her the Christian Religious Fiction award of excellence. To know what that means, you need to read A Spiritual System for Rating Books .

This is a copy of the review on Reality Calling, where I gave it a Christian Religious Fiction award

The spiritual level of evil is harder to pin down. It’s almost four-star, meaning that I expect some spiritual warfare in the next book. But it may remain a three-star evil and three-star Christian. That is still excellent entertainment in my book. I do hope Lauricia ramps it up to redemptive as the series is completed. She has an excellent start.
Profile Image for Laurie Lucking.
Author 16 books88 followers
March 7, 2017
This book blew me away! Matuska's writing is rich and engaging, and the story combines the tension and high stakes of a dystopian with awesome fantasy elements such as elves and magic. Sabine was easy to relate to as she was faced with one impossibly difficult decision after another, and I liked that past hurts wounded but didn't define her, and that she managed to maintain a sense of humor in spite of all the surrounding darkness and challenges. The cast of secondary characters were memorable, too, full of personality and complexities. The animosity between Sabine and her sister seemed a little extreme at times (though maybe that's just because I get along well with my sister), but it added a lot of tension and made it hard for Sabine to trust anyone. Otherwise, my only complaint is that the next book isn't out yet :)
Profile Image for R.J. Metcalf.
Author 5 books41 followers
August 2, 2016
This was phenomenal!

Lauricia's world is rich and vivid, with a rich history that still has yet to be uncovered by the reader fully. Her writing is excellent and will draw in the reader and have them mourning any moment that they need to put it down for the 'real world'.

I absolutely can't wait for the next book and to learn what will happen to Sabine next, and what choices she will need to make. I was glued to the pages in fearful anticipation of what would happen next, and I am sure that the next book will be even more intense!

Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys fantasy. I grew up reading and loving the Dragonlance series, and in my opinion, this book rivals the series. It is excellent.
Profile Image for Kristi Cramer.
Author 18 books56 followers
September 3, 2016
3.5-4 stars. (Can't make up my mind.)

I had the problem that I sometimes have with new adult, where I dislike the main character because she is so real. She's got a temper, and it almost makes her a strong woman, but it gets in the way of her listening to people who are trying to help her. The story also makes me uncomfortable, because it showcases the worst in people--pettiness, letting fear dictate your words and actions, and throwing others under the bus to save yourself. I spent the first 3/4 of the book not sure I was going to like it at all, but in the last 1/4 it started to come together, and I can see that it is actually working for the story.

I think I have more to say about this, but I need to process it some more, and write more when I have more time.
202 reviews3 followers
August 14, 2022
I was offered this book as an ARC by NetGalley and really enjoyed the world building of The Healer's Rune by Lauricia Matuska. The main protagonist is nuanced and I found myself empathising with her especially when she was faced by moral dilemmas. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is I felt that it slowed a little in the final third before rushing to what felt like an abrupt climax but I can understand that this is only the first book in a series the need to leave the reader wanting to know what is coming next. I can certainly say that I would like to know what is going to happen in book two!
Profile Image for Shimrit Hanes.
Author 4 books12 followers
July 31, 2022
I devoured this book. I really related to Sabine, the protagonist in this book, and was encouraged by her growth through her affliction and struggles against her own flaws. The characters were believable, from the two friends who encouraged her to be her best, to her spoiled and vindictive little sister. I could see, smell, and hear the world of Ceryn Roh. Definitely a good read!
35 reviews
June 30, 2016
Exceptionally well written. Lauricia Matuska's characters draw you in, raise you up, drop you down and leave you feeling like you were ridden hard and put up wet. I can not wait for the next two. If they are anything like this one, the YA community has gained one of it's best writers.
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