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The Foreseen
Noor De Olinad’s fantasy debut is for lovers of reluctant female heroines who refuse to be intimidated by the odds stacked against them. It is well known that power corrupts, but can honour and courage win the day?
Chosen by the gods, Astra and Lumi were born for a great destiny… If they have the courage to accept it.
In the kingdom of Drasilgard, the ancient and brutal ritual of open succession has kept the peace for many generations… until now. Three heirs, one crown and only the strongest may ascend the throne. Dark whispers of prince Lutin’s disappearance and princess Astra’s assassination reach the Temple that is both Lumi’s prison and home. Seizing the opportunity, prince Sorin declares himself High King but Lumi dreams that Astra lives. The dreams of this seer child give the people hope and fuel rebellion. Lumi’s dreams of Astra are the only thing standing between Sorin and the crown he longs for. She must be silenced.
Hunted and outnumbered, Lumi and Astra must fight to survive and protect the future of their land. In the darkest hours, their strength of spirit will determine the fate of all Drasilgard.
Chosen by the gods, Astra and Lumi were born for a great destiny… If they have the courage to accept it.
In the kingdom of Drasilgard, the ancient and brutal ritual of open succession has kept the peace for many generations… until now. Three heirs, one crown and only the strongest may ascend the throne. Dark whispers of prince Lutin’s disappearance and princess Astra’s assassination reach the Temple that is both Lumi’s prison and home. Seizing the opportunity, prince Sorin declares himself High King but Lumi dreams that Astra lives. The dreams of this seer child give the people hope and fuel rebellion. Lumi’s dreams of Astra are the only thing standing between Sorin and the crown he longs for. She must be silenced.
Hunted and outnumbered, Lumi and Astra must fight to survive and protect the future of their land. In the darkest hours, their strength of spirit will determine the fate of all Drasilgard.
476 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2018
1 person is currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
Noor De Olinad
11 books5 followersA proud bookworm, Noor has evolved from being a VIP library member to writing her own books. With a deep seated curiosity about how the world works, Noor's writing style utilises vivid imagery and humour. When Noor is not waiting hand and foot on her pets (who must have been emperors in a previous life), she keeps busy writing her next book and gardening.
Visit Noor's blog-site http://noordeolinad.wordpress.com/
and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NoorDeOlinad
Visit Noor's blog-site http://noordeolinad.wordpress.com/
and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NoorDeOlinad
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 20, 2018
The Foreseen is an entertaining book with very fresh ideas.
The characters are well-developed and likeable. It's easy to sympathize with them. The only one I had a problem with was Prince Lutin. His decision to work with the barbarians seemed forced and weird. Severin was a bit stereotypical, the power hungry egomaniac. But I loved Bai (because for some reason I have a tendency to pick side characters as my favorites.)
The religion was obviously well thought out and very interesting. I usually don't like gods making physical appearances in books, but the Foreseen accomplishes this masterfully.
The attack on the Temples was gut wrenching and terrifying. And the scene where Astra has to kill her brother is heart breaking and beautiful.
Noor De Olinad is an amazing author and I cannot wait to read her next book.
The characters are well-developed and likeable. It's easy to sympathize with them. The only one I had a problem with was Prince Lutin. His decision to work with the barbarians seemed forced and weird. Severin was a bit stereotypical, the power hungry egomaniac. But I loved Bai (because for some reason I have a tendency to pick side characters as my favorites.)
The religion was obviously well thought out and very interesting. I usually don't like gods making physical appearances in books, but the Foreseen accomplishes this masterfully.
The attack on the Temples was gut wrenching and terrifying. And the scene where Astra has to kill her brother is heart breaking and beautiful.
Noor De Olinad is an amazing author and I cannot wait to read her next book.
March 21, 2018
In a world where the Gods themselves talk to mortals through chosen beings called seers, Lumi is born to parents who don't want to give her up to the temple. But, one can't escape one's destiny and Lumi's destiny is irrevocably entwined with the destiny of Astra, the woman slated to be queen and with the fate of Drasilgard, the land she's to be the queen of.
So, this story is set in a world that comes across comprehensively. You can understand that the author has an understanding of the land that she's talking about- it's layout, it's boundaries and how things work there. That's a huge plus.
The other thing is the pace. It's starts off well. The first chapter is a cinch for dragging fantasy lovers into the story. It panders to all our favourite feelings- the enigma of a fantastical setting and the promise of getting to know it better later. As the story goes on though, the author seems to get in a hurry. Now, is it due to editorial issues or actual narration issues, I don't know, but, towards the end especially, it's all just too fast. And too easy.
The story is about two people- Lumi, the child seer who tries very hard not to become Mary-Sue but, kind of becomes one in the second half and Astra, who started off as a very promising character that didn't get enough story time for my liking. The plot also felt a loophole-y in parts- like it tried too hard to be Game of Thrones, but fell short.
The thing is, there's a beautiful world, with fleshed out characters and a plot with potential. I wish it was developed a little better, with a little less restraint and a little more immersion.
Don't be mistaken though, it was a one sitting read. It was easy to let myself be carried along for the ride, especially along Astra's journey for survival which kind of reminded me of Akatsuki no Yona (minus the delectable harem). I also immensely enjoyed the rituals of the seers and the royalty. They were well-described and in the end, they tied in very well with the message that this story was trying to convey.
BOTTOMLINE: Fantasy lovers, this is a book that you can try. Because it gives you a kingdom with royal feuds, gods with a hidden agenda, and a seer with spirit animals. What more can you ask for?
Happy reading!
So, this story is set in a world that comes across comprehensively. You can understand that the author has an understanding of the land that she's talking about- it's layout, it's boundaries and how things work there. That's a huge plus.
The other thing is the pace. It's starts off well. The first chapter is a cinch for dragging fantasy lovers into the story. It panders to all our favourite feelings- the enigma of a fantastical setting and the promise of getting to know it better later. As the story goes on though, the author seems to get in a hurry. Now, is it due to editorial issues or actual narration issues, I don't know, but, towards the end especially, it's all just too fast. And too easy.
The story is about two people- Lumi, the child seer who tries very hard not to become Mary-Sue but, kind of becomes one in the second half and Astra, who started off as a very promising character that didn't get enough story time for my liking. The plot also felt a loophole-y in parts- like it tried too hard to be Game of Thrones, but fell short.
The thing is, there's a beautiful world, with fleshed out characters and a plot with potential. I wish it was developed a little better, with a little less restraint and a little more immersion.
Don't be mistaken though, it was a one sitting read. It was easy to let myself be carried along for the ride, especially along Astra's journey for survival which kind of reminded me of Akatsuki no Yona (minus the delectable harem). I also immensely enjoyed the rituals of the seers and the royalty. They were well-described and in the end, they tied in very well with the message that this story was trying to convey.
BOTTOMLINE: Fantasy lovers, this is a book that you can try. Because it gives you a kingdom with royal feuds, gods with a hidden agenda, and a seer with spirit animals. What more can you ask for?
Happy reading!
April 15, 2018
This review first published on Oh Just Books.
The moment I finished this book, my first and only thought was "I need this to be a movie."
The story follows the daughter of the ArdRhí of Drasilgard, Astra Ardal who needs to fight her siblings in order to gain the title of ArdRhí and a young girl named Lumi who had been blessed by the gods with the ability of a seer.
The setting of the story was incredibly well thought out - from the culture and traditions of Drasilgard itself, the different point of views in the story from different eras to the dynamic characters. I admire the process and the hard work that the author had to go through to come up with this fictional land, making something out of nothing.
While reading the book, I felt like I was on an adventure with Astra and Lumi. It was fun and exciting. The author wrote this story in such a way that their problems were your problems, their joy was your joy, their emotional connection with the other character was your emotional connection as well. You will feel yourself being dragged along on this adventure to continue on the culture of the land of Drasilgard, defeating evil and bringing hope to the nation.
Towards the end, the story gets a little bit too rushed. I do understand why it is so (and you will too if you read the story) but I felt myself wanting more and more of the book. With every page I flipped, I wanted to see more of Astra, more of Lumi, of Bai, of Lutin... I wanted more. That's the emotional connection you feel towards these characters.
The flow of the book was incredible. It was an easy read if you were to ignore the names of the Rhí's and the gods, because at some moment, it'd be too much to remember. Nonetheless, this book is a book that it is nearly impossible to put down.
Message me at justbooks28@gmail.com if you'd like your book to be reviewed!
*A review copy was provided to Oh Just Books by the author in exchange for an honest review*
The moment I finished this book, my first and only thought was "I need this to be a movie."
The story follows the daughter of the ArdRhí of Drasilgard, Astra Ardal who needs to fight her siblings in order to gain the title of ArdRhí and a young girl named Lumi who had been blessed by the gods with the ability of a seer.
The setting of the story was incredibly well thought out - from the culture and traditions of Drasilgard itself, the different point of views in the story from different eras to the dynamic characters. I admire the process and the hard work that the author had to go through to come up with this fictional land, making something out of nothing.
While reading the book, I felt like I was on an adventure with Astra and Lumi. It was fun and exciting. The author wrote this story in such a way that their problems were your problems, their joy was your joy, their emotional connection with the other character was your emotional connection as well. You will feel yourself being dragged along on this adventure to continue on the culture of the land of Drasilgard, defeating evil and bringing hope to the nation.
Towards the end, the story gets a little bit too rushed. I do understand why it is so (and you will too if you read the story) but I felt myself wanting more and more of the book. With every page I flipped, I wanted to see more of Astra, more of Lumi, of Bai, of Lutin... I wanted more. That's the emotional connection you feel towards these characters.
The flow of the book was incredible. It was an easy read if you were to ignore the names of the Rhí's and the gods, because at some moment, it'd be too much to remember. Nonetheless, this book is a book that it is nearly impossible to put down.
Message me at justbooks28@gmail.com if you'd like your book to be reviewed!
*A review copy was provided to Oh Just Books by the author in exchange for an honest review*
February 4, 2018
"The Foreseen" is a fantasy story about two women who make a stand in a decidedly patriarchal medieval society where the "old ways" of the gods are mostly forgotten, making people cruel towards nature. It's a very straightforward tale with virtually no surprises, and interesting, multilayered characterization is put on the backburner in favor of lore and simplicity of plot. It's not bad for a standalone book, but the author should put less emphasis on the old fantasy troupe of "destiny" and use commas more often.
February 13, 2018
A solid four stars (14/20). I was offered a free copy in return for an honest review.
Full and detailed critique here: https://rhianwriting.wordpress.com/20...
Full and detailed critique here: https://rhianwriting.wordpress.com/20...
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews