Minstrel's Call

The Minstrel's Song #4

by Jenelle Leanne Schmidt, Ally Morcom (Editor)

War threatens. The game board is set. But the Minstrel is missing...

Advancing his growing power, the Dread Prince breaks free of his prison and brings a faction of dragons under his control, stirring unrest and hatred in the newly united kingdoms of Tellurae Aquaous.

When the dragon wards of Kallayohm are targeted in a ruthless attack, the High King travels there to administer justice. But the trial results in a crippling blow that leaves him reeling.

On the heels of defeat, an unexpected message from the erstwhile Minstrel arrives, pleading with his friends for rescue...

Genres: Fantasy

552 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Come along with me on an epic adventure. We will face dragons (we might even ride them), we will pilot airships. We will fight villains. We will join a pirate crew. We will wield magical swords. We will fight the forces of evil.

And we will be home in time for dinner.

But we will not go home unchanged.

Fantastical adventures ahead! But be warned:
Safe Return Doubtful!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

During the days, I wrangle four small hobbits and help them along on their adventures.

Basically, I'm Gandalf.

But come evenings, when the hobbits are sleeping... I become my alter-ego: PLOT WIZARD (still a wizard, just a different kind)... and adventures await in the pages I scribble upon.

I'm a dreamer, a relentless opener of doors in the hope of someday finding passage to Narnia, and story girl.

I love hanging out on Goodreads, but it's not the best for actual conversation. If you want to chat books with me, come find me on instagram: @JenelleLSchmidt or at my blog: https://jenelleschmidt.com/blog

Reviews

[deborah o'carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

(GAAH. *HUGS BOOK* ALL THE STARS. <333)

THIS BOOK. AAAAAAAAAAAHH.

I will be calm, I will, but... just... I have no words, okay? I’m trying to, but all my thoughts are just swirling around in my head in a kaleidescope of sweeping-fantasy-epic and happiness and character love. MY FEELS.

When I finished reading it, I made a lot of incoherent noises of happiness, and hugged my cat and my sister, and danced around, pretty much in the clouds. ^_^ And then I just wanted to curl up and hug the book (which is awkward when it’s on my laptop... *cough*), and feel HAPPY BOOKISH THOUGHTS and think about everything that happened in it, and basically be ABSURDLY PLEASED WITH LIFE. But instead I’m going to write my review so that I can tell you all how much I liked this book, and why you have to read it too! :D

I love this series so, so much and this book was absolutely the PERFECT conclusion to it. I’ve just grown so fond and attached to this series and these characters and all of it! <3

Firstly, excuse me while I talk about SOME OF MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS of all time, namely Brant and KIERNAN KANE. Just—words do not suffice to talk about these awesome characters! I LOVE THEM SO. I’ve loved following their stories through this series and—this final book!! O_O SO much goes down in this volume. SO. MUCH. Reveals and twists and hardships and epicness... And I love them all the more for it. <3 These two characters ALONE are well worth reading this series in order to meet. :D As much as I love each of them on their own, their friendship-that’s-kinda-not IS MY FAVORITE THING. But Brant is the best warrior/king type of character, and Kiernan Kane is the bestest Minstrel ever and is so much more than he seems, and I can’t talk about him but JUST GO MEET HIM, OKAY.

The story itself is epic. EPIC, I TELL YOU. I was wondering, since it’s the last in a series and all, how it was going to pull this off. But I need not have worried, because it totally fulfilled my expectations. It’s a glorious sweeping epic and it was quite the adventure. I was absorbed in it, even in the slower parts, and by the end I was absolutely on the edge of my seat and SO EXTREMELY WORRIED about my precious friends and quite emotionally invested. Like. Just. THE TENSION. *collapses* This is final-book-wowness on a grand scale. Meep.

SO many things happen in this book, I don’t even know where to start! And also there are so many spoilers. O_O So... I probably can’t even say very much, because I don’t want to spoil them! (I mean, even things that are spoilers from previous books which are so much a part of this story... Reviewing the last book in a series is hard, guys. XD)

Suffice it to say that there is catastrophe and eucatastrophe, laughter and tears and soul-stirring calls to battle, cataclysmic fights and epic quests, music and light and darkness and hope and triumph. And it’s all so BEAUTIFUL. *sniffs* *hugs book* It can be fun and epic in turns (I know I keep using that word but I’m NOT EVEN SORRY), and just—words fail. It’s just the kind of fantasy I like, I suppose. ^_^ There’s even a thread of Christian allegory, in the best way possible. So well done!

I love this world, and the unique fantasy elements, like the dreamworld things and the portal prison and just EVERYTHING. So intriguing. Twissssts caught me off my guard, were fascinating, or I bounced up and down because I suspected them and YES. The quest to an arctic-like place (sooo cool!). I loved the ship!! :D (See gorgeous cover for details.) And oh, the prophecy THINGS! O_O Wow, wow, wow. Such reveals going on! And the Corridor, and just EVERYTHING HAPPENED. And the dragonssss, and other fantastical creatures! (The wind!) Absolutely brilliant and delightful.

Oh, and a random thing, but I LOVE the little almost-Arthurian dashes of mythology thrown around here and there in the series. :D And I also really enjoyed the snatches of quotes etc. at the beginning of the chapters (new in this book). They were fascinating, and showed such a depth to the history of the world of Tellurae Aquaous, like a rich tapestry we catch glimpses of. It really gave me a feel for that, and made me long to know more about all the stories hinted at!

All my character friends! I love them all and they’ve come so far and just— *HUGS THEM* They go through SO much in this book, but I loved standing with them and watching them come through it all. Kitry is an adorable new heroine, and I love continuing to follow the adventures of Kamarie and Oraeyn, Brant and Dylanna, Yole, Leila, Kiernan Kane, Jemson, Devrin, and the rest. <3 I could talk about each at length but this is getting long and also there would be so many spoilers. XD BUT I LOVE THEM. MY HEART.

Each book in The Minstrel’s Song series is more amazing than the last. I keep thinking “the next one can’t be better than this.” But they ARE. And the writing, too, is getting even better in each new installment! Yorien’s Hand was my favorite (it was also the first one I read, since I read them out of order... Oops.) and I re-read it and loved it all over again. And as I was reading Minstrel’s Call, I was like “Eh... it probably can’t be better than Yorien’s Hand.” BUT THEN SO MANY THINGS HAPPENED AND JUST. Every book builds on the previous one and becomes so much more epic and fantastic and it’s basically a climbing stair of awesome and I LOVE IT.

I love that this book and series are family-friendly fantasy, while still being epic and thrilling, and I fully intend to read these aloud to my siblings. (And also to get a shiny paperback of this one someday because I neeeed it on my shelf.)

It’s an enormous book, but I’m glad I got to spend a little more time with these beloved characters in this beautiful and perilous world. (BUT BRANT. AND KIERNAN. KIIIIERNAN!)

It’s practically perfect and I love it, and it was intense but made me absurdly happy, and just go read this series now. (And then come tell me so that we can flail about the spoilers in this book and how amazing Minstrel’s Call was. :D)

I received a free e-ARC from the author and these opinions are entirely my own.

(Review originally posted on my book blog, here: https://thepagedreamer.wordpress.com/...)

[Savannah Jezowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Minstrel’s Call by Jenelle Leanne Schmidt

This is one of those series that grows on you. I liked the first book, but I wasn’t invested enough in the story yet to truly appreciate it. The author was still growing her craft and developing her characters. By the time I got to book four, I found myself completely enraptured in her world, begging for more, and saddened to realize the series had finally come to an end. What an epic, enthralling adventure.

What I liked:
The world-building. Ms. Schmidt has a gift for painting full-scale worlds with unique cultures and compelling histories, a world so real I wish I could hop on a plane and go for a visit. The backstory is so rich and cleverly sprinkled throughout the story that I never felt as if I were sitting in a history class, but rather like I was living it as it happened.

The characters. Ah, the characters! Even the minor cast will tug at your heart and leave you wishing you had more. And I’m so glad that many of the cast carry over from book to book, allowing us to experience their tales to the fullest. Brant is, as always, my favorite—but the other characters grew on me even more. Particularly Yole, Kitry, the Minstrel and especially Kamarie. I felt that THIS book of all the books pulled her to her lowest and yet to her highest, finally giving her the chance to prove her mettle. I wept with her, cheered with her, longed for her to succeed.

The author’s voice. Ms. Schmidt has a compelling way with words. I love her descriptions, the richness of her passages, the detail and love she installs on the page. I tried to pick one quote from the book to share, but there are too many of them…I would have to copy half the book. I finally chose this bit, because it is at once chilling and beautiful.

“The sea of undead fighters was endless…Their ferocity was only matched by their eerie silence. Even as they fought and fell, they uttered not a word or cry, as if the silence of the grave had risen up to swallow the living.”

What I would have liked done differently:
Um. Not much. This story blew me away with its complexity and beauty. In the earlier books, the omniscient point of view was distracting and took me forever to get used to, but by the time she reached book four, Ms. Schmidt had mastered the technique so well I didn’t even NOTICE the point of view. I think I would have liked more of the story to be told from Kamarie’s perspective. So much of her adventure we see through the eyes of others, and her story is SO GOOD in this book. But I love the characters surrounding her too much to make a big fuss about this point, because in all honesty I wouldn’t want to give up a minute of my time with them either. My only other constructive comment is…why can’t there be a book five? Wink, wink. Just saying. I could really use one more book.

I suggest this book to fans of Tolkien and Lewis. If you like epic fantasy, compelling allegory and rich story-worlds, this book is a sure win. I rate this book PG for thematic elements and battle sequences.

[Daniel Dydek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fourth and final installment in the Minstrel's Song series and, holy goodness, Batman.

Everything that I had issue with in the first three installments are GONE. Absolutely everything! What's left behind is nothing but one of the best, epic, sweeping, emotional, wonderful stories I've ever read. Everything finally comes together: the writing is sound; pacing is perfect; no fluff, repetition, or head-scratching moments--just pure joy and fun. Wonderfully intense battles, the magic is off the chain, the characters stay true to themselves, the interweaving of all the plotlines is masterful...I can't get over it. And can we talk about how epic the final battle is, and how it never becomes overbearing? It's such a fine line to walk, and I've seen many an author fall on that point alone--not this time.

I'll admit, I went into this story biased. For a long time, I was still going to give this book a 4-star. Then--and I forget what point of the story--I sort of woke up and thought to myself: "there is no reason not to give this five stars." And I continued to enjoy every minute of it after that.

You need to read this book. Phenomenal and wonderful. I can't wait to read more by this author.

[Joseph Leskey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay . . . I have some thoughts. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't be writing this review. My thoughts consist mostly of the following:

1) Kiernan Kane is just about the most excellent character ever. That is absolute, objective, incontrovertible fact. It's a basic fundamental. Like the existence of iguanas.

2) This conclusion to the quadrilogy was an incredibly dynamic one, to use the phraseology of today. Unfortunately, that phraseology does not carry the weight I desire, but it's too late now.

Mostly, though: Kiernan Kane. I mean, this is an impressive character. But spoilers, so there goes any explanation.

Speaking of spoilers, all the twists and what-do-you-call-its were executed with such unwavering skill that I said to myself (though not in so many words), "Huh. That would make a pretty spoiling spoiler."

Now, let's just turn to character's in general, all right? I didn't quite hear your answer, so I'll take it as a yes (yes makes for a pretty useful noun, incidentally).

Characters. Now, don't suppose for one minute that there was Kiernan Kane the Glorious and then Generic Character A, Generic Character B, and Jane Doe, who was the embodiment of Trope II.A:32. As a matter of fact, all the characters had an impressive depth, depths that on average were comparable to that of South Pole–Aitken basin. Of particular interest are such characters as Brant, Kiernan Kane, Ina, Kaitryn, Kiernan Kane, Yole . . . actually, this is going to take a while, so just one tiny little "Kiernan Kane," and then I'll stop. Kiernan Kane. Stop. Actually, Brant and the rest of the above are particularly charming characters, too. For that reason, if I'm not careful and I continue writing about all this, I'm going to end up in what we programming types call an "infinite loop" – and those are miserable.

I'm not really going to explain the ends and outs of why the characters are well worth reading, but they're very well developed. There. Hopefully, you're satisfied.

"But surely this book started off badly?" you protest if you are pessimistic like that, hoping to stop me in my tracks before I continue spouting praise.
"Nope," I reply. "Great beginning, actually."
So much for your attempt.

Now—setting. This is just exactly the type of setting that deserves about two dozen people to dedicate a full twelve hours to periodically saying "Capital! Capital!" about it. It has dragons, which is pretty much enough. But it also has all the other good stuff like swords made out of dragon teeth archipelagos of a sort and staves and stuff like that. I am heartily fond of a staff. Oddly enough, @ReconditeStaff is my Twitter handle, and that has to tell you something. The book, furthermore, has richly composed kingdoms and corridors (and a Corridor, if you know what I mean).

By the way, every chapter begins with some excerpt or quote from the world and that's something that definitely needs to be done more in books.

"Was the plot—?" you might begin to ask.
"Yes," I reply helpfully because you were about to ask if it was worth anything, pretty much.
Okay, okay. I'll say a bit more; however, I don't want to spoil anything. The plot is one of those that have separate things going on but it's all doing the same thing, so the things all come together, and the thing happens. It's excellent, and it might do your joints good to read it – you never know. And it has Kiernan Kane and Brant and—et cetera.

Yes, I am aware such as the above isn't too helpful, but I honestly amn't very fussed about that fact.

Oh, this book also had its funny parts. There's something in its favor.

Now, I'm tired of this review, and, really, you already ought to be thrilled about this book because of my concise and detailed exposition of its merits in the character, plot, and worldbuilding departments, but, unfortunately, it is my habit to say something about the writing.

The writing wasn't half bad, to put it mildly. (Reaching the end of a review makes a person want to put things mildly.)

There. I'm done. Good.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best of the five that I have read by Jenelle L. Schmidt.
It has a little bit of everything in it. I was hard to put down, yet I did not want to finish it. Sure hope there will be a lot more from her!

[Anna Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5? stars

The Minstrel is missing. Brant receives a strange message from him requesting assistance. Assembling the people named in the prophecy, Brant and his friends set off to save the Minstrel—and the world—from the Dread Prince.

Even jumping in at book 4 (without having read the first three), Schmidt’s storytelling is strong enough that you’re oriented to the world rather quickly and seamlessly, barring a few info dumps. Though if I think they’re info dumps, people who have read the series from the start might be rather frustrated at the repetition… on the other hand, this one book is long enough that by the end of it, I’d forgotten stuff that happened in the beginning, so maybe some of it is necessary. (I re-read the prologue after completing the book and went OH NOW I GET IT, which I suppose is what vague prologues are for.)

The world is beautifully complex. There’s the myth folk (dragons and other mythical creatures), the human kingdoms, the dragon wards, merfolk, were-peoples and various other mythological/extrabiblical-type beings that appear, each with their own cultures and backgrounds. Some of them seem rather squashed into this story, though that could be because I haven’t read the first three books. The only quibble I have with the world is that Schmidt seems to fall into that old trope of white/beautiful = good and ugly/dark/weird = bad, which is an easy shorthand, I know, but rather problematic.

Minstrel’s Call is a typical high fantasy—a good vs evil story orchestrated by prophecy, which obviously has to be in verse. Coincidences and deus ex machina happen frequently, explained away by being orchestrated by Kiernan Kane, this almost-Godlike-but-not-God figure in the world. In this way, it fits squarely into the genre.

My main disgruntlement is that in some ways, Minstrel’s Call feels derivative of canon: The Belgariad (David Eddings); Voyage of the Dawn Treader (CS Lewis); The Wheel of Time series (Robert Jordan). It’s something of what I felt when I first read Christopher Paolini’s Eragon, where the sources felt too raw, too similar, too obvious, though Schmidt does a better job at pulling it all together into the narrative of Minstrel’s Call.

Minstrel’s Call is a great read if you love everything in the genre, but not so good if you’re looking for something new.

[Jeffrey A. Dewey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

What a way to end a saga! Or is the beginning of a new saga? I couldn't put the book down but I did have to sleep sometime. 😁

[Jim Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic Finale to an Epic YA Adventure



Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Minstrel's Call is the 4th (and final?) book in the Minstrel's Song series. 5 years have passed since book 3. We can start with the expected: a great threat to the world, prophecy and a quest. However this volume more than any other in the series builds on the previous volumes and expands upon them. The party is split into different locations and purposes. Battles are fought in the different planes and in different ways. Secrets and mysteries previously hinted at are given satisfying and exciting explanations. New characters are introduced and you will find yourself menaced and enchanted by them just as much as you have the previous characters.


Jenelle Leanne Schmidt has grown as a writer and this story shows her balancing a larger scope with more complex plotting and really gives each character moments to shine. The finale is fittingly epic and while this makes a very satisfying conclusion unto itself and the series as a whole, part of me hopes somewhere down the line we may revisit the world again - even if just to check in on beloved characters and see how the rising generation grows into the their own.


I fear to say anything more specific as there are plenty of thrills, surprises and tearful moments along the way. If you have read the first three books you need to read this chapter.


Benjamin Fife continues his role as narrator and brings each character to life with a unique voice and even sings several songs throughout the performance. He brings a shine to this magical gem.

There is death, loss and tragedy - so if you have younger readers make sure they are mature enough to handle that. However the book is clean of gore, sexual content or strong language.

[Paula Dyches · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Finale- Highly Recommend Them!!

I absolutely loved how well this one wrapped up the series and yet there's potential should she want to continue it. I don't want to give anything away, so I'm sorry if this review comes off a bit vague. This book lost any of the predictability that there had been at times in the previous books, and then add the picked up pace as the battles intensify-- it only makes it harder to put the book down. Just be prepared for this to take a few days to get through as it is an 20 hour book.

This series is perfect for any age (clean enough for all but probably 3rd grade & up) that loves large book fantasy sagas like The Lord of the Rings, Fablehaven, The Five Kingdoms, and The Beyonders. These books really need to be read in order to get the most out of them and I will absolutely be reading them again.

The narrator does a phenomenal job as always and really is one of my favorite narrators. He just does such a wonderful job with all the voice differentiation, accents, and his overall acting is all top-notch.

—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Sara Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything comes to a head. All the kingdoms, even a few we haven't yet met. All the forces of evil. All of the leaders who we've come to know and love over the course of the series step up to play their role. There is a great battle. Sacrifices will be made. Lives will be lost. And finally, we learn who the minstrel is and if the one he serves is as good and as powerful as the minstrel believes he is.

It's an amazing finale. I'm sad for it to be over but blown away by how good this series was. I am ready to start reading it all over again and will be listing it among my favorite family-friendly, good-versus-evil epic fiction series.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the narrator and have reviewed it willingly.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook: I enjoyed book 4 of "The Minstrel's Song" series a lot. Each book in the series was great, but this impressive conclusion to the series was remarkable. From the beginning until the end, I was absorbed into the story. I liked the characters. I appreciated the non-stop action. The tale had some surprises and flashes of humor. Benjamin Fife's narration was brilliant, and his performance brought the story to life. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.

[Tressan Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent

Just finished the whole series Thoroughly enjoyed these books. They are filled will adventure; excitement; despair and crazy creatures. Mermaids; dragons and wizards; oh my. Such fun but also so much truth about good and evil and the creator of it all.

[Leda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enticing wrap-up of four marvielus books.

[Laurin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I enjoyed the entire series, this was my favorite! Wonderful epic fantasy.

[Carol Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A satisfying conclusion to the series! An engrossing series … action packed. Reminiscent of Narnia! I received a free copy of the audiobook, with no obligation.