What do you think?
Rate this book
The Coven of Zora #1
Rising
When Xavier arrives home on the last day of school, he walks into a horrifying scene of his uncle being consumed by a demon. After being rescued by a vampire named Serea, he finds himself thrust into a dark reality as a fledgling witch. Now Xavier must chart a new life while within the confines of the mysterious organization known as Zora. Can Xavier and his fellow witches protect themselves and humanity from a plot that threatens their nation?
409 pages, ebook
Published February 17, 2018
About the author
L.D. Valentine
2 books10 followersI am a music loving, video game playing, anime watching, comic book reading, movie debating, sword collecting ball of nerd who has an unhealthy relationship with tea and YouTube. Oh, and I love writing more than anything. I have always loved creating with words. My imagination was wild, and since I couldn’t draw to save my life, I turned to writing. Fast forward more years and I realize that queer representation is…in need of some help. I always enjoyed reading these amazing adventures in fantasy and sci-fi despite always being slightly depressed that I could never see myself in those characters. So I said, “To hell with waiting,” and decided to make my own. Now, with some effort and just smidge of luck, I will show this new generation that they can be the heroes. They’re meant for more than just being the side character, and I intend to show them that.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 27, 2020
This is one of the most fun books I’ve had the pleasure of reading. For anyone who loves superheroes, comic books, and gaming, this is absolutely a must-read.
The first thing that delighted me was how many of my own favorite “nerdy” things are reflected in the story. I won’t spoil it, but I definitely picked out the hints and flavors of lots of good stuff. I’m a big fan of stories where people discover their powers and then use them for the good of the world, and this definitely met my expectations.
That said, even though these are the good guys, they are all complex and have their flaws. This first book in the series is told from Xavier’s perspective. He’s hard on himself and struggles to learn some of what he needs to fight the forces of evil. He’s got a team that has his back, but it’s not always enough. He has to learn to be confident and trust himself as much as he’s learned to trust the others.
I love, love, love that this is a Mighty Queer Story. It’s both part of the fabric of the tale and also something entirely ordinary in a world of extraordinary. At the start of the story, Xavier’s never dated anyone, but it isn’t because of homophobic bullying or bigotry. It’s simply because his life has been rough and he hasn’t had opportunity. I very much like when there are reasons for a queer character’s struggles that go beyond identity hate.
Another plus is the diversity of the cast. The characters come from all different races and backgrounds, and that is yet another part of the book where it’s not made into a specific issue of bigotry. Do their cultures inform who they are? Yes. But they are far too busy taking down demons to fuss with each other over who they are.
There isn’t a ton of time wasted on long exposition about the world. I was thrown in the deep end, and I loved it. There is a lot of action, and it’s easy to pick up everything from context. The fight scenes are nicely balanced with training and quieter moments. Through it all, the characters all grow both within themselves and in their powers.
Some things are explained by way of conversations, and I like that too. No one is silently brooding here. These characters know they have to bare it all with each other or they won’t be able to fight side by side. There’s even a sweet romance between two of the characters. To be honest, I didn’t quite see it coming at first, and then it slowly blossomed.
Overall, this was well-written, fun, and exciting. I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes from here. For plenty of action, great characters, and a compelling plot, this gets 5 stars.
The first thing that delighted me was how many of my own favorite “nerdy” things are reflected in the story. I won’t spoil it, but I definitely picked out the hints and flavors of lots of good stuff. I’m a big fan of stories where people discover their powers and then use them for the good of the world, and this definitely met my expectations.
That said, even though these are the good guys, they are all complex and have their flaws. This first book in the series is told from Xavier’s perspective. He’s hard on himself and struggles to learn some of what he needs to fight the forces of evil. He’s got a team that has his back, but it’s not always enough. He has to learn to be confident and trust himself as much as he’s learned to trust the others.
I love, love, love that this is a Mighty Queer Story. It’s both part of the fabric of the tale and also something entirely ordinary in a world of extraordinary. At the start of the story, Xavier’s never dated anyone, but it isn’t because of homophobic bullying or bigotry. It’s simply because his life has been rough and he hasn’t had opportunity. I very much like when there are reasons for a queer character’s struggles that go beyond identity hate.
Another plus is the diversity of the cast. The characters come from all different races and backgrounds, and that is yet another part of the book where it’s not made into a specific issue of bigotry. Do their cultures inform who they are? Yes. But they are far too busy taking down demons to fuss with each other over who they are.
There isn’t a ton of time wasted on long exposition about the world. I was thrown in the deep end, and I loved it. There is a lot of action, and it’s easy to pick up everything from context. The fight scenes are nicely balanced with training and quieter moments. Through it all, the characters all grow both within themselves and in their powers.
Some things are explained by way of conversations, and I like that too. No one is silently brooding here. These characters know they have to bare it all with each other or they won’t be able to fight side by side. There’s even a sweet romance between two of the characters. To be honest, I didn’t quite see it coming at first, and then it slowly blossomed.
Overall, this was well-written, fun, and exciting. I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes from here. For plenty of action, great characters, and a compelling plot, this gets 5 stars.
June 29, 2020
This had a bit of a fast start for me but I really enjoyed it! It’s refreshing to see such a diverse set of characters but I wished I could have gotten to know them better. Overall really enjoyed it and can’t wait for the next one!
February 3, 2023
Rough around the edges but a delightful story with likeable characters and an engaging plot
Rising (The Coven of Zora #1) by L D Valentine is a queer fantasy novel about a multiracial group of gay young adults who each control a different element and use spells.
The book centers on Xavier, an 18-year-old gay Navajo guy whose introduction into the world of magic involves watching a demon kill his uncle, and it almost killing him. Xavier controls fire and becomes the leader of his coven of 6 males witches, all of whom are gay. He struggles with magic and feelings of self-worth, inadequacy, and trust issues.
After Zora recruits him and the others, they train a bit then begin going on demon-killing missions, and it’s on one such mission that Xavier meets Alexander Kiras, Scion of House Asmodai, one of the four major demonic houses.
Alexander reveals he’s been killing off witches before a full coven could form and is intrigued how he missed Xavier’s coven; he also expresses his carnal interest in Xavier. Alexander then begins a cat and mouse game with Xavier and his coven, leading to a final confrontation between him and Xavier.
I liked Xavier a lot and thought he was Black until he mentioned being Navajo. I also thought Nate, Danny, Max, and the other characters were interesting but not as fleshed out as they could be. Also, the relationship between Xavier and Adam, who controls water, was okay but came off as a bit tacked on.
But it was nice to see a group of queer superheroes on the page.
My biggest complaints and what I feel keep this from being a 5-star book are the clunky dialogue and sentences and the ending which was very anticlimactic and abrupt. However, these issues were only minor, and I can’t wait for the next in the series to be released.
I give Rising (The Coven of Zora #1) 4.0 (rounded up from 3.8) stars. Definitely check this out if you enjoy action-packed fantasy with diverse queer leads.
Rising (The Coven of Zora #1) by L D Valentine is a queer fantasy novel about a multiracial group of gay young adults who each control a different element and use spells.
The book centers on Xavier, an 18-year-old gay Navajo guy whose introduction into the world of magic involves watching a demon kill his uncle, and it almost killing him. Xavier controls fire and becomes the leader of his coven of 6 males witches, all of whom are gay. He struggles with magic and feelings of self-worth, inadequacy, and trust issues.
After Zora recruits him and the others, they train a bit then begin going on demon-killing missions, and it’s on one such mission that Xavier meets Alexander Kiras, Scion of House Asmodai, one of the four major demonic houses.
Alexander reveals he’s been killing off witches before a full coven could form and is intrigued how he missed Xavier’s coven; he also expresses his carnal interest in Xavier. Alexander then begins a cat and mouse game with Xavier and his coven, leading to a final confrontation between him and Xavier.
I liked Xavier a lot and thought he was Black until he mentioned being Navajo. I also thought Nate, Danny, Max, and the other characters were interesting but not as fleshed out as they could be. Also, the relationship between Xavier and Adam, who controls water, was okay but came off as a bit tacked on.
But it was nice to see a group of queer superheroes on the page.
My biggest complaints and what I feel keep this from being a 5-star book are the clunky dialogue and sentences and the ending which was very anticlimactic and abrupt. However, these issues were only minor, and I can’t wait for the next in the series to be released.
I give Rising (The Coven of Zora #1) 4.0 (rounded up from 3.8) stars. Definitely check this out if you enjoy action-packed fantasy with diverse queer leads.
April 8, 2020
A great start to the series - will review in more detail when I have time.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews