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Blessed Bane #1
Caledonia Destiny
A twist of fate changed both their destinies.
The wyrbears, once a long-lived species, were being lost to the forest in their prime. A people borne of a curse, their abilities not a gift but something wrongly taken, they nonetheless live in harmony with their animal spirits. But over time the curse they lived under changed, mutated, and now what once was a refuge from the world when they became too weary is culling mathan in their prime.
Ewen mhic Friscalach, the leader of his peoples, lost his father too early and is now a widower with four children. The vow he made as a youth to break the curse afflicting wyrbears has been buried by grief and responsibility.
Roi mhic Alric, a priest of Cerridwen and seer, watched his fellow priests slaughtered and his temple desecrated. The only thing that kept him going the last three horror-filled years was the vision Cerridwen had granted him of his emancipation. If freedom came at the cost of his life, well, he was more than ready for the Otherworld.
A fated meeting upon a bloody field of battle. A wrong done long ago. Their choices could save a people… or send them into extinction. Either way, their love will be legend.
The wyrbears, once a long-lived species, were being lost to the forest in their prime. A people borne of a curse, their abilities not a gift but something wrongly taken, they nonetheless live in harmony with their animal spirits. But over time the curse they lived under changed, mutated, and now what once was a refuge from the world when they became too weary is culling mathan in their prime.
Ewen mhic Friscalach, the leader of his peoples, lost his father too early and is now a widower with four children. The vow he made as a youth to break the curse afflicting wyrbears has been buried by grief and responsibility.
Roi mhic Alric, a priest of Cerridwen and seer, watched his fellow priests slaughtered and his temple desecrated. The only thing that kept him going the last three horror-filled years was the vision Cerridwen had granted him of his emancipation. If freedom came at the cost of his life, well, he was more than ready for the Otherworld.
A fated meeting upon a bloody field of battle. A wrong done long ago. Their choices could save a people… or send them into extinction. Either way, their love will be legend.
327 pages, ebook
First published July 9, 2018
18 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
Lexi Ander
36 books453 followersLexi has always been an avid reader and at a young age started reading (secretly) her mother’s romances (the ones she was told not to touch). She was the only teenager she knew of who would be grounded from reading. Later, with a pencil and a note book, she wrote her own stories and shared them with friends because she loved to see their reactions. A Texas transplant, Lexi now kicks her boots up in the Midwest with her Yankee husband and her 80 pound puppies named after vacuum cleaners.
Website: http://www.lexiander.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lexi.ander.9
Blog: http://lexiander.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LexiAnder1
Email: lexi.ander.author@gmail.com
Website: http://www.lexiander.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lexi.ander.9
Blog: http://lexiander.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LexiAnder1
Email: lexi.ander.author@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 27, 2025
Reread July 2023
Gah still love this book 🥰
Reread March 2021
I fall in love with these two more every time. I find this book to be highly romantic, and I love the setting.
Reread December 2019
I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of reading this.
Reread March 2019
I finally convinced my buddy, Janie, to read this so I decided to reread it again with her. I don't think she liked it as much as me, but it is still one of my favorite MM fantasy romance books.
Reread November 2018
I just read this in July of this year but I loved it so much I decided to reread it. It was just as good this time if not better. Fantasy romance is my favorite genre, especially historical fantasy. This has everything I could want from shifters to magic. I love Roi and Ewen so much and while I want to slap Ewen a couple of times, he gets his head out of his ass and is an amazing hero who loves Roi with his whole heart.
This says it's book 1 of a series but could be read totally as a standalone. It ends in a good place. I honestly don't know why it doesn't have more reviews. If you love swoon-worthy heroes, I encourage you to pick it up.
Originally read July 2018
This...this right here is what I love in a PNR/Fantasy story. It had romance, intrigue, mystery, magic, shifters...I F'N LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT. I would give it 10000 stars if I could.
Lexi Ander is an auto-buy author for me. Something about her writing grabs me from page one and this was no different. It's historical but set in an alternate universe with magic and shifters. True to Lexi's MO there's awesome world building and interesting characters introduced.
Roi oh bless him. He broke my heart for a lot of the book. I wanted so badly for him to find his one true soul mate and belong to someone and somewhere. He had so much hardship and heartache in his life.
Ewen took me some time to warm up to. He didn't want to want Roi at first. He struggled with what fate had set forth and at times he was not so nice to Roi.
But he gets his head out of his ass and I then, came to love him as much as Roi. At the end, I burst into tears right along with him.
But, there's also another love brewing that just made me jump for joy and I want to see more of that. One of these is a special person who deserves what he's always longed for.
This even had a troupe I hate but Lexi made it work. I had no doubt in my mind that Roi was Ewen's mate in all ways and he loved him with all his soul.
There's so much I could say but I don't want to spoil anything but it was everything I had hoped and I just cannot wait for more. I need more books like yesterday!
Gah still love this book 🥰
Reread March 2021
I fall in love with these two more every time. I find this book to be highly romantic, and I love the setting.
Reread December 2019
I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of reading this.
Reread March 2019
I finally convinced my buddy, Janie, to read this so I decided to reread it again with her. I don't think she liked it as much as me, but it is still one of my favorite MM fantasy romance books.
Reread November 2018
I just read this in July of this year but I loved it so much I decided to reread it. It was just as good this time if not better. Fantasy romance is my favorite genre, especially historical fantasy. This has everything I could want from shifters to magic. I love Roi and Ewen so much and while I want to slap Ewen a couple of times, he gets his head out of his ass and is an amazing hero who loves Roi with his whole heart.
This says it's book 1 of a series but could be read totally as a standalone. It ends in a good place. I honestly don't know why it doesn't have more reviews. If you love swoon-worthy heroes, I encourage you to pick it up.
"Ages could wax and wane, civilizations rise and fall, yet he would ever love Ewen."
"Your fate be tied to me. You be mine, Roi mhic Alric. You belong by my side until the end of your days, and thereafter I shall bargain with the gods to have you with me in all other lives, whether we be reborn or sent to the Otherworld. Neither man nor god shall steal you from me. Not after you proclaimed your love for me. I missed not those precious words that slipped from your lips. I shan’t abandon you to any fate that does not include me.”
Originally read July 2018
This...this right here is what I love in a PNR/Fantasy story. It had romance, intrigue, mystery, magic, shifters...I F'N LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT. I would give it 10000 stars if I could.
Lexi Ander is an auto-buy author for me. Something about her writing grabs me from page one and this was no different. It's historical but set in an alternate universe with magic and shifters. True to Lexi's MO there's awesome world building and interesting characters introduced.
Roi oh bless him. He broke my heart for a lot of the book. I wanted so badly for him to find his one true soul mate and belong to someone and somewhere. He had so much hardship and heartache in his life.
"Belonging. He belonged nowhere. It was time he accepted that simple truth. Natheless, Roi hated himself for wanting what he could never have."
Ewen took me some time to warm up to. He didn't want to want Roi at first. He struggled with what fate had set forth and at times he was not so nice to Roi.
"Roi desperately yearned for Lord Ewen to touch him again but dared not ask. Lord Ewen’s countenance was a battle betwixt confusion and anger."
But he gets his head out of his ass and I then, came to love him as much as Roi. At the end, I burst into tears right along with him.
But, there's also another love brewing that just made me jump for joy and I want to see more of that. One of these is a special person who deserves what he's always longed for.
This even had a troupe I hate but Lexi made it work. I had no doubt in my mind that Roi was Ewen's mate in all ways and he loved him with all his soul.
“Loving you be as much in my nature as drawing my next breath. I cannot separate the two, ’cause if I only have one without the other, I would die an agonizing breath. My affection for you shall not fail, my maik-marrae.”
There's so much I could say but I don't want to spoil anything but it was everything I had hoped and I just cannot wait for more. I need more books like yesterday!
"Ewen grasped Roi’s face between his palms, a thumb running over Roi’s bottom lip. “I know what I want. You?” He raised his eyes to Ewen’s, heart beating hard in his chest. “Everything,” Roi whispered."
June 27, 2018
Lexi Ander has always been a favorite author of mine because of her unique worlds and lovable characters, and while this book is certainly unique it didn't quite hit the mark for me and I'm not sure why.
The world is thoroughly fleshed out and Ander has clearly put a ton of research into building her story. She even begins the book with an Author's Note explaining her choice in dialogue and the use of archaic languages. Some people may be put off by the dialogue and it certainly takes some getting used to but I liked it, even if I did have to read a bit slower to make sure I understood everything.
The main characters Ewen and Roi made a great couple and I enjoyed having both of their POVs. Their relationship is a "destined/fated mate" sort of thing (which I'm always a sucker for), but I liked how they still had to work at being a couple and everything didn't just fall into place.
I have to say that the ending was my favorite although it seemed a bit rushed after having the rest of the book move at a much slower pace. There were so many things at the end that I didn't see coming and I loved that. The broken relationship between Ewen and Bear (the bear spirit inside of Ewen) was one of my favorite aspects of the story and seeing how it played out at the end was so surprising (but in an awesome way).
You may be asking if I liked so many things about this book then why the 3.5 Star rating? Well, while the world and plot were unique, and I liked the characters well enough, I wasn't as engaged in the story as I have been with Ander's other works like Sumeria's Sons and The Valespian Pact. The ending was the only part that truly held my attention...
I loved the concept, but there was just something about this book that didn't click with me. Maybe if I mull it over for a few days I'll be able to pinpoint the issue and then edit this review a bit. It could just be a case of "it's not you, it's me".
If you've enjoyed Lexi Ander's work in the past or just want a cool historical fantasy to read then I suggest giving this one a try. Hopefully it'll resonate with you better than it did me!
3.5 Stars
The world is thoroughly fleshed out and Ander has clearly put a ton of research into building her story. She even begins the book with an Author's Note explaining her choice in dialogue and the use of archaic languages. Some people may be put off by the dialogue and it certainly takes some getting used to but I liked it, even if I did have to read a bit slower to make sure I understood everything.
The main characters Ewen and Roi made a great couple and I enjoyed having both of their POVs. Their relationship is a "destined/fated mate" sort of thing (which I'm always a sucker for), but I liked how they still had to work at being a couple and everything didn't just fall into place.
I have to say that the ending was my favorite although it seemed a bit rushed after having the rest of the book move at a much slower pace. There were so many things at the end that I didn't see coming and I loved that. The broken relationship between Ewen and Bear (the bear spirit inside of Ewen) was one of my favorite aspects of the story and seeing how it played out at the end was so surprising (but in an awesome way).
You may be asking if I liked so many things about this book then why the 3.5 Star rating? Well, while the world and plot were unique, and I liked the characters well enough, I wasn't as engaged in the story as I have been with Ander's other works like Sumeria's Sons and The Valespian Pact. The ending was the only part that truly held my attention...
I loved the concept, but there was just something about this book that didn't click with me. Maybe if I mull it over for a few days I'll be able to pinpoint the issue and then edit this review a bit. It could just be a case of "it's not you, it's me".
If you've enjoyed Lexi Ander's work in the past or just want a cool historical fantasy to read then I suggest giving this one a try. Hopefully it'll resonate with you better than it did me!
3.5 Stars
July 12, 2018
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
Wow. Author Lexi Ander has packed a whole lot of story, fantasy, and history into Caledonia Destiny. Sometimes it works perfectly, and other times it feels like an impending train wreck, but admittedly it is always entertaining. Ewen and Roi are both exceptionally well defined and easy to relate to. Despite that this is a case of instant attraction, their romance is relatively slow building, which helps it feel more realistic. The romance is of the epic variety and quite fun. It’s all brooding alpha male versus scrappy, yet mysterious stranger and it works despite the pandemonium happening around the couple. I give Lexi Ander huge props for trying and at least partially succeeding to create something unusual and new with the shifter genre. There are familiar elements, of course, but the idea of the human and their shifter selves being separate beings was clever and added a unique spin to Caledonia Destiny. There’s a lot to love in this book, which actually makes the issues somehow even more maddening than usual.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
4.25 stars
Wow. Author Lexi Ander has packed a whole lot of story, fantasy, and history into Caledonia Destiny. Sometimes it works perfectly, and other times it feels like an impending train wreck, but admittedly it is always entertaining. Ewen and Roi are both exceptionally well defined and easy to relate to. Despite that this is a case of instant attraction, their romance is relatively slow building, which helps it feel more realistic. The romance is of the epic variety and quite fun. It’s all brooding alpha male versus scrappy, yet mysterious stranger and it works despite the pandemonium happening around the couple. I give Lexi Ander huge props for trying and at least partially succeeding to create something unusual and new with the shifter genre. There are familiar elements, of course, but the idea of the human and their shifter selves being separate beings was clever and added a unique spin to Caledonia Destiny. There’s a lot to love in this book, which actually makes the issues somehow even more maddening than usual.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
March 29, 2019
Rating: 3 stars
I had a hard time getting into to this book. Especially in the beginning. The archaic style of writing didn’t help. While I had no trouble understanding it, it was tedious to read. The only thing that kept me reading was finding out how Roy and Ewen were able to break the curse. While, I felt that the ending was satisfactory, some of what transpired happened off page and I wanted more details as to how the events came about. So while I did like the story, it wasn’t one of my favorite and I won’t be re-reading it any time soon.
I had a hard time getting into to this book. Especially in the beginning. The archaic style of writing didn’t help. While I had no trouble understanding it, it was tedious to read. The only thing that kept me reading was finding out how Roy and Ewen were able to break the curse. While, I felt that the ending was satisfactory, some of what transpired happened off page and I wanted more details as to how the events came about. So while I did like the story, it wasn’t one of my favorite and I won’t be re-reading it any time soon.
July 9, 2018
You can tell a lot of work and love has gone into creating Caledonia Destiny. I got a good sense of the time and culture of the setting. Although some of the names are hard to pronounce, and every once and awhile there was an awkward sentence or two, I was completely immersed in the world.
Roi and Ewen, as well as many other characters, were well rounded and real. There was a little bit of fated mate going on, though I was glad it wasn’t love at first sight. I felt their connection and was rooting for them the whole way.
There were a few twists that I totally didn’t see. I felt the end resolution happened quite abruptly and sort of off page which left me unsatisfied at the end. However, I loved the book as a whole. I see that this is just book one. I hope the rest of the series follows Roi and Ewen rather than a different couple.
If you love paranormal with your history, this would be a good choice!
*I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Roi and Ewen, as well as many other characters, were well rounded and real. There was a little bit of fated mate going on, though I was glad it wasn’t love at first sight. I felt their connection and was rooting for them the whole way.
There were a few twists that I totally didn’t see. I felt the end resolution happened quite abruptly and sort of off page which left me unsatisfied at the end. However, I loved the book as a whole. I see that this is just book one. I hope the rest of the series follows Roi and Ewen rather than a different couple.
If you love paranormal with your history, this would be a good choice!
*I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 17, 2018
This book is the first in a new series by one of my favorite authors. This is also a far different type of story than what Lexi Ander usually writes as it is not so much sci-fi/fantasy as her other stories are. Nevertheless, there is still a fantastical element woven throughout with the idea of wyrbears, buildsears, and the old Celtic gods walking around. I loved how the language also helped to immerse the reader into the time and place of this particular story, with words that were very specific to the period, even if we were in an alternate Olde Tyme Scotland. Ewen and especially Roi were characters that I was immediately able to fall in love with, although Ewen took a little longer to warm up to seeing how stubborn and set in his ways he was. Roi, on the other hand, broke my heart upon introduction and then just kept on breaking it. I also loved Donn's strength and conviction and Arailt's steadfastness.
As per usual with any of Lexi Ander's stories, there were plenty of secondary characters to fall in love with as well. I hope that we see more of them in the following books. There were a few hints in this one that there were some things left unfinished, so there is a good chance we will see more of the secondary characters get their chance in the spotlight as well.
Despite the fact that I do love this new series, I had to give it 4 stars because of several reasons. First, it was a bit confusing in the beginning who was being discussed when the conversation kept going round the various kings and at one point I had to keep rereading several pages back to make sure I had all the kings straight (ie who was the good one and who was bad and who was siding with whom). Second, the chapters start off being labeled as being from a particular character's POV but then sometimes it would change to another character within the same chapter; this is not counting the fact that the 1st several chapters were clearly marked by their respective character's POV and then that stopped for the rest of the book. Third, the language used, as I mentioned earlier, was typical of the period and yet sometimes the characters would speak with "ye" and "yer" and then in the same sentence or a couple sentences later say "you" or "your" instead, which was a bit jarring. Finally, although most of the book progressed at a specific pace, the end of the book seemed somewhat rushed, with most of the climactic action occurring in the last two chapters. Yes, it was the most emotionally captivating moment of the entire book (tissue alert for those like me who tend to get emotional at the drop of a hat), but I would have liked to see more of an...explanation? I'm still trying to process the entire book and it feels like there is still more to say, that there is something unfinished, but maybe that is where the next books in the series come in. Overall, I am absolutely in love with this new series and can't wait until the next book comes out to find out what the Caledonia Woods have in store for us next.
*I was given this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.*
As per usual with any of Lexi Ander's stories, there were plenty of secondary characters to fall in love with as well. I hope that we see more of them in the following books. There were a few hints in this one that there were some things left unfinished, so there is a good chance we will see more of the secondary characters get their chance in the spotlight as well.
Despite the fact that I do love this new series, I had to give it 4 stars because of several reasons. First, it was a bit confusing in the beginning who was being discussed when the conversation kept going round the various kings and at one point I had to keep rereading several pages back to make sure I had all the kings straight (ie who was the good one and who was bad and who was siding with whom). Second, the chapters start off being labeled as being from a particular character's POV but then sometimes it would change to another character within the same chapter; this is not counting the fact that the 1st several chapters were clearly marked by their respective character's POV and then that stopped for the rest of the book. Third, the language used, as I mentioned earlier, was typical of the period and yet sometimes the characters would speak with "ye" and "yer" and then in the same sentence or a couple sentences later say "you" or "your" instead, which was a bit jarring. Finally, although most of the book progressed at a specific pace, the end of the book seemed somewhat rushed, with most of the climactic action occurring in the last two chapters. Yes, it was the most emotionally captivating moment of the entire book (tissue alert for those like me who tend to get emotional at the drop of a hat), but I would have liked to see more of an...explanation? I'm still trying to process the entire book and it feels like there is still more to say, that there is something unfinished, but maybe that is where the next books in the series come in. Overall, I am absolutely in love with this new series and can't wait until the next book comes out to find out what the Caledonia Woods have in store for us next.
*I was given this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.*
July 6, 2018
Okay let me start by saying I love all of Lexi Anders books. She is always a one click author for me. That being said this book was a little hard to get into just because of the old language that was used in the time period that it's set in. She does give a lexicon(dictionary) of the language and what they mean at the beginning so if you look at that you won't be lost but it does take a while to get into that mind set. As always she does such a great job with the paranormal aspect of her world's. When you're reading the book it's like you are transported back in time for a little while.
I did love the book and I highly recommend it for anybody that loves fated mates and mm books in general. It had a definite twist that I didn't see coming. I know it's not a super long review but I highly recommend that you read this one and any of her other ones you haven't read yet. Happy reading!
*I was given an arc for an honest review.
October 17, 2018
Highlands, Vikings and Bears, Oh My!!
This was such a beautiful book. It brought out all the feels....
I truly love books that don’t have supermodel hero’s and heroines. This book has two battle scared, hard edged warriors that are beautiful to each other yet easily scary to those around them... god I love that.
I’m not going to go into a big review but I did save all sorts feels for you to get an idea of how beautiful this book is.
The only reason I’m marking this at 4 stars instead of 5 is I did start to get a little bored here and there in the middle and the book started to drag... not really sure how many pages the actual book is, I wasn’t able to find it.
Anyways I do look forward to reading more of this author.
Now all the feels....
Roi no longer belonged anywhere, natheless he wanted to belong to Lord Ewen, be with him, stand by his side.
He looked up at Donn, his blue eyes large and haunted, the play of the tree shade along his facial tattoos giving the impression of curved knives and dark blood. “Have I not endured enough? Have I not paid enough to have peace, or be the price too high for my cursèd soul? If I asked ye—” Roi’s eyes darted to Donn’s belt knife and then skittered away. “My death was supposed to be here.” He glanced back up at Donn, his visage pleading for him to understand.
“I shall find a way back into your confidence, Roi, and when I do, you shall never have reason to throw me out again.”
“One way or another, I shall woo you, stake a claim upon you, and tie you to me,” Ewen vowed. Gods, Roi wanted to believe, but his trust was strained to the limit.
“I have no interest in a lady, highborn or low. A warrior priest of flaxen hair, blessed by a goddess, has captured my attentions. I would take every opportunity to touch him in small ways until he agrees to be my consort, until he be bound to me afore the eyes of my kin. Even then, I would steal moments in which to hold him.”
Ewen frowned harder. His lips did not protrude, and he did not watch Roi with a long face. Roi chuckled softly, as if Ewen had spoken his confusion aloud.
How the man had snared Roi so utterly, hooked his claws in Roi without him knowing, Roi knew not.
“And then you fell to your knees at my feet. My mathan roared in my ears, shaking the foundation of the life of ease I thought I wanted. He demanded I shield you and drag you home with me. You woke me from lethargy, your very presence promising I could dream again, live again, and— I be scared.
Roi drew in a gasping breath. “Is this what one feels when they have a home, a people, someone they love? This be what I have yearned for with all that I am, and yet I find I be inadequately equipped for such bountiful gifts.” Roi swallowed around the hard lump in his throat.
“Nay! Your fate be tied to me. You be mine, Roi mhic Alric. You belong by my side until the end of your days, and thereafter I shall bargain with the gods to have you with me in all other lives, whether we be reborn or sent to the Otherworld. Neither man nor god shall steal you from me. Not after you proclaimed your love for me. I missed not those precious words that slipped from your lips. I shan’t abandon you to any fate that does not include me.”
June 3, 2020
Rating =
4.0 for fantasy readers less if not
Blurb = (Scale 1-10)
9
My Genre Scale = (Scale 1-10)
9
Odds if not your genre = (Scale 1-10)
3 unless really fascinated by Were-Bears or Scottish Clans
Development of: = (Scale 1-10)
*World = 9
*Story = 8
*Characters = 8
What stood out =
The origin story, the story itself when taken all together, Ewen & his daughter Bridget.
Mood Type / Appeal to those looking for = Fantasy Shifter Story with HEA. There is sex, but it is not the focus and the scenes are not long.
Warnings =
Some may not like the use of Old English and Norse to give it a more authentic feel for its time period. I found it not to be a problem at all. The author gives a nice explanation at the start of the book.
Series Notes =
At this time, there is not a 2nd. This one is wrapped up nicely, but I would definitely read on if another came out.
Rating Notes =
The story was really good; nicely layered. There were just some issues that didn't keep me as engaged as I should have been. It wasn't the use of Old Language Words. It seemed mostly due to flow. At times, I think it suffered from the 1st person POV. Roi, especially, semed to be very repetitive with his thoughts. I increasingly became frustrated when inside his head, though I really liked him. It's not abnormal; our minds tend to work in loops, but it is frustrating while reading.
The end has some interesting twists. I stayed pretty well engaged from the climax through the end. The author did tie all the separate threads together. I had a few nitpicky "I wonders..." that would be spoilerish and did not effect my enjoyment of the story. I was never bored or really thrown out of the story; I was just sometimes only engaged on the surface instead of losing track of my surroundings.
(Obviously no one review can take into account all the various personal pet peeves of readers. But, I do try to take into account the common ones often bemoaned by other reviewers).
Blurb rating purpose:
I don't think a book should be docked stars for being as stated. If I don't like stories about "_________", and I choose to read one. I shouldn't give it 2 stars based JUST on my preferences. Unless... it wasn't clear in the blurb.
Review Factors:
Since 2009, I have exclusively read m/m. My 1st was in 2007. I am a Kindle diehard, and I never do audio for m/m. . I read at least 100+ books a year - with an average length of 220± pages; but the total number of books is usually much higher. My Goodreads lifetime rating (at the start of 2020) was a 3.72 average for 1390 books. Which considering, you should be better at picking out books the more you read, , I feel is a accurate average. I have over 700 reviews within the m/m genre here on Goodreads.
4.0 for fantasy readers less if not
Blurb = (Scale 1-10)
9
My Genre Scale = (Scale 1-10)
9
Odds if not your genre = (Scale 1-10)
3 unless really fascinated by Were-Bears or Scottish Clans
Development of: = (Scale 1-10)
*World = 9
*Story = 8
*Characters = 8
What stood out =
The origin story, the story itself when taken all together, Ewen & his daughter Bridget.
Mood Type / Appeal to those looking for = Fantasy Shifter Story with HEA. There is sex, but it is not the focus and the scenes are not long.
Warnings =
Some may not like the use of Old English and Norse to give it a more authentic feel for its time period. I found it not to be a problem at all. The author gives a nice explanation at the start of the book.
Series Notes =
At this time, there is not a 2nd. This one is wrapped up nicely, but I would definitely read on if another came out.
Rating Notes =
The story was really good; nicely layered. There were just some issues that didn't keep me as engaged as I should have been. It wasn't the use of Old Language Words. It seemed mostly due to flow. At times, I think it suffered from the 1st person POV. Roi, especially, semed to be very repetitive with his thoughts. I increasingly became frustrated when inside his head, though I really liked him. It's not abnormal; our minds tend to work in loops, but it is frustrating while reading.
The end has some interesting twists. I stayed pretty well engaged from the climax through the end. The author did tie all the separate threads together. I had a few nitpicky "I wonders..." that would be spoilerish and did not effect my enjoyment of the story. I was never bored or really thrown out of the story; I was just sometimes only engaged on the surface instead of losing track of my surroundings.
(Obviously no one review can take into account all the various personal pet peeves of readers. But, I do try to take into account the common ones often bemoaned by other reviewers).
Blurb rating purpose:
I don't think a book should be docked stars for being as stated. If I don't like stories about "_________", and I choose to read one. I shouldn't give it 2 stars based JUST on my preferences. Unless... it wasn't clear in the blurb.
Review Factors:
Since 2009, I have exclusively read m/m. My 1st was in 2007. I am a Kindle diehard, and I never do audio for m/m. . I read at least 100+ books a year - with an average length of 220± pages; but the total number of books is usually much higher. My Goodreads lifetime rating (at the start of 2020) was a 3.72 average for 1390 books. Which considering, you should be better at picking out books the more you read, , I feel is a accurate average. I have over 700 reviews within the m/m genre here on Goodreads.
August 26, 2018
(Originally reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews.)
I picked this book up when I saw a post on Facebook about it, and wow and I happy I stumbled on that post. Wyrbears… and the book has a dragon on the cover, how could I go wrong?
Caledonia Destiny was a wonderful find. Rich in detail, the storyline was one that drew me in and kept me captive until I got to the last page in the book. The characters were very well written and I really felt like I came to know Ewen and Roi during the story. Their tale was one of danger and evildoers, but also one of budding love.
When Ewen, a wyrbear, spares the life of a young man on the battlefield, he doesn’t know how the young man will change his life. Ewen is a widower and still mourning the loss of his wife. He was left with four children and is also the leader of his people.
Roi, is a seer and priest of Cerridwen and has had visions of his death at the hand of Ewen on the battlefield. He was supposed to die that day, but Ewen held his hand. Could the visions have been incorrect?
I loved the way the author built on this tale. Moving past the mutual distrust to bring the two men together. Along the way there were evil magic-doers and betrayal. I wasn’t sure until the very end where the story was going, but I’m happy to say it ended just the way I would have liked.
I hope there will be more in this series. I adore this world and hope it is expanded! It is vaguely historical in setting, but honestly it read as a totally different world, just with a few common elements.
I very highly recommend the book to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy.
I picked this book up when I saw a post on Facebook about it, and wow and I happy I stumbled on that post. Wyrbears… and the book has a dragon on the cover, how could I go wrong?
Caledonia Destiny was a wonderful find. Rich in detail, the storyline was one that drew me in and kept me captive until I got to the last page in the book. The characters were very well written and I really felt like I came to know Ewen and Roi during the story. Their tale was one of danger and evildoers, but also one of budding love.
When Ewen, a wyrbear, spares the life of a young man on the battlefield, he doesn’t know how the young man will change his life. Ewen is a widower and still mourning the loss of his wife. He was left with four children and is also the leader of his people.
Roi, is a seer and priest of Cerridwen and has had visions of his death at the hand of Ewen on the battlefield. He was supposed to die that day, but Ewen held his hand. Could the visions have been incorrect?
I loved the way the author built on this tale. Moving past the mutual distrust to bring the two men together. Along the way there were evil magic-doers and betrayal. I wasn’t sure until the very end where the story was going, but I’m happy to say it ended just the way I would have liked.
I hope there will be more in this series. I adore this world and hope it is expanded! It is vaguely historical in setting, but honestly it read as a totally different world, just with a few common elements.
I very highly recommend the book to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy.
July 3, 2020
While I enjoyed this overall, there were a few times when reading it that I slowed down or wasn't motivated to read more than a chapter a day - this took me around 2 weeks to finish which is unusual for me.
Maybe it was the way the story was told ..the way the characters spoke was slightly off-putting. Even when I got used to it I was annoyed at times. I honestly wouldve just preferred similar to normal English since we were reading it in English anyways.
I liked the characters and the story, and apparently this looks like it's going to be a series (this book can definitely be read as a stand alone), and so I am curious as to what the next book would be about - the same characters? Different characters?
Also, I found myself really liking Donn and Avory. There was only one chapter from Donn's point of view and I honestly was disappointed there wasn't more. If the next book would focus on them..that would be really lovely.
More of a note to my future self - while I liked story and rated it a 4 stars, I wouldn't be interested in re-reading it. If a second book comes out and sounds interesting , just go ahead and read the second book without re-reading the first.
Maybe it was the way the story was told ..the way the characters spoke was slightly off-putting. Even when I got used to it I was annoyed at times. I honestly wouldve just preferred similar to normal English since we were reading it in English anyways.
I liked the characters and the story, and apparently this looks like it's going to be a series (this book can definitely be read as a stand alone), and so I am curious as to what the next book would be about - the same characters? Different characters?
Also, I found myself really liking Donn and Avory. There was only one chapter from Donn's point of view and I honestly was disappointed there wasn't more. If the next book would focus on them..that would be really lovely.
More of a note to my future self - while I liked story and rated it a 4 stars, I wouldn't be interested in re-reading it. If a second book comes out and sounds interesting , just go ahead and read the second book without re-reading the first.
January 27, 2020
Like most of this author's works I loved this one. I love the mix of celtic gods, shifters, and pagan/christian that this world brought. I had a vague idea of what the end might look like but I was still figuring out how everything would come together in the end. Ewen's character was rather unique in that he struggled with his shifter half throughout the book and with what his bear wanted. I also enjoyed Roi's sweet but strong character. The only real problem I had was with the ending.
July 9, 2018
This is a different departure for a Lexi Ander book, no sci fi in sight but still with a different slant on the shifter lore. It delves into medieval times with a wealth of history to support it.
What you do get is Lexi’s trademark world building and large involved cast of characters all well fleshed out. I loved the story, the writing and the possibilities for the series. Roi and Ewen were good together. Fordel and Xun needed more, but could be involved in future books.
What stopped it being a five star read for me was simply, the end just seemed rushed, we were ticking along, building the action finding out who were the bad guys and in the last few pages it wrapped up and was done!
I received this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
What you do get is Lexi’s trademark world building and large involved cast of characters all well fleshed out. I loved the story, the writing and the possibilities for the series. Roi and Ewen were good together. Fordel and Xun needed more, but could be involved in future books.
What stopped it being a five star read for me was simply, the end just seemed rushed, we were ticking along, building the action finding out who were the bad guys and in the last few pages it wrapped up and was done!
I received this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 19, 2018
This book is set in the past and that's a bit different than I am used to from Lexi Ander.
Having sead that, the story is realy good and you can see that there was a lot of research that went into telling this story.
I love the idea behind the origin of the wearbears.
The mc's had to do a lot of work for there relationship but I like that a lot better than a book with insta love.
A lot more believable.
I highly recommend reading this book it will not let you down.
But then Lexi Anders books are always an insta buy for me, they are that good.
Having sead that, the story is realy good and you can see that there was a lot of research that went into telling this story.
I love the idea behind the origin of the wearbears.
The mc's had to do a lot of work for there relationship but I like that a lot better than a book with insta love.
A lot more believable.
I highly recommend reading this book it will not let you down.
But then Lexi Anders books are always an insta buy for me, they are that good.
July 19, 2018
I love this book! It reminds me of king Arthur and Camelot of ancient times before Christian faith took over. When the old gods roamed the land. I love to read about celts, druids, shape-shifters and magic so this covers just about all of that. I think Lexi did a amazing job with the research she did and the historical factors. She has put a lot of hard work in making me believe this world is out there just waiting for me. Hope everyone who reads this book has the same experience i did, so go and buy this book.
July 31, 2018
Sometimes difficult to follow because of the new words and archaic dialogue, but really well done. I'll be interested as to how and what #2 is.
December 16, 2023
This story feels as if it's taking place in a fantasy world because of the time period and language.(Some of the others say that it just didn't click for them but I think that it's just not to their taste.) For me though it definitely clicked these kind of romance stories tend to be my favorite kind.
I absolutely adored Roi. He was so accepting, trusting and sweet but strong. Even though his life hadn't shown him much kindness. Ewen's actions sometimes made my heart break for Roi. Ewen of course had his own reasons for his actions. I understood him even better when he spoke of his Grandfather.
Roi and Ewen ended up being a great couple. And even though they were destined for each other, they still had to work at being together and just didn't both instantly fall in love.
The characters felt real and the story was definitely not predictable surprising you here and there. All in all it was a great book and I'm glad I own it.
P.S.
I would really love to know more about Arailt and the ghillie dhu. Also more of Fordel maybe?
*I was given this ARC in a drawing with the condition that I write an honest review
I absolutely adored Roi. He was so accepting, trusting and sweet but strong. Even though his life hadn't shown him much kindness. Ewen's actions sometimes made my heart break for Roi. Ewen of course had his own reasons for his actions. I understood him even better when he spoke of his Grandfather.
Roi and Ewen ended up being a great couple. And even though they were destined for each other, they still had to work at being together and just didn't both instantly fall in love.
The characters felt real and the story was definitely not predictable surprising you here and there. All in all it was a great book and I'm glad I own it.
P.S.
I would really love to know more about Arailt and the ghillie dhu. Also more of Fordel maybe?
*I was given this ARC in a drawing with the condition that I write an honest review
February 19, 2021
Caledonia Destiny is a good book, but I was a bit disappointed. I could not believe the story.
November 16, 2019
There needs to be a balance between world building and story development. I was very excited to start this one but the story just didn't go anywhere. I persevered to the half-way point but the author was still building the backstory and I couldn't keep going. It could have been good but was so slow moving I lost interest. I'm usually a fan so this was disappointing.
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