The Ranger of Marzanna

The Goddess War #1

by Jon Skovron

When their father is murdered by imperial soldiers, two siblings set out on opposite paths—one will destroy the Empire forever and the other will save it—in this thrilling new Russian inspired epic fantasy from Jon Skovron.

Sonya is training to be a Ranger of Marzanna, an ancient sect of warriors who have protected the land for generations. But the old ways are dying, and the rangers have all been forced into hiding or killed off by the invading Empire.

When her father is murdered by imperial soldiers, she decides to finally take action. Using her skills as a ranger she will travel across the bitter cold tundra and gain the allegiance of the only other force strong enough to take down the invaders.

But nothing about her quest will be easy. Because not everyone is on her side. Her brother, Sebastian, is the most powerful sorcerer the world has ever seen. And he's fighting for the empire.

Genres: Fantasy, Adult, Fiction, High Fantasy, Mythology, Science Fiction Fantasy, Magic

486 pages, Paperback

First published April 21, 2020

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review.

2.5/5 stars

Atmospheric, slow-paced, and well-written, but I have mixed feelings.

I haven’t read the series, but I’ve heard many great things about Jon Skovron’s Empire of Storms trilogy. When I saw that Skovron’s newest book, The Ranger of Marzanna, is a Russian inspired fantasy that has Magali Villleneuve as the cover artist—look at that cover art, it’s stunning—I immediately put this book on my radar. The result of the content, however, isn’t as likable as I hoped. I’ll keep this review briefer than usual; there were several factors that I enjoyed reading and parts that didn’t work for me in almost equal measure.

The Ranger of Marzanna follows the tale of two siblings that finds themselves fighting for a different side. Sonya is training to be a Ranger of Marzanna, and she’s fighting for Marzanna—her goddess of winter and death. Her brother Sebastian, on the other hand, is a powerful sorcerer fighting for the invading empire that Sonya hates. These two characters are probably the biggest reason why this book didn’t work for me. Not only they’re not likable, but I also found their motivations for their actions throughout the book aren’t too well fleshed out. Sonya—as someone who’s training to be a Ranger of Marzanna—tends to constantly switch between happy-go-lucky to an instant killing mode done based on being very emotional and ridiculously rash. The goddess she’s fighting for doesn’t seem to bring any joy but suffering for her devotee. Also, at the beginning of the book, Sonya and Sebastian had their father killed, Sebastian ends up joining the killer side. Why? Because the killer appreciates his talent for magic, and Sebastian was never close with his father anyway. This is such a stupid reason, even for a kid. These two main characters needed more exposition and characterizations for their actions to make sense. Plus, except Jorge and Galina, almost all of the characters were utterly difficult to care for.

“Every father longs to save their child from the suffering they themselves endured. And I won’t lie and tell you there won’t be suffering somewhere along this path. But there is always suffering. On any path. That is an unavoidable part of life, regardless of what you choose to do with it. Suffering is what makes us who we are.”

Admittedly, although the characters failed to compel me, they do have a distinctive voice from each other. This is a well-written book, and the contrast between each character’s POV—especially between Sonja and Sebastian—was well done. Skovron’s world-building felt atmospheric; The Ranger of Marzanna is a Russian-inspired fantasy, and the environmental description implement made me feel cold. It was as if I was there experiencing the whiteness of the scenery and the coldness of the weather. Also, check out this—probably—nod to Assassin’s Creed:

“Apparently one could survive a jump from sixty feet into a wagon filled with straw, but not without great cost.”

The Ranger of Marzanna is a good start to a trilogy, but I seriously have no idea how the content of this book will be able to stand out among countless amazing books in the genre right now. I truly believe that we’re living in the golden age of fantasy at the moment, and it will be challenging for The Ranger of Marzanna to earn its spot inside it; it’s a good read to pass the time, but in my opinion, there aren’t enough noteworthy features in this novel. Overall, I'm a bit disappointed with this one.

Official release date: 23rd April 2020 (UK) and 21st April 2020 (US)

You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping)

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!

My Patrons: Alfred, Devin, Hamad, Joie, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas.

[Ari · Rating 3 out of 5]

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Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

"...there is always suffering.
On any path.
That is an unavoidable part of life,
regardless of what you choose to do with it.
Suffering is what makes us who we are."

At the center of The Ranger of Marzanna we have the siblings Sonya and Sebastian, two very different people, tugged in very different directions amid the upcoming war in their land. Sebastian wants to be a soldier for the Aureum Imperial Army that has overtaken their land of Gogoleth in Izmoroz. Sonya wants to take down said army and free the Izmoroz people, eventually lifting them to the status that they once possessed.

Despite the fact that Sonya and Sebastian are the central figures in this story, they were the two characters that I had the most difficulty associating with. I could never quite put my finger on who Sonya was, between her bursts of eager friendliness and her mindless animalistic tendencies—which, did make sense, considering how the gifts of the Lady of Marzanna are granted. I think that we just did not mesh as reader/character. And Sebastian was unlikable; rather than raise above circumstances, he would behave like the child others thought him to be, and break into murderous tantrums whenever he would become upset. Whenever the two of them would come together in a scene, any maturity they might have retained would collapse into a mess of terrible comebacks and immature behavior.

Just because they're fighting for different causes, and are, in essence, enemies, does not mean that they need to act like ten-year-olds battling over a toy.

Among the rest of the cast, Jorge, Blaine and Galina were some of the most entertaining to read. Jorge was a great source of balance for Sonya's impetuousness, he's bright, sweet, loyal. Blaine is full to bursting of a strong warrior spirit, he's funny, and a lot more intelligent than he appears to be. And Galina is incredibly smart, a great tactician, and wonderfully manipulative. It doesn't sound like that last one is a good quality to have, but it fits her personality beautifully, and therefore complements her quite well. For me, those three drove the story.

The story itself was easy to get through despite its length, and I did want to know how it would wrap up, but it was dry for the most part. It's slow-going, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but there's a lot of nothing happening throughout. I really enjoyed the inclusion of the Lady of Marzanna/Morena/Mara/Morana in the plot, and her scenes were some of the best. She gives us enough of the disturbing darkness that portrays her role as goddess of winter and death in-story very nicely. But these scenes were far too few and far in between. Her appearance at the very end—alongside whom I assume to be the Uaine's god of death, Bás—was enough to make me want to read the second book, but this first one did not meet enough of my expectations.

All in all, it's a fair novel, I'm a huge fan of the Russian influence stroked into it, and I do want to see how things develop in the next installment. I just hope for growth in the future.

[Athena (OneReadingNurse) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Orbit Books via NetGalley for the e-ARC of The Ranger of Marzanna by Jon Skovron. The book was provided in exchange for an honest review and all opinions are my own.

I was looking for some awesome new fantasy books to review this spring and summer and couldn't resist this title based off of my favorite thing ever...horses on the cover. An other-worldly looking woman on a gorgeous horse, plus a description based off Russian and Polish legends did it for me. I also love sibling rivalries and was not disappointed.

The plot is interesting and the story is well paced. It may be 528 pages but did not feel that long and at times it was hard to put down. The chapters mostly alternated between Sonya and Sebastian, the siblings on either side of this war, and the chapters from other characters advanced things as well. I like books that don't repeat themselves.

The world building was fantastic with architecture, climate, food, morale, and religion of both the conquerors and the conquered described in fine detail. The nobility and the peasants both had their turn and I understood the larger motivations of the citizenry. I also loved the Uaine as a bunch of partying war bands - fucking and alcohol and necromancers, Oh my!!! The army of the dead was so cool, well done concept.

The entire plot seemed.........too easy though. Like an obvious set up. All of it.

I liked the family relationships described throughout the book. Each main character gets to examine their relationship with their parents while finding their own footing. Yes parents have lives, yes they have sex lives and friends and personalities and I think it was great that this theme kept coming out. Above all else the young characters may have made some bad decisions but they were always encouraged to do what THEY thought was right.

I also liked the characters well enough, Sonya is funny and awkward but also a Ranger, ready to whip around and murder a crew of soldiers. Jorge is funny too and I liked that while the other characters picked at his religion, he stood strong on his morals. Sebastian is just a little duped twit. See next paragraph for my discourse on motives. Elgin Mordha and Blaine might have been my favorite side characters. Galina and Sebastien's mom seemed like hollow shells... I just didn't understand their motives.

Most of my issues with this book were that I didn't think the character's motivations made sense. Things were too easy. Why would Jorge just drop his life's work? Why would Sebastian just run off and turn into a murderous twit under the tutelage of the man who killed his father? Even Sonja seemed misguided at times, like trusting Elgin Mordha seemed like a questionable choice without really knowing anything about his tribes. I think a lot of the young naivete here is setting the stage for a ton of intrigue and betrayal in book 2, which I am ready for. The end of the book pointed to a lot of tables turning and I think these characters are going to have a lot of hard lessons to learn.

I did enjoy the book and would recommend to fantasy fans. It's not an amazing stand out novel, but I'm calling it a solid one. I am on board for the second book due to the massive amount of set up that came at the end of this novel, I just see a lot of room for plot improvement and am basing this review on my level of entertainment, which was high.

Thank you again to Orbit Books for the review copy, all opinions are my own.

The book releases 4/21 so check it out if it sounds up your alley!

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars
I love the premise of siblings torn apart on different sides of war, but I'll admit the execution of the story was a little rough. Usually the first few chapters of a book are some of the strongest because authors know the importance of pulling in the reader. However, the beginning of this book felt incredibly weak. First, the narrative felt rushed with some jarring early time jumps. Second, the characters' motivations and reactions were muddled. The author attempted to address a character's lack of grief, but frankly the treatment was just very satisfactory.

Thankfully the story did pick up layer in the story and I'm cautiously interested to continue on with the series which I hope will only get stronger in the later books.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

[Jason Aycock · Rating 1 out of 5]

When The Ranger of Marzanna arrived in the mail I was thrilled. Orbit had sent me an ARC, one of the first I’ve ever received unasked for, and it was gorgeous! Just opening up the package and seeing that beautiful cover illustrated by Magali Villeneuve and designed by Lisa Marie Pompilio took my breath away. Then I flipped it over to read the blurb on the back…(see Goodreads blurb)...

Murder
Imperial intrigue
Sorcery
Sibling rivalry
Rangers
Tundra setting in winter

It’s safe to say after seeing the cover and reading the synopsis I was super stoked about this eastern European inspired fantasy book! And you can imagine my disappointment when it didn���t live up to the images or expectations I had for it.

I made it a little over 20 percent of the way through the book before I decided to set it down for good. There were a couple of things I liked apart from the list above that I’d hoped to find, and I’ll start there before explaining why I called it quits.

The Setting

The setting was definitely an aspect of the book I was enjoying. We don’t see a lot of eastern European inspired fantasy and I’m particularly attracted to it. In particular the cool climate setting of the novel which made me feel cold as I read. I really take to books where the setting is well depicted and I imagined where this one was going.

Magic System

Skovron went with an elemental magic system in The Ranger of Marzanna and I was quite excited about it. What little I’d read seemed promising with plenty of details to explore.

But…in the end I just couldn’t go on any more. Here’s why…

What I Didn’t Like

First was the writing. I just wasn’t liking it. Part of it was Skovron’s prose in general. It felt formal and stilted. Part of it was the specific way info dumps were subtly (or not so subtly) woven into character speech. And not just once. I kinda hate that. Like when a character is talking about the enemy with someone from their own country and speaks like this, “Including our hated enemy, the barbarous Vaine Empire to the west.” I highlighted all the parts in that one sentence that set me off. I mean if you’re talking to someone you know real well or who is on your side you don’t have to add that the hated empire is “our hated enemy.” You both already know that. You don’t have to call them “barbarous” because if they are, you already know that too. And YOU DON’T HAVE TO GIVE IT’S GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION BECAUSE YOU BOTH ALREADY KNOW THAT. It’s just not believable dialogue. Find a way to tell me these things without info dumping in the dialogue.

The characters. I just didn’t like them. The two siblings came across as whiny and unlikable. More on Sebastian below. Sonya…I don’t know, she just made some bad decisions early on and I never developed an attachment to her character. And one moment she’s a complete bad*ss and the next not so much. The bad*ss part as depicted early on was cool, but it was hard to believe even in a fantasy book. And then she wasn’t consistent. In truth the fact she was later vulnerable and not a perfect killing machine almost made me start liking her because there was potential for growth there. But alas it wasn’t to be because her brother just did me in.

Sebastian (along with his mother) showed absolutely no believable reaction to an event that should have shattered their lives. (minor very early spoiler) Sebastian’s father is killed at the hands of imperial soldiers. Does he care? nope, not really. What does he do? He joins the guy who ordered his father killed because sure, that’s what a grieving teenage son does. And his mother (I’m forgetting her name because well she didn’t stand out to me) pretends like it’s no biggie to everyone in high society, including the man that had her husband killed. Seriously? I get that she thinks she has to pretend she’s on the side of the empire BUT EVERY NORMAL PERSON WOULD EXPECT YOU TO BE UPSET, NOT JUST GO ABOUT YOUR LIFE LIKE IT WAS A MINOR INCONVENIENCE. Just. No.

Then there was the whole military thing. I’m a fan of military sci-fi/fantasy which also means I have certain expectations about getting it right, even if I admit it’s fantasy and you can make new rules. In this case it was instances of albeit new officers calling enlisted sergeants “sir” and not getting corrected, or of the same officer (Sebastian) deferring to non-officers not because he’s nice but because I guess he thinks that’s how it’s done and nobody corrects it. Then…then there was this scene where Sebastian using his magic creates a bridge out of ice. The commanding general observes it, then berates Sebastian for not creating something “of military application.” Do you see the look on my face? He’d just built a f'ing bridge. In the history of warfare bridges have been and still are of supreme f'ing military value and application. How the hell do you advance or retreat across rivers or gorges? What if you could create a bridge where one doesn’t exist, cross it, then destroy it by magic so your enemy can’t also use it? HOW IS THAT NOT OF MILITARY APPLICATION? Sebastian then basically creates a lava flow across a plain and realizes how he’s about to be used to be a baddie on behalf of the empire (who just killed his dad a couple days ago remember) and he’s like “meh.”

I was done.

And I’ll tell you I feel a little guilty because I know I’m bashing this book more than I normally do in a review. And I know Orbit has high hopes for this one or they wouldn’t have published it and sent it out to a bunch of us. But I just can’t recommend it. If anyone else has read it (or does read it) and you think I misjudged it or judged it too soon let me know. I’m open to hearing (or reading) your thoughts because I always want to love the books I read. So if I’m not giving it a fair shake let me know.

** I was sent an ARC of this book by the publisher.

DNF

[Christine Sandquist · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review and others can be read on my blog, Black Forest Basilisks.

Tropes!

* GORGEOUS cover!
* Sibling rivalries!
* Magic… but at a price
* traitorous lovers

Full review

I had a few frustrations with The Ranger of Marzanna. There were many things I ought to have enjoyed more than I did - I love the idea of magic coming at a price of your own humanity, for example. Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with the characters and found the prose to be mediocre at best. The dialogue in particular tended to take me out of the narrative. 

That being said, there’s still a relatively solid foundation beneath the top level issues. The book follows two siblings who have been forced to stand at odds against one another by their different political beliefs. Sonya is committed to liberating her homeland, Izmoroz, by any means necessary. She’s pledged herself to Lady Marzanna, goddess of death, in pursuit of this goal. In exchange for the Lady’s gifts, she finds herself being slowly but surely stripped of her humanity. Each boon the Lady grants comes at a price. 

Unfortunately, I wasn’t entirely impressed with how that price was presented. While Sonya has a few brief moments of horror at the way her inner, animalistic nature manifests, it does not seem to impede her day to day life much at all. Generally, it actually helps her. It felt less like a price and more like a change, which I found to be less compelling.

Her brother, Sebastian, has a very different view of how Izmoroz should be run. He’s embraced the empire that conquered them, and has joined their army as a sorcerer. He wields powerful elemental magic. Where Sonya loses her humanity through her magic, Sebastian loses his piece by piece as the empire demands ever more heinous acts from him. 

Within the writing, the two characters are differentiated primarily by their mode of speech. Sebastian exists within the upper echelons of society, rubbing elbows with the nobles and upper crust. Their speech is flowery, purple, and frankly feels awkward and forced. I was not a fan. It felt… juvenile. He's supposedly smart, well-read, and intellectual, but repeatedly ignore the subtext of actions and words in real life.

His sister's actions had made reconciliation impossible. But he reminded himself that even if he had lost his sister, and barely recognized his mother in looks or speech, he had a new family: the noble Commander Vittorio, the wily General Zaniolo, the stalwart Rykov, his loyal men, and of course the beautiful and gentle Galina Odeyevtseva, who comforted him when the burdens of leadership grew heavy. 

Sebastian's fiancee, Galina, was arguably the most compelling character in the novel. As it progressed, I was pleased to see her get additional screen time. She and her father have been dedicated to preserving Izmorozian culture for ages; although she's not a native resident, she recognizes the horrors of imperialism that have been inflicted on the land. Initially, she views Sebastian as an opportunity to take their conquerers down from the inside with him by her side. Gradually, these hopes are dashed... and she resolves to use her connection with him to betray the empire and support the Izmorozian uprising. She manipulates the other members of the army, hiding behind a facade of feminine naiveté. 

"And to what do we owe the rare pleasure of your feminine charms?" he asked.

"Merely a longing to see my beloved. He has just returned from a mission that took him away from me for several days and I simply could not wait until supper to see him. You know how weak willed and impetuous womenfolk can be, General."

Sonya, in contrast with both Sebastian and Galina, spends most of her time among small, rural villages. She’s committed to working alongside the people. Her dialogue is peppered with modern slang and phrases. In text, it’s made clear that this is meant to represent peasant vernacular. For me, though, it felt jarring and out of place. It was a lot like how I speak to my friends. It’s not a way of speaking that I associate with a fantasy world. 

If I had been more invested in the characters and better understood their motivations, I think I would have enjoyed their rivalry much more. As it was, it seemed to lack soul. I didn’t really have a particular reason to care much about Izmoroz, didn’t really understand what motivated Sonya, and Sebestian often just seemed like he was awful for the sake of it. This could have been interesting and compelling if the author had dug a little deeper and done something a bit more original than a black-and-white imperialists-vs-natives story. 

The Ranger of Marzanna needed a little more depth and a little more polish. It has some great elements, but I regret to say that they don’t quite live up to their potential. On the whole, the book was aggressively mediocre.

More reviews on my blog, Black Forest Basilisks.

[Traveling Cloak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Synopsis

Sonya is a free-spirit Ranger of Marzanna; sworn to the Goddess of Winter and death, she lives off the land and protects the people of the Empire from evil. It comes at a cost, though, one that Sonya is willing to pay.

Sebastian is a powerful magician who believes in order and wishes to join the Empirical Army, something his father would never allow. When soldiers murder his father for crimes against the Empire and take Sebastian and his mother into custody, he takes the opportunity to enlist in order to keep his family safe.

When Sonya discovers what has happened to her family, she decides it is time for the reign of the Empire to come to an end and attempts to unite allies and rebels who are part of a budding underground revolution into one army. The goal is to drive the Empirical Army out of her homeland and free the people.

As Sebastian hones his magical skills and becomes the Empirical Army’s greatest weapon, what will happen when the two meet on the battlefield? Who will win, and will each have the determination needed to kill the other in a face-to-face battle? How far will each sibling go to protect their own beliefs? The first book in The Goddess War Series seeks to answer those questions.

Review

The Ranger of Marzanna is a story about imperialism and a people uniting against a dictatorship. That is the backdrop for a story that on the surface is a sibling rivalry: a powerful magician who has chosen to fight for the Empire, and his God-chosen sister who has decided to lead an uprising. They each take their own path, with the impetus being that eventually they are going to meet on the battlefield and will have to make tough decisions.

For me, this book has two big bright spots, the first being the cover. It is absolutely amazing, from the color scheme to the tone and the artwork itself, the publisher killed it. There is so much intrigue wrapped into it that I would have probably purchased a copy myself had I walked by it on a shelf in a store, knowing nothing about the book itself. That is a huge compliment, as I am not often that impulsive.

The second part of the book that I really enjoyed was Sonya’s character. She is a total badass, living life her way and making her own rules. Sonya eats what she wants, sleeps where she wants, beds who she wants. She is a Ranger of Marzanna (the only one left after they were eradicated during the war, as far as we know), and her skills are unsurpassed. A good portion of this book is Sonya going around the Empire kicking asses and not apologizing for it. Sonya carries this book, and I really enjoyed her journey.

There were parts of the plot that did not connect so much with me. Sebastian’s story felt rushed to me, and with him being the second main piece that was half the book that I did not really get into. In fact, there were a lot of pieces of the book that, in my opinion, were kind of skimmed over and not developed as much as I would have liked. There was so much more to explore, and I think the story would have benefitted from going in-depth on some topics. Sebastian is the only magician or wizard in the story. Why? There must be a reason. The Goddess of Winter and Death makes an appearance, but what of the other Gods? Or is there only the one? I think there is a possibility this is looked at more closely in Book 2 of the Series, but I think adding a little explanation into this book would have created more anticipation for that part of the story that is to come. I look forward to reading the second book in the series, and hopefully having some of these questions answered.

Overall, I found the Ranger of Marzanna to be a decent read with a few major flaws that took me out of the story too often. If you are into badass female leads, I recommend this book to you, as Sonya makes it all worth it.

[Narilka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars

The Ranger of Marzanna is the first in The Goddess War series by Jon Skovron. This is a character driven epic fantasy with heavy Slavic influences. The story focuses on a pair of siblings that end up on separate paths after their father is murdered by Imperial soldiers.

The nation of Izmoroz has been conquered by the Aureumian Empire for many years. Sonya Turgenev Portinari - a Ranger and devotee of Marazanna, the goddess of winter and death - has vowed to remove the Empire's influence from Izmoroz and free her country. Coming home after a one of her trips into the wilderness she finds her father has been murdered and her mother and brother abducted. Following their trail to a nearby city Sony is shocked to find her mother, Irina Turgenev Portinari, has returned to her old life as an Izmorozan noble while her brother, Sebastian, has joined the imperial army as a powerful elemental mage. With her family torn apart by the Empire Sonya sets out to find allies in her quest to free her country.

There are a lot of things to like about The Ranger of Marzanna. The worldbuilding is solid. The elemental magic system will be fairly familiar to fantasy fans with just enough changes so it doesn't feel completely stale. More interesting is Marzanna's influence on her followers. A Ranger that receives her blessing is "marked" and begins to change, gaining beastly characteristics of an animal assigned to them by the goddess. I found this aspect fascinating and definitely want to see more of this as the series progresses. There is just enough action mixed in so that the pace remains steady though not breathless like more action oriented books can be.

Sonya is brash and wild, having fully embraced her life as a Ranger. She is determined to protect the land and her countrymen, going to any length necessary to acheive her goal. This takes a surprising turn, bordering on horror elements a times, giving her character a surprising depth. Sebastian is almost her exact opposite. He is a gentle soul, confused by his father's death yet joining the Imperial Army anyway after having been convinced it's the best way to protect his country. He is gradually lead down a path of brutality, not even realizing how badly he's being manipulated by his commanding officer, and continues to deny the atrocities he's committed against the populace. It's an interesting contrast between the two. The supporting cast is great, with the standout being Galina, Sebastian's betrothed. She understands exactly what is happening to Sebastian and tries her best to counteract it, knowing in her heart it's a losing battle. In many ways this makes Galina the most interesting and sympathetic character in the book. I hope she has a larger role in the story to come.

The Ranger of Marzanna is a solid start of a series. I look forward to continuing Sonya and Sebastian's story.

I won a copy of this book in a GoodReads giveaway.

[Holly (The GrimDragon) · Rating 1 out of 5]

"As their carriage rattled down the road, the snowfields slipped past the barred windows, gleaming luminous in the moonlight. Mounted imperial soldiers surrounded the carriage, riding in perfect formation. Again Sebastian could not help feeling awe at their precision. His father had often spoken of the ruthless efficiency of imperial soldiers, but had neglected to mention their almost serene discipline. Every one of them seemed to know exactly what to do at all times. Sebastian envied them that surety."

Let's start with some high praise, shall we?

THAT GLORIOUS COVER! Isn't it beautiful? Magali Villeneuve is a wicked talented artist and if you don't know her fantasy work, you haven't been paying enough attention! Her illustrations have been used in Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, among many other areas, including Magic: The Gathering.

To say the cover designed by Lisa Marie Pompilio immediately grabbed me would be an understatement! It would make for a rad tattoo, no?

That's where my gushing must end, regrettably. The Ranger of Marzanna was my first DNF of the year, which isn't exactly a distinction I want to boast about.

The Ranger of Marzanna has many things that intrigue me, at least on the surface. A fantasy setting in winter, sibling rivalry, sorcery, ANIMAL COMPANIONS! As much as the concept captured me, as much as the cover excited me.. the unfortunate thing is that ultimately I didn't give a shit about the characters. I found it difficult to connect with them, they felt one-dimensional and hollow. 

Stilted pacing, unemotional attachments to the characters, dry writing, simplistic storytelling. The juxtaposition of the juvenile style and bloody scenes felt.. odd. The violence was exaggerated, but not in a entertaining/logical/authentic way. It just didn't fully vibe with me, although there is no doubt some YA crossover appeal here. Similar with the KID WHO IS A GENIUS AND SPEAKS LIKE A MINI ADULT trope, I'm just not into the younger dialogue paired with the super violence aspect. There's an unbelievable quality to that type of storytelling that is extremely difficult to pull off. Unfortunately, this felt like a rough draft of the story. There is no real sense of urgency or emotion. Initially I thought the chaos of the outside world was to blame, so I forged on.

I made it to page 242 and it just didn't improve any for me. It's hard enough for me to focus right now as it is during these trying times, I'm certainly not going to force something that just isn't working.

I have had the first two books in Skovron's Empire of Storms trilogy for many years and even with this DNF, I do plan on still giving it a go! It seems like it will be fun, which is one thing that was sorely missing here in The Ranger of Marzanna. I haven't completely ruled out his writing just yet.

I'm sure this book will find its audience, but I'm not it. 

(Thanks to Orbit Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!)

**The quotes above were taken from an ARC & are subject to change upon publication**

[Kenz The Dragon Queen]

DNF |


First of all I would like to thank the publisher, author, and NetGalley for so graciously providing me with a free digital advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.


I'll start this review off with stating that I didn't finish this book. I wasn't enjoying my reading experience, and I wasn't able to force myself through the process of finishing this book either. I thought it would be more important and professional to submit my review to NetGalley before my three months to read and review the book are up, rather than seeing how long it takes me to finish the novel.


As a concept, The Ranger of Marzanna was very interesting to me. Siblings on opposing sides of a war, dangerous mysterious warriors that ride horses, and the Slavic goddess of death and winter! Not only that, but the cover is beautiful, and the name of the series makes it sound awesome! It all has great surface appeal, but as soon as I started reading, my interest began to wither.

I found the book to have very odd pacing. It's a very slow read. In fact, it's unnecessarily slow in my opinion. However, it also feels rushed in certain sections, which creates a very strange pacing and unlikable writing style.

The worldbuilding and fantasy aspects are good. Not great, but decent. The fact that the novel was clearly somewhat Russian, Slavic, and Ukrainian inspired was not lost on me, but it's not a very unique culture/region to draw inspiration from when it comes to fantasy novels.

The whole concept of Sonya having to give away parts of herself to gain gifts was a great plot point. Reading about Sonya loosing her humanity as she grew as a Ranger and got closer to her goddess was an interesting facet.

On the topic of Sonya. Even though I appreciated certain parts of her character's story, I'm not quite sure I liked her as a character. Same goes for her brother Sebastian. There was something missing that made them both seem a little hallow and uninteresting as characters. Perhaps some complexities and deeper nuances were missing from both of their overarching development that would have made them more likable or intriguing.


Once again, thank you very much to everyone who was able to get a free digital advanced readers copy into my hands. I am very grateful.




-----------------------------------------


Three things:

#1. This cover is absolutely STUNNING! It’s so beautiful, I want to show fantasy books everywhere this is the kind of thing they should be slapping onto the front of their novels!

#2. I was kindly given an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I’m super pumped to be one of the first to read this! I’ll be reading it very soon, so stay posted!

#3. I’ve been politely asked by the publisher not to post my review until two weeks prior of the book’s release, and I’m happily obliging.

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 1 out of 5]

You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.

Siblings can be a pain. Whether it’s the inability of the youngest ones to understand the lessons passed down by their elders or the refusal of the oldest ones to allow their little brothers and sisters a chance to forge their own identity through trial and error, there’s nothing easy in this bond tied by blood. While some continue to love each other despite the omnipresent hate, others let go and move on without second thoughts. Having debuted his adult fantasy career with his Empire of Storms trilogy, once-actor now-author Jon Skovron looks to deepen this relationship through a brand-new fantasy trilogy with Poland/Russian influence.

What is The Ranger of Marzanna about? Following the murder of their father by imperial soldiers, Sebastian Turgenev Portinari, a teenager with gifted elemental powers, is recruited by the Aureumian Empire, the very faction that killed his faster, to become a valuable asset in an upcoming war against the Uaine Empire who known for their army of the dead. His sister Sonya Turgenev Portinari, however, has other plans for his brother’s betrayal as she channels her training as a Ranger of Marzanna to join the opposition in their plans to invade Izmoroz and take down the nobility that now hosts the remainder of her family. As they each go through their respective forms of training, a war putting them both up against each other is inevitable as their personae refuse to allow each other a life free of tragedy.

Falling flat in its attempt to deliver a refreshing fantasy adventure, author Jon Skovron presents a perfect example of too much telling and very little showing through characters who are less than comprehensible in their actions, thoughts, and dialog. Flawed beyond understanding, both protagonists revel in despicable personalities as they mercilessly progress through this story with firm conviction in their beliefs. With almost little sensitivity to any themes explored, whether it’s love or power, author Jon Skovron rushes through each of their development, blatantly skipping over their characterization, with no regard to the reader’s attachment to his characters.

Spelling everything out without allowing any form of interpretation from the reader, he quickly dismisses any desire to get us invested in his characters, his world or his story. It doesn’t help when the absence of style in writing is also not only frustrating but gives this novel the impression of being a pitiful parody of military fantasy. Forget about a clever strategic approach to warfare, this novel pretends to understand the subgenre and cluelessly incorporates a couple of violent and gory sequences with incredible insensitivity. Top it off with a poorly developed magic lore limited to certain characters (whether it’s the Lady Marzanna culture or the elemental magic system), the whole story consumes itself in its flaws, unable to step out of the flames it ignites along the way.

The plot’s pacing also denotes awkward progression that invites unfathomable inconsistencies. Imagine a 16-year-old child with potential wizardry skills progressing through army ranks faster than you can count to sixteen while also pretending to be an adult. The story ultimately feels like an immature battle of siblings who happen to have everything go their way, thus presenting us with a war between factions that, at first, seemed to hold much more gravity than what is delivered in the end. While there are a few decent ideas introduced in the first book of The Goddess War—although they are hastily skimmed over—they didn’t succeed in standing out enough to save this tale.

The Ranger of Marzanna is a hinderingly dull fantasy story revolving around foolish siblings as rivals preparing a lackluster war between the Aureumian and Uaine Empires.

Thank you to Orbit for sending me a copy for review!

Yours truly,

Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/

[Elizabeth Dragina · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF

I got like 15% through this book . . .

I would have continued or tried harder to give it a chance, but I am reading so many ARC's right now and I just don't have the time. :P

PROS ~

- The world building was amazing. 😍
- The MC's were enjoyable.
- PEPPERCORN 💖💖💖
- The foreshadowing and tension within the beginning. *sings* BEAUTIFUL.
- The culture!!!!!
- UMMM HELLO. THAT COVER. 😍

CONS ~

- Content (which I'll get to in a minute)
- Lack of explanation behind the MC's father's death?? Like ... basically his pride got him killed? Okay. I didn't quite get that.
- There's no clear distinction between who's evil and who's not....which makes it extremely difficult to connect with the characters.
- Most of the people were "meh" ...

CONTENT ~

- Profanity. Bad Language.
- Violence. Gory description.
- Sorcery. Black Magic.
- Weird (cultic?) religion where they worshiped the Lady Marzanna.
- ALSO WHY DID SO MANY PPL DIE WITHIN THE FIRST SECTION OF THE BOOK. *headdesks* OMW.

OVERALL ~

- I enjoyed it for the most part?
- Certain scenes really annoyed me and I don't read books to feel annoyed. :P
- PEPPERCORN 😍 💖💖💖 😍

**FTC DISCLOSURE** I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. If anything I stated was offensive please don't take it personally, considering this is only my opinion. Thanks! :)

[Sheila G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from Orbit Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! In no way does this affect my rating or review.



All included quotes have been taken from an ARC and may not match the finished publication.

Content Warning: Profanity, Death, War, Adult sexual content, Gore

Hunters might strike with efficiency, thereby sparing their prey undo pain and suffering, but creatures of the wild did not take into account such things. And certainly Lady Marzanna, Goddess of Winter and Death, was not a creature that could ever be tamed.

In a Russian-inspired fantasy world of cold tundra and warring nations, The Ranger of Marzanna brings an action-packed, complex story about the ultimate sibling rivalry.

She was doing the work she had vowed to do as a Ranger, protecting the people of Izmoroz and undermining the empire that had outlawed the worship of the great Lady Marzanna.

The kingdom of Izmoroz is a diverse one, full of rich culture and people. Since it was overthrown and became part of the Empire, it has been the goal of many to return it to its original state. Multiple forces working singularly discover that many collectively work towards restoring Izmoroz, Sonya being one of them.

One of the last Rangers of Marzanna, Sonya has been trained in combat to serve and protect the people of her nation. The Rangers are an unusual lot. They serve the Lady Marzanna, and in return, she gives each “gifts” slowly turn them into something other than human. Sadly, the Rangers were mostly killed off in battle. Crafty Sonya still found her way to Lady Marzanna through a family servant who disguised his identity in order to elude the Empire after the war.

Sonya’s father, ironically, was one of the most renowned warriors in the Empire’s army but didn’t exactly discourage Sonya’s path. He did, however, not allow Sonya’s younger brother Sebastian, to enlist in the army as he had. Sebastian possesses elemental magic, a rare ability in the realm. It is soon apparent that he is sought out by the Empire when his father is killed in a raid on their home one night.

After Sonya discovers her family’s home ransacked and her father’s body, she decides to go after her mother and brother to free them. She breaks into a garrison, only to find out that both her mother and brother have come to terms with their position, and even embrace it. Her mother, a woman from a long line of nobility, is comfortable back in court. Sebastian is immediately enlisted into the Empire’s army. Desiring more knowledge and freedom with his abilities, he quickly gains the approval of this commander and is placed in a position of power.

Sonya and Sebastian find themselves sitting on the opposite sides of the bank--one, desiring for the freedom of her homeland. The other--enjoying his station of power, despite its downfalls.

What a terrible thing was love. What a dreadful weapon it could become.

With the siblings at odds, each finds their own allies amongst the ranks of their enemies. Sonya seeks out the clan of undead warriors and enemies of the Empire. Her journey to them is daunting, and she loses more of herself along the way. Despite her transformation, Sonya started out lacking in character since her life is driven by the Lady Marzanna’s plans. I’m curious to see at what cost her lack of humanity will lead her in the future.

Not unlike his sister, Sebastian also sacrifices his innocence and eventually his betrothed for esteem and power. Called to kill his own people with his powers forces him to make “examples” of wrongdoers and elicit fear to those trying to thwart the Empire.

”Just as the fate of all snow is tho melt, the fate of all mortals is to die.”

Atmospheric, complex, yet slow-paced, The Ranger of Marzanna is an enthralling read and a promising start to this series. (I must add that I wish Sonya's loyal horse Peppercorn had a bigger role than he ended up with. But, that's my personal preference.)

Vulgarity: Markedly.
Sexual content: Moderate.
Violence: Markedly.

My Rating: ★★★★

-------

THIS BOOK. WITH THAT COVER. I think I've found one of my most anticipated reads for 2020?

It's a new Epic fantasy trilogy, set in eastern Europe (in the Winter, OK). It focuses on squabbling siblings, magic, and LOYAL HORSES!? Please, someone, give this to me.



(Information found on Orbit's website.)

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[Izzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was... Okay. I wanted to love it, I wanted the contents to match the beautiful cover, and to prove the other reviewers wrong. And while there was lots to enjoy - the worldbuilding, the relationships between characters, the magic - the writing just felt very... juvenile to me. It read more like a debut, which I know this is not. However, like I said, there were aspects I enjoyed, and I enjoyed them enough to want more, and to want to read the sequel when it's released next year. Hopefully I will find the writing style more to my taste. 3.5 stars, but rounded down.

[Delaney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review for The Ranger of Marzanna by Jon Skovron

Thank you so much to Orbit for sending me a copy of this to read and review! All opinions are my own.

Trigger Warnings (TW): For a lot of violence/murder scenes. Stay safe, friends!

Summary:
“ When their father is murdered by imperial soldiers, two siblings set out on opposite paths—one will destroy the Empire forever and the other will save it—in this thrilling new Russian inspired epic fantasy from Jon Skovron.

Sonya is training to be a Ranger of Marzanna, an ancient sect of warriors who have protected the land for generations. But the old ways are dying, and the rangers have all been forced into hiding or killed off by the invading Empire.

When her father is murdered by imperial soldiers, she decides to finally take action. Using her skills as a ranger she will travel across the bitter cold tundra and gain the allegiance of the only other force strong enough to take down the invaders.

But nothing about her quest will be easy. Because not everyone is on her side. Her brother, Sebastian, is the most powerful sorcerer the world has ever seen. And he's fighting for the empire.”



My Thoughts
This one was a miss for me. I'd give it a 2.5/5 stars. I could not for the life of me get attached to either of our main characters, Sonya and Sebastian. I don’t know what it was, but the thing that kept me going was because I was so intrigued on how the gifts from Marzanna worked in this world.

We follow Sonya and Sebastian, as they are siblings who are essentially fighting against each other. The beginning starts off explosively, and one of the first scenes is what acts as a catalyst and drives Sebastian towards wanting to become a soldier in the first place. I knew from the first scenes that I would probably have issues with this one. I am personally a very character driven reader, and with one of the beginning scenes we are given zero time to care about what is happening to Sebastian and his mom, Irina.

I understand for the reasoning of the catalyst, but I honestly just felt nothing for what was happening. I know this is a personal opinion, but it wasn’t an opening that made me feel excited for the rest of the book.

From there on we follow Sonya and Sebastian’s diverting storylines, and I definitely cared for Sonya more than Sebastian, but not by much. Both of our protagonists swing from acting childish, to being incredibly murderous individuals. What I would’ve really loved to see would’ve been more from both of their childhoods, in order for that “Opening Catalyst” to really hit hard. Sebastian’s motives for being a soldier also don’t make sense, as he ends up siding with the people who murdered his father. I needed more from his thought process for this to make sense, it just didn’t feel fleshed out to me.

The writing itself is good, this book is very slow paced, and I enjoyed the interesting parts where Sonya interacts with Marzanna, and would honestly have read an entire book just about her character and the world.

Overall (TLDR)
I was so excited about this one, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a dual perspective and well-written book! If you’re a fan of two characters on opposite sides, and an interesting magic system, this one is for you!
This book comes out on Tuesday, April 21.

A huge thank you to Orbit for sending me an early copy!

Go read this, and then find me on Instagram and Twitter!
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[Kevin Xu · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has similarities to both season 4 of Legend of Korra, and Pillars of Creation/Naked Empire.

[WS_BOOKCLUB · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Angela Man and Orbit books for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is available now.

Before getting into my thoughts on the book itself, I have to mention the gorgeous cover. Before even reading the blurb, I was interested in this book, based on the amazing artwork. The blurb made me want to read it all the more.

I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. The idea was a great one: two siblings who find themselves on opposite sides of a war, told from their points of view. The Slavic influences were intriguing, and I really enjoyed the wintry feel of the world in general. As far as fantasy settings go, I dug this one.

The main characters are Sonya and her brother Sebastian. Sonya is the last surviving member of the Rangers of Marzanna, an elite warrior group. She has special gifts that are given to the rangers, which made her a pretty hardcore fighter. She was rather underdeveloped as a character, though, and I struggled reading about her. There was so much potential to her, but it wasn’t fully realized. Yet. She may become more three dimensional in the following installment.

As for her brother, Sebastian…have you seen The Force Awakens? There’s a scene where Kylo Ren throws a temper tantrum and the stormtroopers that were heading his way just turn and walk away. Reading about Sebastian felt like watching Kylo Ren’s tantrum. He really needed someone to put him on timeout. The two of them together…oy vey.

However, the other characters were fantastic. They made up for the less than stellar main characters, and each brought their own brand of extra something to the book. My favorite was Jorge, an apothecary who ends up involved through a strange set of circumstances.

While I didn’t love the book, I liked it enough to be curious about the next book. Sometimes a series improves as it goes on and the author gets their groove. I’m hoping that will be the case for this book.

https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.hom...

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really excellent! Can't wait for more!

I docked a star because I feel like there could have been a bit more emotion and connection to the characters. That was lacking. But the story and world building were excellent!

[Anushka Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find my reviews at Feminist Quill

Synopsis: Sebastian and Sonya find themselves on opposite sides of a civil war when their mother’s native nation – Izmoroz – decides to rebel and overthrow the imperial yoke of their father’s nation – Aureum.

It’s not every day that you get a book that is as gorgeous as its cover.

I love tales set in wintry lands. The Ranger of Marzanna is set in the northern nation of Izmoroz, which has been part of the Aureumian Empire for decades, and which lies adjacent to a frozen tundra. So obviously, I was in love with the geography from the start.

(The names of these countries on the other hand… I absolutely cannot figure out how to begin or finish spelling Aureumian… and I keep calling it Auromenian in my head for some reason).

But what makes this book absolutely delicious is the contrast of cultures – the formal, militarized Empire of Aureum versus spiritual Izmoroz with its folktales and mythical figures of legend.

Sebastian and Sonya perfectly embody this difference. As the story progresses, Sebastian becomes more of a city kid, his crisp military uniform and elite society balls an absolute contrast from Sonya, who spends her time wandering around alone on her horse, hanging out in obscure villages and helping them with tithes and food stores. Sebastian embodies conformity, while Sonya is rebellion personified.

What they both have in common is severe emotional dysregulation and a penchant for extreme violence. When these two are combined with their strict father and somewhat repressed mother, the Portinaris make for an excellent example of a dysfunctional family.

The use of magic in this universe – no matter the type – comes with a visible and often unforgiving price. The more powerful the user, the more humanity they must sacrifice. (For this reason alone, the Lady Marzanna fascinates me. She is not a benevolent god, and she thinks nothing of using humans to further her ends – whatever they may be.)

Most of the main characters are solidly written, layered and complex. Jorge and Galena in particular stand out, but even their presence is overwhelmed by the mess that is Commander Vittorio. His abusiveness and manipulation get progressively worse as we move through the book, and I cannot look away from the absolute trainwreck that is Sebastian x Vittorio.

(I am a little confused about the number of DNFs and lower star reviews this book got. Some of the complaints – like those about the dialogue – were spot on, but others – such as not being able to relate to the main characters – vary greatly from my experience.) I am not given to effusively praising a book for no reason. But The Ranger of Marzanna far exceeded my expectations.

The dialogue (and some of the writing style) is where the book has problems. Characters speak in ways that sound anachronistic to the setting at times. Jorge gets some of the most awkward dialogue. It’s like those lines have been shoehorned in there just to prevent him from being completely silent throughout the book. It’s okay to have a character not speak without having something significant to say, after all. 👀

I was able to relate to both Sebastian’s impulsive, uncontrolled rage, and Sonya’s mercurial, rapidly shifting moods. Their destructive sibling rivalry forms the core of the book, with thoughtful context for why their characters have been shaped this way.

Granted, Sebastian is a little bit of an outlier with regard to his emotional responses. He gets extremely detached right after he has a rage attack, and comes up with the most ridiculous rationalizations to get past the guilt. He also kind of imprints on Galena, using her as his moral compass. Their relationship takes on a unique twist as she debates the pros and cons of their relationship, trying to figure out whether trying to save him from himself is a fool’s errand. (Definitely a fresh air in a sea of YA Fantasy obsessed with toxic relationships and lifelong quests to redeem trash dudes.)

A fast paced and thoughtful story set against Russian/ Polish inspired backdrop, with two powerful anti-heroic kids as protagonists. Can’t wait to read the sequel (which I got as an ARC 😁).

[TheGeekishBrunette · Rating 2 out of 5]

eARC provided by publisher through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

You know what I dislike? When a book that has an amazing cover is a letdown. Sure, there are things that I liked about this one but the bad reasons overshadowed them for me.

This book is split into many point-of-views. There are times that I quite enjoy this because it gives us a glimpse into other plot points or the means to them but for this one I could care less about a couple of the point-of-views we got.

My biggest gripe would have to be the dialogue. For being a fantasy some characters dialogue would feel out of place and more modern especially while others around them felt more towards the time of the novel. It would always break me out of enjoying the book because the details used and the wording of everything else was great! But some of the dialogue was just clunky and hard to get through.

There were awesome elements added like the lady Sonya works for. Sonya would have to give something in return for a favor. I also liked that the horse was more of a companion than just an animal used for travel. They were great aspects but were definitely overshadowed by everything else.

I also had a hard time connecting to the characters. Sebastion did things that I didn’t understand and never questioned anything from the beginning. I just felt like it was odd. Sonya, his sister, was a lot cooler and I did at least like her.

Overall, this book felt like it could have been a lot more and one that I would have really loved but there were just certain issues that made it hard to really get into this book.

[Marie -The Reading Otter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review:


I received this book from NetGalley for review.

I really enjoyed the setting and the plot, based on Russian folklore. I liked the dynamic of siblings on opposite sides of the same war. I like that the brother seems to not really know at that he is being manipulated, that his decision isn't because he's "evil", but because he's told what he's doing is for the good of the people.

Sonya's path is to serve a goddess and along the way, she starts to lose some of her humanity. Where her brother is the most powerful wizard to be seen in some time, Sonya has no magic.

But this book felt really long. It's well written, but it's a fairly slow-paced book, not really any action the way I was expecting. This book was also quite serious, I felt at times there was a lack of personality in some of the characters. There isn't much casual humor used when people talk to each other.

[Calvin Park · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Ranger of Marzanna was a highly anticipated read for me. The back-of-the-book blurb, referencing ancient sects of warriors, siblings on opposite sides of a conflict, and powerful sorcerers, is basically everything that could get me excited. Couple this with a Russia-inspired setting, and it has all the ingredients for a book that I’m highly likely to enjoy. Unfortunately, in the end, those elements didn’t come together for me.

Even in a novel that didn’t end up working for me in the end, there are often elements that I did enjoy and that—for others—might make all the difference. For The Ranger of Marzanna those elements that I enjoyed are headlined by the world building. Not only is the world building interesting, and inspired by a real world setting that doesn’t get as much attention in fantasy as it might, but the prose and descriptions are used wonderful effect. This is a wintery, cold world—though there are scenes where that isn’t the case, and Skovron’s descriptions made me feel cold as I read, or warm alternatively. This part of the story was extremely well done. I also thoroughly enjoyed the magic. While it is primarily an elemental based magic system, there were interesting twists and costs to the magic and I appreciated those touches. For me, the magic system hung together well and I wouldn’t have minded even more of it.

As for what didn’t work for me, that list is a bit longer and also more integral to the book. To begin, the characters—especially the two main characters—ended up being entirely unlikeable for me. For some readers this won’t be an issue, but when I’m reading I feel like I need at least someone I connect with in some way. Even if I don’t agree with their actions, I need to understand and empathize with them at some level. These characters were not only unlikeable to me, but I never really understood their motivations. This frustrated me to no end as I was reading. Sonya was perhaps a bit more understandable than Sebastian. But she had an added complication of feeling like an incredible, perhaps almost super human warrior in some scenes and then in others normal, even bordering on ineffectual. I could not discern any reason for the difference beyond perhaps plot expedience. For me, characters are one of the most important aspects of any story, and not understanding their motivations, not liking them, and finding one inconsistently powerful resulted in a disappointing reading experience. Added to that, many of the side characters felt almost completely forgettable to me. The plot, while interesting, suffered from the lack of clear character motivations. It made it hard for me to care what was really going on. There were also times when the dialog felt stilted, or perhaps overly formal. At other times it included too much explanation to the point where it felt unnatural.

The Ranger of Marzanna had a lot of potential. For me, it didn’t live up to it. However, others may find that their mileage varies. Interesting world building and cool magic wasn’t enough to make up for the significant flaws in this one.

4.5/10

2.25/5 stars.

5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing

[Georgi Nikolaev · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is spoiler free:

I liked the pacing. It is maybe the best part of this book. Because it is so good the book reads unexpectedly fast and is actually quite entertaining.

I did not like the blatant use of Russian words and names. Particularly the names. Most of them seems really lazily chosen. If the author wanted to give the book a Russian or Slavic sounding, ok, but please do not use historical names completely out of context. It really breaks the immersion (Zhukov is a general from the Great Patriotic War, Lomonosov is a famous scientist... Using their names for extras was really annoying.). Also a little research into how the Russian naming system works would have helped. (female names end with -na or -a and the second name is derived from the name of the father in either case. So for example Sonja wouldn't be Turgenev, but Turgeneva or Turgenevna, depending on that if Turgenii/Turgenius was the name of her father or his last name). This problem could have been easily avoided by using a random name generator or even using less famous Russian names from a list. Of course, for me, knowing the language, this whole thing is one extra levelof cringiness, so maybe for the casual reader it would not be such a problem.

Another problem for me was the simplicity and naïveté of some things. It's almost like the book can't decide if it is young adult or it is adult fantasy and sticks somewhere in between - with some really strange choices and not-so-good character development which young readers might overlook but for the experienced ones it would be just another reason to cringe. And then bam! - a sudden outburst of heavy darkness and violence appears, making the book quite gory grimdark.

But actually this review does not give the book its due. It is fast paced, the chapters are short and in each one of them something happens. Here you will not find the typical large fantasy chapter which are empty of action or resolutions. Here the longest chapters are 10 pages, which makes the book really enjoyable. Most of the heroes are likable. The plot thickens near the end. I read this book really fast and I cannot wait to see the second part.

[RG · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5* Russian folklore inspired fantasy. Ive read Skovrons previous trilogy and it was fun without being oringal. It did have a YAish feel to the writing and I felt although this was a little darker the writing still had the same feel.

Overall the world building was great. Cold bleak landscapes with a solid magic system which wasnt overly complicated. My issues were really in the plot and characters.

Plotwise it was too simple plus limited. Really not alot occurs. I wouldn't go as far to say its a slow burn like some LitFiction but other than the first scene with Sebastian and parents the book moves at a slow pace. I guess this was meant to be intro or prologue to the world in some ways.

The main characters of Sonya and Seb were brother sister fighting on different sides. We learnt right away for why this is the case. It just felt too easy in my opinion for then to go this way. The brothers actions just dont make much sense. Even his initial thoughts about his father are shockingly weird. I think that was what held this book back. The characters were annoying and indecisive so were not easily relatable. Protagonists need some reliability otherwise the reader will not engage (although Mark Lawrence got me hooked on Jorg).

Solid fantasy writing but just didnt hit the mark as compared to whats being written at the moment.

[Jaclyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like a 2.5 out of 5.

I was pretty jazzed about The Ranger of Marzanna - I loved Skovron's Empire of Storms and loved the idea of this one's connection to Polish folklore. I have to admit that I was pretty disappointed with this (especially since I bought a copy). While the world building was cool I struggled to be invested in the characters, especially Sonya and her brother, Sebastian, both of whom are on the opposite sides of an impending war. Which is ironic since these two are so similar, but have a naivety about their own agency and what's happening around them, which is much more overt in the case of Sebastian. But there was one thing that I just couldn't get past - who is Sonya to authorize bringing war to Izmoroz? She's not a leader in that has any influence and I just don't buy that she had the cred to actually arrange an alliance with the Uaine. For me, the logic wasn't there and because of that I never really bought into the whole story.

[Andi]

DNF @ 10% in.


This was an ARC I had gotten from the publisher.

I didn't finish this book. I think the problem I had was that the characters are very, VERY modern. Which didn't really make sense since it was a fantasy-esque setting. Not only that, it had a very juvenile way of storytelling.

I had tried reading a book by this author a few years ago and I thought that with a change of location and or plot themes this would be a better fit. Now I know that I truly cannot connect with this author's work.

[Jesse Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come.

Sooooo good!!

[Mira Mio · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 5%

Несьедобный картон, люди-манекены, словарный запас пятиклассника.

Тихо скорблю по прекрасной обложке и славянским мотивам.

[Quill&Queer]

I got bored lol

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the kind of book that I had to read in doses because of the writing style, but the world was very enjoyable and I kept wanting to see where it was headed.