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Five Lands Saga #1
Godfire
"Godfire is a phenomenal book. Vivid worldbuilding, believable characters, and sinister magic combine to create a story worthy of the ages." -Nancy Fulda, author of Dead Men Don't Cry
The gods are gone, long ago trapped in stones and lost to the ages. A godless nation rises to power, fueled by a brilliant and genocidal dictator who is willing to manipulate souls and embrace dark magics to spread his empire over the whole of the Five Lands.
Kenton is the last of his people, desperately searching for others who can aid in his quest to unearth the gods from their hiding places and restore goodness and order to the world. As Kenton gathers together the legendary godbearers—who are said to be able to retrieve the gods, wherever they lie—he finds an unlikely ally in Daniella, the daughter of the dictator himself.
Daniella is tired of being her father’s puppet, all too eager to be out of his grasp. But as they travel together, Kenton begins to suspect she may be something far more dangerous than a dictator’s pawn.
Instead, she may be his most deadly weapon.
"Cara Witter weaves a tapestry of fascinating magic, forgotten deities, and political and military conflict, all while deftly balancing a huge cast of awesome characters. A spectacular first entry in a series that will surely live up to the term 'epic.'" -Christoper Husberg, author of the Chaos Queen Quintet
"Awe and immersion that only the best epic fantasy can inspire." -Gregory D. Little, author of the Unwilling Souls series
"A well-rounded cast of characters that will leave you hungry for the sequel." -Dantzel Cherry, author of "In All Possible Futures" and "Birthing Fire"
451 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2020
96 people are currently reading
334 people want to read
About the author
Cara Witter
5 books16 followersCara Witter is the pen name of Megan Walker, Janci Patterson, and Lauren Janes, the epic fantasy writing trio. When they aren't writing, they can be found playing with barbies and watching reality TV.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 5, 2020
There's a good story in this book but the execution is lacking. There's an interesting prologue--though parts of it make no sense and seem included for shock value--then the first chapters introduce a zillion characters--ALLLLL of it through backstory infodumps via character thoughts. Pages and pages and PAGES dedicated to characterization by tons of dry exposition in inner monologue. There are little action and dialogue but instead chapters of this stuff. Little interesting bits stick out here and there from the deluge of exposition but they're drowned in the ream of generic fantasy character problems and motivations. And since there are lots of POVs--excessively many--there are lots of these chapters because each character needs to be introduced, right?
And their stories are boring. Well not entirely but the characters themselves aren't interesting. The voices in each POV sound the same, they don't do anything cool and, frankly, that Kenton guy isn't even likeable, while Daniella is not-like-other-girls. And when their voices aren't great, and their actions aren't spectacular, you get really really tired really soon of hearing for pages about trite motivations like "but my family!" which have been used in fantasy to death already.
The plot is so-so to meh. If there's an aroma of stale story you're seen before, it's because it's a stale story you've seen before. And one that doesn't move quickly, at that. Sure, the setting sounds interesting and it is-- sort of. What really works for this setting are the names. The names of places, people, etc are very nice, which contributes a ton to the feeling of the world. Sadly, the world doesn't have much going for it. There are gods, there are rebels, there are people vying for power, there are charlatans, and there are chosen ones.
Is that you [insert virtually any other story including Star Wars]?
Sure, the plot is organized in a different way so it doesn't feel similar to those other stories. And if it were progressing at some reasonable pace, I wouldn't have had the time to see these issues because there'd have been less space between the interesting bits (which is what we call pacing). But it isn't, and I did.
The world itself brings little wonder beyond the gods, which rely thinly on the prologue. The descriptions of places, people, and action are lackluster and identical with every other generic Medievalopolis out there. "But the tall white towers shining in the light!" Yeah, hello Tar Valon. Beyond the tall white towers, there's no visual element to this world that sticks other than "and there was a market".
There's a story in there that I wanted to find out but it got killed by the avalanche of inner monologue infodumps. Lots of telling, almost no showing. The ideas in this book are good, so I'd really like to give it 2.5* but the execution made me suffer so much that I can't round to a 3*, so 2* it is.
I feel guilty about this because the book is free on Amazon and it's a pretty big book. I can tell the authors loved writing it and put lots of work in it. But I don't understand, since it's self-published, why didn't they just take the page space to show all the stuff that becomes boring because it's told. I'm almost sure it would've been actually interesting to see a few brisk scenes dramatizing those boring infodumps. In self-publishing, especially when it's ebook only, you don't have to worry about word count. I wish they really ran with the story and did it justice by showing instead of telling.
And their stories are boring. Well not entirely but the characters themselves aren't interesting. The voices in each POV sound the same, they don't do anything cool and, frankly, that Kenton guy isn't even likeable, while Daniella is not-like-other-girls. And when their voices aren't great, and their actions aren't spectacular, you get really really tired really soon of hearing for pages about trite motivations like "but my family!" which have been used in fantasy to death already.
The plot is so-so to meh. If there's an aroma of stale story you're seen before, it's because it's a stale story you've seen before. And one that doesn't move quickly, at that. Sure, the setting sounds interesting and it is-- sort of. What really works for this setting are the names. The names of places, people, etc are very nice, which contributes a ton to the feeling of the world. Sadly, the world doesn't have much going for it. There are gods, there are rebels, there are people vying for power, there are charlatans, and there are chosen ones.
Is that you [insert virtually any other story including Star Wars]?
Sure, the plot is organized in a different way so it doesn't feel similar to those other stories. And if it were progressing at some reasonable pace, I wouldn't have had the time to see these issues because there'd have been less space between the interesting bits (which is what we call pacing). But it isn't, and I did.
The world itself brings little wonder beyond the gods, which rely thinly on the prologue. The descriptions of places, people, and action are lackluster and identical with every other generic Medievalopolis out there. "But the tall white towers shining in the light!" Yeah, hello Tar Valon. Beyond the tall white towers, there's no visual element to this world that sticks other than "and there was a market".
There's a story in there that I wanted to find out but it got killed by the avalanche of inner monologue infodumps. Lots of telling, almost no showing. The ideas in this book are good, so I'd really like to give it 2.5* but the execution made me suffer so much that I can't round to a 3*, so 2* it is.
I feel guilty about this because the book is free on Amazon and it's a pretty big book. I can tell the authors loved writing it and put lots of work in it. But I don't understand, since it's self-published, why didn't they just take the page space to show all the stuff that becomes boring because it's told. I'm almost sure it would've been actually interesting to see a few brisk scenes dramatizing those boring infodumps. In self-publishing, especially when it's ebook only, you don't have to worry about word count. I wish they really ran with the story and did it justice by showing instead of telling.
March 30, 2022
PUT THIS INDIE ON YOUR RADAR! This is a complete series that is just now being released as an audiobook. I’m a sucker for audiobooks so I jumped to request the audio arc for this adult epic fantasy. The narrator did a great job!
I LOVED it. I can’t say it was 100% original or anything but it was still a good time. The plot was fast paced, the characters are so interesting. There are 5 chosen ones spread across the world and Kenton has been trying for 10 years to find them and bring them together. There’s about seven point of views and I was so engaged with each one. Pick this one up! I know I can’t wait to get to book 2 in the series.
Adult content note: mild violence but no swearing or sexual content.
I LOVED it. I can’t say it was 100% original or anything but it was still a good time. The plot was fast paced, the characters are so interesting. There are 5 chosen ones spread across the world and Kenton has been trying for 10 years to find them and bring them together. There’s about seven point of views and I was so engaged with each one. Pick this one up! I know I can’t wait to get to book 2 in the series.
Adult content note: mild violence but no swearing or sexual content.
April 19, 2022
I picked up this book because one of the Co-authors on this book also Co-authored with Brandon Sanderson producing the Skyward Flight Novella series. Janci Patterson did a fantastic job on those books. So when I heard she worked on this book as well, I wanted to check it out. Now I have another series I am in love with. If you like the Mistborn series or the Six of Crows series, you will love this book. It's five stars all the way. Read it and you will not be disappointed.
July 1, 2020
This series is going to be a really great epic fantasy. I loved the world building. The characters are believable and well-fleshed out. Kenton and Perchaya are my favorite. Communication, people! How much angst in relationships could be skipped if we just talked? The pacing is good and never feels bogged down. Can't wait to see what comes next!
March 29, 2022
Esta potente el libro. Me encanto nmms! Lo malo es que termino en una escena que me dio paz… pero yo se que eso significa que se va a poner peor. Muy recomendado 10/10
August 26, 2024
Put this book on your radar. Fans of epic fantasy and Brandon Sanderson alike are going to love Godfire. It was an excellent start to an adult epic fantasy series. This book has incredible worldbuilding, ancient magic, political intrigue, relatable and fleshed-out characters, slow-burn romance, multiple POVs, and an engaging and fast-paced plot.
Side note: The whole series is available for free in the Audible Plus catalog for anyone interested! (Please go listen to it; it's so so good.)
Kenton is the first character you get to know. He is the last of his people, and he is one of the godbearers. He sets out on a quest across the Five Lands to find the other godbearers in hopes that together they can reunite the gods to restore good to the lands before the evil dictator Diamis destroys everything with the dark magic he possesses. And then on his journey, Kenton finds an unlikely but powerful ally: Diamis's daughter, Daniella.
I was invested in the story right from the beginning. I enjoyed the author's writing style, and I appreciated that she pulled no punches. There were very emotional scenes and violent scenes that I've seen other authors stay away from, but having them included only enhanced my experience with this series. I loved each of the main characters as well, and I felt like I got to know them personally. My favorite character duo was Daniella and Jaeme, and I loooved the slow-burn pining that occurred between them. There is not very much romance in this series, but what little there is is so well-written and I was very invested in it.
I highly recommend this book, and now that I've finished the whole series, I can confidently tell you that each book gets better and better. This is a very underrated series. I listened to all the books via audio, and while the audio narration was excellent, I now want to buy physical copies of each book and reread them with my eyes because it was just that good.
My Book Blog: Storeys of Stories
Side note: The whole series is available for free in the Audible Plus catalog for anyone interested! (Please go listen to it; it's so so good.)
Kenton is the first character you get to know. He is the last of his people, and he is one of the godbearers. He sets out on a quest across the Five Lands to find the other godbearers in hopes that together they can reunite the gods to restore good to the lands before the evil dictator Diamis destroys everything with the dark magic he possesses. And then on his journey, Kenton finds an unlikely but powerful ally: Diamis's daughter, Daniella.
I was invested in the story right from the beginning. I enjoyed the author's writing style, and I appreciated that she pulled no punches. There were very emotional scenes and violent scenes that I've seen other authors stay away from, but having them included only enhanced my experience with this series. I loved each of the main characters as well, and I felt like I got to know them personally. My favorite character duo was Daniella and Jaeme, and I loooved the slow-burn pining that occurred between them. There is not very much romance in this series, but what little there is is so well-written and I was very invested in it.
I highly recommend this book, and now that I've finished the whole series, I can confidently tell you that each book gets better and better. This is a very underrated series. I listened to all the books via audio, and while the audio narration was excellent, I now want to buy physical copies of each book and reread them with my eyes because it was just that good.
My Book Blog: Storeys of Stories
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April 21, 2022Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book. Unfortunately I had to DNF. This story was not for me. Could not keep my attention. I just didn’t care about the characters or what happened.
May 27, 2023
I went into this book totally blind. I mean, I knew it was high-fantasy but that was about it. Only when I started reading it did I discover that Cara Witter was, in fact, a pseudonym for three individual writers, Megan Walker, Janci Patterson, and Lauren James. I also saw that Janci Patterson had co-written Sunreach with Brandon Sanderson and that immediately caught my interest.
Though I thought this book would be good, I wasn't expecting this level of excellence. The world-building is excellent and the characters are well-fleshed out. As Kenton looks for the god-bearers and collects them across the lands to overcome the dictator Diasmus, we travel with him. He is no ordinary man, but those with him have powers that may overpower him.
I had a couple of complaints, though. However, none of these complaints took away my enjoyment from reading it. TBF, when I saw the length of the audiobook first, I groaned inwardly but I didn't even realize how fast I flew through it.
Another thing I should mention is the narrator. I have listened to Eunice Wong narrations before and they have never felt right because I feel she has a dramatic voice. But, for this book, the choice of narrator was spot on!
Looking forward to the rest of the series.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
Thanks to Netgalley and HighBridge Audio for the ARC.
Though I thought this book would be good, I wasn't expecting this level of excellence. The world-building is excellent and the characters are well-fleshed out. As Kenton looks for the god-bearers and collects them across the lands to overcome the dictator Diasmus, we travel with him. He is no ordinary man, but those with him have powers that may overpower him.
I had a couple of complaints, though. However, none of these complaints took away my enjoyment from reading it. TBF, when I saw the length of the audiobook first, I groaned inwardly but I didn't even realize how fast I flew through it.
Another thing I should mention is the narrator. I have listened to Eunice Wong narrations before and they have never felt right because I feel she has a dramatic voice. But, for this book, the choice of narrator was spot on!
Looking forward to the rest of the series.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
Thanks to Netgalley and HighBridge Audio for the ARC.
March 23, 2022
I picked this up simply because of my love for #fantasy genre n I am elated.
Godfrey is the first book in the Five Lands Saga series.
Why this is probably my best fantasy book I read this year?
🗺 The fantastic world building with different God's and their representational elements (reminds me of the 5 elements of nature)
🗺 There are so many characters to fall in love with, not just the good ones but also a few nasty-handsome-knights😉
🗺 It never felt dragged even for an instance, it keeps you hooked up right from page 1
🗺 The pacing throught the book is smooth n engaging enough for you to finish this in 1 sitting 😅
🗺 There are God bearers, ring bearer and a human weapon involved to make it all more engrossing
Alert:
💥 This book ended... & not when I thought it should but way before that... so I am just waiting for the next one😪
P.s: I really wanted 2 people in the story to end up together ❤️ and they did 🥰 (won't tell you the names to keep this Spoiler free)... so go read the book NOW!
❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥/5
Godfrey is the first book in the Five Lands Saga series.
Why this is probably my best fantasy book I read this year?
🗺 The fantastic world building with different God's and their representational elements (reminds me of the 5 elements of nature)
🗺 There are so many characters to fall in love with, not just the good ones but also a few nasty-handsome-knights😉
🗺 It never felt dragged even for an instance, it keeps you hooked up right from page 1
🗺 The pacing throught the book is smooth n engaging enough for you to finish this in 1 sitting 😅
🗺 There are God bearers, ring bearer and a human weapon involved to make it all more engrossing
Alert:
💥 This book ended... & not when I thought it should but way before that... so I am just waiting for the next one😪
P.s: I really wanted 2 people in the story to end up together ❤️ and they did 🥰 (won't tell you the names to keep this Spoiler free)... so go read the book NOW!
❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥/5
July 31, 2022
Godfire was a great read. I really enjoyed the journey! This will be perfect for Sanderson fans. It doesn’t quite reach the level of EPIC that his stories attain, but I was pleasantly surprised at the authors’ writing skills. Great storyline, interesting worldbuilding, fantastic characters.
I will not be continuing with the series, however. In all honesty, I’m mostly a romance reader and the love story-lines here just didn’t hold my interest. The blurb mentions Daniella and Kenton. They are the characters propelling this story along (though the side characters do take front stage alternatively and they do a fantastic job contributing). I totally thought D and K would be the love story. I love enemy to lovers books and that’s what I was hoping for here. The “love” part of the story seems to settle by the end of book one and I could predict who would end up with whom and it wasn’t what I was hoping for. If romance isn’t your motivation for reading then these books would probably suit you just fine.
I will not be continuing with the series, however. In all honesty, I’m mostly a romance reader and the love story-lines here just didn’t hold my interest. The blurb mentions Daniella and Kenton. They are the characters propelling this story along (though the side characters do take front stage alternatively and they do a fantastic job contributing). I totally thought D and K would be the love story. I love enemy to lovers books and that’s what I was hoping for here. The “love” part of the story seems to settle by the end of book one and I could predict who would end up with whom and it wasn’t what I was hoping for. If romance isn’t your motivation for reading then these books would probably suit you just fine.
January 29, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. It was actually a solid 4 for me through most of the story. The reason I only give it 3 stars now is because I felt that the ending kinda brought it down. It felt rushed and left many things unsaid. I know this is a trilogy but I still would have liked for the authors to take some time in the end to focus on the aftermath of all that happened.
But apart from that the authors have created an interesting world with a wide range of characters. In the beginning I felt a bit taken aback by the fact that we followed so many different people but my mind quickly got in to it.
I have been looking for a good fantasy world for some time and I really feel I got that here. The story and world feels big and alive.
I will definitely continue this story.
But apart from that the authors have created an interesting world with a wide range of characters. In the beginning I felt a bit taken aback by the fact that we followed so many different people but my mind quickly got in to it.
I have been looking for a good fantasy world for some time and I really feel I got that here. The story and world feels big and alive.
I will definitely continue this story.
April 20, 2022
Godfire is the first book in the Five Lands Saga. Written by Cara Witter, Janci Patterson, Lauren Janes, and Megan Walker, this book takes us to a place filled with dark magic, action, love stories, friendships, deities, and politics. A cast of characters (godbearers) unknowingly set out to retrieve the gods from wherever they may be hidden. It is a highly entertaining, epic fantasy that I couldn’t put down. So, if you like the fantasy fiction genre this book has everything you are looking for:
· Magic!
· Well-developed world that is not Earth.
· A host of complex characters – grab your notebooks so you can keep up with everyone as they’re introduced.
· Conflict – The godbearers have to find the gods before the evil dictator unleashes something that is so sinister that this world will never be the same.
· A system of government – these lands have rulers – that want a lot of power.
I am anticipating the next book in the series. I give it 4 stars.
· Magic!
· Well-developed world that is not Earth.
· A host of complex characters – grab your notebooks so you can keep up with everyone as they’re introduced.
· Conflict – The godbearers have to find the gods before the evil dictator unleashes something that is so sinister that this world will never be the same.
· A system of government – these lands have rulers – that want a lot of power.
I am anticipating the next book in the series. I give it 4 stars.
August 17, 2020
AWESOME NEW SERIES.
This book describes an epic new world highly detailed with great characters and history.
You cannot help but be pulled into this new world and become a part of it.
This book has it all Love,fighting,magic.... even talks about race issues like we have now.
It is easy and quickly moves along describing how they are all fighting the empire in different ways to get the same results,with different things happening all the time .
A real thought out book and a must read
This book describes an epic new world highly detailed with great characters and history.
You cannot help but be pulled into this new world and become a part of it.
This book has it all Love,fighting,magic.... even talks about race issues like we have now.
It is easy and quickly moves along describing how they are all fighting the empire in different ways to get the same results,with different things happening all the time .
A real thought out book and a must read
October 19, 2020
I can't wait to obtain the next in series to this exciting novel. Ordinary people chosen for some obscure reasons, have truly risen to become heroes as they join together to fight an evil dictator.
This book has fantasy galore with so many characters all of which you'll come to know and love, or hate, depending upon what side you lean towards.
I received this novel as an ARC copy and am leaving my review without any offer of reward
This book has fantasy galore with so many characters all of which you'll come to know and love, or hate, depending upon what side you lean towards.
I received this novel as an ARC copy and am leaving my review without any offer of reward
November 19, 2020
Fantastic
I stumbled across this first book of the series. Oh was it better than I thought. I love the character development and the story line. It sucks you into their world. The less than enthusiastic heroes make you feel like you are right there with them. Love the way they came together to becomes something greater than themselves! Exciting!
I stumbled across this first book of the series. Oh was it better than I thought. I love the character development and the story line. It sucks you into their world. The less than enthusiastic heroes make you feel like you are right there with them. Love the way they came together to becomes something greater than themselves! Exciting!
August 17, 2022
Not Sci-fi. Enjoyed it anyway.
Interesting tale. Odd premise. Quite a bit of magic and damsels in distress. Powerful ending for book one. For fantasy aficionados continuing should be a no brainer. And while it is tempting to see how the characters might develop in subsequent stories, I must hold to a high “maybe” rating.
Interesting tale. Odd premise. Quite a bit of magic and damsels in distress. Powerful ending for book one. For fantasy aficionados continuing should be a no brainer. And while it is tempting to see how the characters might develop in subsequent stories, I must hold to a high “maybe” rating.
September 9, 2023
Like all epic fantasy - this takes awhile to get rolling, and for the characters to differentiate themselves in my head. But like the best epic fantasy - once they do it's fairly hard to stop! I'll definitely be finishing this fine work and am looking forward to the next installment.
CW: emotional manipulation/abuse, love-at-first-sight, hidden agendas
CW: emotional manipulation/abuse, love-at-first-sight, hidden agendas
August 16, 2020
What a fantastic long read!!
This book was a really well thought out story, with really well thought out characters that compliment each other nicely. Can't wait to start reading the next in the saga!!
This book was a really well thought out story, with really well thought out characters that compliment each other nicely. Can't wait to start reading the next in the saga!!
February 8, 2021
A great book.
I loved the world this boom takes place in. The characters are endearing and well likable. I like the well descriptions of each land also. Can't wait to read the next book.
I loved the world this boom takes place in. The characters are endearing and well likable. I like the well descriptions of each land also. Can't wait to read the next book.
February 24, 2021
Good start
So far so good! The world is very interesting, the characters believable and a nifty sounding magic system that we haven't seen much of, yet. I'm hoping that'll change in book 2.
So far so good! The world is very interesting, the characters believable and a nifty sounding magic system that we haven't seen much of, yet. I'm hoping that'll change in book 2.
August 15, 2020
The overall plot is fairly standard (chosen ones who have to stop the dark god from escaping his prison) and the characters are pretty standard, too. Not reading the next one in the series.
Want to read
October 13, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (10/13/2020)! 🎁
October 9, 2023
More sword than magic until the MCs unlock their full potentials. It is a story about a group of random strangers against an empire with evil motives and means.
June 26, 2025
Great book! Very interesting premise!
January 5, 2026
Read January 2026
December 8, 2022
Grabbed the audiobook of this because I am a huge fan of pretty much everything that Janci Patterson and Megan Walker (two of the three authors who make up the Cara Witter pen name) write.
I will say it took me some time to wrap my head around who is who, because there are a lot of POV characters (who are narrated by the same audiobook narrator). Once I had settled, though, the story really came alive. The final third of the book is a real thrill ride and I enjoyed it immensely.
Would have loved to dive straight into the next one, but the audiobook isn't released yet, so I will wait for that.
Overall, a well-written book with a great story that made for an effortless and fun listen.
I will say it took me some time to wrap my head around who is who, because there are a lot of POV characters (who are narrated by the same audiobook narrator). Once I had settled, though, the story really came alive. The final third of the book is a real thrill ride and I enjoyed it immensely.
Would have loved to dive straight into the next one, but the audiobook isn't released yet, so I will wait for that.
Overall, a well-written book with a great story that made for an effortless and fun listen.
July 6, 2020
This book is truly a brilliant start to a new epic fantasy trilogy. It features an excellent and original world, where if someone has even a drop of your blood they can use it to control you. It has a compelling ensemble cast, each fighting against the empire in their own way. It's a fast-paced, action-filled adventure that I can't recommend more.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews