Struggling With the Current

The Telverin Trilogy #1

by A.R.K. Horton

Princess Eya's life changes forever with the discovery of the Statue of the Goddess Winds. The long-overlooked kingdom of Hicares finds itself in a war it isn't prepared for against the far more powerful empire of Pescel. To survive, Eya must flee her home, losing everything and everyone she loves in the process.

Yet, by leaving behind all she's ever known, she learns that her sheltered life didn't prepare her for the real world's strange and frightening nature. She encounters people, places, and creatures beyond anything she ever imagined, along with sinister enemies from every direction. Perhaps her most surprising revelation is that she is developing terrifying powers of her own. Will Eya be able to find happiness in her new life, or will she continue struggling with the current?

Struggling With the Current is the first book of The Telverin Trilogy, a fantasy war story that takes place between several countries in the world of Telverin.

Genres: Fantasy

289 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 30, 2020

About the author

A.R.K. Horton is a small woman made of round shapes and long sighs. Children and animals surround her in her Florida home. Her vice is hoarding responsibilities, and she has the tired eyes to prove it. They still have a sparkle, though, seeing the next project ahead.

She began writing as a child when she became obsessed with learning about the most obscure fairytales, folktales, and myths. Now, she blogs extensively about them and uses them as inspiration for her novels.

Reviews

[A.P. Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I did not go into reading this book as the biggest fan of the fantasy genre. I picked up my copy because the author's social media profile was engaging, she was very confident about her work, and her blog was really interesting. That being said, it was a purchase I am glad I made!

I've always been someone who won't buy into a series, or trilogy until many volumes are out or the entire series is available. I don't want to get stuck wanting more without recourse. Struggling with the Current is a wonderfully self-contained story that will only be made better with future additions. A.R.K. Horton's ability to tell a compelling story is rock-solid and I often found myself lost in the story. The concept was great, the execution was fantastic, and I couldn't recommend this book any more highly!

[Kim Radatz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantasy war story that takes place between several countries in the world of Telverin, and Struggling With the Current, the first book in this trilogy was a wonderful way to start this story off.

Eya’s story certainly has a coming-of-age aspect to it, but seeing Eya’s character evolve as she becomes aware of her magical abilities seems to be the core focus of her character. She is a strong female protagonist that embodies so many different emotions but always perseveres. I felt connected to Eya’s character because of these qualities. I couldn’t wait to find out more about her past, her abilities, and her interactions with others.

Through this evolution of Eya’s character, we are introduced to a cast of interesting and equally intriguing characters. Some of these characters are friends to Eya and others are foes, and for some, the “jury is still out.”

The author’s writing style is quite enjoyable to read, and I love the creativity behind the fantasy aspects of the book. For example, there seems to be a nod to mythology which I really enjoyed. As another example, the magical elements are intriguing and add an element of suspense to the story line.

I enjoyed Struggling With the Current. I would recommend this book to others. For me, this book was a bit of a historical fiction piece melded with a fantasy piece. I think that readers who enjoy both the historical fiction and fantasy genres will really love this book!

[Amy Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd been looking forward to this book's release for a while, so I was delighted to start as soon as it arrived! Struggling with the Current follows Princess Eya as she is forced to flee everything she holds dear. She makes new friends and allies along the way and learns more about herself. So many memorable characters in this book that I hope either get spin-offs or we see more of. Clefa, Daijah (swoon!), Immelda (I LOVE HER SO MUCH), Peg, Sember (dude creeped me out a little but I still liked him.)

I don't want to say any more because I don't want to get spoilery but this is a series to watch!

[T. Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is THE book of the year

And the book I never thought I needed to read. The way ARK built this world made it easy to catapult myself deep into Telverin. The characters, the imagery.. for this to be her first novel just puts me in awe. I am officially a fan. I cannot wait for the next book.

There is everything you need in this book: action, mystery, angst and a little bit of loving. Oh, and plenty of book boyfriends to choose from. Man, if you are looking for something to read, please pick this up. Fantasy has never looked so good.

Thank you for this book ARK!

[Colleen Baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightfully engrossing. Eya's journey of self discovery is set in a fantastic world lovingly described.

[Teria Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Women Empowerment

I fell in love with this book from the very first chapter. I often felt as if I was right there with the characters. I love the female empowerment and strong women. I can't wait to see what happens in book two. Very well written and unique names for the characters.

[Jamie St Cyr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

Loved loved loved this read and can’t wait for the others to follow. Great story, I’ve always been partial to reading stories about gods. I loved that you can’t predict what is going to happen, you just want to keep reading.

[A.R.K. Horton]

So excited for this book to come out!

Pre-order the ebook on Amazon and other online retailers!

[Gemma · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like there is a good story somewhere in this book, but the whole thing feels like a series of highlights and Clif Notes rather than a journey to be a part of. Every single plot point is just "bam. finished" rather than it actually happens. Someone needs to train, so "character trains" is wrapped up in 2-3 sentences. Someone needs to escape, so we are just told that they escape. A long journey? All we get is that they left and they arrived. There's no character development at all. People are just in the position and mindset that the plot needs them to be in.

Also, if the constant sexualization of a girl who literally just turned 18 was cut down by half, there would be plenty of room to describe events rather than just state that they happened. It's done in such a clunky way that it's neither a representation of a woman finding and owning her own sexuality nor is it a useful commentary on how people can be predators. It's just...weird and uncomfortable and ultimately doesn't serve the characters or story at all.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Struggling With the Current is a fun introduction to what will be a trilogy. I enjoyed the characters, even if I didn't feel like I got to spend enough time with them. The plot was interesting and intriguing, and I always wanted to know what poor Eya was going to step in next.

The biggest detractor of this book in my opinion was the pacing. Some parts of the story felt rushed, and it could have benefited from being a bit longer. That being said, however, I enjoyed the book, and think it would be a great read for older teens and fantasy lovers.

[Kaitlyn Legaspi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Struggling with the Current follows the story of the strong-willed Princess Eya as tragedy falls upon her country and family as the result of the selfish actions of the most toxic villain I’d ever come across, Regent Farek. As she makes her way across Telverin to keep herself safe and learn how to survive, she learns more about the lore behind the Statue of the Goddess Winds and her role in an old foretold prophecy.

At 17-years-old, Princess Eya is a disciplined and mature young lady with a fiery spirit hidden underneath. This book is truly a coming-of-age as she goes through a horrible series of events yet manages to keep her head held high and show kindness to others in need. Surrounding Eya is a cast of well-developed characters, including her wonderfully loving brothers, the strong and humble Lady Immelda Pleffort, the abhorrent Brilsen Rabrith, the intelligent and mellow scholar-turned-soldier Daijah, and the embodiment of an abusive manipulator, Regent Farek.

These characters reside in the massive, wonderful world of Telverin, a realm with countries that are all bordered by oceans. The different countries are as diverse the characters residing in them. From the awful egg-smelling factories of Serenchea to the lovely seashores and gardens of Pescel, the descriptions and scenery of these kingdoms were really well-done and made me feel as if I was going on Eya’s journey along with her.

There are a lot of mature themes covered in Struggling with the Current, and I really like how they were written and addressed in a way that made it appropriate for teenagers to consume. It’s a great book to bring awareness to such heavy topics, since I feel it accurately depicts acts of toxic manipulation, SA, and trauma among other things despite being set in a fantasy world.

I absolutely enjoyed reading this book, and I'm excited to see what book 2 holds!

[Celine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and inspiring text to be sure.

This book is a fantasy with a lot of delicious elements in it. The world and power system are interesting as well as the over-arching conflict. I love the use of LGBT characters and companion relationships. There isn't really romance in this book, but there might be in the next few. This is more a coming-of-age story about a girl coming into her own and learning about all the questions that have circled her since everything fell apart. As well as strong female characters and a female lead.

I loved this book. It's one of my new favourites. I relate so much to the protagonist who refuses to have her life planned for her. She wants more than what is offered or expected of her.

I felt connected to the story like I was trying to figure out what would happen next before it happened. It was exciting and very immersive.

I love the importance of strong women in this text. It really sheds light on how ruthless they can be and how they force their own way in the world, refusing to be shoved into a little box by society. They use people's beliefs of them to their full advantage. They are much stronger than they look.

This is a world I want to live in. Where women are treated like people by those who really matter and anyone who hurts them are hated and punished. Women standing up for women and men standing up for women and how they should be treated. Women can have dreams too and want to live up to those dreams despite what others might want.

Cannot wait to continue the series.

[Joey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really struggled to finish this book, getting about 30% through before having to set it down for a few weeks, rinse repeat. I finally finished it though, and liked it well enough. I'm going to continue reading the series because I hate cliffhangers, which this book is totally guilty of!
The sentence structure feels super choppy for a lot of it, as well as the tone(?) being incredibly passive, which is juxtaposed by the book's content. I feel like it shows snippets of interesting things and then moves on too quickly, while giving a lot of time to nothing? It probably just wasn't my cup of tea, seeing how highly this book is rated haha.
Unfortunately forgettable cast of characters but that could also be a me issue, I struggled to connect with almost any aspect of this book. I liked the main character okay.
For all the gripes I just put forth, the book was good enough for me to be curious enough to continue reading the series. So there's that. I like the mythology :).
I bought and read this book because of a word-of-mouth recommendation from a self-proclaimed friend of the author's--A.R.K Horton, you've got real life dedicated fans! And their hyping of your work, worked! Anyways. Time to read the next in the series ☝️.

[Kelly Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received my copy free from Voracious Readers Only

For me this book started off a little rough. Typical spoiled princess who doesn't know what she has until it is gone. All the characters were behaving like typical young adult fantasy characters always do. Then it hit me.... Duh it probably has something to do with the fact that the book is actually young adult fantasy!!!

I stopped looking for deep complex characters and focused on the story as I should have from the start. Once I got my head on straight it was hard to put the book down. I was reading on my tablet and I knew my speed was getting faster and faster as I saw the number of pages left getting smaller and smaller.

And then it hit me. The epilogue. Drat it!!! Another build up to big doings that don't get done. The trick author's love to pull on readers -and readers love to hate- the cliffhanger ending.

After some teeth gnashing, hair pulling, and cursing I decided that the only thing to do would be to leave this review and search out the second book in this trilogy while hoping it has already been published so I don't have to wait.

[Jason Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written fantasy!

The first point I want to get out of the way is that this is not my normal vein of fantasy. There were reccomendations to read it, though; and I took it upon myself to scrutinize this from a more generalized fantasy perspective. With that out of the way, this is a very well done fantasy story. Princess Eya is believable, and her efforts to adapt to a cruel world is a solid path of growth. With her home kingdom ripped away, and being forced to conceal herself, we see a lot of realistic scenarios, and unforgiving and ruthless individuals that force her to understand herself just to survive.
The grammar and detailing are very good, and my imagination was able to follow along with imagery, which is always a great sign.
I will be following the rest of Horton's Telverin Trilogy, because I am curious to see where it goes from here.
From a reader outside his usual vein, well done Horton!

[Sloane McClain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book. The characters are developed so that the reader wishes to be able to meet some of them--while totally avoiding others. The world is described in such vivid detail that it's almost like reading an entertaining world history.

Eya is thrown out of her comfortable, privileged life into a world she never imagined. Unlike many would do, she doesn't just sit and cry; no, she learns and grows. Her development into a woman to be reckoned with is another part of what makes this an entertaining read.

I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.

[W.A. Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel tells the story of Eya, a princess from the small country of Hicares. Upon escaping her home during a war against Pescel.
In her debut novel, author A.R.K. Horton tells a tightly interwoven tale that introduces a disparate cast of characters that just so happen to be scattered across the world. It introduces its elements slowly, building mystery as it continues.
With a great cast of characters interspersed throughout the story, this novel is well worth a read.

[Emmeline Everdeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me a few chapters to get into the book but once I did I was so glad I kept reading. I enjoyed seeing Eya’s growth from an innocent sheltered princess into a strong independent woman. I definitely lived vicariously through Eya while reading this book. The author does an amazing job of developing the characters and the world they live in. I cannot wait to see what happens next.
I received this book from the author through Voracious Readers Only. I reviewed it because I enjoyed it.

[Margaret Both · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal characters, story line and plot!
I thoroughly enjoyed the various characters and their interplay. I enjoy strong female characters and this book has numerous examples that flout the society’s of their time and countries.
I am truly grateful to A.R.K. Horton for this Complimentary Copy via Voracious Readers Only.
I am looking forward to book 2 of the Telverin series.

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eldritchish adventure

A story of a woman trying to survive in a world full of men trying to control her.

The main antagonist's name was a tad in the nose, and I got a feeling the author didn't enjoy writing the scenes that he was in, but the main reason to read this is for the protagonist and the friends she makes along the way.

[E.G. Deaile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Touching start to Eya’s journey through tragedy and heartache, finding her strength, and maybe, just maybe, her love.

[Tonya Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good read it in one weekend.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great world building.