Adella's life had been peaceful on the frontier of Valenna. But when mysterious raiders attack and burn her town down, her brother goes missing. Leaving everything behind, she sets off in a desperate ride across the plains to find him.
A MERCENARY IN DIRE NEED OF HER HELP
Kol, a highly-skilled Sornian soldier, needs Adella's help if he wants to live to see another day. A traitor to his country with nowhere else to turn, he agrees to guide Adella across the wilderness of the Campos.
A HIGH-SEAS ADVENTURE
When Adella is captured by the enemy, she inadvertently lets a powerful artifact fall into the wrong hangs. Risking everything to find her, Kol takes a gamble and joins forces with the mysterious Captain Declan, a notorious reaver known for plundering Sornian ships.
Each must face the same choice: Save someone dear to them, or retrieve the artifact and prevent the awakening of Mundil and the rise of the Twelve Calamities...
In a world of intrigue, mystery, and betrayal, will the choices they make lead to disaster?
Legends of Andolin: Adella of the Campos is the first in an all-new series that takes you on a captivating adventure filled with excitement, danger and, most importantly, sea serpents. Read it today!
A. M. Portman lives in Michigan with her husband and two sons, where they own a 50-acre Hunter-Jumper equestrian facility. When not writing, she can often be found riding the grounds on her bay gelding, Dragon. Her interest in horses, studies in archaeology, and love of classic literature are reflected in her stories.
The Legends of Andolin series began when the author's sister requested an original novel for her birthday. Taking inspiration from her favorite authors such as Kipling, Lewis, and Tolkien, Portman endeavored to craft a new tale filled with adventure, mystery, and a bit of romance, featuring unique and memorable characters.
She is currently hard at work writing the next book in the Legends of Andolin series.
First of all I want to give a huge shoutout to A.M. Portman. Over a year ago, maybe even more, she sent me her book in exchange for an honest review. I gave a few tips here and there. And she recently reached out to me again and told me she used my tips to improve the book. And asked me to reread the book again. And of course I was totally up for that.
Adella of the Campos is a beautiful and action packed story about the Kingdom of Vallena. Adella's home gets attacked and she is forced to flee. She realizes her brother has been taken and she goes on a quest to find him. When she finds the enemy's camp she sees a prisoner bound to a pole. He asks her to free him and she does so. His name is Kol and he is from the Kingdom of Sornia. But he disagreed with the action his army took and got taken, bound and sentenced to death. Adella saves him and convinces him to help her find her brother after she offers him a lot of money. He agrees to help her. Shortly after Armand, the butler, and Teressa, the housekeeper, join Adella and Kol on their quest.
And that is what kickstarts the story. The Sornian army is after them and they must stay out of the hands of the army. Koll tells Adella a legend of a stone called The Heart of the World. And quite soon they realize this story might be true after Kol finds an item on Adella's person.
This book is a fantastic adventure with colorful and intriguing characters. I loved the fantasy aspect of it. And I loved the scenes that took place on the sea. I adored the twists and turns and I am more than ready for the second book in this amazing series.
A.M. Portman really has her own unique writing style. I needed a few pages to get into the rhythm of the book. But once I did I couldn't stop reading. I also love, love, LOVE the book itself. It has a gorgeous cover. And the naked hardback is just out of this world. It is beyond beautiful. And I will treasure this book forever.
Kol, like the first time I read this book, is by far my favorite character. And I am totally rooting for him in the second book, haha. I loved the ending and cannot wait how that last sentence is gonna play a huge part in the sequel.
Set in medieval lands, Legends of Andolin is a wonderful fantasy story by A.M Portman following a fearless young lady on a dangerous journey with reluctant allies.
Adella’s life takes a drastic turn when a group of soldiers attacks her home and she is forced to flee for survival. On top of that, her brother disappears without a trace leaving her desperate for any leads. In the search of her missing brother, Adella finds herself on a quest to magical lands filled with mystery and adventure. During the journey she is faced with numerous challenges, assassins, sea monsters and pirates (whohooooo!).
I mean… who doesn’t love pirate books with crazy adventures and a wonderful cast of witty characters?! I was holding my breath hoping for everyone’s survival because they make you fall in love so easily! The group dynamic is truly fantastic and I ended up adoring them all - Adella, Kol, Armand, Tess…
The story is very well-written and engaging, done with perfect world-building and attention to detail. I loved the mysterious aspect leaving you questioning who you can actually trust! Once it picks up, it is super fast-paced and a real page-turner filled with pirate pursuits, betrayals and unexpected twists! Honestly it was quite impossible to put down!
I love books with strong courageous protagonists who don’t stop before any obstacle or hardship! Adella ventures into enemy territory swinging her sword like a fearless young lady ready to unleash her full potential. Women really can do anything, can’t they?
The ending left me more than eager for the next book and i need to know what is going to happen asap. It is truly a wonderful story showcasing the lengths people will go for those they love.
Special thanks to the author and Bookstagrammers.com for sending me a copy of this book!
The author and I followed each other for a while, and they very kindly offered me a copy of their book for my reading enjoyment. Enjoy I did!
The book is fantasy, but leans very heavily into the dress, language, weaponry of pirates. Which is A-okay with me. The author does a good job with this as it is grounding, but also still unique enough to read entirely as its own thing. Readers get both the typical fantasy journey on horseback/walking with danger and urgency, as well as ships sailing with time for hammock relaxing. But that relaxation doesn’t last…did I mention there are sea serpents?
The author writes believable and enjoyable characters that had me following along and rooting for them (and their survival) the entire time. They are dynamic, with ups and downs, and every single one progresses as people throughout the story. A personal favorite for me was Armand, who I pictured Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth’s actor from Game of Thrones) the entire time. The stakes are real, real “on screen” characters are lost, and the momentum builds the entire time at the appropriate pace. All in all, I am impressed, and I am a fan.
Absolutely worth your time, effort, and money to read this one
This is a refreshing take on the fantasy genre, and one of the things I really appreciated is how it reads more like historical fiction. There's a rich, immersive world full of politics and history, but it's not all spelled out for you all at once. Instead, it unfolds naturally, with details slowly revealed as you dive deeper into the story. That method of storytelling can either be fascinating or frustrating depending on the reader, and for me, it worked well overall, even though it had its moments where the pacing felt a bit off.
The beginning and ending were where the book really excelled. There’s this urgent drive in Adella’s search for her brother and Kol’s need for survival. The middle section, though, dragged a bit, and I found my mind wandering at times during moments that should have felt more tense. It could’ve used a tighter focus to keep the momentum going as they journeyed through the wilderness and across the seas. The ending was also enjoyable and I certainly plan to continue this series.
Character-wise, it took me some time to get invested in Adella, Kol, and Captain Declan. They’re not your typical fantasy archetypes—like the chosen one or royals—they’re more like regular people caught in extraordinary circumstances, which is a cool twist. Especially because they may rub elbows with some of those characters. Still, I struggled with not having more insight into their emotions. Their motivations were clear, but their inner feelings weren’t on display, which made it harder for me to fully connect with them. It’s something I tend to need in stories to really root for the characters, and that part felt a little lacking here.
That being said, I loved the plague, all of the action and adventure, and political intrigue. There was a layer of danger and high stakes to the story that felt gritty and real. And I have to agree with Armand - I am half-hoping for the love triangle to all get romantically entangled!
Overall, this has some unique elements that stand out in the fantasy genre, particularly its grounded, not-classically-heroic main characters and a strong sense of world-building. While it had some pacing issues and emotional depth that didn’t fully click for me, it’s still an engaging read, and I’m curious to see where the story goes next. Plus, any book with sea serpents and time spent on a ship will always be a win for me.
Thanks to R&R Booktours and the author for the opportunity to read and review. I had a wonderful time. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
If you are a fan of the fantasy genre, you might want to check this book out, because LEGENDS OF ANDOLIN is full of exciting and fun adventures that will keep you entertained.
The story is set in a kingdom called Valenna, with Sornia as a neighboring country. There is a land between them (Elldon), where our protagonist, Adella, lives with her family. One night the Sornians attack the land of Elldon. And on the same night Adella's brother, Lucas, is missing. Adella believes that the Sornian soldiers are responsible for Lucas disappearance. So she sets on a quest to find Lucas. When she finds a Sornian soldier's campsite and sees a captive man, she quickly frees him. In return, the man (Kol) promises to help Adella find Lucas.
TBH, the story is slow in the beginning, but as the plot unfolds, I found myself totally absorbed in Adella and Kol's adventure. I enjoyed the actions and witty conversations between the characters. I had so much fun reading this book that when the story ended I felt I wanted more. Do you know what post-vacation blues feel like? Yeah, like that 😀
Very well done. For me with this type of book, it needs to move along at a good clip. The world building and character development have to happen while something else interesting is going on. That is achieved here perfectly. strongly recommend this title.
I love reading books like this. This book was fantastic and there is so much promise for a sequel. I am curious about the relationships that will develop and what adventure will come next.
This was an exciting fantasy adventure with likeable characters and a good sense of mystery. For me, the plot read like a dungeons and dragons campaign—which makes sense because I know the author was inspired by D&D in her writing. There was a mysterious object, pirate pursuits and a strange, seemingly magical island. For me, the characters were what made this story really good.
My favourite character was Kol, who isn’t so much a “bad guy” as someone who is trying to find his way in the world and to work out where he fits in. His growing relationship with Adella was really sweet, and I like that the author didn’t rush this. Can’t wait to see more of them together.
Adella herself goes through a lot of experiences which cause massive changes in her life. She has to question what she knows about certain family members, and learn who to trust. I would have liked to see her grapple a bit more with the betrayals she faces, but felt her inner turmoil was pretty well explored. She has history with Captain Rogero which I thought was well developed and left me wanting to know more about their past.
I enjoyed Armand and Tess as characters and felt they added an interesting and unique dynamic to the travelling party. Matei was one of those characters I loved to hate and I hope to see more of him in the next book.
And there was a *very* intriguing cliffhanger that has left me wanting the next book and wondering where it could be going! Overall, this was a fun fantasy story which I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys a good adventure.
A.M.Portman's "Legends of Andolin: Adella of the Campos" is an recent addition to my favourite fantasy books. The book has all the elements to thrill you from the start to finish. Mystery, intrigue, adventure, betrayal all the fantasy elements are finely weaven by the author in a mediaeval world to offer an amazing story. I loved how the author infuses various cultural elements through different types of characters in a complex and twisted plot. Adella's house is attacked by some mysterious squad of soldiers and in order to save herself she flees. At the same time her brother is also vanished without leaving any clues. Kol, a soldier makes alliance with Adella for assisting her and the story moves forward with a adventure in a mystical world. The character of Adella is finely sketched with the mix of courage and bravery making her likable. But others characters like kol are also lovely to put depth in the story. The intrigue and betrayal that are created by "Legends of Andolin" are superb. The ethically challenging choices the characters make and the results of those choices advance the plot. In this society, alliances are subject to change, and trust is a precious resource. The language of the book is gorgeous to portray such vast colorful world with rich cultures. The world creation is fantastic with fine detailing. I loved the fast pacing storyline that glides the reader very quickly through the book. With an intense adventure, different characters, sea serpents and twelve calamaties,betrayals, pirate pursuits the book has enough twisting plot to leave you amazed and stunned during the read. I enjoyed the dialogues from the protagonists immensely. Their emotions and feelings are very relatable through out the novel. The novel is a must read for every fantasy lovers who love mysterious adventure and war stories.
The author and I followed each other for a while, and they very kindly offered me a copy of their book for my reading enjoyment. Enjoy I did!
The book is fantasy, but leans very heavily into the dress, language, weaponry of pirates. Which is A-okay with me. The author does a good job with this as it is grounding, but also still unique enough to read entirely as its own thing. Readers get both the typical fantasy journey on horseback/walking with danger and urgency, as well as ships sailing with time for hammock relaxing. But that relaxation doesn’t last…did I mention there are sea serpents?
The author writes believable and enjoyable characters that had me following along and rooting for them (and their survival) the entire time. They are dynamic, with ups and downs, and every single one progresses as people throughout the story. A personal favorite for me was Armand, who I pictured Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth’s actor from Game of Thrones) the entire time. The stakes are real, real “on screen” characters are lost, and the momentum builds the entire time at the appropriate pace. All in all, I am impressed, and I am a fan.
Absolutely worth your time, effort, and money to read this one
"Legends of Andolin: Adella of the Campos" by Audra M. Portman is an exciting journey into a realm filled with mystery, intrigue, and high-seas adventure. This page-turning novel introduces readers to a wide range of endearing characters and tells an engaging tale that will hold your attention from start to finish. The protagonist of the story is Adella, a woman whose peaceful living on Valenna's frontier is upended by anonymous invaders, forcing her into a desperate search for her lost brother. Because of her bravery and courage as she embarks on a perilous expedition across the plains, she makes for a captivating and lovable protagonist. Kol, a skilled Sornian soldier and a traitor to his country, gives the narrative complexity and nuance. His dependency on Adella for support creates a compelling bond, and his struggle for survival and redemption drives the plot forward. The book's language is exquisite, perfectly capturing such a large, colourful planet with diverse civilizations. The world was beautifully and intricately created. I adored the quick-moving plot that carries the reader effortlessly through the novel. The protagonists' banter was fantastic, and I loved it. Throughout the entire book, their emotions and experiences are so relatable. I highly recommend this book.
Legends of Andolin:Adella of the Campos, by A.M Portman is a fantasy story which since the very begining start with action, this is because, the Adella's house was invanded, robbed and burned by mercenaries. So she has to find her brother who was kinnaped by this people. . Also, the story give us a very brave female character who is Adella, and she would do everything to bring her brother back and find who did this to her and her family. . Kol is great man! . In this story you will find a lot of things, more than just a quest, like sea monsters, lost and forbibben treassures, traitors, fights with swords, and also, a slow burn romance. . Also, there is a moment in the book I feel like I was seeing an Indiana Jones' movie! . I really enjoyed of this story and I'm hoping for more! . Thanks to the author for giving me a copy of her book for a review 💕
I was listening to the audiobook and trying to keep up with the kindle version when I realized there were significant differences! I discovered the kindle is a revised edition so I decided to just enjoy the audiobook to see what I thought of the original and I loved it!
It’s a change of pace for me but the storytelling is refreshing and the characters are charming. I am now anxious to go back and read the Kindle to see if I can detect what’s different.
The seafaring/ pirate / political enemies/ adventure romance was a joy and I look forward to book 2!!
I really enjoyed this fantasy read. It was fast paced with great world building. I thought the characters were great and I really liked Adella. Her village is attacked by soldiers and her brother goes missing. She goes on a journey to find him and meets Kol, a Sorian soldier. He is being held and accused of being a traitor. She agrees to free him if he will help her find her brother. What follows is a story filled with adventure, mystery, intrigue. A wonderful start to the series and I can’t wait to read the next one!
This book was action packed! When Adella’s house gets overrun by bandits and her brother taken she undertakes the task of rescuing him. Along the way she meet Kol who after a change of heart decides he didn’t like what the people he was with were doing. They travel together and get separated and find each other. They wind up on a boat and meet lots of people along the way. It ended with Adella stepping up and doing the right thing. It ends a soft cliff hanger but I definitely want to read the next one
I really enjoyed this epic fantasy! It was such a fun and adventurous read. It’s the perfect palette cleanser. I needed a little break from reading my usual Romantasy and dark romance, and Adella of the Campos satisfied that.
This book is full of high-seas adventure with pirates, sea serpents, and a great plot and cast of characters. I loved how fierce Adella is! Kol, the MMC, was just as loveable. I love that even though he was raised in a culture with backwards thinking and wrong doing, he stands his ground and fights against that even knowing that he may be risking his life doing so.
Overall, I definitely recommend this book!
A special thank you the author for sending me a signed physical copy and to R&R Book Tours for the review opportunity! 🥰🫶🏼
3.5 stars I couldn't get into the characters. The overall plot and pacing were fine, but the writing was, kinda bland, hollow. I do like that a map was provided. That always helps me get into the story when I can see the bigger picture.
This was a very well written adventure book. A medieval times fantasy following a strong and fearless female lead. She finds herself traveling through a cast of well developed characters and challenging herself against pirates and sea monsters! Medieval pirates! Yes please! I loved how once you got going through the adventure, the book became super fast paced. I love adventure and I love being able to find myself traveling along with our character!
Audra M. Portman's "Legends of Andolin: Adella of the Campos" is a thrilling excursion into a world full of mystery, intrigue, and high-seas adventure. This page-turning book introduces readers to a diverse group of likeable characters and crafts an exciting story that will keep you engrossed from beginning to end.
Adella, a lady forced into a frantic hunt for her missing brother after her quiet existence on Valenna's frontier is upended by unidentified raiders, is the protagonist of the novel. She is a compelling and likeable protagonist because of her courage and bravery as she sets out on a risky adventure over the plains. Kol, a talented Sornian soldier and a traitor to his nation, lends depth and nuance to the story. His reliance on Adella for assistance forges a compelling alliance, and the plot is propelled forward by his fight for survival and redemption.
The novel takes readers on a high-seas trip with unexpected twists and turns as the plot develops. The mission to recover a potent artefact and stop the rising of the Twelve Calamities gives the story a sense of urgency and suspense. The world-building in the book is one of its most notable features. With sea serpents and a sense of vast, uncharted possibilities, Portman expertly crafts a vivid and evocative world. Because to the detailed descriptions, readers can clearly imagine the settings, people, and animals.
In conclusion, "Legends of Andolin: Adella of the Campos" by Audra M. Portman is an intriguing beginning to what appears to be an entertaining series. It provides readers with a compelling and immersive experience with its well-developed characters, complex plot, and fantasy element involving sea serpents. This novel is a must-read if you enjoy action, mystery, and high-stakes pursuits.
I love a book with a good prophecy and pirates! I haven't read very many pirate books and have been wanting to read more. This definitely hit the spot! I usually read romantasy so this was a nice change of pace. There is no spice but this book didn't really need it. It is an epic fantasy and so much happens!
Adella's thrilling journey in hooked me from the start! The mystery of the raiders and Adella's determination to rescue her brother had me turning pages non stop. The unlikely alliance with Kol, the badass mercenary, added an exciting twist. And their first interaction 😫😫😫😭omgggg🤌🏻🤌🏻The camaraderie with unexpected allies kept the story engaging, and the ride across the Campos was filled with heart pounding dangers. The suspense and action are off the charts! I couldn't put it down, and I'm dying to know if Adella and her crew make it out alive. A must read for anyone who loves a adventure 😌😌
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Ohh mann!!! The whole book was such an amazing and adventurous journey of our lovely Adella along with her accomplices- Kol, Teressa and Armand, all of them travel towards the Hedda in search of Adella's younger brother who they assume to have been kidnapped.
Their journey is filled with obstacles and challenges and not easy at all, I loved these parts as they seemed so realistic like the difficulties which are usually seen during long unplanned journey.
In the middle of the book we come across a lot of changes, some betrayal, deaths and a whole lot of emotions, which were so beautifully explained by the author. The twists were quite unexpected and sudden throughout that made me keep going further into the book.
I have to be honest I took a real long time to complete this book, even though each time I picked it, I found difficult to keep it down, at the beginning I went super fast but I had other ARCs with deadlines so had to balance it, but I COMPLETELY DEVOURED EACH CHAPTER IN DEPTH, I slowly and gradually drowned into the mesmerizing world created by A M Portman and was glad to have read it, and was a fun read.
The only thing I missed was more depth in the connection between the characters, I mean the feelings if the characters towards each other was a little bland, be it Lucas with Adella or Adella and her reaction for the news of her parents etc. I could feel it in the surface but a little more in depth could connect the story to its readers emotionally I guess, hope there is more of it in the sequel with I can't wait to read especially because of the cliffhanger at the end of this book!!!
I would love to thank the author A M Portman for sending me beautiful signed copies of both of her books to read and review and since I finished reading her debut first book I can assure that she has a good potential and will certainly recommend you guys to read her books.
And good luck to the author for upcoming release for Rising Tides, will soon post the review of it too ♡♡
"Legends of Andolin: Adella of the Campos" by A.M.Portman is an amazing fantasy book full of adventure. Set in mediaeval settings the novel starts with the story of Adella, a brave and courageous woman who is forced to flee in the forest after her home has been raided by mysterious soldiers from neighbouring land. To add to her worries her brother is also missing. While searching for her lost brother, Adella realises that she is on a mission that takes her to mythical worlds brimming with intrigue and adventure. During the voyage, she runs into a number of stumbling blocks. Kol, a skilled Sornian soldier and a traitor to his country, adds complexity and richness to the narrative. His dependency on Adella for support creates an endearing bond, and the plot is advanced by his struggle for survival and atonement.
I enjoyed the finely detailed mediaeval setting and gorgeous world building. Filled with assassins, raiders, sea serpents and amazing adventures the novel is full of adrenaline thumping sequences that are bound to grip any fantasy lover from beginning to end. The unexpected twists and turns of the plotline is fantastically crafted by the author. The dialogues and the characters of the storyline is neatly sketched to represent rich cultural elements. The bravery of Adella, the assistance of kol every thing is so beautiful and adorable. The emotions and feelings of the characters in their highs and lows are relatable and I can feel connection to. The uncertainty of relying to anyone makes the plot even more interesting and mysterious. Actually with fantastic characters, well plotted story line and unexpected twists and turns A.M.Portman's 'Legends of Andolin' is a must read fantasy novel for all the lovers of the genre.