Whispers of Ruin

The Famine Cycle #1

by J.D.L. Rosell

Every secret has its price. When a seller of secrets is caught in a deadly conspiracy, she’ll discover how high a price she’s willing to pay to uncover the truth…

Among the unsavory streets of Oedija, Airene and her unorthodox companions scrape a living as Finches, exposing lies and scandals for a scant profit.

When Oedija’s monarch dies suspiciously, Airene sees her chance to earn more than the next meal. Though her quest might prove fruitless, she risks everything to learn the story behind his death in the hopes of making her fame and fortune.

But the ruler’s death is just the first piece of the puzzle. Magic, long forbidden, reemerges in the face of revolution. War looms on the horizon. Ancient spirits awaken, hungry after their long slumber.

And the secrets Airene reveals threaten to consume their world...


From the author of the bestselling Legend of Tal series comes an enthralling epic fantasy filled with rumor hunters, secret societies, taboo magic, and a world-eating god. Read WHISPERS OF RUIN, Book 1 of the epic fantasy series The Famine Cycle, to discover the secrets today!


This title was previously published as City of Whispers.

Content warning: Occasional strong language, innuendo, and violence



PRAISE FOR WHISPERS OF RUIN

★★★★★ "...Deftly blends political intrigue and tension between ruling powers, the mystic ability of the wardens, and the threat of war including the looming terror of a daemon god. "--5-Star review from Readers' Favorite

★★★★★ "I was enthralled from the first chapter." - Amazon reviewer

★★★★★ "Loved this world of the finches." - Amazon reviewer

★★★★★ "A hard book to put down." - Amazon reviewer

★★★★★ "This book was so complex and layered. I loved the characters, the storyline and the paranormal aspects." - Amazon reviewer

Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Fiction, Ebooks, Magic, Mythology

448 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 9, 2021

About the author

***ANNOUNCEMENT: Shadow of Legends, Book 1 in the Dragonforged Saga, is funding now on Kickstarter! Look it up to read more about your favorite characters from Legend of Tal.***

J.D.L. Rosell was swept away on a journey when he stepped foot outside his door and into The Hobbit. He hasn't stopped wandering since.

In his writing, he tries to recapture the wonder, adventure, and poignancy that captivated him as a child. His explorations have taken him to worlds set in over twenty novels and six series, which include Dragonforged, Ranger of the Titan Wilds, Legend of Tal, The Runewar Saga, and The Famine Cycle.

When he's not off on a quest, Rosell enjoys his newfound hobby of archery and older pastimes of hiking and landscape photography. But every hobbit returns home, and if you step softly and mind the potatoes, you may glimpse him curled up with his wife and two cats, Zelda and Abenthy, reading a good book or replaying his favorite video games.

* * * * *

Books by J.D.L. Rosell:

DRAGONFORGED
1. Shadow of Legends (Late 2026 release)

RANGER OF THE TITAN WILDS
1. The Last Ranger
2. The First Ancestor
3. The Hidden Guardian
4. The Wilds Exile
5. The Titan Revenant (March 2026 release)

LEGEND OF TAL
1. A King's Bargain
2. A Queen's Command
3. An Emperor's Gamble
4. A God's Plea
A Battle Between Blood (Novella)

THE RUNEWAR SAGA
1. The Throne of Ice & Ash
2. The Crown of Fire & Fury
3. The Stone of Iron & Omen
Book 4 TBA

THE FAMINE CYCLE - Available as a complete box set
1. Whispers of Ruin
2. Echoes of Chaos
3. Requiem of Silence
Secret Seller (Prequel)
The Phantom Heist (Novella)

GODSLAYER RISING - Available as a complete box set
1. Catalyst
2. Champion
3. Heretic

Reviews

[Elliott Dunstan · Rating 3 out of 5]

'City of Whispers' is a complex and sometimes confusing dark-fantasy adventure, following Airene and her Finches as they try to uncover the truth. I deeply enjoyed this book, and more and more the further through the novel I got.

First, the good - the setting of 'City of Whispers' is gorgeously developed. With clear inspirations from Ancient Greece (the characters wear chitons, have names like Airene and Lykos, and even the democracy and social structure borrows from Ancient Athens), the city of Oedija feels like a real place, with interclass tensions and a rich history illustrated in snippets from fictional recordings at the beginning of each chapter. Additionally, Airene is a strong central character, albeit unlikeable at times; she's driven by a quest for truth that sometimes eclipses the needs and comfort of others, and her characterization avoids the pitfalls of so many female main characters. There's a brief reference to a potential love affair between her and another character, but it's barely noticeable amid her true motivations, and even the death of her brother is just part of her patchwork rather than a single driving force.

Why three stars only? Sometimes worldbuilding is too complex; it's hard to follow the political machinations of the plot when I spent half of the book unclear on what 'pyrkin' were, I applaud 'City of Whispers' for avoiding infodumping, but especially for the first hundred and fifty pages, it feels like stepping into a movie that's already playing in a language you only half-know. Additionally, the sheer amount of characters is overwhelming enough that I found myself hoping for both a vocabulary list and a Dramatis Personae.

'City of Whispers' is an excellent read for classic high fantasy lovers - if you grew up with 'Deltora Quest', wanted more from 'A Song of Ice and Fire' and love the darkness of 'Malazan Book of the Fallen', this is for you. If you prefer more familiar worlds or a slower, more internally-driven pace, look elsewhere.

[Emmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whispers of Ruin is book one in the Famine cycle, though I read it's prequel 'Secret Seller' before I read this, and I would recommend doing so. I think the Secret Seller really gave me a stronger connection to some key characters in this one that I would have missed if I hadn't read it beforehand.

Conspiracy, forbidden magic, religious and magical cults, unseen spirit dimensions, caged gods and extensive immersive worldbuilding in a character driven story; Whispers of Ruin has it all!

What I loved:
- Mystery & intrigue: I love a good fantasy mystery. Totally worked for me
- World: I love the world Rosell has created for us. The cultural aspects, the magic, all of it just feels really real and has been strongly put together
- Multi-dimensional and conflicted characters: not every character is what it seems, and they each have their own motivations. Nobody is cookie cut.

What I missed:
- Although the MC is likeable and there's nothing wrong with her, I missed a bit of connection to her here and there; I missed some 'feel'. This may have been enhanced by the fact that some key, dramatic moments felt like they passed by too quickly without a stronger emotional reaction from her.
- Confusion: I did struggle a bit at the beginning and throughout here and there, with the amount of names: there are quite a lot of side characters introduced, names for cults and political groups and peoples, and I struggled to keep track of it a bit; that made understanding all the twists and turns of the mystery plot a bit overwhelming


Sexual content: none. 100% clean
Coarse language: none
Violence and gore: moderate

*I received a free digital copy. This does not affect my review, which I leave voluntarily

[Alyssia Cooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whispers of Ruin is a complex and sprawling epic fantasy, sometimes a little too sprawling and a little too complex for me in honesty. There were so many characters that I struggled to keep up with who was who; one moment for example that was meant to be a big reveal was kind of dampened for me as I spent precious moments figuring out who this person actually was. There's a lot to get to grips with in terms of the political structures, geographical locations and diplomacy between different lands. The pacing seemed a little slow as the background and world building was built up, and I found myself forcing myself to continue rather than flying through the pages.

That said, there's a good story and some strong characters at the heart of this, once you dig down to it. The main characters are well realised, it's just the huge cast of characters around them that makes everyone hard to keep track of. The initial narrative seemed to be rather small in scale, rather than an epic fantasy, but by the end of the novel this has expanded out in unexpected directions. I'm kind of interested to see where this goes as it seemed to be leading to a far broader narrative rather than one Finch trying to solve a mystery.

There's a lot of political manoeuvring here, as well as a lot of side narratives that eventually twine through to the main narrative. This adds to the complexity of the novel, but does also make it more confusing. The immediate world is really well realised, but there are so many factions that a lot more seemed more difficult to realise.

All in all, this is well-written and if you're looking for sprawling, complex high fantasy with a mystery investigation at the heart of it this is worth looking at. I'm intrigued by where it's leading as I suspect the feel will move far more into the epic 'world at stake' in the following novels.

[R.M. Krogman · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Whispers of Ruin" by J.D.L. Rosell is the first in series of The Famine Cycle. It almost starts like a heist, its structure oriented around the MC finding the truth of the reigning despot's death. Ailene and her friends are finches, people who find truths for profit, but she seeks something bigger. To be a verifier, a true seeker and destroyer of secrets such as a covered up murder. Ailene gets far more than she bargained for.

This story is told in first-person through Ailene's eyes. She is nothing if not dedicated to her cause, to the degree of frequently barging forward and forgetting her friends. Luckily, she has some very faithful friends. The scale of the story increases fairly quickly toward the end, making it clear this is about more than a single political maneuver.

[Perdita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review – Whispers of Ruin: The Famine Cycle book 1 by J. D. Rosell

Reviewer’s Note: I am not rating this book on a curve as it is completely in my wheelhouse, but I do grade books I am not in love with on a curve because I believe that personal preferences should never penalize a book’s rating. In other words, if you write a good story that I’m not in love with because it’s just not my cuppa, I don’t mark down—I do my best to grade on what it is, not what I like.

The first book of “The Famine Cycle”, “Whispers of Ruin” presents a hodge-podge of genres in a deliciously gritty high fantasy setting that would make Raymond E. Feist sit up and smile. With “Whispers of Ruins” the reader embarks upon a true crime thriller with political intrigue and theist dissention among a populace of regular people facing famine and hardship within a city where those with affluence flaunt it. This book has all the hallmarks of its genres. There is epic foreshadowing of a World-Changing Big Bad that will need to be countered. But the foundation of the novel is detective pulp fiction of an almost film-noir style—a gritty true-crime political thriller that is reminiscent of “The Big Easy” (William Hurt, Kathleen Turner) or even “The Cheap Detective” (Peter Falk).

The main character (MC), Airene, is a self-styled Finch, a seeker of secrets, and she cannot let it go when there is a death of a political figure and she believes it is murder. Like any good pulp detective, she is flat-broke and should take on paying jobs, avoid trouble with rivals, and avoid the law. Naturally, like any good pulp detective, she does the exact opposite.

She has three trusty sidekicks, a few wary patrons, and a nose for trouble and truth. She also has a kid brother who she worries about, for he is even more prone to trouble than she is. All major and minor characters are clearly developed and exist independently of the story—meaning they don’t feel like they are inserted just to push the narrative. They are like real people of the kind that a person like Airene would be related to, befriend, work for, and work against. Well-developed and interesting, Rosell gives characters quirks without making them into caricatures. They are relatable and sympathetic, and have realistic abilities and skill-sets. (No superhero abilities or anime battle action.)

One of her good friends is a Warden—a magic-user—who is “unlicensed” as you will, and he explains the physics of his craft to her without sounding like a professor. (The magic of Airene’s world—the city-state of Oedija—is intricate, with strict rules governing its use and where magic-users may live and mobilize.) Her other friends are a young woman who is a displaced noble of another realm (skilled in martial arts), and an enigmatic man who is a Guilder, a “registered” thief and also a Warden. On the periphery, they have a roommate who is a simple rickshaw puller, seeking to earn the money to buy her sister passage overseas to Oedija, and a kindly older patron who serves as a surrogate father to Airene.

Strangely, I didn’t really notice I was reading a first-person narrative for some time. I like the organic world-building techniques Rosell employs. I think some do it better (see Alec Hutson’s “The Crimson Queen”, Joe Jackson’s “Eve of Redemption” series (caveat—we are related), and my personal benchmark of organic information, Alison Sinclair’s “Darkborn”) but Rosell is nearly as good at this in “Whispers of Ruin”; I expect his talent for organic exposition will improve even more throughout the series and in future works. That’s rather how writing works.

Each narrative chapter begins with an excerpt of a text from within Oedija’s history, which provides an explanation for something within the story’s setting, from the political structure to the layout of the city to the personalities of the leaders to special laws and to other realms and opposing churches. It’s a technique that I particularly love, and you’ll see it in nearly any genre (my “Company’s Coming” cookbooks use it).

Something else I really cheered to read was the opposite viewpoint. Towards the end of the novel, a character is introduced and he has a very different opinion about the nobility of the Finch’s work. What Airene views as a noble pursuit of truth is not seen as such by her rivals, or by the people she surveils. She seems to lack this level of self-awareness, but author J. D. Rosell is clearly aware of it and sure to point it out. He is not completely taken in by his MC or the lies she believes about herself. The presentation is casual, and the orchestration is brilliant.

I confess to not being fond of the narrative breaks in the novel. There are two “Interludes” that take place from another character’s point of view, as third person limited, and I don’t like it. It comes close to violating the fourth wall. I don’t like getting an overview of a scene from outside views. Maybe you do, or will in this instance. I find it’s generally a case of a writer having a big surprise and s/he just can’t help but hint at it to the person who is supposed to be surprised. I am hypercritical of this because I have done it twice GMing table-top games, and ruined the twist by doing so. I get it because waiting for the payoff is difficult! But one cannot spill the secrets in Act II when there is still Act III, and maybe even IV! I prefer to get the whole surprise.

Along the same line, I did not like the prologue. It was a little Monty Cooke-ish with the “evil is coming”—artistic and grimdark all in one fell swoop. I am not against prologues, and I like referring back to them, but you can thank or blame C. S. Friedman for my high standards on a prologue as I’ve yet to read one as satisfying as that in “When True Night Falls”. It is supposed to set the stage and rev up reader expectations.

Overall, when you pick up “Whispers of Ruin” and start reading, I believe you are going to be enraptured enough to want to burn through it—something I did at the 67% mark being rather over-caffeinated and staying up until 03.18 to finish, and then having my youngest child wake me at 04.30! (Fun days in the Jackson home. There’s a reason why Joe does not write at home.) There is a very good flow to the story that makes it unfold easily before the eyes with very little in the way of world-specific jargon to make you struggle for contextual meaning. (Every good fantasy, sci-fi, and police procedural needs jargon! And this one has an appendix explaining such at the end of the novel. I’m starting to figure out the mechanics of Kindle, I swear I am.)

The writing quality and editing quality of this book is excellent. I caught one misused word in the prologue (a word that is assonant with what I believe was intended), and nothing memorable in the way of typos throughout the text. Subject-verb agreement was strong throughout the story.

If you’re still wondering whether you’d like “Whispers of Ruin”, Feist’s works, in particular the Riftwar Legacy (“Krondor: The Betrayal”, “Krondor: The Assassins”, “Krondor: Tear of the Gods”, “Jimmy and the Crawler”) present a similar ambience. Though I haven’t read them yet, I believe fans of “Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser” would enjoy “Whispers of Ruin”. For indie fans, perhaps those who like Andy Peloquin’s books or any other high fantasy rogue-element novels. Joe (Jackson) participated in a “Thieves Round Table” a couple summers ago with Justin Fike, Robert Zangari, and Andy Peloquin on Indie Fantasy Addicts (IFA) Facebook group. It was an absolute delight to me to scour through the elements of what makes a good rogue tale and why we love rogues. Mabye Fike and Zangari have similar books? I’m making a note to find that out, too.

I am continuing with this series (though picking up another author’s work now in order to variety-pack my summer reading). “The Famine Cycle” will be on my semi-annual read list for sure, and I will definitely buy and read more books by Rosell.

[Cath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Famine Cycle series and follows Ariene and her two companions as they work as Finches, listening out for rumours and secrets, then passing or selling on information to those that want it. Whether it be rumour, scandal or overheard whispers, everything is valuable to the right person. They live at the top of a tower, poor beyond reality, struggling to find out enough or collect more clients, to get work and therefore survive longer. The city they live in Oedija, which is called the Pearl of the Four Realms and has a despot of a ruler, with a power hungry daughter.

There used to be Wardens, those who could bend energy to their will and have now been outlawed, killed and driven into hiding. One of Ariene’s companions is a hidden warden and they have kept his secret from others, but one powerful foe knows it is one of Ariene’s companions. If his secret is revealed, he will most likely be killed on the spot. Powerful people are in power and control the government, a corrupt government ruled by the ruthless. The lower class of people are left to struggle to survive and the city is close to famine, after the worst drought in living history. The despot ruler is no more than a figurehead for the realm.

So, when this lacklustre leader dies in mysterious circumstances, Ariene wants to find out what really happened, amid all the rumours going about. Her friends aren’t very interested it seems, but they will rally to her side, when she is in need. She reckons this would give them a huge payout and give them some freedom from only just getting by and doing without even the basics. Ariene wants to be recognised as a Finch, an old and previously well thought of group, who helped the truth prevail. That is her dream!

Lots of twisting secrets and groups vying against each other for power. Legends from the past are arising and becoming reality. The daughter takes over the position of ruler and change is coming. Who was behind the death, now thought to be murder or a disappearance, is up for grabs. There are too many rumours circulating for the truth to come out, just yet. The job of Finch is ever more vital at this point. A tale with lots of interesting intrigue and a powerplay underway. An outlawed group will begin to make a comeback and want their rightful place back in society. How Ariene and her friends deal with events has a large part to play. I received an ARC copy of this book and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book throws a lot at you. Between the vaguely Greek names that I had some trouble registering and the new political structure where I was trying to remember the exact relationship of Archons, Consuls, Shepherds, Servants, honors, etc. was and the different religions, countries and magics took a bit to sort out.

There's a glossary in the back but otherwise it's very in media res. That's alright though, kept me on my toes.

The plot itself felt very low fantasy for the most part. It focuses on the political conflict in the city, deals with the conflict between upper and lower classes, a rising foreign religion and an increasingly hostile neighboring empire. The magic system was a backdrop to that which made things feel very grounded. Though with that ending I suspect things will go much larger scale in the sequels.

And the book takes that tack where the magic users are discriminated against and regulated by the government, etc. The main characters in here were generally sympathetic to that line of thinking and I appreciate that that perspective was highlighted because I figure that would definitely be the unpopular opinion today but the book still addressed the legitimate concerns people would have about people with some ill defined magic powers.

[Douglas Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our heroine makes her living selling secrets. But some secrets demand a great price.

This is book one of the series so an obvious place to start. Enough said.

This is a fantasy adventure story with a definite middle eastern flavor. We have magic and magical creatures, as well as a thieves guild and other unsavory characters. I found the setting to be well detailed and the story does a good job of describing the scenes, helping to bring the story to life.

The characters were many and varied and also well developed. Our heroine is tough, smart and resourceful and is tested throughout the book. I thought it started a little slowly, but that was because of the depth of the setting. It took a while to become acclimated to the scene. After that the story really got going and it was hard to put down. Overall, it was very enjoyable and I look forward to the next book.

Highly recommended.

I received an ARC from the author for review purposes.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free ARC of this novel via Hidden Gems in exchange for an honest review. My opinion is my own.

City of Whispers is an intriguing start in a dark fantasy series. I love the world that has been created so far. It is rich in details without being overly distracting from the over all story itself. The characters vary widely and add well to the story. The plot was full of political intrigue, secrets, action and friendship. I love it and will definitely be checking out the other books in this series.

[Vicki DeVico · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book for the most part. The world building was very thorough; however, at times it was confusing. It felt as if I was missing something. Too many unknown words and phrases without explanations made me feel like I was just not getting the point. When I have to look up that many words, it disrupts the flow of my reading.

All that said, the protagonists were easier to understand—their motivations were clear when we were given that information.

There are a number of unanswered questions that make me want to revisit Airene and her finches…

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Famine Cycle #1 will hook you

For those into reading about fantasy realms with magic and intrigue, I recommend this book. Things don't always appear to be what they are on the surface. Search deeper along with our main character Airene to find the answers. No spoilers here. The story is told from Airene's perspective as she tries to uncover the truth behind what the public and herself are being told.

I found myself delving deeper into the rabbit hole with the characters and reading faster to find the truths. I can't wait to read book #2.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rosell creates a marvelously detailed semi-medieval world for his Famine Cycle series. There's just enough 'grounding' for the fantasy to feel very real. It's a bit on the long side (I think it hits the word count for "Epic"), but enjoyable nonetheless. Much intrigue and many battles; layered mysteries and dubious alliances. It's a well-thought-out entry into this world.

I received an ARC; this is my honest review.

[J.D.L. Rosell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whispers of Ruin and Echoes of Chaos are available today! Check them out for the first two installments of a tale filled with secret societies, forbidden magic, and raging gods!

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an intriguing book. Selling secrets for a living is interesting but can be dangerous as well. Every page you turn leads closer to the answer. Definitely need the second one.

[J.A. Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging read

I highly recommend this book to any fantasy adventure fans. The characters are well written and the story flow keeps you engaged page after page.

[OldBird · Rating 2 out of 5]

To me, this is one of those indie published fantasy books that has huge potential which almost nearly reaches it if it weren't for some oddities of narrative editing. There's some compelling fist person writing, a complex world full of strange details and original Ancient-Greece-like vibes, plus a magic system that's definitely got a system... But it perhaps tries to do too much without explaining everything until well after it would have been helpful to know (e.g. Jaxos and Lykos, key characters, are mentioned in the first scene by name but we don't know who they until about 30% of the way through).

Sometimes it felt like a story told out of order and with very little foreshadowing. While I loved the magic and mystery of the setting, I found myself confused very often by terminology, characters, and the way things seemed to happen for plot reasons. Also not sure why there was a hint of "romance" thrown in at the end when it didn't seem needed or warranted from how the characters acted with each other prior. Plus the sudden Deus Ex of developing magic made me confused about everything we'd been told about the magic system so far. What's Branded mean? Shifts are visible things? If I hadn't read the prequel, I think I'd have missed out on a lot though I still feel confused by why characters act the way they do.

While the usual indie published caveats are there though, with typos and misused words scattered occasionally ("balled pate"?), the narrative voice is strong so I would try later books in the series to see if we get more details.

[Gail Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the author.

This is a great start to the series. Having said that the look back at documents from the past while informative and useful to the story, I did find a little too long and interrupted the flow of the story.

This will not put me off reading further into the Famine Cycle as it is otherwise well written and the characters were believable enough for me to feel a connection to.

[Roger]

Whispers of Ruin: An Epic Fantasy Saga (The Famine Cycle #1), my tenth read from author J.D.L. Rosell. Well written & enjoyable. “I received a free Kindle copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

[Yael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a thrill to read, I was drawn into the story from the beginning and was kept enthralled to the end. J.D.L. Rosell weaves a vivid world, steeped in mystery, political intrigue, intricate social structure, as well as well fleshed out characters. I couldn’t put the book down. Looking forward to reading the next book.

[Janice Smith-gentry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read.

The story line is really well written. It is kind of hard to understand the different factions in the beginning. Stick with it and I believe you will enjoy. Can't wit to read the next one.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished it, but in no hurry to read the next of the series.

[Stephen Levesque · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little boring and slow moving. Characters are, the only word I can think of is boring.

[Kemas Rafi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although there is nothing particular great about the story, I still find it enjoyable and light to read. I wish the conspiracy arc was longer.

[Hayley ❁˛⋆]

8/12/2024: I bought the trilogy box set on Kindle today. This better be good, because the art is stunning.

[Sarah (Ceekayy) Rains · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7

[Riley I.C. DeWert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was quite excited to jump in to this book and series. Admittedly, the first thing that grabbed me was the cover. I think it sets up the mood of the book perfectly. But, I digress...

We're thrown immediately into our world and our main character's line of work. The idea of dealing in secrets as an occupation isn't necessarily new, but I enjoy the way that Rosell approaches it. Airene and her companions find themselves investigating the death of their ruler, falling into convoluted situations that threaten their sanity and safety. Our antagonists are delicately setup and introduced which make their impact that much more significant.

One thing that I have to say about the book is that there was a huge information dump in the first part of the story. It's usually expected in any first installment, but I do think that there was more than necessary (names of government group, factions, and social structures that didn't feel pertinent right away). That's the only reason I'd give it four stars instead of five.

In light of that though, Rosell beautifully sets up the environment and the world to where I understand and feel the struggles that the characters are faced with. Each plot point and twist feels relevant and progresses the story nicely.

Definitely excited to dive in to more of Mr. Rosell's works.

[MGB · Rating 3 out of 5]

She is a woman of action, an unstoppable force. Be very cautious results can be hazardous or fatal. Airene is driven like no other. As a Finch, her job is to know, what she doesn't know she relies on her contacts to find out.

The story has a very interesting storyline. At times the action was intense, fast paced and impossible to put down. At other times it seemed to drag as the background was filled in and the impossible number of characters came into their part - large or minute.

A definite fantasy read for those who like a lot of mystery and magical intrigue.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

adventurous

Lots of twist and turns with all the characters. Intense and thrilling at times. Now that one of the characters finds out she is branded gives me reason to continue to the next book in series to see where it takes her.

[Madalyn Higgins · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn't. The magic system seemed cool but it was never explained and I couldn't follow the characters. Not a terrible book, but not great.