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A Hallow of Talons and Tears #1
Fatherland
Fatherland, the first installment in the epic fantasy series Consecration, recommended for fans of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series and Brandon Sanderson.
An Ambitious House.
Kings ruled the Silver Lands until a mysterious fog descended from the Heights and devoured the lives of everything it touched. Generations after the event, only a few ruling houses are in charge, with House Lionhelm aspiring to unify the realm again through the appointed governors of the Regency.
A World of Politics and Magic.
At the age of fourteen, Tecla Lionhelm should take the reins of her future, but between religion and research, she must also consider marriage. After accidentally killing a man, Tecla discovers there could be more to the faith she practices. Unbeknownst to her, her brother, Theliel, is uncovering disturbing truths about the Regency, the King, and a missing noble family, the Rosenfields.
In the capital, Surveillant Opherus Goldsnout comes across a young healer and the man she’s treating, Jascha, and suspects him to play a role in the disappearances of several girls. As Jascha looks for answers regarding his health, while Opherus investigates the Rosenfields, they both find out about occult societies reclaiming their stolen lands.
A Journey Down a Bloodied Path...
In a tale of ladies and lords, criminals and sentinels, maids and soldiers, followers and heretics, each must choose between duty and resentment, spirit and flesh, love and vengeance. The dream of a united land is fading, morality crumbles, and a war horn blows.
An Ambitious House.
Kings ruled the Silver Lands until a mysterious fog descended from the Heights and devoured the lives of everything it touched. Generations after the event, only a few ruling houses are in charge, with House Lionhelm aspiring to unify the realm again through the appointed governors of the Regency.
A World of Politics and Magic.
At the age of fourteen, Tecla Lionhelm should take the reins of her future, but between religion and research, she must also consider marriage. After accidentally killing a man, Tecla discovers there could be more to the faith she practices. Unbeknownst to her, her brother, Theliel, is uncovering disturbing truths about the Regency, the King, and a missing noble family, the Rosenfields.
In the capital, Surveillant Opherus Goldsnout comes across a young healer and the man she’s treating, Jascha, and suspects him to play a role in the disappearances of several girls. As Jascha looks for answers regarding his health, while Opherus investigates the Rosenfields, they both find out about occult societies reclaiming their stolen lands.
A Journey Down a Bloodied Path...
In a tale of ladies and lords, criminals and sentinels, maids and soldiers, followers and heretics, each must choose between duty and resentment, spirit and flesh, love and vengeance. The dream of a united land is fading, morality crumbles, and a war horn blows.
- GenresFantasy
792 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 15, 2021
7 people are currently reading
133 people want to read
About the author
Ginevra Mancinelli
6 books89 followersGinevra Mancinelli was born in 1992 in Rome, Italy, to a Filipino mother and an Italian father. Growing up between France and Switzerland, she studied Literature, Foreign Languages and eventually graduated from Law school in Lausanne, Switzerland. Abandoning the idea of becoming a magistrate after witnessing the system's idleness in a case involving racial prejudice against a black student, Mancinelli spent two years rebuilding herself and chose to pursue her passion for writing.
Mancinelli writes from her perspective particularly when it comes to mixed races, age gap, stepfamilies, bisexuality, eating disorder, and depression. Her books are considered own voices.
Mancinelli writes from her perspective particularly when it comes to mixed races, age gap, stepfamilies, bisexuality, eating disorder, and depression. Her books are considered own voices.
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December 28, 2023DNF @27%
I'd previously read the prequel to this series, The Empress of Beasts and Mist, and had mixed feelings about it, but I still wanted to give this first book in the series a try. I did feel a bit let down with this one in a couple of different ways. First of all, I didn't think the writing was as good as in the prequel. I think the writing style has evolved a little bit with this one being written first, if I'm not mistaken, and that was quite visible to me as I didn't get on with it here quite as much as I wanted to.
There were a few other bits in it that I didn't really like though. At the start of the book, we’re largely dealing with noble families. Everybody who was a main character seemed to be a noble and you've got one family where the eldest son has had an accident and they're looking at contingency plans because they don't think that he's going to be able to pull through, and if he does, he's not going to be fit to take on the lordship.
There’s then a second storyline where a couple of officers of the law stumble across a murder and they're trying to track down the murderer and seek justice. We see this story through the eyes of the murderer himself rather than the officers being point of view characters, so that one was a little bit different and I did like that storyline in principle. I thought that was definitely more interesting as the heir to the lordship storyline didn't really seem to go anywhere for me and wasn't really holding my interest that much.
There was one particular part of the heirship storyline though that I didn't like, and it was along the same lines as the main reason for me DNFing the book, which came in the murder storyline… In that one, the murderer, who is your POV character for the events, commits rape a couple of times and while he's raping women, he takes out a knife and starts stabbing them—one to death, and one he kills afterwards by accident.
So the book wasn't really working for me as not only was that not a very pleasant storyline to be reading, but also there was no real reason given for it—I don't know whether this is something that comes up later on in the book that I obviously won't get to because I DNF'd it, but it just seemed to be for no reason other than because he could. There was no depth to the character, the only thing you really knew about him was he was a really unpleasant person because of these couple of acts that you saw through his eyes.
So it wasn't the best of reading experiences for me and I eventually gave up at around about a quarter of the way through the book.
I'd previously read the prequel to this series, The Empress of Beasts and Mist, and had mixed feelings about it, but I still wanted to give this first book in the series a try. I did feel a bit let down with this one in a couple of different ways. First of all, I didn't think the writing was as good as in the prequel. I think the writing style has evolved a little bit with this one being written first, if I'm not mistaken, and that was quite visible to me as I didn't get on with it here quite as much as I wanted to.
There were a few other bits in it that I didn't really like though. At the start of the book, we’re largely dealing with noble families. Everybody who was a main character seemed to be a noble and you've got one family where the eldest son has had an accident and they're looking at contingency plans because they don't think that he's going to be able to pull through, and if he does, he's not going to be fit to take on the lordship.
There’s then a second storyline where a couple of officers of the law stumble across a murder and they're trying to track down the murderer and seek justice. We see this story through the eyes of the murderer himself rather than the officers being point of view characters, so that one was a little bit different and I did like that storyline in principle. I thought that was definitely more interesting as the heir to the lordship storyline didn't really seem to go anywhere for me and wasn't really holding my interest that much.
There was one particular part of the heirship storyline though that I didn't like, and it was along the same lines as the main reason for me DNFing the book, which came in the murder storyline… In that one, the murderer, who is your POV character for the events, commits rape a couple of times and while he's raping women, he takes out a knife and starts stabbing them—one to death, and one he kills afterwards by accident.
So the book wasn't really working for me as not only was that not a very pleasant storyline to be reading, but also there was no real reason given for it—I don't know whether this is something that comes up later on in the book that I obviously won't get to because I DNF'd it, but it just seemed to be for no reason other than because he could. There was no depth to the character, the only thing you really knew about him was he was a really unpleasant person because of these couple of acts that you saw through his eyes.
So it wasn't the best of reading experiences for me and I eventually gave up at around about a quarter of the way through the book.
March 14, 2022
Generations past since the dark fog forever altered the Silver Lands. One ruling house strives to unify the realm. One full of political conspiracies,dark secrets and occult societies. THIS is the fantasy I adore. A huge cast of characters. Disturbing, brutal and uncomfortable. The world feels grand. So great.
As most of these reviews state…there is a content warning for this book.
As most of these reviews state…there is a content warning for this book.
March 23, 2022
This story kept me on my toes from the very first page. Silver Lands, where the story takes place, is amazingly constructed world, but it is a dangerous place. There is a lot of violence and the scenes are very descriptive. However, I must note that the author did a great job with these scenes, as while I read them, I found myself focusing on the characters much more than on the scene itself.
That leads me to the next point: characters. They are beautifully written. Full range, from good and moral ones to cold-blooded killers. I enjoyed them all. They all have the depth driven by their experience and aspirations for future. They are all unique. Their stories are well thought-out, and hard to predict as the plot unfolds.
The additional layers that add to the book are political intrigues, belief systems, economic situation of the Kingdom and a back story that I really loved, and that added whole another spin to how the story unfolds: a plague/sickness from the past.
I definitely recommend this book for readers of dark epic fantasy (with a note, this is mature audience intended content)
That leads me to the next point: characters. They are beautifully written. Full range, from good and moral ones to cold-blooded killers. I enjoyed them all. They all have the depth driven by their experience and aspirations for future. They are all unique. Their stories are well thought-out, and hard to predict as the plot unfolds.
The additional layers that add to the book are political intrigues, belief systems, economic situation of the Kingdom and a back story that I really loved, and that added whole another spin to how the story unfolds: a plague/sickness from the past.
I definitely recommend this book for readers of dark epic fantasy (with a note, this is mature audience intended content)
January 30, 2021
Ginevra, this book has made me laugh, stress, cheer, shake in fear and many other things that I can't explain well enough. I loved reading it and I can't wait to read your next book.
It was easy to read and provided many things to be excited about, narrative wise. The characters are all unique and fleshed out. I am not gonna mention my favs here because I don't want to spoil too much but yeah, I defo grew attached to some of em, whilst also absolutely hating a few to the point where I actually got mad and frustrated during my read. They all feel very 'human' and are relatable in their own ways, even though many have different customs, ideologies etc that are uncommon in the real world. Thats when you know the characters are well written.
I wish I could explore the world of your book. You have done a great job laying it out to make sure full immersion is possible in your story.
Fatherland (Consecration) jumps out as a stimulating and outlandish book in the fantasy genre, glad I gave it a shot! ☆☆☆☆☆
It was easy to read and provided many things to be excited about, narrative wise. The characters are all unique and fleshed out. I am not gonna mention my favs here because I don't want to spoil too much but yeah, I defo grew attached to some of em, whilst also absolutely hating a few to the point where I actually got mad and frustrated during my read. They all feel very 'human' and are relatable in their own ways, even though many have different customs, ideologies etc that are uncommon in the real world. Thats when you know the characters are well written.
I wish I could explore the world of your book. You have done a great job laying it out to make sure full immersion is possible in your story.
Fatherland (Consecration) jumps out as a stimulating and outlandish book in the fantasy genre, glad I gave it a shot! ☆☆☆☆☆
April 6, 2021
Fatherland: Consecration, is perfect for fans of Game of Thrones. A dynamic high-fantasy novel about retribution and love and so much more besides. This book has it all.
The world building is epic, the creation of 'Silverlands' stunning, characters you care about, cheer and cry alongside. Also characters you loathe! This was a complex novel with twists and turns, but without confusion.
I was immersed from the first chapter. Hooked by the unique style and imagery. Bravo, Ginevra!
The world building is epic, the creation of 'Silverlands' stunning, characters you care about, cheer and cry alongside. Also characters you loathe! This was a complex novel with twists and turns, but without confusion.
I was immersed from the first chapter. Hooked by the unique style and imagery. Bravo, Ginevra!
January 31, 2021
As an avid fantasy genre fan, I have spent a very long time searching for a piece that could grip me and awaken those feelings of complete immersion in a story, which I have not felt since the old classics.
This book managed to set extremely high expectations for me in the begining chapters, and continued to exceed them as the story developed.
I tend to pride myself in knowing exactly where the author intends to go with a certain character or a plot twist, though this is the first time I was at a complete loss with each new development. It felt exhilarating. I never knew what was waiting for me with every new page turn.
Amazing character building and plot aside, what I also truly enjoyed was the writing style and scenery painting. Discovering the world within this story is an adventure of its own with so many breathtaking sights and locations that could inspire both feelings of utter discomfort and dread, while also transitioning into warmth and ease.
All of this together, is what made this story stick with me even after I finished it. I caught myself often thinking and theorizing in my free time about why certain characters acted the way they did, what some of their end motivations were, what the bigger plot that extends beyond what is shown to us is actually aimed at. It made me think, and it didn't make it easy.
I am looking forward to the follow up books and I really hope they will be out soon in order to see how this story will pan out, as my curiosity has been piqued.
This book managed to set extremely high expectations for me in the begining chapters, and continued to exceed them as the story developed.
I tend to pride myself in knowing exactly where the author intends to go with a certain character or a plot twist, though this is the first time I was at a complete loss with each new development. It felt exhilarating. I never knew what was waiting for me with every new page turn.
Amazing character building and plot aside, what I also truly enjoyed was the writing style and scenery painting. Discovering the world within this story is an adventure of its own with so many breathtaking sights and locations that could inspire both feelings of utter discomfort and dread, while also transitioning into warmth and ease.
All of this together, is what made this story stick with me even after I finished it. I caught myself often thinking and theorizing in my free time about why certain characters acted the way they did, what some of their end motivations were, what the bigger plot that extends beyond what is shown to us is actually aimed at. It made me think, and it didn't make it easy.
I am looking forward to the follow up books and I really hope they will be out soon in order to see how this story will pan out, as my curiosity has been piqued.
July 8, 2022
An Honest review of A Realm of Stones and Whispers: Book One of A Hallow of Talons and Tears
Trigger warnings, descriptive violence, fighting scenes. Blood, alcohol, sex, Rape and torture.
Disclaimer: I will discuss scenes from the book. These are my own thoughts and. Feelings there will be spoilers ahead.
Frist thoughts:
I was honestly hooked from the first page, we were introduced to Jascha who is passing though wild rose, until he is captured by the rosencercle a group of women wearing golden masks who are trying to find their dreamer leader reincarnated. And are knowledgeable about ancient rituals casing Jascha to black out and leaves strange markings on his body. It is a shocking but a compelling opening that wanted to keep me reading.
We are then introduced to the main character and her family the lionhelms, Tecla who is fourteen at the beginning of the book, she honestly took awhile become likeable to me, but I found the age gaps between the siblings and their roles within the family. Quite interesting.
Tiain Tecla’s father rules over StrongShore and was a fearsome warrior, during his youth, he becomes the lord. With his wife Voladea, who deals with the affairs of the family and the future pairings of the lionhelms.
Worldbuilding:
We are first introduced to StrongShore, which is the main city where the lionhelms reside, we are slowly introduced to the region though Tecla.
Where she visits the temple on the dusk days and payers to the holy fire. She is deeply interested in the book of the oracle.
The holy commander is the leader of the temple, an interesting detail and well crafted, the way it weaved into the sliverlands history and was the foundation of peace, after years of war.
Other places are mentioned such as the peaks of Noirmont in the fog lands inaccessible due to the violet delusion an incurable disease killing off the people infected, it to home to the beast of the three crosses and the noble house of Rochealic.
The Zelion dephs are a mysterious group of islands where Theliel and Sainks set sail with the regency’s stolen slivers. These islands are home to strange and almost hostel tribes.
The Sand Towers are home to the sons of Fergunn it is a place of hot sands and desserts, they have a navy military rivalling the one of the lionhelms, they employ the old ways of still keeping slaves. We learn more of their culture During Tecla’s brief but reluctant stay. She undergoes a manner of rituals using potions made by the mothers and the all mother at the scared site of Hvallar where she is suspended on a raft over green pools of scorching water.
I honestly found this part unsettling a little, because the eldest son was gentle, but the middle bother penetrated Tecla before she was ready, this would be incredibly painful I imagine and found my heart brake when Tecla cried and wanted to leave the sand towers.
I didn’t really like the bothers save for Morkr, who actually seemed to care for Tecla’s wellbeing.
I extremely enjoy when myths and legends are added to the world building and flows flawlessly with the story and gives insight with each explanation.
The most unsettling scene:
This is a personal choice, out of many scenes only because this piratically stayed with me for days. I do not have a scene I disliked. But I have to admit when Tecla received the darling mind from her father. I really didn’t trust the jewel, there was something about that stuck within my mind.
When Tecla wanted to see if she could have visions like the angels of steel, she visits the temple and convinces a commander to see if she can receive the vision though sex. She does indeed receive the vision about the Rosenfeld castle an abandoned castle owned by the Rosenfeld’s a noble family who disappeared.
Tecla witnesses the supernatural chaos unfolding there with the regency guards escorting her bother and a fellow lord.
The chaos begins slowly, with the doors opening by themselves and a fire breaking out inside the castle without reason, the men protecting the two lords are slaughtered outside by hundreds of flying arrows coming out of nowhere and some ended up being burnt to death, but the most disturbing thig about this scene is Theliel following a young girl throughout the castle when she is asking for help and finds himself on the battlements before realizing she wasn’t real and turns into a skeleton in front of him. And when the vision Ends Tecla has killed the commander by rapturing his heart.
This is why I think the scene is most unsettling for me because it stayed with me for days even when I read beyond the scene. To be so captured by a vision you had no idea you supernatural kill someone would be frightening.
My Favourite scenes:
I have about three favourite scenes throughout the boo.
I actually liked Tecla’s ball, being held in her honour it gave us a chance to meet the other lords, and it was her frost meeting with the sons of Fergunn. I didn’t really get why they gave her a box of smoking plants for a present, but I found the scene amusing.
The second was any scene with old Tamar, I thought she was cool old women weather it was being rude to someone and bossing skainks around, ore her fearless to speak whatever is on her mind.
Or see though what others in the regency thought to be a simple murder, her willingness to take on the rosencercle because of her personal connection to one of it’s members is admirable, however this also led to her being killed by way of magical fire. I think she was one of the saddest deaths for me in the book.
My third favourite scene in the book was when Jascha fights lord nonbelief for the sand steel swords and actually wins, this scene not only displays how skilled Jascha is with a dagger, but also the fact he managed to fend off a sword, these skills are later used against a duel with the blacksmith against the sand steel swords. Jascha is ruthless whatever his actions, but he is one of more enjoyable and complex characters, his actions will either confuse, scare or show you his flawed kind side.
An honourable mention:
This was a good scene I think when Tecla is staying at the observerty vault in the capital and old mlita finally tells her the secret of the darling mind, I a, wondering what happened to the other half of the jewel. We learnt there are three stones which gift the power to allow anyone to see, regardless if they have the gift of foresight. However, it comes at a cost and taints one soul with each use, or it can make people ill.
The quiet tear is another stone they were lost for a time in the sliverlands. However, these new details cause Tecla to question her beliefs about the oracle and the truth history with the revelation the oracle had a sister known as the dreamer.
The characters I liked
Tecla Lionhelm: I admire Tecla for her compassion and willingness to help others, but throughout the book, she sees the world differently especially during her visit to the sand towers with the exposure to a new culture, even when escaping she tried to assist lord Jarvis, while I appreciate Tecla’s willingness to help the lord, she forgets she is being shot at with arrows.
I honestly wonder how her Character will change.
Jascha Even with him being a villain in the series and is responsible for many deaths, Jascha is capable and smart finding information about rosencercle and even a few of their members, while I do not agree with al of his actions, such as the rape and murder of Yenny. I do know that he is flawed, I am still trying to work out if the quiet tear is responsible for his illness.
I often find myself liking the villains more then the hero characters.
I was honestly glad Jascha killed Thum and unknowingly saved Tecla towards the end
Lyzon I’m hoping to see more of her in the next book and what actually becomes her fate after plunging into the icy waters.
Orpheus: To me orphues was the most human of the characters, even working for the regency, he cared for their ideals to help the common people and even cared about the missing people vanishing after entering wild rose, he wasn’t ever sure working for the regency was his calling, but I am glad he left when he saw the conflict between the common people and his fellow offers even if it meant he got a nasty blow to the head. I am glad he lived. I have a feeling he will be wanting revenge for Ranatha’'s death.
Characters I least liked:
Voladea Lionhelm: She reminds me of one of those family members, your siblings tell you to steer clear of.
I found it amusing her head reeled over the smell of piss and faeces. What did she expect someone imprisoned on a boat to smell like?
throughout the book, she is cunning and even goes as far as outright disobeying her husband’s wishes, Voladea made choices which directly affected her family and even had led to many of their death’s. I feel an odd satisfaction at her being ignored by her son. Who was crowned as king of the south. I never really liked her to begin with to be honest there wasn’t anything about her personality or actions too like. She really deserves to be a part of the furniture.
The ending:
I found to be completely insane, the fight between the regency and the rebellious common people leaves a trail of death, blood and flies whenever war is afoot the conflict always leave devastation in it’s wake.
The demise of Tesfira makes me think she died swiftly one more Lionhelms is added to the growing list of graves. I do feel somewhat sorry for her as she was a pawn in a political game.
I honestly couldn’t believe Jascha had managed to take down Thum of the sons of Fergunn. The death ended so swiftly it left me in shock.
So the ritual in the prologue with the rosencercle capturing Jascha while he was passing though wild rose. Possibly led to his sickness because of the quiet tear? Which has now been removed from is body during his encounter with Tecla, who is now in possession of both the darling mind and the quiet tear.
While I am saddened by Rantha’s death anyone foolish enough to outright attack Jascha tends to end up dead. I do commend her healing skills, she could have found a cure to the violet delusion, had her reckless actions caused her own death.
So Jascha revealed himself to be Soley Jascha Rochealic I thought that might be the case after reading Empress of beasts and mists. It seems like half the land is at war and this has been building up since the beginning. StrongShore and the capital seemed untouchable wealthy and at peace. But midway though the book the system the regency used was slowly breaking down with the loss of their forces. The chaos began in wild rose and swiftly increased when winter started, as starving people fought for anything they could get their hands on. And people were killed and robbed.
The lands are divided and the trouble is only beginning with the sons of Fergunn marching on the kingdom of Duxria.
In conclusion This book is for mature audiences but is absolutely brilliant and is what made me start reading adult fantasy. I would recommend this to anyone who would enjoy an epic controversial fantasy and are looking for something different to read.
Trigger warnings, descriptive violence, fighting scenes. Blood, alcohol, sex, Rape and torture.
Disclaimer: I will discuss scenes from the book. These are my own thoughts and. Feelings there will be spoilers ahead.
Frist thoughts:
I was honestly hooked from the first page, we were introduced to Jascha who is passing though wild rose, until he is captured by the rosencercle a group of women wearing golden masks who are trying to find their dreamer leader reincarnated. And are knowledgeable about ancient rituals casing Jascha to black out and leaves strange markings on his body. It is a shocking but a compelling opening that wanted to keep me reading.
We are then introduced to the main character and her family the lionhelms, Tecla who is fourteen at the beginning of the book, she honestly took awhile become likeable to me, but I found the age gaps between the siblings and their roles within the family. Quite interesting.
Tiain Tecla’s father rules over StrongShore and was a fearsome warrior, during his youth, he becomes the lord. With his wife Voladea, who deals with the affairs of the family and the future pairings of the lionhelms.
Worldbuilding:
We are first introduced to StrongShore, which is the main city where the lionhelms reside, we are slowly introduced to the region though Tecla.
Where she visits the temple on the dusk days and payers to the holy fire. She is deeply interested in the book of the oracle.
The holy commander is the leader of the temple, an interesting detail and well crafted, the way it weaved into the sliverlands history and was the foundation of peace, after years of war.
Other places are mentioned such as the peaks of Noirmont in the fog lands inaccessible due to the violet delusion an incurable disease killing off the people infected, it to home to the beast of the three crosses and the noble house of Rochealic.
The Zelion dephs are a mysterious group of islands where Theliel and Sainks set sail with the regency’s stolen slivers. These islands are home to strange and almost hostel tribes.
The Sand Towers are home to the sons of Fergunn it is a place of hot sands and desserts, they have a navy military rivalling the one of the lionhelms, they employ the old ways of still keeping slaves. We learn more of their culture During Tecla’s brief but reluctant stay. She undergoes a manner of rituals using potions made by the mothers and the all mother at the scared site of Hvallar where she is suspended on a raft over green pools of scorching water.
I honestly found this part unsettling a little, because the eldest son was gentle, but the middle bother penetrated Tecla before she was ready, this would be incredibly painful I imagine and found my heart brake when Tecla cried and wanted to leave the sand towers.
I didn’t really like the bothers save for Morkr, who actually seemed to care for Tecla’s wellbeing.
I extremely enjoy when myths and legends are added to the world building and flows flawlessly with the story and gives insight with each explanation.
The most unsettling scene:
This is a personal choice, out of many scenes only because this piratically stayed with me for days. I do not have a scene I disliked. But I have to admit when Tecla received the darling mind from her father. I really didn’t trust the jewel, there was something about that stuck within my mind.
When Tecla wanted to see if she could have visions like the angels of steel, she visits the temple and convinces a commander to see if she can receive the vision though sex. She does indeed receive the vision about the Rosenfeld castle an abandoned castle owned by the Rosenfeld’s a noble family who disappeared.
Tecla witnesses the supernatural chaos unfolding there with the regency guards escorting her bother and a fellow lord.
The chaos begins slowly, with the doors opening by themselves and a fire breaking out inside the castle without reason, the men protecting the two lords are slaughtered outside by hundreds of flying arrows coming out of nowhere and some ended up being burnt to death, but the most disturbing thig about this scene is Theliel following a young girl throughout the castle when she is asking for help and finds himself on the battlements before realizing she wasn’t real and turns into a skeleton in front of him. And when the vision Ends Tecla has killed the commander by rapturing his heart.
This is why I think the scene is most unsettling for me because it stayed with me for days even when I read beyond the scene. To be so captured by a vision you had no idea you supernatural kill someone would be frightening.
My Favourite scenes:
I have about three favourite scenes throughout the boo.
I actually liked Tecla’s ball, being held in her honour it gave us a chance to meet the other lords, and it was her frost meeting with the sons of Fergunn. I didn’t really get why they gave her a box of smoking plants for a present, but I found the scene amusing.
The second was any scene with old Tamar, I thought she was cool old women weather it was being rude to someone and bossing skainks around, ore her fearless to speak whatever is on her mind.
Or see though what others in the regency thought to be a simple murder, her willingness to take on the rosencercle because of her personal connection to one of it’s members is admirable, however this also led to her being killed by way of magical fire. I think she was one of the saddest deaths for me in the book.
My third favourite scene in the book was when Jascha fights lord nonbelief for the sand steel swords and actually wins, this scene not only displays how skilled Jascha is with a dagger, but also the fact he managed to fend off a sword, these skills are later used against a duel with the blacksmith against the sand steel swords. Jascha is ruthless whatever his actions, but he is one of more enjoyable and complex characters, his actions will either confuse, scare or show you his flawed kind side.
An honourable mention:
This was a good scene I think when Tecla is staying at the observerty vault in the capital and old mlita finally tells her the secret of the darling mind, I a, wondering what happened to the other half of the jewel. We learnt there are three stones which gift the power to allow anyone to see, regardless if they have the gift of foresight. However, it comes at a cost and taints one soul with each use, or it can make people ill.
The quiet tear is another stone they were lost for a time in the sliverlands. However, these new details cause Tecla to question her beliefs about the oracle and the truth history with the revelation the oracle had a sister known as the dreamer.
The characters I liked
Tecla Lionhelm: I admire Tecla for her compassion and willingness to help others, but throughout the book, she sees the world differently especially during her visit to the sand towers with the exposure to a new culture, even when escaping she tried to assist lord Jarvis, while I appreciate Tecla’s willingness to help the lord, she forgets she is being shot at with arrows.
I honestly wonder how her Character will change.
Jascha Even with him being a villain in the series and is responsible for many deaths, Jascha is capable and smart finding information about rosencercle and even a few of their members, while I do not agree with al of his actions, such as the rape and murder of Yenny. I do know that he is flawed, I am still trying to work out if the quiet tear is responsible for his illness.
I often find myself liking the villains more then the hero characters.
I was honestly glad Jascha killed Thum and unknowingly saved Tecla towards the end
Lyzon I’m hoping to see more of her in the next book and what actually becomes her fate after plunging into the icy waters.
Orpheus: To me orphues was the most human of the characters, even working for the regency, he cared for their ideals to help the common people and even cared about the missing people vanishing after entering wild rose, he wasn’t ever sure working for the regency was his calling, but I am glad he left when he saw the conflict between the common people and his fellow offers even if it meant he got a nasty blow to the head. I am glad he lived. I have a feeling he will be wanting revenge for Ranatha’'s death.
Characters I least liked:
Voladea Lionhelm: She reminds me of one of those family members, your siblings tell you to steer clear of.
I found it amusing her head reeled over the smell of piss and faeces. What did she expect someone imprisoned on a boat to smell like?
throughout the book, she is cunning and even goes as far as outright disobeying her husband’s wishes, Voladea made choices which directly affected her family and even had led to many of their death’s. I feel an odd satisfaction at her being ignored by her son. Who was crowned as king of the south. I never really liked her to begin with to be honest there wasn’t anything about her personality or actions too like. She really deserves to be a part of the furniture.
The ending:
I found to be completely insane, the fight between the regency and the rebellious common people leaves a trail of death, blood and flies whenever war is afoot the conflict always leave devastation in it’s wake.
The demise of Tesfira makes me think she died swiftly one more Lionhelms is added to the growing list of graves. I do feel somewhat sorry for her as she was a pawn in a political game.
I honestly couldn’t believe Jascha had managed to take down Thum of the sons of Fergunn. The death ended so swiftly it left me in shock.
So the ritual in the prologue with the rosencercle capturing Jascha while he was passing though wild rose. Possibly led to his sickness because of the quiet tear? Which has now been removed from is body during his encounter with Tecla, who is now in possession of both the darling mind and the quiet tear.
While I am saddened by Rantha’s death anyone foolish enough to outright attack Jascha tends to end up dead. I do commend her healing skills, she could have found a cure to the violet delusion, had her reckless actions caused her own death.
So Jascha revealed himself to be Soley Jascha Rochealic I thought that might be the case after reading Empress of beasts and mists. It seems like half the land is at war and this has been building up since the beginning. StrongShore and the capital seemed untouchable wealthy and at peace. But midway though the book the system the regency used was slowly breaking down with the loss of their forces. The chaos began in wild rose and swiftly increased when winter started, as starving people fought for anything they could get their hands on. And people were killed and robbed.
The lands are divided and the trouble is only beginning with the sons of Fergunn marching on the kingdom of Duxria.
In conclusion This book is for mature audiences but is absolutely brilliant and is what made me start reading adult fantasy. I would recommend this to anyone who would enjoy an epic controversial fantasy and are looking for something different to read.
August 10, 2022
Detailed World. Evocative Events
Here's a fantasy that's big, intricate, and absolutely aimed at adults. (It depicts plenty of graphic sex, rape, and violence) I found the elaborate descriptions to be engrossing in most places, but a bit tedious in others. I struggled to keep up with the long sentences, deep worldbuilding, and 18 POV (point of view) characters. My progress was slowed at times because I had to reread some parts to understand what was happening. That said, several scenes built up to astonishing events that made my mouth fall open (in a good way). A few chapters end on a gut punch that I never saw coming! I wish I could give more details to illustrate this, but that would be too spoilery.
Here are a few lines I found memorable:
-"Screams and roars and moans escaped their lips as if the earth were swallowing their tongues and stuffing their throats with dirt."
-"...she would be too busy digging inside the snow, her daughter's name on her lips. Because that girl had to have had a mother who loved her."
-"...people with more diseases than teeth glared at him"
-"The man was short and fat, his face redder than cherries in the spring, with no hair on his head and his round chin bigger than his mouth."
-"Every part of his face moved whenever he talked."
-"...so the other parties can war in peace." (love the irony here!)
Perhaps the thing that impressed me most was how the author included subtle details that added convincing realism:
-"Dismounting, he hurried himself to let the young lady out, helping her with her large beige gown when it tried to get stuck on the (carriage) doors."
-"The net that kept her dress wide and distended was hurting the back of her thighs."
-"She half-wondered if he had a horse to feed..." (a woman wonders this about a young stranger she found passed out)
-"Lyzon walked back to Lady Tecla's apartments without even bothering to look around, knowing her feet would take her there even if she was blind."
-"...her cheeks turning redder than they already were from the chase."
I also admired the emotionality of some scenes. The author lets the reader decide how to feel about events instead of telling the reader how to feel--always a good thing.
If you like epic fantasy and don't mind frequent shifts between many POV characters, you should read this book.
Here's a fantasy that's big, intricate, and absolutely aimed at adults. (It depicts plenty of graphic sex, rape, and violence) I found the elaborate descriptions to be engrossing in most places, but a bit tedious in others. I struggled to keep up with the long sentences, deep worldbuilding, and 18 POV (point of view) characters. My progress was slowed at times because I had to reread some parts to understand what was happening. That said, several scenes built up to astonishing events that made my mouth fall open (in a good way). A few chapters end on a gut punch that I never saw coming! I wish I could give more details to illustrate this, but that would be too spoilery.
Here are a few lines I found memorable:
-"Screams and roars and moans escaped their lips as if the earth were swallowing their tongues and stuffing their throats with dirt."
-"...she would be too busy digging inside the snow, her daughter's name on her lips. Because that girl had to have had a mother who loved her."
-"...people with more diseases than teeth glared at him"
-"The man was short and fat, his face redder than cherries in the spring, with no hair on his head and his round chin bigger than his mouth."
-"Every part of his face moved whenever he talked."
-"...so the other parties can war in peace." (love the irony here!)
Perhaps the thing that impressed me most was how the author included subtle details that added convincing realism:
-"Dismounting, he hurried himself to let the young lady out, helping her with her large beige gown when it tried to get stuck on the (carriage) doors."
-"The net that kept her dress wide and distended was hurting the back of her thighs."
-"She half-wondered if he had a horse to feed..." (a woman wonders this about a young stranger she found passed out)
-"Lyzon walked back to Lady Tecla's apartments without even bothering to look around, knowing her feet would take her there even if she was blind."
-"...her cheeks turning redder than they already were from the chase."
I also admired the emotionality of some scenes. The author lets the reader decide how to feel about events instead of telling the reader how to feel--always a good thing.
If you like epic fantasy and don't mind frequent shifts between many POV characters, you should read this book.
June 10, 2021
I'd definitely like to thank Mancinelli for the opportunity to read her hard work in exchange for an honest review. This is the first time I have requested for an ARC successfully and I plan to take it seriously! I am sure other potential readers may be curious to know more about what is in store for them. A disclaimer: this review is purely a reflection of my own opinions and you may or may not resonate with it. That's okay. It may also contain some spoilers (though I will try not to spoil directly), so potential readers, do beware! Read on to see how I computed my final rating.
Firstly, let me begin with the positives, starting with Fatherland's overall memorability. Were there quotes, scenes and themes that I would remember from this book after this read? Absolutely! But it offered less of such moments than my favourite reads, so +0.5 Stars it is. My favourite quote/scene was when one of the characters stayed true too his moral compass and decided to break his allegiance to the Regency. The description of the moment he did it was packed in the middle of an action sequence, which was strategic and held my attention. My favourite description was that "the owl of the Regency was engraved on it and nothing felt heavier than that crest." For those who love the theme of loyalty, Fatherland should earn a star for exploring this theme through this character (and some others too)!
Speaking of characters... WOW! This book featured so many characters and POVs that it can get difficult to keep track of all of them. It was unfortunately not my cup of tea in this aspect, but I know that others may love large casts and complex familial/political relationships and alliances too. It is also inherently amazing how one can create such a large cast. Let me touch on our main characters, the ones that are highlighted in the book's synopsis. In terms of character development, I feel that Tecla was the most dynamic, Jascha the roundest, and Goldsnout was most static, staying true to himself throughout the book. Somehow Goldsnout ended up being my favourite character of the three because of this, and because how Tecla and Jascha were inherently crafted didn't make me like them as much. I felt that the motivations behind Goldsnout's actions were made clear through the text. However, that of Tecla and Jascha were sometimes left unsaid (up till the final revelations at the end, which I felt was a little too late), or left me confused. For instance, Jascha raped and killed multiple people throughout the book, and the reason behind that was pushed back so far, I found myself angry at Jascha most of the time. I was also wondering why a fourteen year old girl would decide to bed a man out of the blue, and how she dealt with the (I assume) trauma of killing a man was not really brought across to me emotionally. Next, I felt that the relationships between characters were mainly developed in a less personal way, not going too in-depth with how relationships blossom and grow. Familial/political/platonic relationships were mostly already established before the beginning of the book. Those developed within the plot (e.g. romances) felt a little rushed. I unfortunately didn't feel that sad when the death count of side characters kept rising (except for when it involved Goldsnout). For Goldsnout alone, I'd give 0.5 Stars for Fatherland's character work! (As you can tell from the length, characters are what I look out for the most in a book!)
I think I'll be withholding a star for world-building. I believe I can classify most of the world-building in Fatherland under complex political relationships. If you are a big fan of that, then this book is for you! But if you are also a big fan of magic systems and learning about multiple cultures and religions in a new world (as I am), this may not. Marketed as Sanderson-esque epic-fantasy and having many instances of cult-like witchcraft and magical stones thrown into the storyline really set my hopes up to see some kind of huge payoff at the end involving all the magic. I believe more will be revealed in the sequels, but I was disappointed that the magic-caused deaths and telling of magic-related lore/religion-related beliefs was more to add suspense here and there than to count towards the resolution at the end of Fatherland. In terms of cultures, I appreciated how Tecla's experiences showed the differences in culture between her home and the Sand Towers, but it came and went too quickly, I feel. I also felt that how the simple people were portrayed in the background (poor, hungry, dirty, angry, violent, and most commonly, smelly) was a bit too negative and one-dimensional. Generally, only those people we get to know or those whom our characters talk to are given better characteristics. Lastly, small pox, a disease from our world, was mentioned somewhere in the book, which made me a little confused.
As for plot, I refer back to the point I've raised above about the lack of a big payoff. I feel that it was because our three main characters were mainly seen separately throughout the book, hence it was nearly impossible for them to come together in one shared climactic point! Fortunately, the plot generally made sense and the pacing of the story was acceptable for the number of characters we needed to follow around, so the 0.5 Stars for plot (in terms of pacing) still stands!
Last but not least, prose. The prose was not too flowery and was simple enough to get through! Some odd phrases and errors I caught here and there (e.g. ignored each other 'profusely', 'sook' instead of 'sought', 'economical' instead of 'economic'), but that's okay for me. If you are looking for something easily digestible, then this read is for you. However, if you are one to revel in beautiful descriptions, then perhaps you should pick up something else. As I am personally not that particular about prose and since this is a self-published book with understandably less support in terms of proof-reading and editing, I still think it is a job well done! I will still give Fatherland its star for prose!
[Final rating]
Memorability: 0.5
Characters: 0.5
World-building: X
Plot: 0.5
Prose: 1.0
2.5/5 rounded up to 3/5!
Fatherland was an enjoyable read overall and once again, I cannot thank the author enough for sending over an ARC. I am looking forward to the development of the world and magic in the upcoming sequels!
Firstly, let me begin with the positives, starting with Fatherland's overall memorability. Were there quotes, scenes and themes that I would remember from this book after this read? Absolutely! But it offered less of such moments than my favourite reads, so +0.5 Stars it is. My favourite quote/scene was when one of the characters stayed true too his moral compass and decided to break his allegiance to the Regency. The description of the moment he did it was packed in the middle of an action sequence, which was strategic and held my attention. My favourite description was that "the owl of the Regency was engraved on it and nothing felt heavier than that crest." For those who love the theme of loyalty, Fatherland should earn a star for exploring this theme through this character (and some others too)!
Speaking of characters... WOW! This book featured so many characters and POVs that it can get difficult to keep track of all of them. It was unfortunately not my cup of tea in this aspect, but I know that others may love large casts and complex familial/political relationships and alliances too. It is also inherently amazing how one can create such a large cast. Let me touch on our main characters, the ones that are highlighted in the book's synopsis. In terms of character development, I feel that Tecla was the most dynamic, Jascha the roundest, and Goldsnout was most static, staying true to himself throughout the book. Somehow Goldsnout ended up being my favourite character of the three because of this, and because how Tecla and Jascha were inherently crafted didn't make me like them as much. I felt that the motivations behind Goldsnout's actions were made clear through the text. However, that of Tecla and Jascha were sometimes left unsaid (up till the final revelations at the end, which I felt was a little too late), or left me confused. For instance, Jascha raped and killed multiple people throughout the book, and the reason behind that was pushed back so far, I found myself angry at Jascha most of the time. I was also wondering why a fourteen year old girl would decide to bed a man out of the blue, and how she dealt with the (I assume) trauma of killing a man was not really brought across to me emotionally. Next, I felt that the relationships between characters were mainly developed in a less personal way, not going too in-depth with how relationships blossom and grow. Familial/political/platonic relationships were mostly already established before the beginning of the book. Those developed within the plot (e.g. romances) felt a little rushed. I unfortunately didn't feel that sad when the death count of side characters kept rising (except for when it involved Goldsnout). For Goldsnout alone, I'd give 0.5 Stars for Fatherland's character work! (As you can tell from the length, characters are what I look out for the most in a book!)
I think I'll be withholding a star for world-building. I believe I can classify most of the world-building in Fatherland under complex political relationships. If you are a big fan of that, then this book is for you! But if you are also a big fan of magic systems and learning about multiple cultures and religions in a new world (as I am), this may not. Marketed as Sanderson-esque epic-fantasy and having many instances of cult-like witchcraft and magical stones thrown into the storyline really set my hopes up to see some kind of huge payoff at the end involving all the magic. I believe more will be revealed in the sequels, but I was disappointed that the magic-caused deaths and telling of magic-related lore/religion-related beliefs was more to add suspense here and there than to count towards the resolution at the end of Fatherland. In terms of cultures, I appreciated how Tecla's experiences showed the differences in culture between her home and the Sand Towers, but it came and went too quickly, I feel. I also felt that how the simple people were portrayed in the background (poor, hungry, dirty, angry, violent, and most commonly, smelly) was a bit too negative and one-dimensional. Generally, only those people we get to know or those whom our characters talk to are given better characteristics. Lastly, small pox, a disease from our world, was mentioned somewhere in the book, which made me a little confused.
As for plot, I refer back to the point I've raised above about the lack of a big payoff. I feel that it was because our three main characters were mainly seen separately throughout the book, hence it was nearly impossible for them to come together in one shared climactic point! Fortunately, the plot generally made sense and the pacing of the story was acceptable for the number of characters we needed to follow around, so the 0.5 Stars for plot (in terms of pacing) still stands!
Last but not least, prose. The prose was not too flowery and was simple enough to get through! Some odd phrases and errors I caught here and there (e.g. ignored each other 'profusely', 'sook' instead of 'sought', 'economical' instead of 'economic'), but that's okay for me. If you are looking for something easily digestible, then this read is for you. However, if you are one to revel in beautiful descriptions, then perhaps you should pick up something else. As I am personally not that particular about prose and since this is a self-published book with understandably less support in terms of proof-reading and editing, I still think it is a job well done! I will still give Fatherland its star for prose!
[Final rating]
Memorability: 0.5
Characters: 0.5
World-building: X
Plot: 0.5
Prose: 1.0
2.5/5 rounded up to 3/5!
Fatherland was an enjoyable read overall and once again, I cannot thank the author enough for sending over an ARC. I am looking forward to the development of the world and magic in the upcoming sequels!
November 24, 2021
Author's Notes & Updates (Sept. 2021): Many thanks to all the alpha, beta, and ARC readers for helping me shape my debut novel into its second edition. I believe we've fixed all that needed tweaking, and the second edition of this book now has a new title, a new set of covers, and my editor and I have further sectioned each chapter to make every point of view as clear as possible (along with catching a couple of persistent typos).
What didn't change is that this book is still an adult novel, with many content triggers you should check out before delving into the story. ;)
This year has been an exciting one, and thanks to everyone for the continuous support and book love! Enjoy the rest of the series!
I'll now leave you rate the book content. Make sure you get the latest edition though!
What didn't change is that this book is still an adult novel, with many content triggers you should check out before delving into the story. ;)
This year has been an exciting one, and thanks to everyone for the continuous support and book love! Enjoy the rest of the series!
I'll now leave you rate the book content. Make sure you get the latest edition though!
May 21, 2021
Without giving away too many spoilers about the book and its story I want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
It drew me in with every new chapter, introducing new characters and places that are vividly represented and really set the atmosphere of the world. It makes you wish you could visit the places and live there along side the characters, that is, until you discover how this world really works.
There are numerous distinct factions, with their ideas, tradition and ways of life and views on how things should be done. I believe everyone reading will find themselves leaning towards a different faction.
The book teaches you that nobody is perfect, not even its protagonists and that everyone has their good and bad side no matter how perfect they might seem at first sight. Everyones story is unique regardless how significant or insignificant to the main plot it might be.
I like that the book doesn't sugar coat anything nor does it try to give plot armor to more likeable characters some of which I liked myself and was sad to see go, but their deaths make sense in the context of the book. Even tho it is a fantasy book, it follows its rules and has a certain amount of realism as to what the characters can and can not get away with. I find that to be very important and for me it shows the difference between a proper fantasy novel and a child fantasy novel.
Speaking of fantasy, it should be noted that book gets very dark at times, with vivid gore and sex scenes and heavy dialogue, so reader be aware. The book doesn't play favorites, nobody is protected from something quite unpleasant (this is definitely an understatment) happening to them and you getting goosebumps as you read through it. You will want to put the book down after certain chapters just to get some air and reflect as to what happened because the book will play with your emotions, happy, sad, crying and absolutely furious at times.
If I had to summarize the book: Great fantasy novel, with realist elements, complex story and equality complex and interesting characters.
I highly recommend Fatherland to fantasy lovers, but maybe less so for the faint hearted.
Looking forward for the rest of the series!
It drew me in with every new chapter, introducing new characters and places that are vividly represented and really set the atmosphere of the world. It makes you wish you could visit the places and live there along side the characters, that is, until you discover how this world really works.
There are numerous distinct factions, with their ideas, tradition and ways of life and views on how things should be done. I believe everyone reading will find themselves leaning towards a different faction.
The book teaches you that nobody is perfect, not even its protagonists and that everyone has their good and bad side no matter how perfect they might seem at first sight. Everyones story is unique regardless how significant or insignificant to the main plot it might be.
I like that the book doesn't sugar coat anything nor does it try to give plot armor to more likeable characters some of which I liked myself and was sad to see go, but their deaths make sense in the context of the book. Even tho it is a fantasy book, it follows its rules and has a certain amount of realism as to what the characters can and can not get away with. I find that to be very important and for me it shows the difference between a proper fantasy novel and a child fantasy novel.
Speaking of fantasy, it should be noted that book gets very dark at times, with vivid gore and sex scenes and heavy dialogue, so reader be aware. The book doesn't play favorites, nobody is protected from something quite unpleasant (this is definitely an understatment) happening to them and you getting goosebumps as you read through it. You will want to put the book down after certain chapters just to get some air and reflect as to what happened because the book will play with your emotions, happy, sad, crying and absolutely furious at times.
If I had to summarize the book: Great fantasy novel, with realist elements, complex story and equality complex and interesting characters.
I highly recommend Fatherland to fantasy lovers, but maybe less so for the faint hearted.
Looking forward for the rest of the series!
June 9, 2021
I had a few issues with this book. At first I was really confused by the POV’s etc, because they kept on switching. To be honest I am not a fan of this kind of storytelling, but furthermore it was pretty interesting. That it reads like a movie makes sense, but I like the small details and characteristics of a character. That was probably a reason why I never really got into it I guess.
Tecla definitely had the most interesting story. She came into the story as this child. Yeah she was a young 14 year old all innocent and everything. She got corrupted real fast. Lyzon was also really interesting and there was just a lot going on. Maybe it worked better as a movie though, because some characters had almost the same names and one was a he and the other a she. Life is hard. Took me half a book maybe more before I realized.
Another thing I was not a fan of was Jascha. He is disgusting! Nah I can’t. He raped multiple ladies and that is just really rude. Not only that but he kills them too? Nah man. Not my cup of tea.
Uhm some age gaps were a bit weird. Uhmm idk how old Jascha is, but I’m smelling something nasty.
Also... 14 year old’s shouldn’t have sex. I don’t stand by kids doing the things they shouldn’t. Let them be kids. 17 or older is a lot better in my eyes, but that’s just me.
I liked the sickness and this cult of witches? Fay? Thing going on. I would like to get to know that more, because that was pretty interesting.
And maybe a little trigger warning would’ve been nice at the start of the book, because it was pretty heavy and I don’t think everyone would be comfortable reading this.
I don’t know whether or not I would recommend this, because it got really confusing at times and it was a bit of a harder read. But I enjoyed some parts.
Tecla definitely had the most interesting story. She came into the story as this child. Yeah she was a young 14 year old all innocent and everything. She got corrupted real fast. Lyzon was also really interesting and there was just a lot going on. Maybe it worked better as a movie though, because some characters had almost the same names and one was a he and the other a she. Life is hard. Took me half a book maybe more before I realized.
Another thing I was not a fan of was Jascha. He is disgusting! Nah I can’t. He raped multiple ladies and that is just really rude. Not only that but he kills them too? Nah man. Not my cup of tea.
Uhm some age gaps were a bit weird. Uhmm idk how old Jascha is, but I’m smelling something nasty.
Also... 14 year old’s shouldn’t have sex. I don’t stand by kids doing the things they shouldn’t. Let them be kids. 17 or older is a lot better in my eyes, but that’s just me.
I liked the sickness and this cult of witches? Fay? Thing going on. I would like to get to know that more, because that was pretty interesting.
And maybe a little trigger warning would’ve been nice at the start of the book, because it was pretty heavy and I don’t think everyone would be comfortable reading this.
I don’t know whether or not I would recommend this, because it got really confusing at times and it was a bit of a harder read. But I enjoyed some parts.
July 30, 2021
When just starting this book I had some trouble getting into it as the amount of character names overwhelmed me a bit (especially Lionhelms who basically all have initials T.L. which really didn't help) but once I got a hold of it all I could fully immerse myself in the story. Something that also took a bit of time to adjust to was the POV switching where there isn't a single character per chapter but 2 or 3. Some of the characters were really interesting and Theliel Lionhelm and Jascha were probably my favourites.
I loved the fact we got to see Jascha's POV as he is arguably "one of the bad guys" with all the things he does. I found his story a bit more interesting than Tecla's quest but still both are really memorable characters.
In conclusion a book worth a read for anyone who can keep track of all the relations and characters but you might want to check some trigger warnings before you start as it can get pretty bad at some points
I loved the fact we got to see Jascha's POV as he is arguably "one of the bad guys" with all the things he does. I found his story a bit more interesting than Tecla's quest but still both are really memorable characters.
In conclusion a book worth a read for anyone who can keep track of all the relations and characters but you might want to check some trigger warnings before you start as it can get pretty bad at some points
October 31, 2021
A great, immersive read from many POV characters with clear, distinctive voices. Ginevra adds clarity and intrigue along with magic and darkness to a genre that promises but does not deliver. Here, in "A Realm of Stones and Whispers" there is a promise of darkness and magic within the fantasy genre and she delivers on every single one.
It starts at a slow, moderate pace that builds tension and continues with a steady, strong pace throughout. Description is clear and sentences are woven together with a delicate touch. Individual times prop up when the authors translation from Italian to English cause one or two words to be misspelled or misplaced, but it is trivial and does not jar you from the reading. For a self-published book it lacks errors, in fact, it reads like a published book.
I'll not put spoilers here, because it has to be read to be believed. It's a story similar in scope with A Song of Ice and Fire, but with a clear emphasis on magic.
It starts at a slow, moderate pace that builds tension and continues with a steady, strong pace throughout. Description is clear and sentences are woven together with a delicate touch. Individual times prop up when the authors translation from Italian to English cause one or two words to be misspelled or misplaced, but it is trivial and does not jar you from the reading. For a self-published book it lacks errors, in fact, it reads like a published book.
I'll not put spoilers here, because it has to be read to be believed. It's a story similar in scope with A Song of Ice and Fire, but with a clear emphasis on magic.
June 14, 2021
An epic fantasy from page one.
This is one of those stories that is hard to describe without giving away spoilers. The scenes are as vivid as any I've read in a fantasy novel. As the story builds, the author pulls you in, making you feel as if you are a part of it.
If you're a fan of epic fantasies, add this book to your reading list!
This is one of those stories that is hard to describe without giving away spoilers. The scenes are as vivid as any I've read in a fantasy novel. As the story builds, the author pulls you in, making you feel as if you are a part of it.
If you're a fan of epic fantasies, add this book to your reading list!
September 7, 2021
Mysterious and dark!
I love it!
I was reading it and was thinking about GoT and associates characters all over!
Oh I shivered, gasp and got sad in some parts
Can’t wait for book 2!
Attention: the warning triggers are really important to read since it’s gore and dark and not for sensitive people
I love it!
I was reading it and was thinking about GoT and associates characters all over!
Oh I shivered, gasp and got sad in some parts
Can’t wait for book 2!
Attention: the warning triggers are really important to read since it’s gore and dark and not for sensitive people
July 22, 2023
I really did not enjoy this slog of a book. Was free on Amazon unlimited and even then that was too much as the cost of time was too high a price to pay. It is possible the later books in the series get better but I will not be finding out for myself. Good luck to those starting on their own journey, hopefully your experience will be better.
March 20, 2021
A Superb Fantasy Epic
Ginevra writes with passion and poise. Meticulous world-building combines with strong, believable characters to create a wonderful fantasy tale. I cannot wait for the next instalment.
Ginevra writes with passion and poise. Meticulous world-building combines with strong, believable characters to create a wonderful fantasy tale. I cannot wait for the next instalment.
August 7, 2021
An amazing reading experience! Kept me at the edge of my seat, very entertaining! The world is developed in exquisite details as are the characters and their relationships! 10/10 it's a must have for a fantasy genre lover.
July 24, 2021
Captivating. I love it
November 15, 2021
This was a pretty good book! Not my fav but definetly worth your time💕 And if you like spice and violence, you have to read it👀
February 24, 2021
So there is a lot to unpack here but i'm gonna try to keep it as short as possible. i know the writer's work for a while now so loving this book did not come to me as a surprise.
English is not my first language so reading english litrature often leaves me grasping at understanding certain way things are writteTn especially when they get complex and classic. first thing i loved about this book is how it keeps things simple and interesting.
The characters and envrionment descriptions are not overdone. they often focus on important details that can shift the perspective of the reader's imagination on that character or place but does not try to hold your hand by over-explaining these details.
Story moves at a crips pace, its not too fast or its not too slow, although from time to time i did have hard time in understanding of chain of events but as i said that's a shortcoming from my side not the book.
One thing that always bugs me about fantasy stories is that, most writers of this genre often use the description of story elements that is known to the public or is written by others/more famous writers, without having a description of their own. i often nitpick about these details, where did the magic come from? what is magic in this universe? what is a rune? Ginevra clearly has an idea behind everything and reveal bits and pieces of it here there. i am looking forward to learn more about the origins and ideas behind the elements of her universe. if not through the book i will look forward to exploring things about her universe that cannot be put in the book directly by asking her directly.
Ultimately this book is not for the faint of heart, its brutal, sometimes unfair but that is the nature of it's world. we are swimming in the Ocean of fantasy novels, but if you are looking for a unique experience and wanna read something from a writer who knows what's going on and what they are writing about, i suggest you give this book a chance with a clean slate, not with mindset of comparing it with other well known fantasy stories. i come to believe such mindset only takes away from enjoying other stories.
English is not my first language so reading english litrature often leaves me grasping at understanding certain way things are writteTn especially when they get complex and classic. first thing i loved about this book is how it keeps things simple and interesting.
The characters and envrionment descriptions are not overdone. they often focus on important details that can shift the perspective of the reader's imagination on that character or place but does not try to hold your hand by over-explaining these details.
Story moves at a crips pace, its not too fast or its not too slow, although from time to time i did have hard time in understanding of chain of events but as i said that's a shortcoming from my side not the book.
One thing that always bugs me about fantasy stories is that, most writers of this genre often use the description of story elements that is known to the public or is written by others/more famous writers, without having a description of their own. i often nitpick about these details, where did the magic come from? what is magic in this universe? what is a rune? Ginevra clearly has an idea behind everything and reveal bits and pieces of it here there. i am looking forward to learn more about the origins and ideas behind the elements of her universe. if not through the book i will look forward to exploring things about her universe that cannot be put in the book directly by asking her directly.
Ultimately this book is not for the faint of heart, its brutal, sometimes unfair but that is the nature of it's world. we are swimming in the Ocean of fantasy novels, but if you are looking for a unique experience and wanna read something from a writer who knows what's going on and what they are writing about, i suggest you give this book a chance with a clean slate, not with mindset of comparing it with other well known fantasy stories. i come to believe such mindset only takes away from enjoying other stories.
March 12, 2021
First I definitely want to thank the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. This adventure has been a fantastic one!
Wow is the first thing I want to say when I finished this novel. I sat staring at the final page just thinking about the world I was just in for a good solid 20 minutes before I could really start thinking about what I wanted to write down.
It was such a refresher to see that even though this book is a fairly large volume it's not over done. Within the fantasy genre you tend to get writers who love to describe in very lengthy detail the long treacherous walks or the conversations between side characters that really don't need to be in the book. I feel they do this because maybe they will go down a certain path but then they end up not. Most of the time I think they like to make their books huge. In this case I feel as if everything had a place and a reason for the description. I didn't feel like we were traveling down a path that wasn't needed.
I really loved the world building and I really enjoyed getting to know some of the characters a long the way. Although there were times when this book was unrelenting in a way because it wasn't a fairytale, it wasn't one that had nothing but good things, it had parts that weren't always good.
I absolutely loved this story and can't wait for the next book to come out!!
Wow is the first thing I want to say when I finished this novel. I sat staring at the final page just thinking about the world I was just in for a good solid 20 minutes before I could really start thinking about what I wanted to write down.
It was such a refresher to see that even though this book is a fairly large volume it's not over done. Within the fantasy genre you tend to get writers who love to describe in very lengthy detail the long treacherous walks or the conversations between side characters that really don't need to be in the book. I feel they do this because maybe they will go down a certain path but then they end up not. Most of the time I think they like to make their books huge. In this case I feel as if everything had a place and a reason for the description. I didn't feel like we were traveling down a path that wasn't needed.
I really loved the world building and I really enjoyed getting to know some of the characters a long the way. Although there were times when this book was unrelenting in a way because it wasn't a fairytale, it wasn't one that had nothing but good things, it had parts that weren't always good.
I absolutely loved this story and can't wait for the next book to come out!!
March 30, 2021
Fatherland by Ginevra Mancinelli is a fantasy novel about vengeance, pain, love, glory, and so much more.
I really enjoyed this book not only for the great descriptions and writing, but also the Games of Thrones-y vibe, what with some of the gore, wording, and politics, but Fatherland is very much it’s own story with it’s own unique universe and tale.
And while this book is pretty large, it isn’t long-winded or boring. Never once did I hope it would end soon because I was so engrossed with the plot and the characters. Mancinelli has some awesome descriptions and three-dimensional characters. Even the less important characters were well-crafted.
Fun quote:
"Fran wasn’t as good as him and a terrible friend to horses."
I’m excited to see what else Mancinelli has to offer. Read this book if you love fantasy political stories!
I really enjoyed this book not only for the great descriptions and writing, but also the Games of Thrones-y vibe, what with some of the gore, wording, and politics, but Fatherland is very much it’s own story with it’s own unique universe and tale.
And while this book is pretty large, it isn’t long-winded or boring. Never once did I hope it would end soon because I was so engrossed with the plot and the characters. Mancinelli has some awesome descriptions and three-dimensional characters. Even the less important characters were well-crafted.
Fun quote:
"Fran wasn’t as good as him and a terrible friend to horses."
I’m excited to see what else Mancinelli has to offer. Read this book if you love fantasy political stories!
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