In Quandria, Prince Soren fights to defend his people from the threat to the West, while attempting to quell his father’s greed, and lust for power. But when a mysterious stranger arrives in his city, he begins to question his loyalties.
Across the border in Trepia, Caen, spy for the infamous rebel group, The Shadow Guild, is on the losing side of a civil war. The merciless King Holben is executing anyone who dares defy him and his regime. As plans are made to overthrow him, Caen learns of an assassin sent across the border to eliminate the Quandrian King.
Everyone, is harbouring secrets. As they begin to unravel, and the tides of war start to turn, can those who seek peace truly accomplish it? Afterall in times of war, secrets can be deadly.
An impressive debut fantasy novel with secrets galore. A political fantasy following six characters who's stories collide throughout the book. The first third of the book is mostly set up and dedicated to world building, like most fantasy books, and this is where Daye excels. The characters are all different and I have my favorites, while I'm hoping the girls kick some ass in the next book because they've deserve self won justice. The representation is all there from physical to mental disabilities and LGTBQ inclusion. I personally prefer shorter paragraphs and while some are long, it didn't stop me from reading.
Swords and Seers is the first part of a series In which the lives of six main characters begin to unfold. This is Luna Daye’s debut novel and it did not disappoint. It gripped my attention immediately and I couldn’t put it down.
I had the honour of being an ARC reader and am super excited to now read the book in its full glory (The map is an added bonus to the book as it helped to understand the logistics and where the characters were based (and to try and predict who is going to interact with who).
The genre is adult fantasy and includes mystics, magic, battles, romance (and spice!), politics, humour and interesting family dynamics! Daye also represents LGBTQ and POC amongst her characters.
The story is written from each of the characters perspectives which is an element I particularly enjoyed.
The plot builds steadily as you begin to learn about each character, their culture and reason for being where they are. I loved seeing how the characters develop and could relate to elements in each of them;
Comrith is shy and a little awkward but with a heart of gold and is an old romantic.
Finola is an independent stargazing, loyal daughter with a troubled life. Some of her story was upsetting but very well written as I like a book that can bring about strong emotions.
Olilra is strong and determined princess and has a challenging relationship with her family when nothing ever seems quite good enough. Dergia (Olilra’s home) is beautiful and I felt connected to nature just reading her POV.
There is an element of mystery, Very little is given away about Elarin and where she comes from which builds to the tension of her story. She is incredibly strong despite all she faces.
There is a civil war between Quandria and Trepia and Prince Soren of Quandria is unlike his greedy, power hungry father and brother. He is humble and thinks about his actions. I feel he is a good leader being fair but firm when needed. His friend Rivius is not a main character but definitely has the energy of one, he is cheeky and charming and one of my favourites.
Caen, is another favourite of mine, being a morally questionable, spy in Trepia he is multilayered and I can feel a warmth for him and how he does want to do the right thing it just doesn’t always work out, whether it’s because he’s following orders or because of his own arrogance getting in his way. Chapter 30 included a rather steamy Caen scene which was very hot indeed.
All in all the twists and turns and character development left me thinking about where they were and what they were doing even after I finished reading.
It ends on a cliff hanger which left me desperate for more and cannot wait for the Daye to release book 2 of the series.
Phenomenal book! Addictive and mysterious. The characters are so well written which will get you so invested into the book, you either love or hate specific characters! It's a non-stop page turner, and I can't wait for the next book in the saga to be released! Luna Daye captivates her audience perfectly. As she says on the front cover: "In times of war secrets can be deadly" however the truth can be deadlier!
Really enjoyed the book. Especially the different perspectives and they all intertwined with the story. The way she made me feel the characters emotions as well was very good! Definitely will read the next book.
I really liked the different characters, it made it fast paced and difficult to put down. The different regions and their practices was intriguing and I look forward to this being explored more in the next book.
This book has everything you want in a fantasy, straight from the start, we are thrown into the action and it was a page turner from the start.
The story follows 6 povs, where we are introduced to characters, each one different, the way Luna has written the characters, makes you really root for them in the book. The world building was amazing, i really want to live in Dergia.
The story of gripping, full of danger, suspense, intrigue and mystery. I could not put this book down, the way it ended, I need book 2 immediately!
Absolutely fantastic, if you want a high fantasy, with amazing characters and a fantastic story, this is that book!
I enjoyed this book a lot, a great debut. This is very much an introductory novel for the characters, which there are a lot of. While some of the characters are connected and others are arbitrarily (through their countries being at war), it is hard to see what will eventually become the overarching plot until the last two to three chapters. So, be aware of this going in, it is gonna be a long series after all. I enjoyed the writing style and getting to know the characters, but would have appreciated a little more world building info. The characters are all three-dimensional with potential for personal growth over the course of the series and I am looking forward to seeing them evolve. All in all a good read, can’t wait to continue the series.
Impressive! I am now fully attached to all the characters. some I am rooting for, others I would gladly kill myself. - 6 main characters - multiple side characters - and many extras However at no point was I overwhelmed or confused, this is sleek and streamlined world building. straight onto the sequel isles and Intruige for me......
I loved this book. First time reading from multiple MC POV. So it was strange for me to get into the swing of it to begin with but once I’d got used to multiple POV I was stuck in! I can’t wait to see where this series goes! Book 2 curry up!!! 🤍
I read this book for a book club, initially I saw 6 different main character points of view and dreaded it worrying it may get confusing. But actually I was completely wrong the characters felt relatable, real and all different enough that they never blurred into each other. This book is obviously setting you up for the rest of the series and whilst not really any questions were answered in this first book, I was hooked and had to jump straight to book 2 desperate to know what happened next.
I enjoyed the clever way the some of the lead characters have small cross overs which you might over look if not paying attention.
If I had to pick a favourite character Cean would win hands down every time.
Easy read and deffo in my top 5 books this year so far, super enjoyable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
An impressive debut fantasy novel with secrets galore. A political fantasy following six characters who's stories collide throughout the book. The first third of the book is mostly set up and dedicated to world building, like most fantasy books, and this is where Daye excels. The characters are all different and I have my favorites, while I'm hoping the girls kick some ass in the next book because they've deserve self won justice. The representation is all there from physical to mental disabilities and LGTBQ inclusion. I personally prefer shorter paragraphs and while some are long, it didn't stop me from reading.
With multiple point of views we're pulled into a world of political intrigue where nearly everyone has secrets. It's a character led story in a world heavy in fear and suppression, you can feel the uprising slowly building throughout the course of the book and I loved how we got to know each character as they make a stand of their own. (Comrith is my favourite!) The book ends with lots of unanswered questions, leaving us in anticipation for the next book! Overall, a fantastic read!
I loved the world and character building in this first book. There is some really interesting political intrigue and some lovely twists and turns. I got quickly invested in some of the characters and I really liked learning more about them. The six different perspectives I thought I would struggle with but actually it’s written so well I was able to track this. I devoured the second book in two days which was even better.