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Curse of Shavhalla #1
Tethered Spirits
A man with an unknown past
For years, Amar has traveled the Kavoran empire, seeking a way to recover his lost memories and end the curse that plagues him. With support from loyal friends, Amar may finally be on the verge of finding answers, but to do so, he'll need to enlist the help of an unexpected guide.
A girl afraid of her own powers
Kesari is a Tarja, granted magical abilities through her Bond with a spirit named Lucian. Haunted by past mistakes that have left her desperate to sever her Bond, Kesari has her own reasons for agreeing to help Amar. But in doing so, she may finally have to face the fears she's carried ever since leaving home.
A woman on a vital mission
Meanwhile, a young refugee named Aleida is in hot pursuit, hoping the secret behind Amar's curse can save her brother from a fatal illness. With so much at stake and little left to lose, Aleida will stop at nothing to get what she wants.
And when their paths collide, all three are set on a journey to unravel a mystery far deeper than they ever suspected.
For years, Amar has traveled the Kavoran empire, seeking a way to recover his lost memories and end the curse that plagues him. With support from loyal friends, Amar may finally be on the verge of finding answers, but to do so, he'll need to enlist the help of an unexpected guide.
A girl afraid of her own powers
Kesari is a Tarja, granted magical abilities through her Bond with a spirit named Lucian. Haunted by past mistakes that have left her desperate to sever her Bond, Kesari has her own reasons for agreeing to help Amar. But in doing so, she may finally have to face the fears she's carried ever since leaving home.
A woman on a vital mission
Meanwhile, a young refugee named Aleida is in hot pursuit, hoping the secret behind Amar's curse can save her brother from a fatal illness. With so much at stake and little left to lose, Aleida will stop at nothing to get what she wants.
And when their paths collide, all three are set on a journey to unravel a mystery far deeper than they ever suspected.
457 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 14, 2021
20 people are currently reading
760 people want to read
About the author
T.A. Hernandez
14 books75 followersT. A. Hernandez is a science fiction and fantasy author and long-time fan of speculative fiction. She grew up with her nose habitually stuck in a book and her mind constantly wandering to make-believe worlds full of magic and adventure. She began writing after reading J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings many years ago and is now is happily engaged in an exciting and lifelong quest to tell captivating stories.
She is a clinical social worker and the proud mother of two girls. She also enjoys drawing, reading, graphic design, playing video games, riding her motorcycle, and making happy memories with her family and friends.
She is a clinical social worker and the proud mother of two girls. She also enjoys drawing, reading, graphic design, playing video games, riding her motorcycle, and making happy memories with her family and friends.
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October 10, 2022I haven't read this yet, but it has been chosen as one of 10 finalists from 300 entries to the 8th annual Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off ... so it must be good!
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Check it out.
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December 13, 2022
Tethered Spirits follows three point-of-view characters whose paths cross, sending them on a journey to uncover a dangerous secret.
Amar is immortal, but his immortality comes at a price - every time he returns to life, he loses all memories of his past life and relationships. Kesari is a mage who refuses to use magic. She has traded half of her lifespan to form a Bond with a magical being, but she is looking for a way to break that bond and remove that power. Finally, Aleida, an orphaned young woman, begins as the antagonist, although she's is not a bad person. At the beginning of the story, she hunts Amar and his companions, believing that his immortality could save her brother from a fatal illness.
Tethered Spirits is a character-driven story with very personal stakes. I prefer personal stories to epic ones, so I read the book quickly. Hernandez gives her protagonists interesting and painful backstories and explores them through the plot, dialogue, and some flashbacks. I liked the idea behind them more than the execution. Why? Well, a few scenes felt out of character. Or to put it another way, we get a few memorable and emotionally charged scenes that work well as scenes. But the path that led to them, or the reasons for the characters' fears or anger didn't seem convincing to me (subjective).
Hernandez's writing style is clear, straightforward, and easy to read, although a bit too descriptive for me (almost every unimportant detail has an extra word describing it). Adverbs are cool, and rules are for fools, but I prefer tighter, less descriptive prose. The pacing is good, though it's a long book and the sense of urgency isn't always there.
World-building and magic system worked well for me. I like the idea of people paying the price to bond with "spirits" to gain magic and paying price for the power. It's more nuanced than that, but I'll allow you to discover it on your own :)
Overall, Tethered Spirit is a solid and entertaining book. It could use one or two trimming sessions to become tighter, leaner, and more impactful. but it works well as an introduction to the world and its main players.
Amar is immortal, but his immortality comes at a price - every time he returns to life, he loses all memories of his past life and relationships. Kesari is a mage who refuses to use magic. She has traded half of her lifespan to form a Bond with a magical being, but she is looking for a way to break that bond and remove that power. Finally, Aleida, an orphaned young woman, begins as the antagonist, although she's is not a bad person. At the beginning of the story, she hunts Amar and his companions, believing that his immortality could save her brother from a fatal illness.
Tethered Spirits is a character-driven story with very personal stakes. I prefer personal stories to epic ones, so I read the book quickly. Hernandez gives her protagonists interesting and painful backstories and explores them through the plot, dialogue, and some flashbacks. I liked the idea behind them more than the execution. Why? Well, a few scenes felt out of character. Or to put it another way, we get a few memorable and emotionally charged scenes that work well as scenes. But the path that led to them, or the reasons for the characters' fears or anger didn't seem convincing to me (subjective).
Hernandez's writing style is clear, straightforward, and easy to read, although a bit too descriptive for me (almost every unimportant detail has an extra word describing it). Adverbs are cool, and rules are for fools, but I prefer tighter, less descriptive prose. The pacing is good, though it's a long book and the sense of urgency isn't always there.
World-building and magic system worked well for me. I like the idea of people paying the price to bond with "spirits" to gain magic and paying price for the power. It's more nuanced than that, but I'll allow you to discover it on your own :)
Overall, Tethered Spirit is a solid and entertaining book. It could use one or two trimming sessions to become tighter, leaner, and more impactful. but it works well as an introduction to the world and its main players.
November 14, 2021
Thank you Victory editing and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this amazing book!
Tethered Spirits, a book to be published in the 14th of December was an interesting and enticing read! The story was so beautifully told out that I was left screaming, banging my head, ripping my hair out after I had read the last chapter.
I felt that the author had really focused on the characters, especially Amar. All the characters in the novel had developed, and it was so exciting to see them change and discover new views of their lives. I was especially interested in Kesari who was a girl who had gone from fearing her own magic to realizing who she truly was and taking everything of her into account.
I have to say, the characters stole my heart, and they will always have a special part now that I have read about them.
I hope everyone else who reads this book enjoys it as much as I did! It’s my absolute favorite fantasy book and a great way to almost end the year!
Tethered Spirits, a book to be published in the 14th of December was an interesting and enticing read! The story was so beautifully told out that I was left screaming, banging my head, ripping my hair out after I had read the last chapter.
I felt that the author had really focused on the characters, especially Amar. All the characters in the novel had developed, and it was so exciting to see them change and discover new views of their lives. I was especially interested in Kesari who was a girl who had gone from fearing her own magic to realizing who she truly was and taking everything of her into account.
I have to say, the characters stole my heart, and they will always have a special part now that I have read about them.
I hope everyone else who reads this book enjoys it as much as I did! It’s my absolute favorite fantasy book and a great way to almost end the year!
March 3, 2023
This book pleasantly surprised me with some of the conversations we had in it.
However I do think it lacked a little bit of definition in terms of characters and world building. I liked both of these aspects but kept wanting more. I'm hoping we get a lot of this in the second book and I will be continuing.
Because there are a lot of fun aspect in this story. I really liked the magic binded creatures/ppl !
If you want my full thoughts since I know this isn't the best written review. There's a vlog on my channel
https://youtu.be/yeAVfoZmVkg
However I do think it lacked a little bit of definition in terms of characters and world building. I liked both of these aspects but kept wanting more. I'm hoping we get a lot of this in the second book and I will be continuing.
Because there are a lot of fun aspect in this story. I really liked the magic binded creatures/ppl !
If you want my full thoughts since I know this isn't the best written review. There's a vlog on my channel
https://youtu.be/yeAVfoZmVkg
October 23, 2022
An immortal with recurring amnesia.
A sorcerer chasing him for a scheme to save her brother's life.
A girl working through her trauma.
This book is so strong.
Booktone = Anchor Gray (emotional, plot/atmosphere/character focus)
A sorcerer chasing him for a scheme to save her brother's life.
A girl working through her trauma.
This book is so strong.
Booktone = Anchor Gray (emotional, plot/atmosphere/character focus)
Read
May 9, 2023Tethered Spirits starts with the main character's death. If that doesn't intrigue you, then I'm not sure what will!
The novel follows Amar—a man who cannot permanently die. Every time Amar loses his life, he wakes up the next morning perfectly hale and healthy, but with absolutely none of his previous memories. Each time, Amar requires someone to explain his own condition to him—a matter which is obviously complicated by the fact that he has no way to know who the people around him are, or whether he ought to trust them. Amar no longer remembers why it is that he's like this... but he's decided more than once now that he wants a way to end it.
This premise is both brilliant and inherently difficult to fit into a normal narrative structure. There were times when the idea really thrived—T.A. Hernandez makes clever use of Amar's problem and its implications over the course of the plot, and his confused anger over the loss of his memories was often both sympathetic and compelling. On occasion, however, the inherent difficulty of writing an amnesiac did slow down the story. I would say that Hernandez did a better than average job of working around these difficulties—I always appreciated when we caught glimpses of some lost memory of Amar's in a narratively interesting way, and it was clear that the author put a lot of thought into how to keep those glimpses feeling dynamic rather than spoon-fed. As a result, I found that about half the time, I was going "ah, that was clever!", while the other half of the time, I could see where the inherent difficulty of the concept had simply overcome the narrative.
The opening chapter or two of Tethered Spirits was admittedly a bit of a hurdle, as the book does throw a lot of initial setting and character introductions into a very short space. I also found that a lot of the juiciest possible narrative tension was unnecessarily defused—the readers know that Amar's friends are actually his friends, which makes his absolutely reasonable suspicion of them hit with far less impact. Despite this, Amar's psychological reaction to his condition was genuinely interesting, and I was glad to see Hernandez subvert expectations by having him emotionally flail and lash out and actively grieve the loss of his memories in a way that I don't think I've ever seen before.
The magic system in Tethered Spirits was an equally interesting concept which dovetailed well with the main plot. There are two types of magicians in Tethered Spirits. The first type are born with natural magic; the second type gain magic by bonding with the spirits of deceased natural magicians, who lend their magic to the living in exchange for half of the bonded person's lifespan. This system added extra characters in the form of two spirit magicians, each of which I found to be very interesting in their own right.
The idea of spirit bonding raised a lot of fascinating ethical dilemmas, some of which were glimpsed but not fully explored. In particular, it's noted that young children aren't supposed to make these bonds, as they aren't considered mature enough to appreciate the consequences of giving away half their lifespan. I thought this would have been a great moral niche to explore a bit more fully—but while characters noted that this was a problem after being confronted with an example of it, they swept past it a bit more quickly than expected, and the spirit in question didn't get quite as much flak as I would have liked (probably because he was an otherwise likeable character). The fact that these ethical magical dilemmas were present and acknowledged whetted my narrative appetite, but I do hope they get a bit more screen time in the books to come.
Interestingly, I think my favourite part of Tethered Spirits was the villain. We get an extra perspective from a girl named Aleida, who has decided that Amar's curse is the solution that can save someone she loves. We learn very quickly that Aleida was once an adherent to a religion of peace and mercy—but while she is still sentimental towards her religion, she has slowly come to betray its ideals in all of the worst possible ways. I thought Aleida's cognitive dissonance was incredibly realistic and well-handled—and more, I really believed that she was capable of doing terrible things.
Perhaps it's a small thing for other readers, but I particularly appreciated that Aleida's characterisation remained consistent throughout the entire book. Often, when authors write a sympathetic villain—or at least a villain whose motivations the reader can fully understand—they become tempted to soften the villain in question as time goes on. I really don't think Aleida ever softened, despite the revelations of how she came to be the way that she is. The trauma and manipulation behind her mindset did not magically evaporate—and if she remains on-screen in book two, I have confidence that Hernandez will approach any development she has with consistent realism. In fact, I find myself most interested in reading book two in order to find out whether Aleida is a redemption story waiting to happen, or a tragedy. Hernandez has successfully convinced me that either one is a real possibility!
Overall, I got the impression that Tethered Spirits was partially a way for Hernandez to try out some cool ideas and stretch her talents with some unusual narrative concepts. Sometimes, the risks paid off really well; other times, they fell a bit flat for me. But there were some genuinely neat things in this book, and I'm definitely invested in seeing where they go in book two!
The novel follows Amar—a man who cannot permanently die. Every time Amar loses his life, he wakes up the next morning perfectly hale and healthy, but with absolutely none of his previous memories. Each time, Amar requires someone to explain his own condition to him—a matter which is obviously complicated by the fact that he has no way to know who the people around him are, or whether he ought to trust them. Amar no longer remembers why it is that he's like this... but he's decided more than once now that he wants a way to end it.
This premise is both brilliant and inherently difficult to fit into a normal narrative structure. There were times when the idea really thrived—T.A. Hernandez makes clever use of Amar's problem and its implications over the course of the plot, and his confused anger over the loss of his memories was often both sympathetic and compelling. On occasion, however, the inherent difficulty of writing an amnesiac did slow down the story. I would say that Hernandez did a better than average job of working around these difficulties—I always appreciated when we caught glimpses of some lost memory of Amar's in a narratively interesting way, and it was clear that the author put a lot of thought into how to keep those glimpses feeling dynamic rather than spoon-fed. As a result, I found that about half the time, I was going "ah, that was clever!", while the other half of the time, I could see where the inherent difficulty of the concept had simply overcome the narrative.
The opening chapter or two of Tethered Spirits was admittedly a bit of a hurdle, as the book does throw a lot of initial setting and character introductions into a very short space. I also found that a lot of the juiciest possible narrative tension was unnecessarily defused—the readers know that Amar's friends are actually his friends, which makes his absolutely reasonable suspicion of them hit with far less impact. Despite this, Amar's psychological reaction to his condition was genuinely interesting, and I was glad to see Hernandez subvert expectations by having him emotionally flail and lash out and actively grieve the loss of his memories in a way that I don't think I've ever seen before.
The magic system in Tethered Spirits was an equally interesting concept which dovetailed well with the main plot. There are two types of magicians in Tethered Spirits. The first type are born with natural magic; the second type gain magic by bonding with the spirits of deceased natural magicians, who lend their magic to the living in exchange for half of the bonded person's lifespan. This system added extra characters in the form of two spirit magicians, each of which I found to be very interesting in their own right.
The idea of spirit bonding raised a lot of fascinating ethical dilemmas, some of which were glimpsed but not fully explored. In particular, it's noted that young children aren't supposed to make these bonds, as they aren't considered mature enough to appreciate the consequences of giving away half their lifespan. I thought this would have been a great moral niche to explore a bit more fully—but while characters noted that this was a problem after being confronted with an example of it, they swept past it a bit more quickly than expected, and the spirit in question didn't get quite as much flak as I would have liked (probably because he was an otherwise likeable character). The fact that these ethical magical dilemmas were present and acknowledged whetted my narrative appetite, but I do hope they get a bit more screen time in the books to come.
Interestingly, I think my favourite part of Tethered Spirits was the villain. We get an extra perspective from a girl named Aleida, who has decided that Amar's curse is the solution that can save someone she loves. We learn very quickly that Aleida was once an adherent to a religion of peace and mercy—but while she is still sentimental towards her religion, she has slowly come to betray its ideals in all of the worst possible ways. I thought Aleida's cognitive dissonance was incredibly realistic and well-handled—and more, I really believed that she was capable of doing terrible things.
Perhaps it's a small thing for other readers, but I particularly appreciated that Aleida's characterisation remained consistent throughout the entire book. Often, when authors write a sympathetic villain—or at least a villain whose motivations the reader can fully understand—they become tempted to soften the villain in question as time goes on. I really don't think Aleida ever softened, despite the revelations of how she came to be the way that she is. The trauma and manipulation behind her mindset did not magically evaporate—and if she remains on-screen in book two, I have confidence that Hernandez will approach any development she has with consistent realism. In fact, I find myself most interested in reading book two in order to find out whether Aleida is a redemption story waiting to happen, or a tragedy. Hernandez has successfully convinced me that either one is a real possibility!
Overall, I got the impression that Tethered Spirits was partially a way for Hernandez to try out some cool ideas and stretch her talents with some unusual narrative concepts. Sometimes, the risks paid off really well; other times, they fell a bit flat for me. But there were some genuinely neat things in this book, and I'm definitely invested in seeing where they go in book two!
Read
April 12, 2023I read this book as part of a commitment to read all the finalists of SPFBO8, however it is not one that I would normally pick up off my own back, and so, out of fairness, I am not going to give it a star rating.
Being honest, this is one of the SPFBO8 finalists that I thought had a pretty good chance at working for me, even though I only picked it up for the competition and not because the synopsis drew me in.
I felt in the beginning that I was starting a few chapters in, and had missed some of the explanation, the introduction of characters and relationships etc. Most of this did start to pull together before too long, but I was still left feeling that I hadn't read the start of the actual book.
I liked the magic, with the tethered spirits of the title, and then there is the interesting curse afflicting one of the POV characters as well. I think the latter was mostly well handled, but then I started to feel conflicted by it. On the one hand, I felt that it started to drag on a bit, that the story was revolving around trying to find a cure for the curse and the particular effects being suffered after early events, but then, when solutions were found, I realised that I had no interest at all in the replacement storyline.
There are two character "groups" here, the main group I thought were mostly decent characters, while the "chase" group, if it can be called a group, just didn't work for me and so those POV chapters held little interest.
I felt that where most books build to an ending, this one started to peter off at around the 60-70% mark, and what came after that just wasn't enough to grip me, so overall, it was very much a middle-of-the-road book.
Being honest, this is one of the SPFBO8 finalists that I thought had a pretty good chance at working for me, even though I only picked it up for the competition and not because the synopsis drew me in.
I felt in the beginning that I was starting a few chapters in, and had missed some of the explanation, the introduction of characters and relationships etc. Most of this did start to pull together before too long, but I was still left feeling that I hadn't read the start of the actual book.
I liked the magic, with the tethered spirits of the title, and then there is the interesting curse afflicting one of the POV characters as well. I think the latter was mostly well handled, but then I started to feel conflicted by it. On the one hand, I felt that it started to drag on a bit, that the story was revolving around trying to find a cure for the curse and the particular effects being suffered after early events, but then, when solutions were found, I realised that I had no interest at all in the replacement storyline.
There are two character "groups" here, the main group I thought were mostly decent characters, while the "chase" group, if it can be called a group, just didn't work for me and so those POV chapters held little interest.
I felt that where most books build to an ending, this one started to peter off at around the 60-70% mark, and what came after that just wasn't enough to grip me, so overall, it was very much a middle-of-the-road book.
January 30, 2023
Tethered Spirits is a great choice for readings who value fantasy books centered around characters, emotional journeys, and found family.
T.A. Hernandez is a colleague of mine, and as such, my review comes with the normal attached biases, but I still maintain that she has written a fantastic book. Her characters are deep and realistic, each struggling with their own inner workings. The characters stood out most for me, which is on par because that's typically where my focus is. Each one had a unique temperament and set of goals, and watching their growth (or lack there of-- you know who you are, character that I want to punch) left me thinking about similar "characters" in my own real life. The author's professional expertise in the realms of psychology shows in each character and I feel like I suddenly understand more about people in general for having read this book.
The world building and flow were fantastic, and though I'm less good at talking about what I like on those topics, I know that T.A. has done something on a grand scale that I personally have no skill for. She shows enough for things to feel deep, varied, and fleshed out, but not so much that I felt bogged down in the details of several different cultures. I have read very few books that kept me on the move like this one did and I really enjoyed it. I feel it wouldn't be too wild a guess to assume the journey might be a bit of a nod toward her love of Tolkien.
I'm glad that I waited this long to read it, because now having finished it, I know I only need to wait a few months to read book two!
T.A. Hernandez is a colleague of mine, and as such, my review comes with the normal attached biases, but I still maintain that she has written a fantastic book. Her characters are deep and realistic, each struggling with their own inner workings. The characters stood out most for me, which is on par because that's typically where my focus is. Each one had a unique temperament and set of goals, and watching their growth (or lack there of-- you know who you are, character that I want to punch) left me thinking about similar "characters" in my own real life. The author's professional expertise in the realms of psychology shows in each character and I feel like I suddenly understand more about people in general for having read this book.
The world building and flow were fantastic, and though I'm less good at talking about what I like on those topics, I know that T.A. has done something on a grand scale that I personally have no skill for. She shows enough for things to feel deep, varied, and fleshed out, but not so much that I felt bogged down in the details of several different cultures. I have read very few books that kept me on the move like this one did and I really enjoyed it. I feel it wouldn't be too wild a guess to assume the journey might be a bit of a nod toward her love of Tolkien.
I'm glad that I waited this long to read it, because now having finished it, I know I only need to wait a few months to read book two!
August 24, 2024
I love "Tethered Spirits". It is an awesome fantasy novel with great characters, awesome worldbuilding, and a solid plot. It's also a great start to the Curse of Shavhalla trilogy. I am hooked and excited to read more.
One of the reasons why I love this book is the characters. They're all well developed and the arcs for them are great. I ended up becoming a big fan of both the protagonists and antagonists. That doesn't happen often as there is usually at least one significant character that I will dislike. Yet, for this book, I found all of the characters compelling and became invested in each of them.
Amar is one of these characters and he's one of the main characters. His story reminds me of Jason Bourne, who also is one of my favorite fictional characters. Like Bourne, he has lost his memories yet retains his skills and is proficient in combat. He also is seeking to find answers and regain his memory. Yet, unlike Bourne, he is immortal and he loses his memory each time he dies. His journey is intriguing and the memory loss leads to some well written challenges and conflict. He can be a bit cold and distant, but also has a good heart and is not afraid to stand up against injustice. I love his character development, the mystery behind his story, and his journey. Hernandez does an excellent job writing many of the chapters from his perspective.
She also does a great job in writing Kesari, another major POV character. Kesari is a young Tarja (an oversimplified and quick, non-spoiler definition of Tarja is someone with magical abilities) who shares a Bond (connection/bond) with a spirit named Lucian. At first, she is reluctant to use her magic, especially due to a traumatic event in her past (one that I cannot go into details without spoiling), and she is a bit meek at first. I felt for her and was deeply moved by her story. Hernandez does an excellent job in showing her struggles and her arc. Like Amar, she also has some great character development and growth.
One of the characters who has a huge and positive impact on her life is Saya. She's a warrior and a close friend of Kesari and Amar. She's also tough and, just like Amar, is not afraid to stand against injustice - even when the odds are against her. At the same time, she is also very kind and non-judgmental. I love how she is empathetic, especially towards Kesari. I found her to be like a big sister to Kesari. She joined Amar in his journey for answers - as his immortality may be invaluable for her compatriots - but she is also selfless and willing to do whatever she can to help her friends. While she's not a POV character, her character is also a major and very well-written one.
So is Mitul. Unlike Amar, Saya, or Kesari, he is not a warrior and does not have magical abilities. Yet, he's not afraid to fight alongside them and support his friends. He is also incredibly selfless. Sometimes, he does get a bit overbearing - and I can totally understand why Amar was annoyed. Nevertheless, he has a heart of gold and I love the brotherhood that Amar and Mitul share. Plus, I love how he's a musician too. He's talented and I love his friendships.
Indeed, the friendships/relationships that they share is a beautiful aspect of this book. There are wonderful friendships throughout it and the protagonists are a found family. Like families in real life, they have conflict and bicker. However, at the end of the day, they share warm relationships that I became quite invested in.
Aleida doesn't share these relationships, but she's a great character. She's a major antagonist and a POV character. What I like most about her is her complexity. She can be fairly brutal. At the same time though, she is driven by a desire to find a cure for her brother, who is suffering from a debilitating disease. She feels much guilt and regret for her actions, but also is determined and tough as nails.
I can go on as there are other protagonists and antagonists, but in short, the characters are very well written. This is a character-driven novel and the characters definitely made the book a great read for me.
The worldbuilding is solid. Hernandez does a great job in showing the magic system and how it works. In addition, she effectively weaves in the backstory of the world that the story is set in. There are conflicts (both political and military) and various nations involved, but Hernandez is able to describe them and integrate them into the story without info-dumps. The map that she designed is very helpful and so is the glossary. With fantasy novels, I've had times in which I struggled to remember all the terminology and keeping track of everything, but with this story, I was able to follow along without much difficulty and didn't need to reference the glossary often. So, I enjoyed the worldbuilding.
I enjoyed the plot and story mechanics too. The pacing was a bit slow at the start of the book and in the middle. Nevertheless, this allowed the story to be fully fleshed out. Plus, the character-driven nature of the book and the solid characterization kept me engaged throughout and made it difficult to put the book down. The plot itself was great. There was some great mystery and the journey that the protagonists took was intriguing. There was a great twist towards the end and I was quite immersed in the book. I remember saying "No!" aloud at the end. This was because I didn't want the story to be over.
That's okay though because I want to read on. I have the next book in the series and look forward to reading it! Thus, I enjoyed the book a lot. The characters, relationships, worldbuilding, and plot are great. While the pacing was a bit slow, I found that it worked overall and the story mechanics were good also.
One of the reasons why I love this book is the characters. They're all well developed and the arcs for them are great. I ended up becoming a big fan of both the protagonists and antagonists. That doesn't happen often as there is usually at least one significant character that I will dislike. Yet, for this book, I found all of the characters compelling and became invested in each of them.
Amar is one of these characters and he's one of the main characters. His story reminds me of Jason Bourne, who also is one of my favorite fictional characters. Like Bourne, he has lost his memories yet retains his skills and is proficient in combat. He also is seeking to find answers and regain his memory. Yet, unlike Bourne, he is immortal and he loses his memory each time he dies. His journey is intriguing and the memory loss leads to some well written challenges and conflict. He can be a bit cold and distant, but also has a good heart and is not afraid to stand up against injustice. I love his character development, the mystery behind his story, and his journey. Hernandez does an excellent job writing many of the chapters from his perspective.
She also does a great job in writing Kesari, another major POV character. Kesari is a young Tarja (an oversimplified and quick, non-spoiler definition of Tarja is someone with magical abilities) who shares a Bond (connection/bond) with a spirit named Lucian. At first, she is reluctant to use her magic, especially due to a traumatic event in her past (one that I cannot go into details without spoiling), and she is a bit meek at first. I felt for her and was deeply moved by her story. Hernandez does an excellent job in showing her struggles and her arc. Like Amar, she also has some great character development and growth.
One of the characters who has a huge and positive impact on her life is Saya. She's a warrior and a close friend of Kesari and Amar. She's also tough and, just like Amar, is not afraid to stand against injustice - even when the odds are against her. At the same time, she is also very kind and non-judgmental. I love how she is empathetic, especially towards Kesari. I found her to be like a big sister to Kesari. She joined Amar in his journey for answers - as his immortality may be invaluable for her compatriots - but she is also selfless and willing to do whatever she can to help her friends. While she's not a POV character, her character is also a major and very well-written one.
So is Mitul. Unlike Amar, Saya, or Kesari, he is not a warrior and does not have magical abilities. Yet, he's not afraid to fight alongside them and support his friends. He is also incredibly selfless. Sometimes, he does get a bit overbearing - and I can totally understand why Amar was annoyed. Nevertheless, he has a heart of gold and I love the brotherhood that Amar and Mitul share. Plus, I love how he's a musician too. He's talented and I love his friendships.
Indeed, the friendships/relationships that they share is a beautiful aspect of this book. There are wonderful friendships throughout it and the protagonists are a found family. Like families in real life, they have conflict and bicker. However, at the end of the day, they share warm relationships that I became quite invested in.
Aleida doesn't share these relationships, but she's a great character. She's a major antagonist and a POV character. What I like most about her is her complexity. She can be fairly brutal. At the same time though, she is driven by a desire to find a cure for her brother, who is suffering from a debilitating disease. She feels much guilt and regret for her actions, but also is determined and tough as nails.
I can go on as there are other protagonists and antagonists, but in short, the characters are very well written. This is a character-driven novel and the characters definitely made the book a great read for me.
The worldbuilding is solid. Hernandez does a great job in showing the magic system and how it works. In addition, she effectively weaves in the backstory of the world that the story is set in. There are conflicts (both political and military) and various nations involved, but Hernandez is able to describe them and integrate them into the story without info-dumps. The map that she designed is very helpful and so is the glossary. With fantasy novels, I've had times in which I struggled to remember all the terminology and keeping track of everything, but with this story, I was able to follow along without much difficulty and didn't need to reference the glossary often. So, I enjoyed the worldbuilding.
I enjoyed the plot and story mechanics too. The pacing was a bit slow at the start of the book and in the middle. Nevertheless, this allowed the story to be fully fleshed out. Plus, the character-driven nature of the book and the solid characterization kept me engaged throughout and made it difficult to put the book down. The plot itself was great. There was some great mystery and the journey that the protagonists took was intriguing. There was a great twist towards the end and I was quite immersed in the book. I remember saying "No!" aloud at the end. This was because I didn't want the story to be over.
That's okay though because I want to read on. I have the next book in the series and look forward to reading it! Thus, I enjoyed the book a lot. The characters, relationships, worldbuilding, and plot are great. While the pacing was a bit slow, I found that it worked overall and the story mechanics were good also.
December 14, 2021
See more of my reviews and other bookish content here!
***Thank you to NetGalley and the Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing a copy of the book. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***
This book was an excellent set up for what will likely be a really great series. The writing was good, and the plot maintained my interest despite being largely centered around one of my least favorite fantasy tropes, the journey/quest. I think the multiple POV really helped to keep things feeling like they were moving forward, and I enjoyed each of the very different perspectives given. The diversity in this book was also a major plus, and I particularly liked that being LGBT+ in this world was normal. I enjoy books about the real-world, often difficult, experiences of LGBT+ people, but it is also nice to get stories where they just get to be normal people (because they are) embraced by the society in which they live.
I really loved the world-building in this story. The magic system was fascinating, and the history of this world felt massive but in a good way. I couldn't get enough of the history and legends revealed throughout the book and enjoyed how the characters were tied to that history in important ways. The traveling did allow for a glimpse into the cultures of many nations, and the author utilized this trope well by making each stop on the travels somehow tied into the ongoing mystery and/or the characters' pasts rather than just random obstacles. By the end of the book, I felt like I had a good understanding of the magic and political systems involved in the story and had a lot of fun learning it along the way.
I loved all the characters in this book. I love a good mystery, especially when it presents itself in the form of amnesia or a hidden identity, and Amar was the poster boy for that here. I particularly enjoyed seeing his reactions and thoughts about losing his memory because they felt real and uninhibited. His interactions with his friends and the process of him growing to trust them again was one of my favorite things to read in the book. I also really appreciated the character of Aleida for her moral ambiguity. She did some pretty awful things, but she did them for a very good reason. This dichotomy made her thoughts, actions, and interactions with the other characters really interesting to me. The final character with a POV in the book was Kesari. She struggled throughout the book to come to terms with her past and overcome her fear of her own power. Her arc of growth was well-written and really made me feel for her. All of the main characters were dealing with trauma in some way, and it was fascinating to see all the different character studies of various ways people handle and heal from painful past experiences and loss.
The author does a really great job of tackling some heavy themes in this book. The events happening really highlighted the negative impacts of imperialism and colonialism and brought them to life in an intimate way using these characters. I liked seeing how one of the characters was determined to make up for their family's role in the subjugation of others and took heartfelt actionable steps to do so. However, I felt the character's self-blaming thoughts about their role in the horrific acts committed was a bit harsh since they were only 17-years-old at the time with extremely limited power to do or change anything. That bit just sort of rubbed me the wrong way given the particulars of the situation, but I agreed with the overall sentiment that people who benefit from oppressive systems and do nothing to try to stop it are guilty to some degree from complicity. As mentioned before, the characters also provided a window into multiple ways to cope with trauma and loss. I particularly liked the way the author portrayed the usefulness of grounding and other healthy techniques of dealing with difficult emotions. Overall, the mental health rep was pretty spot on, which shouldn't come as a surprise since the author is a clinical social worker.
Overall, this was a great book with an interesting world and relatable characters. It felt a bit slow at times but not enough to decrease my enjoyment of the book. I'm looking forward to seeing where the series goes next because the ending was excellent and set up some interesting conflict for the next book. Therefore, I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.
***Thank you to NetGalley and the Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing a copy of the book. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***
This book was an excellent set up for what will likely be a really great series. The writing was good, and the plot maintained my interest despite being largely centered around one of my least favorite fantasy tropes, the journey/quest. I think the multiple POV really helped to keep things feeling like they were moving forward, and I enjoyed each of the very different perspectives given. The diversity in this book was also a major plus, and I particularly liked that being LGBT+ in this world was normal. I enjoy books about the real-world, often difficult, experiences of LGBT+ people, but it is also nice to get stories where they just get to be normal people (because they are) embraced by the society in which they live.
I really loved the world-building in this story. The magic system was fascinating, and the history of this world felt massive but in a good way. I couldn't get enough of the history and legends revealed throughout the book and enjoyed how the characters were tied to that history in important ways. The traveling did allow for a glimpse into the cultures of many nations, and the author utilized this trope well by making each stop on the travels somehow tied into the ongoing mystery and/or the characters' pasts rather than just random obstacles. By the end of the book, I felt like I had a good understanding of the magic and political systems involved in the story and had a lot of fun learning it along the way.
I loved all the characters in this book. I love a good mystery, especially when it presents itself in the form of amnesia or a hidden identity, and Amar was the poster boy for that here. I particularly enjoyed seeing his reactions and thoughts about losing his memory because they felt real and uninhibited. His interactions with his friends and the process of him growing to trust them again was one of my favorite things to read in the book. I also really appreciated the character of Aleida for her moral ambiguity. She did some pretty awful things, but she did them for a very good reason. This dichotomy made her thoughts, actions, and interactions with the other characters really interesting to me. The final character with a POV in the book was Kesari. She struggled throughout the book to come to terms with her past and overcome her fear of her own power. Her arc of growth was well-written and really made me feel for her. All of the main characters were dealing with trauma in some way, and it was fascinating to see all the different character studies of various ways people handle and heal from painful past experiences and loss.
The author does a really great job of tackling some heavy themes in this book. The events happening really highlighted the negative impacts of imperialism and colonialism and brought them to life in an intimate way using these characters. I liked seeing how one of the characters was determined to make up for their family's role in the subjugation of others and took heartfelt actionable steps to do so. However, I felt the character's self-blaming thoughts about their role in the horrific acts committed was a bit harsh since they were only 17-years-old at the time with extremely limited power to do or change anything. That bit just sort of rubbed me the wrong way given the particulars of the situation, but I agreed with the overall sentiment that people who benefit from oppressive systems and do nothing to try to stop it are guilty to some degree from complicity. As mentioned before, the characters also provided a window into multiple ways to cope with trauma and loss. I particularly liked the way the author portrayed the usefulness of grounding and other healthy techniques of dealing with difficult emotions. Overall, the mental health rep was pretty spot on, which shouldn't come as a surprise since the author is a clinical social worker.
Overall, this was a great book with an interesting world and relatable characters. It felt a bit slow at times but not enough to decrease my enjoyment of the book. I'm looking forward to seeing where the series goes next because the ending was excellent and set up some interesting conflict for the next book. Therefore, I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.
November 15, 2021
Okay, can we start by just talking about that cover for a second? I had the honor of being made privy to some parts of the design process, and it’s such a treat to see the finished product in all of its glory. Not only is it absolutely gorgeous, but as you’ll find out when you read the book, it encapsulates so many elements from the story itself.
I have a confession: for some reason that I can’t really explain, I’ve always had a hard time getting into fantasy. I’ve never read Harry Potter nor seen any of the movies. I’ve always preferred Star Wars to Lord of the Rings, and Fallout to Skyrim. It’s weird because when it comes down to it, sci-fi is just fantasy in space (or a futuristic environment of some sort), but for some reason, I gravitate toward sci-fi so much more than fantasy.
Having not consumed much fantasy material—much less YA fantasy—because of that, I’m by no means an expert on magic systems, fantasy lore, etc., so I went into this book determined to at least focus on the plot and its major players, even if I didn’t have a solid grasp on or wasn’t engaged by some of the genre elements. And what I found was a solid cast of characters and a well-crafted story that had obviously had a lot of time and care put into it (I’m admittedly a tad biased because I know a lot of time and care was put into it, but this was also very evident in the writing).
Tethered Spirits follows three primary characters—Amar, Kesari, and Aleida—as they each struggle to solve a personal problem. Amar has been cursed and can’t die. Kesari can use magic but doesn’t want to anymore. Aleida is trying to cure her dying brother’s illness. Naturally, each of these individual struggles sends them on a collision course with each other. Aleida is the epitome of an antagonist, a character who is only doing what she perceives to be the right thing, and her goal is truly a noble one. She’s simply trying to save her brother, but unfortunately the things that entails don’t bode so well for Amar and company. I love characters like that. You can’t even call her the “bad guy” because you want to spend half the book rooting for her, while simultaneously wanting to see the other characters succeed as well. This leaves you wondering, “Okay, how can everything get resolved in a way where everyone wins?”
Amar and Kesari are compelling as well, each with a unique backstory and attributes. By helping the other with their problems, each of them is given the opportunity for personal growth. Amar’s setup was particularly interesting to me—he’s had this curse since he was a young man, so he’s got years and years’ worth of life experience and is therefore essentially an old man stuck in a teenager’s body. His companions, Saya and Mitul, also have a strong presence on the page, so much so that I often forget they’re not actually POV characters. Both have their shining moments and make meaningful contributions to the story; sometimes they help directly advance the plot, and sometimes their backgrounds simply help enrich the worldbuilding.
Speaking of, there’s also a very nicely-done map of the story’s world included at the start of the book. I found this immensely useful, partially because I’m a giant map nerd in general and partially because it helped me visualize where things were taking place and understand some of the details of the backstory. Be sure to check it out!
So, was this book for me? I can’t say for sure (hence the 4-star rating). But it is objectively a high-quality story, so if you’re someone who enjoys magic and mystery and rich fantasy worlds, I think you’ll really like it.
I have a confession: for some reason that I can’t really explain, I’ve always had a hard time getting into fantasy. I’ve never read Harry Potter nor seen any of the movies. I’ve always preferred Star Wars to Lord of the Rings, and Fallout to Skyrim. It’s weird because when it comes down to it, sci-fi is just fantasy in space (or a futuristic environment of some sort), but for some reason, I gravitate toward sci-fi so much more than fantasy.
Having not consumed much fantasy material—much less YA fantasy—because of that, I’m by no means an expert on magic systems, fantasy lore, etc., so I went into this book determined to at least focus on the plot and its major players, even if I didn’t have a solid grasp on or wasn’t engaged by some of the genre elements. And what I found was a solid cast of characters and a well-crafted story that had obviously had a lot of time and care put into it (I’m admittedly a tad biased because I know a lot of time and care was put into it, but this was also very evident in the writing).
Tethered Spirits follows three primary characters—Amar, Kesari, and Aleida—as they each struggle to solve a personal problem. Amar has been cursed and can’t die. Kesari can use magic but doesn’t want to anymore. Aleida is trying to cure her dying brother’s illness. Naturally, each of these individual struggles sends them on a collision course with each other. Aleida is the epitome of an antagonist, a character who is only doing what she perceives to be the right thing, and her goal is truly a noble one. She’s simply trying to save her brother, but unfortunately the things that entails don’t bode so well for Amar and company. I love characters like that. You can’t even call her the “bad guy” because you want to spend half the book rooting for her, while simultaneously wanting to see the other characters succeed as well. This leaves you wondering, “Okay, how can everything get resolved in a way where everyone wins?”
Amar and Kesari are compelling as well, each with a unique backstory and attributes. By helping the other with their problems, each of them is given the opportunity for personal growth. Amar’s setup was particularly interesting to me—he’s had this curse since he was a young man, so he’s got years and years’ worth of life experience and is therefore essentially an old man stuck in a teenager’s body. His companions, Saya and Mitul, also have a strong presence on the page, so much so that I often forget they’re not actually POV characters. Both have their shining moments and make meaningful contributions to the story; sometimes they help directly advance the plot, and sometimes their backgrounds simply help enrich the worldbuilding.
Speaking of, there’s also a very nicely-done map of the story’s world included at the start of the book. I found this immensely useful, partially because I’m a giant map nerd in general and partially because it helped me visualize where things were taking place and understand some of the details of the backstory. Be sure to check it out!
So, was this book for me? I can’t say for sure (hence the 4-star rating). But it is objectively a high-quality story, so if you’re someone who enjoys magic and mystery and rich fantasy worlds, I think you’ll really like it.
December 14, 2021
This may be a fantasy story featuring magic and fantastical creatures but it’s also very real. The world TA Hernandez has created has real life to it and the magical elements of the story never feel out of place. In fact, you could say it’s portrayed in an almost ordinary way. Yes, the people wielding the power can do fantastical things but it’s the way the other characters react to it that makes it feel normal. There’s no open mouthed running for the hills but a more natural reaction whereby they understand what they’re seeing, even if it terrifies them at the same time. Every character in this fabulous book is so carefully written that they virtually leap from the page. I realise that is a bit of a cliche but in this instance it is very true. The mix of all these separate things had me hooked before I even began to think of where the story might go. What a story it is though! Told from several different points of view with the characters' needs and wants clashing with each other. Each character has their own reasons for what they do and why they do it and that makes it all the more believable. TA Hernandez has achieved the almost impossible creating a fantastical world and having the reader totally and utterly believe that it may just be possible, even though we understand that it couldn’t. There are some themes that are all too real for a lot of people from all parts of the world. Things such as grief, anger and a feeling of being alone or lost. Each is handled with the same care and skill as the world building to weave a magical tale that is far more than just a run-of-the-mill fantasy novel. There is so much to take from this book that it should truly have appeal across genre boundaries. The best recommendation any book can have is a reader wanting to read more and this is definitely the case here. In fact, I enjoyed Tethered Spirits so much I’ve read it twice already and am sure to again in the future.
March 20, 2023
There were parts of this story that I enjoyed. I thought the magic system was very interesting, but I definitely wanted more of a dive into the hows and whys of the way it worked. I felt that the characters were very one note, and needed a lot more depth and substance to their backstory and personalities. I was hoping to see a lot of growth, and unfortunately this was not the case. I liked the plot, but found it to be very repetitive. We would go one place, talk to someone, tell them who to talk to next, repeat. There was almost no conflict until the very end, making it just way too easy on the characters and not keeping me as engaged. Overall, I didn't dislike this story and might continue with the series to see what happens next and how the author improves.
October 14, 2021
I received an ARC copy for review and am leaving a review voluntarily.
Wow. I didn’t really know what to expect when I went into this book, only that the premise sounded intriguing by being both similar to books I’ve loved before yet also entirely different. I’m proud to say I was right on both counts. This is an author that knows their genre well so plays with the tropes that give it the love it has while also introducing new angles to introduce something new.
The first few pages threw me off because were given a lot of information but once you get into the meat of the chapter, things really begin to fall into place. By the beginning of chapter 2, you’re invested.
The characters are wonderfully balanced. The author understands and utilized less is more expertly. We know and learn about the characters and world as we go, given just enough to spike the interest but never all the details. It works amazingly to push you to want to know more.
Definitely a fun experience and an adventure worth taking with characters you’ll remember.
Wow. I didn’t really know what to expect when I went into this book, only that the premise sounded intriguing by being both similar to books I’ve loved before yet also entirely different. I’m proud to say I was right on both counts. This is an author that knows their genre well so plays with the tropes that give it the love it has while also introducing new angles to introduce something new.
The first few pages threw me off because were given a lot of information but once you get into the meat of the chapter, things really begin to fall into place. By the beginning of chapter 2, you’re invested.
The characters are wonderfully balanced. The author understands and utilized less is more expertly. We know and learn about the characters and world as we go, given just enough to spike the interest but never all the details. It works amazingly to push you to want to know more.
Definitely a fun experience and an adventure worth taking with characters you’ll remember.
March 8, 2023
In my top 5 YA fantasies of 2021!!
This book follows Amar, a man who is cursed with immortality and loses his memories every time he “dies.” He is traveling with a group of friends looking to find the truth about his condition while trying to avoid people who want to take advantage of him.
Here’s what I loved:
✨ It has one of the most unique plots I’ve read in a long, long time
✨ No cheesy tropes, including NO ROMANCE 🥲
✨ The plot was appropriate for a YA audience, but (most of) the characters were MATURE ADULTS. They made such smart decisions and it was so easy to root for them.
✨ The writing style was simple yet effective and the pacing was brilliant
✨ The ending made me wish the second book was out already!!
I have no bad things to say about this one. You’re going to hear me raving about it for a long time. If you constantly find yourself disappointed by predictable and juvenile YA fantasy, GIVE THIS A SHOT!
Thank you so much to the author for the gifted copy!
This book follows Amar, a man who is cursed with immortality and loses his memories every time he “dies.” He is traveling with a group of friends looking to find the truth about his condition while trying to avoid people who want to take advantage of him.
Here’s what I loved:
✨ It has one of the most unique plots I’ve read in a long, long time
✨ No cheesy tropes, including NO ROMANCE 🥲
✨ The plot was appropriate for a YA audience, but (most of) the characters were MATURE ADULTS. They made such smart decisions and it was so easy to root for them.
✨ The writing style was simple yet effective and the pacing was brilliant
✨ The ending made me wish the second book was out already!!
I have no bad things to say about this one. You’re going to hear me raving about it for a long time. If you constantly find yourself disappointed by predictable and juvenile YA fantasy, GIVE THIS A SHOT!
Thank you so much to the author for the gifted copy!
December 14, 2022
I read this for SPFBO. My review only. More about the contest and links at the bottom.
This was quite a different tale. It starts off like its going to be actiony adventure kind of story, when right off the bat, it grabs our attention with a fatal attack on a main character. But it quickly changes to being a quieter exploration of the characters, and the world they live in, interspersed with the occasional action scene.
Amar, is an immortal and to make things interesting, he loses his memories each time he dies. He is cursed and part of his journey is discovering why.
Amnesia plots can be so touch and go, but I did like how this was handled. From the mistrust towards the other characters, who are committed to helping him, to the anger and frustration, of not knowing anything about his current life, while knowing most everything about the world he lives in. I liked the varying emotions he displayed, and even though I thought he was a jerk most of the time - I understood why.
Kesari, a young girl who joins Amar’s group, hoping that she too will gain answers. She is looking to break the bond between herself and her magical spirit companion- Lucien. Kesari has a troubled past that haunts her, preventing her from using her magic even when it could have saved a life.
Aleida, believes Amar, and his curse, may be the answer to curing her dying brother. Unfortunately, her good intentions are peppered with bad choices. Aleida also has a magic spirit dragon companion named Valkyra.
I thought the spirit companions, Valkyra and Lucien, were the neatest thing in this story.
They bond with a person who has magic, and that are willing to sacrifice part of their life to do so. I loved the idea and wanted more about this whole process.
Also, Kesari, wanting to break that bond with Lucien, had me so interested in the repercussions to herself, if she achieved that goal. Would she be lonely without him? Would she be able to handle the guilt because it would effectively kill Lucien? The whole thing raised so many possibilities for her to have to deal with in the outcome and I have to admit, I kind of want it to go there, at some point- even though I quite liked Lucien.
*
The characters are all carrying some sort of demon to be rid of… not an actual demon, but something that haunts them. This is one place I thought the story shone the most- in the tackling of these demons and allowing them to grow and move on from their mistakes. It was never an easy process for any of them and sometimes- like in life, it seemed it was one step forward, and two back, and always, that trauma was there to shadow any and all decisions that were made by them. The other characters were supportive (some were not at first, Amar was just an angry man but can you blame him?) and each of them were able to make some progress, and become stronger because of the support they received from the others.
*
If I had any complaints in the story, it would be the lack of tension throughout. Everything is pretty well laid-out with few surprises along the way. Or at least, if you have been reading awhile like me, they weren’t huge surprises even with the bit of misdirection.
It slowed the story down a lot, for me and I found I was not always wanting to get back to it. Though the pick-up in pace towards the end, helped.
*
All in all, a good story with some great character exploration, and some pretty cool ideas with the bonded-spirit companions.
I also have to bring attention to that nice bit of scene-setting, with the eerie-feel and the sights (namely the skeleton parade) in the lands leading up to Shahalla.
spfb0-6.5 of 4 stars
Learn more about the contest here-
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
Phase one is here-
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
Finalist board is here
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
This was quite a different tale. It starts off like its going to be actiony adventure kind of story, when right off the bat, it grabs our attention with a fatal attack on a main character. But it quickly changes to being a quieter exploration of the characters, and the world they live in, interspersed with the occasional action scene.
Amar, is an immortal and to make things interesting, he loses his memories each time he dies. He is cursed and part of his journey is discovering why.
Amnesia plots can be so touch and go, but I did like how this was handled. From the mistrust towards the other characters, who are committed to helping him, to the anger and frustration, of not knowing anything about his current life, while knowing most everything about the world he lives in. I liked the varying emotions he displayed, and even though I thought he was a jerk most of the time - I understood why.
Kesari, a young girl who joins Amar’s group, hoping that she too will gain answers. She is looking to break the bond between herself and her magical spirit companion- Lucien. Kesari has a troubled past that haunts her, preventing her from using her magic even when it could have saved a life.
Aleida, believes Amar, and his curse, may be the answer to curing her dying brother. Unfortunately, her good intentions are peppered with bad choices. Aleida also has a magic spirit dragon companion named Valkyra.
I thought the spirit companions, Valkyra and Lucien, were the neatest thing in this story.
They bond with a person who has magic, and that are willing to sacrifice part of their life to do so. I loved the idea and wanted more about this whole process.
Also, Kesari, wanting to break that bond with Lucien, had me so interested in the repercussions to herself, if she achieved that goal. Would she be lonely without him? Would she be able to handle the guilt because it would effectively kill Lucien? The whole thing raised so many possibilities for her to have to deal with in the outcome and I have to admit, I kind of want it to go there, at some point- even though I quite liked Lucien.
*
The characters are all carrying some sort of demon to be rid of… not an actual demon, but something that haunts them. This is one place I thought the story shone the most- in the tackling of these demons and allowing them to grow and move on from their mistakes. It was never an easy process for any of them and sometimes- like in life, it seemed it was one step forward, and two back, and always, that trauma was there to shadow any and all decisions that were made by them. The other characters were supportive (some were not at first, Amar was just an angry man but can you blame him?) and each of them were able to make some progress, and become stronger because of the support they received from the others.
*
If I had any complaints in the story, it would be the lack of tension throughout. Everything is pretty well laid-out with few surprises along the way. Or at least, if you have been reading awhile like me, they weren’t huge surprises even with the bit of misdirection.
It slowed the story down a lot, for me and I found I was not always wanting to get back to it. Though the pick-up in pace towards the end, helped.
*
All in all, a good story with some great character exploration, and some pretty cool ideas with the bonded-spirit companions.
I also have to bring attention to that nice bit of scene-setting, with the eerie-feel and the sights (namely the skeleton parade) in the lands leading up to Shahalla.
spfb0-6.5 of 4 stars
Learn more about the contest here-
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
Phase one is here-
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
Finalist board is here
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
dnf
March 30, 2023Tethered Spirits is one of the SPFBO 8 Finalists, which I'm a judge of. For the team review, please visit Queen's Book Asylum. Our combined score is 5/10, my personal is 5/10. Below are my own thoughts only.
When Tethered Spirits made it into the finals, I wasn’t sure – based on the blurb – whether it’ll be up my alley or not. I suspected not, but I still gave it a go, because I was curious. You know what they say about curiosity and the pet demon cat, though. Goodreads tells me it currently has a 4.11 average which means it has an audience, but that audience is sadly not me. We parted ways at the 52% mark.
Tethered Spirits has 3 POV characters: Amar, Kesari, and Aleida. Amar is searching for answers regarding his condition – i.e. his immortality, Kesari wants to make her Bond with her Spirit Tarja (a Tarja is a person who has magical abilities, they are mostly natural born, but one can get powers by bonding with the spirit of a dead Tarja), and Aleida wants a solution to heal her little brother from a disease that’s slowly killing him. All three characters have clear motivations, and the premise is interesting enough, with cool ideas like the Spirit Tarja which can take all kinds of forms. The stronger the Tarja was, the more complex form they can take. Kesari is bonded with one that appears as a flame, while Aleida has a dragon. Forming a Bond and severing it has serious consequences.
But the thing is, no matter how interesting the worldbuilding is, or the premise if it fails to be engaging. In the beginning, Tethered Spirits is a bit confusing, because it starts a bit abruptly, we get introduced to three POV characters, plus the world which can be a bit daunting at first. It took me a bit to differentiate between Kesari and Aleida, they are a bit similar, in age, in their situation, and honestly, their voices aren’t distinct enough. Once I finally sorted them out in my head, I started actively disliking them, including Amar… which is not a good sign, him being the main focus of the book. I liked Mitul, though!
As their story is unraveled, I know I should have felt sympathy for them, but I just couldn’t make myself to. I was also bored, especially with all the traveling bits. I really don’t like long traveling sequences in books where nothing happens. It also felt a bit repetitive, especially with Aleida, who follows in the main group’s footsteps. It just felt like all of the characters were pretty one-dimensional, and needed more fleshing out to make them feel like real people. There was also a lot of telling instead of showing, and even though there were supposed to be different cultures in the different countries, they weren’t actually distinguishable from each other.
I was trying so hard to focus on what was happening, that it took me 14% to register the word Tarja. In Hungarian “tarja” means pork, and once I realized that, I just couldn’t unsee it… Obviously, this is not Hernandez’s fault, and it did not ruin my reading experience, but it certainly made it harder to take things as seriously as it was intended.
Ultimately, cool as the worldbuilding was, I just had to admit I was not the right audience for Tethered Spirits, and quietly walk away.
When Tethered Spirits made it into the finals, I wasn’t sure – based on the blurb – whether it’ll be up my alley or not. I suspected not, but I still gave it a go, because I was curious. You know what they say about curiosity and the pet demon cat, though. Goodreads tells me it currently has a 4.11 average which means it has an audience, but that audience is sadly not me. We parted ways at the 52% mark.
Tethered Spirits has 3 POV characters: Amar, Kesari, and Aleida. Amar is searching for answers regarding his condition – i.e. his immortality, Kesari wants to make her Bond with her Spirit Tarja (a Tarja is a person who has magical abilities, they are mostly natural born, but one can get powers by bonding with the spirit of a dead Tarja), and Aleida wants a solution to heal her little brother from a disease that’s slowly killing him. All three characters have clear motivations, and the premise is interesting enough, with cool ideas like the Spirit Tarja which can take all kinds of forms. The stronger the Tarja was, the more complex form they can take. Kesari is bonded with one that appears as a flame, while Aleida has a dragon. Forming a Bond and severing it has serious consequences.
But the thing is, no matter how interesting the worldbuilding is, or the premise if it fails to be engaging. In the beginning, Tethered Spirits is a bit confusing, because it starts a bit abruptly, we get introduced to three POV characters, plus the world which can be a bit daunting at first. It took me a bit to differentiate between Kesari and Aleida, they are a bit similar, in age, in their situation, and honestly, their voices aren’t distinct enough. Once I finally sorted them out in my head, I started actively disliking them, including Amar… which is not a good sign, him being the main focus of the book. I liked Mitul, though!
As their story is unraveled, I know I should have felt sympathy for them, but I just couldn’t make myself to. I was also bored, especially with all the traveling bits. I really don’t like long traveling sequences in books where nothing happens. It also felt a bit repetitive, especially with Aleida, who follows in the main group’s footsteps. It just felt like all of the characters were pretty one-dimensional, and needed more fleshing out to make them feel like real people. There was also a lot of telling instead of showing, and even though there were supposed to be different cultures in the different countries, they weren’t actually distinguishable from each other.
I was trying so hard to focus on what was happening, that it took me 14% to register the word Tarja. In Hungarian “tarja” means pork, and once I realized that, I just couldn’t unsee it… Obviously, this is not Hernandez’s fault, and it did not ruin my reading experience, but it certainly made it harder to take things as seriously as it was intended.
Ultimately, cool as the worldbuilding was, I just had to admit I was not the right audience for Tethered Spirits, and quietly walk away.
January 31, 2022
A man that can't die, a girl who hates her powers, a white dragon, and a girl who will do anything to save her brother, all collide into a battle of knowledge and skill. The time is ticking and they have a lot of ground to cover.
Tethered Spirits, book one in the Curse of Shavhalla series, is a thorough epic fantasy! The world is so enriched and I have absolutely no complaints about how in-depth we go to learn the different cultures and races within this world. The kingdoms are so unique and the characters were so vibrant in their own personalities that it was easy to feel this book come to life.
The reason that I give this book 3.5 stars (4 on sites that don't accept halves) is because I felt like I knew too much of the story as I was reading and therefore felt a lack of suspense. The points of view that we alternate to and from are the protagonists and antagonists, so many of the things that should have been exciting surprises were not surprises at all because I knew where the antagonist was and what was happening on their end too. It made the story feel slow--even though it definitely was not--because I didn't have suspense or surprises exciting me around every turn. I knew all the cards that both sides were playing from so I was able to speculate the ending very early on (like, by 30%). And though the technicalities were a little different than my speculations, I wasn't necessarily wrong.
The other reason is that there was no romance that drove the story forward. I don't think I've ever realized how much romantic tension plays on suspense in books until I encountered this one without it. Don't get me wrong, I like that there is a friend group that didn't get all romance-y, but without the lack of suspense in the overall story, I found myself searching for the romantic tension between the characters to fill that need, and when no one blushed or started hitting on each other, it almost felt flat. Had the suspense been stronger in the overall story, I doubt this would've felt awkward at all because the characters had great chemistry with each other as friends, but without the suspense in the story, I wish I would've had some characters to ship or a romance to root for.
Because of this, it's difficult for me to cultivate an opinion because I love the depth of the world, I adored all of the characters, and the story is actually very well-plotted and interesting. I just wish that I hadn't known so much about what was happening at the moment, on both sides, so the surprises and twists would have been exciting. I'm definitely committed to Amar's, Kesari's, and Aleida's stories though and I will certainly be reading book two.
Trigger warnings/content guide: Mentions of cutting/suicidal thoughts | High action/gore content | LBQT+ character | Dark magic | Some spooks | little to no cursing
I received this book from the author for free, however this review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are entirely my own.
Tethered Spirits, book one in the Curse of Shavhalla series, is a thorough epic fantasy! The world is so enriched and I have absolutely no complaints about how in-depth we go to learn the different cultures and races within this world. The kingdoms are so unique and the characters were so vibrant in their own personalities that it was easy to feel this book come to life.
The reason that I give this book 3.5 stars (4 on sites that don't accept halves) is because I felt like I knew too much of the story as I was reading and therefore felt a lack of suspense. The points of view that we alternate to and from are the protagonists and antagonists, so many of the things that should have been exciting surprises were not surprises at all because I knew where the antagonist was and what was happening on their end too. It made the story feel slow--even though it definitely was not--because I didn't have suspense or surprises exciting me around every turn. I knew all the cards that both sides were playing from so I was able to speculate the ending very early on (like, by 30%). And though the technicalities were a little different than my speculations, I wasn't necessarily wrong.
The other reason is that there was no romance that drove the story forward. I don't think I've ever realized how much romantic tension plays on suspense in books until I encountered this one without it. Don't get me wrong, I like that there is a friend group that didn't get all romance-y, but without the lack of suspense in the overall story, I found myself searching for the romantic tension between the characters to fill that need, and when no one blushed or started hitting on each other, it almost felt flat. Had the suspense been stronger in the overall story, I doubt this would've felt awkward at all because the characters had great chemistry with each other as friends, but without the suspense in the story, I wish I would've had some characters to ship or a romance to root for.
Because of this, it's difficult for me to cultivate an opinion because I love the depth of the world, I adored all of the characters, and the story is actually very well-plotted and interesting. I just wish that I hadn't known so much about what was happening at the moment, on both sides, so the surprises and twists would have been exciting. I'm definitely committed to Amar's, Kesari's, and Aleida's stories though and I will certainly be reading book two.
Trigger warnings/content guide: Mentions of cutting/suicidal thoughts | High action/gore content | LBQT+ character | Dark magic | Some spooks | little to no cursing
I received this book from the author for free, however this review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are entirely my own.
October 11, 2022
A group of companions seek answers & perhaps a cure for one of their own. In this world of magic & tethered spirits they will be pursued. An ancient evil that may be too powerful to survive.
This was a lot of fun. Some great characters here. Truly worthy of an SPFBO finalist.
This was a lot of fun. Some great characters here. Truly worthy of an SPFBO finalist.
September 20, 2023
Love the characters and the writing style. The way the magic works is also really interesting and enjoyed the world itself and how we got to explore it. I do think it could have been shorter so the story could progress more since sometimes it did feel like we were on the road more than there was anything happening. I did like how that made space to get to know our characters and the surroundings more. Interested to see how it continues in book 2.
I also really like how important memories are in this book for our characters in different ways.
I also really like how important memories are in this book for our characters in different ways.
November 16, 2022
Compelling and unexpectedly lovely, in that the only true 'villain' was the past (for the most part), and even the antagonist of the story, Aleida, evinced sympathy, in that she was just out to capture Amar, a young-old man who can not die and does not age, in order to save her dying brother.
Add into the mix a young warrior on a years-long quest to prove herself to her people; a young magically-gifted woman, Kesari, afraid of her own power, who is bonded to a Spirit Tarja--the spirit of a dead mage who appears in the form of a fire spirit named Lucian (my personal favorite character).
There's a lot going on here, with each character on their own mission of sorts, but the author blends their quests seamlessly, and the camaraderie and affection Our Heroes have for each other is palpable. The book is long, but flows beautifully, and the plot thickens nicely in the last quarter. There's a cliffhanger ending, which I'm not a huge fan of, but my goodness, what an ending it is.
This book is a Finalist of the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off for 2022, and I can see why.
Add into the mix a young warrior on a years-long quest to prove herself to her people; a young magically-gifted woman, Kesari, afraid of her own power, who is bonded to a Spirit Tarja--the spirit of a dead mage who appears in the form of a fire spirit named Lucian (my personal favorite character).
There's a lot going on here, with each character on their own mission of sorts, but the author blends their quests seamlessly, and the camaraderie and affection Our Heroes have for each other is palpable. The book is long, but flows beautifully, and the plot thickens nicely in the last quarter. There's a cliffhanger ending, which I'm not a huge fan of, but my goodness, what an ending it is.
This book is a Finalist of the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off for 2022, and I can see why.
April 10, 2022
There are hints of truth in all stories if you look closely enough. - T.A. Hernandez
We follow three different people, all with their own questions and hopes as their quests bring them onto the same path to find the answers they are looking for. Amar, a man who has been cursed to be immortal, but has lost his memories; Kesari, a young girl who wants to severe her Bond because she doesn't want her magic anymore and joins Amar on his journey and Aleida, trying to track down Amar in the hope of learning the secret of Amar's curse to safe her brother from a fatal illness. Will they find the answers they are looking for or will the mystery leave them with even more questions?
I love books that have multiple POV's, and this one is no exception. Each of our three main characters had such an interesting story to tell and Hernandez did a beautiful job with it! She managed to leave little breadcrumbs of information scattered throughout the story and create this amazing apotheosis at the end of the book where all of it was tied together.
I also loved the world building, the magic system and how she managed to make it easy to understand it right from the start and she even included a glossary + cast list so it would be even easier to keep up with everyone and everything in this world. Plus this book is getting bonus points for having a really cool map as well!
Overal, if you like to read an immersive YA fantasy story with multiple POV's, ethnic diverse characters, LGTBQ+ characters and a lot of action, this is the book for you!
We follow three different people, all with their own questions and hopes as their quests bring them onto the same path to find the answers they are looking for. Amar, a man who has been cursed to be immortal, but has lost his memories; Kesari, a young girl who wants to severe her Bond because she doesn't want her magic anymore and joins Amar on his journey and Aleida, trying to track down Amar in the hope of learning the secret of Amar's curse to safe her brother from a fatal illness. Will they find the answers they are looking for or will the mystery leave them with even more questions?
I love books that have multiple POV's, and this one is no exception. Each of our three main characters had such an interesting story to tell and Hernandez did a beautiful job with it! She managed to leave little breadcrumbs of information scattered throughout the story and create this amazing apotheosis at the end of the book where all of it was tied together.
I also loved the world building, the magic system and how she managed to make it easy to understand it right from the start and she even included a glossary + cast list so it would be even easier to keep up with everyone and everything in this world. Plus this book is getting bonus points for having a really cool map as well!
Overal, if you like to read an immersive YA fantasy story with multiple POV's, ethnic diverse characters, LGTBQ+ characters and a lot of action, this is the book for you!
December 5, 2021
4.5⭐️
“Tethered Spirits” is an adventurous epic fantasy, told by the point of view of the three main characters: Amar, victim of a curse he wants to break, Kesari, hunted by a painful past, and Aleida, who will do anything to save her brother from an illness that slowly gets him closer to death; each has their own reasons to embark on a long journey across Erythyr, but they’ll soon discover they’re not the only ones trying to reveal the secret behind Amar’s curse: an evil force, much stronger than they are, is threatening to return.
I think the strength of this book is the characters: the author managed to create a diverse set of characters, well characterized, thanks to the attention put on their psychological growth, on their emotions and behaviours. Even the secondary characters, whose pov is not present, are three-dimensional and unique, contributing to the story.
Another positive note is the setting: every part of the journey happens through a different location, portrayed with a suggestive and never boring description.
I appreciated the trigger warnings at the start of the book, the map, the glossary and the character list, very useful if you ever feel confused at the beginning of the story.
However, I think that a prologue or some insight on the historical context, of which some details can be found scattered through the book, would have been a perfect preliminary to the story.
Overall, it’s been a pleasant and compelling read, and I hope we get to see more of Mitul in the next book, whose backstory seems to bee very interesting and more significant than I thought at the beginning of the book; he is for sure one of my favourite characters.
I am very thankful to the author for sending me an advanced copy of the book, and this review represents my honest opinion.
“Tethered Spirits” is an adventurous epic fantasy, told by the point of view of the three main characters: Amar, victim of a curse he wants to break, Kesari, hunted by a painful past, and Aleida, who will do anything to save her brother from an illness that slowly gets him closer to death; each has their own reasons to embark on a long journey across Erythyr, but they’ll soon discover they’re not the only ones trying to reveal the secret behind Amar’s curse: an evil force, much stronger than they are, is threatening to return.
I think the strength of this book is the characters: the author managed to create a diverse set of characters, well characterized, thanks to the attention put on their psychological growth, on their emotions and behaviours. Even the secondary characters, whose pov is not present, are three-dimensional and unique, contributing to the story.
Another positive note is the setting: every part of the journey happens through a different location, portrayed with a suggestive and never boring description.
I appreciated the trigger warnings at the start of the book, the map, the glossary and the character list, very useful if you ever feel confused at the beginning of the story.
However, I think that a prologue or some insight on the historical context, of which some details can be found scattered through the book, would have been a perfect preliminary to the story.
Overall, it’s been a pleasant and compelling read, and I hope we get to see more of Mitul in the next book, whose backstory seems to bee very interesting and more significant than I thought at the beginning of the book; he is for sure one of my favourite characters.
I am very thankful to the author for sending me an advanced copy of the book, and this review represents my honest opinion.
March 12, 2023
What an absolute gem this book is! I loved everything about it - the characters, the setting, the plot, even the gorgeous cover and inside artwork. Tethered Spirits is a delightfully magical YA Fantasy novel told from multiple perspectives. Amar is a young man on a quest for a remedy for the curse that's plagued him for longer than he can remember. Kesari is a teenager with magical abilities she's too guilt-ridden to use. Aleida is a young refugee driven to hunt them relentlessly for reasons that lead her down a slippery ethical slope. With the help of human and magical companions, the characters undertake a challenging and arduous journey through richly varied landscapes and cultures in pursuit of their individual goals, and as they must face their own psychological demons.The characters are well developed, complex, and diverse, and the world and its magical system are thoughtfully constructed. (The beautiful map, the glossary, and the character list are helpful tools if you ever feel lost, especially as you begin the book). The different character POVs are skillfully and seamlessly interwoven as different storylines unfold and intersect.
The author deftly and sensitively explores themes of grief, loss, and trauma, how the pain of past events continues to make itself felt and influences the present, and how we heal, in a way that is both realistic and compassionate. The story also explores themes of colonialism, violence, and exploitation, prejudice and discrimination, social justice, loyalty, compassion, reconciliation, forgiveness, second chances, and redemption. But at its heart, this is a story about acceptance - of ourselves, of our past, of our present, and of others. Characters find connection and belonging in found family as well as in their communities and homes, and support and protect each other unconditionally. The gradual revealing of characters' layers in the first half of the book led to some big emotional payoffs in the second half, and there were many poignant moments that tugged at my heartstrings. I know I've connected with characters when a book can make me cry over them, and this one did. The prose is clear and descriptive, the characters are memorable and vividly sketched, and the energized pacing keeps propelling the story forward. This is a captivating and magical read, and I can't wait for the next book in the series so I can find out what happens next!
I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy of this book, and I'm so happy I had the chance to read it. This review reflects my honest opinion.
The author deftly and sensitively explores themes of grief, loss, and trauma, how the pain of past events continues to make itself felt and influences the present, and how we heal, in a way that is both realistic and compassionate. The story also explores themes of colonialism, violence, and exploitation, prejudice and discrimination, social justice, loyalty, compassion, reconciliation, forgiveness, second chances, and redemption. But at its heart, this is a story about acceptance - of ourselves, of our past, of our present, and of others. Characters find connection and belonging in found family as well as in their communities and homes, and support and protect each other unconditionally. The gradual revealing of characters' layers in the first half of the book led to some big emotional payoffs in the second half, and there were many poignant moments that tugged at my heartstrings. I know I've connected with characters when a book can make me cry over them, and this one did. The prose is clear and descriptive, the characters are memorable and vividly sketched, and the energized pacing keeps propelling the story forward. This is a captivating and magical read, and I can't wait for the next book in the series so I can find out what happens next!
I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy of this book, and I'm so happy I had the chance to read it. This review reflects my honest opinion.
December 19, 2021
The story started a little slow for me. As I continued on, the story grabbed a hold on me. I like journey like adventure stories. The build up and the characters was well written and keeps the reader entertained. An excellent start to a continuing series.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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December 5, 2021
I received an advance review copy, and this review represents my honest opinion.
I was lucky enough to beta read this fantastic story earlier this year, and then of course I signed up for an ARC because I wanted to get my hands on Tethered Spirits in its ✨ FINAL FORM ✨ (you should check out the hardcover edition 😍)
Before I get into what I think of the story, I want to take a moment to gush about the beautiful cover art! Just look at it. So pretty . And the formatting inside is just gorgeous ! I'm definitely a sucker for a well-formatted book, and yes it does indeed improve the reading experience!
Now: let's dive in! Open up the beautiful cover to find a story brimming with life, magic, and mystery! You'll find compelling characters, each with their own personal goals and conflicts; a journey which spans cities, deserts, and haunted forests; multi-POV chapters with a single thread connecting them all, as their paths converge: a man cursed with immortality—a man who cannot die.
The "big three"—Amar, Kesari, and Aleida—each lend their differing points of view as the story is told, which serves to enrich the adventure, as we are privy to their thoughts and how they see the world and the people around them. Perhaps the most effective use of this is found in Aleida's POV—we learn in the first chapter that Amar & co. are being pursued relentlessly by a mysterious huntress, and in the following chapter, we meet her. Through her eyes, we find why she is on this warpath: to save her younger brother. I found empathy for Aleida, and—though I could not agree with her methods—I wanted to see her flourish (only, not at the expense of everyone else!)
Tethered Spirits boasts a cast of compelling characters, all of which stand out in different ways:
Amar—an old soul in a young body; inclined to irritation, though concealing an affectionate heart.
Kesari—good-hearted, though afraid of her own power; prone to hiding in her shell.
Aleida—desperate and vulnerable, tries to remain cold and ruthless by burying her goodness.
Saya—pragmatic, focused, determined; dedicated to the wellbeing of her people, loyal to her friends.
Mitul—a sweet ray of sunshine; always the voice of positivity, and a steadfast friend. Holding sorrow closely wrapped inside.
Lucian—snarky, intelligent, and protective of Kesari. His past is a mystery.
Valkyra—calculating and ruthless; a strong influence over Aleida, always encouraging her to take what she wants.
Jameson—classic antisocial wizard; very bright, but often distracted by theories and not a very good host (he won't feed you, he'll probably forget you're there most of the time).
It was a delight to immerse myself in this rich tale of adventure and magic! Now, get your hands on a copy and start reading. We have a curse to break!
I was lucky enough to beta read this fantastic story earlier this year, and then of course I signed up for an ARC because I wanted to get my hands on Tethered Spirits in its ✨ FINAL FORM ✨ (you should check out the hardcover edition 😍)
Before I get into what I think of the story, I want to take a moment to gush about the beautiful cover art! Just look at it. So pretty . And the formatting inside is just gorgeous ! I'm definitely a sucker for a well-formatted book, and yes it does indeed improve the reading experience!
Now: let's dive in! Open up the beautiful cover to find a story brimming with life, magic, and mystery! You'll find compelling characters, each with their own personal goals and conflicts; a journey which spans cities, deserts, and haunted forests; multi-POV chapters with a single thread connecting them all, as their paths converge: a man cursed with immortality—a man who cannot die.
The "big three"—Amar, Kesari, and Aleida—each lend their differing points of view as the story is told, which serves to enrich the adventure, as we are privy to their thoughts and how they see the world and the people around them. Perhaps the most effective use of this is found in Aleida's POV—we learn in the first chapter that Amar & co. are being pursued relentlessly by a mysterious huntress, and in the following chapter, we meet her. Through her eyes, we find why she is on this warpath: to save her younger brother. I found empathy for Aleida, and—though I could not agree with her methods—I wanted to see her flourish (only, not at the expense of everyone else!)
Tethered Spirits boasts a cast of compelling characters, all of which stand out in different ways:
Amar—an old soul in a young body; inclined to irritation, though concealing an affectionate heart.
Kesari—good-hearted, though afraid of her own power; prone to hiding in her shell.
Aleida—desperate and vulnerable, tries to remain cold and ruthless by burying her goodness.
Saya—pragmatic, focused, determined; dedicated to the wellbeing of her people, loyal to her friends.
Mitul—a sweet ray of sunshine; always the voice of positivity, and a steadfast friend. Holding sorrow closely wrapped inside.
Lucian—snarky, intelligent, and protective of Kesari. His past is a mystery.
Valkyra—calculating and ruthless; a strong influence over Aleida, always encouraging her to take what she wants.
Jameson—classic antisocial wizard; very bright, but often distracted by theories and not a very good host (he won't feed you, he'll probably forget you're there most of the time).
It was a delight to immerse myself in this rich tale of adventure and magic! Now, get your hands on a copy and start reading. We have a curse to break!
February 2, 2023
I reviewed this book on behalf of the Booknest.eu team for SPFBO 8 6.5/10
Tethered Spirits is a YA character driven epic fantasy with interesting characters, a few recognizable tropes and some original and intriguing ideas.
The three main point of view characters are Amar, Kesari and Aleida.
Amar is suffering from a curse that has made him immortal, and is travelling with two companions, Mitul and Saya, on a quest to find out how to rid himself of it.
Kesari is a young girl with a mysterious past. She is a magic user, or Tarja, bonded to a fire spirit named Lucian who hides within a lantern whenever they approach people. There is a sense of shame that she was too young when she bonded with the spirit of a dead Tarja. She was desperate to gain magic but has not used it for two years and now wants to break her bond with Lucian, whose smirks and sarcasm made him my favourite character in this book. She has already forfeit half of her life, and Lucian will most likely cease to exist if their bond is cut. She is impetuous and jumps into decisions too quickly - that’s how she ended up bonded before she became an adult. She is determined not to go with the group to her hometown, but capitulates really easily and circumstances there finally force her to face her past. I thought the depiction of her panic attacks and PTSD were well done as we finally discover her tragedy in a coming of age story arc, and she develops into a braver, more well-rounded young adult.
Aleida is an assassin, bonded to a powerful dragon spirit. She hopes that hunting down immortal Amar will provide a cure for her dying brother, since time is running out for him, yet Amar does not age. There is much more to the dragon spirit, Valkyra, than meets the eye, and this brought an unexpected twist to the end of the story that was a welcome surprise for me.
Not far into the novel Amar is killed by Aleida, which packs quite a surprising punch and seems to set the scene for an exciting, action-packed story. Being immortal, Amar revives, but remembers nothing about himself or his past and recognizes no one. This amnesia and the anger it causes him become his defining characteristics for the first half of the book. I found him really unlikeable from this point until the second half when his personality reverts back. He has no patience with his companions, who are determined to help him. I couldn’t understand why he chose not to talk more to them and find out as much as possible about himself. The complete character change from caring leader to Mr Angry just didn’t work for me.
After having killed and then lost Amar, Aleida is doggedly pursuing the group and torturing people to find out their whereabouts. The ease with which she tortures people and kills Amar seems inconsistent with her caring personality when we see her with her sick brother and his carer.
Each of these main characters seemed so intriguing and had a lot of potential - but I felt that it took the majority of the book until they were fully fleshed out. They felt a a little two dimensional for part of the story.
A lot of emotions were a little too watered down or simply not present for my liking. Captain Rutledge is happy to have the group travel on her ship again in future despite them being pursued by an assassin who just caused a sea battle with a bunch of pirates, and much damage to her ship! There were a few instances like this which didn’t ring true for me.
The death of Amar so near the beginning of the story made me feel like the book would be faster paced and filled with exciting events, however the first half seemed to be a lot of travelling and not much action. The characters were explored and developed during the travelling, however I needed some more action!
The worldbuilding is solid - the group visits a lot of places which are well described and easy to visualize - I just needed something more to happen in each location. Religions are touched upon and historical details of some of the places they visit are given, but not too much all at once.
Luckily the pace picks up nicely towards the end of the book and it definitely gets more compelling in the final quarter, with a wonderful cliffhanger ending which makes me more likely to read its sequel.
All in all Tethered Spirits is an enjoyable YA adventure with a positive message about facing your fears, but it missed some emotional beats for me.
SPFBO score 6.5/10.
Tethered Spirits is a YA character driven epic fantasy with interesting characters, a few recognizable tropes and some original and intriguing ideas.
The three main point of view characters are Amar, Kesari and Aleida.
Amar is suffering from a curse that has made him immortal, and is travelling with two companions, Mitul and Saya, on a quest to find out how to rid himself of it.
Kesari is a young girl with a mysterious past. She is a magic user, or Tarja, bonded to a fire spirit named Lucian who hides within a lantern whenever they approach people. There is a sense of shame that she was too young when she bonded with the spirit of a dead Tarja. She was desperate to gain magic but has not used it for two years and now wants to break her bond with Lucian, whose smirks and sarcasm made him my favourite character in this book. She has already forfeit half of her life, and Lucian will most likely cease to exist if their bond is cut. She is impetuous and jumps into decisions too quickly - that’s how she ended up bonded before she became an adult. She is determined not to go with the group to her hometown, but capitulates really easily and circumstances there finally force her to face her past. I thought the depiction of her panic attacks and PTSD were well done as we finally discover her tragedy in a coming of age story arc, and she develops into a braver, more well-rounded young adult.
Aleida is an assassin, bonded to a powerful dragon spirit. She hopes that hunting down immortal Amar will provide a cure for her dying brother, since time is running out for him, yet Amar does not age. There is much more to the dragon spirit, Valkyra, than meets the eye, and this brought an unexpected twist to the end of the story that was a welcome surprise for me.
Not far into the novel Amar is killed by Aleida, which packs quite a surprising punch and seems to set the scene for an exciting, action-packed story. Being immortal, Amar revives, but remembers nothing about himself or his past and recognizes no one. This amnesia and the anger it causes him become his defining characteristics for the first half of the book. I found him really unlikeable from this point until the second half when his personality reverts back. He has no patience with his companions, who are determined to help him. I couldn’t understand why he chose not to talk more to them and find out as much as possible about himself. The complete character change from caring leader to Mr Angry just didn’t work for me.
After having killed and then lost Amar, Aleida is doggedly pursuing the group and torturing people to find out their whereabouts. The ease with which she tortures people and kills Amar seems inconsistent with her caring personality when we see her with her sick brother and his carer.
Each of these main characters seemed so intriguing and had a lot of potential - but I felt that it took the majority of the book until they were fully fleshed out. They felt a a little two dimensional for part of the story.
A lot of emotions were a little too watered down or simply not present for my liking. Captain Rutledge is happy to have the group travel on her ship again in future despite them being pursued by an assassin who just caused a sea battle with a bunch of pirates, and much damage to her ship! There were a few instances like this which didn’t ring true for me.
The death of Amar so near the beginning of the story made me feel like the book would be faster paced and filled with exciting events, however the first half seemed to be a lot of travelling and not much action. The characters were explored and developed during the travelling, however I needed some more action!
The worldbuilding is solid - the group visits a lot of places which are well described and easy to visualize - I just needed something more to happen in each location. Religions are touched upon and historical details of some of the places they visit are given, but not too much all at once.
Luckily the pace picks up nicely towards the end of the book and it definitely gets more compelling in the final quarter, with a wonderful cliffhanger ending which makes me more likely to read its sequel.
All in all Tethered Spirits is an enjoyable YA adventure with a positive message about facing your fears, but it missed some emotional beats for me.
SPFBO score 6.5/10.
December 8, 2021
I received an advance review copy, and this review represents my honest opinion.
Amar has got to be my favorite character in this book. Don’t get me wrong I liked all the other characters as well, but there was something about Amar that sucked me in and made me never want to leave his pov. I do love Saya’s fierceness and Mitul’s loyalty. Lucien was adorable even though he is a ball of fire (you’d have to read to understand).
The writing was effortless and lovely to read. I never wanted to leave the world.
The only thing I didn’t like was Alidea because she rubbed me the wrong way to the point I skipped her pov, so I might have missed some things, but not enough to take away from the story.
⭐️4.25
💧6
Amar has got to be my favorite character in this book. Don’t get me wrong I liked all the other characters as well, but there was something about Amar that sucked me in and made me never want to leave his pov. I do love Saya’s fierceness and Mitul’s loyalty. Lucien was adorable even though he is a ball of fire (you’d have to read to understand).
The writing was effortless and lovely to read. I never wanted to leave the world.
The only thing I didn’t like was Alidea because she rubbed me the wrong way to the point I skipped her pov, so I might have missed some things, but not enough to take away from the story.
⭐️4.25
💧6
December 10, 2021
Thank you BookSirens for the eARC I received in return for an honest review.
While I overall enjoyed this book - the world building was very rich and detailed, the magic system made sense and worked well - I struggled to really feel invested in the story or the characters. There was something I couldn't quite put my finger on that I didn't love, but it was still an enjoyable read with interesting characters and a detailed plot. A little slow in places, but definitely upped the pace at the end and made up for the initial slow start.
I'd be interested to see how the series progresses, and I really love the colours on the cover!
While I overall enjoyed this book - the world building was very rich and detailed, the magic system made sense and worked well - I struggled to really feel invested in the story or the characters. There was something I couldn't quite put my finger on that I didn't love, but it was still an enjoyable read with interesting characters and a detailed plot. A little slow in places, but definitely upped the pace at the end and made up for the initial slow start.
I'd be interested to see how the series progresses, and I really love the colours on the cover!
November 30, 2021
Thank you NetGalley for sending me and ARC for this book!
3.5 ⭐️
This book is a story of a group of the most mismatched people I’ve ever seen. But nevertheless I really enjoyed getting to know each one of them.
The language and style of writing used by the author is very lovely and the world building is very well done. The themes that were approached in here are, in my understanding, very well done and I was very impressed to see them represented.
Very impressed by the book, will definitely be looking forward for the next one
3.5 ⭐️
This book is a story of a group of the most mismatched people I’ve ever seen. But nevertheless I really enjoyed getting to know each one of them.
The language and style of writing used by the author is very lovely and the world building is very well done. The themes that were approached in here are, in my understanding, very well done and I was very impressed to see them represented.
Very impressed by the book, will definitely be looking forward for the next one
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