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The Towers of Knoll
Towers graze the landscape… The Order has grown in power…
And the mist is burning with retribution.
After losing Ningursu’s head to the Pool and escaping the Library of Mist Keepers, Brent and Bria arrive back in their home country of Rosada. Yet things have changed since they left. Guard towers move across the landscape. Children are being taken from their home. All the while, the Mist Keepers seek vengeance.
Brent and Bria set out on a journey to protect their homeland. Yet, staying together amid a growing war is difficult. Between a magical carnival disrupting their travels, ruthless guards stripping people of their humanity, and uprisings in the nation’s Pits, every move they make might impact the future of magic, Order, and the Effluvium.
All the while, the Order of the Effluviums’s strength grows. With a newfound weapon in the form of a young woman and a ruthless series of experimentations upon Magii, the Order believes they have found a cure for the dying Effluvium. As the Order’s plans come to light and secrets climb out of the mist, Brent and Bria are left to decide their role in the battle between Life and Death.
Can they bring life back to their dying home? Or will nothing but stories be left in the end?
Content Warnings: This book is rated 16+ for mentions and depictions of death, sexual content, adult language, violence, alcohol & drug use, police brutality, child abuse, and psychological abuse/trauma.
And the mist is burning with retribution.
After losing Ningursu’s head to the Pool and escaping the Library of Mist Keepers, Brent and Bria arrive back in their home country of Rosada. Yet things have changed since they left. Guard towers move across the landscape. Children are being taken from their home. All the while, the Mist Keepers seek vengeance.
Brent and Bria set out on a journey to protect their homeland. Yet, staying together amid a growing war is difficult. Between a magical carnival disrupting their travels, ruthless guards stripping people of their humanity, and uprisings in the nation’s Pits, every move they make might impact the future of magic, Order, and the Effluvium.
All the while, the Order of the Effluviums’s strength grows. With a newfound weapon in the form of a young woman and a ruthless series of experimentations upon Magii, the Order believes they have found a cure for the dying Effluvium. As the Order’s plans come to light and secrets climb out of the mist, Brent and Bria are left to decide their role in the battle between Life and Death.
Can they bring life back to their dying home? Or will nothing but stories be left in the end?
Content Warnings: This book is rated 16+ for mentions and depictions of death, sexual content, adult language, violence, alcohol & drug use, police brutality, child abuse, and psychological abuse/trauma.
585 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 14, 2022
14 people want to read
About the author
E.S. Barrison
21 books105 followersE.S. Barrison has been writing and creating stories for as long as she can remember. After graduating from the University of Florida, she has spent the past few years wrangling her experiences to compose unique worlds with diverse characters. Currently, E.S. lives in Orlando, Florida with her family. The Mist Keeper’s Apprentice is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 24, 2022
Thank you to E.S. Barrison for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are my own!
Have you ever watched an author as they grow? Because as I read this series, I get a little emotional over just that. Every single book is a showcase of her growth and learning as an author. Every book gets better in plot, worldbuilding, characterizations, dialogue, even grammar and typos. To say that I am obsessed with watching this writing journey unfold is an understatement.
I think my favorite thing about this particular book in the series was the new worldbuilding. I remember being a little confused as to why things were happening in the second book, but this one felt like I knew exactly what was going on all the time. It kept expanding on the world and how the characters were fitting into it. Every new thing that we learn is something to be used by a character for their own agenda.
But please don't get me started on Brent and Bria. Please I would go to war for them. They are so adorable in this book and I couldn't have asked for more! I love watching their relationship grow even as they individually grow and learn about their places in the world. And watching Bria deal with a new disability and become stronger for it was just so sweet. Yet even the other characters all keep me engaged and needing more despite how much I want Brent and Bria.
I loved the plot of this book and thought that it really added so much to the world. Despite how long the book is, it never felt like there was any filler content. It felt like I was constantly reading something that would be important, something that would change the fate of at least one person, if not their entire world.
If you haven't checked this series out, you'd better get on it! I'm quite obsessed and cannot wait to see where it goes from here!
Have you ever watched an author as they grow? Because as I read this series, I get a little emotional over just that. Every single book is a showcase of her growth and learning as an author. Every book gets better in plot, worldbuilding, characterizations, dialogue, even grammar and typos. To say that I am obsessed with watching this writing journey unfold is an understatement.
I think my favorite thing about this particular book in the series was the new worldbuilding. I remember being a little confused as to why things were happening in the second book, but this one felt like I knew exactly what was going on all the time. It kept expanding on the world and how the characters were fitting into it. Every new thing that we learn is something to be used by a character for their own agenda.
But please don't get me started on Brent and Bria. Please I would go to war for them. They are so adorable in this book and I couldn't have asked for more! I love watching their relationship grow even as they individually grow and learn about their places in the world. And watching Bria deal with a new disability and become stronger for it was just so sweet. Yet even the other characters all keep me engaged and needing more despite how much I want Brent and Bria.
I loved the plot of this book and thought that it really added so much to the world. Despite how long the book is, it never felt like there was any filler content. It felt like I was constantly reading something that would be important, something that would change the fate of at least one person, if not their entire world.
If you haven't checked this series out, you'd better get on it! I'm quite obsessed and cannot wait to see where it goes from here!
August 14, 2022
The Towers of Knoll is the third book in Barrison's Life and Death Cycle, and she's really kicked it up a notch. While I enjoyed the first two books, this one sucked me in and wouldn't let me go. We start the book with Brent and Bria unexpectedly back where they started and in immediate danger because of it. Bria is a wanted felon, and while Brent isn't as recognizable as Bria, his magic and its instability draws a lot of attention. They're stunned to discover what evils the Council has gotten up to in their absence, and self doubt creeps in as to if they can even make a difference. But if they don't try, who will?
Our heroes once again are separated and must learn to trust in themselves. Brent discovers more about his magic and fights to tame the demons in his mind (no, literally). Bria sacrifices herself again and again to save innocent children and the people she loves, each time taking more and more from her. She worries that the next time, she might not recover. Meanwhile, the Mistkeepers recruit an unlikely apprentice and bend her to their will, and a mysterious figure from Bria's past turns her world upside-down. If you loved the characters before, you will fall in love with them all over again in this book. If you found Brent whiny, you'll enjoy seeing him find his own and learn to stand up for himself. If you're looking for a wonderfully rich fantasy series with complex social issues and just a touch of tender romance, you've come to the right place.
This book contains beautiful allegories for addiction, mental illness, racism, and more, and handles them all with grace and understanding. The disability and mental illness representation is well done, with internal dialogues that put you right in the character's shoes. Magic doesn't simply "fix" every issue, and characters have to come to terms with grief and loss. Many of the villains are morally grey, sometimes helping our protagonists and sometimes harming them, with believable motives that leave you as the reader struggling - you understand why they do it, but you hate the choices they make. The characters will constantly keep you guessing as to who's really wrong and who's really right - and who's going to come around in the end. You will laugh, you will cry, and you'll finish the book with a delightful anticipation of what will come next.
Our heroes once again are separated and must learn to trust in themselves. Brent discovers more about his magic and fights to tame the demons in his mind (no, literally). Bria sacrifices herself again and again to save innocent children and the people she loves, each time taking more and more from her. She worries that the next time, she might not recover. Meanwhile, the Mistkeepers recruit an unlikely apprentice and bend her to their will, and a mysterious figure from Bria's past turns her world upside-down. If you loved the characters before, you will fall in love with them all over again in this book. If you found Brent whiny, you'll enjoy seeing him find his own and learn to stand up for himself. If you're looking for a wonderfully rich fantasy series with complex social issues and just a touch of tender romance, you've come to the right place.
This book contains beautiful allegories for addiction, mental illness, racism, and more, and handles them all with grace and understanding. The disability and mental illness representation is well done, with internal dialogues that put you right in the character's shoes. Magic doesn't simply "fix" every issue, and characters have to come to terms with grief and loss. Many of the villains are morally grey, sometimes helping our protagonists and sometimes harming them, with believable motives that leave you as the reader struggling - you understand why they do it, but you hate the choices they make. The characters will constantly keep you guessing as to who's really wrong and who's really right - and who's going to come around in the end. You will laugh, you will cry, and you'll finish the book with a delightful anticipation of what will come next.
July 28, 2022
I'd like to thank the author for giving me an ARC of this book to review.
Another great addition to the Life & Death Cycle. There was so many twists and turns to this instalment. I laughed on multiple occasions, I cried out of happiness a lot. Seeing more of Rosada and learning some new characters, along with the character development of the main cast who has been there from the start.
Once again, Brent stole the show. I loved how mature he was for this book, and seeing his growth from book one to book three now was amazing. Loved his silly rants about pineapples, those had me laughing in public. It was good to dive into Bria's story and see her growth from book one, watching her struggle with her powers, I was shocked at what happened to her in this one. Then there was Yaz, I felt so bad for her. Hated Ningursu, he was so creepy in this book.
Despite everything I loved, I found this book so much slower than The Mist Keeper's Apprentice and A Pool of Peony to begin with. It took quite a bit of reading for me to find the same writing flow as the previous two books and get fully invested. The end for me also dragged slightly.
Regardless, I loved being back in the world of Rosada and on a terrifying journey as the world descends into chaos. It was a great instalment full of growth, finding hope in a desolate place and rebellion. I always recommend this series and highly recommend people read these books.
Another great addition to the Life & Death Cycle. There was so many twists and turns to this instalment. I laughed on multiple occasions, I cried out of happiness a lot. Seeing more of Rosada and learning some new characters, along with the character development of the main cast who has been there from the start.
Once again, Brent stole the show. I loved how mature he was for this book, and seeing his growth from book one to book three now was amazing. Loved his silly rants about pineapples, those had me laughing in public. It was good to dive into Bria's story and see her growth from book one, watching her struggle with her powers, I was shocked at what happened to her in this one. Then there was Yaz, I felt so bad for her. Hated Ningursu, he was so creepy in this book.
Despite everything I loved, I found this book so much slower than The Mist Keeper's Apprentice and A Pool of Peony to begin with. It took quite a bit of reading for me to find the same writing flow as the previous two books and get fully invested. The end for me also dragged slightly.
Regardless, I loved being back in the world of Rosada and on a terrifying journey as the world descends into chaos. It was a great instalment full of growth, finding hope in a desolate place and rebellion. I always recommend this series and highly recommend people read these books.
January 6, 2023
Love this 3rd installment of the Life and Death Cycle!
First, there are the lively ( and sometimes deadly 😉) characters. While we continue to follow Brent and Bria as they navigate their powers and figure out their lives, we also see the Effluvium and its magic system through the eyes of such characters as Lex and Jemma. And we are introduced to new POV characters such as young Yaz.
This book also provides more details about the magic system and the war against magic. The motivations of the Council and the Order are explored, adding depth to the story.
...and of course there's the magical circus! And a dragon ( not to mention foreshadowing about a talking pineapple 😀 ). Entertaining, moving, and thought-provoking! Now on to " The Architect" while I await the next installment of this series.
First, there are the lively ( and sometimes deadly 😉) characters. While we continue to follow Brent and Bria as they navigate their powers and figure out their lives, we also see the Effluvium and its magic system through the eyes of such characters as Lex and Jemma. And we are introduced to new POV characters such as young Yaz.
This book also provides more details about the magic system and the war against magic. The motivations of the Council and the Order are explored, adding depth to the story.
...and of course there's the magical circus! And a dragon ( not to mention foreshadowing about a talking pineapple 😀 ). Entertaining, moving, and thought-provoking! Now on to " The Architect" while I await the next installment of this series.
August 17, 2023
The character development in this one was insane! Bria?!?! What a bad ass beautiful bitch?!?! Brent getting his shit together taming Frankie and growing into what a true hero should be?! LEX BEING BROKEN TO THE POINT OF REAWAKENING HER MAGIC?!?!?! JEMMA?!?! I’m not even gonna go there but I did enjoy the little bit of spice with that turd, Christof! Even poor little Yaz at the end!!!! I can’t wait for the next book! Someone should really pick up this story and make it into an anime or something!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2022
I absolutely love this series! The plot flows so well and holds my attention. I love the characters. They’re so relatable and their development throughout the books is just so well done. I can’t wait to see where the story goes next!
June 10, 2022
Amazing addition to the series!!
November 26, 2022
I loved this book so much. I love this series so much I just want to keep reading stories Brent and Bria and their world all the time omg this series is so good
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews