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Legend of the Stones #1
Welcome To Visanthe
The only thing Savara knows for certain is that she doesn't belong... anywhere.
Stripped of all memories of her childhood and robbed of the last remnants of her unorthodox family, Savara is left to fear the lonely nights in the darkened house whose walls contain as many secrets as they do cobwebs. But something in her soul tells her she doesn't belong here—doesn't belong anywhere. Her only salvation? A best friend with his head stuck in history books and a mercenary from a foreign land who claims he has come to take her home.
Savara is whisked away to a world of fantasy in which elemental magic reigns supreme and where shadows are spirits of the past and keepers of long-forgotten secrets—her secrets. As she fights to regain her missing memories, she uncovers a deadly truth that threatens to plunge the world into darkness. Worse still, it's all her fault.
Armed with this terrible understanding, Savara must hide her true nature at all costs or risk hurting her newfound family and the one she loves most, but the clock is ticking and the enemies draw near. A ruthless mafia don on a revenge crusade. A secretive apprentice with a hidden agenda. A cruel military dictator. And of course... the Prince of Shadows himself.
The shadows of the past have awakened with a thirst for blood. Will she be able to stop them from devouring everything in their path? Or will she fall victim to her own demons? Sadly, if her quest for meaning has taught her anything, it's that not all fantasies are dreams come true, and that the truth is most often paid for in blood.
PERFECT FOR FANS OF... Erin Morgenstern, Leigh Bardugo, Lynette Noni, Victoria Aveyard, and more. This young adult epic fantasy is more than just your average coming of age story.
Stripped of all memories of her childhood and robbed of the last remnants of her unorthodox family, Savara is left to fear the lonely nights in the darkened house whose walls contain as many secrets as they do cobwebs. But something in her soul tells her she doesn't belong here—doesn't belong anywhere. Her only salvation? A best friend with his head stuck in history books and a mercenary from a foreign land who claims he has come to take her home.
Savara is whisked away to a world of fantasy in which elemental magic reigns supreme and where shadows are spirits of the past and keepers of long-forgotten secrets—her secrets. As she fights to regain her missing memories, she uncovers a deadly truth that threatens to plunge the world into darkness. Worse still, it's all her fault.
Armed with this terrible understanding, Savara must hide her true nature at all costs or risk hurting her newfound family and the one she loves most, but the clock is ticking and the enemies draw near. A ruthless mafia don on a revenge crusade. A secretive apprentice with a hidden agenda. A cruel military dictator. And of course... the Prince of Shadows himself.
The shadows of the past have awakened with a thirst for blood. Will she be able to stop them from devouring everything in their path? Or will she fall victim to her own demons? Sadly, if her quest for meaning has taught her anything, it's that not all fantasies are dreams come true, and that the truth is most often paid for in blood.
PERFECT FOR FANS OF... Erin Morgenstern, Leigh Bardugo, Lynette Noni, Victoria Aveyard, and more. This young adult epic fantasy is more than just your average coming of age story.
- GenresFantasyYoung Adult
463 pages, Unknown Binding
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 12, 2023
Video: What did I just read?
https://youtu.be/2HPprNL7LCQ
I think this is a book that might be enjoyable for those who liked Shadoe & Bone (the book, not the tv show). I rated Shadow& Bone three stars for much the same reasons. This is more like a 2.5, but I’ve rounded up for goodreads (when are y’all gonna give us half stars?!).
There’s some stuff in here, that very specifically appeals to me. I like the trope of a lost royal. I like the trope of a person finding out that they have a particular magic that is seen as a dark or dangerous magic. There’s some shadow magic in here, which is my favorite kind of magic next to necromancy. But what I really loved is that the bad guy has an apprentice and we get POV‘s from the apprentice. And the apprentice is the most intriguing character in this book and that’s what really kept me engaged with the book even when I felt like the main character was sort of boring me. To be honest, I might have given us a higher rating if the apprentice was the main character.
This will appeal to people who, like seeing different types of magic, and a society where different types of magic are working in tandem with each other. So in that way, it’s sort of similar to shadow and bone.
There’s sort of a Alina/Mal dynamic here between our MC and her best friend Jasper. She has magic, he doesn’t. This causes conflict because of his feelings for her. For those who liked the dynamic between book Mal and book Alina, this maybe sort of has that? Though it’s unclear if Jasper is who Savara will end up with. She didn’t seem to reciprocate his feelings. I’m not a fan of book Mal and I wasn’t a fan of Jasper when it came to th their relationship. I wish that this had maintained just a friendship between them. We could still have had that, “I wish I was still important to you/enough for you” conversation without it having been about romantic love. Jasper being jealous of griffin got old fast. However, I did like Jasper when he was utilizing his skill set of intelligence. The best scene with him was him and griffin figuring out the mysteries of the book, and blood being the key. That was great. I’d like to have seen more of that.
Because this is portal fantasy, there were some things in here that I highlighted as possibly being anachronistic but I wasn’t exactly sure if they were anachronistic. Because it is portal fantasy. There is the possibility of certain things being explained by the fact that there is a link between our world and this fantasy world. However, I’m not sure what time. Our world is in in this book. That wasn’t really very clear to me, so I’m not sure if certain things like the term martial arts is anachronistic or not. However, it didn’t really make sense to me that the organized crime in the fantasy world was called the mafia because the word mafia is very particularly used to talk about a group that started in a particular part of Italy at a very particular time, so I didn’t really feel like the organized crime in this fantasy world should have been called the mafia. It would’ve made sense to have it have its own term.
That being said, I did like the element of organized crime in here as that did add another element of tension and action that I wasn’t expecting. Organized crime is also not something I see in fantasy world enough, and that is something I would like to see more of.
The writing, no pun intended, is nothing to write home about. At some times it would feel incredibly young, and then randomly the F word would get thrown in and then it would be sort of jarring because it would remind me that this is in fact, not a middle grade book. Very particularly Jasper felt like a 14-year-old boy to me which added to my disliking of his romantic feelings for our main character. Other than that the writing is mostly just okay. It’s not overly flowery, it didn’t have descriptions that would leave me scratching my head (unlike other fantasy books these days). But I wouldn’t say it was memorable either.
As far as plot goes, I did feel like we meandered quite a bit in several parts. The plot was not a typical plot arc, and didn’t feel very linear to me. I feel like we could’ve polished that up a little bit, but I am very much a plot girly at heart so I can be very picky about that and it probably won’t bother other readers. But I really think with just a little bit of tweaking this didn’t need to have meandered at all and could’ve kept me on the edge of my seat. Again, this is quite the same issue I had with book one of the grisha trilogy.
I did feel like the characters were written so that they stood apart from each other and had individual personalities as well as interpersonal relationships between each other that felt organic and believable. They didn’t feel shoehorned into the book. I particularly like Sebastian and his dynamic with Storm. That said, I have no idea why there are so many S names in this world.
I also quite liked the council. I wish they’d been utilized more. They really stood out and the dynamics there between everyone were great. It felt very tense! But then it wrapped up far too quickly.
If I was supposed to feel something when a certain character died at the end, it missed the mark for me. We should have had that character introduced much earlier in order to make an emotional impact. It felt a bit forced.
The reveal of a certain long lost relative of someone else (trying to keep this spoiler free) was very intriguing and I’d love to see where that goes.
Our main character I didn’t love, her best scenes were when she figured out her magic and was verbally sparring with the apprentice. I’d honestly like her to just dig in and have a villain arc, because I think she’d be more interesting that way. I felt exactly the same about Alina Starkov.
Much like shadow and bone, I feel like this is a “just fine” sort of book. Where there are elements that very much stand out to me and appeal to me, but those are not at the forefront. I hope they will be in future installments. This ended on a very intriguing note and I would be interested in continuing because of how it ended, with the apprentice obviously being the main reason I’m interested lol.
I was commissioned to read this. However, this does not affect rating.
https://youtu.be/2HPprNL7LCQ
I think this is a book that might be enjoyable for those who liked Shadoe & Bone (the book, not the tv show). I rated Shadow& Bone three stars for much the same reasons. This is more like a 2.5, but I’ve rounded up for goodreads (when are y’all gonna give us half stars?!).
There’s some stuff in here, that very specifically appeals to me. I like the trope of a lost royal. I like the trope of a person finding out that they have a particular magic that is seen as a dark or dangerous magic. There’s some shadow magic in here, which is my favorite kind of magic next to necromancy. But what I really loved is that the bad guy has an apprentice and we get POV‘s from the apprentice. And the apprentice is the most intriguing character in this book and that’s what really kept me engaged with the book even when I felt like the main character was sort of boring me. To be honest, I might have given us a higher rating if the apprentice was the main character.
This will appeal to people who, like seeing different types of magic, and a society where different types of magic are working in tandem with each other. So in that way, it’s sort of similar to shadow and bone.
There’s sort of a Alina/Mal dynamic here between our MC and her best friend Jasper. She has magic, he doesn’t. This causes conflict because of his feelings for her. For those who liked the dynamic between book Mal and book Alina, this maybe sort of has that? Though it’s unclear if Jasper is who Savara will end up with. She didn’t seem to reciprocate his feelings. I’m not a fan of book Mal and I wasn’t a fan of Jasper when it came to th their relationship. I wish that this had maintained just a friendship between them. We could still have had that, “I wish I was still important to you/enough for you” conversation without it having been about romantic love. Jasper being jealous of griffin got old fast. However, I did like Jasper when he was utilizing his skill set of intelligence. The best scene with him was him and griffin figuring out the mysteries of the book, and blood being the key. That was great. I’d like to have seen more of that.
Because this is portal fantasy, there were some things in here that I highlighted as possibly being anachronistic but I wasn’t exactly sure if they were anachronistic. Because it is portal fantasy. There is the possibility of certain things being explained by the fact that there is a link between our world and this fantasy world. However, I’m not sure what time. Our world is in in this book. That wasn’t really very clear to me, so I’m not sure if certain things like the term martial arts is anachronistic or not. However, it didn’t really make sense to me that the organized crime in the fantasy world was called the mafia because the word mafia is very particularly used to talk about a group that started in a particular part of Italy at a very particular time, so I didn’t really feel like the organized crime in this fantasy world should have been called the mafia. It would’ve made sense to have it have its own term.
That being said, I did like the element of organized crime in here as that did add another element of tension and action that I wasn’t expecting. Organized crime is also not something I see in fantasy world enough, and that is something I would like to see more of.
The writing, no pun intended, is nothing to write home about. At some times it would feel incredibly young, and then randomly the F word would get thrown in and then it would be sort of jarring because it would remind me that this is in fact, not a middle grade book. Very particularly Jasper felt like a 14-year-old boy to me which added to my disliking of his romantic feelings for our main character. Other than that the writing is mostly just okay. It’s not overly flowery, it didn’t have descriptions that would leave me scratching my head (unlike other fantasy books these days). But I wouldn’t say it was memorable either.
As far as plot goes, I did feel like we meandered quite a bit in several parts. The plot was not a typical plot arc, and didn’t feel very linear to me. I feel like we could’ve polished that up a little bit, but I am very much a plot girly at heart so I can be very picky about that and it probably won’t bother other readers. But I really think with just a little bit of tweaking this didn’t need to have meandered at all and could’ve kept me on the edge of my seat. Again, this is quite the same issue I had with book one of the grisha trilogy.
I did feel like the characters were written so that they stood apart from each other and had individual personalities as well as interpersonal relationships between each other that felt organic and believable. They didn’t feel shoehorned into the book. I particularly like Sebastian and his dynamic with Storm. That said, I have no idea why there are so many S names in this world.
I also quite liked the council. I wish they’d been utilized more. They really stood out and the dynamics there between everyone were great. It felt very tense! But then it wrapped up far too quickly.
If I was supposed to feel something when a certain character died at the end, it missed the mark for me. We should have had that character introduced much earlier in order to make an emotional impact. It felt a bit forced.
The reveal of a certain long lost relative of someone else (trying to keep this spoiler free) was very intriguing and I’d love to see where that goes.
Our main character I didn’t love, her best scenes were when she figured out her magic and was verbally sparring with the apprentice. I’d honestly like her to just dig in and have a villain arc, because I think she’d be more interesting that way. I felt exactly the same about Alina Starkov.
Much like shadow and bone, I feel like this is a “just fine” sort of book. Where there are elements that very much stand out to me and appeal to me, but those are not at the forefront. I hope they will be in future installments. This ended on a very intriguing note and I would be interested in continuing because of how it ended, with the apprentice obviously being the main reason I’m interested lol.
I was commissioned to read this. However, this does not affect rating.
August 31, 2022
ARC review
Although it took me ages to get into it, I gotta say I'm hooked and I cannot wait to know what happens next. Things just got interesting.
This was great. The plot is captivating, the story sets you at
the edge of your seat, and although you're most of the time
asking yourself what's going on, this story grows on you as well as its characters.
I'm sure that by the end of this journey/series I will have amazing characters, great friendships and possibly erupting love stories.
The world building is incredibly descriptive and amazingly put together and it seriously makes me wonder how fantasy authors have the mind and imagination to come up with
such compelling worlds.
Do not give up on this one even though it takes its time to grow on you, by the end of it you won't be let down.
Although it took me ages to get into it, I gotta say I'm hooked and I cannot wait to know what happens next. Things just got interesting.
This was great. The plot is captivating, the story sets you at
the edge of your seat, and although you're most of the time
asking yourself what's going on, this story grows on you as well as its characters.
I'm sure that by the end of this journey/series I will have amazing characters, great friendships and possibly erupting love stories.
The world building is incredibly descriptive and amazingly put together and it seriously makes me wonder how fantasy authors have the mind and imagination to come up with
such compelling worlds.
Do not give up on this one even though it takes its time to grow on you, by the end of it you won't be let down.
July 5, 2022
"Life doesn't come with meaning, Sav. You have to make it meaningful."
Welcome to Visanthe is a fantastic book that takes us, along with the main character, Savara, to the magical world. The worldbuilding, the characters, friendship and adventure makes us unable to close this book for even a second. By and by the story keeps getting more interesting and the ending left me wishing for the next book!
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!
"Life is a game, princess. One great big meaningless game.And we," he gestured to himself and to her ceremoniously, "its sentenced players, are all losers from the moment we place our piece on the board."
Welcome to Visanthe is a fantastic book that takes us, along with the main character, Savara, to the magical world. The worldbuilding, the characters, friendship and adventure makes us unable to close this book for even a second. By and by the story keeps getting more interesting and the ending left me wishing for the next book!
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!
"Life is a game, princess. One great big meaningless game.And we," he gestured to himself and to her ceremoniously, "its sentenced players, are all losers from the moment we place our piece on the board."
June 4, 2024
Enjoyed it! It was a quick read and I loved the elemental magic. Def recommend if you’re looking for a fast paced book and enjoyed the Shadow & Bone book series!
July 1, 2022
Welcome to Visanthe is really, really good. I enjoyed the plot and everything else immensely (and I cannot for the life of me type anything that's not spoilers! You'll just have to read this one when it releases to know.) The things that didn't sit well with me are mostly technicals, so rest assured it's easier to fix than writing style *cough*FBAA*cough*!
There are some words that have been repeated from page 1 to page done (honorable mention: pesky, "rolls her eyes"), and several sentence fragments that disturb the flow of reading. In my kindle, the designs of each chapter are a bit askew as well (not sure if it's just the doc version of my ARC or just an editing issue). Nothing so big that an editor can't fix.
I loved the MC immensely, she has fire inside of her, but that doesn't exactly dampen her gentle and kind nature. You don't need to swear and know how to wield a knife to be a badass heroine.
The magic system is the one I enjoyed the most. It reminded me of Divergent but more on the fantasy-side and less modern (just my preference but I like my books set way before the present time!). However it doesn't necessarily follow or copy said book, rather it seperates itself from the similarity moving forward and creates a more distinctive world that has a story to tell.
Other than that, this has a lot of potential to shine. Thank you netgalley and Victory Editing for the e-arc and for letting me discover more potential reads!
There are some words that have been repeated from page 1 to page done (honorable mention: pesky, "rolls her eyes"), and several sentence fragments that disturb the flow of reading. In my kindle, the designs of each chapter are a bit askew as well (not sure if it's just the doc version of my ARC or just an editing issue). Nothing so big that an editor can't fix.
I loved the MC immensely, she has fire inside of her, but that doesn't exactly dampen her gentle and kind nature. You don't need to swear and know how to wield a knife to be a badass heroine.
The magic system is the one I enjoyed the most. It reminded me of Divergent but more on the fantasy-side and less modern (just my preference but I like my books set way before the present time!). However it doesn't necessarily follow or copy said book, rather it seperates itself from the similarity moving forward and creates a more distinctive world that has a story to tell.
Other than that, this has a lot of potential to shine. Thank you netgalley and Victory Editing for the e-arc and for letting me discover more potential reads!
July 4, 2022
Welcome to Visanthe was such a good read. This book really reads like a high fantasy which was an unexpected and pleasant surprise. The first few chapters were a bit confusing and I wasn’t sure how everything was going to fit together. However, as I kept reading, I really enjoyed the intricate world building, character development, and watching the story unfold. I liked seeing the MC grow and figure out how she fit into her world. I also enjoyed that this book included multiple POV’s which really added to the character development and the depth of the story. I honestly can’t recommend this book enough, so impressed
Read
August 12, 2026Welcome to Visanthe was partly written as a love letter to Avatar the Last Airbender and and partly the result of a fever dream in which I could express my own internalised demons as the ones that Savara battles with in the story.
For any prospective readers, this book is very character based, following four main points of view:
Savara: arguably the main character, a young girl in the mortal world who longs for adventure and dreams of magic, who soon figures out she might not be so mortal at all.
Jasper: Savara’s best friend who thrives in the investigation of old and mystical things—only in books. When their world is turned upside down, he has a hard time internalising the fact that science and history might not be all that he had been taught.
Griffin: a calculating mercenary who seems to know more than he lets on at all times. He’s cold and aloof sometimes, but there’s always a point to his positions. Oh yeah, and he’s Visanthian.
The Apprentice: undoubtedly one of my favourites (but because I know his arc), he is our morally grey character who seems to be involved in shady sh**, but every once in a while changes his tune. He will make you question where to draw the line between good and evil—and whether or not you truly can.
For those of you who think this is just a single-faceted adventure story, allow me to note:
There’s a budding enemies to lovers romance, a love triangle, familial drama, questions of morality and fate, notes of spirituality and of course, lots of elemental magic!
If it’s not for you, no worries. In any case, I had a fun time writing it! And if you do like it, just wait for book 2! Sh** hits the fan.
For any prospective readers, this book is very character based, following four main points of view:
Savara: arguably the main character, a young girl in the mortal world who longs for adventure and dreams of magic, who soon figures out she might not be so mortal at all.
Jasper: Savara’s best friend who thrives in the investigation of old and mystical things—only in books. When their world is turned upside down, he has a hard time internalising the fact that science and history might not be all that he had been taught.
Griffin: a calculating mercenary who seems to know more than he lets on at all times. He’s cold and aloof sometimes, but there’s always a point to his positions. Oh yeah, and he’s Visanthian.
The Apprentice: undoubtedly one of my favourites (but because I know his arc), he is our morally grey character who seems to be involved in shady sh**, but every once in a while changes his tune. He will make you question where to draw the line between good and evil—and whether or not you truly can.
For those of you who think this is just a single-faceted adventure story, allow me to note:
There’s a budding enemies to lovers romance, a love triangle, familial drama, questions of morality and fate, notes of spirituality and of course, lots of elemental magic!
If it’s not for you, no worries. In any case, I had a fun time writing it! And if you do like it, just wait for book 2! Sh** hits the fan.
July 4, 2022
This book was a perfect mix of ACTOR and From Blood and Ash, along with a bit of Divergent and Avatar the Last Airbender.
Savara: On the morning of Savara’s eighteenth birthday, she wakes with the same restlessness that accompanies her while living on a small island in the Caribbean. But, by nightfall, the comfort of monotonous living fades into a distant memory. Savara and her book-loving best friend, Jasper, are met with a force not of this world and have the choice to stay on the island or jump head first into a world they had no idea existed before the day began.
Visanthe: On Divination Day, five nations come together to divine children that are marked by a symbol on their wrist. The five nations are made up of different elements, and each child puts on a ring to see which element they possess in their power. Despite the five nations attending the ceremony, there is a sixth lurking in the shadows, watching and waiting.
Griffin, caption for the Izar nation, knows he needs Savara on his side to win the war. What was once a monarchy is now ruled by a militant group and the mafia lurks the city streets, claiming its ownership. With the help of his close friends Sebastian, a handsome, arrogant, fire-wielding solider and Storm, a bad ass swordswoman who could cut a fly in half, the three of them team up with Savana to face what seems to be an endless war.
June 29, 2022
eARC courtesy of NetGalley
I had to DNF this book 2 chapters in. I wanted to like it, but the prose was clumsy and overwrought. It was trying really hard to be lyrical and descriptive to the point that it bogged the reader down.
I also found it really hard to get a grip on the world, because while the descriptions were flowery, they didn't provide much in the way of concrete details about the world we were entering for the reader to find their footing.
The dialogue is stiff and stilted. There's an entire paragraph detailing the main character's thoughts on eggs.
All in all, I decided not to put myself through reading it.
I had to DNF this book 2 chapters in. I wanted to like it, but the prose was clumsy and overwrought. It was trying really hard to be lyrical and descriptive to the point that it bogged the reader down.
I also found it really hard to get a grip on the world, because while the descriptions were flowery, they didn't provide much in the way of concrete details about the world we were entering for the reader to find their footing.
The dialogue is stiff and stilted. There's an entire paragraph detailing the main character's thoughts on eggs.
All in all, I decided not to put myself through reading it.
Read
July 25, 2023“Welcome to visanthe” (3.5⭐️) is the first installment in a trilogy and is sanguinette’s debut novel and what a debut it was!!
I’ll admit that the beginning was a bit confusing and hard to get into for me but the more I read, the more the pages seemed to fly by.
Now there are some issues (repetition, long descriptive paragraphs, fluidity in some parts of the story) but nothing more experience won’t fix and again for a debut novel the author did great work with the storyline and plot execution.
If you’re into fantasy novels, lost heir, adventure and found family trope this one is for you! I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for the second book!!
I’ll admit that the beginning was a bit confusing and hard to get into for me but the more I read, the more the pages seemed to fly by.
Now there are some issues (repetition, long descriptive paragraphs, fluidity in some parts of the story) but nothing more experience won’t fix and again for a debut novel the author did great work with the storyline and plot execution.
If you’re into fantasy novels, lost heir, adventure and found family trope this one is for you! I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for the second book!!
August 14, 2022
I was lucky to receive an ARC for this book by the author. I had never received one before so I was very excited to start this.
Welcome to Vishanthe follows the main character Savara who grew up on a small island in the Caribbean with her uncle after her parents died in a car crash. On her 18th birthday her whole world shifts when she realizes that there is more than just life on earth. She gets thrown in the middle of a war which is much older and much more complex than she could have ever imagined.
The story is very layered and the world of Visanthe is rich and leaves much more to explore after this first book. I thought the story was very compelling but it took some time to really start, with the beginning chapters feeling a bit slow and confusing.
In general the whole book feels like a very long set up to a much bigger and much more epic battle. The start of this book is set up to be very mysterious, and feeling like we need to figure out ourselves what is actually going on while the MC also is struggling to find out. While I love a good mysterious start to a book I felt like it was taken a bit too far and it made it a bit confusing to read at times.
I also struggled a bit with the writing at the start of the book. It’s very descriptive and uses a lot of flowery language. Which is something that can be very beautiful and interesting when done well, but I felt that it was sometimes misplaced or a bit overdone. This made the pacing sometimes a bit weird with conversations being interrupted with long sentences with a lot of adjectives. I do think with a little more editing and practice the author could excel in this kind of flowery writing.
This all being said I did think this was a very solid debut novel. I think what shines the most is the story itself and the world the author build. I hope we get to see a little more of it in the next couple of books. I especially loved all the amazing creatures and hope we get to see more of them. And also hopefully a little more of Sebastian and Storm <3
Welcome to Vishanthe follows the main character Savara who grew up on a small island in the Caribbean with her uncle after her parents died in a car crash. On her 18th birthday her whole world shifts when she realizes that there is more than just life on earth. She gets thrown in the middle of a war which is much older and much more complex than she could have ever imagined.
The story is very layered and the world of Visanthe is rich and leaves much more to explore after this first book. I thought the story was very compelling but it took some time to really start, with the beginning chapters feeling a bit slow and confusing.
In general the whole book feels like a very long set up to a much bigger and much more epic battle. The start of this book is set up to be very mysterious, and feeling like we need to figure out ourselves what is actually going on while the MC also is struggling to find out. While I love a good mysterious start to a book I felt like it was taken a bit too far and it made it a bit confusing to read at times.
I also struggled a bit with the writing at the start of the book. It’s very descriptive and uses a lot of flowery language. Which is something that can be very beautiful and interesting when done well, but I felt that it was sometimes misplaced or a bit overdone. This made the pacing sometimes a bit weird with conversations being interrupted with long sentences with a lot of adjectives. I do think with a little more editing and practice the author could excel in this kind of flowery writing.
This all being said I did think this was a very solid debut novel. I think what shines the most is the story itself and the world the author build. I hope we get to see a little more of it in the next couple of books. I especially loved all the amazing creatures and hope we get to see more of them. And also hopefully a little more of Sebastian and Storm <3
December 25, 2022
DNF at chapter 9
I know I dropped this book pretty early but it was just not easy to get through. There’s no better way to say this, but the writing was just bad. I get the whole wanting to be mysterious and poetic thing but it doesn’t work when an actual scene with dialogue takes place. The conversations between characters felt forced and disconnected and so did the story. For example, reading the argument between the MC and her uncle in chapter 3 didn’t feel like a real fight; it didn’t flow and you couldn’t really tell what the characters were thinking or feeling— it was just dialogue and then the MC stormed out. Even when the narrator focused on a character, it didn’t help you understand them, like there was a whole part talking about how the MC doesn’t like eggs and it was so disjointed from the rest of the writing. In fact, pretty much none of the writing flowed together. Another thing that was weird was the use of pronouns. When describing characters and their actions, the narrator seems to be allergic to using their names. It’s appropriate to do this in the prologue or when introducing a mysterious character but the technique was overused in this book which made it confusing. Generally when using a pronoun you have to restate the noun within a few sentences so the reader doesn’t get confused.
Overall, the concept is pretty cool and although I didn’t get far enough to see how the world-building and plot plays out, I think it has potential. This reads more like a children’s book than a YA and I feel like it would be more enjoyable for younger readers.
ARC provided by NetGalley
I know I dropped this book pretty early but it was just not easy to get through. There’s no better way to say this, but the writing was just bad. I get the whole wanting to be mysterious and poetic thing but it doesn’t work when an actual scene with dialogue takes place. The conversations between characters felt forced and disconnected and so did the story. For example, reading the argument between the MC and her uncle in chapter 3 didn’t feel like a real fight; it didn’t flow and you couldn’t really tell what the characters were thinking or feeling— it was just dialogue and then the MC stormed out. Even when the narrator focused on a character, it didn’t help you understand them, like there was a whole part talking about how the MC doesn’t like eggs and it was so disjointed from the rest of the writing. In fact, pretty much none of the writing flowed together. Another thing that was weird was the use of pronouns. When describing characters and their actions, the narrator seems to be allergic to using their names. It’s appropriate to do this in the prologue or when introducing a mysterious character but the technique was overused in this book which made it confusing. Generally when using a pronoun you have to restate the noun within a few sentences so the reader doesn’t get confused.
Overall, the concept is pretty cool and although I didn’t get far enough to see how the world-building and plot plays out, I think it has potential. This reads more like a children’s book than a YA and I feel like it would be more enjoyable for younger readers.
ARC provided by NetGalley
April 17, 2023
*3.75 rounded up to 4*
I had a pretty good time with this one! What hooked me was the prologue, with its Divergent/Children of Blood and Bone feel. Shortly after, we get introduced to our main character Savara and her “ordinary” best friend Jasper, who remind me of TMIs’ Clary and Simon(in a good way). Savara wants nothing more than to find her place in the world and figure out why she is longing for something more than her small town life. When her world gets turned upside down by a stranger from a strange land, she gets her wish and much more.
I really enjoyed watching the plot unfold and learning more about Savara and her past. We are constantly in the dark, so every new nugget made me need to know more! And L.M does a great job with the dialogue between the characters.
While this was fun, it definitely has its flaws. First and foremost, there was some funky editing. The author tried to tell an epic tale and at times I felt as though things could have been more fleshed out(such as characters and the history of the world). When it comes to our MC I found her a little annoying at times, but then side characters would call her on it so it didn’t bother me too much. I also would like to say that the romantic element takes a backseat, but the cliffhanger at the end gives me hope that we’ll get more of the romance we were promised!
Overall: this is a fun fantasy with a great elemental magic system, fun banter, and a pretty good flow when it came to plot pacing!
I had a pretty good time with this one! What hooked me was the prologue, with its Divergent/Children of Blood and Bone feel. Shortly after, we get introduced to our main character Savara and her “ordinary” best friend Jasper, who remind me of TMIs’ Clary and Simon(in a good way). Savara wants nothing more than to find her place in the world and figure out why she is longing for something more than her small town life. When her world gets turned upside down by a stranger from a strange land, she gets her wish and much more.
I really enjoyed watching the plot unfold and learning more about Savara and her past. We are constantly in the dark, so every new nugget made me need to know more! And L.M does a great job with the dialogue between the characters.
While this was fun, it definitely has its flaws. First and foremost, there was some funky editing. The author tried to tell an epic tale and at times I felt as though things could have been more fleshed out(such as characters and the history of the world). When it comes to our MC I found her a little annoying at times, but then side characters would call her on it so it didn’t bother me too much. I also would like to say that the romantic element takes a backseat, but the cliffhanger at the end gives me hope that we’ll get more of the romance we were promised!
Overall: this is a fun fantasy with a great elemental magic system, fun banter, and a pretty good flow when it came to plot pacing!
August 19, 2022
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.
I really enjoyed this story. The introduction of the characters, the mystery of this "other world"...
The lore of this fantasy novel was quite interesting, the different kingdoms, the hidden past... I also enjoyed the fact that we learned things at the same time as Savara. I loved her character, the development of her powers, and her contradicting feelings about her situation. I loved Jasper and his love for Savara. Also, Sebastian is. definitely my favorite character, I love him.
I do wish we could have more from Jasper and Griffin as a whole, we got to know facets of their personality but not much more. They both want to protect Savara but we don't get much more. Also from the blurb, it feels as though we'd have more of Jasper throughout the story but we got very little of him towards the end.
The magic system was very interesting, Savara coming into her power felt very. real. I really liked this evil presence that we could feel throughout the story. And when we finally meet the person, we aren't disappointed, we want to learn more. of this villain. But are they truly a villain? I got to know!
Overall I really enjoyed this adventure in a new world with Savara and Jasper.
I really enjoyed this story. The introduction of the characters, the mystery of this "other world"...
The lore of this fantasy novel was quite interesting, the different kingdoms, the hidden past... I also enjoyed the fact that we learned things at the same time as Savara. I loved her character, the development of her powers, and her contradicting feelings about her situation. I loved Jasper and his love for Savara. Also, Sebastian is. definitely my favorite character, I love him.
I do wish we could have more from Jasper and Griffin as a whole, we got to know facets of their personality but not much more. They both want to protect Savara but we don't get much more. Also from the blurb, it feels as though we'd have more of Jasper throughout the story but we got very little of him towards the end.
The magic system was very interesting, Savara coming into her power felt very. real. I really liked this evil presence that we could feel throughout the story. And when we finally meet the person, we aren't disappointed, we want to learn more. of this villain. But are they truly a villain? I got to know!
Overall I really enjoyed this adventure in a new world with Savara and Jasper.
August 27, 2022
This book is a YA fantasy written by L.M Sanguinette.
The worldbuilding and magic use throughout this story was detailed and well laid out. I found the whole world fascinating and really would love to learn more about it in the next book.
The MC Savara is definitely my favourite character. She is strong willed but still keeps her kind and caring nature. She struggles in this new world she has been thrust into. Trying to regain the memories she has lost while also protecting the people she cares about.
I had hoped she might get some of her memories back.
The other characters in her group Jasper, Griffin, Sebastian and Storm all have great personalities and some times clash with each other, this is entertaining to read. I love Sebastian!
The Darkness is present throughout the whole story although they are not properly introduced/known. The mystery and intrigue behind The Apprentice and The Prince of Darkness was much more noticeable that way. Who are they?
A cliffhanger! Ahh!
I really enjoyed this this book and highly recommend it to any YA fantasy lover. I cannot wait to read the next book
The worldbuilding and magic use throughout this story was detailed and well laid out. I found the whole world fascinating and really would love to learn more about it in the next book.
The MC Savara is definitely my favourite character. She is strong willed but still keeps her kind and caring nature. She struggles in this new world she has been thrust into. Trying to regain the memories she has lost while also protecting the people she cares about.
I had hoped she might get some of her memories back.
The other characters in her group Jasper, Griffin, Sebastian and Storm all have great personalities and some times clash with each other, this is entertaining to read. I love Sebastian!
The Darkness is present throughout the whole story although they are not properly introduced/known. The mystery and intrigue behind The Apprentice and The Prince of Darkness was much more noticeable that way. Who are they?
A cliffhanger! Ahh!
I really enjoyed this this book and highly recommend it to any YA fantasy lover. I cannot wait to read the next book
April 5, 2023
Welcome to Visanthe
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It took me a little while to get into it as there is a lot of Character and World building. But it was definately all worth it.
Written in Multiple points of view, this book has everything from Dark Fantasy, badass FMC, Finding Powers, Morally Grey Love Interests, Enemy to Lovers, Elemental Magic and the Chosen One.
Savara has never felt at home or like she belongs anywhere. With no memory of before losing her parents and going to live with her Estranged Uncle.
Things start to make sense when Savara is led along winds best friend Jasper by Griffin to another world. Savara uncovers hidden secrets, memories, family and Powers. I’m this world there are 6 elemental powers.
She must fight her Destiny and those out to find her. She might have been safer to stay in the unknown of her other life.
After the cliffhanger at the end. I am very much dying to read Book 2. Highly recommended reading.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It took me a little while to get into it as there is a lot of Character and World building. But it was definately all worth it.
Written in Multiple points of view, this book has everything from Dark Fantasy, badass FMC, Finding Powers, Morally Grey Love Interests, Enemy to Lovers, Elemental Magic and the Chosen One.
Savara has never felt at home or like she belongs anywhere. With no memory of before losing her parents and going to live with her Estranged Uncle.
Things start to make sense when Savara is led along winds best friend Jasper by Griffin to another world. Savara uncovers hidden secrets, memories, family and Powers. I’m this world there are 6 elemental powers.
She must fight her Destiny and those out to find her. She might have been safer to stay in the unknown of her other life.
After the cliffhanger at the end. I am very much dying to read Book 2. Highly recommended reading.
September 24, 2024
I genuinely enjoyed this so much!
I love a good slow burn. The slow burn is truly my favorite thing about this. It is not just a romantic slow burn, but a slow burn into a found family. I love reading about characters growing into their friendships and creating that bond, but I never realized how much I would enjoy the journey there. I find that in most books I have read, the "chosen one" is accepted into the inner circle fairly quickly. This was a wonderful change of pace. It seems to me they aren't even aware of the deep bonds they have slowly created, and it will be fun to see that realization hit them all.
That was one of my favorite things about Avatar the Last Airbender, watching them create a found family, despite the challenges they face.
Not knowing who the MC will end up with is always a plus for me. Going in to book two, I'm still left wondering and intrigued by new characters.
I love a good slow burn. The slow burn is truly my favorite thing about this. It is not just a romantic slow burn, but a slow burn into a found family. I love reading about characters growing into their friendships and creating that bond, but I never realized how much I would enjoy the journey there. I find that in most books I have read, the "chosen one" is accepted into the inner circle fairly quickly. This was a wonderful change of pace. It seems to me they aren't even aware of the deep bonds they have slowly created, and it will be fun to see that realization hit them all.
That was one of my favorite things about Avatar the Last Airbender, watching them create a found family, despite the challenges they face.
Not knowing who the MC will end up with is always a plus for me. Going in to book two, I'm still left wondering and intrigued by new characters.
September 6, 2022
3.5 Stars
I really enjoyed this book. The plot was a little slow to start but it definitely picked up. The world building was good and I enjoyed the characters development throughout the book.
I really enjoyed the magic system which we learnt about in this book. I felt you could definitely feel Savara coming into her powers.
One of the draw backs was that I felt it was a really slow start and that the book didn’t really pick up till about just before half way through. I was left with some questions which I hope the answers will be revealed in the coming book.
The book does end on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait for the next book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for this early arc in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. The plot was a little slow to start but it definitely picked up. The world building was good and I enjoyed the characters development throughout the book.
I really enjoyed the magic system which we learnt about in this book. I felt you could definitely feel Savara coming into her powers.
One of the draw backs was that I felt it was a really slow start and that the book didn’t really pick up till about just before half way through. I was left with some questions which I hope the answers will be revealed in the coming book.
The book does end on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait for the next book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for this early arc in exchange for an honest review.
August 12, 2023
Welcome to Visanthe is a compelling, gritty tale of a princess with lost memories who finds herself thrown into a new world with foes shrouded in shadows and fallen elemental kingdoms, where she must determine who to trust and who is plotting to use her emerging dark powers for nefarious purposes. The plot was fast-paced, with many players vying for power with hidden agendas. It kept me on my toes as I tried to discern the mystery of Savara’s past and its implications for her future.
The villains are fascinating, and we have a charismatic, morally grey character with alluring midnight eyes I’m dying to know more about 👀. He’s always appearing to Savara secretly, saving her and disappearing mysteriously. There’s also a slow burn I-love-to-hate-you-but-secretly-want-you romance between two friends that I hope flares into an inferno in the next book. Overall, the mysterious plot and elemental magic reminiscent of Avatar: The Last Airbender had me rushing to finish this book as I had to know the characters’ fates. Have I already started the sequel that just released? You bet.
The villains are fascinating, and we have a charismatic, morally grey character with alluring midnight eyes I’m dying to know more about 👀. He’s always appearing to Savara secretly, saving her and disappearing mysteriously. There’s also a slow burn I-love-to-hate-you-but-secretly-want-you romance between two friends that I hope flares into an inferno in the next book. Overall, the mysterious plot and elemental magic reminiscent of Avatar: The Last Airbender had me rushing to finish this book as I had to know the characters’ fates. Have I already started the sequel that just released? You bet.
September 3, 2023
An interesting unique story with elemental magic, a lost royal, mob bosses, lost memories, and the list goes on.
The magic system was great as I love elemental magic and I was completed intrigued by the evil side of things. Both the villain and the apprentice with their shadow magic stood out the most and kept me intrigued.
I’d say that there was almost too much happening in the story making everything seem surface level, with items being glossed over and not explained. I would have liked more depth and explanation on certain things.
Overall I think it had some great storylines but I was too caught up in what was missing to really enjoy it.
The magic system was great as I love elemental magic and I was completed intrigued by the evil side of things. Both the villain and the apprentice with their shadow magic stood out the most and kept me intrigued.
I’d say that there was almost too much happening in the story making everything seem surface level, with items being glossed over and not explained. I would have liked more depth and explanation on certain things.
Overall I think it had some great storylines but I was too caught up in what was missing to really enjoy it.
July 20, 2022
Magical Adventure? Sign Me Up!
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed reading Welcome to Visanthe and fell in love with the plot and the characters. I gave it 4 stars because I have so many questions that could've been answered in the first book. Most of them relate to understanding the world of Visanthe and its surrounding countries.
It ends with a cliff hanger which allows it to seamlessly lead into the sequel, but the world building was lacking. I hope that the sequel will answer the questions I have, or maybe a re-read.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed reading Welcome to Visanthe and fell in love with the plot and the characters. I gave it 4 stars because I have so many questions that could've been answered in the first book. Most of them relate to understanding the world of Visanthe and its surrounding countries.
It ends with a cliff hanger which allows it to seamlessly lead into the sequel, but the world building was lacking. I hope that the sequel will answer the questions I have, or maybe a re-read.
August 7, 2023
Overall I enjoyed this one. There is plenty of adventure and mystery. The characters are interesting and diverse and the world is rich and fully formed. I was immediately drawn into the story and the realm of Visanthe.
My only complaint would be that I hoped for more romance. There were quite a few hunky characters and some flirting here and there but I needed a little more spice. I’m hoping book two turns some of these flirtations into something more!
📚 Find me on Instagram @thelastfew.pages
My only complaint would be that I hoped for more romance. There were quite a few hunky characters and some flirting here and there but I needed a little more spice. I’m hoping book two turns some of these flirtations into something more!
📚 Find me on Instagram @thelastfew.pages
August 8, 2023
I enjoyed this one. A magical adventure with lots of suspense. We begin in the human world in the Caribbean, following Savara, there is something going on we are unaware of as she has no memory of her past. When her uncle is killed she is saved in taken to another magical world alongside her best friend Jasper. This world is full of elemental magic and perhaps the answers she is seeking about her past and who she truly is. I enjoyed the action and the side characters, especially Sebastian. The ending definitely had my interest piqued. Overall an entertaining read.
July 7, 2023
If someone says covers don't matter, don't believe them! Because I saw this cover on Amazon and fell in love, but I would not have picked up the book if I saw the GR cover. (The one on Amazon is beautiful, though, go look.) I don't consider that in my review though. In fact I really loved this story. I adore elemental magic systems and the characters in this book are written very well. Plus, the mystery element is woven very well into the story.
March 14, 2026
is aight
April 6, 2023
after being sent this book by the amazing author herself i delved straight into it
as i am a regular romance reader the beginning of fantasy regularly sends me into a bit of confusion but i carried on through this
as i said, i am usually a romance reader so i would like to clarify that i enjoyed this book but as it isn’t what i would regularly read it isn’t rated as high as some other books
i would recommend this book to those who do enjoy fantasy as it did hook me and there was some plot twists but also somethings aswell that you could tell were coming swell
i’m sad to say that i was really struggling to get through this book so i did DNF this book at chapter 15
i really wanted to enjoy this but i just really struggled to get through it
this isn’t me saying this is a bad book it was good i just personally couldn’t get through it
i will be trying to re read this book in the future but for now this is a 3 ⭐️
as i am a regular romance reader the beginning of fantasy regularly sends me into a bit of confusion but i carried on through this
as i said, i am usually a romance reader so i would like to clarify that i enjoyed this book but as it isn’t what i would regularly read it isn’t rated as high as some other books
i would recommend this book to those who do enjoy fantasy as it did hook me and there was some plot twists but also somethings aswell that you could tell were coming swell
i’m sad to say that i was really struggling to get through this book so i did DNF this book at chapter 15
i really wanted to enjoy this but i just really struggled to get through it
this isn’t me saying this is a bad book it was good i just personally couldn’t get through it
i will be trying to re read this book in the future but for now this is a 3 ⭐️
September 8, 2022
I rated this a 4 out of 5 according to the CAWPILE rating scale.
To update: The below review was posted on NetGalley, and the author has confirmed that they have edited and worked on some of the set backs readers have :). They are very responsive to feeback and active on their accounts! Always a plus for me as a reader too.
Welcome to Visanthe is a YA Fantasy novel written by L.M. Sanguinette. We follow multiple characters throughout the book but our main character is a female named Savara. Savara at first seems like the typical teenage girl coming of age and figuring life out, but abruptly is shoved into a whole new world of magic and mayhem. It turns out she plays a key role in the fate of a nation she knows nothing about, or thought she knew nothing about… Savara must figure herself out, her feelings, how to master her ability (or suppress it), and figure out who to trust as she battles both physically and mentally some…demons.
I recommend this book for YA readers, it does contains some fighting/battle scenes, murder, kidnapping (ish). Lovers of fantasy, magic, other worlds, fighting, and more!
Overall I enjoyed this book. Some of the characters really appealed to me and I enjoyed reading them (Sebastian). I love the suspense and the lack of information on The Apprentice and even the Prince of Shadows (talk about suspense!). Who is the man in the prison? I have my guess…but that guess was also who The Apprentice is and now after the last chapter or two I know he is DEFINITELY not that person. I hope… The magic in this world is very elemental and I love how unique the ceremony is where people find out what their element is.
I give this novel a 4 out of 5. I look forward to the next book in the series and I hope some of my questions may be answered there!!
To update: The below review was posted on NetGalley, and the author has confirmed that they have edited and worked on some of the set backs readers have :). They are very responsive to feeback and active on their accounts! Always a plus for me as a reader too.
Welcome to Visanthe is a YA Fantasy novel written by L.M. Sanguinette. We follow multiple characters throughout the book but our main character is a female named Savara. Savara at first seems like the typical teenage girl coming of age and figuring life out, but abruptly is shoved into a whole new world of magic and mayhem. It turns out she plays a key role in the fate of a nation she knows nothing about, or thought she knew nothing about… Savara must figure herself out, her feelings, how to master her ability (or suppress it), and figure out who to trust as she battles both physically and mentally some…demons.
I recommend this book for YA readers, it does contains some fighting/battle scenes, murder, kidnapping (ish). Lovers of fantasy, magic, other worlds, fighting, and more!
Overall I enjoyed this book. Some of the characters really appealed to me and I enjoyed reading them (Sebastian). I love the suspense and the lack of information on The Apprentice and even the Prince of Shadows (talk about suspense!). Who is the man in the prison? I have my guess…but that guess was also who The Apprentice is and now after the last chapter or two I know he is DEFINITELY not that person. I hope… The magic in this world is very elemental and I love how unique the ceremony is where people find out what their element is.
I give this novel a 4 out of 5. I look forward to the next book in the series and I hope some of my questions may be answered there!!
August 18, 2023
Finished this indie fantasy debut and really enjoyed it. Review to come!
April 13, 2023
SO good!!! It was slow in the beginning, but once you get past that you can't put it down!!!
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