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Requiem for the Mortal Elves #1
The Grim
Yet another strand of thread holding the peace together, cut...and Sólan the Grim is the one holding the blade.
Sólan the Grim is dead. He was murdered by the duke of the tundra-his father. No, he was executed by the forest's prince for his failure to swear the Oath of Light. Actually, he was beheaded by an infamous drug smuggler of the tropics. Tortured and killed at the hands of the desert's mortal king for his crimes.
Perhaps he is not dead at all.
The half-mortal bastard son of an elf duke, Sólan de Ciudelago learned to cheat death as a child. His mere existence has tumbled the Eastern Lands into the largest genocide against his own kind: The Crusade of Light. The fragile peace between red-blooded men and silver-blooded elves is fraying. Alliances and rulers' strongholds are waning. The Eastern Lands are on the verge of a second Great War in a millennium.
Until now, Sólan's lot in life was to smother his past and fight the desert's slave market. Memories, however, are fickle things that can return with no warning. Now, he must face his trauma to topple more than just the desert's economy. He must now work with former enemies and an unlikely lover to quell the coming war that he caused.
Will his blood be the ink that seals the suit for peace? Or, is he naught but a pawn in a much more sinister plot against the balance between day and night?
Disclaimer: This tale contains material that may or may not be triggering to some readers. Such material includes graphic violence, sexual encounters, mental illness, and mentions of child abuse and sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.
Sólan the Grim is dead. He was murdered by the duke of the tundra-his father. No, he was executed by the forest's prince for his failure to swear the Oath of Light. Actually, he was beheaded by an infamous drug smuggler of the tropics. Tortured and killed at the hands of the desert's mortal king for his crimes.
Perhaps he is not dead at all.
The half-mortal bastard son of an elf duke, Sólan de Ciudelago learned to cheat death as a child. His mere existence has tumbled the Eastern Lands into the largest genocide against his own kind: The Crusade of Light. The fragile peace between red-blooded men and silver-blooded elves is fraying. Alliances and rulers' strongholds are waning. The Eastern Lands are on the verge of a second Great War in a millennium.
Until now, Sólan's lot in life was to smother his past and fight the desert's slave market. Memories, however, are fickle things that can return with no warning. Now, he must face his trauma to topple more than just the desert's economy. He must now work with former enemies and an unlikely lover to quell the coming war that he caused.
Will his blood be the ink that seals the suit for peace? Or, is he naught but a pawn in a much more sinister plot against the balance between day and night?
Disclaimer: This tale contains material that may or may not be triggering to some readers. Such material includes graphic violence, sexual encounters, mental illness, and mentions of child abuse and sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.
- GenresFantasy
503 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2022
2 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 12, 2024
So, I will be blunt. This is an amazing story, but it does not hold its punches. You'll feel the dark creep up your throat with bile with where it goes. It is not for the faint of heart, but even so it knows where to breathe and makes you wheeze with laughter. The amount of times I was howling over the witty line, I frankly lost count. Plus for those who enjoy some spicy....there is lots...and lots... Of SPICY.
But, I am glad I read this story.
But, I am glad I read this story.
May 1, 2022
This fantasty adventure drew me right in and I was pleasantly surprised with the twists and turns of the plot. I enjoyed the authors use of language and appreciated the cast of characters listed at the beginning of the novel.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 30, 2022
I received a free copy of this book via BookSprout and am voluntarily leaving this review
The world-building really stood out for me! The world is deeply thought-out, and my little linguistics student heart thrilled at the incorporation of the languages of the world (which I could tell took inspiration from real-life ones) with its own grammar, vocabulary, etc. that was a very pleasant aspect of the book.
With multiple character voices throughout, it doesn't feel overly-cluttered, and each character is given their due space to breathe and come to life.
Another thing I thought was well-done was the use of sex scenes - not too heavy-handed, well-placed, and used to explore characters and relationship/power dynamics.
While I was quite confused at first, being thrust into the world and story so suddenly with a whole several hundred years' worth of history to untangle - since many of our characters are effectively immortal/have long lifespans, there were definitely many pieces of the history that are revealed - in a non-information-dumpy and very organic way - throughout the book such that you can start to get a sense of what's going on. You get a sense of the world being fully realized, and you're taken on a journey of exploration. The timeskip at the third part - 10 years - was a little jarring at first, until I put into perspective that it's barely a blink of an eye to these effectively-immortal characters.
And so much more is revealed in the final few chapters, especially about Sólan's past, that I would be intrigued to find out more about!
While some relationships didn't feel fully fleshed-out to me - as in, they felt rushed, such that when declarations of love came, they didn't really resonate for me - after a while the charm of the relationships themselves worked on me and so I became more invested in them and could root for them.
The world-building really stood out for me! The world is deeply thought-out, and my little linguistics student heart thrilled at the incorporation of the languages of the world (which I could tell took inspiration from real-life ones) with its own grammar, vocabulary, etc. that was a very pleasant aspect of the book.
With multiple character voices throughout, it doesn't feel overly-cluttered, and each character is given their due space to breathe and come to life.
Another thing I thought was well-done was the use of sex scenes - not too heavy-handed, well-placed, and used to explore characters and relationship/power dynamics.
While I was quite confused at first, being thrust into the world and story so suddenly with a whole several hundred years' worth of history to untangle - since many of our characters are effectively immortal/have long lifespans, there were definitely many pieces of the history that are revealed - in a non-information-dumpy and very organic way - throughout the book such that you can start to get a sense of what's going on. You get a sense of the world being fully realized, and you're taken on a journey of exploration. The timeskip at the third part - 10 years - was a little jarring at first, until I put into perspective that it's barely a blink of an eye to these effectively-immortal characters.
And so much more is revealed in the final few chapters, especially about Sólan's past, that I would be intrigued to find out more about!
While some relationships didn't feel fully fleshed-out to me - as in, they felt rushed, such that when declarations of love came, they didn't really resonate for me - after a while the charm of the relationships themselves worked on me and so I became more invested in them and could root for them.
May 3, 2022
Fans of Fantasy Romance and Game of Thrones will enjoy this character-centric story with loosely threaded plotlines weaving their way across the back of the story. Despite the wide cast and detailed world, the characters and setting are introduced gradually, taking the time to distinguish between them.
As an ARC reviewer between multiple beta-reads, I was unable to finish the story in time, so I can't speak for how it ends. However, I will say that many psychologically difficult and potentially politically sensitive topics are discussed, including rape, LGBT relations, mental illness, and more. I would therefore only recommend this to readers comfortable with such subjects. And if you're fine with all that, you will enjoy this intricately detailed story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
As an ARC reviewer between multiple beta-reads, I was unable to finish the story in time, so I can't speak for how it ends. However, I will say that many psychologically difficult and potentially politically sensitive topics are discussed, including rape, LGBT relations, mental illness, and more. I would therefore only recommend this to readers comfortable with such subjects. And if you're fine with all that, you will enjoy this intricately detailed story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 18, 2022
Wow! Very well written book! The writer chose to take some bold risks that really tie the book together and have you invested in the characters. Not my typical genre, yet I found it kept my attention and was easy to read. The number of characters in the book makes it feel like you aren’t reading one book but instead many books all at once. I would highly recommend this book. Looking forward to the second book in the series!
May 1, 2022
What an epic high fantasy! The world building was just amazing - it was like a cross of the Scots and the Games of Thrones but with elves and other creatures and wizards. The plot had many twists making it very intricate and intriguing.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 20, 2023
Great world building and intricate plot, however, execution fell flat for me. I enjoyed the side characters and open sexuality… especially the biases with each culture and their beliefs (religious of course). The deconstruction of typical gender stereotypes was refreshing. For example, masculine characters freely expressing themselves (maybe a little too much as I don’t think I’ve read so many characters openly emotional and crying so often). Some things that didn’t work for me: the transitions between flashbacks and present day were rocky, the instant-love felt off (especially for elves who live hundreds of years), and lastly…It felt like Solan as the main character was lacking development. The side characters were more intriguing and really carried the story. Overall, it was enjoyable and I’ll consider reading the next book.
March 4, 2022
Sólan de Ciudelago works great as a character and enjoyed the political aspects of this world, it was a unique take on the fantasy world and it was a wonderful take on the genre.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews