The Dancing Tree

Relict Saga #1

by J.A. Skald

Look – It wasn’t supposed to go like this, alright?

Humans were trouble.

Life as a monster hunter had beaten that lesson into Sebastian often enough. But just because people said Relicts were heartless monsters, it didn’t actually make him one.

Would’ve saved him a whole heap of trouble if it did.

Not like Sebastian ever asked to become a Relict. Monster hunters turned half-monsters themselves, always traveling town to town to earn their keep, fighting with terrors and townsfolk alike until it's time to race back for their Orders before Mistide falls.

It's not a life anyone would want. Not that anyone ever asked him — he was sold into the life as a child to save his father's sorry skin.

When Ryndalon stumbles into his life, well - it turns out this isn't even the first time the bard's gone and made Sebastian's life hell.

Or that it's the end of his secrets...


Rule one making Deals with the fae? DON'T.

-------------
A loose retelling of the Scandinavian folk tale East Of The Sun, West Of The Moon, The Dancing Tree is a dark fantasy MM adventure romance with angst, LGBTQIA+ characters, hurt/comfort, fae trickery, grumpy sunshine, opposites attract, portal isekai, and hard cliffhangers.

Expect heavy elements of romance, violence, monster battles, swearing, trauma, betrayal, there was only one bed(roll), and — on occasion — guys making each other soup at a campfire.

It is intended for mature audiences.

Genres: Fantasy, Adult, M M Romance

455 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 3, 2023

Reviews

[sammstormborn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have never, ever done something like this before but I have to be up front. I was provided with a free eARC copy of this debut novel in exchange for a review. And, I know, most folks only leave reviews if they have positive feedback. And, I abide by this because I don’t think it’s helpful to rip an author a new one.

HOWEVER there comes a time when you can’t sit idly by when there’s plagiarism.

I wanted to like this book SO much. It sounded amazing, right up my alley. While I was a little suspicious of the blurb sounding too much like "The Witcher" or rather a Geralt/Jaskier fanfic, I wanted to give this a go. I thought the story would diverge from there, the world building would be very different - you know, to make sure it wasn't a fanfic. And, I say this because it wasn't and isn't billed as a fanfic or inspired by the Witcher series. I checked the author's website - but no. If it was advertised as a Witcher-inspired fanfic or Witcher fanfic - I might have enjoyed this because, hell, I do read Witcher fanfic.

Within the first six chapters, I got tired of writing a list of all the rip-offs from Sapkowski. I wrote down over 20 and those were just the glaring ones. Here’s my list I hastily (angrily) jotted down:

- Sarcastic, sardonic, human-hating monster hunter who lives outside social communities
- Sebastian (MMC, the monster hunter) has silver eyes and snow-white hair (chapter 6)
- Making a “sign” - magic use used by Relicts
- Distaste for mages, calls them mages
- A Relict’s work dwindling, not a lot of chances to make coin, fewer monsters
- Humans being the young and poorer race, then they figured out magic
- Relicts are “heartless monsters,” seen to not have emotions
- Humans made Relicts
- Old geezer tutor over Sebastian and other Relicts
- “Make coin”
- Way back to the Relict keep in remote mountains, gotta get back before it becomes impassible during winter
- Relicts treated like second-class citizens, only needed for monster hunting and then shown the “town gates”
- Relicts have longer lifespans than humans
- Wolf Relicts in the mountains, there’s a Griffins group. Other groups of Relicts
- Survived the “Ordeals” - basically where they undergo a painful and oftentimes deadly transformation to become a Relict
- Song about Relicts sung across the world - the song supposed to “build back up our image”
- Relicts have increased healing speeds, has potions that help with Relict powers
- No other Relicts survived the year of Sebastian’s Ordeal
- Get amulets upon graduation, going through the Ordeal, they vibrate when magic is around
- Horse that deals with the weird well
- Spell to calm - Relicts call it “Dimma”
- Time as a Relict called “the Path”
- “Destiny-marked”
- Monster hunter and bard are reluctant friends. Bard is chipper, sunshiney, talkative and blabbery. Monster hunter is grumpy, jaded, doesn’t want bard around.

I gave up after a while because all I was doing was noting the copies from Sapkowski’s “Witcher” to this story and I got tired of it. So, this list is by no means exhaustive.

And then, some of the plot itself was ripped directly from Sapkowski - Sebastian not getting paid for not completing a job and arguing with the individual who hired him. While lines were not directly word-for-word lifted from Sapkowski’s work to this, there is a flashback in chapter 13 of “The Dancing Tree” that is nearly parallel to Sapkowski’s short story “A Little Sacrifice” from “Sword of Destiny.”
Geralt is hired to kill a monster that wiped out a boat of seven people. Sebastian is hired to kill a monster that killed five townspeople.
Geralt fails in eliminating the monster threat. Sebastian fails in eliminating the monster threat.
Those who hired Geralt waiting for him to return. Those who hired Sebastian waiting for him to return.
Geralt says he did not complete the job. Sebastian says he did not complete the job.
Geralt’s employer angry. Refuses to pay because job is not done. Sebastian’s employer angry. Refuses to pay because job is not done.
Geralt is injured battling monsters. Sebastian is injured battling monster.
Man who hired Geralt says there’s no proof of him having slain monsters. Man who hired Sebastian says there’s no proof that he killed the right monster.

Witcher:
‘He didn’t pay me anything. He claimed I had failed to carry out the task. That he had expected something else, and he pays for results, not good intentions.’ (p. 187)
‘You didn’t complete your task, Geralt,’ he said. ‘You fouled things up again. You had good intentions, I can’t deny that. But I don’t pay for good intention. I pay for results. For the effect. And the effect, excuse the expression, is shitty. So you earn shit. (p. 236)

Dancing Tree:
“I’m not paying you for work half done. I should think you would still be out there now, finishing the damn job I hired you for.”
“Sounds an awful lot like excuses, Relict. I’ll have you know that when I hire someone to do a job, I expect it to be seen all the way through.”

There’s more but basically the interactions between Geralt and Agloval in “A Little Sacrifice” and Sebastian and the thaneskassör are pretty much completely mirrored.

Ok, so beyond the plagiarism to the plot that eventually came along: I felt the build up to the action took too long. And then when Sebastian meets the Ryndalon, the bard, they’re only together for a few days. I didn’t quite understand how their connection formed so strongly. They walk through the woods for a few days, Ryndalon cares for Sebastian’s wounds, somehow they form this bond Sebastian becomes willing to traverse the deadly fae realm for him. So, like, yay for plot that deviates from “The Witcher” but it was lackluster.

I so wanted to like this story but I don’t think this should be going on sale without explicitly saying it was pulled from The Witcher. While it says it’s “A loose retelling of the Scandinavian folk tale East Of The Sun, West Of The Moon,” I haven’t read that. I have read the entire Witcher series and especially the short story “A Little Sacrifice” (it’s my favorite story from the Witcher universe). And honestly, I argue “The Dancing Tree” is plagiarism from Sapkowski’s “The Witcher.”

This should be on AO3 or Wattpad, not published and marketed as an independent series and universe.

Look, I hope this author rethinks this publication but I don’t want them to give up writing because there were glimpses of something creative and interesting that seemed to be their own ideas. But, what I read, it’s plagiarism.

[Erica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is this The Witcher fanfic? I don't know enough about The Witcher to know for sure. I like fanfic, though, but I didn't especially enjoy this. For all the swearing and gore, it felt kind of YA, although I can't really put my finger on why.

I never felt engaged with the characters or the story. If it's fanfic for a fandom I'm not part of, that could explain why.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

2.75 stars

I have read both East Of The Sun, West Of The Moon — the folktale on which this book is partly inspired, according to the blurb — and the Witcher series, most notably Sword of Destiny, which this book also seems to draw heavy inspiration from. Honestly, I don’t mind that this book is an homage to the Witcher books, or even that it is heavily inspired — at times too heavily inspired — by those books. But I wish the blurb had been more up front that they are the primary inspiration, as there is no sign of any inspiration drawn from East Of The Sun, West Of The Moon in this book.

Personally, while the writing was fine, the pacing — thanks to all the flashbacks — felt like it stumbled. The flashbacks aren’t always well timed; two of them felt very abrupt and broke the momentum and flow of what I was reading to jerk me off into another time, and when they came back to the original moment, the momentum and the feelings were lost.

Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.

[Meghan Reads MM · Rating 3 out of 5]

This borrows heavily from "The Witcher" with different names and situations. The editing was mostly tolerable but could definitely use work. The other thing was the flow seemed a bit choppy. After reading the next 2 books, sad to report the editing doesn't get any better.

[Hello · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book wears its inspiration on its sleeves. I never cared much about the Witcher. I read the first two books, didn't like it and never continued.

Sebastian the protagonist is young and sassy Relict who hunts monsters for a living. He is very angry with his lot. His sharp tongue gets him in trouble often. Also he's funny.

His love interest is Ryndalion (yes, it's the guys actual name) is a charming bard who also knows a lot about healing. And he's for some reason convinced Sebastian is straight.

The book has multiple timelines so I appreciate clear indicators of which timeline the event took place in.

Apparently pension isn't a thing among Relicts. So when you get too old to work you become a teacher. Doesn't matter if you like it or not. So most of the teachers just do a good enough job not to get fired and that's it.

Apparently you can take your son to become a Relict so you won't be executed for a crime you've commited which makes zero sense to me???

If I got stuff correctly there's lethal something called the Mist that appears in the winter and so nobody goes outside.

When I thought I figured the plot out the plot twist happened and oh man it made things interesting.

I am definitely continuing the series. Hope Sebastian and Ryndalion talk their issues out.

[b00ks_in_nature · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5
I've not read the stories that this was based on, so this was fresh world building for me. I thought it was mostly well done, with interesting plot and characters. I did however struggle a bit with the timeline jumps and various other things that made me get lost a little. I enjoyed it, and I'll check out the next book to see where this goes.

[Bryant · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Dancing Tree opens with Sebastian, a monster hunter who has just accepted a new contract. Our view into Sebastian’s thoughts provide us with a clear perspective on his worldview. Soon, Ryndalon, a bard, enters the picture, but we are only able to view this character through Sebastian’s eyes, which works very well in The Dancing Tree. We are thrown into the mind of the grumpy monster hunter and we stay there.

The characters are the shining part of this story. We are able to discern their motivations and each has a distinct way of speaking and acting. In part, this seems to be due to the relatively small cast of characters that we meet. Because of this small cast, Skald enriches the story with small details of each character, which when combined, show a whole picture of each. Of course, Sebastian is the character that is the most developed, and the various tribulations he has been through directly contribute to the choices that he makes later in the novel.

Skald states that this is a “loose” retelling of the Nordic fairy tale, East of the Sun and West of the Moon. Prior to reading, I was not familiar with this fairy tale, but since reading the novel, I have briefly looked into it. While I see some themes drawn from that fairy tale, I find that this novel borrows much more from The Witcher, or at least themes that I am familiar with from The Witcher. I will note, when I refer to The Witcher, I refer to the various medias that it has taken on, including the novels, the T.V. series, and the videogames.

The following are some of the similarities between The Dancing Tree and The Witcher. A grumpy monster hunter from the wolf clan of hunters, which includes receiving a metal amulet in the shape of a wolf. The grumpy monster hunter meets a bard during his travels who begins to journey with him. The monster hunter may meditate to regain strength. The monster hunters go through a transformation, invented by mages, to prepare them to hunt said monsters. The transformation can be devastating and survival rates seem to be low. Through this transformation, the monster hunters’ physical features change and their physical prowess is heightened. The monster hunters may cast basic spells and they brew potions to help them during their journeys.

Despite the similarities to The Witcher, Skald steeps the reader in the setting of the novel. We are immediately thrown into action with Sebastian on a hunt, and Skald deftly provides description of the prey, as well as the predator. Skald describes the various towns and local “rulers” with much the same precision, immersing the reader in Sebastian’s and Ryndalon’s world.

The novel remains in Sebastian’s perspective, but we shift between the present and his past. While I think this method was likely necessary to include a lot of background information on Sebastian, there were times where the shift threw me out of the story. At times, some of the background information could have been Sebastian remembering those events, rather than separate chapters dedicated to those events. In that way, we are not losing track of the present-day events.

The plot events distinguish The Dancing Tree from The Witcher and, seemingly, harkens back to East of the Sun and West of the Moon. At times, the pacing seems a little fast, which could have been fixed if there was less of a focus on the past events, as stated above, and developing the events of the present.

Skald has put in the effort to describe the settings and characters without overwriting either. The writing conjured the monsters that we meet in my mind, and it also evoked the feelings that the characters had. There were a few typos and anachronisms; however, the number of each was so few that it didn’t put me off. One quote to encapsulate my thoughts describes our bard, Ryndalon. Skald describes, “Bright little weedy name for an energetic, weedy little man.” This description immediately gave me a sense of Ryndalon might be and how he might interact with our grumpy monster hunter.

Overall, The Dancing Tree shines in its depth of character and plot. Seeing the world of The Dancing Tree through Sebastian’s eyes is a thrilling, and at times, somber experience. Anyone who would want to see a blossoming male-on-male romance in The Witcher should pick this book up.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Siobhan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Dancing Tree is the first book in the Relict Saga by J.A. Skald, and I was eager to dive in as it promised many things I am a big fan of – specifically promising dark fantasy and angsty romance, which are both things that usually have me hooked. Unfortunately, I did not feel like the story had these elements.

From the start, I had trouble connecting with the story. As many other reviews have stated, this reads very heavily like The Witcher fan fiction. There is nothing wrong with such stories – there are plenty of fan fictions that have been transformed into bestsellers – but it did feel a little too on the nose at times. Especially with the vibes that come across from the main character’s internal monologues. While I was able to overlook this, the thought did keep cropping back into my mind and it had an impact upon my enjoyment. I think this would not have happened quite as much if the story had ticked the expected boxes for me. Due to the shifting between timelines, the pacing of this one was much slower than I would have liked. While it was clearly done in an attempt to build the world, it did have an impact on the overall experience of the storyline. It made it difficult to connect with what was happening in the present timeline, and I often felt like the past elements were bogged down with too much. Add in the fact that this felt too young adult to really be a dark fantasy – again, nothing wrong with that, just not what I expected – and I found this story was not for me.

All in all, there are elements of this story that I can see appealing to many readers. However, the story itself failed to offer what I had anticipated, which meant I was too focused on the elements that did not work for me.

[Harrison Hicks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this novel as I found the premise to be quite interesting.

As a Relict, Sebastian is often tasked with destroying monsters that plague scattered settlements in the countryside- it's only his superhuman abilities that save him in many cases from being killed. And he's not liked very much by the populace, who seem to not be very grateful for his help.

However, despite finding parts of the book to be very entertaining, I found that the structure of the book didn't work for me. It's told in two timelines, current and past, with the past timeline exploring Sebastian's origin as a Relict. While Sebastian's backstory is interesting, it unfortunately bogs down the plot, in my opinion. The second main character in the story doesn't even appear till almost a third of the way into the story. I found myself taking more breaks from the story than normal and would return hoping to be caught up in the story a bit more. And I was, to an extent, as the last third of the book finally came together for me as a reader.

However, the book is not a short one and I'm still not quite sure the ending (which involves a cliffhanger of sorts, by the way) was worth the effort. And as to the story's similarities to a certain fantasy series on television starring Henry Cavill, I can't speak authoritatively on the subject, as I must be one of the few people on the planet who hasn't watched the show, but I have read some reviews of the show and enough descriptions that I have some concerns about similarities. So while I thought the book had some good ideas, I just don't see myself continuing the series, unfortunately.

[Debby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sebastian’s life has not been easy. Used by his father to escape his own punishment, Sebastian was forced to become a Relict, a sort of pay for hire monster hunter. Relicts are not treated well and often considered lower than everyone else. Cheating, poisoning and attacking him are not unusual in his life. Ryndalon, a bard, becomes his guide to help Sebastian, while at the same time, canceling his own debt. Along the trail, thoughts and ideas change.

The story is told by switching back and forth between past and present or Once and Now. You get a flavor for how tough his life and how he is treated by towns he has helped by eliminating a monster or two. He is distrustful of humans, but for some reason Ryndalon gets into his head. He has unique perspectives and challenges Sebastian to think in different ways. It is clear to Ryndalon that the two are now partners. He just has to convince Sebastian. Both men have lots of secrets and deserve some love in their life. The story is dark and distinctive, it captivates the reader and keeps the reader turning the pages to see what happens next.
I received a complimentary copy and am grateful for the opportunity to voluntarily review this book.

[TaurReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad start to a new series. Sebastian is a magically transformed monster hunter called “Relicts”. He’s a good character. His internal monologues and being distracted at the wrong time was highly entertaining.

Ryndalon ends up being Sebastian’s guide to another town. During their journey, Sebastian finds himself growing attached to Ryndalon. Then Ryndalon‘s secret comes out, throwing everything into chaos.

I enjoyed the story and the plot. It’s very high fantasy/epic saga. I loved how the author wrote Sebastian. Although, I couldn’t find myself that intrigued by Ryndalon for some reason. The pacing was ok. The book goes from past to present until it catches up. Which was well done. Except, it was super wordy. There were many parts that seemed overly detailed and repetitive.

A little more focus on the world building would have been great. There’s zero steam. A chaste kiss. It’s a great story for young adults.

Overall, not bad. Sebastian is a great character. I recommend it for anyone who’s a fan of PG-13 high fantasy.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[October O'Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to read this book. It's got all my favorite things: magic, epic journeys, monsters, promises of witty banter... but something just didn't click for me. There are some people who will really like this book, I am sure. It does have all the things listed above. I guess I would say this...if you're looking for a fantasy book, this might scratch the itch. If you're looking for a romance book, you might not feel satisfied.

The relationship between the two MCs is so slow burning it's practically nonexistant. There's virtually no steamy scenes in the book, which is FINE, but if you're looking for that, you won't find it here.

There are a lot of reviews that say it's very similar to The Witcher. I can't speak to that, because I never read the latter, but it does have that aura of something familiar. Lots of stories do though (I mean, how many rivals to lovers hockey stories are out there, you feel me?). It's entertaining. If someone asked for a queer-friendly fantasy, I'd definitely recommend this. If someone asked me for an MM romance fantasy, it might not be the first thing I think of though.

I appreciate the author being will to share an arc.

[Denise Ruttan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It felt like The Witcher fanfiction or at least very derivative of it. The characters are where the writing shines, though. Sebastian was very well developed and I liked the chemistry between him and Ryndalon. Always a fan of just one bedroll, grumpy/sushine banter and hurt/comfort cuddling. The pacing was off, though.

The book spent way too much time in Sebastian’s past with whole chapters of stories from his monster hunting days that didn’t really add to the plot. Yeah, he hunts monsters, we get it. I found myself skipping ahead of the reminiscing scenes and hoping for more Sebastian/Ryndalon bonding time. I mean, they didn’t even meet for the first 20% of the book. Also, their romance was very slow burn over a few days until boom, they’re practically thinking of marriage and sacrificing everything for each other? Not super realistic.

Aside from the pacing issues I appreciated that this was character-driven fantasy, despite some obvious ripoffs from The Witcher that I kept hoping would deviate into new territory but never really did.

[Jeanette Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I'm not a fan of The Witcher, I have no opinion on the rip-off/fan-fic complaints of several reviewers. Although, even I noticed that the character description was similar to the coming attractions description of the Witcher of the show. My problem was the language. The author used the F word over a dozen times. In the first chapter. I guess that the potty mouth was Skald's way of indicating that Sebastian was a curmudgeonly grouch. Not appreciated.
Bard Ryndalon, his guide, is a bit rundown. "Too chatty, too f'ing pretty with no concept of personal space" (p6). Sebastian has other so, so sweet thoughts about the man.
I found the use of Scandinavian/Norse folklore and culture quite enjoyable. Nice pacing in the story, Strong storyline. Just when I was sure that this was a snail's pace, low burn, they were practicality tearing each other's clothes off. Good worldbuilding, mostly inserted in Sebastian's back story chapters. There's a cliffhanger ending and some description of the next book.
I received an advanced copy of the book and this is my review.

[Joyffree]

Fast-paced Fantasy adventure that kept me engaged and turning the pages
A few out-loud OMG and STOP moments and a couple of twists I didn't see coming
Humor and some romance (though I felt this takes a back seat to the adventure)
A very solid start to the series
Not really dark IMO but it has darker tones

According to the author their debut novel The Dancing Tree is loosely built around an old Nordic myth/tale which I tend to enjoy
So this was right up my alley

There is time jumping in the form of present to past all in Sebastian's POV
The author did a solid job of making the jumps seamless. I didn't feel bogged down in details, or lost. They correlated well

Our hero, Sebastian is a bit snarky and grumpy, but he is a very crafty monster hunter
Not by choice, no his dad was up for murder and was given the option of trading his eldest son into servitude for his life.
I admit this sort of threw me but hey fantasy, fiction... anything can happen

Ryndalon is a healer and bard who ends up paired with Sebastian. Talk about opposite pairings. These two were oil and water.
The friction and banter between them made the story

From the opening page I was invested in Sebastian and his journey
Looking forward to the next in series

[Tiago Kietzmann · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be honest, I found myself unable to continue reading this book. It came across as a poorly executed imitation of "The Witcher," with an annoying narrator who employed an anti-climactic language and an excessive use of jumping between past and present. Furthermore, I failed to find any elements that truly classified it as "dark fantasy."

Perhaps buried within the pages, there may be some semblance of an interesting plot or character development, but after investing a significant amount of time, I grew increasingly frustrated at the prospect of wasting any more of it.

In summary, this book was a letdown. Its attempt at dark fantasy fell short, and the narrative style, along with the lack of engaging elements, left me disappointed. I regret having spent my time on it.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can see why a lot of people say this book resembles the Witcher. There are a lot of similar elements, but even if it's Witcher fanfic, I immensely enjoyed it. Sebastian is far enough removed from Geralt that he's his own character. Ryndalon is a mystery as well. What's up with the glowing blue eyes? I think this is different enough to say that it is not a copy.

I loved the Then and Now timeline jumps. I liked seeing how Sebastian went from a boy to a Relic. I liked seeing why he distrusts humans and why he keeps himself guarded. I liked that he has someone he feels like he can trust enough in Ryndalon, and that he let himself loose enough to call him Ryn, which seems intimate.

I look forward to reading book 2

[Siâni · Rating 3 out of 5]

This gave me The Witcher vibes (the Netflix series as I’ve not read the books).

The story is about Sebastian, a monster killer for hire once he was taken away to become Relict as payment for his father’s crime.

Not quite human, Sebastian has heightened senses, can heal quickly and doesn’t quite look human. Travelling to earn his keep and not come across any humans who believe Relics to be selfish or bad, he lives a solitary existence, until he meets Ryndalon.

The story isn’t bad but gosh some paragraphs were long when going through Sebastian’s thought processes etc. Ryndalon didn’t come into the story until quite late and the chemistry wasn’t quite there.

I quite liked Sebastian’s character but struggled to stay invested.

[Suzanne Irving · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world building in this series by JA Skald is spectacular and I was spellbound right from the start. We find out how Sebastian becomes a Relict which is what a monster hunter is called in this story and then he and the bard Ryndalon are thrown together by Skald. The two are both marvelous characters and their interactions spice up the story a lot both in good ways and bad! Skald combines folktales and sagas and puts a modern spin on them. I really enjoy this book.
From what I understand this is the second edition of this book so I hope that we don’t have to wait too long to find out more about what happens.


I got a copy of this book from GRR and this is my honest review

[Raven and Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It is a love slow to germinate, growing at its own pace as time and trust allow. Its roots thrust deep into the soil, its trunk swells and thickens, its mighty canopy explodes in a satisfying array of greenery as it spreads its branches wide.”

I love a book that starts out with a note to the gentle reader explaining what they will find within. I wasn’t sure how this would unfold, but I am glad I took a chance on this one. This story is entrancing. The characters are interesting and hiding all kinds of secrets. This is going to be a story that goes bad before the happy ending, but I am going to hold out hope for some good in poor Sebastian’s life.

[Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This dark thrilling MM fantasy novel is full of adventure, beasts, magic, bards, danger, and so much more. It also has a lot of fun tropes; opposites attract, only one bed, hurt comfort. The world and characters are intriguing, and full of Norse mythology. The MCs Sabastian, a Relict that takes jobs of monster hunting for towns and is part of the Church of the Arc (not by choice) and bard Ryndalon, who is is the sunny to Sabastians grumpy and has a mysterious past. They meet when Sabastian is screwed out of part of a payment and is given the bard as a guide and part of payment. This book has dark themes, child abuse, child endangerment, death of children.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story - it made me feel the feels - and I'm intrigued to read the next installment. Sebastian's life has been really hard, and he's a survivor more than anything. Ryndalon has a lot of secrets. There's more to both of them than meets the eye. I'm not a Witcher fan so I don't know (or care) about the particulars. I also don't know the referenced folktale. I love the possibilities of fan fiction and all the different places that reader/authors can take a story that the source material wouldn't or couldn't.

[Bretton Coppedge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only ever watched the first season of the Witcher so I don't know if there's even more similarities that I might not know about but at face value the basic gist is the same. Child taken and brutally brought up to fight monsters with no thanks from anyone and at great cost to himself. I liked the background scenes we got to add to the high fantasy of the story but I could have done without roughly half the book being a flashback. I wanted more Sebastian and Ryn screen time. I'm looking forward to the next installment for that reason.

[Alias11 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this start to a unique and entertaining new series. The characters are engaging, with secrets and agendas they try to keep hidden. It is hard not to sympathize with Sebastian and the harsh and unappreciated existence he has led. I am not generally a big fan of seeing a lot of a story told through flashbacks and memories, but here it really gives a lot of perspective and information. Ryndalon is certainly an enigma, and I am intrigued to see where the series goes from here.

I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

[Saskia Veldhuis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This first part is mostly about Sebastian's difficult life so far. The world building is very complex, the idea of Relicts is very interesting. The beginning was difficult - combining the introduction of a complicated world with various languages, characters human and otherwise and monsters with flashbacks to different times is hard to fully appreciate. I'd love to find out what happens next though.

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author describes this series as being "inspired by Scandinavian folktales and Norse sagas, stirred liberally with classic sword & sorcery fantasy, then all given an LGBTQIA+ twist - a thrilling, epic dark fantasy romance series told in third person POV and loaded up with twisty plot, shattering secrets, cross-cultural exploration and classic fae trickery."

Honestly, it felt very like The Witcher to me.

3 stars

[JC Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a solid high fantasy. It did come off as more YA than I anticipated, but the pacing was a little slower than YA. I would have liked to learn more about the world and how it was set up. It was a solid start and a fun ride. I will look forward to reading book 2. Thanks for the ARC.

[Gregg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think as long as you know that this is very similar to The Witcher going in, the book is ok. It's not terrible but not great either. It's entertaining minus a few bits of flashbacks that carried on too long.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

AN INTRIGUING READ WITH CHARACTERS THAT ARE PHENOMENAL AND SO MEMORABLE!

This is a new author for me, and this was an interesting read. Loved the characters and good writing.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humans are bad news to him but it seems things can be very different to what he thought. Life is going to get interesting for him when they go alone with him. A great tale which will keep you hooked