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The Bryanae Series #1
Prince of Bryanae
Elven soldier Willow serves the human Kingdom of Bryanae in a bid to overcome her traumatic past. Emotionally crippled and driven by her personal demons, she has buried that past so deeply that she has forgotten it altogether ... but it hasn't forgotten her.
Paralyzed by an inexplicable terror, she watches helplessly as old enemies kidnap the Prince. Considered by most of Bryanae to be a coward and a traitor, Willow decides she must confront her past and plunge into the heart of the enemy empire to rescue the Prince.
Aside from the steel blade she wields with lethal expertise, Willow has only dubious allies upon whom to rely-a headstrong private who's in love with her, an inscrutable winged mage with a hidden agenda, and a dashing but opportunistic captain whom she desires against her better judgment.
An army of fanatical warriors stands in her way. Leading them is the mad and seemingly immortal Warlord who has a personal grudge to settle with Willow: one that spans centuries.
Willow has devoted her life to discipline and now she must bring that discipline to bear. Pain will not stop her. Fear will not stop her. She will rescue the Prince or die trying. Willow has been honing her combat and weaponry skills for a very long time. It's time to put those skills to good use.
PRINCE OF BRYANAE is an epic fantasy novel filled with intense battles, romance, betrayal, and redemption.
"Fresh and strong and full of energy!" - New York Times Bestselling Author R. A. Salvatore
"Getzin makes you feel like a part of the intricate and fascinating world he's created. This is solid storytelling and spicy yarns. Once inside, you won't want to leave." - Mike Freeman, author of The New York Times notable book Bloody Sundays
"This is a splendid book full of adventure and a sympathetic character in Willow. The story has heart and excitement. I'd recommend it to anyone who loves a rollicking good fantasy. Jeffrey Getzin is a writer to watch" - Billie Sue Mosiman, author of Legions of the Dark
"I recommend [Prince of Bryanae] to anyone who enjoys a good story with nonstop action and suspense, combined with strong, memorable characters and an imaginative setting." - Scotti Cohn, author of Liberty's Children
Paralyzed by an inexplicable terror, she watches helplessly as old enemies kidnap the Prince. Considered by most of Bryanae to be a coward and a traitor, Willow decides she must confront her past and plunge into the heart of the enemy empire to rescue the Prince.
Aside from the steel blade she wields with lethal expertise, Willow has only dubious allies upon whom to rely-a headstrong private who's in love with her, an inscrutable winged mage with a hidden agenda, and a dashing but opportunistic captain whom she desires against her better judgment.
An army of fanatical warriors stands in her way. Leading them is the mad and seemingly immortal Warlord who has a personal grudge to settle with Willow: one that spans centuries.
Willow has devoted her life to discipline and now she must bring that discipline to bear. Pain will not stop her. Fear will not stop her. She will rescue the Prince or die trying. Willow has been honing her combat and weaponry skills for a very long time. It's time to put those skills to good use.
PRINCE OF BRYANAE is an epic fantasy novel filled with intense battles, romance, betrayal, and redemption.
"Fresh and strong and full of energy!" - New York Times Bestselling Author R. A. Salvatore
"Getzin makes you feel like a part of the intricate and fascinating world he's created. This is solid storytelling and spicy yarns. Once inside, you won't want to leave." - Mike Freeman, author of The New York Times notable book Bloody Sundays
"This is a splendid book full of adventure and a sympathetic character in Willow. The story has heart and excitement. I'd recommend it to anyone who loves a rollicking good fantasy. Jeffrey Getzin is a writer to watch" - Billie Sue Mosiman, author of Legions of the Dark
"I recommend [Prince of Bryanae] to anyone who enjoys a good story with nonstop action and suspense, combined with strong, memorable characters and an imaginative setting." - Scotti Cohn, author of Liberty's Children
458 pages, Paperback
First published November 3, 2010
14 people are currently reading
790 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey Getzin
8 books45 followersJeffrey Getzin graduated from Clark University where he won the Loring Holmes and Ruth Dodd Drama Contest for an original one-act play. He has a master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Pittsburgh. Jeffrey is a former employee at Google and now lives in New Jersey, where he lives with his long-time girlfriend Kate and a seemingly infinite number of cats.
Jeffrey is a lifelong practitioner of various martial arts, and currently holds a purple belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu under Renzo Gracie black belt Jamie Cruz and has trained in Muay Thai under legendary fighter Kaensak Sor Ploenjit. He has competed in table tennis at the national level. Jeffrey is an avid film and home theater buff. Also, his mother says he is very handsome.
Jeffrey is a lifelong practitioner of various martial arts, and currently holds a purple belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu under Renzo Gracie black belt Jamie Cruz and has trained in Muay Thai under legendary fighter Kaensak Sor Ploenjit. He has competed in table tennis at the national level. Jeffrey is an avid film and home theater buff. Also, his mother says he is very handsome.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
August 2, 2011
First let me say sorry that it's taken me so long however, My reading of the book was impeded upon by my husband finding a liking for this book and stealing it every chance he got to read it even while I was trying to read it. He has a bit of a habit of being impatient when he likes something needless to say I found myself reading the same chapter several times in the hopes of finding my lost place. This did not however make me regret reading the book at all actually it allowed me a greater gift to make sure that I had fully read the book to it's greatest extent and insured that I was not missing out on anything. So without further digression let me proceed with this review.
The Prince of Bryanae was actually a very well thought planned and written book with enough back story and enough depth to each of the characters to actually leave the ending and a lot of what happens in the book a surprise but still giving you that feeling that what you think and what you know are two different things. There are places where you have been given the answer to the coming events and even though it has been staring you in the face the whole time it's a pleasant surprise to see that you have completely been misdirected to the point you never saw it coming. There wasn't a feeling of been there done that with this book as it's hard to find fantasy novels that don't have a little bit of something else. At the same time it's a great joy to find another writer that makes me think of R.A Salvatore and for those that love those Dungeon and Dragon novels I suggest you pick up this book you will not be disappointed I know I was not. I Look forward to further seeing what this author has to offer in future books.
Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club
Emily
The Prince of Bryanae was actually a very well thought planned and written book with enough back story and enough depth to each of the characters to actually leave the ending and a lot of what happens in the book a surprise but still giving you that feeling that what you think and what you know are two different things. There are places where you have been given the answer to the coming events and even though it has been staring you in the face the whole time it's a pleasant surprise to see that you have completely been misdirected to the point you never saw it coming. There wasn't a feeling of been there done that with this book as it's hard to find fantasy novels that don't have a little bit of something else. At the same time it's a great joy to find another writer that makes me think of R.A Salvatore and for those that love those Dungeon and Dragon novels I suggest you pick up this book you will not be disappointed I know I was not. I Look forward to further seeing what this author has to offer in future books.
Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club
Emily
October 11, 2011
PRINCE OF BRYANAE is subtler and more complex than the slaughter-fest cover would have you believe. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of violence and mayhem, so don't read that the protagonist Willow is an elf and expect a Young Adulty type fantasy. This ain't that, and it ain't for the faint of heart. With that disclaimer, I'll say that for those who do read it, you get an interesting look at the hard-ass, anti-social type character prevalent in fantasy fiction as well as many other genres, but her you get an in-depth looks at what sort of back-story a character/person would have to have to end up that character. And rather than being forced to wade through endless introspection like you might in a literary fiction novel, Getzin delivers it in an excellent pacey piece filled with action and plenty of little and big surprises, twists, and betrayals, which are executed properly. Which is to say it makes sense that the character did what they did rather than it suited the author and the plot to have them do something that was out-of-character. Also, Getzin balances the dark with good bits of humor.
I recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys action-packed fantasy that is dark and at times disturbing, but mixed with humor and three-dimensional characters.
I recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys action-packed fantasy that is dark and at times disturbing, but mixed with humor and three-dimensional characters.
April 16, 2011
"After over a century of valiant service, the elven soldier Willow has buried her past so deeply that even she has forgotten it. But it hasn't forgotten her. Now old enemies have found her and have kidnapped the Prince of Bryanae before her very eyes"- A quick intro into an extraordinary world created by Jeffrey Getzin. Occupied by characters so unique and so finely drawn by a mangificent writer, the reader is truly tansported into Mr. Getzin's magical yet dangerous world. The elven soldier Willow serves as the anchor and eyes into this most original Fantasy epic- and a fine central character she is- in the hands of a lesser writer, Willow could easily be relegated into a one dimensional standard "heroine" but in the hands of Jeffrey Getzin, she is very much multi-dimentional - something that can be said for each character as well as this most superb Fantasy as a whole.
AN OFFICIAL JAMES MANSON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB MUST READ
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THE JAMES MANSON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB
AN OFFICIAL JAMES MANSON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB MUST READ
RICK FRIEDMAN
FOUNDER
THE JAMES MANSON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB
June 29, 2013
This book started out so promising. I really wanted to like it.
However, after the first 10 pages or so it just began to go downhill. I don't like giving 1 star reviews, but I feel I need to.
First off - the typos. This book needs one more pass of editing. There was a typo or grammatical error every couple of pages. 1 or 2 in an entire book I can overlook, it happens even in traditionally published works, however, when you get into the 10+ region, I feel that it's worth mentioning.
Second - the story:
The story starts with Willow, an elf in a human city. She has climbed the ranks of the elite guards and become a captain in the royal guard. She is ruled by discipline and an iron will, but something happened recently that has shattered her confidence. The first chapter is quite good and engaging, which is why the rest of the book was such a nasty shock.
In the first couple of chapters, the Prince of Bryanae gets kidnapped by barbarians and Willow gets demoted. Through a series of events, the Queen is going to trade her to the barbarians for the Prince... but Willow fights her way out of the castle - through the entire contingent of guards... and escapes, but not before the portcullis smashes down on her foot, tearing it to shreds and probably ripping some bones apart.
This is where my suspension of disbelief became stretched to the breaking point. She not only barely winces, she then hobbles on at a limping run through the streets of the city and to a wizard, who has nothing but a little pain-killer for her. She decides she is going to rescue the Prince herself, and asks the wizard for help. He opens a tunnel-like wormhole for her and she travels down it, only to reach the end and find that the other end of the portal is a good 30ish feet off the ground. (remember, her foot has been shredded)
So, what is an enterprising, disciplined elf to do, but throw herself towards the nearest tree. She misses and tumbled down nearly to the ground, and is described hurtling end over end, hitting every part of her body on branch after branch, until she finally hits one branch just right and postpone her otherwise certain-death. After limping through the woods in this state for some time, she finally gets to the hallucination and passing-out stage...
A friend she was traveling with (and told to get lost, because she didn't think she needed his help) conveniently shows up, has the power to heal her completely, and does so.
A little while later, she gets into a fight with a barbarian, and he punches her a couple of times and she hits her head and passes out. (Um... is this the same elf who raced through city streets with one foot bleeding all over the place, and then plummeted through a tree for a couple dozen feet and managed to make it halfway across a continent before the pain caught up with her?)
From there on out, the story descends into the obscene. As we journey through Willow's tortured past, every horrible scenario imaginable is foisted upon the reader in an effort to explain why she has turned out the way she has: from child-rape and abuse, to torture, to having her baby brutally murdered by her "husband" ... all described in graphic and explicit detail... the book left me completely reeling and horrified.
However, after the first 10 pages or so it just began to go downhill. I don't like giving 1 star reviews, but I feel I need to.
First off - the typos. This book needs one more pass of editing. There was a typo or grammatical error every couple of pages. 1 or 2 in an entire book I can overlook, it happens even in traditionally published works, however, when you get into the 10+ region, I feel that it's worth mentioning.
Second - the story:
The story starts with Willow, an elf in a human city. She has climbed the ranks of the elite guards and become a captain in the royal guard. She is ruled by discipline and an iron will, but something happened recently that has shattered her confidence. The first chapter is quite good and engaging, which is why the rest of the book was such a nasty shock.
In the first couple of chapters, the Prince of Bryanae gets kidnapped by barbarians and Willow gets demoted. Through a series of events, the Queen is going to trade her to the barbarians for the Prince... but Willow fights her way out of the castle - through the entire contingent of guards... and escapes, but not before the portcullis smashes down on her foot, tearing it to shreds and probably ripping some bones apart.
This is where my suspension of disbelief became stretched to the breaking point. She not only barely winces, she then hobbles on at a limping run through the streets of the city and to a wizard, who has nothing but a little pain-killer for her. She decides she is going to rescue the Prince herself, and asks the wizard for help. He opens a tunnel-like wormhole for her and she travels down it, only to reach the end and find that the other end of the portal is a good 30ish feet off the ground. (remember, her foot has been shredded)
So, what is an enterprising, disciplined elf to do, but throw herself towards the nearest tree. She misses and tumbled down nearly to the ground, and is described hurtling end over end, hitting every part of her body on branch after branch, until she finally hits one branch just right and postpone her otherwise certain-death. After limping through the woods in this state for some time, she finally gets to the hallucination and passing-out stage...
A friend she was traveling with (and told to get lost, because she didn't think she needed his help) conveniently shows up, has the power to heal her completely, and does so.
A little while later, she gets into a fight with a barbarian, and he punches her a couple of times and she hits her head and passes out. (Um... is this the same elf who raced through city streets with one foot bleeding all over the place, and then plummeted through a tree for a couple dozen feet and managed to make it halfway across a continent before the pain caught up with her?)
From there on out, the story descends into the obscene. As we journey through Willow's tortured past, every horrible scenario imaginable is foisted upon the reader in an effort to explain why she has turned out the way she has: from child-rape and abuse, to torture, to having her baby brutally murdered by her "husband" ... all described in graphic and explicit detail... the book left me completely reeling and horrified.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2012
PRINCE OF BRYANAE
By Jeffrey Getzin.
Discipline. That is the word Elven princess turned soldier Willow lives by. Discipline keeps her strong. Discipline keeps her alive. Discipline keeps her past in the past. Willow is far from the classic Elven beauty of fantasy. She is strong, determined and unconcerned with her looks or the opinions of others. She does her duty and she does it well. Until now.
Bryanae is under threat and for some reason Willow cannot act. She wants to, but some familiarity of current events to her past has paralysed her. Whispers and accusations add to her shame. Captain Eric Snyde of Company A openly mocks her and she can do nothing about it. Shielding herself in even more mental armour she shakes off the affections of the one person who truly declares his love for her, the Illuminati Tamlevar.
When barbarians storm the city and kidnap the Prince of Bryanae, once again Willow is struck dumb by her memories and watches helplessly as the prince is snatched away right under her nose. Tamlevar is gravely injured, Willow faces punishment for her ineptitude and the great Warlord is rising. Willow’s only hope now lies in trusting the mage Suel’s sinister blood magic and facing the repressed memories of her past in order to rescue the prince and restore order to her life.
This book came with a warning about the dark nature of some of the events in the story and rightly so, although there was nothing here – no themes, graphic descriptions or heinous acts – that I haven’t come to expect from modern fantasy. This is certainly not your classic fantasy with an elf protagonist type story and for that I was grateful. Rather this is an unusual book in that the main focus is certainly on the growth of the lead character Willow and the story is richly supplemented by the decisions and dangers she is forced to confront.
From the first page I found myself drawn into this world and it was an easy digestible and enjoyable read. In taking Willow on a journey into her repressed memories, Getzin covers serious topics but manages to do so with a narrative tone that is enlightening and, if you could possibly describe it this way, bordering on light hearted. Willow faces some awful truths, there is no getting away from that, but she is a strong character and has an envious ability to rise up after each blow and look for something positive at each step along the way, which works in the author’s favour in terms of the writing and readability.
It was refreshing to read a story about elves that did not conform to the standard conventions and plot points of so many fantasy novels and I would not hesitate to suggest this to anyone who is interested in a more contemporary and realistic character approach to the genre. There is much to recommend it but to describe it in a handful of phrases I would say: character driven, action filled, hero’s journey, well structured, swords and sorcery with a fist full of modern grit to make it stand out.
Elloise Hopkins.
By Jeffrey Getzin.
Discipline. That is the word Elven princess turned soldier Willow lives by. Discipline keeps her strong. Discipline keeps her alive. Discipline keeps her past in the past. Willow is far from the classic Elven beauty of fantasy. She is strong, determined and unconcerned with her looks or the opinions of others. She does her duty and she does it well. Until now.
Bryanae is under threat and for some reason Willow cannot act. She wants to, but some familiarity of current events to her past has paralysed her. Whispers and accusations add to her shame. Captain Eric Snyde of Company A openly mocks her and she can do nothing about it. Shielding herself in even more mental armour she shakes off the affections of the one person who truly declares his love for her, the Illuminati Tamlevar.
When barbarians storm the city and kidnap the Prince of Bryanae, once again Willow is struck dumb by her memories and watches helplessly as the prince is snatched away right under her nose. Tamlevar is gravely injured, Willow faces punishment for her ineptitude and the great Warlord is rising. Willow’s only hope now lies in trusting the mage Suel’s sinister blood magic and facing the repressed memories of her past in order to rescue the prince and restore order to her life.
This book came with a warning about the dark nature of some of the events in the story and rightly so, although there was nothing here – no themes, graphic descriptions or heinous acts – that I haven’t come to expect from modern fantasy. This is certainly not your classic fantasy with an elf protagonist type story and for that I was grateful. Rather this is an unusual book in that the main focus is certainly on the growth of the lead character Willow and the story is richly supplemented by the decisions and dangers she is forced to confront.
From the first page I found myself drawn into this world and it was an easy digestible and enjoyable read. In taking Willow on a journey into her repressed memories, Getzin covers serious topics but manages to do so with a narrative tone that is enlightening and, if you could possibly describe it this way, bordering on light hearted. Willow faces some awful truths, there is no getting away from that, but she is a strong character and has an envious ability to rise up after each blow and look for something positive at each step along the way, which works in the author’s favour in terms of the writing and readability.
It was refreshing to read a story about elves that did not conform to the standard conventions and plot points of so many fantasy novels and I would not hesitate to suggest this to anyone who is interested in a more contemporary and realistic character approach to the genre. There is much to recommend it but to describe it in a handful of phrases I would say: character driven, action filled, hero’s journey, well structured, swords and sorcery with a fist full of modern grit to make it stand out.
Elloise Hopkins.
October 1, 2011
This book is about waeh-loh. She is driven by "DISCIPLINE" in all parts of her life, and it was definitely a life that needed lots to survive. She goes through a Very rough existence from being born to the king and queen of elves (who is a Nasty evil vindictive woman who hates her daughter and doesn't care what happens to her daughter as long as it benefits the queen. Included pimping out her teenage daughter to a warlord and the destruction of the here own realm.) She is exiled into desertion of the guard of Bryanae (which she used her perseverance and "Discipline" to become a private of and eventually worked her way to Captain of.) by order of the queen after the prince was kidnapped and Waeh-loh ( named willow by the humans) froze instead of saving him.
The prince is kidnapped by a Warlord who at one point willow was "married" off to, and gave birth to his twins only one alive at birth and the second beat to death against a wall by the warlord/father for having pointy ears. Willow almost immediately following the murder of her remaining, child is raped and finally snaps... killing the warlord by ripping and twisting the flesh from his neck until she hits bone. The STRANGE circumstances his only other heir Fazzel eats his fathers remains and inherits his fathers soul allowing him to continue on through his descendants.
Willow with the help of Tamelavar (a man who actually is the most wonderful man that Willow will ever know even if she can't seem to accept that he loves her and that she could possibly in return.) and Suel a Mage travels though a mystical tunnel to Ignius Fatuus. Willow is tortured almost killed, then rescued by Tamelavar and healed. Then she meets the elven resistance who joins with her to save the prince and her AWFUL mother from the Barbarian Kards, who serve the Warlord.
Willow eventually finds out how her mother and Captain Snyde along with many others were all part of the conspiracy to get the prince and the land of Bryanae.
I will leave the ending which I really like a secret and let you read it for yourself.
This book may take a little "discipline" to read, especially when you try to read the correct use of the human language... ha ha, but with a perseverance you will really like this book.
The prince is kidnapped by a Warlord who at one point willow was "married" off to, and gave birth to his twins only one alive at birth and the second beat to death against a wall by the warlord/father for having pointy ears. Willow almost immediately following the murder of her remaining, child is raped and finally snaps... killing the warlord by ripping and twisting the flesh from his neck until she hits bone. The STRANGE circumstances his only other heir Fazzel eats his fathers remains and inherits his fathers soul allowing him to continue on through his descendants.
Willow with the help of Tamelavar (a man who actually is the most wonderful man that Willow will ever know even if she can't seem to accept that he loves her and that she could possibly in return.) and Suel a Mage travels though a mystical tunnel to Ignius Fatuus. Willow is tortured almost killed, then rescued by Tamelavar and healed. Then she meets the elven resistance who joins with her to save the prince and her AWFUL mother from the Barbarian Kards, who serve the Warlord.
Willow eventually finds out how her mother and Captain Snyde along with many others were all part of the conspiracy to get the prince and the land of Bryanae.
I will leave the ending which I really like a secret and let you read it for yourself.
This book may take a little "discipline" to read, especially when you try to read the correct use of the human language... ha ha, but with a perseverance you will really like this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2011
I purchased this book on Amazon for .99¢, and to be honest I wasn’t expecting much. Usually for that kind of deal, you usually get a quick read filled with grammatical errors, misspellings, and shallow characters. I’m glad I was wrong. The first thing I noticed was how extensive the story is. Thanks to Kindle, I always know how far I am into the book, and if I’m going for an epic fantasy story, I prefer it to be a long one. The backstory doesn’t kick in until about mid-book, making me wonder what was going on. A rough and tough elf, hiding from a daunting past, is faced with what she fears the most. “Prince of Bryanae” was really an ambitious book. It had my attention from the first pages and kept it though dramatic twists and turns and almost horrifying passages. I’m pretty sure I laughed and cried a little. ��Prince of Bryanae” is a fantasy adventure story about one strong woman, packed with battle sequences, drama, heroics, and even a little romance. Moreover, I believe it’s a story about prevailing over a brutal past and overcoming our greatest fears.
August 26, 2013
I'm afraid three stars is the best I can give this story. Jeffrey Getzin's writing is excellent. I love his simple, dry style, he's one of the few Kindle writers who gets the concept of character voice, and while there are a few missing or incorrect words, there wasn't enough of that to yank me from the story. Unfortunately.
This is a dark one. It could be classified as epic, but IMO dark fantasy is a more appropriate genre for it. The violence done to the main character became repetitive and seemed pointless in places, even though the entire point of the book was to tear her down to bare surviving essentials and rebuild her in a more positive image. I'm a fan of that; it's what I write, too. Just not so dark.
Ditto for the extended flashback. I broke mine into chunks and peppered it throughout the book; different effect, same purpose. But again, in this case the violence and horrors became repetitive.
I've enjoyed Mr Getzin's other stories, and this won't stop me from reading future ones. But three stars here.
This is a dark one. It could be classified as epic, but IMO dark fantasy is a more appropriate genre for it. The violence done to the main character became repetitive and seemed pointless in places, even though the entire point of the book was to tear her down to bare surviving essentials and rebuild her in a more positive image. I'm a fan of that; it's what I write, too. Just not so dark.
Ditto for the extended flashback. I broke mine into chunks and peppered it throughout the book; different effect, same purpose. But again, in this case the violence and horrors became repetitive.
I've enjoyed Mr Getzin's other stories, and this won't stop me from reading future ones. But three stars here.
December 27, 2010
Impressed with the book and gave three for Christmas presents.
The Prince of Byranae is a book for the lovers of Fantasy. It finds a great balance by providing characters you love, hate and completely despise , all throughout the book. The main character ( Willow ) has wonderful strengths and flaws that poke you in the eye in the first few chapters. She is a great hero, not the flawless hero that some fantasy novels want you to believe in. The real treat of book , after the characters, are the battle and fight sequences. It is evident that Jeffery has taken his real world experience in fighting martial arts and translated them beautifully into fight sequences that seem both realistic and entertaining. They allow you to visualize and sometime feel, the fights , paragraph after paragraph. This book is a definite read for those looking for a escape and be immersed into another world.
The Prince of Byranae is a book for the lovers of Fantasy. It finds a great balance by providing characters you love, hate and completely despise , all throughout the book. The main character ( Willow ) has wonderful strengths and flaws that poke you in the eye in the first few chapters. She is a great hero, not the flawless hero that some fantasy novels want you to believe in. The real treat of book , after the characters, are the battle and fight sequences. It is evident that Jeffery has taken his real world experience in fighting martial arts and translated them beautifully into fight sequences that seem both realistic and entertaining. They allow you to visualize and sometime feel, the fights , paragraph after paragraph. This book is a definite read for those looking for a escape and be immersed into another world.
June 20, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. It's a good fantasy novel with an elves, some mages, etc. The main character, Willow, is an elf who lives among humans as the Captain in the army. Her old enemies, the Kards, invade the land and kidnap the prince right in front of her. So she goes on a quest to rescue the prince and in the process confronts some old fears, demons, etc. At first when I started reading it, I was not sure I was going to like the main character, but as I kept reading, I really got wrapped up in her story and the plot. It ended up being quite a page turner for me - even if there were times when I had to suspend disbelief that she could be injured so much and still be able to keep going. The ending is also a bit too neatly wrapped up, but still it is a very enjoyable book, and I would like to read more by this author.
I won this book in one of the Goodreads giveaways but that has not affected my above review.
I won this book in one of the Goodreads giveaways but that has not affected my above review.
March 27, 2013
I absolutely loved this. The story is intense and engrossing; the characters complex and diverse. It's dark and rather violent, but the result is emotional and poignant, not at all senseless or horrific. There is so much going on here! I often speed read through "boring" parts of books or rush to finish if I get tired of a story, but that was not the case here! I found myself waiting until I had uninterrupted time available so that I could really absorb and enjoy what was coming. This book got me.
The plot was fantastic with lots of interesting twists. Every time I thought I knew how the story would unfold next, I was wrong. None of it felt forced or manufactured for me.
Action scenes were well done as were the deeply emotional aspects of the heroine. The author took on some really deep difficult stuff with her and, in my view, absolutely pulled it off. I found her to be very believable within the context of the setting and story.
New favorite! I'll read this many times!
The plot was fantastic with lots of interesting twists. Every time I thought I knew how the story would unfold next, I was wrong. None of it felt forced or manufactured for me.
Action scenes were well done as were the deeply emotional aspects of the heroine. The author took on some really deep difficult stuff with her and, in my view, absolutely pulled it off. I found her to be very believable within the context of the setting and story.
New favorite! I'll read this many times!
July 5, 2013
Prince of Bryanae was quite a bit darker than what I'd anticipated when I picked it up. I couldn't suppress a visceral reaction to some of the violence, and that is as much a credit to the writer as is the fact that by the time this started happening, I was far too attached to Willow and Tamlevar to walk away from them. I'm glad I stuck around, because watching both of them fight their way along and complete this journey was incredibly rewarding.
Getzin's writing style is accessible and entertaining, and this story is very well paced. Generally, when I'm reading a piece of fiction that spans over 400 pages, I get bored long before the end. I couldn't put this one down until I'd finished it (I'm sure my family is thrilled that I spent a fair amount of time curled up in a corner with my Kindle at a party at my brother's house yesterday because by then I was too absorbed in this story to focus on much else), and I'm really looking forward to seeing more of Bryanae and Captain Willow.
Getzin's writing style is accessible and entertaining, and this story is very well paced. Generally, when I'm reading a piece of fiction that spans over 400 pages, I get bored long before the end. I couldn't put this one down until I'd finished it (I'm sure my family is thrilled that I spent a fair amount of time curled up in a corner with my Kindle at a party at my brother's house yesterday because by then I was too absorbed in this story to focus on much else), and I'm really looking forward to seeing more of Bryanae and Captain Willow.
September 30, 2018
This book is not badly written. The plot is not terrible. The story telling is not awful. The character development is not missing. In the kindle version, the editing is not absent.
But it's also not enjoyable.
The main character is an emotionally crippled elf in a world of humans where she has achieved semi-status as a captain of the guard in the kingdom's military. The primary story is this elf's journey of discovery of her past as she embarks on a present-day rescue mission of a royal family member. So to put it another way...the book is basically a chronicle of her 200 years of misery and degradation which has caused her to lose her memory and become the social/emotional cripple that she is. Of course, WE get to experience this backstory in all of it's lengthy and detailed misery in the process of her journey of personal discovery.
I didn't enjoy the trip.
But it's also not enjoyable.
The main character is an emotionally crippled elf in a world of humans where she has achieved semi-status as a captain of the guard in the kingdom's military. The primary story is this elf's journey of discovery of her past as she embarks on a present-day rescue mission of a royal family member. So to put it another way...the book is basically a chronicle of her 200 years of misery and degradation which has caused her to lose her memory and become the social/emotional cripple that she is. Of course, WE get to experience this backstory in all of it's lengthy and detailed misery in the process of her journey of personal discovery.
I didn't enjoy the trip.
October 3, 2011
I won a copy of this book through first reads.
And I'm so glad I did!
I really enjoyed this book. In fact, I had trouble putting it down. It was a fairly fast paced story. It starts off without much of an introduction - just a jump right into action. I was unsure about this, but as I progressed through the book, I realized why this had been done. I was discovering things right along with the main character.
I don't want to give away anything about the story or ending. So I'll just say that if you like fantasy and a whole lot of fighting, you'll love this book.
And I'm so glad I did!
I really enjoyed this book. In fact, I had trouble putting it down. It was a fairly fast paced story. It starts off without much of an introduction - just a jump right into action. I was unsure about this, but as I progressed through the book, I realized why this had been done. I was discovering things right along with the main character.
I don't want to give away anything about the story or ending. So I'll just say that if you like fantasy and a whole lot of fighting, you'll love this book.
July 20, 2011
Received a free copy via Goodreads First reads.
The book started off well and before I knew it I was 100 pages in...however I found myself wondering when I'd start learning the back story. While it came a little later in the book than I would have liked, the way it was presented was unique and provided a different way to advance the storyline while providing the foundation I felt was missing. Looking forward to the next book.
The book started off well and before I knew it I was 100 pages in...however I found myself wondering when I'd start learning the back story. While it came a little later in the book than I would have liked, the way it was presented was unique and provided a different way to advance the storyline while providing the foundation I felt was missing. Looking forward to the next book.
February 13, 2012
This is a great book to read with great characters that you can truly come to both love and hate. It is an action packed read that at times is hard to put down. The only thing that keeps this book from getting 5 stars is that the end is too rushed and predictable. This was a good enough story that I really wouldn't have minded if it hadn't been so complete and left me wondering what the next book would bring.
March 25, 2013
I really began reading this book with a little trepidation, because as far a reading is concerned, it seemed way out of my comfort zone. But, it turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made, as far as reading goes. It has everything! Centring around an elf princess, it has mystical lands, murder and mayhem, unrequited love, magic and a damn good story and believable character. It's a, 'can't put down', book, so well done Mr Getzin. Fabulous!
September 28, 2011
LOVE FANTASY---- I really enjoyed this book. It's a good fantasy novel with a female elf. Willow is an elf who lived amoung humans as the captain in the military.The Kards kidnap the Prince, and she goes on a quest to rescue the Prince and in the process, she has to deal with her old fears.It's was amazing how Willow survive all her injures. Great Book
August 23, 2014
This story is amazing! I loved it!
I admit I was put off from reading it from the cover. I was expecting a bloody gruesome book for teenager boys.
Instead there is a wonderful story, complicated, lively and full of good and horrible moments.
I admit I was put off from reading it from the cover. I was expecting a bloody gruesome book for teenager boys.
Instead there is a wonderful story, complicated, lively and full of good and horrible moments.
December 3, 2015
I received this book from Goodreads giveaway. I did like the courageous character Willow. This was a bit dark for my taste. Willow had to endure horrible situations. I did like that she had a friend in her corner. Overall, it was nice to read some thing new.
March 3, 2011
The most interesting new fantasy that Ive picked up in years. Every character is well thought detailed and the reader becomes invested in all of them. A truly great read.
July 12, 2011
Just started and had a hard time pulling away after the first chapter!
Getzin gets it! Great story, great characters, great world.
Definitely worth the read!
Getzin gets it! Great story, great characters, great world.
Definitely worth the read!
May 10, 2015
Royal Rescue
This entertaining fantasy novel concerns the rescue of a prince. There is humor along with the adventure within this story.
This entertaining fantasy novel concerns the rescue of a prince. There is humor along with the adventure within this story.
December 5, 2015
This was one of the best books I have read in a long time.It captured me from the start and when I was finished all I could say was WOW what a ride.
Read
March 31, 2023rtc
September 30, 2012
Prince of Bryanae is a self-published novel that does everything right. It starts by having a fast-moving, well-written story as its core and reason for being, but in addition the author, Jeff Getzin, has gone those extra miles that, sadly, few self-published authors seem to realize are necessary; he has obviously had professionals provide him with editing and layout as well as a well-done cover painting, and the result is a fully professional novel that can sit proudly next to anything the big houses produce.
I will admit that I have a personal connection to this novel – which I will detail at the end – but I also wouldn’t have FINISHED the novel had it not been able to stand on its own. I won’t review material or provide blurbs for it unless I actually enjoy what I’m given.
Prince of Bryanae is the story of Captain Willow, a nigh-immortal elven warrior in the almost completely human kingdom of Bryanae. Hardened and aloof, Willow has found her niche and seems content, if not happy, to live out her extremely long life as a fixture in the military of Bryanae.
But in a swift series of shocking events, she goes from the half-legendary warrior leader to a disgraced and hunted woman, confused and frightened yet determined to carry out the one duty she cannot relinquish: to rescue the Prince who was kidnapped before her very eyes.
To do this, she will have to confront horrors that she had hidden from herself – walled off within the innermost core of her mind – and travel to the now-occupied homeland of the Elves, and survive long enough to find the Prince… and discover some way to rescue him from within the greatest stronghold of his enemies… and hers.
As a personal experience, I would consider reading Prince of Bryanae as similar to seeing The Dark Knight; this novel rode the very line of my tolerance for darkness. I am glad I read it, it was a worthy experience, and I will likely never read it again. Jeff Getzin pulls no punches and follows the dictum of “never make it easy for your character” to the extreme. Willow suffers setback after setback, and horrific events – both in the present and revealed in her past – are almost common. It is, quite literally, not until the last few chapters that it seems she has any chance of success at all, and not until the last chapter will she get true relief.
But that is my personal taste. Those who prefer a harder, grittier, darker edge to their fantasy will find Prince of Bryanae a very worthy novel indeed. Oh, there are some minor nits to pick – some names might have been chosen better, some concepts or portions of the world might have been explained more fully (perhaps a gazetteer might be added, Jeff?), but the story MOVES in a way few novels manage, taking you at a breakneck pace straight into Willow’s personal hell and back with scarcely a moment for the reader to catch their breath, let alone poor Willow and her companions – or adversaries, for that matter.
Finally, a reveal of my personal interest in this novel: the author, Jeffrey Getzin, was the GM in the campaign for which I created and ran Kyrie Ross, the character who became Kyri Vantage, one of the main characters in my own novel Phoenix Rising. Many of the basic features of her background and character were defined in that campaign, which took place back in my early days in Pittsburgh. Jeff was also a player in my Zarathan campaign, and created the unforgettable, incomparable swashbuckling character D’Arbignal, swordsman and rogue. As a major part of D’Arbignal’s background, I created for Jeff the distant island country of Bryanae and its major players.
I gave Bryanae to Jeff when he left the campaign; it seemed right to do so, because even that whole country, which had grown more detailed in my mind as the campaign went on, still felt as though it belonged, not merely to Jeff, but to D’Arbignal himself, an inextricable part and parcel of that character’s background. I was very pleased to see that Bryanae has continued to live and grow… and to see certain references that have meaning to me, personally, in that world.
I will admit that I have a personal connection to this novel – which I will detail at the end – but I also wouldn’t have FINISHED the novel had it not been able to stand on its own. I won’t review material or provide blurbs for it unless I actually enjoy what I’m given.
Prince of Bryanae is the story of Captain Willow, a nigh-immortal elven warrior in the almost completely human kingdom of Bryanae. Hardened and aloof, Willow has found her niche and seems content, if not happy, to live out her extremely long life as a fixture in the military of Bryanae.
But in a swift series of shocking events, she goes from the half-legendary warrior leader to a disgraced and hunted woman, confused and frightened yet determined to carry out the one duty she cannot relinquish: to rescue the Prince who was kidnapped before her very eyes.
To do this, she will have to confront horrors that she had hidden from herself – walled off within the innermost core of her mind – and travel to the now-occupied homeland of the Elves, and survive long enough to find the Prince… and discover some way to rescue him from within the greatest stronghold of his enemies… and hers.
As a personal experience, I would consider reading Prince of Bryanae as similar to seeing The Dark Knight; this novel rode the very line of my tolerance for darkness. I am glad I read it, it was a worthy experience, and I will likely never read it again. Jeff Getzin pulls no punches and follows the dictum of “never make it easy for your character” to the extreme. Willow suffers setback after setback, and horrific events – both in the present and revealed in her past – are almost common. It is, quite literally, not until the last few chapters that it seems she has any chance of success at all, and not until the last chapter will she get true relief.
But that is my personal taste. Those who prefer a harder, grittier, darker edge to their fantasy will find Prince of Bryanae a very worthy novel indeed. Oh, there are some minor nits to pick – some names might have been chosen better, some concepts or portions of the world might have been explained more fully (perhaps a gazetteer might be added, Jeff?), but the story MOVES in a way few novels manage, taking you at a breakneck pace straight into Willow’s personal hell and back with scarcely a moment for the reader to catch their breath, let alone poor Willow and her companions – or adversaries, for that matter.
Finally, a reveal of my personal interest in this novel: the author, Jeffrey Getzin, was the GM in the campaign for which I created and ran Kyrie Ross, the character who became Kyri Vantage, one of the main characters in my own novel Phoenix Rising. Many of the basic features of her background and character were defined in that campaign, which took place back in my early days in Pittsburgh. Jeff was also a player in my Zarathan campaign, and created the unforgettable, incomparable swashbuckling character D’Arbignal, swordsman and rogue. As a major part of D’Arbignal’s background, I created for Jeff the distant island country of Bryanae and its major players.
I gave Bryanae to Jeff when he left the campaign; it seemed right to do so, because even that whole country, which had grown more detailed in my mind as the campaign went on, still felt as though it belonged, not merely to Jeff, but to D’Arbignal himself, an inextricable part and parcel of that character’s background. I was very pleased to see that Bryanae has continued to live and grow… and to see certain references that have meaning to me, personally, in that world.
March 27, 2013
I received a copy of this novel for free in exchange for an honest review.
The original review can be found here: http://tracyriva.com/
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If I had to describe this novel in one word it would be, long. Exceedingly long, but that is how epic fantasy tends to be. This is not a light read in any sense of the word. Although the writing style comes off as YA it is not for younger readers or for anyone who doesn’t like to read unpleasant, graphic content, including baby killing, beatings and child rape.
This is an epic adventure novel about an elven princess ( Willow ) turned warrior whose past comes back to haunt her. A past so horrible she can’t even remember it, meaning the reader gets to experience it in several, somewhat tedious, and repetitive flash backs. Most of these don’t come until the end of the book and really could be summed up in one conversation with Willow ’s mother. However, the dream sequences were presented in an unusual and interesting manner.
Throughout the story poor Willow takes beating after beating, constantly passing out and then getting beat again. It was almost unbelievable in the way this girl could bounce back.
Though there were some points I did find confusing, I did enjoy the fantastical realm. It was a fresh break from the usual vampires and werewolves found in fantasy/supernatural. Willow is easy to sympathize with, though sometimes hard to like. The bad characters are easy to dislike, and the supporting roles propel the story forward well. The plot isn’t entirely original but does offer some unseen twists.
Being a world that exists solely in the imagination of the writer it was hard to delve into that world with so little description. It was all action, and less adventure, and when given any chance to create the world around the characters the author kept it brief.
I would suggest this novel to those who enjoy a good fantastical journey. It’s a promising start for this author.
The original review can be found here: http://tracyriva.com/
----------
If I had to describe this novel in one word it would be, long. Exceedingly long, but that is how epic fantasy tends to be. This is not a light read in any sense of the word. Although the writing style comes off as YA it is not for younger readers or for anyone who doesn’t like to read unpleasant, graphic content, including baby killing, beatings and child rape.
This is an epic adventure novel about an elven princess ( Willow ) turned warrior whose past comes back to haunt her. A past so horrible she can’t even remember it, meaning the reader gets to experience it in several, somewhat tedious, and repetitive flash backs. Most of these don’t come until the end of the book and really could be summed up in one conversation with Willow ’s mother. However, the dream sequences were presented in an unusual and interesting manner.
Throughout the story poor Willow takes beating after beating, constantly passing out and then getting beat again. It was almost unbelievable in the way this girl could bounce back.
Though there were some points I did find confusing, I did enjoy the fantastical realm. It was a fresh break from the usual vampires and werewolves found in fantasy/supernatural. Willow is easy to sympathize with, though sometimes hard to like. The bad characters are easy to dislike, and the supporting roles propel the story forward well. The plot isn’t entirely original but does offer some unseen twists.
Being a world that exists solely in the imagination of the writer it was hard to delve into that world with so little description. It was all action, and less adventure, and when given any chance to create the world around the characters the author kept it brief.
I would suggest this novel to those who enjoy a good fantastical journey. It’s a promising start for this author.
January 1, 2012
*First Reads Contest Winner*
I'm probably leaning to 2.5 stars on this one. Like others, I was really happy with the first part of the book. There was no lack for action, and the description of the world, while not very in depth, was sufficient enough. It's a story of an elven princess who gets concussed repeatedly throughout a quest to save a prince. Honestly, the abuse she takes begins getting repetitive, and when the heinous abuse she suffered was revealed in her back story, i felt it was almost as much a test of endurance for the reader as for the character. The real problem lies in an incongruity between the writing style and the horrors and mature content the author is trying to portray. The author writes with a Young-Adult like style, very simple, overly playful and sarcastic, while describing baby killing and rape. It just seems... off. Indeed, many of the male characters try to force the heroine to deal with feelings (and moping about how theirs are hurt) at really inappropriate times. It just lends a very childish quality to the romance. But all in all, it's not a bad book, and despite the back story segment being arduous and repetitive, it's a pretty enjoyable and easy read.
I'm probably leaning to 2.5 stars on this one. Like others, I was really happy with the first part of the book. There was no lack for action, and the description of the world, while not very in depth, was sufficient enough. It's a story of an elven princess who gets concussed repeatedly throughout a quest to save a prince. Honestly, the abuse she takes begins getting repetitive, and when the heinous abuse she suffered was revealed in her back story, i felt it was almost as much a test of endurance for the reader as for the character. The real problem lies in an incongruity between the writing style and the horrors and mature content the author is trying to portray. The author writes with a Young-Adult like style, very simple, overly playful and sarcastic, while describing baby killing and rape. It just seems... off. Indeed, many of the male characters try to force the heroine to deal with feelings (and moping about how theirs are hurt) at really inappropriate times. It just lends a very childish quality to the romance. But all in all, it's not a bad book, and despite the back story segment being arduous and repetitive, it's a pretty enjoyable and easy read.
January 6, 2016
A light-hearted tale of cruelty, perversions and torture. Hmm — that didn't seem to come out too well — like in cartoons or comic strips where a character runs through a brick wall and you laugh because you know it will turn out all right in the end. This book is a bit like that, but I admit I got a bit tired of the litany of violence towards the end. Over all, a bit of fun, but I don't know whether I could be bothered to buy the sequels.
November 28, 2011
A good first novel with a few quirks that keep it at three stars. There's just a bit too much Jerry Springer horror story to it, and a few too many dream sequences for my liking. I'd say check it out, if not for it's own merit, at least for the great promise the author shows. Keep an eye out for the prequels.
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