[Review] Thane(Book 1 of the Everknot Duet) by Travis Bow

January 30, 2018January 30, 2018 ~ fierybooks ~ Leave a comment

Summary

A fletcher’s apprentice finally finds his calling in a brotherhood of elite rebel spies… until he discovers his leader’s plot to betray them all.

When the Huctans conscript Timothy into a secret army—and when a girl with a strange set of skills sets him free—an awkward young man gets the chance to become a hero. Throwing himself into the rebel cause, Timothy ignites years of pent-up frustration and futility in an obsessive drive to fight, spy, and deceive better than anyone else. Losing himself in the exhaustion of training and the danger of missions, he finds friendship with a Thane as fanatical as he is and wraps his new identity completely in service to the rebel Band.

The rebel Band which, unbeknownst to him, was created to be betrayed.

A heart-breaking tale of duplicity, passion, and adventure.

Review

4.6/5

Wow. That was a great read. There are subtle hints of the author’s love of Parkour throughout the novel which creates an interesting effect in the context of a medieval society. I mean, medieval fantasy combined with Parkour. Hook me up!

With an interesting prose(nicely structured sentences), Travis demonstrates his proficiency as a writer. The story flows fluidly from one plot point to another. The characters are well fleshed out which allows for some interesting conflicts such as the desire to protect one’s nation vs seeking safety. Moreover, unlike many other authors, Bow takes the time to ensure that the characters go through the training sequence rather than have op characters off the bat. The main drawback is that the novel seems largely to be a setup for the future novels but based on what I have seen, I hold high expectations for the next novel. Overall, the novel serves as a nice throwback to more traditional fantasy(coming of age) compared to the predominance of grim,gritty fantasy. The well developed plot and characters set the stage for an riveting sequel.

I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest, non-reciprocal opinion.

Author Bio

Travis grew up in Reno, NV (where he raised pigs for FFA). He earned degrees from Oklahoma Christian University (where he broke his collarbone in a misguided Parkour attempt) and Stanford (where he and his bike were hit by a car), spent 5 years doing R&D for Nikon (where he earned several patents), and now works on medical robots in Reno. He has written a two-book series about teenage medieval secret agents, and his short stories have appeared in Spark, Abyss and Apex, Bards and Sages Quarterly, Stupefying Stories, Punchnel’s, Kids ‘Magination, and Liquid Imagination.

[Review]The Devil Take Tomorrow by Gretchen Jeannette

January 9, 2018January 10, 2018 ~ fierybooks ~ Leave a comment

Summary

George Washington has been marked for death. British agents embedded in the Continental Army wait only for the order to strike. Racing against time, rebel spy Ethan Matlock sets out to protect the one man who can save the Revolution. Without General Washington, the whole American enterprise might easily collapse, for no one else has demonstrated the ability to keep together an army that constantly threatens to fall apart.

Boldly Ethan infiltrates the heart of the British military, occupiers of grand old Philadelphia, where elegant officers posture in drawing rooms and frolic in the bedrooms of the rich. Surrounded by twenty thousand redcoats, aware that the slightest misstep could lead to the gallows, Ethan resorts to vicious measures to unravel a conspiracy of power-hungry men. Against his better judgment, he becomes entangled with the provocative Miss Maddie Graves, whose fierce devotion to the American cause ironically threatens his mission. (less)

My Review

4.49/5

“Where the army goes, the law soon disappears.” -Gretchen Jeannette in The Devil Take Tommorrow.

This haunting quote is echoed throughout the novel where we see the tradegy war has had on colonial america- it has split families such as Loxley’s, jailed men who care about their country such as Maddie’s father, and caused death and misery throughout America.

The novel revoles around the tale of two lovers Ethan and Maddie but its true strength lies in its historical portrayal. From the very first page which is a letter to George Washington, the reader is instantly immersed into the revolutionary drama that is to come. We get a glimpse of almost every feature of colonial life from glittering balls to elaborate powdered wigs. The research that is demonstrated in the novel must have been painstakingly collected over months, if not years.

I won’t mince words: while the writing sometimes is over descriptive for the sake of being descriptive, I still would recommend the book because of its outstanding historical research and decent romance. If you want to get a glimpse of colonial life, this is the book for you.

Disclaimer: I was provided this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Author Bio(Gretchen Jeannette)

I live and work in Chester County, Pennsylvania, an area rich in Revolutionary War and Colonial American history. My enduring interest in 18th Century America began at a young age, inspired by the novels of Dale Van Every and Allan Eckert, whose timeless tales of adventure and romance capture the essence of early American lore. Eager to read more such stories, to my disappointment I had trouble finding them on bookshelves, so I decided to write one of my own. Thus began a journey fueled by my passion for breathing life into history through believable characters, plots woven with adventure, romance and suspense and, of course, plenty of derring-do.