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bookish_slagathor's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Did you ever want to read the origin story of all those grand, old, wise wizards? Well, now is your chance!
This book was clearly meant as a love letter to LotR, no doubt about that. While I feel it wasn’t exactly perfect, it is clear the author was very passionate about bringing the story to life.
Where the book shines is the writing and the history surrounding the world. Sterling clearly thought a lot about the lore and put a lot of effort into world building.
Still, I felt the author wasn’t quite sure what tone he wanted to hit. Most of the book is lighthearted, sort of YA/middle grade style and highly devoid of any serious, life-threatening perils. Don’t get me wrong, our characters do get attacked, but until the very end they easily escape any danger, which makes it feel like a very low-stakes adventure.
Problem is, since this IS in essence supposed to be an adventure, the lack of real danger makes it feel more like a walking simulator. I will not lie, I felt like falling asleep for 60-70% of the book and the only thing keeping me going was the beautiful landscape and sheer curiosity. Sure, we do get some blood, death and whatnot by the end, but that was a bit too little too late.
Also there was a romance subplot that just felt so bland, I wasn’t even sure why it was needed in the first place. I could have lived another joyful day without it for sure. Oh and let’s not forget the one dimensional villains that to me felt more comical than threatening.
Still, I noticed that ever so sneakily I grew attached to this motley and lovable group of characters (that also lacked a certain depth, but not as badly as the villains) and the last few chapters intrigued me enough that I will probably continue with the series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Murder, Death, and Violence
Minor: Vomit and Slavery
millennialbookreview's review
3.0
Into the Wildbarrens is a book that has an interesting idea at its heart. The author put a great deal of thought into creating a unique world and having a diversity of creatures within said world. A quest story is a tried and true staple of the fantasy genre and he was smart to use it in this novel. At the same time, the pacing and exposition weren’t handled very well and the characters lacked personality. The book is a light read, with a simple plot and stakes that aren’t very high. I’d recommend it to either young fantasy fans, or those looking for just a “feel good” type of story.
My full review can be found here
My full review can be found here
dvrk_academic's review
4.0
First off, I wanted to thank the author, Christian Sterling, for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
If you are looking for a beautiful fantasy story, this book is for you, especially if you are starting out in the genre. I felt so nostalgic reading this book! It's Deltora Quest mets the Shannara Chronicles and growing up, those were my favourite books.
What I loved about the book:
*SO. MUCH. ACTION: I'm not a fan of slow books, generally speaking, and this book had action in almost every single chapter. I loved it.
*The strangers to family trope: the characters in this book started off as strangers and developed into friends. By the time the book ended, they were one united family and it was honestly so beautiful to read.
*The diversity in the book: while this book is not set in modern day, the characters in the book didn't come from one place, they came from all over the lands of Elsana, each a different race. This representation is sooo important and I'm glad Christian included it.
*Romance: CARTHON AND NYM!!!! I was rooting for them from the beginning! I was ecstatic about that!
What I didn't like:
* The book does need a little more editing. This didn't bother me, but it's definitely something to consider for the future.
*The relationship between Red and Bossador, especially in the beginning. I felt that they went enemies to friends real quick. I would've loved to see more development there.
*The fact that this book only showed us one gem! Don't get me wrong, it was an adventurous book but I did feel as though it was stretched out.
Overall, this book is an amazing start to a series I definitely want to continue reading it. It has sooo much potential and I'm excited to see where the journey takes us. Thanks again Christian!!
If you are looking for a beautiful fantasy story, this book is for you, especially if you are starting out in the genre. I felt so nostalgic reading this book! It's Deltora Quest mets the Shannara Chronicles and growing up, those were my favourite books.
What I loved about the book:
*SO. MUCH. ACTION: I'm not a fan of slow books, generally speaking, and this book had action in almost every single chapter. I loved it.
*The strangers to family trope: the characters in this book started off as strangers and developed into friends. By the time the book ended, they were one united family and it was honestly so beautiful to read.
*The diversity in the book: while this book is not set in modern day, the characters in the book didn't come from one place, they came from all over the lands of Elsana, each a different race. This representation is sooo important and I'm glad Christian included it.
*Romance: CARTHON AND NYM!!!! I was rooting for them from the beginning! I was ecstatic about that!
What I didn't like:
* The book does need a little more editing. This didn't bother me, but it's definitely something to consider for the future.
*The relationship between Red and Bossador, especially in the beginning. I felt that they went enemies to friends real quick. I would've loved to see more development there.
*The fact that this book only showed us one gem! Don't get me wrong, it was an adventurous book but I did feel as though it was stretched out.
Overall, this book is an amazing start to a series I definitely want to continue reading it. It has sooo much potential and I'm excited to see where the journey takes us. Thanks again Christian!!
rovie_reads's review
4.0
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Boo yattah!! Boo yattah!"
OH MY GOD. I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!
To be honest, I was hesitant to pick it up, but hey I am thankful!!! It was a great quarantine read!
I cannot recall the last time I read a book about adventures, but this book made me want to read more. Things to love about this book:
- The adventure was so well written. Twists and world building will not disappoint. For every chapter, you will be introduced to a new creature, a new magical place, a legend and such.
- The CHARACTERS!!!! I live for book squads and the Champions are definitely easy yo love. You get to have a Wizard who is kind, just and wise. A sage who doesn't eat meat, talks to animals and blessed with healing powers. An elf assassin who is so charming and bubbly. Rare races such as draks and skully, that even though raised to different legends and values, worked really hard to deliver their tasks. Jimbuah would have to be my favorite!!!
- Magical land and creatures are so diverse on this one.
Read my full book review here: https://rarevenclaw.wordpress.com/2020/05/02/book-review-6-into-the-wildbarrens-by-christian-sterling/
"Boo yattah!! Boo yattah!"
OH MY GOD. I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!
To be honest, I was hesitant to pick it up, but hey I am thankful!!! It was a great quarantine read!
I cannot recall the last time I read a book about adventures, but this book made me want to read more. Things to love about this book:
- The adventure was so well written. Twists and world building will not disappoint. For every chapter, you will be introduced to a new creature, a new magical place, a legend and such.
- The CHARACTERS!!!! I live for book squads and the Champions are definitely easy yo love. You get to have a Wizard who is kind, just and wise. A sage who doesn't eat meat, talks to animals and blessed with healing powers. An elf assassin who is so charming and bubbly. Rare races such as draks and skully, that even though raised to different legends and values, worked really hard to deliver their tasks. Jimbuah would have to be my favorite!!!
- Magical land and creatures are so diverse on this one.
Read my full book review here: https://rarevenclaw.wordpress.com/2020/05/02/book-review-6-into-the-wildbarrens-by-christian-sterling/
aliciareadsit's review
1.0
DNF- want to read it, so I may have to pick it up again another time. Only got about 50 pages in, but it was super slow moving for me and I just couldn’t get into it.
ktkilroy's review
5.0
I have given other books 5 stars, but I find that the 5 stars I give this book is for a different reason. This book made me smile. Although the story itself includes battle, love, death, friendship, adventure and so much more, I literally felt myself smiling as I read through it. The story is great, but I loved the characters. Jimbuah, one of the characters, made my heart happy. He made me laugh out loud many times throughout the book.
Traveling on a dangerous and mystical journey, this book told a great story of how a group of completely different strangers became a family willing to die for each other. I found myself reaching the end knowing that there was so much more of the story I wanted to know. I can’t wait for the next book! I hope others enjoy it as much as I have.
Traveling on a dangerous and mystical journey, this book told a great story of how a group of completely different strangers became a family willing to die for each other. I found myself reaching the end knowing that there was so much more of the story I wanted to know. I can’t wait for the next book! I hope others enjoy it as much as I have.
hernameissimi's review
4.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
First of all, I would like to thank the author of the book for sending me a copy. Now on to the review, which I will try to make as spoiler free as possible!
For starters, there are certain things I really enjoyed about the story and certain things I wish were included. I really loved the world and think it has a lot of potential. Some of the characters, such as Nym, Jimmy and Red are my absolute favorite. At the same time I felt like I couldn’t completely connect with other characters because it felt like they were just there and there. Little is known about certain characters (which seem to be extremely important by the way) and I understand that the author might have been going for the mystery but I wanted to know a lot more about these guys other than the fact that they’re Falin’s Champions. I hope I can learn more about them and the history of Elsana. ☺️
First of all, I would like to thank the author of the book for sending me a copy. Now on to the review, which I will try to make as spoiler free as possible!
For starters, there are certain things I really enjoyed about the story and certain things I wish were included. I really loved the world and think it has a lot of potential. Some of the characters, such as Nym, Jimmy and Red are my absolute favorite. At the same time I felt like I couldn’t completely connect with other characters because it felt like they were just there and there. Little is known about certain characters (which seem to be extremely important by the way) and I understand that the author might have been going for the mystery but I wanted to know a lot more about these guys other than the fact that they’re Falin’s Champions. I hope I can learn more about them and the history of Elsana. ☺️
phantomic109's review
5.0
Absolutely loved this book! Just goes to show that not every great book is also popular :)
lauren716's review against another edition
4.0
https://laurenbodiford123.wordpress.com/2019/07/21/the-gems-of-elsana-review/