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krhea's review against another edition
5.0
What a journey!
This story world is so well-developed. I had to pause in my reading of this book, sometimes for several days, a bunch of times as life and time-sensitive projects came up. And even though I was interrupted, I never felt disrupted. I never had to stop and re-read like "Wait, who is this character? What where they doing?" Which is amazing to me because, in a world where all the places and names and nations and histories are unfamiliar to me, I expected that having to set it down and walk away for awhile would leave me completely disoriented. It didn't. I attribute that to the writing. The author does such a good job immersing the reader in her world, I was just THERE. Like I'd lived there forever. I'm hugely impressed.
Rai feels very much like a real person to me. She's strong without being invincible or overbearing, and she's a young woman of strong faith but without coming across like she's already read her own story. And even though this is a retelling of a familiar Old Testament story, it's very much its own, character-driven adventure.
I need more Forziel in my life. And Yorchan. And I'm in the market for a baby axex if you know anyone.
This story world is so well-developed. I had to pause in my reading of this book, sometimes for several days, a bunch of times as life and time-sensitive projects came up. And even though I was interrupted, I never felt disrupted. I never had to stop and re-read like "Wait, who is this character? What where they doing?" Which is amazing to me because, in a world where all the places and names and nations and histories are unfamiliar to me, I expected that having to set it down and walk away for awhile would leave me completely disoriented. It didn't. I attribute that to the writing. The author does such a good job immersing the reader in her world, I was just THERE. Like I'd lived there forever. I'm hugely impressed.
Rai feels very much like a real person to me. She's strong without being invincible or overbearing, and she's a young woman of strong faith but without coming across like she's already read her own story. And even though this is a retelling of a familiar Old Testament story, it's very much its own, character-driven adventure.
I need more Forziel in my life. And Yorchan. And I'm in the market for a baby axex if you know anyone.
shebephoebe's review against another edition
Got about 12% in before I realized I just...didn’t care. I’m sure there are people who could enjoy this book but nothing about it grabbed my attention apart from the setting. (I might still have got further were it not for the weird dialogue. Half of the time it felt stilted and antiquated and then the rest of the time characters were saying “you okay?” “yeah” and for whatever reason that threw me. 😂)
amelianicholebooks's review against another edition
5.0
A great fantasy retelling of the story of Moses with characters you come to care about deeply.
rmarcher's review against another edition
3.5
I'd been super excited to read this story since January, and two weeks ago I was finally able to finish it. It took me longer to read than I'd hoped (about two months), mostly because I was reading it on kindle rather than paperback, so some of the details from the first quarter or so are a bit fuzzy, but here are my basic thoughts on it.
I went into this book expecting a grand adventure set in a really vivid desert fantasy world, but I quickly realized this is a much more character-driven story and the first quarter was all about establishing those characters and fleshing out their relationships, which I found myself pretty okay with. I was rooting for the characters, I wanted to see them resolve the initial relational conflict, and that was really cool. The character dynamics were really compelling in that first quarter, and while I didn't especially connect with most of the characters, that's pretty normal for me, and I was still able to like them, so it didn't really bother me.
Interestingly enough, it was when the adventure I was expecting set in that I started to connect with the book less and less. Part of this was my own high expectations. I was looking forward to incredibly immersive worldbuilding, and this book just wasn't quite there, for me. I think if I hadn't had the expectations I did, I would have enjoyed the world just fine, because the worldbuilding is definitely strong, it just didn't pull me in as much as I was hoping it would. The aivenkaites were especially interesting, and the battles between them and the main characters and the kaites were cool to read. And the axex! I loved the axex.
I was also anticipating more action surrounding the plagues and other Moses-based events, and those aren't really dwelt on very much. The plagues, especially, felt kind of rushed to me, and I would have liked to be able to see the effects of the plagues on the land and the Izyphorns rather than just hearing their reactions?
When the main plot set in, there was also less time to focus on the characters, and additional characters were introduced who I feel like didn't get enough attention as they maybe could have or weren't used to their full potential. When we meet the bandits, for instance, a lot of page space is spent reminding the reader of each character's ethnicity instead of showing the details of their ethnicity or letting the character speak for themselves, and I wasn't able to really connect each character with the details that came with them because I was too busy trying to keep their nationalities straight.
In the writing, I was a little put-off by the inconsistencies in the language and wording of things. Sometimes it seemed very old-fashioned and fantastical, but then there would be lines or phrases thrown in that felt very modern, and it was a little awkward. But I loved the conlang Wangler created for the world, and it was super cool to see that woven in throughout the book!
Characters:
Forziel. I was slightly frustrated I couldn't get a firm grip on how old Forziel was (I got the impression from Rai's calling him a "young boy" that he was closer to 10 or 11, but most of the writing seemed to indicate he was more of a teenager?), but overall I really enjoyed his character. He was fun, he was loyal, and his relationship with his axex was fun to read. I did feel like his backstory was kind of shoehorned in and more told than shown, and I would have liked to see that played out more and be more nuanced, but that was a short section of the book and was just a minor disappointment.
Rai. As with most characters, I didn't have any strong feelings toward Rai, either good or bad. There were a couple points where I felt like she was overly remorseless, but I do understand where she was coming from and why she would have thought that way, and they were really brief. I loved her relationship with Savi, and it was really cool to see a couple tackling a mission together and supporting each other the whole way, and I really enjoyed that aspect of the book.
Speaking of Savi... He's another character I really enjoyed. He was sweet and supportive and diplomatic, and it was really cool to see how he and Rai balanced each other and used their skills to complement each other through their mission. And I appreciated that he was firm in his faith, but also had doubts, especially when it came to difficult life events.
Nhardah was an awesome character. I found him especially interesting in the first quarter, when he was still a bit of a mystery and a little bit of a cryptic mentor sort, but I still enjoyed following and reading about him in the rest of the book and enjoyed his mentor-student relationship with the rest of the group.
Overall, I was able to enjoy this book even though it wasn't what I expected, and I'm curious what I would think of it if I reread it now that I know what to expect. I'd recommend it to anyone who's a fan of character-driven Christian fantasy and strong relationship dynamics.
I went into this book expecting a grand adventure set in a really vivid desert fantasy world, but I quickly realized this is a much more character-driven story and the first quarter was all about establishing those characters and fleshing out their relationships, which I found myself pretty okay with. I was rooting for the characters, I wanted to see them resolve the initial relational conflict, and that was really cool. The character dynamics were really compelling in that first quarter, and while I didn't especially connect with most of the characters, that's pretty normal for me, and I was still able to like them, so it didn't really bother me.
Interestingly enough, it was when the adventure I was expecting set in that I started to connect with the book less and less. Part of this was my own high expectations. I was looking forward to incredibly immersive worldbuilding, and this book just wasn't quite there, for me. I think if I hadn't had the expectations I did, I would have enjoyed the world just fine, because the worldbuilding is definitely strong, it just didn't pull me in as much as I was hoping it would. The aivenkaites were especially interesting, and the battles between them and the main characters and the kaites were cool to read. And the axex! I loved the axex.
I was also anticipating more action surrounding the plagues and other Moses-based events, and those aren't really dwelt on very much. The plagues, especially, felt kind of rushed to me, and I would have liked to be able to see the effects of the plagues on the land and the Izyphorns rather than just hearing their reactions?
When the main plot set in, there was also less time to focus on the characters, and additional characters were introduced who I feel like didn't get enough attention as they maybe could have or weren't used to their full potential. When we meet the bandits, for instance, a lot of page space is spent reminding the reader of each character's ethnicity instead of showing the details of their ethnicity or letting the character speak for themselves, and I wasn't able to really connect each character with the details that came with them because I was too busy trying to keep their nationalities straight.
In the writing, I was a little put-off by the inconsistencies in the language and wording of things. Sometimes it seemed very old-fashioned and fantastical, but then there would be lines or phrases thrown in that felt very modern, and it was a little awkward. But I loved the conlang Wangler created for the world, and it was super cool to see that woven in throughout the book!
Characters:
Forziel. I was slightly frustrated I couldn't get a firm grip on how old Forziel was (I got the impression from Rai's calling him a "young boy" that he was closer to 10 or 11, but most of the writing seemed to indicate he was more of a teenager?), but overall I really enjoyed his character. He was fun, he was loyal, and his relationship with his axex was fun to read. I did feel like his backstory was kind of shoehorned in and more told than shown, and I would have liked to see that played out more and be more nuanced, but that was a short section of the book and was just a minor disappointment.
Rai. As with most characters, I didn't have any strong feelings toward Rai, either good or bad. There were a couple points where I felt like she was overly remorseless, but I do understand where she was coming from and why she would have thought that way, and they were really brief. I loved her relationship with Savi, and it was really cool to see a couple tackling a mission together and supporting each other the whole way, and I really enjoyed that aspect of the book.
Speaking of Savi... He's another character I really enjoyed. He was sweet and supportive and diplomatic, and it was really cool to see how he and Rai balanced each other and used their skills to complement each other through their mission. And I appreciated that he was firm in his faith, but also had doubts, especially when it came to difficult life events.
Nhardah was an awesome character. I found him especially interesting in the first quarter, when he was still a bit of a mystery and a little bit of a cryptic mentor sort, but I still enjoyed following and reading about him in the rest of the book and enjoyed his mentor-student relationship with the rest of the group.
Overall, I was able to enjoy this book even though it wasn't what I expected, and I'm curious what I would think of it if I reread it now that I know what to expect. I'd recommend it to anyone who's a fan of character-driven Christian fantasy and strong relationship dynamics.
angelarwatts's review against another edition
3.0
STORY
The concepts this story handled were all SO. COOL.
Basically, you have a Biblical Moses retelling/inspired story, so there are different races, cool world building, and with the fantasy twist, different creatures and such. You have "kaites" and "aivenkaites", which in my understanding, are basically angels and demons. That was a cool story concept and it was well executed.
The story follows Rai as she bands together and leads a revolt in order to free her people. Honestly, while the concept was fantastic, I struggled to get invested. Some things seemed to drag, and the times where it was truly interesting, were often cut short or skimmed over.
Also, as much meat as the story had, there was also a lot of "telling" in the writing style. It was difficult for me personally to see anything or feel anything in the story. But that might just be me, since the actual story is quite intriguing!
THEMES
Amazing themes of salvation, fighting the good fight, and faith! I love how bold the fight was between good vs. evil. The aivenkaites were powerful but good still won over. That was really well done! I like that in fantasy.
The themes of loyalty, to people and to God (Aia), is a heavy theme. It is interesting to see it explored in this novel. We even must face the question, "If death isn't right, how do we face it in a world that belongs to the enemy?" and so forth. I definitely loved the themes!
CHARACTERS
Most of my qualm with this book is my own personal perspective, and that's simply: I didn't quite relate to any of the characters. I'm not sure why. It was just me.
Don't get me wrong, the characters were amazing. Rai was a humble servant of God and inspiring, but I often found her a bit immature and, again, most of her emotions were "told" not "shown"... thus, I never quite grew attached. Savi was very nice, and the supporting cast were all well rounded. My favorite was probably Nhardah.
CONTENT
Clean novel. Mentions of blood, violence, beatings, etc, but nothing ever heavily described. On screen deaths but nothing graphic. Mentions of swearing, brief swearing (heck, etc). Mild sensual scenes (kisses, hand holding, touching) between a married couple. Mentions of magicians, bad magic, etc, nothing ever shown as good. PG.
OVERALL
A good novel, I just didn't quite relate to it as much as I would have liked, but I ADORED the supernatural warfare! So good.
The concepts this story handled were all SO. COOL.
Basically, you have a Biblical Moses retelling/inspired story, so there are different races, cool world building, and with the fantasy twist, different creatures and such. You have "kaites" and "aivenkaites", which in my understanding, are basically angels and demons. That was a cool story concept and it was well executed.
The story follows Rai as she bands together and leads a revolt in order to free her people. Honestly, while the concept was fantastic, I struggled to get invested. Some things seemed to drag, and the times where it was truly interesting, were often cut short or skimmed over.
Also, as much meat as the story had, there was also a lot of "telling" in the writing style. It was difficult for me personally to see anything or feel anything in the story. But that might just be me, since the actual story is quite intriguing!
THEMES
Amazing themes of salvation, fighting the good fight, and faith! I love how bold the fight was between good vs. evil. The aivenkaites were powerful but good still won over. That was really well done! I like that in fantasy.
The themes of loyalty, to people and to God (Aia), is a heavy theme. It is interesting to see it explored in this novel. We even must face the question, "If death isn't right, how do we face it in a world that belongs to the enemy?" and so forth. I definitely loved the themes!
CHARACTERS
Most of my qualm with this book is my own personal perspective, and that's simply: I didn't quite relate to any of the characters. I'm not sure why. It was just me.
Don't get me wrong, the characters were amazing. Rai was a humble servant of God and inspiring, but I often found her a bit immature and, again, most of her emotions were "told" not "shown"... thus, I never quite grew attached. Savi was very nice, and the supporting cast were all well rounded. My favorite was probably Nhardah.
CONTENT
Clean novel. Mentions of blood, violence, beatings, etc, but nothing ever heavily described. On screen deaths but nothing graphic. Mentions of swearing, brief swearing (heck, etc). Mild sensual scenes (kisses, hand holding, touching) between a married couple. Mentions of magicians, bad magic, etc, nothing ever shown as good. PG.
OVERALL
A good novel, I just didn't quite relate to it as much as I would have liked, but I ADORED the supernatural warfare! So good.
beautifullybookishbethany's review against another edition
3.0
Child of the Kaites is an indie Christian fantasy novel that takes an allegorical approach to the story of the Exodus and other elements of Christian belief, somewhat akin to the work of C.S. Lewis. It follows a young woman named Rai as she reconnects with a childhood love and finds her purpose as a sort of prophet/leader who will guide her people out of slavery.
While I think this book has a lot going for it, it wasn't quite the sort of fantasy I prefer. A large middle portion of the book involves a group of characters traveling with adventures along the way, and traveling band fantasies are always a difficult sell for me. I know a lot of readers love them, but I find them to be a little dull. I was most interested to see the retelling of the court politics and plagues, which we did get in the last 100 pages or so, but I would have preferred less of the traveling and an expanded approach to unpacking the politics of the court and responses to plagues sent by Aia (God in this world). On the other hand, there are a lot of action sequences including battles against evil spirits known as Aivenkaites (basically demons) and magical swords, which was cool.
I found the beginning of the story to be a little bit slow to start and wish it began with more action, but eventually I became invested in the characters comprising Rai's adoptive family. (Sadly they don't appear in much of the book! I think they will be around more in book 2 though.) I loved the dynamic between Rai and her childhood sweetheart. He is supportive and they have a very sweet relationship. However, their marriage near the beginning feels a bit rushed and I think more slowly building their relationship in a leadup to marriage later on would have added great tension to the plot and maybe allowed for more development in character growth arcs. We do see Rai grow in terms of believing in herself and trusting Aia to direct her, but we get less of that development for other characters.
You will also find a lot of stories here that mirror their Biblical counterparts in Genesis, as well as more didactic scenes on issues like grief and forgiveness, which are beautiful. This is very much a story about faith and trusting in the unseen, the heart of which comes through really clearly. While this book wasn't quite my cup of tea because of the fantasy tropes used and some of the pacing, I think it's a great project that will appeal to readers wanting a fantasy story with strong elements of Christian spirituality. I was sent a copy of this book for review by the author and very much appreciate the opportunity. All opinions are my own.
While I think this book has a lot going for it, it wasn't quite the sort of fantasy I prefer. A large middle portion of the book involves a group of characters traveling with adventures along the way, and traveling band fantasies are always a difficult sell for me. I know a lot of readers love them, but I find them to be a little dull. I was most interested to see the retelling of the court politics and plagues, which we did get in the last 100 pages or so, but I would have preferred less of the traveling and an expanded approach to unpacking the politics of the court and responses to plagues sent by Aia (God in this world). On the other hand, there are a lot of action sequences including battles against evil spirits known as Aivenkaites (basically demons) and magical swords, which was cool.
I found the beginning of the story to be a little bit slow to start and wish it began with more action, but eventually I became invested in the characters comprising Rai's adoptive family. (Sadly they don't appear in much of the book! I think they will be around more in book 2 though.) I loved the dynamic between Rai and her childhood sweetheart. He is supportive and they have a very sweet relationship. However, their marriage near the beginning feels a bit rushed and I think more slowly building their relationship in a leadup to marriage later on would have added great tension to the plot and maybe allowed for more development in character growth arcs. We do see Rai grow in terms of believing in herself and trusting Aia to direct her, but we get less of that development for other characters.
You will also find a lot of stories here that mirror their Biblical counterparts in Genesis, as well as more didactic scenes on issues like grief and forgiveness, which are beautiful. This is very much a story about faith and trusting in the unseen, the heart of which comes through really clearly. While this book wasn't quite my cup of tea because of the fantasy tropes used and some of the pacing, I think it's a great project that will appeal to readers wanting a fantasy story with strong elements of Christian spirituality. I was sent a copy of this book for review by the author and very much appreciate the opportunity. All opinions are my own.
xephtastic's review
4.0
Child of the Kaites is an imaginative fantasy retelling of the Exodus. Those familiar with the tale will find it easy to draw comparisons, but will also be delighted by the author's creative changes, which bring a fresh twist to the classic story of Moses. Perhaps the most obvious distinction is that this story follows a young woman named Raiba, and her journey to embrace what God has called her to be. This book combines two things that I love in a way that I thoroughly enjoyed - it's wonderful to find Christian fiction set in a fantasy world, where the fantastical elements don't diminish the truth, but rather compliment it and allow it to be accessible in a fresh new way.
Wangler takes you on an emotional journey over the sea, trekking through the harsh, dry desert, and soaring across the sky. The story is well-paced and the characters face many perils throughout their journey. The fast-paced battles juxtapose nicely with quieter scenes where the characters confront (or attempt to bury) their emotions, and try to find the strength they need to persevere. I found, in these gentle moments, the humanity of the characters really shone through.
What I love most about this book is that the central idea, the central truth, remains consistent through the entire story: that God always has a plan, that He loves all of His children, and He keeps His promises.
This story is definitely worth a read, and I will continue reading this series, looking forward to what will come next!
Wangler takes you on an emotional journey over the sea, trekking through the harsh, dry desert, and soaring across the sky. The story is well-paced and the characters face many perils throughout their journey. The fast-paced battles juxtapose nicely with quieter scenes where the characters confront (or attempt to bury) their emotions, and try to find the strength they need to persevere. I found, in these gentle moments, the humanity of the characters really shone through.
What I love most about this book is that the central idea, the central truth, remains consistent through the entire story: that God always has a plan, that He loves all of His children, and He keeps His promises.
This story is definitely worth a read, and I will continue reading this series, looking forward to what will come next!
ebdawson's review
5.0
Beth Wangler truly shows the breadth of her talent with this short story. Relayed from the point of view of the antagonist and enemy of the characters we have come to love (Rai and Savi), Catam Chieftain is the story of a man bound in pride, lies, and darkness. Raised in a culture that despises weakness, glorifies battle, and worships demons, Catam is threatened by everything the Maraians stand for. His pride cannot allow him to accept the truth, even when he is confronted with it head on.
I love that Wangler tackled this story and all the challenges it presents. All the difficult subtleties are handled with wisdom and taste. I can't help feeling compassion for Catam and his determination to reject the truth makes me sad. But this is perhaps the aspect that rings most true about the story.
I love that Wangler tackled this story and all the challenges it presents. All the difficult subtleties are handled with wisdom and taste. I can't help feeling compassion for Catam and his determination to reject the truth makes me sad. But this is perhaps the aspect that rings most true about the story.
tahernandez's review
5.0
4.5/5 stars
With rich worldbuilding and an inspirational message of hope and bravery, Child of the Kaites takes readers on an unforgettable emotional journey, turning a familiar biblical story into something that is both more fantastical and more personal. The story follows Raiba, a runaway slave raised by benevolent spirits known as the kaites. Although it has been foretold that she will do great things and save her people from their oppression, when the story begins, young Raiba has all but given up on this destiny and seems content to live out a peaceful life in the home of her adoptive family. The arrival of some familiar faces from her past changes everything, and soon, Raiba finds herself on a journey that will challenge her physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as she tries to find a way to free her people.
The story is based on the story of Moses in the Bible, so it's no surprise that there are some strong religious and spiritual overtones here. Some of it felt a bit heavy-handed at times, at least for me, but overall those elements were woven into the story very well and I didn't feel like I was being preached to. The worldbuilding is fantastic, and it's clear that the author spent a lot of time and put a lot of attention to detail into crafting the setting and the various cultures of the people who inhabit it. Even if you're familiar with the story of Moses from the Bible, there are some unique elements here that will keep you engaged and curious about how things will progress. I especially loved the conflict between good and bad spirits - the kaites and the aivenkaites - and how that conflict manifested in a more tangible way that had a direct impact on the characters.
The characters themselves are also well-written, with Raiba serving as a strong narrator who grows and changes as the story progresses. There's a lot at stake for her, not just in terms of physical harm and life-or-death dangers, but arguably even more so on an emotional and spiritual level. I love a story that pulls readers deep into a character's heart and throws things at that character that really challenge them on a personal or relational level, and that's exactly what we get in this book. There were so many times in this story where I really felt for Raiba and the other characters, when my heart ached for them and when I rejoiced with them. Wangler does a really good job with the emotion in this book, and it's because of that that I felt like I was really able to connect with these characters.
This is a great read for anyone who enjoys Christian fiction, but it's also good for anyone who just likes a good fantasy story with interesting characters and string worldbuilding.
With rich worldbuilding and an inspirational message of hope and bravery, Child of the Kaites takes readers on an unforgettable emotional journey, turning a familiar biblical story into something that is both more fantastical and more personal. The story follows Raiba, a runaway slave raised by benevolent spirits known as the kaites. Although it has been foretold that she will do great things and save her people from their oppression, when the story begins, young Raiba has all but given up on this destiny and seems content to live out a peaceful life in the home of her adoptive family. The arrival of some familiar faces from her past changes everything, and soon, Raiba finds herself on a journey that will challenge her physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as she tries to find a way to free her people.
The story is based on the story of Moses in the Bible, so it's no surprise that there are some strong religious and spiritual overtones here. Some of it felt a bit heavy-handed at times, at least for me, but overall those elements were woven into the story very well and I didn't feel like I was being preached to. The worldbuilding is fantastic, and it's clear that the author spent a lot of time and put a lot of attention to detail into crafting the setting and the various cultures of the people who inhabit it. Even if you're familiar with the story of Moses from the Bible, there are some unique elements here that will keep you engaged and curious about how things will progress. I especially loved the conflict between good and bad spirits - the kaites and the aivenkaites - and how that conflict manifested in a more tangible way that had a direct impact on the characters.
The characters themselves are also well-written, with Raiba serving as a strong narrator who grows and changes as the story progresses. There's a lot at stake for her, not just in terms of physical harm and life-or-death dangers, but arguably even more so on an emotional and spiritual level. I love a story that pulls readers deep into a character's heart and throws things at that character that really challenge them on a personal or relational level, and that's exactly what we get in this book. There were so many times in this story where I really felt for Raiba and the other characters, when my heart ached for them and when I rejoiced with them. Wangler does a really good job with the emotion in this book, and it's because of that that I felt like I was really able to connect with these characters.
This is a great read for anyone who enjoys Christian fiction, but it's also good for anyone who just likes a good fantasy story with interesting characters and string worldbuilding.
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