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michely66's review
4.0
What the gods give one hand, take away with the other, if you are gifted, you shall also be cursed.
I enjoyed this book, mainly Maya’s and Taran’s side of it. It is broken into multiple pov’s which I love. Some parts were slow, but an interesting storyline kept me reading. It has kept me intrigued enough to wonder what will happen in the next book. If you like magic and fantasy worlds, you will like this book. Thank you NetGalley for letting me this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book, mainly Maya’s and Taran’s side of it. It is broken into multiple pov’s which I love. Some parts were slow, but an interesting storyline kept me reading. It has kept me intrigued enough to wonder what will happen in the next book. If you like magic and fantasy worlds, you will like this book. Thank you NetGalley for letting me this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
elliemaiblogs's review
4.0
My Review
There is never a dull moment in Kings and Daemons and it really hits the spot in terms of its fantasy elements. It’s completely addicting as soon as you start reading. I feel like there is something for everyone including, gruesome battles, magical elements, fluffy romance and evil beings. There are so many different characters that all bring something different to the story. The plot and the characters both make this book so easy to read to the point where you have to sit there until you’ve finished!
While the book primarily focuses on Maya and her attempt to flee the ‘Witch-King’, we get to see a lot of Taran, who was outcast from his village and forced to join the army. These two are such lovable characters that you will instantly want more. Both of their abilities were really interesting to me and I loved every chance they got to use them.
I really liked how the story told was from a variety of POVs. It was great to get to know so many other characters and their backstories without making it too overwhelming. It made the whole book extremely interesting and fun to read all the way through. I did enjoy Maya and Taran’s POV more than others. Her healing power was amazing and I am such a sucker for a bit of romance.
I found the whole world and the plot extremely creative and fast-paced. Lee has painted this very derelict and ruined place that is so easy to imagine and sounds devastating to live in. Crops fail, plants are dead and it’s hard to live off the land. Once we see more of Maya’s healing power, it’s really easy to immerse yourself in this magical world that is trying to rebuild.
This review was quite hard to write as there is so much that happens throughout this book. Too much to touch on every detail that I enjoyed. So, overall, Kings and Daemons is an incredibly thrilling and addictive fantasy that you won’t be able to put down. The plot is fun and exciting yet dark and intense at times but no matter what these characters are doing, you want to follow them. If you love fast-paced epic fantasies with a unique world that behold magical abilities and creatures, you have to read Kings and Daemons!
There is never a dull moment in Kings and Daemons and it really hits the spot in terms of its fantasy elements. It’s completely addicting as soon as you start reading. I feel like there is something for everyone including, gruesome battles, magical elements, fluffy romance and evil beings. There are so many different characters that all bring something different to the story. The plot and the characters both make this book so easy to read to the point where you have to sit there until you’ve finished!
While the book primarily focuses on Maya and her attempt to flee the ‘Witch-King’, we get to see a lot of Taran, who was outcast from his village and forced to join the army. These two are such lovable characters that you will instantly want more. Both of their abilities were really interesting to me and I loved every chance they got to use them.
I really liked how the story told was from a variety of POVs. It was great to get to know so many other characters and their backstories without making it too overwhelming. It made the whole book extremely interesting and fun to read all the way through. I did enjoy Maya and Taran’s POV more than others. Her healing power was amazing and I am such a sucker for a bit of romance.
I found the whole world and the plot extremely creative and fast-paced. Lee has painted this very derelict and ruined place that is so easy to imagine and sounds devastating to live in. Crops fail, plants are dead and it’s hard to live off the land. Once we see more of Maya’s healing power, it’s really easy to immerse yourself in this magical world that is trying to rebuild.
This review was quite hard to write as there is so much that happens throughout this book. Too much to touch on every detail that I enjoyed. So, overall, Kings and Daemons is an incredibly thrilling and addictive fantasy that you won’t be able to put down. The plot is fun and exciting yet dark and intense at times but no matter what these characters are doing, you want to follow them. If you love fast-paced epic fantasies with a unique world that behold magical abilities and creatures, you have to read Kings and Daemons!
nclcaitlin's review
3.75
Thank you to the author for sending me the audiobook in exchange for a review.
Marcus Lee shows excellent characterisation through multiple perspectives through both the good and evil.
The witch king was an epic villain. Normally I don’t include the villain in my reviews, but he gripped me: his control, shadow, and terror over the world was terribly exciting to read. He is ingenious in his manipulations and manoeuvrings: his total self-absorption and protection.
Maya is such a strong character, and I loved her highlighted strength and independence even with her accompaniment by two strong males too.
My only complaint is that sometimes the romance felt like it took away from her development, sometimes making her more placid and docile and flirty which seems at odds with her personality.
The pacing is fantastic. The start immediately gripped me as we were thrown right into the plot and darkness of the characters. Everything moves perfectly into place to bring our threads together and deliver a satisfying end of the start of a dark and deadly series.
I would recommend this if you enjoyed the Forgetting Moon.
cassidee_omnilegent's review
4.0
When Marcus Lee approached me with his self published novel Kings and Daemons, I thought it sounded intriguing. It happens to be included on Kindle Unlimited, so I downloaded it and here we are. I wasn’t expecting such an enthralling and well written book. I was hooked pretty much from the start.
You follow a couple different perspectives and I think they all play off of each other really well. Maya’s touch can heal blight and ruin, illnesses and broken bones. Taran is strong and courageous. Rakan is brutal but loyal. Kalas suffers but never waivers in his strength. The Witch King is single minded and terrible, destructive to everything in his path, sucking vitality from the land. We have a cast of characters that are—true to the title—as cursed as they are blessed. Throughout the novel, our cast of characters will intertwine storylines.
I found that this book has a lot of aspects that appeal to a wide variety of fantasy fans. If you like that medieval feel, if you like intense battles, fun magic systems, light romance, great friendships, mystical beings and creatures… Kings and Daemons has it all for you. I enjoyed that one minute our characters could be exchanging witty banter and the next they were cracking skulls or running for their lives. There was a streak of tenderness balancing the harshness of this world. Well done, Marcus. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book. It ends in a good spot that leaves you wondering what is going to happen next.
You follow a couple different perspectives and I think they all play off of each other really well. Maya’s touch can heal blight and ruin, illnesses and broken bones. Taran is strong and courageous. Rakan is brutal but loyal. Kalas suffers but never waivers in his strength. The Witch King is single minded and terrible, destructive to everything in his path, sucking vitality from the land. We have a cast of characters that are—true to the title—as cursed as they are blessed. Throughout the novel, our cast of characters will intertwine storylines.
I found that this book has a lot of aspects that appeal to a wide variety of fantasy fans. If you like that medieval feel, if you like intense battles, fun magic systems, light romance, great friendships, mystical beings and creatures… Kings and Daemons has it all for you. I enjoyed that one minute our characters could be exchanging witty banter and the next they were cracking skulls or running for their lives. There was a streak of tenderness balancing the harshness of this world. Well done, Marcus. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book. It ends in a good spot that leaves you wondering what is going to happen next.
wittyandsarcasticbookclub's review
4.0
Wowza, Kings and Daemons was fantastic! This book felt very old-school fantasy to me – and I loved it! It had so many of the elements that I love to see in fantasy. A group of characters to follow? Check. Inner conflict to match the external struggles? Check. Fantastical creatures? Check (daemons: need I say more). A terrifying Big Bad who is deliciously evil? Check.
Despite having these well-known and well-loved fantasy building blocks, this book is in no way a copy of other works. It is wholly original and incredibly creative. The characters were fantastic. I loved them all, but at the moment my favorite is Kalas. I reserve the right to change my mind, however. Each character has so much going on that not only provides fascinating backstories, but explains their personalities and the choices they make.
The world is grim and bleak, but not enough so that it killed my reading mojo. I know that sentence makes next to no sense, but sometimes a world is too dark for me to enjoy -this wasn’t the case here. The shades of despair in this book were nuanced and offset by the sheer waves of stick-to-itness that the characters possessed. Here was a group who had taken their hits and were still kicking. I love characters like that!
The pacing was fabulous. The story started moving and never stopped. I was immediately drawn in and I stayed enthralled from beginning to end. Everything unfolded with perfect timing and nothing felt forced. There was no dreaded info-dump. It was obvious that the author knew exactly what story he wanted to tell and confidently went about doing it.
The world was incredibly well-developed. The history was fascinating, and I’m excited to see it explored even more in future installments. In case you can’t tell, this is my long-winded way of saying Kings and Daemons was fantastic and I highly recommend it.
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog/2020/08/18/kings-and-daemons-the-gifted-and-the-cursed-book-1-by-marcus-lee/
Despite having these well-known and well-loved fantasy building blocks, this book is in no way a copy of other works. It is wholly original and incredibly creative. The characters were fantastic. I loved them all, but at the moment my favorite is Kalas. I reserve the right to change my mind, however. Each character has so much going on that not only provides fascinating backstories, but explains their personalities and the choices they make.
The world is grim and bleak, but not enough so that it killed my reading mojo. I know that sentence makes next to no sense, but sometimes a world is too dark for me to enjoy -this wasn’t the case here. The shades of despair in this book were nuanced and offset by the sheer waves of stick-to-itness that the characters possessed. Here was a group who had taken their hits and were still kicking. I love characters like that!
The pacing was fabulous. The story started moving and never stopped. I was immediately drawn in and I stayed enthralled from beginning to end. Everything unfolded with perfect timing and nothing felt forced. There was no dreaded info-dump. It was obvious that the author knew exactly what story he wanted to tell and confidently went about doing it.
The world was incredibly well-developed. The history was fascinating, and I’m excited to see it explored even more in future installments. In case you can’t tell, this is my long-winded way of saying Kings and Daemons was fantastic and I highly recommend it.
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog/2020/08/18/kings-and-daemons-the-gifted-and-the-cursed-book-1-by-marcus-lee/
fantasybooknerd01's review
4.0
Grim and hopeful at the same time, Marcus Lee’s debut is an enjoyable tale of magic, possessed knights, dark lords and Daemons.
The story starts with the birth of our hero, Maya, in a land that has been oppressed by the Witch King. This is a land ruled by darkness and the maternal mortality rate is incredibly high, as is the mortality of everyone around. However, Maya is special and her light shines through the misery that is bestowed on the land by the Witch King.
As Maya grows, she has to hide her gift from those around her, for if her powers are detected she will be sent to the witch king to suffer whatever fate befalls those who have talents.
Marcus Lee’s Kings and Daemons is a mesmerising tale of love, redemption and heroism set in a world ruled by cruelty and misery. However, not only is the land harsh, but the suffering has permeated every aspect of people’s lives who live in the conquered Ember Kingdom and they have become just as twisted as the land they live in.
I really enjoyed Marcus Lee’s Kings and Daemons. It is filled with rich characters and has an elegant writing style that reminds me of old fashioned high adventures like Lorna Doone. Lee has a unique writing style that I have not come across before. It almost reminds you of a storyteller recounting tales by a fire as he tells the story of Maya and those around her. The story is in parts a coming of age story, a chivalric romance and a tale of redemption. However, Lee manages to combine these elements with a modern aesthetic of dark fantasy, melding the two successfully.
At its heart, it is not a dark book. Whilst everything around Maya is full of grimness and dark foreboding, Lee always manages to maintain a corona of light on the horizon. Whether that be with the redemption of Rakan, the friendship and eventual romance of Maya and Taran or the hope that the land will be healed from the malady of the Witch King’s grip and ultimately healed.
The story takes place from the point of view of the main characters, Maya, Taran, Rakan, Kallas and the Witch King himself, Daleth. And later in the book, there is the addition of the supporting characters of Astren, a seer who can travel in the spirit world and King Tristan. King of the Freestates, who is about to bear the invasion of the Witch King in his bid to take over the Freestates and drain the life from them as he has done with the Ember Kingdioms.
I fell under the spell of each of these individual characters, Maya who is at heart gentle and caring. Taran, who initially bumbles from one situation to the next, which eventually leads him into a choice that he didn't make. Rakan, who whilst initially bad, experiences acceptance and ultimately some form of redemption.
Everybody's favourite Kallas is an interesting character, and he certainly lives up to his name throughout most of the book, dispatching all around him in a callous and bloody fashion. And finally, we have the Witch King himself.
For me, the most interesting characters were certainly Daleth and Rakan. I know that in terms of entertainment value Kallas is pretty much up there, but Daleth and Rakan are the ones that stood out for me.
Rakan’s transformation from an angry and cruel individual to exactly the opposite is really good (although, he does still threaten everyone), and I thought I would like to see a book about Rakan and his time as a Nightstalker. Daleth is the most human of monsters, employing fear and coercion as a means to gain power. Yes, you can understand his motivations due to his gift and everything that he has endured. However, he continues the cycle willingly and with brutality and no remorse for the destruction that he causes.
The world of Kings and Daemons is richly imagined and there is a well thought out history to make the world believable and to provide the backdrop to the story. Whilst the environment is damaged, it is interesting to see that with the nudge of Maya’s magic, it appears to be lying dormant. Initially, it seems to be a world of black and white. However, vibrant sprigs of colour are introduced when Maya uses her magic more and more throughout the land, healing it in some small way, and when this happens, we see that nature can be nurtured and that it will bounce back from the pestilence that has blighted it.
And finally, we have to mention the magic system. I like that magic has a cost, and it is not used as a deus ex machina that cures all. Each power takes its toll in its own individual way, affecting the person singularly and Marcus illustrates the cost on those that use magic in an imaginative way (I don’t want to go into it too much as I don’t want to give spoilers).
The plot and the pacing hold up throughout the story, moving it towards the culmination of this part of the story. At times it moves along with gentle flow, and at others moving like a fast flowing torrent, sometimes slowing as Lee builds the relationships between the characters of the book.
As you can guess, I enjoyed this first book of the Gifted and the Curse and I am looking forward to the next book in the trilogy and seeing what happens at Tristan’s Folly.
The story starts with the birth of our hero, Maya, in a land that has been oppressed by the Witch King. This is a land ruled by darkness and the maternal mortality rate is incredibly high, as is the mortality of everyone around. However, Maya is special and her light shines through the misery that is bestowed on the land by the Witch King.
As Maya grows, she has to hide her gift from those around her, for if her powers are detected she will be sent to the witch king to suffer whatever fate befalls those who have talents.
Marcus Lee’s Kings and Daemons is a mesmerising tale of love, redemption and heroism set in a world ruled by cruelty and misery. However, not only is the land harsh, but the suffering has permeated every aspect of people’s lives who live in the conquered Ember Kingdom and they have become just as twisted as the land they live in.
I really enjoyed Marcus Lee’s Kings and Daemons. It is filled with rich characters and has an elegant writing style that reminds me of old fashioned high adventures like Lorna Doone. Lee has a unique writing style that I have not come across before. It almost reminds you of a storyteller recounting tales by a fire as he tells the story of Maya and those around her. The story is in parts a coming of age story, a chivalric romance and a tale of redemption. However, Lee manages to combine these elements with a modern aesthetic of dark fantasy, melding the two successfully.
At its heart, it is not a dark book. Whilst everything around Maya is full of grimness and dark foreboding, Lee always manages to maintain a corona of light on the horizon. Whether that be with the redemption of Rakan, the friendship and eventual romance of Maya and Taran or the hope that the land will be healed from the malady of the Witch King’s grip and ultimately healed.
The story takes place from the point of view of the main characters, Maya, Taran, Rakan, Kallas and the Witch King himself, Daleth. And later in the book, there is the addition of the supporting characters of Astren, a seer who can travel in the spirit world and King Tristan. King of the Freestates, who is about to bear the invasion of the Witch King in his bid to take over the Freestates and drain the life from them as he has done with the Ember Kingdioms.
I fell under the spell of each of these individual characters, Maya who is at heart gentle and caring. Taran, who initially bumbles from one situation to the next, which eventually leads him into a choice that he didn't make. Rakan, who whilst initially bad, experiences acceptance and ultimately some form of redemption.
Everybody's favourite Kallas is an interesting character, and he certainly lives up to his name throughout most of the book, dispatching all around him in a callous and bloody fashion. And finally, we have the Witch King himself.
For me, the most interesting characters were certainly Daleth and Rakan. I know that in terms of entertainment value Kallas is pretty much up there, but Daleth and Rakan are the ones that stood out for me.
Rakan’s transformation from an angry and cruel individual to exactly the opposite is really good (although, he does still threaten everyone), and I thought I would like to see a book about Rakan and his time as a Nightstalker. Daleth is the most human of monsters, employing fear and coercion as a means to gain power. Yes, you can understand his motivations due to his gift and everything that he has endured. However, he continues the cycle willingly and with brutality and no remorse for the destruction that he causes.
The world of Kings and Daemons is richly imagined and there is a well thought out history to make the world believable and to provide the backdrop to the story. Whilst the environment is damaged, it is interesting to see that with the nudge of Maya’s magic, it appears to be lying dormant. Initially, it seems to be a world of black and white. However, vibrant sprigs of colour are introduced when Maya uses her magic more and more throughout the land, healing it in some small way, and when this happens, we see that nature can be nurtured and that it will bounce back from the pestilence that has blighted it.
And finally, we have to mention the magic system. I like that magic has a cost, and it is not used as a deus ex machina that cures all. Each power takes its toll in its own individual way, affecting the person singularly and Marcus illustrates the cost on those that use magic in an imaginative way (I don’t want to go into it too much as I don’t want to give spoilers).
The plot and the pacing hold up throughout the story, moving it towards the culmination of this part of the story. At times it moves along with gentle flow, and at others moving like a fast flowing torrent, sometimes slowing as Lee builds the relationships between the characters of the book.
As you can guess, I enjoyed this first book of the Gifted and the Curse and I am looking forward to the next book in the trilogy and seeing what happens at Tristan’s Folly.
stp_reads's review
3.0
In this book, we get to see a lot of characters’ POV and at times it was confusing (or maybe the ARC formatting was). In the many POVs, the “main characters” are Astren, Maya, Taran, Rakan, Kalas, and the Witch King - Daleth.
In the Kingdom of the Witch King, previously Ember Kingdom, there are some that have gifts that are sought out after to serve the king. Those who can hide their gifts, do so. Maya and Taran are two of such gifted people that are hidden from the king and live hard lives. Their paths cross when Maya is discovered and Taran is forced to join the king’s army under Rakan’s supervision.
While Kala’s doesn’t have a gift per se, he does have a secret that makes him different from everyone else. Kalas was a royal guard for the king of the Ember Kingdom and is one of the last survivors from Daleth’s invasion.
Daleth had a rough start to life until he discovered he had a gift. Once he began to use and hone that gift, he went from a shunned boy to the ruthless ruler he now is. That gift doesn’t allow for Daleth to be in one place forever and so he has to continuously campaign against other territories in order to “survive”.
Astren is a seer that works for the king of the Freestates, Daleth’s next target. Astren uses his gift to help coordinate the defense of the Freestates. In his spiritual travels, he meets Maya (who doesn’t fully understand her gift) and tries to educate her as much as time permits.
Maya is taken prisoner and transported to the king. Taran and Rakan’s unit is tasked with securing Maya. Taran finds it difficult to accept the way the rest of the soldiers treat Maya and so he uses his gift to help her within his limitations. Along the way the king finds that he no longer wants Maya and orders her to be killed and Taran & Rakan (begrudgingly) defend her and escape with her. They run towards the only safe place they know, the Freestates, but it’s a very hard journey.
All kinds of plans and plots are in motion in book 1 which sets up the story for the two others in the series. There’s definitely a lot of details to keep track of in order to follow the story.
In the Kingdom of the Witch King, previously Ember Kingdom, there are some that have gifts that are sought out after to serve the king. Those who can hide their gifts, do so. Maya and Taran are two of such gifted people that are hidden from the king and live hard lives. Their paths cross when Maya is discovered and Taran is forced to join the king’s army under Rakan’s supervision.
While Kala’s doesn’t have a gift per se, he does have a secret that makes him different from everyone else. Kalas was a royal guard for the king of the Ember Kingdom and is one of the last survivors from Daleth’s invasion.
Daleth had a rough start to life until he discovered he had a gift. Once he began to use and hone that gift, he went from a shunned boy to the ruthless ruler he now is. That gift doesn’t allow for Daleth to be in one place forever and so he has to continuously campaign against other territories in order to “survive”.
Astren is a seer that works for the king of the Freestates, Daleth’s next target. Astren uses his gift to help coordinate the defense of the Freestates. In his spiritual travels, he meets Maya (who doesn’t fully understand her gift) and tries to educate her as much as time permits.
Maya is taken prisoner and transported to the king. Taran and Rakan’s unit is tasked with securing Maya. Taran finds it difficult to accept the way the rest of the soldiers treat Maya and so he uses his gift to help her within his limitations. Along the way the king finds that he no longer wants Maya and orders her to be killed and Taran & Rakan (begrudgingly) defend her and escape with her. They run towards the only safe place they know, the Freestates, but it’s a very hard journey.
All kinds of plans and plots are in motion in book 1 which sets up the story for the two others in the series. There’s definitely a lot of details to keep track of in order to follow the story.
avoraciousreader68's review
medium-paced
4.0
Book source ~ Tour
I did a First Impressions for this book in a tour back on July 29th. I was only 38% in, but was really enjoying it. Real Life has finally let me finish it. Yay!
I did a First Impressions for this book in a tour back on July 29th. I was only 38% in, but was really enjoying it. Real Life has finally let me finish it. Yay!
I have a love/hate relationship with epic fantasy. The first book in any series usually frustrates me. There are so many characters that need introduced as well as fast world building being done that I spend the better part of book 1 confused. This is not the fault of any author. It's just how epic fantasy is written and I do love it. I really do. Once I get past all the beginning intros and memorize the strange names and places then I fall in and never want to come out.
With Kings & Daemons the beginning of book 1 is slower than I'm used to with not as much world building. For some, this is an issue, but for me it's a relief. I'm able to keep places and people straight and I'm able to invest in it that much quicker. Three of the main characters are Maya, Taran, and Kalas. All are shaping up to be great characters. Then there's some side characters who are proving to be very interesting: Rakan, Astren, and Alano. And no story is complete without a villain, the Witch-King. Wow. What an asshat. At the time of my First Impressions, the characters are pretty much established at this point in the story (38%), the stage is set, and the pieces are moving toward their destinations.
I’m happy to report that I quite enjoyed this story. Usually Epic Fantasy is complicated with so many POVs moving toward a goal until they finally come together. While there are several POVs in this tale, it seems to be slimmed down and a bit more manageable. Instead of looking like Mr. Universe it’s more like an Olympic swimmer, sleek and fast. The plot unfolds at an even rate, the characters are great, and the whole thing is coming together. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
paperbacktomes's review
3.0
You can read my full review here.
I guess those who loved reading the Throne of Glass series might enjoy this book. Kings and Daemons is an action-packed, gory epic fantasy. The setting mostly felt like a dystopian fantasy, but the fantasy part was more prominent to make it dystopian. I’ve only spoken about 5 characters here, but there are at least 5 new characters introduced in the second half of the book who are vital to the plot. If you’re looking to start an all-new fantasy series, then I’d recommend this book.
BLOG • INSTAGRAM • TWITTER • PINTEREST
(Thanks a ton to The WriteReads Tours for the eARC and for letting me join this blog tour.)
I guess those who loved reading the Throne of Glass series might enjoy this book. Kings and Daemons is an action-packed, gory epic fantasy. The setting mostly felt like a dystopian fantasy, but the fantasy part was more prominent to make it dystopian. I’ve only spoken about 5 characters here, but there are at least 5 new characters introduced in the second half of the book who are vital to the plot. If you’re looking to start an all-new fantasy series, then I’d recommend this book.
BLOG • INSTAGRAM • TWITTER • PINTEREST
(Thanks a ton to The WriteReads Tours for the eARC and for letting me join this blog tour.)
sometimesleelynnreads's review
3.0
Find my full review on my blog
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Storytellers on Tour, and Marcus Lee for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.
Now, the way that the synopsis says it, it seems like the “girl” that has her power revealed is going to be a nameless character that is going to cause all kinds of problems for Witch-King Daleth and that we would be getting the story from his perspective, but it wasn’t. Which is okay if you’re not into seeing stories from the villain’s perspective, but I was kind of curious to see a story that way from the very beginning. Despite that, I am so glad that we got to hear from Maya, the girl in question. We also get the POV of two other characters too, so enjoy that!
I’m glad that this was the first book in a series because I feel like there could be so much more in this world, and I feel like Lee really set it up like that by the time you finish the novel. I found it quite enjoyable.
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Storytellers on Tour, and Marcus Lee for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.
Now, the way that the synopsis says it, it seems like the “girl” that has her power revealed is going to be a nameless character that is going to cause all kinds of problems for Witch-King Daleth and that we would be getting the story from his perspective, but it wasn’t. Which is okay if you’re not into seeing stories from the villain’s perspective, but I was kind of curious to see a story that way from the very beginning. Despite that, I am so glad that we got to hear from Maya, the girl in question. We also get the POV of two other characters too, so enjoy that!
I’m glad that this was the first book in a series because I feel like there could be so much more in this world, and I feel like Lee really set it up like that by the time you finish the novel. I found it quite enjoyable.