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trbartly's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
Before I get started, I want to thank M.E. Vaughan who gave me this e-book in exchange for an honest review. So, thank you. It was a pleasure, truly.
*rubs hands together* Now, let’s get started.
I was approached by Vaughan during an epic reading slump and to be honest, I was a little nervous that a high fantasy novel would make it worse or that I would feel bogged down by learning a new world. However, this book was thrilling and witty and full of twists. If school hadn’t taken up so much of my time, there is no doubt that I would have finished this book in two or three days tops. Even when I put it down, I was thinking about the characters and praying my classes would be canceled so I could continue reading. For me, that is always the sign of a good book.
Vaughan’s writing style is rich, full of color and charm. I loved how her description of both characters and places really immersed me into the story. The only aspect of her style that took some getting used to was the formal dialogue, but once I did (and it didn’t take long, really), I felt it fit the world and characters.
Speaking of characters, I haven’t felt this invested this in love with characters since the Raven Boys. Rufus, Fae and Jionat stole my heart within the first 100 pages of the book. I wanted nothing more than their safety and happiness. I ached when they did and laughed when they did. Their development throughout the novel, both as characters and friends was vast and wonderful to read. They weren’t the only ones, though. I loved all of the supporting characters as well. They all added so much to the plot and culture of the novel. Vaughan certainly knows how to craft her characters.
The world was well built, the magic system clear and well explained. I was never confused by it as in some high fantasy. The culture was vast and I loved the comparison between the Bethean, Sarrin and Harmatia cultures and traditions. It was very interesting, and, I think important for both the plot and audience. Although, the construction of the world did sometimes come at the price of extended exposition and explanation. I think Vaughan handled this well as there were only a couple of times that it overwhelmed me.
Vaughan is a master plotter--plot-ician? plot-ist? It doesn’t matter. Whatever the title, she designed a plot with the suspense of a thriller, the surprises of a mystery and the detail of a fantasy. I was so immersed and thrilled, it was a wonder I slept at all while reading this book. There were only a few times when I felt the book moved to slow or fast, but that may have been me wanting to know what happened next and not wanted it to end respectively.
In fact, I literally sat there after I finished this book and said, “What am I to do with myself now? How am I supposed to wait for the next one?” My reading slump is cured, but this wonderful story is paused until book two comes out and I can honestly say that I can’t wait to read it and go on more adventures with Rufus and other the other characters of this book.
Before I get started, I want to thank M.E. Vaughan who gave me this e-book in exchange for an honest review. So, thank you. It was a pleasure, truly.
*rubs hands together* Now, let’s get started.
I was approached by Vaughan during an epic reading slump and to be honest, I was a little nervous that a high fantasy novel would make it worse or that I would feel bogged down by learning a new world. However, this book was thrilling and witty and full of twists. If school hadn’t taken up so much of my time, there is no doubt that I would have finished this book in two or three days tops. Even when I put it down, I was thinking about the characters and praying my classes would be canceled so I could continue reading. For me, that is always the sign of a good book.
Vaughan’s writing style is rich, full of color and charm. I loved how her description of both characters and places really immersed me into the story. The only aspect of her style that took some getting used to was the formal dialogue, but once I did (and it didn’t take long, really), I felt it fit the world and characters.
Speaking of characters, I haven’t felt this invested this in love with characters since the Raven Boys. Rufus, Fae and Jionat stole my heart within the first 100 pages of the book. I wanted nothing more than their safety and happiness. I ached when they did and laughed when they did. Their development throughout the novel, both as characters and friends was vast and wonderful to read. They weren’t the only ones, though. I loved all of the supporting characters as well. They all added so much to the plot and culture of the novel. Vaughan certainly knows how to craft her characters.
The world was well built, the magic system clear and well explained. I was never confused by it as in some high fantasy. The culture was vast and I loved the comparison between the Bethean, Sarrin and Harmatia cultures and traditions. It was very interesting, and, I think important for both the plot and audience. Although, the construction of the world did sometimes come at the price of extended exposition and explanation. I think Vaughan handled this well as there were only a couple of times that it overwhelmed me.
Vaughan is a master plotter--plot-ician? plot-ist? It doesn’t matter. Whatever the title, she designed a plot with the suspense of a thriller, the surprises of a mystery and the detail of a fantasy. I was so immersed and thrilled, it was a wonder I slept at all while reading this book. There were only a few times when I felt the book moved to slow or fast, but that may have been me wanting to know what happened next and not wanted it to end respectively.
In fact, I literally sat there after I finished this book and said, “What am I to do with myself now? How am I supposed to wait for the next one?” My reading slump is cured, but this wonderful story is paused until book two comes out and I can honestly say that I can’t wait to read it and go on more adventures with Rufus and other the other characters of this book.
serukis's review against another edition
4.0
Full Disclosure: I know the author, but I bought the book myself. I intend to provide an honest review. :)
Prince Jionathan flees Harmatia in fear of his life, and is shadowed by the magi Rufus Merle. Together, they must travel to safety through the dangerous faerie wood, in the company of a sidhe named Fae, and must discover the truth behind a dark conspiracy if Jionathan is going to take his rightful place on the throne.
^ My summary does not do the plot justice, I'm sorry.
Anyway, you know when you read a novel and you immediately want to read the next one? The Sons of Thestian did that for me. The book's ending (saying much more about it would be major spoiler territory) set up for a sequel, and the sequel felt inevitable. Unlike some books where sequel set-up feels hurriedly tacked on, looking back across the novel as a whole, everything was leading up to it.
Whilst reading through the book, the protagonists seemed to go from one scrape to the next - bandits, a gancanagh, korrigans - something that reminded me of fantasy novels of old, that often went for that faintly episodic feel. If you recall from my review of Three Hearts and Three Lions, I am not a huge fan of this structure. However, these events were all necessary for the over-arching plot: we learnt specific things about the characters, the world, or the story, that were needed for the end to come together as it did. I think, in the hands of a more experienced author, it could have been masterful, as in places I did find the exposition a little clumsy, but from a debut author it is highly commendable. As well as that, unlike in the previous example, I often found myself fearing for the lives of the protagonists.
Speaking of the protagonists, if you've been following my reviews for a while, you'll know that characters are the singular most important component for me in a book. And I loved these characters (and, what's more, you can tell that Vaughan really loves them too). They are three-dimensional, crafted with care, and each one of them has their own separate and distinctive personalities. And they have flaws, too. Jionathan is kind and noble, but he is prideful and reckless too, and entirely blind to the people who care about him. Rufus is fiercely loyal, but he is (in some circumstances) cowardly and an alcoholic. Fae is strong and fierce, but deeply suspicious and judgemental. I loved all of them.
And then there are characters like Arlen Zachary. Though a clear villain from the beginning, I could not help but warm to him on several occasions, and then also question to myself why I was warming to him. He is a character that leaves me conflicted and unsure what to feel, and that often is my favourite kind of character of all.
I also very much enjoyed the little touches of LGBT running through this book, and not just in the main characters. The nature of the relationship between Emeric Fold and his mentor, Marcel, for instance, was a nice little touch, and humanised them even though they took part in some dreadful things.I choked up a little when Emeric threw himself at Marcel to protect him at one point . One of my favourite scenes was Jionathan and Rufus witnessing two women getting married, and Jionathan is horrified:
"But then anybody could marry anybody!" Jionathan protested. "A man might marry his dog."
"... Jionat, I hardly think that a dog is capable of making a vow of eternal love."
Brilliant. Considering that that was an argument a lot of people in the real world brought up when same-sex marriage was being debated, it made me grin to see it here.
Another thing I really liked about The Sons of Thestian was the faeries. I don't know much about faerie lore, or how much Vaughan drew from legends or made up herself, but the lore was obviously rich and layered. The bean nighe, for example, was fascinating.
Also, Vaughan knows how to rip out your heart and trample all over it. Just saying. ;____;
The writing was poetic, occasionally overly so, but for the most part I enjoyed it. It could have done with more rigorous editing - there were no spelling errors, but in a few places the wrong version of a homonym was used ('bare' instead of 'bear', for example). I did notice them when I came across them, but they did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. There were also a few weird typesetting errors. Again, these did not detract from my enjoyment, but did obviously jolt me out of the story for a moment or two. Vaughan obviously knows what she's doing when it comes to word-smithing, however, and I think she has a lot of potential to grow in future instalments. (Also, if you ever need a proofreader, Madeleine, I'm pretty good at it (if I do say so myself)! *winkwink*)
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and am very excited for the next in the series! This is a great debut novel and I have every confidence that Madeleine will only grow as an author, and I'm excited to see how she develops! :)
Prince Jionathan flees Harmatia in fear of his life, and is shadowed by the magi Rufus Merle. Together, they must travel to safety through the dangerous faerie wood, in the company of a sidhe named Fae, and must discover the truth behind a dark conspiracy if Jionathan is going to take his rightful place on the throne.
^ My summary does not do the plot justice, I'm sorry.
Anyway, you know when you read a novel and you immediately want to read the next one? The Sons of Thestian did that for me. The book's ending (saying much more about it would be major spoiler territory) set up for a sequel, and the sequel felt inevitable. Unlike some books where sequel set-up feels hurriedly tacked on, looking back across the novel as a whole, everything was leading up to it.
Whilst reading through the book, the protagonists seemed to go from one scrape to the next - bandits, a gancanagh, korrigans - something that reminded me of fantasy novels of old, that often went for that faintly episodic feel. If you recall from my review of Three Hearts and Three Lions, I am not a huge fan of this structure. However, these events were all necessary for the over-arching plot: we learnt specific things about the characters, the world, or the story, that were needed for the end to come together as it did. I think, in the hands of a more experienced author, it could have been masterful, as in places I did find the exposition a little clumsy, but from a debut author it is highly commendable. As well as that, unlike in the previous example, I often found myself fearing for the lives of the protagonists.
Speaking of the protagonists, if you've been following my reviews for a while, you'll know that characters are the singular most important component for me in a book. And I loved these characters (and, what's more, you can tell that Vaughan really loves them too). They are three-dimensional, crafted with care, and each one of them has their own separate and distinctive personalities. And they have flaws, too. Jionathan is kind and noble, but he is prideful and reckless too, and entirely blind to the people who care about him. Rufus is fiercely loyal, but he is (in some circumstances) cowardly and an alcoholic. Fae is strong and fierce, but deeply suspicious and judgemental. I loved all of them.
And then there are characters like Arlen Zachary. Though a clear villain from the beginning, I could not help but warm to him on several occasions, and then also question to myself why I was warming to him. He is a character that leaves me conflicted and unsure what to feel, and that often is my favourite kind of character of all.
I also very much enjoyed the little touches of LGBT running through this book, and not just in the main characters. The nature of the relationship between Emeric Fold and his mentor, Marcel, for instance, was a nice little touch, and humanised them even though they took part in some dreadful things.
"But then anybody could marry anybody!" Jionathan protested. "A man might marry his dog."
"... Jionat, I hardly think that a dog is capable of making a vow of eternal love."
Brilliant. Considering that that was an argument a lot of people in the real world brought up when same-sex marriage was being debated, it made me grin to see it here.
Another thing I really liked about The Sons of Thestian was the faeries. I don't know much about faerie lore, or how much Vaughan drew from legends or made up herself, but the lore was obviously rich and layered. The bean nighe, for example, was fascinating.
Also, Vaughan knows how to rip out your heart and trample all over it. Just saying. ;____;
The writing was poetic, occasionally overly so, but for the most part I enjoyed it. It could have done with more rigorous editing - there were no spelling errors, but in a few places the wrong version of a homonym was used ('bare' instead of 'bear', for example). I did notice them when I came across them, but they did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. There were also a few weird typesetting errors. Again, these did not detract from my enjoyment, but did obviously jolt me out of the story for a moment or two. Vaughan obviously knows what she's doing when it comes to word-smithing, however, and I think she has a lot of potential to grow in future instalments. (Also, if you ever need a proofreader, Madeleine, I'm pretty good at it (if I do say so myself)! *winkwink*)
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and am very excited for the next in the series! This is a great debut novel and I have every confidence that Madeleine will only grow as an author, and I'm excited to see how she develops! :)
seelicole's review against another edition
5.0
First of all, I want to thank M.E. Vaughan for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. So without further ado, let's see if I can gather my thoughts well enough to form a coherent review:
Before reading The Sons of Thestian, I was going through a major reading slump. However, this book took me right out of it and I eventually found it nearly impossible to put down. If I wasn't being forced to be a human and study for midterms, I probably would have been able to finish it a lot faster.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone who loves fantasy but is looking for something different as is focuses more on family and friendship than love in the romantic sense, and I found it to be just a thrilling. I also found it funny how terribly I was butchering some of the names once I found the, extremely helpful, Glossary of Names & Titles at the end of the book.
The story started off good but morphed into something great. This was partially due to Vaughan's talent for foreshadowing. On several occasions I had to go back and re-read certain parts of the book due to other events occurring later on that were related. This is not to say that the book was difficult to read. Even though the genre is high fantasy, the world was extremely easy to digest because Vaughan did a good job of slowly introducing us to more while still keeping the plot moving.
The characters, both good and bad, were another positive factor. They were all imperfect in some way and extremely realistic in their emotions and experiences. Through these characters, you experience feelings of love, anger, peace, suspense, happiness, and betrayal. They were also extremely witty and funny, I found myself laughing out loud more than a few times while reading. It is hard not to fall in love with at least a few of them *cough cough* Rufus Merle *cough cough*.
The Sons of Thestian had the perfect combination of action, suspense, mystery, and love. At times, I found myself on the edge of my seat trying to read faster so I could find out what happened next. Other times, I caught myself thinking about what a certain passage I read might mean, or smiling at a happy moment in the book. The story culminated in a bittersweet ending which makes me eager for the next book because I am dying to know what happens. Also, because there is almost nothing about this story that is black and white, I am excited to see if any of my predictions about what will happen are correct. With such a strong first installment I believe that it will only get better from here and I can't wait for more!
kaseyd's review against another edition
4.0
Really great for a YA fantasy. You can tell it was originally written when the author was a YA herself, but the characters are really great and make up for the fact that most of the novel lacks plot. Interested to see where it goes.
gabyagee's review
5.0
I'll start by saying that I have received the book from the author for free, for which I promised to provide an honest review. But I'd happily pay for this book, and I indeed got my boyfriend to pay for it already, so you get the gist. I'm going to be honest.
If you don't have much time to read this review, here's the short version: I freaking loved this. Close Goodreads, and go buy it and enjoy it for yourself.
The Sons of Thestian is set in a fantastical world, where monarchy exists and magic is present via the elite group of Magi, a member of whom is Rufus, as well as other fantastical characters (which were all new to me, because I'm quite new to fantasy). Let's pause for a second to talk about Rufus. Because he's such a lovable character. I love how M.E. Vaughn let us uncover bits and pieces about his throughout the book - he's quite a mystery to begin with, but we gradually discover more and more about him, which really resembles how you'd normally go about getting to know someone.
Rufus has a special connection to Jionathan, who is another totally lovable character (this will be a running theme throughout this, brace yourselves). To a great extent, although there is just so much going on in this book that you will find it hard to put down, the core of it is friendship between Rufus and Jionathan, and with the other characters.
The world built by M. E. Vaughn is a rich, interesting and believable one - you could really see it existing in real life, it's not so far removed from reality that you'd feel heavily detached from it (although it is fully fantastical). The characters are strong and likeable (where they're meant to be, I still haven't warmed up to Zachary), you simply want to know what will happen to them next. Sometimes I felt like smacking Jionat on the head, but mistakes are the privilege of the youth, I guess. I found the idea of elemental magic interesting, and also the concept of it easy to grasp. The political intrigue combined with action packed scenes forms a great mixture. There are also so many twists and turns that made me think 'damn, I never thought that would happen!' that it was worth reading it just for that constant feeling of being on edge.
The ending is truly, really heartbreaking (and heart stopping), and will make you run-not-walk to Amazon to swiftly purchase the sequel (which I have already done). This is most definitely the best book I've read in quite a long time, so kudos to the author.
To sum up - it's a great book, even if you don't normally read fantasy, and I think many of you will really enjoy it.
If you don't have much time to read this review, here's the short version: I freaking loved this. Close Goodreads, and go buy it and enjoy it for yourself.
The Sons of Thestian is set in a fantastical world, where monarchy exists and magic is present via the elite group of Magi, a member of whom is Rufus, as well as other fantastical characters (which were all new to me, because I'm quite new to fantasy). Let's pause for a second to talk about Rufus. Because he's such a lovable character. I love how M.E. Vaughn let us uncover bits and pieces about his throughout the book - he's quite a mystery to begin with, but we gradually discover more and more about him, which really resembles how you'd normally go about getting to know someone.
Rufus has a special connection to Jionathan, who is another totally lovable character (this will be a running theme throughout this, brace yourselves). To a great extent, although there is just so much going on in this book that you will find it hard to put down, the core of it is friendship between Rufus and Jionathan, and with the other characters.
The world built by M. E. Vaughn is a rich, interesting and believable one - you could really see it existing in real life, it's not so far removed from reality that you'd feel heavily detached from it (although it is fully fantastical). The characters are strong and likeable (where they're meant to be, I still haven't warmed up to Zachary), you simply want to know what will happen to them next. Sometimes I felt like smacking Jionat on the head, but mistakes are the privilege of the youth, I guess. I found the idea of elemental magic interesting, and also the concept of it easy to grasp. The political intrigue combined with action packed scenes forms a great mixture. There are also so many twists and turns that made me think 'damn, I never thought that would happen!' that it was worth reading it just for that constant feeling of being on edge.
The ending is truly, really heartbreaking (and heart stopping), and will make you run-not-walk to Amazon to swiftly purchase the sequel (which I have already done). This is most definitely the best book I've read in quite a long time, so kudos to the author.
To sum up - it's a great book, even if you don't normally read fantasy, and I think many of you will really enjoy it.
baberuga's review against another edition
5.0
I should be mad because goodreads tricked me. I saw LGBT as part of its genre and so went ahead and read it... I waited the entire length of the book and nothing.... I was tricked, bloody hell.
Still love it though... =_= even if I am pissed that the genre mislead me.
Still love it though... =_= even if I am pissed that the genre mislead me.
scparris's review against another edition
5.0
Now that I have some time, I've decided to put my thoughts about this amazing book into words.
M.E. Vaughan has created the start of a gorgeous fantasy series all fans of the genre should read, immediately.
Littered with Celtic, Arthurian lore, The Sons of Thestian transports us to a place reminiscent of medieval Ireland where the forests are filled with terrifying sidhe-folk, and the castle walls are no safer.
Our trio in this tale are the endurable Jionathan, the wonderful Rufus Merle, and Fae, the awesome Cat-Sidhe. Throughout their trials, they find themselves drawn together through their narrow-escapes, near-deaths, and general wit (which they each have plenty of), but the heart of the story is Rufus, who cannot seem to stay away from our troubled Prince, Jionathan.
In lieu of spoiling anything, I'll only say this:
The ending was such a beautifully-crafted writing piece of writing that I immediately desired to know what would happen next. It vexed and saddened me, and for any novel to do that immediately has a place on my list in my top favorites.
The Sons of Thestian set up a tale that I desperately want to continue. I can't wait to get my hands on book 2 whenever it's released.
Thank you, M.E. Vaughan, for this amazing story.
M.E. Vaughan has created the start of a gorgeous fantasy series all fans of the genre should read, immediately.
Littered with Celtic, Arthurian lore, The Sons of Thestian transports us to a place reminiscent of medieval Ireland where the forests are filled with terrifying sidhe-folk, and the castle walls are no safer.
Our trio in this tale are the endurable Jionathan, the wonderful Rufus Merle, and Fae, the awesome Cat-Sidhe. Throughout their trials, they find themselves drawn together through their narrow-escapes, near-deaths, and general wit (which they each have plenty of), but the heart of the story is Rufus, who cannot seem to stay away from our troubled Prince, Jionathan.
In lieu of spoiling anything, I'll only say this:
The ending was such a beautifully-crafted writing piece of writing that I immediately desired to know what would happen next. It vexed and saddened me, and for any novel to do that immediately has a place on my list in my top favorites.
The Sons of Thestian set up a tale that I desperately want to continue. I can't wait to get my hands on book 2 whenever it's released.
Thank you, M.E. Vaughan, for this amazing story.
schneefink's review against another edition
1.0
90% of this book was boring: from the beginning the plot meanders, the characters were bland, and I never got invested in the story. Then it had a fantastic ending which was wasted because the build-up didn't work. Shame.
abir_'s review
1.0
Anything I might say would definitely be an insult to the author so I. Won't. Say. Anything