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princessleopard's review against another edition
2.0
Preface: I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review
There's not a whole lot to say about this novel - unfortunately, it's just not very compelling. Our two main characters, Sill and Kallem, are very flat. Sill is a generic abused child character, and Kallem is an emotionless husk (something he himself acknowledges). The relationship between the two is poorly developed, as Kallem comes to care for Sill for seemingly no reason. They never really have any bonding moments, he just decides he likes her enough to suddenly change all of his priorities and desires. The other characters are similarly flat - generic childhood friend, generic elders, generic wise old mentor who doesn't actually do any mentoring. The only semi-interesting character is the talking hawk, and that's just because everyone else is so stale.
The plot is meandering and unfocused. The characters first seek out the old mentor, but he never actually teaches them anything, he just drags them to another location. Those two trips are the bulk of the book, followed by a climatic battle with the novel's generic villains, manlike animals that, for some reason, are obsessed with killing humans. The way they're dealt with is similarly generic, and pops up in pretty much every other fantasy story with a mindless horde of creatures.
I would not really recommend this to anyone unless they are absolutely starved for a fantasy read.
There's not a whole lot to say about this novel - unfortunately, it's just not very compelling. Our two main characters, Sill and Kallem, are very flat. Sill is a generic abused child character, and Kallem is an emotionless husk (something he himself acknowledges). The relationship between the two is poorly developed, as Kallem comes to care for Sill for seemingly no reason. They never really have any bonding moments, he just decides he likes her enough to suddenly change all of his priorities and desires. The other characters are similarly flat - generic childhood friend, generic elders, generic wise old mentor who doesn't actually do any mentoring. The only semi-interesting character is the talking hawk, and that's just because everyone else is so stale.
The plot is meandering and unfocused. The characters first seek out the old mentor, but he never actually teaches them anything, he just drags them to another location. Those two trips are the bulk of the book, followed by a climatic battle with the novel's generic villains, manlike animals that, for some reason, are obsessed with killing humans. The way they're dealt with is similarly generic, and pops up in pretty much every other fantasy story with a mindless horde of creatures.
I would not really recommend this to anyone unless they are absolutely starved for a fantasy read.
nairforceone's review against another edition
4.0
The Inner Lands has the makings of an epic, sweeping fantasy, with some interesting concepts but ultimately, I did not feel like the narrative made me all too concerned about the stakes. And although the characters do grow and change by the end of the book, I did not feel like the build-up delivered a satisfying finale. I would be interested to see how this gets built upon in the next books.
stephbookshine's review against another edition
5.0
*I received a free copy of this book. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
The Inner Lands: Something Stirs embodies all that is good in epic fantasy, made fresh and unique by the skillful world- and character-building by A. J. Austin.
Here are the chosen ones discovering their powers and going on a quest to save the world, but Austin brings that world to life around us, and makes us not only believe in his characters but deeply care about them and follow their fates as breathlessly as is our own lives depended on their success.
The enemies, in the form of the Grinth, are terrifying in appearance, behaviour and intelligence, and their links to Kallem are mysterious and unsettling.
The plot follows an epic battle for the Inner Lands between the human survivors of previous Grinth battles, and the creatures who have somehow breached their previously impenetrable safe haven. More than that though is the development of Sill and Kallem as they struggle with their inner and outer demons and learn the potential for good and evil within themselves as they try to decide which voice to follow. This is actually a story about people, memory, forgiveness, and finding out who we really are.
Even the side characters are distinct and fully-fleshed, with their own strengths and flaws, and I found myself as heavily invested in them as the main protagonists (especially my particular feathered favourite!).
This is an excellent start to a new fantasy series, and fans of books such as Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series will enjoy The Inner Lands. I can’t wait for the next in the series to find out what happens next!
People were beginning to appear through the dark and now Sill became aware of the sound of shouting and running feet.
Raffin stared up at her, bewildered and afraid. She turned away from him, unable to watch the red pouring from his brow. I did that, she thought. My best friend, my father, the quilt. It’s all my fault!
She began to back slowly away from the scene. The running feet were getting closer. How could she explain what had happened? She looked up at the hut one last time. Great plumes of smoke filed endlessly through the doorway and rose steadily up, staining the night sky.
Sill turned and ran.
– A. J. Austin, The Inner Lands: Something Stirs
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2018/05/02/the-inner-lands-something-stirs-a-j-austin/
The Inner Lands: Something Stirs embodies all that is good in epic fantasy, made fresh and unique by the skillful world- and character-building by A. J. Austin.
Here are the chosen ones discovering their powers and going on a quest to save the world, but Austin brings that world to life around us, and makes us not only believe in his characters but deeply care about them and follow their fates as breathlessly as is our own lives depended on their success.
The enemies, in the form of the Grinth, are terrifying in appearance, behaviour and intelligence, and their links to Kallem are mysterious and unsettling.
The plot follows an epic battle for the Inner Lands between the human survivors of previous Grinth battles, and the creatures who have somehow breached their previously impenetrable safe haven. More than that though is the development of Sill and Kallem as they struggle with their inner and outer demons and learn the potential for good and evil within themselves as they try to decide which voice to follow. This is actually a story about people, memory, forgiveness, and finding out who we really are.
Even the side characters are distinct and fully-fleshed, with their own strengths and flaws, and I found myself as heavily invested in them as the main protagonists (especially my particular feathered favourite!).
This is an excellent start to a new fantasy series, and fans of books such as Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series will enjoy The Inner Lands. I can’t wait for the next in the series to find out what happens next!
People were beginning to appear through the dark and now Sill became aware of the sound of shouting and running feet.
Raffin stared up at her, bewildered and afraid. She turned away from him, unable to watch the red pouring from his brow. I did that, she thought. My best friend, my father, the quilt. It’s all my fault!
She began to back slowly away from the scene. The running feet were getting closer. How could she explain what had happened? She looked up at the hut one last time. Great plumes of smoke filed endlessly through the doorway and rose steadily up, staining the night sky.
Sill turned and ran.
– A. J. Austin, The Inner Lands: Something Stirs
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2018/05/02/the-inner-lands-something-stirs-a-j-austin/
brinley's review
4.0
This book did take me longer than most to read, but I still enjoyed it. It took a little while to get into the book, because the first half mainly consists of a journey, which was somewhat uneventful. The plot definitely picked up after that though, and was paced quite well. I don't necessarily see myself rereading this, but I'm definitely interested to see where the author takes the next book.
This book had quite a bit of action, but it did rely on the characters to keep it moving forward. In all honesty, I considered dropping this book when I read that Sill was 12, but thankfully she was written to be mature. I personally really liked Kallum, and I really enjoyed reading his struggle with his inner demons. Most of the secondary characters were pretty bland, and the only one I found myself caring for was Brorn. That being said, because the next book does skip forward 5 years, I can definitely see a lot of potential for the development of Raffin and Sill.
While this book wasn't anything particularly special in the fantasy genre, it was unique, and it did hold my attention. I did struggle to picture the Grinths, which was a slight problem because they were the main villain of the book. I also felt like the ending was a bit rushed, but I think there's definite potential for a great series here.
Thanks to Hidden Gems for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review
This book had quite a bit of action, but it did rely on the characters to keep it moving forward. In all honesty, I considered dropping this book when I read that Sill was 12, but thankfully she was written to be mature. I personally really liked Kallum, and I really enjoyed reading his struggle with his inner demons. Most of the secondary characters were pretty bland, and the only one I found myself caring for was Brorn. That being said, because the next book does skip forward 5 years, I can definitely see a lot of potential for the development of Raffin and Sill.
While this book wasn't anything particularly special in the fantasy genre, it was unique, and it did hold my attention. I did struggle to picture the Grinths, which was a slight problem because they were the main villain of the book. I also felt like the ending was a bit rushed, but I think there's definite potential for a great series here.
Thanks to Hidden Gems for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review
clarag's review
2.0
I received a free copy to give an honest review from Hiddengemsbooks.
This book earns a 2.5. It would be a good book to recommend to someone wanting to start reading fantasy for the first time. It has a fast pace, and a large cast if characters.
There is very little world building, one dimensional characters and a very weak plot that amounts to a mass of faceless enemies that just want to kill humans. We follow Sill, a young girl with a dead mom and a rage filled alcoholic dad that blames her, and we also follow kallum, an emotionless boy who watched his dad and sister die years prior to o e of the monsters.
The magic system is never really explained except powerful when needed. The fights are rather confusing with mostly telling and very little showing. There were brief moments in the description that showed a lot of potential. The author really should have spent more time editing and more focus on fleshing out the world.
This book earns a 2.5. It would be a good book to recommend to someone wanting to start reading fantasy for the first time. It has a fast pace, and a large cast if characters.
There is very little world building, one dimensional characters and a very weak plot that amounts to a mass of faceless enemies that just want to kill humans. We follow Sill, a young girl with a dead mom and a rage filled alcoholic dad that blames her, and we also follow kallum, an emotionless boy who watched his dad and sister die years prior to o e of the monsters.
The magic system is never really explained except powerful when needed. The fights are rather confusing with mostly telling and very little showing. There were brief moments in the description that showed a lot of potential. The author really should have spent more time editing and more focus on fleshing out the world.
stephbookshine's review
5.0
*I received a free copy of this book. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
The Inner Lands: Something Stirs embodies all that is good in epic fantasy, made fresh and unique by the skillful world- and character-building by A. J. Austin.
Here are the chosen ones discovering their powers and going on a quest to save the world, but Austin brings that world to life around us, and makes us not only believe in his characters but deeply care about them and follow their fates as breathlessly as is our own lives depended on their success.
The enemies, in the form of the Grinth, are terrifying in appearance, behaviour and intelligence, and their links to Kallem are mysterious and unsettling.
The plot follows an epic battle for the Inner Lands between the human survivors of previous Grinth battles, and the creatures who have somehow breached their previously impenetrable safe haven. More than that though is the development of Sill and Kallem as they struggle with their inner and outer demons and learn the potential for good and evil within themselves as they try to decide which voice to follow. This is actually a story about people, memory, forgiveness, and finding out who we really are.
Even the side characters are distinct and fully-fleshed, with their own strengths and flaws, and I found myself as heavily invested in them as the main protagonists (especially my particular feathered favourite!).
This is an excellent start to a new fantasy series, and fans of books such as Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series will enjoy The Inner Lands. I can’t wait for the next in the series to find out what happens next!
People were beginning to appear through the dark and now Sill became aware of the sound of shouting and running feet.
Raffin stared up at her, bewildered and afraid. She turned away from him, unable to watch the red pouring from his brow. I did that, she thought. My best friend, my father, the quilt. It’s all my fault!
She began to back slowly away from the scene. The running feet were getting closer. How could she explain what had happened? She looked up at the hut one last time. Great plumes of smoke filed endlessly through the doorway and rose steadily up, staining the night sky.
Sill turned and ran.
– A. J. Austin, The Inner Lands: Something Stirs
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2018/05/02/the-inner-lands-something-stirs-a-j-austin/
The Inner Lands: Something Stirs embodies all that is good in epic fantasy, made fresh and unique by the skillful world- and character-building by A. J. Austin.
Here are the chosen ones discovering their powers and going on a quest to save the world, but Austin brings that world to life around us, and makes us not only believe in his characters but deeply care about them and follow their fates as breathlessly as is our own lives depended on their success.
The enemies, in the form of the Grinth, are terrifying in appearance, behaviour and intelligence, and their links to Kallem are mysterious and unsettling.
The plot follows an epic battle for the Inner Lands between the human survivors of previous Grinth battles, and the creatures who have somehow breached their previously impenetrable safe haven. More than that though is the development of Sill and Kallem as they struggle with their inner and outer demons and learn the potential for good and evil within themselves as they try to decide which voice to follow. This is actually a story about people, memory, forgiveness, and finding out who we really are.
Even the side characters are distinct and fully-fleshed, with their own strengths and flaws, and I found myself as heavily invested in them as the main protagonists (especially my particular feathered favourite!).
This is an excellent start to a new fantasy series, and fans of books such as Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series will enjoy The Inner Lands. I can’t wait for the next in the series to find out what happens next!
People were beginning to appear through the dark and now Sill became aware of the sound of shouting and running feet.
Raffin stared up at her, bewildered and afraid. She turned away from him, unable to watch the red pouring from his brow. I did that, she thought. My best friend, my father, the quilt. It’s all my fault!
She began to back slowly away from the scene. The running feet were getting closer. How could she explain what had happened? She looked up at the hut one last time. Great plumes of smoke filed endlessly through the doorway and rose steadily up, staining the night sky.
Sill turned and ran.
– A. J. Austin, The Inner Lands: Something Stirs
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2018/05/02/the-inner-lands-something-stirs-a-j-austin/
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