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A review by thebookishgarden
The Councillor by E.J. Beaton
5.0
The Councillor is E.J. Beaton's debut novel that nobody should miss the opportunity to read! I am thankful to have received an ARC of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Councillor is a Machiavellian fantasy that follows the quest of Lysande Prior. After the death of Queen Sarelin Brey, Lysande has to find not only a new monarch to rule the throne but also make sure she doesn't choose the queen's murderer.
This novel is filled with so much fantasy, action, mystery, suspense, and intrigue that I loved every bit of it. The most important concept I look for is character development, and it was definitely there! I loved every aspect of Lysande, Luca, Jale, Dante, Cassia, and every other good or evil character involved in the story. The story started out a bit slow before the other monarchs came in, but once everyone came together so did the excitement. I also quite enjoyed the magical elements and political powers that came into play. It led to an even balance of friendships and untrustworthiness in my opinion. There were so many characters that Lysande really enjoyed the company of, but that nagging feeling that one of them might betray her always had me on my toes.
This standalone adult fantasy is a slow-burn plot line, but I felt that it was so easy to get trapped in this book and never want to look away. There are only fifteen long chapters throughout the novel, so the pacing might be a concern to those who don't prefer long chapters. However, I must say that I don't prefer long chapters either, but I loved the characters and plot line so much that it never once felt daunting.
All in all, I give a huge hats off to the author on a well-told story! For this being a debut adult fantasy novel, I am so utterly pleased and excited for more to come from E.J. Beaton's writing!
The Councillor is a Machiavellian fantasy that follows the quest of Lysande Prior. After the death of Queen Sarelin Brey, Lysande has to find not only a new monarch to rule the throne but also make sure she doesn't choose the queen's murderer.
This novel is filled with so much fantasy, action, mystery, suspense, and intrigue that I loved every bit of it. The most important concept I look for is character development, and it was definitely there! I loved every aspect of Lysande, Luca, Jale, Dante, Cassia, and every other good or evil character involved in the story. The story started out a bit slow before the other monarchs came in, but once everyone came together so did the excitement. I also quite enjoyed the magical elements and political powers that came into play. It led to an even balance of friendships and untrustworthiness in my opinion. There were so many characters that Lysande really enjoyed the company of, but that nagging feeling that one of them might betray her always had me on my toes.
This standalone adult fantasy is a slow-burn plot line, but I felt that it was so easy to get trapped in this book and never want to look away. There are only fifteen long chapters throughout the novel, so the pacing might be a concern to those who don't prefer long chapters. However, I must say that I don't prefer long chapters either, but I loved the characters and plot line so much that it never once felt daunting.
All in all, I give a huge hats off to the author on a well-told story! For this being a debut adult fantasy novel, I am so utterly pleased and excited for more to come from E.J. Beaton's writing!