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A review by egbella
The Twelve Kingdoms by Dana A. Caldwell, Dana A. Caldwell
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Okay, first of all, THAT COVER. I love it so, so much and it definitely would have caught my eye had I not already been signed up to receive a copy of this.
And for the story itself, this is an incredibly solid debut from a talented indie author! Disclaimer: I was thrilled to receive an ARC copy of this book, but didn't finish it before release and ended up finishing the story in published e-book form that I purchased. All opinions are my own honest thoughts.
Where do I even start? This is certainly an epic fantasy. There is SO MUCH to this book and storyworld. The lands described are expansive and immersive, the types of creatures are a mixture of twisted classic fantasy creatures (goblins, elves, etc.) with some unique ones, the magic system is well-developed and intricate, and overall, it felt like diving into an entirely new realm.
At first I didn't realize that this is the first book in a trilogy, and now that I realize that, it makes so much more sense. Even with as much happened in this first, massive book, there's so much more to the world that I'm looking forward to exploring in future books in the series! As I'm not typically an epic fantasy reader, I had some trouble keeping everything straight, but it was pretty well-explained throughout the book. I think it was merely my brain being difficult, haha.
The characters - as is usually the case for me - were my favorites. Each one felt so developed and real. Even the POV protagonist, Rose Wolfe, was someone that I could quickly relate to and sympathize with, even though that's uncommon for me and teenage female POV characters. So that was appreciated. She was incredibly strong and impressive, even with everything she's been through, and while she kept me on the edge of my toes, her growth and character change is inspiring. I loved that while she was strong, she wasn't your classic "strong female character". She had vulnerability and softness when she allowed herself to, more and more with the help of Animo.
Speaking of Animo, hands down my favorite character in the book. I wanted to hug him 99% of the book, and how awesome is his name? He too is incredibly strong with everything he's been through, and he was always the encouraging, steady rock for Rose, allowing her to learn but never letting her fall completely. Their affections grew at an excellent pace, still very tame, but perfectly slow-burn in my opinion. I seldom root for love interests to finally kiss, but this one got to me...
The rest of the side characters...oh my, they were colorful! Ketch, Camilla, Megs, Margaret, Hertz, Nelos, Christoph, etc. Each of them had a life and personality of their own, and I enjoyed watching them twist and weave through Rose's life, each working for them own goals while still - sometimes, depending on the character - helping her as well. I hope we see a lot more of most of them and that there are some loose ends tied up in the next books.
Also, I won't say too much, but WOW did the ending get tense. The villain is absolutely terrifying, and I can honestly say I wasn't expecting about three of those last major plot twists, haha. Once I reached those last few chapters, I couldn't put it down until I'd read to the end. Very well-done.
In true epic fantasy form, the plot bounced between extremely high-action, suspense-filled scenes of peril and slower "going on a journey" moments as the party traveled. I thought it was an excellent balance, and the author did a great job skimming over the more tedious elements of the passing of time and travel, always keeping us on our toes. If anything, there could have been a few more slower moments for readers to catch their breaths, but I was definitely never bored at all.
I loved the variety of things that we got to see throughout the story, from quaint villages, to crime lords, to dreamscapes, to pirate ships, and so on. Each section brought new sights and experiences and I honestly pictured most of it as if I was watching a LOTR-esque movie. So excellent!
The only caveat I can give to other potential readers regards the magic system. I'm rarely picky about magical content in the books that I read, as long as it doesn't glorify demonic elements at all. I love the Harry Potter series, etc. This book does have an extensive and prominent magic system that's well-thought-out and very intricate. The only elements that ever gave me pause were the increasing mentions/usage of a totem formed through blood magic (presumably bad) and some lengthier verbal spells/curses. Personally, they never crossed any of my lines and I never felt that anything demonic or too dark was glorified, but if you're squeamish with magic at all, this is something to be aware of. I'm interested to see where the next books lead, with all of the magical questions that were brought up. If it grows substantially darker, I'll update, but I was fine so far.
Also, if you're as sensitive to "foul language", even in a made-up fantasy language, be aware that made-up curse words are used frequently. I could look past them, and I'm extremely glad they weren't modern-day curses, but they still stood out to me. Again, not a big issue, just FYI.
Otherwise, I have no real critiques regarding this story! I was pulled in from the very start, the writing style was beautiful and immersive, the world was huge and vivid, the magic was clever, and the plot is intriguing, mysterious, and exciting. I'm really looking forward to the next installments in this series! If it sounds good to you, definitely give it a try - you may just find a new favorite too!
CW: several brief kisses, hugs, frequent usage of made-up fantasy curses/swears, frequent vivid nightmares, frequent mentions of blood and semi-descriptive mentions of gore and wounds, battles/war violence, death and loss, grief, mental health struggles (one reference to wondering why she couldn't have just died), constant danger, betrayal, brutal deaths (decapitation, hanging, beaten, "torn apart"), extensive magic system with spells, totems, staffs, charms, and curses, references to human sacrifice and stealing blood, "drugging" with herbs, mentions of alcohol and drinking on a pirate ship, theft/shoplifting by main characters.
I'd recommend it to: anyone who enjoys epic fantasies, especially if you love adventure journeys, slow-burn (clean!) romance, intrigue and action, fun side characters, terrifying villains, and powerful themes.
And for the story itself, this is an incredibly solid debut from a talented indie author! Disclaimer: I was thrilled to receive an ARC copy of this book, but didn't finish it before release and ended up finishing the story in published e-book form that I purchased. All opinions are my own honest thoughts.
Where do I even start? This is certainly an epic fantasy. There is SO MUCH to this book and storyworld. The lands described are expansive and immersive, the types of creatures are a mixture of twisted classic fantasy creatures (goblins, elves, etc.) with some unique ones, the magic system is well-developed and intricate, and overall, it felt like diving into an entirely new realm.
At first I didn't realize that this is the first book in a trilogy, and now that I realize that, it makes so much more sense. Even with as much happened in this first, massive book, there's so much more to the world that I'm looking forward to exploring in future books in the series! As I'm not typically an epic fantasy reader, I had some trouble keeping everything straight, but it was pretty well-explained throughout the book. I think it was merely my brain being difficult, haha.
The characters - as is usually the case for me - were my favorites. Each one felt so developed and real. Even the POV protagonist, Rose Wolfe, was someone that I could quickly relate to and sympathize with, even though that's uncommon for me and teenage female POV characters. So that was appreciated. She was incredibly strong and impressive, even with everything she's been through, and while she kept me on the edge of my toes, her growth and character change is inspiring. I loved that while she was strong, she wasn't your classic "strong female character". She had vulnerability and softness when she allowed herself to, more and more with the help of Animo.
Speaking of Animo, hands down my favorite character in the book. I wanted to hug him 99% of the book, and how awesome is his name? He too is incredibly strong with everything he's been through, and he was always the encouraging, steady rock for Rose, allowing her to learn but never letting her fall completely. Their affections grew at an excellent pace, still very tame, but perfectly slow-burn in my opinion. I seldom root for love interests to finally kiss, but this one got to me...
The rest of the side characters...oh my, they were colorful! Ketch, Camilla, Megs, Margaret, Hertz, Nelos, Christoph, etc. Each of them had a life and personality of their own, and I enjoyed watching them twist and weave through Rose's life, each working for them own goals while still - sometimes, depending on the character - helping her as well. I hope we see a lot more of most of them and that there are some loose ends tied up in the next books.
Also, I won't say too much, but WOW did the ending get tense. The villain is absolutely terrifying, and I can honestly say I wasn't expecting about three of those last major plot twists, haha. Once I reached those last few chapters, I couldn't put it down until I'd read to the end. Very well-done.
In true epic fantasy form, the plot bounced between extremely high-action, suspense-filled scenes of peril and slower "going on a journey" moments as the party traveled. I thought it was an excellent balance, and the author did a great job skimming over the more tedious elements of the passing of time and travel, always keeping us on our toes. If anything, there could have been a few more slower moments for readers to catch their breaths, but I was definitely never bored at all.
I loved the variety of things that we got to see throughout the story, from quaint villages, to crime lords, to dreamscapes, to pirate ships, and so on. Each section brought new sights and experiences and I honestly pictured most of it as if I was watching a LOTR-esque movie. So excellent!
The only caveat I can give to other potential readers regards the magic system. I'm rarely picky about magical content in the books that I read, as long as it doesn't glorify demonic elements at all. I love the Harry Potter series, etc. This book does have an extensive and prominent magic system that's well-thought-out and very intricate. The only elements that ever gave me pause were the increasing mentions/usage of a totem formed through blood magic (presumably bad) and some lengthier verbal spells/curses. Personally, they never crossed any of my lines and I never felt that anything demonic or too dark was glorified, but if you're squeamish with magic at all, this is something to be aware of. I'm interested to see where the next books lead, with all of the magical questions that were brought up. If it grows substantially darker, I'll update, but I was fine so far.
Also, if you're as sensitive to "foul language", even in a made-up fantasy language, be aware that made-up curse words are used frequently. I could look past them, and I'm extremely glad they weren't modern-day curses, but they still stood out to me. Again, not a big issue, just FYI.
Otherwise, I have no real critiques regarding this story! I was pulled in from the very start, the writing style was beautiful and immersive, the world was huge and vivid, the magic was clever, and the plot is intriguing, mysterious, and exciting. I'm really looking forward to the next installments in this series! If it sounds good to you, definitely give it a try - you may just find a new favorite too!
CW: several brief kisses, hugs, frequent usage of made-up fantasy curses/swears, frequent vivid nightmares, frequent mentions of blood and semi-descriptive mentions of gore and wounds, battles/war violence, death and loss, grief, mental health struggles (one reference to wondering why she couldn't have just died), constant danger, betrayal, brutal deaths (decapitation, hanging, beaten, "torn apart"), extensive magic system with spells, totems, staffs, charms, and curses, references to human sacrifice and stealing blood, "drugging" with herbs, mentions of alcohol and drinking on a pirate ship, theft/shoplifting by main characters.
I'd recommend it to: anyone who enjoys epic fantasies, especially if you love adventure journeys, slow-burn (clean!) romance, intrigue and action, fun side characters, terrifying villains, and powerful themes.