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A review by bookwormbunny
The Tower Must Fall by S.E. Bennett
5.0
The Tower Must Fall Review
***I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review of it. The opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***
The Tower Must Fall by S.E. Bennett is a story that revisits some of our favorite fairy tales and shines a new light on them in a unique way. In this story the world has changed from the one of where fairy tales are feared and reviled to where technology is trying to take a hold on the world and the creatures that were once feared are now hunted, enslaved and persecuted. But only because they are different and viewed as less than by the mortals who have come and driven them out of their homes and into hiding or into slavery for those who have survived.
We are quickly introduced to Marek, who is a 7th son of a 7th son, who was abandoned by his mother and ignored by his father. His aunts and other female relatives help raise him into the man he becomes. He’s a traveler but he is something more and not just because he is a 7th son of a 7th son. His mother abandoned him but only to try and protect and shield him from the truth. Marek gets into some trouble while in Fernab and meets a young woman who he quickly realizes who and what she is…Animus…one of the hunters of the UnNaturals. But she tells him she has no intent of harming him…he reads his tarot cards and learns it’s true. But by being a fugitive from running from the city guards he has brought danger to the bar where he takes refuge and ends up saving this woman’s, who is Animus, life. She is now honor bound to him. So she vows to keep him safe no matter what. But there is a very rough road ahead of them and The Tower Must Fall…
This book took a bit to get warmed up for me. Typically if a book doesn’t capture my attention in the first couple of chapters I put it down but this book managed that but there came moments when it was a bit hard to keep me engaged because the story line was slow in coming together and become truly interesting for me but when it did…it became hard to put down. In this story we follow our two main characters Enyo and Marek as they learn about each other and work to bring around a new age for Cryptids so that they need no longer live in fear of being hunted, killed or enslaved to the mortals who have decided there is no place for them in this world anymore. Enyo is an Animus assassin but she is a Cryptid too but she was trained and told that if she killed enough that one day she would be worthy of being saved and she believed…until one day her faith in that lie broke.
I have been reading a lot of fairy tale rewrites lately but I have to say that when I got to the first retelling of a fairy tale I was immediately hooked in and couldn’t wait to read another. It was so interesting and engaging to read the fairy tales that we grew up with being told a certain way to be told in such a unique and different way altogether of where what we believed to be true was just a twisted version to make another look better and to hide the evil that was done. It was sad to learn of the fates of those who had suffered so much but it enhanced the book so much.
There is a bit of romance in this story but not a lot for those who aren’t that into it but just a taste for those who are hoping for some. I really enjoyed the steampunk references throughout the book as well in the weapons and in the cities with how the technology has crept in bit by bit and I love how the kingdoms and cities are named for their unique queens as well. The story has so much uniqueness and so that much that makes it different from other books in its genre that I really believe that one day it will stand out on its own and really be something good. I also liked that there was room left for another book to be written if the author chooses which I would really love because I would love to revisit Enyo, Marek and all the other characters as they build, rebuild and fight for what is right.
Initially I had planned on just giving this book 3.5 stars but the more I read it the more I liked it and the more engaged I became in so I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. The beginning was a bit rough for me of where it took a bit to get warmed but once it got going it was very hard to put down. Well worth the read and very enjoyable. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars Two thumbs up
***I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review of it. The opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***
The Tower Must Fall by S.E. Bennett is a story that revisits some of our favorite fairy tales and shines a new light on them in a unique way. In this story the world has changed from the one of where fairy tales are feared and reviled to where technology is trying to take a hold on the world and the creatures that were once feared are now hunted, enslaved and persecuted. But only because they are different and viewed as less than by the mortals who have come and driven them out of their homes and into hiding or into slavery for those who have survived.
We are quickly introduced to Marek, who is a 7th son of a 7th son, who was abandoned by his mother and ignored by his father. His aunts and other female relatives help raise him into the man he becomes. He’s a traveler but he is something more and not just because he is a 7th son of a 7th son. His mother abandoned him but only to try and protect and shield him from the truth. Marek gets into some trouble while in Fernab and meets a young woman who he quickly realizes who and what she is…Animus…one of the hunters of the UnNaturals. But she tells him she has no intent of harming him…he reads his tarot cards and learns it’s true. But by being a fugitive from running from the city guards he has brought danger to the bar where he takes refuge and ends up saving this woman’s, who is Animus, life. She is now honor bound to him. So she vows to keep him safe no matter what. But there is a very rough road ahead of them and The Tower Must Fall…
This book took a bit to get warmed up for me. Typically if a book doesn’t capture my attention in the first couple of chapters I put it down but this book managed that but there came moments when it was a bit hard to keep me engaged because the story line was slow in coming together and become truly interesting for me but when it did…it became hard to put down. In this story we follow our two main characters Enyo and Marek as they learn about each other and work to bring around a new age for Cryptids so that they need no longer live in fear of being hunted, killed or enslaved to the mortals who have decided there is no place for them in this world anymore. Enyo is an Animus assassin but she is a Cryptid too but she was trained and told that if she killed enough that one day she would be worthy of being saved and she believed…until one day her faith in that lie broke.
I have been reading a lot of fairy tale rewrites lately but I have to say that when I got to the first retelling of a fairy tale I was immediately hooked in and couldn’t wait to read another. It was so interesting and engaging to read the fairy tales that we grew up with being told a certain way to be told in such a unique and different way altogether of where what we believed to be true was just a twisted version to make another look better and to hide the evil that was done. It was sad to learn of the fates of those who had suffered so much but it enhanced the book so much.
There is a bit of romance in this story but not a lot for those who aren’t that into it but just a taste for those who are hoping for some. I really enjoyed the steampunk references throughout the book as well in the weapons and in the cities with how the technology has crept in bit by bit and I love how the kingdoms and cities are named for their unique queens as well. The story has so much uniqueness and so that much that makes it different from other books in its genre that I really believe that one day it will stand out on its own and really be something good. I also liked that there was room left for another book to be written if the author chooses which I would really love because I would love to revisit Enyo, Marek and all the other characters as they build, rebuild and fight for what is right.
Initially I had planned on just giving this book 3.5 stars but the more I read it the more I liked it and the more engaged I became in so I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. The beginning was a bit rough for me of where it took a bit to get warmed but once it got going it was very hard to put down. Well worth the read and very enjoyable. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars Two thumbs up