Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately it’s not the book for me. DNF @ 34%.

I was enticed into requesting this book because of the beautiful cover, so kudos to the artist for that. Sadly I don't feel that the book lived up to this. There were underlying currents of history between characters that didn't seem to be addressed throughout the book and there was a lot of luck and chance involved in the progression of the plot which always draws the reader out of the world. The plot was somewhat confusing but I did enjoy the reveal of what "The Life Siphon" is, and I felt more invested in the story after this point, although there still seemed to be little point to the plot. Overall, this book was interesting, however, there were too many niggling points that drew me out of the story. Sommerlot is an author I will keep an eye on however, hopefully I'll like her future works a little more.

For me the cover looks really inviting and magical. I like the roots of the trees and also the writing of the title. The small palace on the top is also a nice detail.


The writing style was fluent and simple. The book is written from the third-person-perspective, but manly focused on the main character Tatsu.


Unfortunatly, I had great issues at the beginning of the book. I was not getting warm with the characters and the story. Somehow, I didn't see the red thread in the story and was a little confused. What also disturbed me a little, that there was the feeling that Alesh and Tatsu might have a important past together, but too little information to understand their relationship to each other.


Tatsu was a nice character, living alone in the woods and content with his life. But through some incidents, he was thrown in quite an adventure. It observable, that he had some troubles, finding his role in this story. But at the end he made some nice character developments, warming me a little to his person. Nearly the other characteres (I have one small exception, I do not want to mention in person for spoiler reasons) in the story felt a little bit lifless. I never really got a feeling for them.


I also hardly got a feeling for the story. After my troubles at the beginning, I still had issues and no real clue, where the story would lead. However, I really liked the surprise, what the life siphon is. From then on the story was becoming more interesting. Also it still felt unclear, what the purpose of all this is.


Conclusion:

Nice characters, surprising discovery, but for me no red thread was traceable - therefore I give the book 3 out of 5 stars :)

Actual rating 2.5 stars

Thoughts and Plot

Poor Tatsu is just a guy who mostly keeps to himself in the forest. His friend, Alesh, just so happens to be a criminal who comes to him rather severely injured for aid. In doing this she gets them both arrested by the guards and dragged in front of the Queen. The Queen gives them a quest, go to the neighboring country and steal whatever is leeching the earth of its energy and all will be forgiven.

Now already I had some grievances. Tatsu is arrested just for being with Alesh, basically. Somehow these mere criminals manage to get dragged in front of a QUEEN. Usually such riffraff would be talked to by a representative of the Queen or maybe the Captain of the Guard? Anyhow, just saying. Anyhow, Tatsu and Alesh team up with a mage named Leil in order to steal said magical device that is killing the earth.

I do feel like this book would have benefited from a little more editing…and I mostly mean by cutting various things out to tighten up the plot. It was a touch laggy in some places do to some pretty long descriptions of things. The pacing is a bit off, probably because a large part of the book is the actual journey to the location of the magical drain and Tatsu reflecting about things we already know. These little bits could be edited down to quicken the pacing ever so slightly.

I also found it funny, in a non-haha sort of way, that the criminal of the group is shocked by the illegal things they find in the ‘villain’s’ lair. It makes sense the Tatsu is naïve, because I feel like his original goal in life was to live a simple life away from most other people and the world’s problems. However, a person who takes part in criminal activities should know that villains use poisons and what not to achieve their evil goals. (I use this as an example because I don’t want to spoil other naivety scenes for you and others have used this example already).

That said, there are things I actually liked about this book. I always enjoy a good fantasy adventure with a cast filled by people who have to work together in order to save the world from a deadly something. The friendship they forge is lovely to read about.

In Conclusion

Because of the pacing and unbelieve innocent thinking of the heroes (as well as the unbelieve series of events I mentioned earlier), this book went from a 3.5 rating down to a 2.5 rating. I won’t be actively tooting this book’s horn, but if someone fits the bill as someone who would like to read this book, I will be recommending it to them. I may or may not pick up the second book if it floats into my general area.

This one was a dnf. The characters didn't really draw me in, and the plot took a long time to form. The description sounded really cool and maybe I'll try again some other time but for now its a no for me.

Actual rating: 2.5 stars

I really wanted to love this story based off the synopsis, the idea of a heroic quest to save the world being carried out by a criminal (hence giving me Suicide Squad ideas for what the story would be like) was too interesting to turn down.

However, the first way in which this fell flat for me is the way that the story itself isn't that believable, everything is down to mere chance. Tatsu himself is a simple guy who keeps to himself in the forest, he isn't by any means a criminal just someone who was caring for his friend Alesh who was a criminal. By chance, some guards arrest Alesh and Tatsu and they take them to see the Queen who says they'd been chosen as they were perfect for the quest along with one other. Alesh herself has some very bad injuries when they're captured but these seem to be brushed over.

I really liked the idea of mages with differing capabilities in terms of magic, and the use of a mage on the quest was intriguing but then ultimately the mage Leil seems to just disappear when she'd be most useful? There was another on the quest with them also, chosen for brute strength. Much like in the film Suicide Squad as well this character seemed to have been introduced to be killed off as soon as possible.

Ral was probably my favourite character as she had a little more to her than the others, she was a mysterious character throughout but things didn't really get explained when they happened which was strange.

I did really enjoy the world building having said the above - the detail that the author puts into it is great but the characters and the way the story unfolds just didn't match up to the standard of the world building for me.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It had a wonderful story but I just felt that the pacing was a bit off; some parts seemed to drag on yet other parts flew by. I think if more time was spend on world building and bulking out the characters I would have enjoyed this book a lot more. It had fantastic potential and I hope it lives up to it in the next book.

I was really intrigued by the blurb of The Life Siphon, and I really enjoyed reading it. I found that it did take me a little while to get in to the flow of the book. I am not sure if it was because of the format, I tend to enjoy reading more when I am reading an actual book rather than an eBook or if it was Tatsu I had issues with at the beginning of the book. 

I am really sad to say that I didn't like Tatsu to begin with, maybe because I have been reading a lot of books lately with female protagonists and changing over to a male 'voice' took me a little bit of time, or if it was actually Tatsu. I am not completely sure. I found myself liking the other characters more, Ral and Yudai especially. 

After a bit of a rocky start, I found that once I hit about a third of the way in to the book, things really started to pick up. I actually ended up reading from 44% to the end in one go, because I didn't want to put the book down. I did find Tatsu a little bit annoying all the way through the book but he did grow on me in the end. I do wish that we could have had more of Alesh's story and maybe some of her point of view as I found her really interesting and found myself wanting to know more about her journey. 

This book is a 'road trip' fantasy book, in that most of the book follows Tatsu and a small group of characters on a journey Runon and back again. I know this kind of book isn't for everyone but I do like books like this and I think that The Life Siphon is a really good example of a 'road trip' fantasy.

I found the magic system really interesting, though I would have preferred a little more detail about it. I want to know more about the different types of mages and their powers. I really hope that we will get to know more about mages their magic in the sequel. And I am hoping we will get to know more about the mage Nota in the sequel too. 

I don't want to say too much about the plot in case I spoil things, but The Life Siphon was an enjoyable read. The pace of the book was great, for the last two thirds of the book, though I did find the first third a little too slow. The character development was good, as was the world building. There were just a few instances, where I found myself needing more details. The main issue was Ral. I wanted to know more about her, and for me, a childhood virus felt too vague, I need to know more! 

I am hoping that we get some more answers/details in the second book, more about the mages, more about Ral and maybe some parts of the book from Yudai's point of view too. As you might expect as a duology the book does indeed end on a cliffhanger, so if you want to read both books together you are in luck as you only have to wait until the 15th March 2018 when The Mage Heir will be published. I really enjoyed reading The Life Siphon and The Mage Heir is definitely on my TBR list.

The magic in this book was acutely detailed. I adored the lead for not being inherently a goody two shoes He has a tough time showing how much he cares for others but in the end would die for the few people he allows himself to trust. I am looking forward to the sequel

It really caught my attention at the beginning, however by the 4th chapter I was a bit confused because of the lack of world building.

I enjoyed this book, it's not something I would be reaching for again however, the story was good, and the feeling of the weeping forest was encapsulating, but I just didn't enjoy some of the characters and the arcs. The world the author has created is really awesome though.

The Life Siphon follows Tatsu from his lone existence living in his deceased father’s cabin in the woods through a journey across neighboring countries to stop a terrible force from taking over and killing the world around him. What he learns on that journey about himself, his history, and the kingdoms he hails from, forces him to come to terms with a life he never knew but one haunts him every day.

There are so many unique elements to this book that I think deserve attention, but I don’t want to give away too much. I’m going to choose some of my favorites, and the rest you guys have to discover for yourselves.

First and foremost, the magic. HOLY CRAP, Y’ALL. It starts out simply, something we’ve all read before – not everyone is gifted, there are different types of mages, and each kingdom utilizes each power differently to suit their needs. Basic, right? WRONG. Though I’m not going to tell what the siphon ends up being or how it’s powered, it’s so much bigger than that. The reader is lead to believe that the highest form of mage holds enough power to manipulate organisms as complex as human beings, when in reality, the highest form is not even defined in this first book. I would have to say that is the thing I’m most excited to find out going into the duology.

Second, personal relationships take a backburner in this book. There is a secondary character, Alesh, and she clearly has a history with Tatsu. We don’t find out until the very end, though it is alluded to, what their relationship is. They were both arrested, they were offered the same deal for their freedom, and though their motivations for following through are vastly different, they are in it to be free. Not spend time together, not to hint at what could be, not to make gooey eyes at each other when there are battles to be fought – they are on a mission, and they are going to complete it. It was so refreshing for an author not to take a five break to have their main characters throw down in the middle of an otherwise tense and dangerous situation.

And third. The thing that is hardest for me to put into words, but something I think is important. Tatsu is a deeply unlikable character. He is a loner, he has no patience for other people, he has been outcast his entire life, and he has shockingly little sympathy for Alesh despite the fact that she, and her sister, Ral, seem to be the only people he knows or cares about. All of that being said, he is magnificent. Throughout the course of this book, he goes from being a lone hunter to a convicted criminal to a glorified pack mule to a daring hero, and he takes it all in stride. And as he does, the reader is shown how much he cares for everyone in his circle, whether or not he’s good at showing it. He would die for them, and he wants their freedom and safety for them as much as he wants his own. I think that’s admirable, and I like that he was written as someone the reader needed to learn to love instead of someone the reader was told should be loved because he was OH MY GOD SO AWESOME.

The final item, or rather final person, I would like to mention is Ral. She is Alesh’s younger sister, and she is sick. Or at least that’s what we’re told. She was not arrested when Tatsu and Alesh were, so she was not offered a bargain for her freedom, but somehow, she’s everywhere. Ral is a mysterious form of other that’s not explained in this first book. All I know is that she is so much more than what we’ve been lead to believe. She appears when need. She has an uncanny ability to sense what’s troubling you. She gives advice despite barely being able to speak. And she has an uncanny ability to sense anything and everything happening around her. If magic is the thing I’m most excited to find more out about, Ral is a very, VERY close second. If the role she plays in this world ends up being smaller than I think it will, I accept that, but I hope we find out what it is that’s made her into the woman we meet reading this book.

Rating this one was tough. You might not think so given all the gushing I’ve done about it, but I promise it was. Conceptually, I adored it. I had never read anything like it, and I doubt I will in the future. But it was lacking something, too. It moved so quickly. It’s rare that I think a series needs to be made longer, but I think this story might be better served as a trilogy instead of a duology. Once Tatsu started his journey, there was no stopping or exposition or change of pace. He, and consequently the reader, were just GOING from that point forward. That being said, it was published via Kindle Direct Publishing, and for something self-published, I think it’s amazing. Even if it wasn’t, I’d say it was well above average. Originally, I gave it a solid 3.5 stars on Goodreads, but I think I’m going to bump it to a 4. The more time I spend mulling it over, the more I realize how nuanced and original it was, and I think that trumps a lot of my complaints.

I hope you guys check this one out. It’s only $2.99 on Kindle, and I would be willing to pay full price for it. The sequel comes out this spring, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for it. As of this posting, I can’t find the title or release date information on the author’s website, but the title and cover reveal are slated for this Thursday, February 1!

I was given access to this ebook by NetGalley and Kindle Direct Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Just finished reading this book after receiving a copy from NetGalley for my review. I like all kinds of books but especially fantasy. This book features an interesting premise in which one kingdom, Runon, has a life siphon and is literally draining the life from another kingdom, Chayd. The story involves some interesting characters from Chayd, who travel to Runon to try and obtain " the life siphon". I really enjoyed the concept and the story was well written with characters that I found believable and I cared about. Stayed up very late into the night to finish this one! There is to be one more book in this duology and I am looking forward to reading it.

This caught my eye and made me reach for the request button on NetGalley. It is my first book by Kathryn Sommerlot and I was really enchanted by everything about it. I found it very compelling which is what kept me flipping the pages late into the night and into the early morning!

The Life Siphon is well written, features great characters and is dramatic in parts. The characters were rather unlikeable and there were times I called into question their motives. Despite this I still connected with them and enjoyed their journeys - I often appreciate the unlikable characters in a novel more than likeable ones as they can often be more intriguing and make you think about their motives and morals.

There is also plenty of action throughout the book which is what keeps the book moving at a decent pace and there are plenty of twists in store. It manages successfully to be pretty detailed but not to bog down the narrative which unfortunately spoils a great deal of books. Another aspect I enjoyed was the fact that the story isn't just a straighforward fantasy novel but part mystery too - and as it is one of my favourite genres I loved that it was a mixture of different genres all of which I read regularly.

This was a fairly quick read and the story sucked me in from the first chapter and continued to be engaging for me until the end. My only criticism would be that it may benefit from a tighter plot achieved by some more editing as there were some pages where some of the descriptions went a little overboard. If this could be remedied I feel it would increase the readers enjoyment. I would've awarded 5 stars but for this issue.

It is the first novel in a duology, I will be looking out for the sequel and in the meantime I have a copy of Sommerlot's lastest book, another fantasy novel - Ibuki - due out on the 29th January 2018 - I hope I'll love it as much as The Life Siphon.

I would like to thank Kathryn Sommerlot, Amazon Direct Services and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.