I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review.  This book made me feel all kind of things for Annev. It did not start off on a foot for for him. There were things with this mentor, those at school and some internal struggle that he has to deal with. It puts a lot of weight on his shoulder and he is going to have to make a decision on where his life is going to go. I really want to see what the next going to bring. I still have a few questions, but that is a good thing when a books makes you think about what is going to come next and think you have it figured out and the author throws a curveball.

This is a great debut for author Justin T Call. Plenty of magic and adventure. I appreciated how you were kind of eased into the story, rather than thrown into the fire with a lot of questions unanswered. Can't wait to see what's in store for the rest of the series.

Master of Sorrows is the perfect book for fans of adult high fantasy. I was completely engrossed in this read. Each part of the book was introduced by segments from sacred texts within this world, and not only did that add to the incredible world-building, but it also allowed to show the author’s ability to switch from an archaic, more eloquent lingo to a more linear narration in the rest of the book, which was still some great writing.

As I mentioned before, I really appreciated the world-building, which had absolutely nothing to envy famous names in the fantasy genre. The religious and magical system was complex and filled with intrigue that tied in beautifully with the main plot, but what I loved most of all was the way the village was brought to life by the narration. I could see it before my eyes as I was reading, with its streets and its villagers, with all its imperfections, prejudices and obstacles to overcome. It created such a realistic frame for Annev’s story, and it made his struggles and his achievements all the more engrossing to me as a reader.

Speaking of Annev, this incredible main character was one of the strongest points of Master of Sorrows. I felt for him ever since the very first pages. His fears and desires were so easy to relate to, and it was impossible not to root for this cinnamon roll to obtain all the happiness the world could offer.
Which means that I was screaming in pain by the end of the book, naturally.
Annev was also the chance for some disability representation, which I find super important in all genres, but especially in fantasy, which is so compelling to a young audience! The author’s take on the theme was not only delicate and prominent in the plot, but also incredibly mind-opening and empowering!

I admit that at the beginning I was not completely sold on the supporting characters. Apart from Sodar, who acts as a mentor figure for Annev (and was one of my favorites in the book), I couldn’t bring myself to really care for Annev’s friends or for Myjun, who is his love interest. I was always more interested in the rivalry between Annev and Fyn (refreshingly, a rivalry that had nothing to do with the girl!), but I was happily surprised when, in the second part of the book, the secondary characters also went through important changes, both individually and in their relationships with Annev. I ended up picking a few favorites along the way, but I feel like it would be a spoiler to mention who they are!

To wrap this up, I really enjoyed this book. The only reason I’m not giving it a 5 star rating is because the first half had a much slower pace, which was enjoyable in most places but felt a bit dragging in others. But I still recommend this book to everyone who loves a good adult fantasy with a complex world, disability rep and self-discovery. Also keep in mind that this book is not romance driven if that is something that you look for in a book.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review, which has not altered my opinion of this book.

I am a sucker for any sort of magical school trope. I love reading about magic schools and the adventures that happen in them. There is also the bad habit I have that causes me to place many of my main characters into the appropriate Hogwarts house, Annev is a Hufflepuff, pure and simple. He never leaves his friends behind and always believes the best of everyone. All this while he is hiding a secret that would turn the entire city against him.  What is this secret? Well, we find out pretty early on, but he was born without one of his arms, so his father figure has stolen him a fake arm. According to superstition, anyone who is disabled in such a way is the child of their equivalent to the devil and is subsequently kicked out of the city. This city is surrounded by a forest that bends the fabric of time and the same path can take you 20 minutes one day and 4 hours the next depending on how the forest feels. There is also the idea that magic is not exactly something to treasure but also these students are brought up and taught to not like magic but fight against it. It's a bit of a backward system, but that's how the leaders felt.

I loved how the entire world was very well developed and I look forward to traveling to other parts of this world in the next books. Our main character is presented with many different options throughout the book and none of them are clear cut options, which made this seem more realistic. Each choice had pros and cons that Annev would then have to deal with. He also made choices that caused me, as a seasoned reader and non-teenager, to roll my eyes, but these choices felt true to his character and I really appreciated that Call stuck to the characters' personalities and what they would do were kept as accurate. Very well done.

There are only two major things about this book that bothered me, which is not bad at all in a new fantasy series. My first complaint about this book is that the first part of this book was just a bit uninteresting and slightly dull to me. Once I got through the first 100 pages or so I really got into the story. The second one was the female rep, of which there was basically none. The only female characters in this story were designed as love interests. While the girls' school is proved to be better at teamwork than the boys, that's about all we see of them. They don't make another appearance. I understand that this is due to how Annev would run into the females but I still wish there had been something. I am hoping that in the next few books there will be more female characters that aren't simply for the love interest.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend that fantasy readers read it! There is magic, disability rep, and a world so well developed that I was able to immerse myself into it without much difficulty. I do plan on continuing with this series, of which it looks to be four books long. Overall 4 out of 5 from me.

Master of Sorrows by Justin T Call follows a boy who is deemed evil based on the physical deformity he was born with. The boy goes through many trials and tribulations to continue with a normal life and hiding his deformity.

To start off, I found the characters compelling and realistic for the ages that they are portrayed. I enjoyed some of the character arcs they went through and the way relationships were cultivated, such as moving from love to hate by the end of the book.

The writing was a little conflicting at times. The author would insert more complicated vocabulary to make it sound more mature but would also spend a lot of time explaining things that were very easy to understand. I didn't find it problematic, but it definitely pulled me out of the story at times.

The plot is where I have more complaints. This book didn't seem to have a plot other than following a 17 year old boy around. The plot was more reminiscent of a massive prologue to set up the next book. The advertising for this book is "will this boy destined for evil turn his back on a prophecy and become good". This prophecy isn't mentioned until 50% of the way through the book, and the whole book was used to set up that question. Nothing was answered. This book was very predictable too. Anytime something was mentioned, it was guaranteed to happen. Fifty pages later, when the characters find out, there are paragraphs explaining how they missed it and how it was so simple to see. Yes, I know. I saw it fifty pages ago.

The world building was nonexistent in this book. For 90% of Master of Sorrows, we are in the same village. There are other towns mentioned but nothing is expanded on for culture or customs. Additionally, the magic system in this book was poorly explained. There are three forms of magic that mimic the three gods. I couldn't really tell you how they differ from each other and why one is considered evil when the others are not. The magic was so poorly explained that I was expecting random magical things to happen like a resurrection with no explanation of how it could happen.

Overall, this book was just a build up of background information for the next book where the answers posed in the summary of the first book might be answered. I'm half tempted to continue just to see if the reader is really given answers, but they will be strung along until the last book for the big reveal.

I wish I had waited to read this until the sequel was closer to coming out. I love Asian inspired Fantasy and this one was great. It reminded me of The Poppy War but darker which is even better. The pace wasn't as slow as a lot of the fantasy books I read as well.

The first thing that drew my attention is certainly the cover, it is brilliantly attractive.I will start off by saying this is one hell of a ride! it is a High and Dark fantasy with some elements of Sci-Fi, the world building is very dramatic.The plot line is seem-less with out any hiccups, the author's style of writing definitely adds a bit more to the already complicated plot-in a good way. It is really interesting to see character Arc of MC's, this is one of those books that require commitment which when you give promises a hell of an experience for the fantasy readers.In one word it is like dark grown up version of Harry Potter!

"Master of Sorrows" is a welcome addition to epic fantasies. It's a coming-of-age tale of a young man who is destined for great things, but with a twist. Because it is a coming-of-age tale, we get to experience the atmosphere of a boarding school, which is another very popular and well-loved trope. Recommended for readers looking for a classic epic fantasy with a twist.

This world is an impeccable example of what storytellers should be striving for. It’s dark, brilliant, exciting and fascinating and I loved every minute. I was nervous about the length of this one at first but it went so fast and never once felt slow. The way the story was consistently evolving made it such an entertaining read. The world building in this one sets the bar high, it’s truly one of those novels you fall into fully submerged because the depictions are so well written it feels very real. It felt like an old classic with modern twists around every corner and embraced some of the familiar storylines in fantasy adding an intensity and depth to them. Annev is one of the most fully formed characters I’ve ever read. He is genuine and kind but also naive and fierce, he’s not afraid to be independent and free thinking, he made this book for me. I loved the portrayal of his coming of age and the way his disability is represented there truly was so much to admire in how well written his character was. I was a bit disappointed that the female representation was lacking overall but I’m hopeful as the series progresses more female characters will emerge. I appreciated that as complex as this world and its history is, the way it forms is spaced throughout the novel and not all at once so it never felt overwhelming. I was so impressed with this one, with it’s dark magic school, forbidden artefacts, prophecies, monsters and religion it really checks off all the boxes for great fantasy reads and one I'd highly recommend to those looking for an adventure that’s as charming as it is fierce.

The pacing and the writing were really solid, especially at the beginning, but then it all fell into rushed predictability. I also have issues about the attempts at diverse characters and the female characters overall.

This book is a captivating dark fantasy, set in a world where having magic is a curse and a proof of evil. There are not a lot of books where magic is prohibited, and I like to read them. Other than the fact I was imagining that Annev was 19-20 years old instead or 17, because let's face it, he knew too much stuff for his age, I have nothing negative to say about this book. It is a whirlwind of action, magic, teens being teens (tw for bullying) and it's SO GOOD.

The second book of this series will be pure dynamite. This one ends in a marvellous opening that let your imagination picture every way this story can go on.

Many thanks to Blackstone Publishing for the complimentary e-copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was so good. I knew I was going to love it when I first read the synopsis and I'm so glad it lived up to my expectations.

Annev is such a great character and despite his deformity and not being accepted by his peers (who don't know about his deformity), he still tries so hard to be true to himself and treat others with kindness. He gets caught in his emotions of wanting to become an Avatar and not letting his mentor down. Until he is left with no choice but to be who he is.

I loved all the charcters. Each had their part to play in the story in leading it along.

There was no unnecessary characters or information just thrown in there to bulk up the story. Everything had a reason and brough so much to the worldbuilding.

I loved the relationship between Annev and his mentor Sodar, who reaised him. There was struggle and sacrifice, but above all, their was a love and friendship that couldn't be broken. 

The story itself was written so well with so much history and myth. The stories of the old gods and prophesies add so much to the story and without it all, it would have just been another fantasy read. So thankful it wasn't!

Justin T. Call is off to a great start with this enthrwaling debut novel. I honestly can not wait to read more of this world and any other works he comes out with.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Publishers for an arc of this title in excnage for an honest review

I enjoyed this story. What first got me was the cover. I'm a reader who judges a book by the cover. Next, the character arc and plot points were what held my attention. The story flowed really well. The characters were relateable.

This book is incredible! Justin Call has developed a world onto itself and populated it with characters that speak to your heart. Every reader hopes to find a story that will draw them in and challenge their imagination into "seeing" the characters as they travel through the day. Master of Sorrows accomplishes this from the first chapter onwards. It's a story of a young man who must meet the challenges of life to become a force for good or a source of evil. His travel through the short period of time reflected in this book is full of choices that he must make quickly and how he works through the consequences. An outstanding first book of what we hope will be a long time series.

With everything going on right now I am definitely a little behind on my ARC’s, but I’m so glad that I was finally able to finish this one because it was great! As the first of a series, I think this book shows a lot of potential for what is coming next, and I can't wait!

I actually really enjoyed this book, and I’m excited to see where the second book of the series takes us! Justin T. Call was able to build a really interesting world that pulled me in right from the first page. I thought the book started off with a huge bang which I loved, but the rest of the first half was a little slower than I would have liked.To be fair, this book had a big job of setting up a huge world, so it did make sense that the first part was a little drier. That being said, I really enjoyed the second half of the book where we start to see Annev come out of his shell, and begin making some waves in both the Academy and the village. For anyone interested in a new fantasy series, I would definitely encourage you to give this one a try!

P.S. The cover of this book is also AMAZING, and I loved all of the maps that were included.

Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for an advanced copy of Master of Sorrows in exchange for an honest review.

Master of Sorrows by new author Justin Travis Call is the first book in a fantasy series (The Silent Gods). I received an e-book of this novel from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I picked this book up because I loved the cover and the description in the blurb sounded very unique.

"You have heard the story before – of a young boy, orphaned through tragic circumstances, raised by a wise old man, who comes to a fuller knowledge of his magic and uses it to fight the great evil that threatens his world.

But what if the boy hero and the malevolent, threatening taint were one and the same?

What if the boy slowly came to realize he was the reincarnation of an evil god? Would he save the world . . . or destroy it?"

This concept was in line with some ideas that I’ve had for some of my own fiction and I love to subvert some of the typical fantasy plots and themes. However, I found that this book didn’t do enough in that respect.

Annev is a young man who lives in a strangely isolated village, where he studies and trains to become an Avatar of Judgement, along with some of his best friends. This training involves solving obstacle course-like puzzles, practicing combat skills, and learning about artifacts and magic. However, the use of magic is forbidden, so the goal of the Avatars is to search out dangerous magic items and lock them away so that no one can use them.

As Annev nears the end of his training, the rivalry between him and other students heats up, as the rules state that only one acolyte can graduate to the level of Avatar. Annev has to pass his trial, but feels guilty that if he succeeds, then his friends must fail. He searches for a way to bend the rules while keeping ahead of his enemies.

This part of the book took much longer than I had thought it would. Most of the story occurs in Annev’s village, and we never get to see much of the outside world. The main narrative is broken up by short sections that relate the mythology of the gods, but I had trouble making this relevant to the current events in the book (although it does come together more at the end).

Overall, Master of Sorrows read more like a traditional fantasy quest-style tale than I had wanted. And while Annev has some dark aspects to his character and a huge secret, he is still a good person at heart. He tries to do the right thing all along, and while that engenders sympathy and makes me want to root for him, I’ve read that story many times before.

Master of Sorrows is the first book in a series but still reaches a satisfying conclusion to most of the events relevant to this volume. The greater story still needs to be told, and Annev’s ultimate fate is still unknown.

I requested and received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

I must say I did not know what to expect from this book, I find Sci Fi and Fantasy are both genres that are hit or miss for me, but I loved this book from the first chapter! I love the journey that Annev took throughout this book to discover who and what he is, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series; because I need to know what happens next!

#MasterOfSorrows #NetGalley

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at https://www.NerdGirlLovesBooks.com.

This is the first book in The Silent Gods YA Fantasy series. It is intriguing, fast-paced, dark, and complicated. Everything I love about an epic fantasy series.

Set in a training Academy for young boys and girls, Annev de Breth is a 17 year old boy training to become an avatar, a warrior sect of thieves that steal magical objects and "protects" the world from their "dangerous" nature by locking them up in their compound. Magic is illegal and all those deemed to have it are killed. In addition, anyone with a physical deformity is considered to be a child of an evil god named Keos, and are stoned to death by their village.

Annev was raised by a priest who mentors him in both history and fighting skills. He also protects Annev's dangerous secret - he has a physical deformity that would get him killed if discovered. When Annev is on the brink of losing the final test to become an avatar, he is faced with a difficult choice. Turn his back on his friends and the priest who is a father figure and mentor, or forego his dream of becoming an avatar.

The world-building in the book is pretty good, especially for a YA fantasy. Most aspects of daily life is ruled by religion. In this case, the three "Silent Gods". The story of the gods is told in the form of bible teachings, and explains why society was formed the way it was. As with any religion, there always has to be a villain. In this story, that villain is the god Keos. Anyone that worships Keos or carries his attributes is deemed evil.

Annev's character development was interesting to read, as was the development of several of the smaller characters. Annev's relationship with his mentor Sodar was wonderful to read. The author captured Annev's respect, love, frustration and teenage petulance perfectly. Annev is confidant and cunning, without appearing too arrogant. His foil, Fyn, is the typical brutish bully. Fyn's development is a bit choppy at times, but I understand why the author had to write it the way he did.

The story moved along at a fast pace. There was something about the writing that made me tense and nervous at times - which is a good thing. It meant I didn't know what was going to happen next, and I loved being a bit unnerved. While most YA Fantasy books are fun to read, the authors typically don't delve too deep into world or character building, but that is not the case here. It takes effort by the reader to follow the history of the gods and the history of certain events and how it all fits into the story of the training at the Academy and events unfolding in Annev's life. But that is what makes the story so good. The first book in any good fantasy series is required to dump a lot of background information to set up the rest of the series. Oftentimes these can be a chore to slog through, but that isn't the case here.

Overall, this is an enjoyable first book in what is sure to be a thrilling fantasy book series. I highly recommend you read it. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Master of Sorrows is the first volume of a new series by Justin T. Call. Released 25th Feb 2020 by Blackstone, it's 646 pages and available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats.

This is a well written coming of age quest fantasy based around the premise that our destiny may or may not be inevitable. The author is a gifted storyteller and despite the length of the book, it doesn't drag and never felt plodding to me. The dialogue is occasionally somewhat stilted (fantasy-speak) but the characters are distinct and well rendered. I did have some troubles keeping the secondary characters (minor teachers and students) straight in my head and had to use the search function on my kindle several times.

There is a fair bit of brutal action, some graphic fight scenes, lots of death and betrayal and magic and fighting. There isn't any graphic sexual content or objectionable language. The world building and character development are exceptionally detailed and well realized. This one has a solid denouement with a lead up to the next book in the series, but not any sort of abrupt cliffhanger ending.

Readers who enjoy solid quest based epic fantasy will likely enjoy this one. Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Thank you, Mr. Justin T Call, for re-affirming my belief that epic fantasy is the best literary genre of all.

I think this book was sheer brilliance. My enjoyment of it was to the level of what I feel when I read any of Brandon Sanderson or Robert Jordan's works. It was complex and beautiful but still fast-paced and dense with characterization and context.

Bravo. What a rollercoaster ride this was. 5 big stars all the way. I CANNOT wait to read the next installment.