<i>arc kindly provided by the publisher and netgalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

DNFed

Sadly, I just couldn’t connect with the writing style. Something about it just kept pulling me out of the story and I couldn’t continue.

I might try it again at some point but I’m putting it down for now.

Very well done fantasy, I enjoyed it right from the start. The story was very well paced, I liked the characters and particularly the dialogue, it was genuine and stood out for some reason as a very well done. I also enjoyed the mix of world building, adventure and family drama, none were too overdone and all unfolded at a steady pleasant pace.

Really enjoyable fantasy title that I'd recommend if you enjoy books by authors like R A Salvatore. Very suspenseful with family tension that leaves on the edge of your seat as the chapters alternate viewpoints, giving you a look inside the minds of those characters as the storyline progresses.

ARC from NetGalley

3.5 stars

This was an interesting and enjoyable read. I wish that the author had injected a bit more culture into this book. I quite enjoyed that facet but found it lacking. I wanted to see the outfits, smell the food, feel as if I was living it.

The magic system was interesting if limited. I am hoping that it is expanded upon further in the coming books.

I didn't like Sonya. She isn't very likeable. She is meant to be crass and uncultured, but it just comes across as anachronistic, which pulled me out of the story and irritated me. Her fight is shallow. It is all for her country and her goddess, but does her country really suffer so much? Is her goddess even beneficial to the people? She is the goddess of death and winter. She seems to revel in suffering. Why is this a good thing? Just because it has always been, and it was ours so we want it back? There could have been more exposition to justify it all. The story would have benefited from that IMO.

Sebastian is a whiny little bitch prone to bouts of childish rage. I hope he either takes an arrow to the eye or gets his shit together and stops sucking in the next book. At first I was pro Sebastian, but as the story went on he became progressively less likeable and more hateable. I really do hope he gets it together if only for Galina, who is one of the few likeable characters in this book.

Oh and their mom can suck it too. I really wanted to gut punch her a few times.

The ending was not satisfying. It just left me very angry at a few characters and not sufficiently sated in other respects.

All that said, this was a relatively enjoyable read, and I have hope that the next book can make up for the faults of the first.

I enjoy folklore from any culture, but this particular novel was a struggle for me. A very slow-paced, long-winded book with plenty of detail but not a lot of action. With more editing and better flow, it could have been a 4 or 5 star. First in a series but I don’t think I’ll follow it.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the setting and the plot, based on Russian folklore. I liked the dynamic of siblings on opposite sides of the same war. I like that the brother seems to not really know at that he is being manipulated, that his decision isn't because he's "evil", but because he's told what he's doing is for the good of the people.

Sonya's path is to serve a goddess and along the way, she starts to lose some of her humanity. Where her brother is the most powerful wizard to be seen in some time, Sonya has no magic.

But this book felt really long. It's well written, but it's a fairly slow-paced book, not really any action the way I was expecting. This book was also quite serious, I felt at times there was a lack of personality in some of the characters. There isn't much casual humor used when people talk to each other.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.75

I absolutely loved this book. It exceeded my expectations in every way. The Ranger of Marzanna sucked me in for the beginning and never let go. I was kind of apprehensive about starting this story since it was so large. I love to read, but most books 400+ pages seem to drag on after a while. I’m tired of the useless descriptions and politics. I decided to start this on my breaks at work while I read a hard copy of The Bone Houses at home. I flew through this. Day one: 32% done. Day two: 69%. Day three: finished.! All this while finishing another book and working full time, plus having a toddler running around. And the day isn’t over yet. I was shocked by how much I loved this book and how much it sucked me it. I adored the Russian aspects to the story; the Magic was unique. The characters were good, except Irina. She drove me crazy. The sibling rivalry was also unique in its own ways. I have every intention of buying this book once it releases, and I cannot wait for the next to come out.

A sweeping tale of siblings that takes the reader in 2 directions. Sonya, without magic but tied to a goddess and fights for the people and hates the imperial army. The younger brother with immense elemental power that their father tried to hide and keep him from the vagaries of war. While he thinks he will use his power for the good of the people, he finds that the commander that strokes his ego is making him kill people. While well written, it was too long for me. Over abundance of descriptive everything, and philosophically dramatic instead of action oriented. I also like a little comic relief in tomes like this. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

With a rich Russian-folktale inspired world and a focus on sibling relationships, The Ranger of Marzanna follows Sebastian and Sonya - a brother and sister set on vastly different paths in life who must nonetheless decide what matters the most to them - family or their destines. With an immersive worldbuilding and unique characters, this book is great for fans of high fantasy like Game of Thrones!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Two siblings choose different paths, one is a Ranger of Marzanna, the other, serves the empire as a wizard. The death of their father set them each on different courses. Sebastian believed his father underestimated his talents and is easily manipulated the by General, believing he is protecting the people. However, when he begins to kill people in the name of the empire, he loses much of himself. Sebastian believes he is right, yet cannot see the damage that is being done to the one he claims to love. Sonya has to serve the Goddess and each time she receives a boon or dies, Sonya loses a bit more of her humanity. She wants to free her people from the empire and makes a deal with the Uaine, who use an army of undead. Things are never what they seem. Blood is not always thicker than water. The choices both Sonya and Sebastian make will greatly impact their relationship and the future of the empire.