Jeff Wheeler is in my opinion the best writer of wholesome young adult/teen fiction. This book does not stray from that reality. He delves into the prehistory of another one of his series and it is fantastic. He is very careful to not contradict his earlier writings that occur in the future timeline of the book. The characters are very engaging and I am able to feel their emotions and sympathize with their motivations. The flow is fantastic as I found it very difficult to put this book down once I started.

This is my first book by Jeff Wheeler, but it won’t be my last.

I really enjoyed this epic historical fantasy. It says it is based on another series called Kingfountain, but I didn’t feel like I was missing background or anything. I had no trouble following the story.

I really enjoyed the characters, some I loved and others I hated, but all of them were well developed and layered. It is a story of rivals, power, battle, betrayal, a journey and love. The world Jeff Wheeler created is recognisable and at the same time were intricate and well thought out.

I was captivated from the first page to the last and I can’t wait to read the next book.

I now realize that I have missed out on reading Wheeler. Loved this book and was excited to find that it was from an existing world in his series. So while I anxiously await book 2 I will go back and read the others.

I've heard of Jeff Wheeler for years, but only recently started diving into his works. Stories like Knight's Ransom make me wonder why I waited so long.

This story was reminiscent of all that is classic and beloved about Scott, Dickens and the greats of old. Adventure, peril, high stakes and of course, a girl just out of reach. I can't wait to see what Wheeler has planned next for our hero (and to get a physical copy of this book in my hands because #thatcover).

Thank you to 47North and Netgalley for providing me with ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It is my first book by Jeff Wheeler that i read and the first of his new series based on the previous Kingfountain....and i was pleasantly surprised at how much i enjoyed his work.
The writing style gives you details and atmosphere without making you feel overwhelmed or be in your face.
Although there are unfortunate things happening to the characters and there are setbacks for them it doesn't make you feel like you read something dark and all that ads up to their development just perfectly.
The characters are easy to follow and sets a good foundation for the rest of the books in a new series and i will definitely start with the Kingfountain books so i can get a background since it is set in the same world.

This was my 7th novel with Jeff Wheeler, and third series. And I have to say, it was VERY different than the previous books I’ve read. There was no magic, unknown species or animals, or anything along those lines (yet). I thought as a story, it was one of the best I’ve read from him. It was intriguing and entertaining without being over the top. The story stayed within itself and Was logical and easy to follow. It set itself up nicely for the first book in a series. I hope there are more main characters added for the remainder of the series, but also like that it was easy to remember everyone. Can’t wait to continue the series

Thank you to Jeff Wheeler, 47North, and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reading copy.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review. Jeff Wheeler is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. This is only the second book of his that I have read, but he crafts his stories very well. This is the first book in a series, but it is series apparently set in the same world, Kingfountain, as previous work he has done. I did not feel that I was missing anything in terms of backstory here, So this book could be as good a place as any to get into Wheeler. The story has enough familiar notes to make you comfortable, yet it is not formulaic. Sometimes is looks like it will take a turn to grimdark, and while bad things do happen to major characters, there is no baby splattering and it never really gets that dark. So Wheeler has found a sweet spot where characters feel like they are in danger yet you don't feel horrified at what has happened.
The story follows the growth and development of a ward of a king from a young age, through his training and early adulthood. But I think I appreciated the numerous setbacks as much as the successes-the setbacks made the successes meaningful. The main character seems to have something of a superpower in this world and part of the larger set of stories seems like it will be about revealing more about this gift. There is action throughout though the story itself just follows the main character POV, Ransom. This worked for me in that it allows the reader to be surprised by off-POV tricks and identify more with the main character. Additionally, it helps the novel feel a bit less daunting in terms of being an Epic. The scale is large, but it doesn't seem like it will be 12 books large.
Even though this isn't a first person POV, fans of Robin Hobb may want to check this out. Anyone who likes Brandon Sanderson will probably like this as well. I especially think fans of Mark Lawrence will overlap a lot with fans of Jeff Wheeler. People who like Abercrombie or Kuang but want something less grim, yet with stakes, should also check this out. The book will entertain from beginning to end.