3/5 Stars

Thank you for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book in an epic fantasy and sci-fi series by Lynette Charrier. The story, and world was certainly interesting, with a mix of fantasy, and sci-fi. The world is quite large with all kinds of different races of people, places, and religions. This was a slow burn but not boring as there was always something happening to keep the reader interested.

We see three points of view, Idun, Ayla and Colton. Each character is different, which made them feel distinct from one another. Each character had growth, but I personally could not relate to any of these characters. Their reactions to situations often seemed like purposeful plot devices. I did appreciate their development and what each character added to the story but overall, they felt predictable and flat.

This is an accessible entry into epic fantasy, and I can see the potential for future books. It included mystery, magic alongside sci-fi elements, political intrigue, and action. It also does a great job setting up for the second book in the series.

In the end, this was an okay read for me. I loved the world and story, but the characters just didn’t work for me in this instalment.

The world building was amazing in this book. I loved the magic system in this, it was extremely well thought out. The characters had so much depth to them and were really well written.

Great book! I had tremendous fun reading this and can't wait to find out what comes next. I really liked the fact that the 3 Frelsarien had distinct personalities, I think any reader can find one to relate too. All 3 annoyed me in the beginning, but during the book there is some growth and in the end I was rooting for Colton and Idun.
Ayla got on my nerves a bit, but I suspect she also has an important role to play so we'll see what happens in the next book. There's great characters, some humor, nice fight scenes and an interesting world they supposedly need to bring peace too. If you like an adventurous fantasy with some added intrigue and a sci fi twist, this is the book for you!

Thanks, Netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review!
It was an interesting read full of characters that capture your attention, especially regarding their different personalities and character growth through the story. Some things in the plot might be predictable, but there are a few interesting twists that keep you intrigued to see what happens next!

I stayed up all night binging this book. I found it to be a pretty easy read so I blew through it in not time flat and completely lost track of time. That's not to say that it's bad, just that it flowed really well. I'm going back and forth between 4 and 5 stars, so maybe 4.5... it's hard to tell if I loved this book or if I loved what this book is setting up. There's just enough clues to suggest that there's a lot more going on than what the Frelsarien are aware of and I'm anxious to get my hands on the next books to see if my theories are correct. I need to know how the Gabriel/Nana storyline ties in!

I really liked the characters (minus Finnin!). Colton and Idun irritated me at times, but they had a lot of growth by the end and I was really rooting for them during the last battle. There were times where I just wanted Idun to do what I wanted her to do, but I kinda had to laugh, because what I would do is just not Idun. I love that by the end she had to learn to rely on other people and not just herself. Colton was fun too but there were times where i was rolling my eyes so hard, because...ugh... he's such a dork. It was nice to read about a different type of MMC though, rather than the typical brooding jerk. Colton was a jerk at times too... but at least he was a funny jerk who knew when to get serious. Ayla, I have to say, was such a refreshment from the other two powerhouses. I loved her chapters so much. I love that she always stood by her faith even though there were a lot of things happening that could have made her question her beliefs.

Overall I enjoyed this read and I can't wait to get my hands on the next books!