Review of eBook

A long time ago, in a land far away . . .

Peace reigned.
Everyone . . . humans, giants, elves, trolls, orcs, goblins, and the fairies . . . lived together in peace.

Until . . .

Slave magic was invented by the royals.
Peace dissolved into hatred, creating chaos and destruction.

In this new world of animosity, a half-breed teenager named Robin and a giant named Tove live in the dormitories of the orphanage. They have no expectations for their lives beyond the orphanage; they will be sold into a life of servitude. Freedom is a far and distant wish, relegated to the land of dreams and wishes. But Robin and Tove, who watch out for each other, know how to elude the overlords; Robin sneaks out and steals a bottle of milk from a peasant. He shares the unexpected treat with Tove.

A year later, Robin must leave Tove behind as he is sold and taken away from the orphanage. But she remains in his thoughts, even four years later, even as he is training to fight.

Rescued by falconers during an unexpected attack by the Orcs, Robin learns the truth about the milk . . . not milk, but a potion that gave him the power of fairy magic.

Robin sets off to find the fairies. But the evil Mage Rex Zlo trails him, determined to capture him for his own nefarious agenda.

Will Robin succeed? Will he and his new friends find a way to return peace and freedom to the land?

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“Slaver’s Bane,” the first book in the Rebels of Duroo series, sets the stage for what is to come. Strong characters, fascinating world-building, and a clever plot combine to lay the groundwork for what will follow. Good is very good; evil is very evil. The unfolding narrative keeps readers involved in the telling of the tale as they cheer for the defeat of evil.

A strong fantasy component teases the imagination; stunning creatures, a magical land, a fight for freedom. Be prepared for a cliffhanger . . . there are definitely more adventures for Robin before this tale reaches its conclusion.

A map of Duroo gives substance to places readers encounter in the telling of the tale.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from The Book Whisperer and NetGalley
#SlaversBane #NetGalley

This is a tale of a half-breed boy that is looking for freedom and purpose in a world full of creatures that exists in dysharmony. Robin is an orphan destined to a life of servitude. He begins his drudgerous existence but is seen to be different than the others, which prompts his journey of self discovery. The journey is challenging but is an adventure of introductions. Robin is reluctant to be a hero but cannot choose the selfish pursuit of freedom that he tells himself he wants. Instead his journey becomes one of freeing the oppressed and uniting the creatures in a world of peace. The imagery of this world and it's creatures is resplendent. The tale is fun. The good and evil elements seem to shift, and the reasons are not always apparent. The book ends on a cliffhanger, and there is so much of this tale yet to be told. I loved this story and anxiously await its next installment!

I couldn't get past the prologue of this book. It's so poorly written! The story shows promise, but the language is clumsy and the book reads like the first draft of a teenager. For example. "She tweaked her own nose and then reached up and tweaked Robin's, too, finding it without needing to search." The book is rife with unnecessary verbiage that slows down the story and makes it virtually unreadable. After some good editing, I think I would like to try again, but this book is not fit for publication.