4.5 stars

I’ll just say it here: I felt an immediate draw into this story. It had this sort of classic fantasy feel to it, following a wizard settling into a new position and going over old lectures and lessons. So there’s an academic aspect, but then there’s also a bit of community, as well as some magic and mystery and action and travel/adventure.

The story elements all started to weave together, with all sorts of events happening that left Aelis thinking that she needed to look into it more, but then even more dangerous or more pressing issues would arise. It made it delightfully difficult to figure out what was going to happen too easily, and I loved that.

But I will say that at times it felt like the story was coming together a bit slowly, and so that might not be something that is appealing to everyone. Even when things felt a bit slow, I was still super interested and invested, because I was growing attached to all of the characters, because there’s the whole community of Lone Pines, as well as traveling merchants and mercenaries and such. It was such an intriguing and diverse bunch of people to learn about.

Tun, Pip, Rus, and Maurenia were some of my favorite secondary characters in this story.

It really did feel a bit like a Dungeons & Dragons adventure at times. There are similarities when it comes to the different schools of wizardry. And I guess I could say that it would have been nice to have a little more description into the actual act of spellcasting, but overall it was still handled decently enough.

I realize that this story, the characters, the magic system, the writing, might not be for everyone, and that is totally fine and valid. I just know that I had an enjoyable time reading this book, and I have added the sequel to my to-read list, so we’ll see what happens with that next year.

There were a lot of elements that were familiar to me in this story but also sufficient on the peaks-of-interest and exciting wizardry/action elements. The plot seems a bit cliche as it follows the ‘esteemed city-girl/wizard’ being assigned to act as warden in a small armpit of a town – but she’s also a badass necromancer. The townsfolk fear her and her powers and shy away when she walks through town. Though after quick-thinking and using her powers to save the life of one of the townsfolk, she earns her a slight degree of respect. Then the plot somewhat spins off into a fugitive hunt in an unforgiving fantasy forest filled with danger.

Aelis is determined to give her house, and her school a good name by strictly representing the rules and skills she has learned. We are often met with flashbacks to her classroom days and her strict instructors battering lessons into her, as she’s presented with a given situation where she needs to apply those lessons. This can upend the pacing a little, but also provides context about why Aelis is the way she is.

There are some very interesting secondary characters as well. Maurenia, The half-elf and love interest of Aelis, who just happens to stroll into town with her band of mercenaries shortly after Aelis arrives, and Tun – the strong-silent type who just about steals every scene he’s in :no spoilers:. Tun is such an awesome character

The world is mostly confined to a small town of Lone Pine, dense forested ‘Ruins of the old world’ kind of woods. Ford does well on setting the atmosphere there in Aelis’s tower and within the tavern and the surrounding trees.

The second half of the book steps up the suspense, wizardry, and action. The magic system is not complex; wards, necromancy, and doesn’t spare a lot of the ‘how’ and that it just ‘is’. Some interesting villains emerge and their sinister plots revealed. And once you thought it was over, there’s a little thread that leads off of a cliffhanger for book 2!

This book is perfect for the Skyrim fan, or the casual D&D player. There are lgbtq themes but it’s light on the romance. Wizardry, shapeshifters, demon trees, undead, and all the good stuff! The audio narration was very well done if you’re looking for a nice Fantasy audiobook as well.

Filed Under: Adventure Fantasy, Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery
Tagged With: Book Review, Daniel M Ford, Fantasy Books, The Warden, Tor Books

I did not expect cozy fantasy from a book about a necromancer, yet here we are. Faced with sexism, Aelis de Lenti, is assigned a post in the middle of nowhere instead of the prominent city post she deserves with her achievements. Although this book is action packed and plot heavy we still get to experience Aelis making friends and forming relationships while her unimportant post turns out to be more important than she thought.

Something about cozy fantasy makes me want to put the book down between each chapter and savor the story. This is no different although you can push through and read it quickly since there is so much always going on. Aelis has very little downtime in what is supposed to be an irrelevant posting.

I'm happy to report that Daniel Ford sees women as people and writes Aelis well. She is unlikable in the sense that she was raised in a wealthy family. Due to her privilege and inherent power she often comes across as entitled but learns, grows, and forms friendships anyway.

I would recommend this to most readers. For those who love cozy stories and want to get more into Fantasy and traditional Fantasy readers who want something a little cozier.

3.5 stars
While I did enjoy this book, it didn't feel like anything special. But I can't figure out why!
The story is solid and there are some really, really good moments but it just did not grab me.
I plan to continue on with the series and hopefully the next book will really pull me in.

Aelis de Lenti, daughter of a wealthy and powerful family and top student at the Lyceum, has been assigned a lonely outpost in the quiet village of Lone Pine. The isolation and terribly conditions grate on Aelis, but she tries to make her home among the rural people and do her job to the best of her ability. Sneaking suspicions and sudden oddities make it clear, however, that Lone Pine, and possibly the whole country, are at risk, and a skilled Warden is exactly what is needed. Original and fun, The Warden is a good read for those graduating from YA. Simple and straightforward, with enough excitement and romance to keep the reader engaged, though not challenged. The setup for the next book takes away some of the enjoyment of this one, however. It would be nice if quality books could be allowed to stand on their own without an obligatory cliffhanger.

Daniel M. Ford starts an excellent series about Aelis de Lenti, fourth daughter of a noble house, who is a newly graduated Magister of the Lyceum, She is assigned as The Warden (hard from Tor) to Lone Pine, a remote border village, whose inhabitants are afraid of her. As she tries to help the village, complications happen with a troupe of adventurers, a pile of cursed gold, and a murder attempt by one brother against another. In the badlands a, there's a gang of brigands under the control of a witch who has warped their minds. If that weren’t enough, there's real evil left from the war that she will have to deal with in the next book. Very enjoyable. I look forward to her next adventure.

Imgur Link goes to Instagram graphic scheduled for May 3rd
Amazon Review pending system review
Second Youtube Review will be posted within the week in a Fantasy Wrap-up Video on the channel

This is one of those Fantasy books that I feel like has been very misrepresented both by it's cover (which is beautiful) and it's pitch. The Warden was a cozy fantasy about a wizard sent to a 'back-water' town to become their Warden. This role puts her into basically the position of a sheriff or justice of the peace. She also works as the town medic and assists the town with tasks from reading and writing letters to fixing fences when needed. Unfortunately for Aelis, this town where she is to take up this job is frightened of her. Mainly due to the black robes and Necromancer colors she bears. She graduated with certification from three schools, but the Necromancy school is her primary and scariest one. Over the course of the novel we see her begin to win over the townsfolk, find new friends, and uncover a dark plot.

First off, there is no way this isn't D&D inspired. It could be hard to see for someone who is not familiar with the systems of Dungeons & Dragons, but if you are it's obvious but delightful. Mr. Ford has adapted the idea of the spell slot (that mechanic in D&D that limits a spellcasters abilities per level) into the magic system here. In addition the schools of magic are very much true to the same system that D&D has. For that this book won for me endless marks - I am a DM and lover of Dungeons & Dragons and I just want to get this out of the way. This book is for people like me.

Now to the rest of the book! The characters are fantastic and well drawn. What I would call our primary cast is clearly the strongest and most developed but the others give just enough intrigue and have enough dimension to add to the story. A lot of interesting setup for future books can be seen in these characters, while also helping the cozy feeling of the book with a tight knit, friendly cast. The story itself is much the same! The first portion of this is Aelis arriving and finding her Tower in ruins. Thus we follow her as she begins to make friends, find improvements and performs small tasks. It's not till nearly 40% that we see the meat of the plot begin to appear but it felt so relaxing and fun till that point that I didn't mind at all.

The ending of this book did have me enraged. Not because it was poorly done or because I didn't like it but because CLIFFHANGER MUCH? This is one of those rare occasions where I am so mad I have to wait for another book that I almost wanted to dock a star from this - which would have been unfair so I did not - but what a way to end it! I laid my ereader down and shouted at my husband "WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THAT?"

Final thoughts - ignore the 'action packed' phrasing and the dynamic cover, which again IS BEAUTIFUL. This book felt farm more reminiscent of something like Legends & Lattes to me. Sure there is some fighting and some action later in the book but the vibes and the feels sink this into the Cozy Fantasy genre for me. I recommend this whole heartedly to fans of that genre and my fellow Dungeons & Dragons nerds. This is a fantastic new book to start a new series and I'm pumped to get my own copy, and also anxiously awaiting the next book!

The Warden by Daniel M. Ford
The Warden #1

Aelis de Lenti has just arrived at her destination at what seems the end of the civilized world Her wizard’s tower is in disrepair, a goat her wannabe roommate, and nothing as she had expected it would be in Lone Pine. She feels she has been given a job beneath her capabilities but will do her best to fulfill her duties for the next two years. Aelis’s experience reminded me a bit of graduation from nursing school, putting in my request job in the operating room, but instead being sent to neurosurgical intensive to work nights. Not sure if she or I was best qualified to the jobs we were given…

What I liked:
* Aelis: strong, intelligent, diligent, capable, wise, willing to do her best and to learn
* The flashbacks to her educational experiences and how they played a part in her decision making
* Meeting the villagers of Lone Pine
* The fantasy elements woven into the story
* The way Aelis seemed able to find the essence of issues and then handle what needed to be done whether dealing with a bear, doubting and fearful villagers, outsiders, glamours, injuries, demon trees or…just about anything
* The action scenes
* Feeling a part of the story and caring about the outcome
* Wondering what parts Tunbridge, Rus, Martin, Phillipa, Emilia, Maurenia, the Dobrusz brothers, Elmo, Otto, and some others may play in the future
* That this is a book I can recommend to young adult readers as well as adults
* Curiosity about what will happen in book two

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Having to wait for book two

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? I think so though it felt aimed at a younger reader than I am

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

2.5 stars

I added The Warden to my to-be-read list based on the cover and the keyword necromancy. And yet this book delivers only slivers of those two elements. My disappointment in this book may partially be based on inaccurate expectations, however, the story was incredibly flat and underdeveloped.

My biggest complaint with this book is the painfully underdeveloped magic system. Based on other reviews and quick googling I discovered that most of the magic system in this book is based on Dungeons & Dragons. I am always hesitant to pick up books that I know are based on D&D because, in my personal experience, they tend to get a bit lazy with the world-building and magic systems because of the ties to existing concepts. The Warden offers no explanation for any of the potentially interesting elements of the world or magic system. There are seven classes of magic (you guessed it they're based on D&D) that have no clear distinguishing features. At one point Aelis literally refuses to explain the differences between the classes because it's, in her own words, "too complicated." That line alone almost had me DNFing this book 75% of the way through. Our main character Aelis is seemingly mediocre at her magical specialties. Except for necromancy which doesn't even come into play until the very end. Descriptions of Aelis using magic are reduced to an incredibly bland "two syllables" or a random name for the spell she is using that means nothing to the reader.

Aelis was a fine main character. At times I really appreciated her stubbornness and self-confidence. But she could also be incredibly arrogant and entitled, especially when dealing with the villagers of Lone Pine. I found it off-putting how much she looked down on them and how comfortable she was manipulating them with light compulsions. Though I recognize that the villagers were cold to her, I wish the story had focused more on Aelis earning their trust and their Warden rather than having her run off on a drawn-out quest. None of the side characters were particularly compelling as most of them fell into easy stereotypes. Tun was definitely the most interesting character and I enjoyed his banter with Aelis a lot. The romance was predictable and I don't understand why Ford bothered trying to create a will-they wont-they banter-filled dynamic when it was such an insignificant portion of the story.

The writing was pretty solid and I have hope for future installments of this series (I will not be reading them though so not that much hope). However, there were a few quirks that really drew me out of the story. The writing relies predominantly on "telling" with very little of the descriptive "showing" that I prefer. Aelis also talks to herself out loud as a way to reveal things to the reader which is incredibly strange and unnatural. What really kills the pacing of the story is the amount of flashbacks. It will be the middle of an action scene and Aelis will have a sudden, detailed flashback to her time in college. They make no sense and happen way too often to the point that I started skimming them. This also seems to be the only attempt at exploring the details of the magic system which is just lazy.

I was originally charmed by the surprisingly cozy vibes, but then the book strayed from everything that I was interested in. The "mystery" quest element was dull and wasted the story's potential. I appreciate how all of the elements of the book connected together, though it may have been a bit too neat and easy. The Warden feels like it ends 15% earlier than it actually does. The "mystery" element is wrapped up, there is a conflict with the big bad, and we get a few interesting details to hold our interest for the next book. But then the author decided to start book two at the very end of book one just so that it could end on a cliffhanger. The cliffhanger felt a bit cheap because there was such a natural place to end the story about 40 pages earlier. I had to drag myself through the last bit because I was just ready for the story to be over.

The Warden is a fine fantasy book though not particularly original or interesting. I feel a bit harsh giving it 2.5 stars, however, I never actively enjoyed my time with this book. From very early on I was only reading this to finish it.

Having recently graduated from the Lyceum, Aelis is sent to the small border town of Lone Pine as their Warden. Aelis is used to a life of luxury as a De Lenti, and finds the way of life out in Lone Pine difficult to adjust to. There is little use for her magical skills out in the sleepy village and Aelis is bored and frustrated. Until a traveling party of adventurers appears in Lone Pine with a lot of gold from the borderlands. People begin to behave strangely and Aelis finds perhaps her necromancy and other magical abilities might be needed after all.
I struggled to get into this book to begin with. I found the author's writing style, in particular their sentence structure, a bit jarring. As I continued to read the book I found that I became more interested in the character of Aelis and her story and I found that this stopped being a problem.
I ended up really enjoying this book. I loved the magical system, the way that the magic operated and the different schools of magic that could be learnt. I enjoyed the characters, I thought they were very well written and felt well rounded and believable. In particular I found Aelis’s personality very engaging and interesting. The book is written from a first person perspective and I enjoyed being in Aelis’ head.
The author managed to give just enough information to keep me interested and the story moving, while at the same time keeping me wanting to read to discover more.
I did enjoy the romance in the book, but I would like Maurania to be given a little more of a personality and a back story than she currently has, this is the first in a series though so it may very well come.
I felt like I was on a Dungeons and Dragons campaign while reading this book, which was such a fun feeling.
Overall I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a fun fantasy, or D&D Campaign.

This was a miss for me unfortunately. Ford is a compelling writer when it comes to atmosphere and a character's interior life, and I even felt that his decision to lean hard into well-worn fantasy tropes from a unique cozy western perspective, with lush—if unoriginal—worldbuilding, worked well. But the book just didn't grab me. All the characters were /almost/ lovable, and the plot was /almost/ interesting, but a bit too slow and low-stakes to grab me. Even when going for coziness, the stakes need to matter; they can be small and only matter in terms of the life of a few people or a town, but they need to matter, and Ford never really convinced me they did. Overall I didn't think much of the book, but I'll definitely consider checking something else by Ford out in a few years, he's got some good ideas, and is not an untalented writer, but this one just didn't hit me right for right now.

Note: Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and Daniel M. Ford for sending me an advanced review copy (ARC) via NetGalley.com. I wasn't paid for this review and it's my real opinion!

3.5/5 stars
First, I would just like to say that I loved having a foul mouthed MC. Aelis was so fun to see react to different situations. I was never fully invested into the story, however, it has a lot of potential and Daniel Ford is definitely an author I will be keeping my eye on!! The pacing was a little slow and the world building felt lacking.

This was a fun, low-stakes fantasy (I don't care what the description says, it was truly not that serious), and I have a soft spot for fantasy that deals largely with the everyday lives of normal people in an otherwise fantastical world, so I had a great time. Our main character, Aelis, is a recently graduated necromancer who is relocated from the heart of a city she loves to a rural town mostly populated by sheep and goats, and I found watching her struggle with the culture shock endlessly amusing.

The magic system in The Warden was also fascinating. Y'all know I love books that don't actually explain anything to you, and this is a story that reveals bits and parts of its extremely complex magic system while still leaving the majority of it up for speculation. About halfway through reading this book I also realized it's meant to be part of a series, and I honestly think I would keep reading just to find out more about how magic is used in this world. It's not a convenient system at all; Aelis is limited to a few schools of magic that are barely helpful in about half the situations she finds herself in, and the magic she is able to wield is convoluted and takes great effort on her part. We hear anecdotally what other forms of magic might look like, but only meet a few other practitioners in this book, so I'd love to see more.

One star off because the only thing I didn't enjoy in this book, unfortunately, was the romance. You would normally never ever ever catch me advocating for a woman to date a man, but come on. How can a half-elf woman with no personality hold my attention when there is also a mysterious orc man who turns into a bear werewolf-style available? I do plan on continuing on with the series, though, so maybe the romantic interest will change or maybe I'll be given some reason to care about the elf lady.

If you're someone who doesn't mind slower-paced, low-stakes books, definitely given this a try. Thanks to Tor for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Book Summary:

Aelis de Leni worked her butt off to make it through the Magisters' Lyceum – the prestigious magical school of the area. She could have had an easy life, but Aelis is not the type of person to waste talent, especially not her own.

She had this big plan. Graduate from the Lyceum, blow their minds and land the perfect position as a Warden. Unfortunately, her new Warden position has put her in the middle of nowhere, dealing with a small town that doesn't understand her role – or her magic.

My Review:

I knew right away that I was going to love The Warden. First, the title and description are compelling. But it was the first two chapters that sold me on this story. I love the idea of magical Wardens setting up shop, working to protect the townspeople from necromancy and other monsters.

Mostly, I loved Daniel M. Ford's take on necromancy and magical abilities. It made the system feel new and fresh, adding weight to the world and the story as a whole. I'm already looking forward to the next novel, and that's at least partially because I want to see more of the world/magical system.

On that note, I found myself enjoying the present more than all the flashbacks. Yes, they were relevant to Aelis' situation, but I feel like they could have been summed up in one or two flashbacks if that makes sense.

Regardless, I really enjoyed The Warden and can't wait for the next novel in the series to release. The cliffhanger may have something to do with that anxiety, but only partially. This is a world worth diving into.

Highlights:
Fantasy
LGBT Protagonist
Necromancy/Mages

Trigger Warnings:
Severe Injuries/Graphic Details

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for the advanced copy of this book!

What can I say? I’m a sucker for a bad ass lady necromancer and this book delivered. But also, bonus? She’s sassy, bi, and has a sword.

The world building and magic system were really interested and expertly woven into the story. It didn’t fall victim to over explaining and instead showed these things, which is a big deal for me in fantasy.

I also loved all of the side characters and the pacing for the book was excellent. It may be slow for some folks, but I really enjoyed getting to know the village and background. I’m really excited for the next book, because that cliffhanger was too much.

For Aelis, having magic, money, connections, skill, and power entitled her to a prestigious position in one of the largest cities in the empire. After all, she’s one of a very few female necromancers, an excellent anatomist, a top student in most of her classes, and has graduated from all three colleges. Aelis is destined for great things, not … this. Not some sheep village that even the backend of nowhere would look down upon. Instead of a tower, she’s expected to live in a two-story pile of stone with no roof, a door that doesn’t close, and covered in years of filth.

She’s trying very, very, very hard not to be upset.

Lone Pine is a small border town somewhere between the frontier and civilization. In one direction is a road leading to distant cities, culture, friends, good food, and fashion. In the other direction, woods. Mountains. Orcs and bandits and the ruins left behind by the war some twenty years in the past. The land is slowly healing, and so are the people — like Rus, the inkeeper and barkeep, and his husband Martin, the cook whose hand trembles when he has to cut meat. Or Elmo, who served as a scout in the war and has night terrors and violent outbursts. These people and their children are her charges, now. And their sheep. And their goats.

None of this was part of the plan. None of this was part of her destiny, but Aelis refuses to back down and give in. She is a Warden. It’s what she wanted, what she fought for, to use her magic for good, to defend the helpless, bring justice and mercy in equal measure, and if she sticks it out for a few years, maybe they’ll station her somewhere better, somewhere more suited to her talents? Then the dwarves show up with their gold, found in some lost and abandoned fort. Gold that looks newly minted, gold that draws the eye and the heart, causing brother to turn against brother, neighbor to turn against neighbor. A missing book, a murder, a man no one remembers, and the oncoming winter will soon be the least of Aelis’s worries.

This is the first book in Daniel M. Ford’s Warden series and I’m hooked. It has necromancers, giant bears, half orcs, half elves, and a conspiracy to bring back a fallen Dukedom, interspersed with the undead, with sorcerous arts and artifice, and devil trees. (And the goat.) There’s an abundance of world building, a well-crafted plot, and Aelis, who is worth reading the book for in her own right.

Aelis is a genius. In flashbacks scattered throughout the book, we learn both about the magic system of the world, and Aelis herself. She is determined, dedicated, and willing to push herself beyond her limits just to see if she can. While she has money and a family name, it’s her power and her skill and her inexperience that best serve her here. Half of the things she does are simply because she doesn’t stop to think whether or not she can; she relies on her own native brilliance and gut instincts. For all that she is self-deprecating about her power, the temptation to use it is only tempered by the physical limits of exhaustion that pull at her every time she uses it. But the more she uses it, the stronger she becomes, and the more confident in her own abilities and her own self.

Again and again, Aelis demurs the dangers and preconceptions of necromancy, telling people it’s no more than a tool. And then she gets to use it, to truly use it, and we see both her sheer power and her sheer delight in using her native magic. And then the book ends and I have to wait for book two to come out so I can keep reading. Aelis goes through a great deal of character growth, from her first moments of carefully hidden disdain and disinterest to using her power for the citizens of Lone Pine and earning their respect by them because she put their safety above her own. There is a line between fear and respect, between respect and love, and Aelis balances on that tangled knot with an unconscious grace.

Her two closest friends in the book are Tun, the half orc — who would be shunned by the citizens of Lone Pine if they knew what he was, so he keeps to the woods — and Maurenia, the half elf, who travels into the woodlands to treasure hunt and grave rob. Maurenia is more obvious with her flirtation and seduction of Aelis, who is instantly attracted to her beauty, her confidence, and the fact that, like Aelis, she is an outsider. Maurenia won’t be staying in Lone Pine longer than a few weeks at a time, perfect for a fling … but there’s a spark between them. Given time, given fuel, Aelis could easily find herself falling in love. Tun is more subtle. With them is a meeting of equal wits, of kindred spirits. Tun matches Aelis’ spirit, her intellect, her sense of humor, but his awareness of his own inhumanity keeps him from treating Aelis as anything but a friend. And yet there is something there, something subtle and still growing.

As much as I enjoyed the story and Aelis, the writing relies sometimes overly much on needless description: how many socks, how many windows are in a room. It’s at its best when the focus is on Aelis’ thoughts and emotions and actions, such as when she’s solving a puzzle or coming up with a plan. I felt the length of the book as I read it, and the pace can be a bit leisurely in places — and the flashback scenes are all exposition, but well-framed through Aelis’ very personality-filled point of view. Add to that Aelis herself, who will explain, sometimes in detail, about what and how and why her magic does, leading to a bit of repetition here and there. Still, for all that, I very much enjoyed my time with this book and this world, and look forward to reading the next one!

This is being sold as “for fans who have always wanted their Twin Peaks to have some wizards“. You know this is one of my all-time favorite shows, so my excitement was high…and then came crashing down. This village is nothing like Twin Peaks, so get that out of your head. It’s just a small rural village on the border of the kingdom. Most of the people are wary or frightened of their new Warden, but I think that’s understandable–they’re simple folks who don’t understand magic.

I had two major problems with this book, and they are the main points for this book: the magic system and our main character Aelis. The magic system seems needlessly clunky. It doesn’t seem to be something that comes naturally to our MC. When she needs to use a spell there is this process of stopping and thinking about your problem and what level of spell will have an effect, then casting that particular spell. It seems to take maybe 15 to 20 seconds, which is too long if, for example, you’re trying to stop a bear from attacking people.

Then there’s Aelis. She is arrogant, snippy, and a snob. She throws around orders and almost treats them as her servants rather than what they actually are, which are her charges. Here’s a grand example: a man is injured and Aelis performs surgery on him. Afterwards she finds the village healer examining him and screams at her to stop touching her patient, you don’t know what you’re doing, go away, etc. Then a couple hours later she goes back up to the healer and is like “hey I have to leave town for a couple days, so I need you to watch over the patient“. Ummm, that’s what she was already trying to do before you screamed at her 🙄.

Thank you to NetGalley & Tor Publishing Group for this advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

When Aelis arrives in Lone Pine, she’s struck almost immediately by the smell of sheep shit. This doesn’t bode well for her scheduled two-year tenure as the new Warden of the small farming village out on the border with orc country. Still, she has no way to contest her station, despite her wealthy heritage. The Lyceum where she studied wizardry saw fit to send her to Lone Pine, even if it doesn’t seem like a proper location for a Warden who specialized in Necromancy.

Truth be told, Aelis would rather be anywhere else. Any urban post. Somewhere closer to her friends and lovers from school. Anywhere were her contractually obligated housing isn’t a broken down, falling apart tower. Anywhere she might have people to protect who aren’t deathly afraid of her. But no. She’s in Lone Pine, and only Martin and Rus, the local innkeepers, have any tolerance for her presence. Almost everyone else shuns her and attempts to avoid her at all costs. It’s a rough start, to be sure, but it’s Aelis’s station, and she’ll do her job. She’s a Warden, after all, not just a wizard.

When a group of adventurers make their way into Lone Pine from a frontier excursion, cart laden with gold to spend in the small town, it seems like the fortunes of the villagers are about to change. However, a violent encounter shatters the peace and sends Aelis on a quest to track down the guilty party. Her journey will take her into the wilderness, and bring her face to face with threats both old and new.

Daniel M. Ford’s The Warden is out in stores today, and I highly recommend it to any D&D player or fantasy adventure fan, especially for those who’ve enjoyed Travis Baldree’s Legends and Lattes or Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth. It was an absolute treat to read, playing with tropes and expectations throughout the book. I’ve loved every minute that I’ve spent in this world, and I hope to get to visit it again soon.

My utmost thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for access to an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review originally appeared here: https://swordsoftheancients.com/2023/04/18/the-warden-a-review/

TL;DR

The Warden by Daniel M. Ford is a fun fantasy adventure set in country village where secrets, the past, and an ancient threat are stirring. The result could be an end to the peace between humans and orcs. Warden Aelis de Lenti is the only hope to stop the evil before war once again breaks out. Highly recommended, especially for fans of Brandon Sanderson.

Disclaimer: The publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Any and all opinions that follow are mine alone.

Review: The Warden by Daniel M. Ford

I’ve been playing a lot of Grim Dawn recently. It’s an amazing action RPG with neat magic system, interesting storyline, and action a plenty. Frankly, I’m addicted, and as soon as I finish writing this, I’ll load it up and knock out a quest or two. The Warden by Daniel M. Ford reminded me so much of Grim Dawn. It was fun; it has a neat magic system; and I didn’t want to stop reading it.

Aelis de Lenti was head of her class at the Magisters’ Lyceum. She passed the tests of three colleges of magic, one of only 11 to do so. She’s a skilled Abjurer and Enchanter; she was also the best Necromantic student in the Lyceum. For all her successes, she’s assigned to a village on the northern border between the human kingdom and orcish civilization. Aelis expected a posting in a city, to live a life she’s used to, and to be respected for her accomplishments. Instead, she’s sent to village where the sheep outnumber the people, the literacy rate is doubled with her arrival, and life is hard. Merchants drop by once or twice per year, and the decadents wines and liqueurs that she’s used to are in short supply, but only because the supply she brought with her is all there is. Aelis is a Warden, though. That means that the village and its people are her responsibility. She’s part lawkeeper, part doctor, part governor, part helper, and part protector. Aelis can’t not take her job seriously. She hates it and wishes she were anywhere else. But she devotes herself fully to the village. She helps mend a fence; she reads letters brought by the post; she provides care for the injured, justice for laws broken, and teacher to a child.

When adventurers from the North come into town, villagers begin to act strangely. A murder is attempted. Aelis must figure out what is going on and track down the killer. In the process, she learns that the North isn’t a sleepy, little place where she can pass the time tending sheep until she can transfer. Ancient evil stirs along the border, and its rise threatens the peace between humanity and orcs.

The Warden by Daniel M. Ford is a first person point of view novel that follows Aelis as she settles into the job of Warden. All chapters are told in Aelis point of view. There are some flashbacks to her university days to help fill in backstory. The pacing is even and keeps the reader moving through the story. Ford balances action and character work well. This is a book that Brandon Sanderson fans will enjoy.

Necromancy

Ford has an interesting take on Necromancy. His magic users study it so as to combat it. They aren’t raising the dead; they’re dispelling them. They’re not draining the life from people; they’re preserving their life force to repair bodies. The ancient art of Necromancy is illegal, and now the art has been inverted so that the practitioners are Necrobanes, i.e. a bane to the existence of necromancers. As part of their study, Ford’s necromancers make an intimate study of the body. Aelis is skilled at anatomy and actually uses her skills as a surgeon in the book. It was a delight to see necromancers in a different light than the pure evil normally associated with them in fiction.

Quest Driven Action

The Warden felt very much like a story from a role playing game (RPG). Aelis went on quests where the loot was friendship, trust, and emotional/personal growth. This isn’t a criticism; I think it worked for this story because the plot wasn’t the main point. Aelis fitting into the village and growing into the role of Warden was. She reassesses the villagers even if she can’t throw away all her stereotypes. She’s impressed by the culture of the Orcs as she’s confronted by their reality. She learns that sophistication and erudition can exist outside cities. The quests are simply how she develops her character.

Integrity

Again and again throughout the novel, readers see that Aelis has integrity. She does what’s right even if she knows it may come back to haunt her. She is the arbiter of the law in these here parts, but she practices nuance and compassion in her sentencing. She looks for the complications and hopes for the best in people when other Wardens would have chosen an execution. Aelis doesn’t relent when she knows she’s right. She’s not above tossing her authority around when she needs to and will swallow her pride if that gets the job done.

She also has success after success after success. Her setbacks don’t feel like setbacks. The cost she pays for some successes are high, but her winning is never in doubt.

Structure

As I wrote earlier, Aelis’s story is a series of quests, which provides a sort of structure to the novel. Each quest sort of builds into the others that takes Aelis further into the secrets of the North. It feels like a linear progression towards the end. However, the climax or peak of the book happened at about 80% of the way through. There is a denouement, and the Aelis gets another quest. The book ends in the middle of this final quest, which will be important for future books. But because of the big confrontation at 80%, the final quest just didn’t feel as important as its meant to be. Don’t get me wrong; it’s a cool quest, and it’s got me looking forward to book two. It just felt like a non-ending, though. It was almost as if the opening few chapters of book two were attached the end of the book.

The Warden is small by fantasy standards. It’s 320 pages long, which is a third of an epic fantasy novel. Did the editors feel it needed padding? I don’t know. This ending is an odd way to cap off an excellent book, though.

Conclusion

Daniel M. Ford’s The Warden is a fun start to a new fantasy series. It has action, character development, tough moral choices, and a neat magic system. Like Grim Dawn, The Warden had a lot of hype surrounding it. Daniel M. Ford delivered in all respects. Fans of Brandon Sanderson will love this book. Highly recommended.

"Lone Pine is a small town, where the bears are wise and the brew is strong. But this sleepy little town is also home to a secret: a hidden world of magic and mystery.”

Aelis is a middle child who comes from a very wealthy family who realized she was so far off from ever taking the throne that she decided to pursue academics in the form of Wizardry. As a bit of an overachiever as a result she became proficient in 3 different studies (something she likes to remind those around her of frequently) but the most important being necromancy.

After completing her studies she is assigned her first job as Warden of the small town of Lone Pine. Aelis immediately feels like she has been shafted and believes if she wasn’t a woman she wouldn’t have been sent to a town of such little significance, while she might be right about getting the assignment she did because of her gender she is all sorts of wrong about the significance of Lone Pine. I think the towns folk picked up on her hesitancy to be there and you mix that with their distrust of magic, especially necromancy and well you're bound to have a bit of a less than stellar first impression of each other.

Honestly there is so much to love in this book, I feel like it's a bit of modern fantasy, mixed with cozy fantasy with a dash of an old western thrown in. Daniel M. Ford’s worldbuilding is excellent, I’m not always a visual reader but I honestly felt like I could see the town of Lone Pine and at least in my imagination it felt like a bit of a modern western setting. I found his descriptions of food, drink and locations to be extremely vivid and really captivated me.

When it comes to character development Daniel is no slouch as I really enjoyed the detail we got of each of the significant characters in the story. While we didn’t get a full back story on each one, in my opinion we got more than enough over all to really connect with them. From friendships, to sassy stand offs / headbutting, to unexpected romance there is truly something for everyone.

My only gripe with the book was the ending, while I’m all for a good cliffhanger the way this one ended felt a tad rushed. In speaking with the author this series will at least be a trilogy with the possibility of expanding beyond that so my critique would be to work on sticking the landing for the books going forward as this one was a tad wobbly.

All in all this was a fun fast paced read and I’m extremely grateful for Athena @TPG reaching out and asking if I would be interested in reading this book as I might not have discovered it otherwise. Athena if you read this please consider adding me to your list of ARC readers for the sequel as I’m excited to see where the story goes from here.