Excellent book, love it! Looking forward to more from this author! Apologies for the lateness of my review

Well epic is definitely what describes this fantasy book. I will be excited to see what else comes from this author.

Couldn't Finish - Too Confusing and Unengaging

I had high hopes for War of the Seven by Brad Towers, but I couldn't even bring myself to finish it. The concept - a battle between seven powerful factions in a fantasy world - sounded promising, but the execution was all over the place.

From the very beginning, the story was hard to follow. There's an overwhelming amount of characters, places, and factions thrown at you with little explanation or context. The world-building felt incomplete, making it nearly impossible to understand what was going on or why it mattered. I spent more time flipping back and trying to remember who everyone was that actually enjoying the story.

The characters didn't help either - they felt flat and unmemorable. None of them had clear motivations, and they were so poorly developed that I couldn't bring myself to care about what happened to them. Even the action scenes, which should have been exciting, felt chaotic and difficult to visualise because of the confusing writing style.

After slogging through about halfway, I gave up. The plot wasn't compelling enough to keep me invested, and the writing didn't improve as the story went on. Overall, War of the Seven just wasn't worth the time or effort, and I can't recommend it. There are far better fantasy books out there.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to read War of the Seven.

Love the characters, I didn't mind the plot

This was such a great pallet cleanser from my normal romantasy books. I normally find it hard to read third-person pov, but that wasn't the case for this book. There are so many characters and so much going on, but the read is easy and intriguing. There is music that goes along with the story. You don't have to listen to it to understand anything, but I highly recommend listening! I also love the recap throughout the book of which characters are still aroind and which have died. Every time I had to put the book down, I was sad and eager to get back to it. You won't be disappointed. Just try not to get too attached to anyone... after all, it is war.

The War of the Seven by Brad Towers is definitely for an audience fanbase for Lord of the Rings and any magical realism. This story was filled with imagination and excitement and so much drama that will keep readers completely entertained and walk away disillusioned.

Overall, I liked this book, but there were a few reasons for it taking me so long to read (almost a whole month) when I usually breeze through anything fantasy, especially high fantasy.

To me, this felt almost like a history text book. I was intrigued in the stories I was reading, but I didn't necessarily want to pick it up and bury myself in the story all of the time. It was very information heavy, especially at the beginning, because Towers was trying his best to explain the people and cultures of 7 different nations and their Gods, while also progressing with the story. Because of this, I feel like we only got a surface level look into each peoples, with a basic understanding of who they are, their champions, their God's personalities and their motives. I felt very disconnected from many of the characters, and only grew close to a few of them because they had a much higher page time than others. I think this subconsciously took away the importance of the "champions" for me, and lessened the high-stakes plot line to a less important side plot.

When I read any book, but especially fantasy, I want to be pulled into the world I am reading about, and feel like I am there with the characters, fighting alongside them and feeling what they feel. With this book, I felt very disconnected from everything happening, almost like I was watching from a birds eye view, instead of being transported into the world with them.

Despite all of this, I still finished the book because I was interested enough in the plot to continue reading, and I do genuinely look forward to reading the next instalment, as I believe it will dive more into the emotions and lives of the champions and Gods that are left, especially as more come together on the battlefield to fight.

While this was a difficult first book in a series to get through, it hasn't lessened my intrigue in what will happen in book two.

EPIC FANTASY AND METAL? Yes, please!

Reading this book was an experience unlike anything I’ve read before: ’War of the Seven' introduces the reader to the world of Ethasar, where the gods choose their champions and go to war to decide which of the gods gets to live (while the others go away for a long period of time). The premise is promises an epic fantasy, but what made this book stand out was the mix with metal songs.

At first, we’re introduced a wide cast of characters from many factions, which can be a bit overwhelming, but with time we get to know them and we start rooting for them in the upcoming battles. All characters that have enough screen time (since there were a few that we didn’t get to see enough of to actually know them) are really well developed, so it’s easy for the reader to connect with them and predict what they will do.

I throughly enjoyed this book as I discovered the backstory of multiple of the characters and got to learn more about the gods themselves. The world building is simple to understand and it has just the right amount of intrigue. What I enjoyed even more were the connected metal songs we get through out the book, since they add so much to the characters and to the plot. Additionally, it’s very heavy on military politics, war and lore, so what is there not to love?

However, the book suffers a bit from the 'too many people to care' syndrome and it can be, at times, hard to follow and remember all the characters' actions at the same time. Of course, the most memorable actions are hard to forget, as the action and battlefield scenes are top notch.

My only complaint with this book was that it felt incomplete. Now, I’m aware that this is the first book of a series, so of course the ending would be open for the continuation, however, it didn’t feel like that at all. There was no real resolution or any kind of a wrap up, we’re just left at the middle of the story and there is no more to read. It did not feel like there was a proper ending.

In summary, I think the writer enjoyed creating this book and the songs as much as I enjoyed reading it, and it shows. I recommend it immensely if you’re a fan of epic fantasy and metal, since it is a combination that I am obsessed with now. I’m really curious to discover what happens next and I really want to know how it all ends.

Thank you so much BooksGoSocial and NetGallery for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One thing I love about a book is when you can tell the author put their heart and soul into the book. I love the complex war strategies and all the drama unfolding between each kingdom. Original music! Very cool. I hope I can also get the ARCs for the rest of the series!! I will definitely be reading the rest. Off to order this physically.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book for my honest review!

This book was so much fun. For me, at the beginning, it was a little rough to get into while I was trying to place everyone everywhere and associate the Gods with their champions but it moves quickly and has everything you want in a book. Treachery, intrigue, politics, and war.

In this book, each God chooses four champions to fight. The one remaining God is the one who will then go on to absorb the six others and then fight the ultimate bad guy. As you go through the book and see the betrayals, the alliances forged - maybe broken - it takes you through the seven different Gods and their peoples. You can draw parallels to them all and it is beautifully written with each of them drastically different. I highly recommend this book to others.

This book definitely was a slow speed one with a lotof world building. I did enjoy it though with the amount of fantasy and character development as well as the writing! I liked that the world building consisted of various cultures. One thing i had an issue with was that some of the deaths felt rushed and it was hard to keep track off.

The Gods need to have champions battle each other.to the death to seal their fates and see which God will rule the world.

This book is really slow and character development is a bit drab. The world building is very dry and bland.

This is your typical fantasy novel but with a dry plot.

This book was unfortunately terribly slow.
The characters weren’t well rounded and thought out. Felt more like a YA novel than an adult novel. I struggled to not dnf unfortunately.

I really wanted to like this book, but it turned out to be just okay.

It was quite epic in terms of its wide range of characters and scope of what it's trying to achieve. However, because of the large cast list, I kind of felt it hard to connect with any of the characters really.

I also felt that the book didn't really go anywhere. I get that this is the first in a series, but there was no real resolution. No real spoilers, but a few people died, and that's about it. I thought we would at least get further along in the overall plot than we did. I feel like this series, as a result, is going to take forever to get through.

I did appreciate some of the worldbuilding, however. There are orcs and giants and vampires. All are fighting each other for their ideal world. There is scheming and politics and betrayals. I just wished we had moved forward a bit more.

War of the Seven surely caught my attention with it's concept of mixing an epic story with self-composed songs that even add much to the story and come in a playlist matching the chapters.

I really liked the idea of the different gods coming to an understanding of having their champions fight each other for a specific purpose to be able to fight a Big Evil in the end.
I also liked how the gods represented several old, well known myths but had a slight spin on them to make them Brad Towers' own.

And while the story is certainly epic and unique with this kind of interwoven music, something I was excited to experience, I couldn't fully get into it.
I cannot put my finger on it why it kept me at a distance but something is missing to make this book a truly epic read for me. As it is, I enjoyed it and am thankful for having been able to read it, but it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this eARC!

Ich habe mich über das Buch sehr gefreut. Es ist nicht nur fließend zum lesen sondern auch sehr spannend.

The plotline and character building was absolutely so much fun and I am beyond beyond excited and hopeful for sequels and more books in this series.

Thank you for the opportunity to receive an ARC through NetGalley for War of the seven by Brad Towers
I found it to be an intriguing mix of elements. The concept of gods with different powers was interesting, though the story felt a bit chaotic at times.
The vampires were really cool, and I enjoyed the champions' fights more than having large battle scenes, though some deaths felt rushed. I liked having pages to keep track of who was still alive. (I have a pea sized memory)
The world-building drew heavily from various cultures, making it more of a mix than a unique fantasy world, with direct influences from Greek and Roman mythology. The idea of giants' sleep was also great but too briefly explained it left me wanting to know more.
There was a lot of heartbreak in the story, with many characters dealing with loss. Like is no one going to have a happy ending ?!
Frida and Elena were clearly the author's favorites; but I loved them as well and I am glad we got Elena who seems more fitted for the throne than Drago.
The multiple POVs were amazing and kept me focused, though longer chapters might have added more depth. Also, I really disliked Njord, the blood pact moment ??
Overall, the book has a lot of potential but needs more cohesive world-building and deeper character development.
I’ll be happy to be able to read the second book.
I’d rate it 3.5 ⭐️

This has pretty basic fantasy concepts but also manages to feel really unique which I always love because you get something that's a mix of comfortable and also fresh!

Honestly I was roped in as soon as I read Pirate Captain x vampire queen and I was not disappointed. The worldbuilding is immersive and all encompassing and I love the addition of the original music!

This story is epic and high stakes but also an easy read, sometimes I find high fantasy can feel like you're getting bogged down so this still felt fun. There's a perfect balance between likable characters, epic plot and great worldbuilding

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

War Of The Seven by Brad Towers is a truly amazing read that pulls you into the world of Ethasar right from the start. The depth and richness of this fantastical world are stunning, and the original music included in the book makes it even more special.

The story is about a huge conflict where the fate of the gods and their kingdoms is at stake. One of the best parts of this book is the nine original songs that come with it. They add a unique touch and help recap key moments in the story, making the whole experience more immersive.

War Of The Seven strikes a perfect balance between being epic and easy to follow. It avoids the common problems of overwhelming information. Each chapter is clear and relevant, with smooth transitions and memorable characters, making it easy to stay engaged.

The different factions in Ethasar are all fascinating, especially the vampire nation. While I initially thought the vampires would be my favorite, I ended up loving all the factions because of their great characters and storylines. The gradual introduction of the factions and the helpful visual aids, like the crossed-out names, make it easy to keep track of everything.

The book honors traditional epic fantasy elements while adding its own unique flair. The female characters are strong and well-developed, and the story keeps you hooked from start to finish.

Overall, War Of The Seven is a fantastic epic fantasy. Brad Towers has created an incredible world with unforgettable characters and an engaging plot. This is hands down the best fantasy novel I've read this year, and I can't wait for the sequel. A solid 5/5 stars! This series is bound to become a favorite among fans of epic fantasy.