The Chronicles of Wetherid

I love to read books with a unique magic and world system! And this book surely got this! I rate it 5 stars and it totally deserves this rating! 👏👏👏

This is the first publication by Christian Dölder. The Chronicles of Wetherid: The Legacy of the Elves was published late last May. It is the 51st book I completed reading in 2024.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R.

The story begins in the village of Abketh. The Abkether look like humans but are much smaller in stature. A local man, Vrenli, is asked to accompany the elf and Guardian Gorathdin to deliver a message. He is headed to the capital Astinhod with the ingredients needed to help the enchanted princess Lythinda. This will be an adventure for young Vrenli, as he has never traveled far from home. His best friend, Werlis, offers to accompany them.

On their journey, the three encounter Aarl, a human woodsman. Having lived alone in the forest for many years, he makes the decision to join the troop on their journey to Astinhod. Vrenli has a vision where he is told to return home after his adventure and teach his people their history.

Traveling through the mountains, the four must fight their way past goblins. They meet the dwarf Borlix, who also decides to join them. Together, they struggle through attacks by ogres, orcs, the undead, gray dwarves, mist elves, and humans. All of these have been drawn into an alliance with Erwight of Entorbis. He wants to bring all of the peoples of Wetherid together under his control. Most importantly, he wants his minions to find the Book of the Glorious Elves. With the magic it contains and his faithful Shadow Mages, Entorbis will rule supreme over the land.

Vrenli is separated from the others and finds himself in the desert of DeShadin. He is taken as a slave by the snake people. He meets new friends there, who become his allies. Eventually, he is reunited with his original troop. Both new and old friends ally themselves with Lythinda, who has become Queen of Astinhod.

The adventure leads to Ib’Agier, the dwarf stronghold. It is at Ib’Agier that the forces in league with Entorbis and those allied with Astinhod will collide. Succumbing to the army of Entorbis will mean losing everything.

I enjoyed the 15+ hours I spent reading this 704-page fantasy. This novel is an adventure saga much like Tolkien’s ring trilogy. The story contains many characters, but the primary ones are those with whom Vrenli first set out. The group runs into one obstacle after another, almost always in peril for their lives. The description of their adventure during the first two-thirds of the novel seems more detailed than the last part. I do like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 3.7 (rounded to 4) out of 5.

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This one was fairly long but most of the characters were well written and likable. I found myself skimming some parts in a few chapters but for the most part I enjoyed it. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading about elves, dwarves, halflings and all the other races we find in fantasy books! This reminded me quite a bit of LOTR!

Absolutely obsessed! It's rare to find such a well thought out and expansive world like this. Definitely recommend to LOTR and D&D fans!
The plot was gripping and exciting and the characters were well thought out, with great development. The worldbuilding immersed me so well and truly made for such a great fantasy experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Christian Dölder for the opportunity to read and review The Chronicles of Wetherid.

The Chronicles of Wetherid focuses on keeping the balance of good and evil. A "Book" holds the power of that balance or the power to upend that balance. As a reader, the novel gives that "Lord of the Rings" feel. Therefore, I was drawn to this book which is out of my normal type of reading. The character development is good. However, as one who likes action, the writer provides a tease but not enough for me. This book is a good option for various fantasy readers. The mix of humans, elves, and more is good for a story based on a challenging journey.