The Gems of Elsana: Into the Wildbarrens
Sometimes reading a new high fantasy book can be a huge gamble. There are so many tropes and cliches when it comes to characters and story-lines that make books far too similar to J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series. There are a wide variety of other good fantasy books out there that are fun and inventive. It's just those that bear any similarity to Lord of the Rings that end up being way too similar in my opinion! And while you could draw some connections to Frodo and his Fellowship, I feel that this book stands as a high fantasy book in its own right.
This book is literally my worst nightmare--AN AMAZING FANTASY SERIES that is just barely starting. Into the Wildbarrens is the first book of Christian Sterling's The Gems of Elsana series. Since I read this as an ARC, it isn't out until July 17th! And then I'm going to be waiting FOREVER for the next book!! It is torture!
Into the Wildbarrens introduces us to Falin, a wizard who has only lived for 20 of his 1000 years. It is his turn to go on a quest to retrieve the four gems--each representing one of the four elements--that will adorn his staff. Once he has the four gems, he will be a full wizard, able to master all his powers to their fullest. As tradition mandates, he is granted four champions, one from the four races that belong to the Crown. However, as Falin and his Champions are about to embark, the other wizards urge him to take two more people, outlaws, with his small group. A vision reveals that Falin's quest for his gems will take him into the Wildbarrens, an extremely dangerous and dark land from which few have returned alive. However, these two prisoners managed to escape this place. They are granted their freedom in return for their aid in the wizard's quest.
On this journey, the bond grows between Falin and his companions--a sage healer, elven assassin, drakkish warrior, a madorian prince, a skully, and a freelander--as they fight the powers of darkness and seek the gems that will bring light to the land. They come across many dangers but also many friends of all types of creatures that aid them in their travels.
I was concerned by how original this book could really be...but it is! I absolutely loved it. There was humor, romance, magic. I felt like by the end of the book I had really gotten to know the characters and their relationships with each other.
Falin is a very likable protagonist. Since he has been working his whole life to become a wizard, Falin will sometimes demonstrate the wisdom of a wise old sage. Other times he resorts to the naive, rash decision making of a youth closer to his 20 years. He truly cares for his champions and wants to do good as they travel the world.
It's a little difficult to understand what the audience for this book might be. I feel like for the most part, this book could be a YA, or even a middle grade fantasy book. However, at times, the violence and death can be frequent and mentioned pretty casually which makes it seem more like an adult book. So I'm still not really sure what to call it.
But I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a well-written fantasy book with enjoyable characters, new ideas, and a great story! I hope you guys will give it a chance and pre-order your own copy here.
This book is literally my worst nightmare--AN AMAZING FANTASY SERIES that is just barely starting. Into the Wildbarrens is the first book of Christian Sterling's The Gems of Elsana series. Since I read this as an ARC, it isn't out until July 17th! And then I'm going to be waiting FOREVER for the next book!! It is torture!
On this journey, the bond grows between Falin and his companions--a sage healer, elven assassin, drakkish warrior, a madorian prince, a skully, and a freelander--as they fight the powers of darkness and seek the gems that will bring light to the land. They come across many dangers but also many friends of all types of creatures that aid them in their travels.
I was concerned by how original this book could really be...but it is! I absolutely loved it. There was humor, romance, magic. I felt like by the end of the book I had really gotten to know the characters and their relationships with each other.
Falin is a very likable protagonist. Since he has been working his whole life to become a wizard, Falin will sometimes demonstrate the wisdom of a wise old sage. Other times he resorts to the naive, rash decision making of a youth closer to his 20 years. He truly cares for his champions and wants to do good as they travel the world.
It's a little difficult to understand what the audience for this book might be. I feel like for the most part, this book could be a YA, or even a middle grade fantasy book. However, at times, the violence and death can be frequent and mentioned pretty casually which makes it seem more like an adult book. So I'm still not really sure what to call it.
But I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a well-written fantasy book with enjoyable characters, new ideas, and a great story! I hope you guys will give it a chance and pre-order your own copy here.
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