"In this excellent start to a new fantasy series from British author Ash (Moths to a Flame), Gavril Andar, an idealistic young artist, falls for the nobly born Astasia Orlova, whose portrait he's been hired to paint. Luckily, he's attractive enough for Astasia to return the favor. He doesn't know he's also Gavril Nagarian, son of the recently assassinated ruler of the wintry kingdom of Azhkendir, and that fate is about to deal him a dreadful blow. Like his father before him, Gavril becomes soul-bound to the Drakhaoul, a creature that grants awesome power at a terrible price. Kidnapped, Gavril finds himself trapped in Kastel Drakhaon, reluctant to draw on his new magical abilities, as their use only makes him more beast-like and less human. But with Prince Eugene of Tielin threatening to reconquer all of the Rossiyan Empire, he may have no choice. Fascinating and unpredictable, Gavril's tale gains richness from the grand scope of Ash's narrative, with its echoes of Russian history under the czars." Originally, I was going to do a review for the entire series. Then I realized that the books had way too much material for me to talk about them all in a single post. So I'm starting with the first one.
I found this book on the website What Should I Read Next?. I'm very interested in books set in Russia or the North, so I decided to give it a try. What I came across was a well-written and intriguing story, set in a country resembling Russia. What starts off as a simple plotline very quickly gains new twists that take over the story. Things seem to go from bad to worse for Gavril, but he overcomes his challenges in surprising ways. The struggle of his character is a main part of the story. Where other people would be happy to use the power he has gained, Gavril, clearly a more noble sort of man, turns from it. The first book ends with a second book anticipated. (Good thing there is one!) One of my favourite characters in this series was Kiukirilya (what a mouthful of a name!), who has a pure and brave heart, although she can be a little empty-headed. 4 stars for this one.
And for tomorrow(or in a few days) Prisoner of the Iron Tower, book two in the series.
I found this book on the website What Should I Read Next?. I'm very interested in books set in Russia or the North, so I decided to give it a try. What I came across was a well-written and intriguing story, set in a country resembling Russia. What starts off as a simple plotline very quickly gains new twists that take over the story. Things seem to go from bad to worse for Gavril, but he overcomes his challenges in surprising ways. The struggle of his character is a main part of the story. Where other people would be happy to use the power he has gained, Gavril, clearly a more noble sort of man, turns from it. The first book ends with a second book anticipated. (Good thing there is one!) One of my favourite characters in this series was Kiukirilya (what a mouthful of a name!), who has a pure and brave heart, although she can be a little empty-headed. 4 stars for this one.
And for tomorrow(or in a few days) Prisoner of the Iron Tower, book two in the series.
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