The first fantasy novel I read was also the one that to date I still love the most. It might surprise you that it isn’t Lord of The Rings or any other really well known classic. No, my first venture into a medieval world of sword and sorcery was when I read volume 1 of the Dragonlance Chronicles: Dragons of Autumn Twilight. The book was written by authors Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickmann and emerged from the popular Dungeons and Dragons roleplaying game. I read this book as a teenager, during a time where bullies were making my life very miserable at school. I had hardly any friends, and it was a very dark and sad time where I truly struggled to find anything that made me happy. To say that book helped me deal with things is an understatement. The thing is, the book had such amazing and lifelike characters, that at times they began to feel like a family. Yes, I know that sounds weird. But the friendships and camaraderie that these fictional people had was simply amazing and it managed to really lift my spirits. It also introduced me to the best character I have ever encountered: Raistlin. But that is a story for another time as today I am not going to be talking about Dragonlance.
So what was the whole point of this set up? Well, bare with me because I will explain. You see, I have always thought that one of the most important thing for any entertainment medium, are characters that you grow to care about. That you want to see thriumph over evil, and cry about when they lose a fight or even worse, their lives. While a lot of novels that I have read had some very cool and interesting ones, not a single book ever came close to that level of warmth that I felt in the Dragonlance Chronicles. Until now that is. Now observant readers might think that the name of the author of the book I am reviewing seems familiar. You would be right. Yes it’s a book written by our very own Cain , blogger extraordinaire and my very good friend. Now Cain is one of those guys that just always seems to downgrade himself and doesn’t think he’s all that special. Which of course as we all know isn’t the case. His blogging skills, combined with his wonderful (and quirky) sense of humor is one of the many reasons that I like him so much. He has had a very rough time lately, which I’m not going to go into here, but suffice it to say that I can only hope something good happens to him soon. This review is long overdue, but it’s finally here. So Cain old buddy, this one is for you!
Rise is an epic fantasy novel starring two amazing female leads along with a host of other wonderful characters that populate a magical and wonderfully designed world. Chara is a simple farm girl living in a quiet village where nothing ever really happens. She isn’t really happy with her life, especially because she is also supposed to tie the knot with a boy she isn’t really in love with. A fact that isn’t really helped by her mother putting a lot of pressure on her. One day when she is out near her village she is attacked by a nasty bunch of goblins. Just when she is about to get raped, a mysterious and beautiful warrior woman appears out of nowhere and saves her life. After the woman kills the evil creatures, Chara thanks her and finds out that the warrior is a mute. The young girl decides to take her to her village, because really why not? This chance encounter sets into motion a whole sequence of events that will change Chara’s fate for ever. The warrior who saved her life is no ordinary woman. She is a Blessed of Ramor, imbued with a special Divine Gift from her God and who will become known as Ramora. She has her mind set on one goal: to find the man that took everything from her, and take revenge. A quest like no other is about to start, where young Chara will play a vital role. If she survives that is…..
Man oh man how I enjoyed this book! It’s been a long while since I have read a fantasy novel, especially one that is this good. Right from the start, where Cain starts to give his readers a short history of how this world came to be, I was captivated. It’s when the real story began however that I knew I was in for something really special. When I first encountered Chara I had no idea she would turn into a character that I would grow to love so much. And I guess the same could be said of Ramora. It’s amazing how the friendship between the two women eventually blossomed into something truly beautiful, especially considering the fact that one of them is a mute. I love it when characters undergo an emotional and mental transformation, and find a hidden strength in themselves. While both women have their own flaws, it’s exactly that which makes them so much more human and life like. Their relationship becomes even more complex however when the two meet the Werejaguar Esteban. Yes you read that right, a Werejaguar. You might be surprised to hear that this not fully human being is maybe one of the most human characters in the book. And the book is chockfull of these. It’s even hard to pick a favorite, and without going into spoilers I at times hated Cain. (And you know damn well why buddy, killing off so many cool characters…ugh….)
Another thing you will find in this book is well, sex. There are lot of steamy scenes in this novel, and on more than one occasion I had the feeling the heat was turned on to max in my room. But in no way was this a bad thing, as it really wasn’t just thrown in as an afterthought, but truly felt right to the story. And what a story it was. It was very hard to put this book down, and I went through a rollercoaster of emotions ranging from laughter (the humor in this book really is awesome), excitement, sadness, fright, and a host of others. Now I know what you guys must think. Cain is your friend, and this is just you promoting this novel, and not saying even a single negative thing about it. I can assure you this is not the case. If the book had sucked I would have let you know as well. (With probably a lot of apologies to mr. Latrani). But well, it doesn’t. If there is one negative thing I can mention it’s the fact that the book ends on kind of a cliffhanger, and there is no part two….yet. So all I can say about that is: Would you please for the love of the Gods go and finish the next installment already Cain? Because really: I MUST find out what happens next to Chara, Ramora, Esteban and all the others. To everyone else who is reading this review: go ahead and buy this novel. It’s an awesome read that I guarantee you will finish in no time whatsoever. The best books will make you do that…..
I give Rise-The War Witch Saga 1 a 10 out of 10 score.
I don’t really read the Fantasy genre at all. But you make this one sound very good, with your solid review. And 10/10 is a big score! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thank you so much Pete for the very kind words 😊This book, while it was a fantasy novel, also was simply a very emotional journey and friendship/love. It’s definitely a book that I think you can enjoy even if you don’t read a lot of fantasy! And yep…it definitely deserved that score! 😊
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Wow this sounds really good and you’ve definitely sold me on it! I’m adding it straight to my list!
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Haha that’s good to hear! I’m pretty sure that Cain will appreciate it very much. Hope you enjoy the book as much as I did when you get around to it 😊
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It’s always so great to find a story that really checks all the right boxes for you. And I’ve also had the experience many times where characters are written so well that they really do feel like family. It’s wonderful when a writer is able to achieve that 🙂
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Ain’t it just? 😊It’s definitely an experience that I haven’t had happen much, but when it does, it’s only due to the skills of the writer. And it really makes the reading experience all the more enjoyable. Cain definitely did just that! It was a terrific novel and certainly one of the best stories I have read in quite a while 😊
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Ahem ahem you love her 😂😂😍😍woohoo your dream woman… 😂
Great review
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Haha…..No comment lol 😂😂😂😂
Thank you! It was a great novel, so it deserved a great review! 😊
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And the repeated pictures? I wonder what that signified?
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Lol….simply because I had no other artwork for the post 😂😂
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Yeah right *rolling eyes*
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Pssshh…I would never lie about things like this😅😅😂😂
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Well now I know your ideal woman… 😂 😂
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Lol…well…sorry to say, you are wrong. This is not my ideal woman😂😂
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Really… Then who is she? 🤪😉😉
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Lol…..nope, again…no comment 😂
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Mine more than his, really, as the character pictured is based heavily on my late wife. I do that a lot.
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♥️
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Very fun reading this review.
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Thank you! I really had fun both writing it and reading the book 😊
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Well, I couldn’t have paid… I mean asked for a better review!
Definitely meant asked.
Obviously, I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, and a little blown away by having it compared to Dragonlance. You know those books were a huge part of my early years as well. Hell, I still get misty eyed about Sturm.
Funny how callous I am about my own characters…
I doubt that means anything about my mental state.
A huge thank you for this awesome review, as well. As happy as I am you liked it, I’m honored you’d share that joy with others. Thank you, so much. Today has been rough, and you made it so much better.
Rest assured, the second book is being written. We’ve talked a lot about how much of my free time is being eaten up by outside factors these days, but it is a top priority for me to get back to this, after everything that’s happened.
Though, if you hated me in this book, you’re really not gonna like me in the next. It’s about to get dark, man.
One last thing I want to express my gratitude over is your appreciation of Chara. She’s a tough character, so arrogant in her naivety, and has so much happening to her, that I know she can be a hard character to like, or understand. Thanks for getting her, and loving her. She’s a beast, but she’s someone I cherish dearly.
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Whoa 😮 I sleep for one night and it seems my entire comments section has exploded for this post lol😂😂 (Which is good😊😊).
Haha, well I’m glad you liked the review. I did my best to try and capture the best things in your book, and why I loved it so much. As for comparing it to Dragonlance. Well…as I said, I never experienced characters such as the ones in that book, and for the first time since reading that, I finally get to experience that feeling again 😊 (And yeah…let’s not get into the Sturm thing again….damn that Kitiara with her crooked smile😂😂😂)
I’m glad my review made your day better, which is about the best compliment I could get😊
Lol as for part 2 getting more dark…bring it on. I’m ready…I think (he says with looking around fearfully….😅😅).
Well…maybe some of the things inside Chara I could relate to very much, so maybe that’s why I liked her so much. Can’t wait to see what is going to happen to her (then again, it probably won’t be much good😅😅😅).
Thank YOU for writing such an awesome book man!
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Oh, everybody thinks they’re ready. Book 2 sees the first actual appearance of Draco, Rakiss stepping up his agenda for Chara, Izra having to make a really hard choice, and the first of that suffering Rakiss promised for Esteban.
It does also have more Rayne, though, so that’s good.
Yeah, when the insane Half Elf is the bright spot, you know it’s gonna be bad.
This story will go to very some dark places, but that’s the world they live in. The Demon Gods want to corrupt everything, and as was sated, few Blessed survive long. To be gentle would be to do a disservice I feel to the characters, and their journey.
Also, I’m kind of a dark person, so yeah. Everything I write gets pretty terrible at some point.
Anyway, all that aside, this book was a huge effort, over many years. I first had the idea for it over twenty years ago, and my first versions of it were pretty rough. It took time, and a lot of drafts, to get it to where it is, with the characters being realized the way they are. Time for my skill as a writer to catch up to what my imagination wanted to do.
Again, it warms my heart to know it worked out so well. These characters, and this world, have been with me a long time. Seeing them be loved, that is joy.
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Well…just take one look at my blog and some of the things I read/watched and you know I can be a very dark person myself 😅😅(That’s what you get when donning the Black Robes😂😂).
That said, reading this I don’t think I will be ready for everything here. So…looking forward to it and dreading it all at the same time if that is possible 😂.
Well, I can say it definitely worked out very well. I honestly can’t wait to spend more time in this wonderful world you have created, along with this amazing characters! 😊
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Generally, I think most people can get dark. We all have that side to ourselves. For me, personally, my life experiences have taken me to some dark places, and I think I explore that in my writing. It’s cheaper than therapy, anyway.
Have faith. The more is coming, and as almost every reader has asked, yes, there will be consequences for Rakiss. Eventually.
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Yeah, that is true I guess. It’s almost a universal constant I think😊
Well, I always try to keep the faith, and I have to say that last bit is very good to hear 😉
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Reblogged this on Cain S. Latrani and commented:
Just got this awesome review by my pal Raistlin. Gonna reblog it, cause I can, but be sure to visit his site, as well, yeah? He’s a cool dude and does cool stuff.
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Aww, thanks man! That’s awesome for you to reblog this😊 And of course things like what you are saying here only makes me shy so there is that 😅😅
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Ah, it was largely selfish. HAven’t you heard? I’m a terrible person. :p
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Haha….No I haven’t heard, and even if I had, I would deny it flat out 😂😂😂
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Where can one pick this up? It seems i am missing out on some greatness. Good review mate. Sorry to read about the bullies…
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You can find it on Amazon, and I believe Barnes and Nobles has it as well. Depending on where you are that may change, obviously, but I know for sure it’s at Amazon.
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Thank you man. Ill see if i can pick up a copy some time.
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Haha, well it seems while I was sleeping pretty much all of my comments have already been answered lol 😂😂
But yeah this is one I think you would definitely like and enjoy reading! Thanks for the kind words😊 As for the bullies, yeah it was a dark time definitely won’t deny that, and a time I don’t really like to think back on often. That said, it has also made me a stronger person in the end, so there is that 😊
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Totally relatable. That cover is beautiful too. Think i dreamt of elves last night😂
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Haha…yeah the cover is awesome. Didn’t dream of elves yet, but hey who knows what will happen tonight 😂😂
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I’m a helper, yes I am. Just full of help. That’s me.
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But did you like it Michel?😂
Seriously though, as soon as I saw the cover I was all “Ooh!” But then you started talking about weres and bad ass women, etc. and that with your obvious love for the characters and story, has me sold 100%.☺️
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He’s partial. :p
Joking, of course. My personal love of bad ass women influences my work heavily, and most of my protagonists are based on my wife, who was the toughest, strongest person I ever knew. A week before she went into the hospital, and they found the cancer, she could still pick me up off the floor, with ease.
Badass is my type, really.
To give credit where it is due, she also developed at least half of the world setting for this, and helped me with every draft to hone the characters, story, plot, and everything else. So badass is built into this from the start, and the whole thing is, in many ways, a love letter from me to her.
Oh, that got mushy. Sorry. Just wanted to tell anyone who read this that yeah, they are gonna get exactly what you stated.
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I’m so sorry for your loss Cain. Your wife sounds like she was an incredible woman, and having her live on through your writing is such a fitting tribute.
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She was a writer, as well, so it’s the best way I have.
She’d also be thrilled seeing this book get so much positive attention. Thank you.
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Lol…Naw…I didn’t like it, this review was written by Cain himself, I just published it here to do him a favour😂😂
Seriously though, yeah this was one heck of a great read, and definitely the best book I have read this year so far😊 I think, no let me rephrase that I KNOW you would also like this one. Especially because of the characters 😊
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You weren’t suppose to tell everybody! 😀
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Oooops…let’s see, wordpress manual: how to delete comments….🤔🤔🤔😂😂
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an excellent post to herald your return, neutral evil mage of nasty disposition…I too read dragons of autumn twiight and thoroughly enjoyed. Am not familiar with cain’s blog but i’ll check it out and on strength of your review I grabbed myself a copy. Welcome back
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Hi John! It’s great to be back again. (Came back on Monday and I’m already having way too much fun here again 😊 Which is a good thing to be sure😊). Thanks for both the kind words, and the copy of the book. Knowing Cain I know he will appreciate it very much! This is a great book, and if you loved Dragons of Autumn Twilight, even while this is a totally different book, you will like it just as much because of the wonderful characters 😊
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I am intrigued to read it and will het on it soon enough.
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Well M’sieur Raistlin, that was a review and a half! You’re definitely back with a bang! I can’t bear waiting for sequels so let me know when it’s all done and I’ll get the lot! I have to binge read 🙄 Mr.Cain – crack on mate 😉
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Can’t argue that. I’m a binge reader myself.
Fair warning, though. Raistlin neglected to mention this book is over 600 pages, and I’m still working on the second one, so you may be waiting a bit.
Life kind of happened between the first and second books, and it’s taken me a while to get myself back to proper writing order.
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I’ll let you off, pesky life-stuff! 🙂
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Haha. Aww Thanks so much! 😊😊 I really enjoyed reading this one so much and I tried to make this the best review possible. Not only because the book deserves it, but Cain as well 😊 I’m definitely hoping that those sequels are going to be arriving soon too, because I just have to find out how the story will continue. As for this one, like Cain said, it’s 600 pages long, so you will still have a lot of fun reading just part 1 😊 It really is THAT good 😊
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OK you’ve convinced me. I’m going on holiday in a few weeks time so I’ll get it for my reader. 🙂
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Ooh…now I feel the pressure😅😅 I hope you will enjoy the books as much as I do, and ofcourse enjoy your holiday😊
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Not for a while yet, but thanks!
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Great review written by a great person written by another great person. And I don’t blame you for reposting the cover — it’s an awesome image!
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The cover artist really did an amazing job. She’s Romanian, and you can see more of her work here…
https://www.deviantart.com/ameliethe
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Awww…now you just went ahead and made me blush. Thank you so much for this very kind comment😊
Cain really is a great person indeed! And this book just deserves a heck of great review and so did he. As for the cover? Yeah it really is awesome indeed! 😊
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As you might remember… I looooooove the Dragonlance Trilogy. I just finished reading it, and the Twin sage and Soulforge for the I don’t know how many-est time. And I’m also a big Raistlin fan, my number two favorite character right behind Tasslehoff 🙂
Soooo… that means, if you like this book so much, I guess I will try to hunt it down to read it as well! Sounds good, that’s for sure!
And… the cover is awesome indeed! Would make for a great tattoo :p
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Yes I definitely remember that! It’s been a long time since I last read Dragonlance, and honestly I think it’s about time I revisit those books. I have read them a gazillion times myself as well! As for the Soulforge, do/did you know there is a sequel to that one? It’s called Brothers in Arms and is also very good😊 As for Tasslehoff…definitely my second choice for favorite characters 😊
Yeah, this book is absolutely amazing, and I highly recommend it! Especially if you like Dragonlance and it’s characters 😊
And I agree: it would definitely be a great tattoo😊
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Oh, boy. When Ramora starts popping up on peoples biceps, that’s gonna be surreal.
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Hahaha….yeah, that is I think taking thing to a whole other level 😂😂
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This series ever gains wide spread popularity, I’m gonna have a weird time of it. Kind of like running into someone who just out of the blue tells me they’ve read this, and have questions. That is still really weird.
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Oh yes, I forgot about Brothers in Arms, read that one too as well of course 😀
I don’t find a copy of Rise with decent shipping at this moment, but will keep an eye on it and look at other sites. 🙂
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I think your best bet to find it will be Amazon😊 And otherwise I’m sure Cain will be able to provide you with some other ideas on where to find it 😊
Haha…as for Brothers in Arms, I somehow knew you would have read that one too 😊
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I was surprised it wasn’t a classic but netherless this sounds fantastic!!! Amazing review, Michel! I have missed you & you rock, as always!💙❤😁📚
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Aww, thank you Dani! 😘 It’s very nice to see you hear again! I missed you too. I just came back this monday, and plan on staying around for hopefully quite a while again❤️
This book really was amazing! Hope when you get around to it, you will enjoy it just as much!
Hopefully things are well on your end too! 😘
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You’re welcome, Michel!😍💖😘 I agree that it’s so good to hear from you again.😀🌈 Congrats on just coming back! Take things slow and don’t push yourself. You don’t have to comment and like every post to let people know you care.😍🌺 Things are finally starting to get more clear for me.😊 I still have ways to go but definitely much improvement!💖 I hope you’re dad and family is well!🌺
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Aww, thank you again Dani😘 I’m really happy to be back here, and I will make sure not to push myself too much 😘❤️ It’s great to see you here again as well. I’m very happy to hear that things on your end are better too 😘❤️ Hopefully they will continue to be so❤️ It’s very nice to talk to you again: missed you!
As for my dad, honestly he isn’t doing very well, but we are trying to stay as positive as we can 😊 Thanks as always for your lovely comment 😘❤️
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I am praying for your dad!😢 So sorry to hear that he is unwell. I am ave missed you lots too. I am trying to make a full come back but not pushing myself. Some days I make it on, some not but you’re right we have to try and be positive. And it’s very positive that I get to chat with you again. You rock!💙
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Thanks so much for your prayers. I appreciate it, and I know my dad does too 😘
It’s a good thing to not push yourself. I’m taking it slow myself as well. I have finished posts for the next four weeks. So I have plenty of time to write new things for the weeks after that 😊 But it’s great to see you again here as well, and talk to you 😘❤️ Never forget: you rock too😊😊
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You’re welcome and I will be checking out your posts!😊
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Also I will be making sure to add this to my TBR list right away! Xoxoxo
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Nice! I’m pretty sure that Cain will appreciate that 😊😘
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Yay!😍 It really does sound fantastic and your review really caught the essence of the story.😀
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I will! As a writer, I’m very needy, and always like being told I’m good.
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Wow, sounds like a very exciting novel. I have to say I’m with you on the cover, it is awesome 🙂 The characters and story line both seem amazing, I’ll have to keep an eye out for this novel 😀
Great Review 😀
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It really is an absolutely amazing novel! I was spellbound from beginning to end, especially because of the truly amazing characters. I hope when you get around to it, you will enjoy it too! As for the cover: truly awesome indeed! 😊
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I have to admit that I missed those captions you’d always put under your pictures hahaha Awesome review as always, my good friend. I’m glad to see how much you adored this story and that you greatly appreciated the character’s development. The women in this book sure do sound like they could kick-ass. You also had me laughing when you mentioned the amount of sex. I have to admit that fantasy world sex scenes could totally get pretty…. colourful. Again, excellent review, sir!
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Haha…well, honestly the captions I always find the most difficult to do. On a post like this I have very little to work with as it’s ofcourse the same image pretty much every time😂 But I’m glad to hear they worked 😊
Yeah this book is really, really good😊 It’s been quite a while since I read a fantasy novel and this one just ticked all the right boxes. Lol, as for the sex parts, yes colourful is a right description for it I guess 😂😂😂 Thank you again for visiting and your great comment 😊
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Green skins are really into sexual assault. Thank goodness Goblin Slayer saved her.
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Lol😂😂 Yeah, they do seem to have a tendency for that don’t they 😂😂 Good old Goblin Slayer though 🤪
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I can realate to how that book mad the characters saved you at a time things seemed dark and sad when you were young. A lot of people don’t understand the impact that some people like you and me feel from good books, movies and music. And this looks really exciting. I’m glad Cain was able to finish this and that we can read it now. Publishing a novel was also one of my biggest dreams that is still in the works. But this gives me hope to complete it! I will definitely be reading this too!
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Yeah, it’s…how to say this, a kind of escapism in a way. When I have had a really bad day. I love taking some time to just read something, or watch something and take my mind of things. It usually always helps to brighten my mood, so yeah, I know exactly what you mean.
As for Cain, yeah…and he has more books on the way, which I hope he will be able to get published to. This book is really amazing, and I hope when you read it you will have just as much fun with it as I had 😊
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That’s exactly how I fix my bad days too!
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