From PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: "Vigorously told deceptions and battle scenes will satisfy fans of traditional epic fantasy with a romantic thread." Sole h...
read full description
reviews
Feb 17, 2012
Julia
rated it: 
Eolyn, the debut novel by Karin Rita Gastreich, is an epic fantasy adventure with rich worldbuilding and a strong romance subplot, is the eponymous story of a girl who is the last remaining maga (trained magic-user) of a long tradition of women’s magic in a world which has brutally purged and repressed that tradition. She survives an attack on her village, takes refuge in the ancient woods with an old crone who has also survived the purges, and is trained in the arts of magic. While growing up,
More...
Feb 16, 2012
Gemma
rated it:
Here is the review I posted to Amazon:
I came to "Eolyn", oddly enough, by a Google Image Search, where I found the cover art, was intrigued, and decided to investigate, and I am very, very glad that I did so. "Eolyn" is the sort of book that comes along rarely in this genre, a book from a small press by a little-known author that while paying solid tribute to the forms of the past manages to chart interesting territory nonetheless. Downloading the Kindle sample, it More...
I came to "Eolyn", oddly enough, by a Google Image Search, where I found the cover art, was intrigued, and decided to investigate, and I am very, very glad that I did so. "Eolyn" is the sort of book that comes along rarely in this genre, a book from a small press by a little-known author that while paying solid tribute to the forms of the past manages to chart interesting territory nonetheless. Downloading the Kindle sample, it More...
Jan 07, 2012
DelSheree
rated it:
High fantasy isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but Eolyn is a different story. What turns a lot of people off of fantasy is complex magic systems, outlandish characters, epic journeys that last forever, and long drawn out backstories. While Eolyn captures the basic elements of fantasy very well, she dodged the bits that make people shy away.
Eolyn is the journey of a young woman whose life has been torn apart by war. Running from further cruelty, Eolyn is set upon a path that changes the More...
Eolyn is the journey of a young woman whose life has been torn apart by war. Running from further cruelty, Eolyn is set upon a path that changes the More...
Dec 09, 2011
Eliabeth
rated it:
Fear and prejudice against female magic in a corrupt kingdom leads to an attempt to purge female magic from the kingdom and the destruction of Eolyn's entire villiage. Led by her mother's spirit, Eolyn finds the hidden dwelling of Ghemena, one of the last surviving Maga. Ghemena takes Eolyn in and teaches her the ways of old. Meanwhile, the sole heir to the throne is a mage prince. Mourning the passing of his mother, he fiddles with one of the gifts she left behind and appears at Eolyn's side.
More...
2 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Aug 20, 2011
Carlyle
rated it:
Eolyn, Karin Gastreich's debut novel, is an excellent example of the other breed of Epic Fantasy epitomized by the works of Guy Gavriel Kay, which is to say, not the traditional "unlikely but fated and/or prophesied hero must face the dreaded return of dark lord." Instead, Gastreich's Eolyn focuses on the emotional, political, and physical conflicts between powerful and three-dimensional characters. You don't have any villains who do villainy because, well, that's just what villains do
More...
May 13, 2011
Terri-lynne
rated it:
There are few things better than curling up under a blanket, in front of a fire to read a great adventure tale--unless it's lounging in the sun to read a great adventure tale. Whatever the season or weather, you won't notice once you start reading Eolyn, by Karin Rita Gastreich. When it's summer within the story, you'll feel the heat, smell the warmed earth and flowers. When it's winter, you'll feel the chill down to your bones. Ms. Gastreich's uncanny talent for truly creating a world her reade
More...
Jan 10, 2012
Trish
rated it: 
THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS!!!!
"Eolyn" has strands of epic fantasy and romance that satisfied my love of romantic adventure. Having read the first few chapters of this book when it was work-shopped on tNBW, I was really excited to see how the story turned out.
The first few hundred pages focus on Eolyn as a child, her education into the now forbidden magic of her ancestors and her friendship with Achim/Akmael, the Prince of a Kingdom that kills women who possess ma More...
"Eolyn" has strands of epic fantasy and romance that satisfied my love of romantic adventure. Having read the first few chapters of this book when it was work-shopped on tNBW, I was really excited to see how the story turned out.
The first few hundred pages focus on Eolyn as a child, her education into the now forbidden magic of her ancestors and her friendship with Achim/Akmael, the Prince of a Kingdom that kills women who possess ma More...
2 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 28, 2012
Shauna
rated it:
This fantasy is set in a world in women's magic has been brutally repressed, leading to women themselves being oppressed. The heroine is one of the few who survived the purges of maga, and she becomes the most powerful practitioner of women's magic in the land, although she must hide it or be executed. I won't give away more of the plot than that, other than to say that I was surprised at many turns. Although rooted in traditional fantasy, EOLYN stretches and breaks the bounds in many ways, lead
More...
Feb 09, 2012
Jack
rated it: 
I came upon this book because the author is a member of the Dead Horse Society, whom I have been meeting with recently. I am not a big fan of fantasy novels, but chose to give it a shot because of the author. I was not disappointed. The book was well-written, especially towards the end when the conflict truly escalated. The book could be seen from a feminist interpretation and contains many strong female characters. It is an entertaining fantasy book and a quick read. I recommend it to fan
More...
Jun 20, 2011
Dane
rated it:
I want to preface this by saying that I know Karin through the Dead Horse Society Writing Group in Kansas City. I've been reading the sequel in our critique group.
As a middle-aged man, I don't feel like I'm the true demographic for this novel. I rarely read novels with a young female protagonist. It is a challenge for me to relate.
The book starts with a gripping sequence. There are many important bits of information which are necessary to understand the narrative, and they ar More...
As a middle-aged man, I don't feel like I'm the true demographic for this novel. I rarely read novels with a young female protagonist. It is a challenge for me to relate.
The book starts with a gripping sequence. There are many important bits of information which are necessary to understand the narrative, and they ar More...
Dec 15, 2011
J.a.
rated it:
This book is beautifully written. The imagery is so intense you really feel like you are in that world. The story and characters are engaging. I highly highly recommend this book.
2 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 17, 2012
Jan 23, 2012
Jan 23, 2012
Jan 23, 2012
Dec 30, 2011
Dec 17, 2011
Nov 20, 2011
Jan 09, 2012
Sep 17, 2011
Sep 15, 2011
Sep 12, 2011
Oct 20, 2011
