Protector (Anniversary of the Veil, Book 1)

Protector (Anniversary of the Veil #1)

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4.07 of 5 stars 4.07  ·  rating details  ·  54 ratings  ·  27 reviews
Duty versus love is the one battle warrior Kae does not know how to fight.

Kae has trained his entire life to become an elite Protector of the Realm. When he finally achieves this honor he finds himself protecting something far greater: the Veil separating two worlds. On one side of the Veil lie unlimited stores of magic. On the Realm's side, magic is all but obliterated, a...more
Paperback, 334 pages
Published March 10th 2012 by Vanna Smythe (first published March 9th 2012)
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Sean Endress
Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions below are my own. Taken from my Amazon.com review.

I have to say, I really, really appreciated the updated prologue. Both versions establish some basic world-building concepts, but leave a lot of questions, but the prior version was almost entirely obfuscating, with words and terms that meant little to the reader. Updated, there are just enough mysterious references and ideas to keep one reading on...more
Marina
At the very beginning, I've found the story a little bit confusing. As a reader, I was thrown in the middle of a religious ritual not knowing anything about it.

After that, I was totally hooked on the story.

I loved the two main characters: Kae and Issa. Kae is really special person. He is not only princess's personal guard, he is also her best friend. He studies to become a Protector, but he isn't like the others. He has special powers. His way of meditating and concentrating, using thoughts and...more
Bob Craton
I enjoy lengthy fantasies with many characters and complex plots. Therefore, it is no surprise that I love this book. The premises is intriguing and the world-building part of the story is well done. In a crowded genre, it isn't easy to create a fresh and rich fantasy world, but the author has done exactly that. The characters are complicated people -- no black and white cookie-cutter characters here -- which are developed gradually. These are not people who are all good or all bad, except for o...more
Mindy
Almost 1000 years ago, the kingdom was split into two parts and a veil was created to keep the two sides separate. However they didn’t always stay separate. The Queen of the larger, more human kingdom came from across the veil. However not everyone was happy she arrived, and it led to her death.

The kingdom has priests, who have magic, and protectors, people skilled in types of magic and protective fighting arts. And then there are the “pure ones” but they are a secret only a few know about.

Kei...more
Carly
I'd give this 3 verging on 4 stars.

I found the start extremely confusing. I like prologues, especially mysterious prologues, but this one was a little too mysterious to be interesting. Once I met the character Kae, however, I found the story to be much more enjoyable.
I like Kae, although he came across as a bit cocky to me sometimes, and I find myself reading for his and Issa's relationship conclusion (or at least I hope.) He also seemed to come by things too easily. (Winning fights (physical...more
Lindsay
Ebook was : £0.77 Price i would willingly pay: £0.99

The Bad (Caveat: I was moving in to my first home when i started reading this book so i was stressed out and probably not focussing as well as i should have been):

1. It took a while to get going, There seemed to be a lot of setup and very little payoff for the first half of the book.
2. The prologue confused me, i don't feel it really explained that much.
3. Kae is to powerful, I like a strong hero but he has to go through a trial and be found w...more
Elloise Hopkins
PROTECTOR.
Anniversary of the Veil: Book One.
By Vanna Smythe.

Princess Issiyanna faces an arranged marriage that is less than pleasing. The priests have chosen her suitor, the king bowing to their wishes like always, but in Issa’s dreams she has another love. Her only hope is to plead with her father and see if he will defer to her own desires just this once.

Kiyarran has always dreamed of being a Protector of the Realm and now he is close to being invited to the Pledging Ceremony. Through his duti...more
Andy Angel
1000 years ago The Veil was formed that separated two realms and now, as the Anniversary approaches a sacrifice will need to be made to reinforce The Veil.
Princess Issiyanna (Issi) is the Beacon, one of the people needed to reinforce The Veil and a group of Keepers cross The Veil to abduct her and lead her to her purpose.
Kiyarran (Kae) has wanted to be a Protector all his life. He is a young man with powers that have not been seen for many many years. He is determined to rescue Issi.
That this is...more
Joe Young
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Cindy
This book caught me by surprise. I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this, as this is one of the first self-published books I’ve ever read. But I liked the cover and the description I got about the book, so I thought: why not? And boy, am I glad I took this opportunity!

The characters are easy to relate to and very diverse. The worldbuilding is fabulous and although it contained a few of the classic Fantasy elements, these were used very well and created a wonderful new world that...more
Ashlyn Mathews
"Duty must always be for the greater good." I loved this line in Smythe's Protector. Why? Because it sums up the conflict of the characters in this intricate, detailed and imaginative fantasy novel. Choose duty over the greater good? Or make it a duty to perform good and possibly change a world for the better? In Protector, two worlds are separated. One is ruled by a king, but controlled by priests. The other is in need of hope, their sights set on the mystery behind the heroine, Issa. I normall...more
Kirsty Vizard
In my opinion. 'Protector' is the furthest I have delved into the fiction fantasy world. The fantasy books I generally read contain fae or Elven, but the world of Protector is concerned with two opposing worlds of humans.
Initially I found the story hard to connect with but this was purely because of the different titles of characters and complicated backstory which Vanna Smythe had made it a priority to tell. However once Kae and Issa's story began I found that I became involved quickly with the...more
Ernie Jr.
Protector is a fantasy story about a young princess with a special destiny and the talented young warrior assigned to protect her. Smythe's story is told with a focus on characters that drew me in and had me talking to them as I read. The love interests, the action, the plot are all told in a way that immediately made me think epic anime series such as Lodoss War or Fushigi Yugi. Smythe writes her love stories in the grand tradition of forbidden archetypes: princess and common warrior, sacrifice...more
David Teachout
Grate potential, but unfulfilled waiting for the rest of the series. The usage of the "life force" as a form of cognitive magic is interesting and worth exploring. However, the supportive characters are poorly filled out and largely exist simply to move the plot along as it focuses on the key people, leaving the reader with a desire to skip forward but hesitating to do so because they do serve a purpose. Still, the dialogue is decent and the romantic element, while bordering on teenage absurdity...more
Think
I met Vanna Smythe on this magical internet thingy. She was asking if anyone wanted to review her book for a book tour. It was called Protector and had a kick-ass cover, so I contacted Vanna. She was kind enough to provide me with a review copy in return for an honest review. I love it when that happens!

I must admit, while reading the Prologue, I was thinking I was totally lost. There is tons of information and characters thrown at the reader. I just kept going though because the writing was exc...more
Anna Dase
MY Thoughts
Our journey in this story his with Princess Issiyanna and her Warrior and Protector Kiyarran (Kae). They both have a destiny that they are unsure about. When learning about the veil and knowing that they must protect it. Things take a turn and you are in for the journey of your life. I will admit at first I had trouble getting in to the story but by the time I was finished I really enjoyed it. The world building was fantastic and I think the secondary characters gave just as much to...more
Diana Alsobrook
Indie books are often hit-or-miss, but judging by author Vanna Smythe's solid writing, you would never know that Protector falls in this category. This first installment in the Anniversary of the Veil series does a great job transporting us into its world and introducing us to the key players. It has great world-building, action, love, magic... what more could you want?

Almost a thousand years ago, the world of Protector was split in two by a magical barrier called the Veil. On the Venerated side...more
Patrick
This is probably a lot better if you actually like this kind of high fantasy stuff. I really couldn't get past all the Nouns being Capitalized: the Deception, the Veil, the Anniversary of the Veil, Protectors, the Priesthood, Priests, the Keepers, the Decision Makers, the Life Force, the Pure Ones, on and on it went. Everything has to have some ritualistic term applied to it! Anyway, the end was a real letdown as not very much seemed to actually happen. But I suppose that's what sequels are for.
Chris Yarbrough
I really wish I could give this 3.5 stars. I enjoyed reading this book and I liked a lot of the characters. Smythe has created a very rich world here and put in place a solid foundation for the series to rest on. It just felt like by the end of the book not a whole lot had happened. By the time I got to the end I felt more like I had read a very long prologue instead of a complete story. I understand this is part of a series, and I am looking forward to reading Book 2, but it just seemed like th...more
Paul
I found that I was absorbed into the book once it started, about chapter 2 and wanting more. It kept its pace and was never predictable with the right mix of characters, wee described and very real.

The author used a literary trick of using italics to highlight unseen feelings that I was unsure of at first but it worked really well - a touch of genius.

Read it if you like SF and I can't wait for the sequel - out soon, I am told.
Tom Park
I realize the problem with many sic-fi and fantasy novels is educating the reader to what all has taken place to bring the characters to where they begin the story. In some ways, Smythe did a little too much educating while letting the action of the novel slip. I did find it an enjoyable read for the most part, just wish there was some way to get all the explanations out of the way.
Donna
I was entranced from the very beginning of this story. It is fresh and unique with all the elements of a great fantasy. Romance, Adventure, Heroes and Warriors. The characters are likable and easy to relate to, without being overwhelming.

Vanna Smythe has proven herself to be a wonderful storyteller. I look forward to the next book in the series.
Sarah
Once you get past the multiple view points, the story is compelling and intriguing. I want to know more, I want to find out what happens next.
Daniel Marvello
Solid heroic fantasy set in a unique world with believable characters.
Pamela
Apr 09, 2012 Pamela added it
Review coming shortly.
Christina McKnight
Miss Smythe's extraordinary ability to set a scene and build suspense through the point of view of numerous characters is unparalleled. One element of fantasy that I enjoy is getting to know a secondary world; a new culture, new magical abilities, and religion. So far, Miss Smythe has offered all this and more, combining world-building and character development into each chapter.
Alicia
Free on Kindle right now!
Alexa
May 23, 2013 Alexa marked it as to-read
Wez313
May 18, 2013 Wez313 marked it as to-read
Rene
May 13, 2013 Rene marked it as to-read
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Making Connections: 1165. - PROTECTOR (Anniversary of the Veil, #1) and DECISION MAKER (Anniversary of the Veil, #2) 8 21 23 hours, 16 min ago  
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Protector (Anniversary of the Veil, #1)
Protector (Anniversary of the Veil, Book 1)
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Since I can remember, I knew I wanted to be a writer. I've tried my hand at many other professions and studies, but I never felt so fulfilled as when I am writing a story or a novel, creating life-like characters and placing them in complex and difficult situations. I've lived in New York, Lisbon, Dublin and Venice, and have traveled to many more countries. I love history, and while I don't claim...more
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Decision Maker (Anniversary of the Veil, Book 2) Anniversary of the Veil-Beginnings: The Beacon

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“One can lose themselves in the twilight, when there are no colors to guide the way.” 1 person liked it
“Those who die never truly leave us. They are forever there beyond the shimmering of light at the edge of sight.” 1 person liked it
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