The Rise of Aredor/The Wildcat of Braeton Blog Tour

So today I am on the blog tour for the relaunch of this fantasy series by indie author Claire Banschbach. This is a MG-YA duology set in a fictional world of ages gone by (12th-14th centuries or so, I’d reckon).

Summary: 

Lost in a foreign land and separated from his family, Corin does his best to survive as a slave in the household of a Calorin lord. With newfound friends he fights for survival in ambushes and wars. For one act of bravery, he is awarded his freedom and returns to a home that has been invaded and ravaged by the Calorin armies. When Corin sets foot on Aredor’s shores, he has one goal in mind: find his family. He is driven into the forest, where he is reunited with childhood friends. From the shelter of the woods, they begin a spirited rebellion against Corin’s former cruel master, who now holds sway over Aredor. Follow Corin’s path in his quest to free his imprisoned brother, find a father who has vanished, and ultimately free his country in The Rise of Aredor.

My thoughts:

This is a story with a lot going on. The action certainly delivers. My only concern is that the plot seems to be taking center stage over building a character voice that the reader can really get attached to. While there is definitely is character development between the beginning and the end, I didn’t quite feel connected to them. Corin is on quite the quest — I’d classify this as an archetypal coming of age story before any other genre — and the other characters are for sure invested in his choices, and that comes across well.

Summary:

His term of service to Lord Rishdah now complete, Aiden returns to his home in Braeton. As he travels he hears rumors that trouble plagues Braeton. Clan Canich is being attacked from within. He arrives, determined to save his father, his brothers, and his Clan from the treachery of one man.

A year has passed since the Calorins were driven from Aredor and Corin is struggling to rebuild his country. Despite the peace, a fear haunts him that the Calorins aren’t far away. The Hawk Flight takes to the forest again to defend the borders against a possible attack from the neighboring country of Durna and its Calorin ally. 

As Aiden and Corin struggle to adapt to their new lives they know one thing for certain – war is coming to the North! 

My thoughts:

Set at what feels like a more moderate pace, with more flow to the style, and certainly following the growth of the characters, separately and together, the sequel seemed a bit more grounded in achieving a world that the reader cares about. The themes of overcoming your demons and what’s worth fighting for are timeless.

The only thing that was rather different was the epilogue detailing the specifics of each main character’s life after the official end of the story. Honestly, I thought this was a really nice way to tie up any possible loose ends readers may have been wondering about.

About the Author:

Claire M. Banschbach is a native West Texan. She discovered a deep and abiding love for fantasy and science fiction at a young age, prompting her to begin exploring worlds armed only with an overactive imagination and a pen while obtaining degrees in Kinesiology from Texas A&M and Physical Therapy from Texas Tech University.

She talks to fictional characters more than she should while struggling to find time for all their stories. She currently resides in Arlington, TX where she works as a Pediatric Physical Therapist.

The Giveaway:

From September 28th until October 4th, Claire will be running a giveaway.

The prizes: E-books of  The Rise of Aredor and The Wildcat of Braeton, a set of 4 notecards of the series’ artwork, and a paperback set of the books with one notecard of choice.

Here is the link — http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/disp...?

Happy reading, everyone!