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Ossolyn #1
Sylvianna
Sarah Metz just got to Sylvianna College. She went in search of a biology degree. She found a group of wizards on the run from their past. They remember her. She doesn't remember them. Over the next year, she'll help them fight off the creatures trying to kill them, fall back into love with the man who used to be her husband, break the heart of her best friend while doing it, and maybe, if they're very, very lucky, not remember who she used to be. Sylvianna is a modern day fantasy with a scorching hot erotic romance and a deeply layered plot. Angels, demons, magic, sword fights, free will, destiny, and true love all weave into a complex tale of the search for redemption.
422 pages, Paperback
First published December 21, 2010
2 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
About the author
Keryl Raist
5 books41 followersKeryl Raist is a part-time writer, part-time blogger, part-time book reviewer, and full-time mom. When not balancing babies with books, she likes to sleep. She lives in Charleston, SC, with two little boys; the "Number One, All-Star, Son-In-Law Of The Year Champion" (according to a discerning panel of her mom and mom's best friends); and a remarkably unflusterable cat.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 5, 2011
Though I'm an avid reader, I rarely post reviews. This is a new author so I felt inclined to spread the word.
Excellent long read! Was expecting sci-fi/fantasy/adventure, Forgotten Realms type book but this was so much more. Very impressive, jaw-dropping scenes I would've never considered could fit into this genre. Really, fantastic.
I have shelves full of R.A. Salvatore & Ed Greenwood so was expecting something along those lines. Sylvianna does a great job of fulfilling the magic/adventure while adding a very unique writing style (switches between 1st person & 3rd person) AND pulling in some incredibly hot sex scenes. Who knew you could pull that off so successfully?!
I'm not a reader of romance novels at all - don't expect this to be a book like that. Where other sci-fi writers lets the characters close the door to the bedroom, she delves into romance between wizards. Wow! While the romance sub-plot is integral to the storyline, the magic and combat scenes really come to life. Deep character development and strong, interesting storyline. Looking forward to the next two.Sylvianna
Excellent long read! Was expecting sci-fi/fantasy/adventure, Forgotten Realms type book but this was so much more. Very impressive, jaw-dropping scenes I would've never considered could fit into this genre. Really, fantastic.
I have shelves full of R.A. Salvatore & Ed Greenwood so was expecting something along those lines. Sylvianna does a great job of fulfilling the magic/adventure while adding a very unique writing style (switches between 1st person & 3rd person) AND pulling in some incredibly hot sex scenes. Who knew you could pull that off so successfully?!
I'm not a reader of romance novels at all - don't expect this to be a book like that. Where other sci-fi writers lets the characters close the door to the bedroom, she delves into romance between wizards. Wow! While the romance sub-plot is integral to the storyline, the magic and combat scenes really come to life. Deep character development and strong, interesting storyline. Looking forward to the next two.Sylvianna
April 24, 2011
Sylvianna is Keryl Raist’s first book. As such, it is filled with problems found in many virgin offerings. If there is a backstory to the publishing process Keryl went through I do not think it involved a content editor.
By and large Sylvianna is grammatically beyond reproach. The book read smoothly and the characters were rich and filled with deep backgrounds. Each character also became more developed and interesting as the story progressed, mixing humor with joy, sorrow, and the rest of the range of human experience.
The main character is a strong female type that, while decidedly strong and able to take care of herself, remains a healthy touch of feminism and vulnerability. In short, she’s hard to resist. Her male counterparts, on the other hand, seem largely cut from the same cloth yet with differences both subtle and distinct. My only complaint about the majority of the men in the book are that they are disturbingly metro-sexual. That’s a pure personal preference based out of being old fashioned I suspect. Given the nature of the male lead I likewise found the sex scenes (which became excessive in my opinion) to border on the uncomfortable. The only male character I found largely appealing, the male lead’s brother, was seldom the center of attention.
I’d be remiss if I did not also mention the deep dive into a lot of religious and spiritual matters. I found it interesting at first, though my interest in the topic waned. This is no fault of the books nor of Keryl’s, it is my own lack of interest in the topic.
Sylvianna is nothing if not a well rounded book. On top of colorful characters and a rich background that is slowly unveiled throughout the course of the novel it also hit the other end of the range for this reviewer. The prologue was confusing and begs a separate story in and of itself to flesh it out. Indeed, explanation for it does not come for perhaps a hundred pages or more into the story itself, and even then it gets little more than a passing reference.
Speaking of several hundred pages, the book dragged on. It is unfair to offer a full review of it, and anybody reading this would do well to take that into consideration. The length caused me to lose interest repeatedly, and after several such attempts to take it up anew I decided I owed Keryl a review in a timely manner more than I owed it to myself to satisfy my waning interest in seeing how it actually ended.
With all that said I strongly believe that any future books written by Keryl Raist will be worth pursuing. I would not recommend this one to a friend or colleague, but I would recommend people keep an eye out for future work from her in the hopes that she overcomes the mistakes in this first one.
By and large Sylvianna is grammatically beyond reproach. The book read smoothly and the characters were rich and filled with deep backgrounds. Each character also became more developed and interesting as the story progressed, mixing humor with joy, sorrow, and the rest of the range of human experience.
The main character is a strong female type that, while decidedly strong and able to take care of herself, remains a healthy touch of feminism and vulnerability. In short, she’s hard to resist. Her male counterparts, on the other hand, seem largely cut from the same cloth yet with differences both subtle and distinct. My only complaint about the majority of the men in the book are that they are disturbingly metro-sexual. That’s a pure personal preference based out of being old fashioned I suspect. Given the nature of the male lead I likewise found the sex scenes (which became excessive in my opinion) to border on the uncomfortable. The only male character I found largely appealing, the male lead’s brother, was seldom the center of attention.
I’d be remiss if I did not also mention the deep dive into a lot of religious and spiritual matters. I found it interesting at first, though my interest in the topic waned. This is no fault of the books nor of Keryl’s, it is my own lack of interest in the topic.
Sylvianna is nothing if not a well rounded book. On top of colorful characters and a rich background that is slowly unveiled throughout the course of the novel it also hit the other end of the range for this reviewer. The prologue was confusing and begs a separate story in and of itself to flesh it out. Indeed, explanation for it does not come for perhaps a hundred pages or more into the story itself, and even then it gets little more than a passing reference.
Speaking of several hundred pages, the book dragged on. It is unfair to offer a full review of it, and anybody reading this would do well to take that into consideration. The length caused me to lose interest repeatedly, and after several such attempts to take it up anew I decided I owed Keryl a review in a timely manner more than I owed it to myself to satisfy my waning interest in seeing how it actually ended.
With all that said I strongly believe that any future books written by Keryl Raist will be worth pursuing. I would not recommend this one to a friend or colleague, but I would recommend people keep an eye out for future work from her in the hopes that she overcomes the mistakes in this first one.
September 26, 2011
Alright...I have to say (and I think Keryl will kill me) that I thought this book was fantasy~lite. Meaning, there were really cool "fantasy" aspects to it, but I don't think that was the only draw of the book. There were times this book was hilarious with a side of smart~assedness to it. Other times it was downright HOT. Those were my main likes to it..I could have taken or left the "fantasy" part of it and just looked at it as a part of the characters. Def. an author who will be stalked!!
August 7, 2011
Never written a review before but honestly I just had to for this one. Put simply it was an absolute awesome and beautiful book. It is def in my top five and anyone who is looking to get lost in a book should read this!!! I fell in love with the characters and can't wait till the next one...but really decemer next year..??..I can't wait that long!!!
July 9, 2011
I loved this book. I can’t wait for the next one to come out. I had never read fantasy before, but since I’ve read this one, I’ve picked up another book in this genre. This is a MUST READ. I absolutely could not put it down.
July 15, 2012
BEC'S REVIEW
Before I begin this review I’m going to start with a disclaimer. This book contains a number of sex scenes, though I wouldn’t fully class it as erotic fiction as the story is much more important. The sex scenes aren’t really important to the story and can be skipped if need be, but they are in there, so anyone uncomfortable with reading such should probably not chose to read this book. If sex scenes don’t bother you (they didn’t bother me, though there was a point where I thought some weren’t necessary) then read on.
Once you look past the sex scenes this book is a great fantasy read. So much so that I became a little upset at the end to learn the ending was a cliffhanger, and that I would have to wait until the sequel is written and published to wrap up the story. I became very interested in this book, in the two worlds it presented and the characters, both old and young at the same time. The magic elements also interested me, in particularly the way each of the characters had their own speciality in an interesting way. Our main character, for instance, is a healer.
Do give this book a try if you don’t mind the sex scenes in a fantasy story. It’s not like some of the books out there now where the sex is the main component of the story, and the plot comes secondary. This story is mostly plot, and it’s a fascinating plot at that, and one that will draw you in and want you wanting more. Be warned though, once it hooks you you’ll be stuck waiting like I am, wanting to read the sequel.
Before I begin this review I’m going to start with a disclaimer. This book contains a number of sex scenes, though I wouldn’t fully class it as erotic fiction as the story is much more important. The sex scenes aren’t really important to the story and can be skipped if need be, but they are in there, so anyone uncomfortable with reading such should probably not chose to read this book. If sex scenes don’t bother you (they didn’t bother me, though there was a point where I thought some weren’t necessary) then read on.
Once you look past the sex scenes this book is a great fantasy read. So much so that I became a little upset at the end to learn the ending was a cliffhanger, and that I would have to wait until the sequel is written and published to wrap up the story. I became very interested in this book, in the two worlds it presented and the characters, both old and young at the same time. The magic elements also interested me, in particularly the way each of the characters had their own speciality in an interesting way. Our main character, for instance, is a healer.
Do give this book a try if you don’t mind the sex scenes in a fantasy story. It’s not like some of the books out there now where the sex is the main component of the story, and the plot comes secondary. This story is mostly plot, and it’s a fascinating plot at that, and one that will draw you in and want you wanting more. Be warned though, once it hooks you you’ll be stuck waiting like I am, wanting to read the sequel.
September 14, 2011
I put off starting this book; it's really long, and long in fantasy novels is seldom a sign of an easy read. But once I got going, I was immediately sucked in by the mystery of the characters' pasts and the intriguing situation at Sylvianna, and I finished it in two days. If anything, the ending is a bit too quick, and the final couple of pages left me wishing the next one was already available. I really enjoyed the mix of magic, theology, and adventure.
I should probably also mention the sex. I didn't notice until after I read it that the book is categorised as erotica as well as fantasy adventure... but you certainly couldn't miss the sex scenes. I'm not used to reading such graphic description, and I certainly felt strange about reading it on the train, but it did suit the storyline and the characters.
I should probably also mention the sex. I didn't notice until after I read it that the book is categorised as erotica as well as fantasy adventure... but you certainly couldn't miss the sex scenes. I'm not used to reading such graphic description, and I certainly felt strange about reading it on the train, but it did suit the storyline and the characters.
September 25, 2012
My review is on the way.
July 4, 2011
*review to come*
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews