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Sons of Meir #1
Test of Time
In a time when battles are fought and leaders rise and fall, an unlikely friendship is formed between two men, Erich, a fearless commander from the kingdom of Meir and Nash, a rogue assassin from the kingdom of Noyi. These men meet on a crossroad to their destinies to discover they are pawns used by their governments to start a war of power. Three kingdoms, two men, one mission. Can their friendship withstand the test of time or will one be forced to question can he kill the man he consider his friend, his counterpart…a brother?
268 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 15, 2021
A lot of people are turned off fantasy novels due to all the worldbuilding and exposition in the beginning. Test of Time is not one of those fantasy novels. There's no infodump or excessive descriptions of trees (which is what made me put down The Fellowship of the Ring). Instead, all the backstory is revealed gradually throughout the novel when required. The story jumps straight into the action and we are immediately introduced to our two main characters, Erich and Nash.
The story revolves around the relationship between these two men and, by proxy, their relationships with those around them. The plot is strongly character-driven and focuses strongly on the politics of a kingdom. The concept is really intriguing: our two main characters infiltrate a kingdom to try and destroy the throne from the inside and end up finding families there.
The narrative style took a while to get used to. It was heavy on the action and dialogue, with most of the exposition coming from dialogue. There were few descriptions of setting and I found it difficult to picture where the characters where most of the time. There was also a lot of head-hopping which was a little disorienting.
The ending was strong for the first novel in a series. All the loose ends were tied up, but there was still enough intrigue and space for character development to lead into a sequel. Though it is the beginning of a series, Test of Time would also work well as a standalone novel.
I was sent a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story revolves around the relationship between these two men and, by proxy, their relationships with those around them. The plot is strongly character-driven and focuses strongly on the politics of a kingdom. The concept is really intriguing: our two main characters infiltrate a kingdom to try and destroy the throne from the inside and end up finding families there.
The narrative style took a while to get used to. It was heavy on the action and dialogue, with most of the exposition coming from dialogue. There were few descriptions of setting and I found it difficult to picture where the characters where most of the time. There was also a lot of head-hopping which was a little disorienting.
The ending was strong for the first novel in a series. All the loose ends were tied up, but there was still enough intrigue and space for character development to lead into a sequel. Though it is the beginning of a series, Test of Time would also work well as a standalone novel.
I was sent a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 2, 2021
Disclaimer: I received this ebook from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Test of Time
Author: Jacqueline T. Johnson
Book Series: Sons of Meir Book 1
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: fantasy lovers, friendship novels
Publication Date: April 1, 2013
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: 17+ (violence, gore)
Publisher: Indie Published
Pages: 256
Synopsis: In a time when battles are fought and leaders rise and fall, an unlikely friendship is formed between two men, Erich, a fearless commander from the kingdom of Meir and Nash, a rogue assassin from the kingdom of Noyi. These men meet on a crossroad to their destinies to discover they are pawns used by their governments to start a war of power. Three kingdoms, two men, one mission. Can their friendship withstand the test of time or will one be forced to question can he kill the man he consider his friend, his counterpart...a brother?
Review: For the most part this was a good fantasy novel. The book read more of a character study than anything else and the development of the main characters was well done. The book did well with the plot as well and the writing was very well done.
The only issue I really had with the book is that the world building wasn’t well done and the pacing was a bit slow in places. There was also some wonky moments where the narration was a bit confusing.
Verdict: It was good.
Book: Test of Time
Author: Jacqueline T. Johnson
Book Series: Sons of Meir Book 1
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: fantasy lovers, friendship novels
Publication Date: April 1, 2013
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: 17+ (violence, gore)
Publisher: Indie Published
Pages: 256
Synopsis: In a time when battles are fought and leaders rise and fall, an unlikely friendship is formed between two men, Erich, a fearless commander from the kingdom of Meir and Nash, a rogue assassin from the kingdom of Noyi. These men meet on a crossroad to their destinies to discover they are pawns used by their governments to start a war of power. Three kingdoms, two men, one mission. Can their friendship withstand the test of time or will one be forced to question can he kill the man he consider his friend, his counterpart...a brother?
Review: For the most part this was a good fantasy novel. The book read more of a character study than anything else and the development of the main characters was well done. The book did well with the plot as well and the writing was very well done.
The only issue I really had with the book is that the world building wasn’t well done and the pacing was a bit slow in places. There was also some wonky moments where the narration was a bit confusing.
Verdict: It was good.
December 5, 2021
I gave Test of Time four stars because it was of sufficient interest that I looked forward to reading a chapter every night. But throughout I had two main complaints.
The story switches point of view without warning which is disconcerting. I was reading from Kalya's point of view in one paragraph. Then in the next, the character was musing about having a wife and kids. Huh? Oh! I'm supposed to be Erich now. I missed the switch. Over and over again.
Also, as I read, I kept wondering what the story is about. That sounds strange, I know. But, the story starts off, and it's a kidnapping. Oh, no it's not. It's a madman behind an incompetent king. Not that either. Oh, it's a slow burn love story. Nope.
So, who is the capital A antagonist? But he shouldn't count. He's barely in the picture. Besides, with the exception of the princess, everyone in the story is a bad guy antagonist.
On a minor note, the book contains many typos. It could have done with a final edit. But, as I said, er, typed: my interest was kept throughout. I think the guy's decision at the end stunk, as did the lady's offer, but I anticipated the twist so I was prepared. See what you think by giving the book a read.
The story switches point of view without warning which is disconcerting. I was reading from Kalya's point of view in one paragraph. Then in the next, the character was musing about having a wife and kids. Huh? Oh! I'm supposed to be Erich now. I missed the switch. Over and over again.
Also, as I read, I kept wondering what the story is about. That sounds strange, I know. But, the story starts off, and it's a kidnapping. Oh, no it's not. It's a madman behind an incompetent king. Not that either. Oh, it's a slow burn love story. Nope.
So, who is the capital A antagonist? But he shouldn't count. He's barely in the picture. Besides, with the exception of the princess, everyone in the story is a bad guy antagonist.
On a minor note, the book contains many typos. It could have done with a final edit. But, as I said, er, typed: my interest was kept throughout. I think the guy's decision at the end stunk, as did the lady's offer, but I anticipated the twist so I was prepared. See what you think by giving the book a read.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews