The Well of Tears

The Dream Stewards #1

by Roberta Trahan

More than five centuries after Camelot, a new king heralded by prophecy has appeared. As one of the last sorceresses of a dying order sworn to protect the new ruler at all costs, Alwen must answer a summons she thought she might never receive.

Bound by oath, Alwen returns to Fane Gramarye, the ancient bastion of magic standing against the rise of evil. For alongside the prophecy of the benevolent king, a darker foretelling envisions the land overrun by a demonic army and cast into ruin.

Alwen has barely set foot in her homeland when she realizes traitors lurk within the Stewardry, threatening to destroy it. To thwart the corruption and preserve her order, Alwen must draw upon power she never knew she possessed and prepare to sacrifice everything she holds dear—even herself. If she fails, the prophecy of peace will be banished, and darkness will rule.

Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Ebooks, Historical Fantasy

327 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 18, 2012

About the author

Best-selling author of "The Dream Stewards" quasi-historical epic fantasy series and other speculative fiction - including the post-apocalyptic sci-fi novella "Aftershock". Myth maker, dragon seeker, coffeechocoholic and antique jewelry hoarder.

Reviews

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dazzling debut of inspired imaginative vision that’s breathtakingly epic!

This truly sensational story had me hooked from the very first page, transporting me into the midst of a magical world filled with wonder and remarkable premise. Gloriously assured and intricately woven, the substantial plot was incredibly well crafted and contained rich, delicious detail as to paint a realistic picture. The author deftly interweaves amid the high/ epic fantasy a blend of mythology, magic and sword & sorcery for a refreshingly original and eclectic mix. The magnificent and splendid atmospheric backdrop that’s seeped in history is brilliantly realised on the page. I was able to lose myself completely within this extraordinary world, of outstanding calibre and impressive, far-reaching scope.

As a fan of ancient prophecies and epic quests, I simply loved this compelling story that contained so many identifiable elements within the genre. This really is an ambitious work of substance and depth, containing a cast of captivating characters!

In Book 1 of the Dream Stewards series, more than five hundred years have passed since the legendary age of Camelot and the magical order charged with protecting the old ways of power and magic, has fallen into decay, disorder, and distrust.
Now Hywel, a new king promised by prophecy, has come to claim his crown. But as he journeys toward his throne, a great evil that unleashes a power intent on his destruction by opening the gates to a hellish army that will sweep across the land and plunge it into an era of terror and darkness…

Reminiscent of JRR Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ this exquisitely complex saga is one of great magnitude and memorability. Alwen was a character that tugged at the heartstrings, and it was great to read about such a courageous female protagonist older in years {than the common teenager}. This is a real page-turner that is so cleverly woven; I became entangled within an interconnecting web of many layers and sub-plots. The Well of Tears by Roberta Trahan is my book of 2014 and the start to an amazing new series…

*I would like to thank the author for providing me with an e-copy of her novel to read and write an honest, non-biased review on *

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Serendipity is really the name of the game. I stumbled on The Wells of Tears on Netgalley. I was tempted, but also knew my TBR pile is humongous. So I debated: request or not to request?
I said to myself: what the hell, I have no reputation to protect on GR. I'm already known as a serial DNFer with a malicious streak of one star reviews...:)

Then I started reading, and I never stopped except once for dinner(we ended up ordering take away, as my butt refused to unglue itself from my reading armchair...)

TWoT is an epic fantasy set in a alt Welsh with magic, a touch of fae, sorceress. If you need a comparison think Arthurian legend, rather than The Lord of the Rings. It has prophecies, politic, battles, treason, death, and a well of great characters. But what hooked me is the main lead. A woman. Mark my words. A woman. Not a girl. Not a young woman. A woman in her prime, with grown children. (I might have gone to heaven and haven't realized it.)
And as this is a fantasy where a married woman is the lead, we also have a husband. A warrior who's ready to follow her. (Be still my beating heart.)

Do I sound too much of a fangirl? Possibly. But I swear this is the second book ever (in fantasy, UF or PNR) that has a 40+ woman as a heroine.

The story doesn't shy away from pain and sorrow, neither from death. But it does gives hope, and yes love. Of a wife, husband, father, child, mentor.

I might have wished a more comprehensive view of the villains. Or rather a less black and white situation. Less greed, more "religion", if you get my meaning. [All religion are created equal, except in each other's eyes. And it's extremely difficult to differentiate or say this is wrong/right.]

Only two things to note.
-In my mind this book has one scene too many. I thought that the sex scene between the heroine's daughter and her fiancé was excessive. The two already love each other, and for God's sake, she is dying. I thought it was a bit jarring (eye-rolling type), and completely unnecessary. He would have mourned her loss with the same intensity, there was no need to get such a heavy-handed approach. My 2 cents, of course.

-I don't consider the end a cliff ending, but know that you get the end of part one. There's no resolution to the bigger arch. Readers forewarned. :)

So, 47North, are we sure this is a debut?

Arc courtesy of publisher via Netgalley.

[Kushnuma · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Well of Tears is book 1 in The Dream Stewards series.

I found it really hard to get into this book, although I found the actual plot and story-line to be quite intriguing. The book was going too slowly for me as well.

[Tamara · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 15%

I tried,ok? I really did. But I cant get into this book. Which is a shame because fantasy is one of my favorite genres!..

The idea was great. But the execution? Not so much. Too freaking slow beginning that was filled with TOO MUCH INFO DUMPING.



If this was any other book, I'd have probably walked away sooner but I told myself to keep reading because this is a Net galley book and I wanted write a proper review. However, too many elements were working against to the story so I had no choice but drop it.

I think the biggest problem with this book was the way it introduces the story and its characters. I felt like this wasnt the first book of the series because I was immediately thrown into the middle of the story. I didnt have enough time to grasp what was going on and who were all of these characters. So it's no suprise I couldnt connect with any of them. I had to flip back to remember who was who and what was their intentions. At one point, I stopped even caring about that.

*sigh* Three times in a row. You fail me Net Galley. This is what happens when I decide to finish reading my Net Galley books before 2015 comes.


I think I knew secretly they would suck so that's probaby why I was avoiding reading them for so long. That, and I also had a big reading slump that lasted a few monts this year :(

**ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchanged of an honest review

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I was very happy to have won the Good Reads contest for this absolutely amazing book!!! Second, a huge thanks to Roberta for offering this book as a giveaway contest. I loved this book. What an enchanting, fantastic story eclipsed only by the beautiful depth and diversity of the characters throughout this adventure! I found myself completely immersed in this world and struggled to put the book down. This is one of those rare stories that captivates so well that you literally do not want to put the book down until you are done. I cannot wait for the next chapter of this saga and hope that I will not have to wait long. Obviously, I highly recommend this book and hope you all will enjoy this book as much as I have!!

[Katie Caparco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having this on audiobook saved me. I’m awful at predicting how Welsh names are meant to be pronounced, so the narration definitely helped me stay present. Loved the plot, the social hierarchy, the family dynamics. Every character had a unique voice/dialogue style, and it was paced perfectly. I’d love to read more from this author!

[pdarnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had this book in my wish list on Amazon for quite some time. I then jumped at the chance to read it when I saw it available on Netgalley for an honest review. I am quite glad I did!

Set in a time period around 500 years after King Arthur, the tale leans heavily on the fantasy side rather than on any historical fiction. The story evolves mostly around Alwen, sorceress who has created a life while waiting for destiny's summons. I'm guessing she is middle aged when that arrives, she has a husband, YA children and home.

Most of the "what's the story about" can be found all over the place, so I won't go into detailed snapshots.
First, I was impressed that the protagonist is a mature woman, yet still tender, loving and has inner strength. Loves her husband but isn't belittled by him nor does she hen-pick him. Showing a strong relationship, a breath of fresh air from all the stories that have an eternal battle of the sexes! There are a couple areas in the book which go into lightly detailed sexual scenes (I for one do not care to read detailed sexual exploits), but at least here they are between the unified consensual relationship, not from rape, wild uninhibited romps through all the women or men that can be found and not with heavy moment by moment vivid details.

Everyone has there part to fulfill, and there are struggles in learning or accepting their lots. Sometimes finding they need to step up or in other cases to step aside, when to be bold and when to be humble. It's a story where every age, whether it be the YA to the elder are important and have roles to carry out. Again, a refreshing theme.

There is mysticism, sorcery both for the good and the bad, destinies to be fulfilled, choices to be made. Adventure and fighting the evil creatures that are summoned from the dark forest. Heart wrenching - tear promoting scenes that cut through the soul (it had me crying... do ya know how hard it is to read through tears!?!). Tender moments and times that made me smile and other occasions that had me laughing. This is the beginning of a journey to fight against a darkening evil and bring forth the prophesied king. What more could I hope for?

I have seen some negative reviews about the punctuation and/or spelling. However, the only thing that stood out to me was the dropped "l" in words such as will (wil) - shall (shal) etc. It almost seemed these were dropped with a purpose, for this happens throughout the book. Once I recognized this as a repeating occurrence, it did not detract from the story.

For me this was a well rounded beginning. I look forward reading more.

[Les Chroniques Aléatoires · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I am a big fan of fantasy, the first books which I read was a fantasy one, and when another of my great passions are Arthur's legends, I could only want to read this book. And yet… although I was happy concerning the fantasy, I am disappointed by the virtual non-existence of the link with Camelot. But well, while passing all this, we find ourself with an incredible reading, which makes us dream and we are perfectly able to imagine all that is described!

As regards the characters, I was not disappointed! We finds everything, from the naive young girl to the bitchy girl, with the big shot, the warrior without fear and the malicious one with the heart blacker than hell. There are really enormously various personalities, the whole coordinating itself well and making the things interesting. But there are perhaps a little too many things to retain, we can be lost sometimes. Beware, all the characters whose we have the point of view are really essential with the advance of the intrigue and in order to really understand everything well! The alternation from point of view is well controled and gives rhythm to the story which cruelly misses action during the first part of the book.

Alwen is a charismatic character, sure of herself, ready to make sacrifices and which fights for justice. Her instinct is rarely wrong, which makes her couple with Bledig more touching. Its warrior king who is not afraid of nothing, except losing those which he likes. When to their children, Rhys and Eirlys, they are all the opposite one of the other, what makes things really interesting. Madoc, the Grand Chief of the Stewards, did not mark me more than that, contrary to Macreth, the traitor and enemy of all. As regards of Cerrigwen, she carries her role of the ambitious woman without heart to perfection, although I pity her sometimes. Glain is the character who intrigues me more and from which I will like to learn some thereafter. When in Hywel, he is almost absent from story, which is strongly too bad.

The universe is hooker, it does not have nothing wrong there with the writing . Descriptions involve us in the fantastic places of the characters. We feels a whole panel of feelings, but also the difficulties which some encounter. There is perhaps a little too much descriptions and talking sometimes, which can tire the reader. We cannot prevent ourself from making comparision with Game of Thrones on several points, like with several Robin Hobb's books. A catchy story full with potential which the fans of the kind can easily like.

[Leila Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard about The Well of Tears in a NetGalley email promoting the sequel, The Keys to the Realms. While I'm still waiting for approval to read that book, The Well of Tears was available to read immediately.

I'll admit that the start was a bit slow. I was tempted to walk away, but I didn't want to leave a NetGalley book unread, so I persevered. I am so glad I did. After a couple of chapters I fell in love with Alwen, one of the Mistresses of the Realms. She's strong and powerful, yet humble and kind, which just makes her awesome. The story was still a bit slow until Alwen arrived at the Fane Gramarye (magical headquarters), but it picked up once she walked in the doors, and is still (I hope) galloping forward at a breakneck pace in The Keys to the Realms.

As in any good book, but especially an epic series (think Outlander, Game of Thrones, and Sword of Truth), it's extremely important to draw the reader in emotionally, and preferably to more than one main character. I care about pretty much everyone except Machreth and Cerrigwen (but they're the bad guys, so who cares, right?). I almost cried in a couple places when bad things happened to the good guys. I hate how bad things happen to good characters, but it they didn't there wouldn't be a story (doesn't make it easier, though).

The action is well-written and easy to picture. I'm not terribly visual when I read a book, so when a writer can get at least a fuzzy picture in my head, she's doing a good job (yay, Roberta!). In my mind Madoc looks like Dumbledore, and Alwen reminds me of Catelyn Stark, but whatever works, right?

There are a lot of characters and complex relationships, which were actually pretty easy to follow. When I got to the end, I saw there was a helpful summary of the characters, relationships, and hierarchy within the Stewardry, but my understanding of the story didn't suffer from my not having been aware of it. A map, however, would have been helpful (of the Fane Gramayre and the routes Alwen and Bledig took on there way there). Some pronunciation help in the appendix would also have been nice (as it was I just went with a phonetic interpretation, strange as it sounded).

Well done, Roberta. Well done. Now hurry up and get the publisher to approve my request for The Keys to the Realms. Please.

Take It

[Katherine Kirkpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is wonderful, rich storytelling in the first book of a new fantasy series. Alwen, a sorceress of a dying order returns to the hamlet of her youth, Fan Gramarye, to unite with others to stand against dark forces in a larger quest to protect the new, forthcoming king of the land. It’s refreshing to see a strong woman protagonist who has reached middle age. As manifested through Alwen, author Trahan’s voice is strong, seasoned, and wise. The novel also includes the perspectives of younger characters, too; there’s a good balance of alternating viewpoints of different ages and sexes. The book is a page-turner for sure. I won’t give away the plot; there were parts that kept me on the very edge of my chair with my teeth clenched. There was a certain twist in the plot I did not at all expect; the scenes involving a major character’s surprising transformation were quite poignant and heart-wrenching. Most of all I appreciated the craftsmanship in this book, the author’s ability to evoke a magical world full of vision, dream, and omen. Trahan’s prose has the highly poetic, lyrically beautiful magical feel that I like to see in fantasy. The traditional archetypes and elements fantasy geeks have come to expect and rely upon are certainly delivered here. But what’s more this book also has elements of great originality. I look forward to the next title in the series!

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Well of Tears is a well crafted beginning to a new high fantasy series. The story opens at the dawn of a new age where prophecies are about to come into fruition. The Stewardry is tasked to assist the new king and the four sorceresses that had been sent into exile for their protection until the time for coming together are called home to help the king preserve his thrown and protect the magic that will be needed to prevail and keep the balance.

The world building is very well done and the characters come alive. There is treachery, greed for power, great love, and wonderful battles keeping me on the edge of my seat. I definitely found myself becoming emotionally invested in the outcome of the tale and as with most high fantasy there is a lot to absorb, which kept me glued to my reader not wanting to put the book down. The conclusion is very satisfying with the right amount of open-endedness that left this reader eager to dive into the next installment and find out what happens next.

I would recommend this book to high fantasy fans, especially those to love the beginning of a new saga with all the complicated world building and characters these entertaining tales include. I received this book via NetGalley.

[Steve Cran · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book presents a nice easy read. Those who are enthusiasts will find the story enjoyable. The story is fantasy but with chunks of historical fiction thrown in. You will not learn anything from it and the story itself is simple and it's conclusion will leave you longing.

The story is set in a fictional version of Wales. The Order of Stewards is called back to Fane Gramarye to support Hywell a new king that will support the followers of the old order . Madoc is the leader of the stewards and within the order there is a contest for power . Maddoc stands for maintaining the old ways. Macreth , his lying underling, has plans for power. Certigwen an electable sorcereress stand on the side of Machreth.
Aleena the head sorceress must foil the plan. Working in tandem with Bledig , the wolf king and the Fane's guard Alwen fights off armies of Hellions and Natural disasters . In the process her daughter becomes a fairy.

Who will win this power struggle? Will the kings reign be secure,? Who are these old gods? they are never given names. No mention is ever made of Christianity and the setting is never explicitly stated.

[Anne Monteith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interesting idea, terrible execution.

Readers who love fantasy will enjoy this set after the death of King Arthur, but those looking for an epic such as written by GRRM or MZB will be disappointed. Although it is set in a time that there was conflict throughout England, Scotland, Ireland & Wales, we see nothing of that in this novel. We know that the wizard and sorceresses are meeting to appoint a new leader because the current one is getting old, but there is no mention of the gods/goddesses they worship or their ceremonies and rituals. The story drags and the characters are one-dimensional. It ends with a cliffhanger with no mention of if a sequel would be out. I found it very disappointing.

Before I selected this book form, the Vine program I read the authors bio on Amazon's site and I expected a much better novel based on the bio. I was disappointed and can only hope that if there is a sequel or another novel she hires and editor to help her shape the book, Being of Welsh/Irish descent I enjoy reading of the "old ways", it is the reason that I rated this as this high. However, this novel was just monotonous and uninteresting.

[Artemiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roberta Trahan's The Well of Tears is an interesting story about mythical kingdom with wizards and witches and fairies and light and dark magic and all those other things that are necessary to a really good historical fantasy book.

But this story felt more like a prequel to a bigger story than a story on its own. There was a lot of introductions of the characters, of the time and place they where in. Most of the book was filled with either introductions or with explanations why they where on a brink of the coming war. And then there was this short battle and so we got the explanation why Glain will be the most important persona in a up coming book.

Do not get me wrong, it was well written and interesting story, just as I said already, it felt more like prequel to the real story where would be more action, more things happening in real time not just explanations, why thing are the way they are and how all the people in the story are linked to each other and how they are important to the story. Well at least I hope the sequel will have more of those things.

Good read, but it could have been better.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

really good... for the female reader

this is not to slight female authors at all but unfortunately i was just not expecting a softcore highly sexual novel. granted, this only happens twice but it just becomes uncomfortable to read. the rest of the book is actually quite good. i already own the second book in the series. i can only hope that this next book isn't quite as graphic in the bedroom.

[Eve Peets · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down and when I did I couldn't wait to get back to it. I can't wait for book 2!
This book will grab you from page one to the lat page. I don't want to say to much because you just need to read it.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engrossing story, fairly well written. Focus is on the characters as much as on the plot. I am interested to see how the second book in the series carries on the story. I am a fan of historical fiction, particularly medieval English history, so this aspect was intriguing as well.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing magic and secret passages and steamy bedrooms and evil schemers - a delectable mix of historical/romance/fantasy. I loved the author's realistic touchstone of a legendary well and long-reigning king in 10th century Wales. I was absorbed by the world. Can't wait for the next one!

[Teryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the reality of the setting. Might have liked it more if it was even further into the future, as the 500 years left it all happening 200 ?? years ago, which made it a little less absorbing for me.

Will read the next one.

[cpizarro · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good beginning

I was drawn into the story by the characters and the descriptions of their world.
but just as events really got going, the book ended...
I am looking forward to the next installment of this story.
I hope the author gives us much more next time.
Was a good read.

[Dorn Carran · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a lovely story all about myth and magic. It takes a bit to get used to the welsh names used but these do help set the scene as a mystical realm of possibilities. The scene is set for the continuation of the tale whilst drawing the reader in to the present story.

[Maryanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read, bought on one of the Amazon specials without knowing anything of the author. Good landscapes, intrigues, dramas, characters and magic. An older female sorcerer as protagonist is also an interesting idea, that is, she is old enough to have grown children and husband.

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, the main character is very intriguing and keeps the book moving- I'd be interested in reading the next one, if only to see how she handles all the chaos around her!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't wait to read the next one!

[J.D. Horn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mythical, mystical, swashbuckling fun. Left me wanting more. Looking forward the continuation of the series.

[Rachael Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story. Not as well written as some of my favourites but enjoyable. Good enough I will need to read book 2 to find out what happens.

[Sarah]

... Got it for a buck on kindle. Lets see how this random purchase turns out...

[Alex]

I got this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review about a decade ago and sadly, as suspected , I am DNF-ing it at 22%. This is a short book clocking in at 325ish pages, yet almost 25% in and I could not tell you much of the plot (I know the main plot as it's been mention 1000 times per chapter already), what's currently happening (that's interesting), nor tell you much about the characters.

It's far too fast paced (I like spending time getting to know my characters first in stead of, pick up character A here, pick up character B here, now we're gunna meet character C within a few chapters), info dumps a lot (and very obviously), the writing doesn't flow/read well, and the story has a lot of the characters explaining the same info every other chapter yet the motives, threats, mystery, and character development is clearly lacking. Alwen and Madoc seem to be the only characters with personality or some descriptions about them that stand out so far.

I feel this could've been better with far less fancy flownsy writing, less info dumping, and had spent much more time on realistic dialogue (Madoc speaks like a high wizard in riddles the entire time), and slowing down the pace of the plot so we can develope the characters and their relationships better.

I did like how it is easy to tell right away by people's and places' names that it's some sort of scottish-based historical fantasy though. And I also liked how it appears to be four grown women who are at the center of the plot and maybe even the main characters rather than this prince.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to the audio of The Well of Tears by Roberta Trahan. The narration was not great. The narrator was so over the top with his voices, even just in the straight narration, that I was never able to fully immerse into the story. I'd love to give my thoughts on the story itself but I don't remember much about it. The author spent all of her time describing things and people and completely ignored the actions. Every scene where something big should have happened was just a hand wave and segue to more details about useless things. The characters weren't even all that memorable because she described them in detail but they were all pretty much the same. The narration gets a 1 the story gets a 2.

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic mystical worlds await

Truth, fiction, and the mystical created in a fantastic work, thrusting one headlong into the colliding factions in the realm of fantasy. Splendid is Trahan's ability to take one on this journey, capturing intimate moments with and within each character, to the point of total belief in the whole.