Return of the Lost BlueSteel Book 1 - The first installment of Teresan Saga
A scion from a blessed line of warriors trying to restore his family's honor.
A cut throat entrepreneur and fifth son of a lord trying to make a future for himself.
An esteemed general hiding from his traumatic past.
And shadows and monsters infiltrating the forest and hunting them all.
Enemies become friends, and legends become mentors in a land with enough lore to rival Sanderson.
Discover this exciting series from Epic Fantasy Author and Founder, David Liberto. Enter a complex world of secrets, war, and heroes, where readers who enjoy Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive, Will Wight's Cradle, and Patrick Carr's Staff and the Sword series will love this exciting adventure.
This book did not grab my interest until after the first few chapters. I almost stopped reading it, but decided to keep pushing along. It gradually got better towards the last part of the book, where they were in the forest.
I like this story. It starts off slow but keep reading; it's worth it. Really enjoy watching the characters grow into their strengths. For the slow start I give it 3 stars. The rest of the book is a 4.
This book starts a little slow, but KEEP READING. It is so very worth it! I was hooked by around chapter 5 or 6, and then it was an easy read all the way to the end! This book honestly hits a lot of sweet spots for me, so there’s TONS to praise here!
For reference, I love a variety of books, including kid books like Percy Jackson and Harry Potter to adult books like Stormlight Archive or Licanius Trilogy. If you can write a great fantasy story that’s both character-driven AND plot-driven, with a good mix of both, you’ll win my heart.
One of my favorite parts about this book? It’s CLEAN!! No sex, swearing, or gore, and I LOVE THAT. We need more books like this that aren’t just little kid books. Younger readers COULD read this book safely, but I think they might struggle to follow the plot. I’d say young teens and older would be the best fit for this.
The thing that really shines for me in this book is the characters and character arcs. Stefan in particular was an exceptional character to follow. He managed to tug all my heartstrings in all the right ways. I hated him so much in the beginning, but there was always this hope that he would DO BETTER. I love a great redemption arc. So as he was getting beaten and humiliated, I ended up feeling like I wanted to protect him, internally screaming, “He’s never going to change if you treat him like that!! ARGH!” Anyway, he kept me rather captivated and ended up being my favorite character because of it. Did I mention I love redemption arcs? Probably helps that I'm the youngest in a large family, and I know what it's like to fight for scraps while everyone above me is older, bigger, better, stronger, and faster than me. I spent my life sitting on the floor while my older siblings got to sit at the table.
The relationship between the characters was fantastic too. I loved the dynamic between Granite, Pol, and Stefan, as well as Pol and Stefan as a duo. Interesting platonic male relationships are hard to find in the world of writing, and so it was GLORIOUS to find a book full of it!
The action and battle scenes in the book were delightfully engaging! I think they were written well and easy to follow. Plus, you have awesome things where humans are fighting humans, monsters, creatures, magic wielders... Overall, just lots of epic scenarios.
The worldbuilding was really neat! There are a few things that I didn’t fully follow, but they weren’t totally relevant yet to this book, so it’s fine if I don’t understand everything right now. THIS book made sense to me, and that’s all that matters. I love the creatures, the world behind the Veil, the good powers vs. the evil powers, the different people groups, the unique creatures... I really liked spending time in this world!
Lastly, the writing was great! I personally love fantasy books where the writing is slick and clean and not bogged down. I’ve never been a fan of purple prose. I love when authors can just get to the point and tell me a story. I’d consider the writing clean and fast-paced, which is PERFECT for me.
Obviously, I had a lot of investment into Stefan and his character arc. Which is a GOOD thing. It was written well and made me FEEL things enough to be disgruntled about something. When an author can do that, they’ve done an excellent job.
Anyway, enough rambling! I’d thoroughly recommend this book to others! It’s a great read, and I’m cheerfully buying book 2 immediately after dropping this review.
I really enjoyed this book! Once the pace picks up a few chapters in, the story is captivating and hard to put down. Stefan and Pol are wonderful main characters, and I loved seeing how they both learned and grew throughout the book. Plus, Quig is a cute and super awesome character! I'm glad to have discovered this new fantasy adventure, and would recommend it!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only*
I enjoyed stepping into this new world and getting to know the characters of Stefan and Pol. Once you get through the first 2-3 chapters, it really picks up and you will find yourself enjoying it too.
I liked getting to know Pol more. This was an excellent prequel. I loved reading more about this world and the excellent again writing. I loved reading this very much.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.