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The Kinowenn Chronicles #1
The Eye of Elicion: The Kinowenn Chronicles Vol 1
Magic training? Sword fighting? Horsemanship? Bring it on! The Eye of Elicion introduces us to Lucy. Disappointed and discouraged with the job opportunities in the paper, her eye is drawn to an ad for Wizard school. On a whim, she applies and soon finds herself attending a school very different from any she has before. She learns different methods of casting spells, new languages, geography of other worlds, horsemanship, and how to fight with a variety of weapons. Lucy finds her niche with a unique group of students that are asked to go on a quest in the world of Kinowenn to acquire the Eye of Elicion, a semi-mythical magical item. Follow Lucy on this adventure in this light-hearted fantasy as she learns, laughs, and discovers things she never knew were possible.
- GenresFantasy
416 pages, Paperback
First published May 29, 2014
11 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 29, 2016
What I really liked about Rachel's book, well, all three of them, really, is how she interwove different fantasy elements into the stories, without overdoing it. When I tell people about this series, I tell them it's, at the most tacit way of saying it, Harry Potter meets Lord of the Rings. But it's more than that, really.
The story starts out hinting at the events ahead. But... I almost forgot about the beginning of the book, until she reconnected the beginning with the end, and I had one of those "Aha! Well Played!!" moments. I also liked the references to classic fantasy genre novels, such as the Chronicles of Narnia (the most obvious reference.) The story drew me in very quickly. And, I liked that there didn't seem to be a major Dark antagonist waiting around the corner. Lucy actually faced several protagonists, with varying degrees of panache. Kind of how you and I deal with situations in our lives; we handle some things better than others, and hopefully learn from our mistakes.
I liked the series because the characters were believable. Lucy comes in with a set of skills, and as she gains new skills, and learns fairly early on that she is quite powerful, still maintained her flaws and weaknesses. Justin was *almost* too good to be true, but... some guys are really just that wonderful, I guess. I appreciated Maya's linguistic abilities--I speak several languages other than English, and Maya's linguistic prowess impressed even me. And Gavin, the comic relief of the group, was portrayed as yes, a fighter, but not the "dumb warrior" type. He would never be considered "cannon fodder" by anyone who has role-played a weapons master. Gavin was very good at what he did--but he WORKED for it. He didn't have the "I'm such Hot Stuff" attitude he could have had. He was constantly honing his skills, and learning more and more when encountering new people and ways to wage war.
I appreciated, I suppose most of all, Lucy's journey. If you role-play (RPG or LARP) you can almost SEE Lucy's progress be recorded on a character sheet. You can SEE her leveling up--after much work. Physical, emotional, mental, magical... Lucy has her set-backs, and she makes some mistakes. But as she comes to understand just how powerful she is, she manages to stay grounded. She does not think too highly of herself--in fact, if I had one criticism, Lucy seems to be almost TOO humble. I would like to see Lucy embrace her abilities for what they are, and be confident that she can do what she sets herself up to do. She works very hard, and her rewards SHOULD be great, and she SHOULD feel good about herself.
There were some plot twists that took me by surprise (e.g. Quinn) and there were story lines and sub-plots that had me wondering, "Hmm... I wonder how this is going to pan out." I loved the character Joss, and his single-minded pursuit of the woman of his dreams. That has not been resolved yet--I wonder how that will all pan out. Taran's story made me sad.
I liked how Rachel incorporated several different species into her story, many I had never even heard of. And some that I have heard of, e.g. Pixies, Brownies, Sprites, Fairies, and the like were even described slightly differently than common understanding might have done. Fairies can be petty, Pixies can be mean, and Brownies... well... they aren't just chocolate bars you know.
I did have to laugh at the scene in the Skelt dungeons, with the character who announced a forthcoming event. It's one of those things that you think couldn't possibly happen; it would seem too ridiculous to even think of such a thing--but again--it's one of those things that has not been revealed yet, and leaves me wondering how these events will come about.
The series is enjoyable; it's light reading, something that teens and adults can enjoy. Although there are a couple romances inherent to the story, there were no overt sex scenes. A few dalliances were hinted at, but in no great detail.
This was a good read, and a series I will probably reread, and pass along to other friends. Consider it a gift to yourself to curl up with the Chronicles of Kinnowenn with a fuzzy blanket, a cup of tea, and your favorite fur baby. We'll see you again when you emerge to stretch your muscles or quickly grab a sandwich before you return. Enjoy!!
The story starts out hinting at the events ahead. But... I almost forgot about the beginning of the book, until she reconnected the beginning with the end, and I had one of those "Aha! Well Played!!" moments. I also liked the references to classic fantasy genre novels, such as the Chronicles of Narnia (the most obvious reference.) The story drew me in very quickly. And, I liked that there didn't seem to be a major Dark antagonist waiting around the corner. Lucy actually faced several protagonists, with varying degrees of panache. Kind of how you and I deal with situations in our lives; we handle some things better than others, and hopefully learn from our mistakes.
I liked the series because the characters were believable. Lucy comes in with a set of skills, and as she gains new skills, and learns fairly early on that she is quite powerful, still maintained her flaws and weaknesses. Justin was *almost* too good to be true, but... some guys are really just that wonderful, I guess. I appreciated Maya's linguistic abilities--I speak several languages other than English, and Maya's linguistic prowess impressed even me. And Gavin, the comic relief of the group, was portrayed as yes, a fighter, but not the "dumb warrior" type. He would never be considered "cannon fodder" by anyone who has role-played a weapons master. Gavin was very good at what he did--but he WORKED for it. He didn't have the "I'm such Hot Stuff" attitude he could have had. He was constantly honing his skills, and learning more and more when encountering new people and ways to wage war.
I appreciated, I suppose most of all, Lucy's journey. If you role-play (RPG or LARP) you can almost SEE Lucy's progress be recorded on a character sheet. You can SEE her leveling up--after much work. Physical, emotional, mental, magical... Lucy has her set-backs, and she makes some mistakes. But as she comes to understand just how powerful she is, she manages to stay grounded. She does not think too highly of herself--in fact, if I had one criticism, Lucy seems to be almost TOO humble. I would like to see Lucy embrace her abilities for what they are, and be confident that she can do what she sets herself up to do. She works very hard, and her rewards SHOULD be great, and she SHOULD feel good about herself.
There were some plot twists that took me by surprise (e.g. Quinn) and there were story lines and sub-plots that had me wondering, "Hmm... I wonder how this is going to pan out." I loved the character Joss, and his single-minded pursuit of the woman of his dreams. That has not been resolved yet--I wonder how that will all pan out. Taran's story made me sad.
I liked how Rachel incorporated several different species into her story, many I had never even heard of. And some that I have heard of, e.g. Pixies, Brownies, Sprites, Fairies, and the like were even described slightly differently than common understanding might have done. Fairies can be petty, Pixies can be mean, and Brownies... well... they aren't just chocolate bars you know.
I did have to laugh at the scene in the Skelt dungeons, with the character who announced a forthcoming event. It's one of those things that you think couldn't possibly happen; it would seem too ridiculous to even think of such a thing--but again--it's one of those things that has not been revealed yet, and leaves me wondering how these events will come about.
The series is enjoyable; it's light reading, something that teens and adults can enjoy. Although there are a couple romances inherent to the story, there were no overt sex scenes. A few dalliances were hinted at, but in no great detail.
This was a good read, and a series I will probably reread, and pass along to other friends. Consider it a gift to yourself to curl up with the Chronicles of Kinnowenn with a fuzzy blanket, a cup of tea, and your favorite fur baby. We'll see you again when you emerge to stretch your muscles or quickly grab a sandwich before you return. Enjoy!!
February 1, 2026
Bravo
A great story! I am looking forward to reading the next in the series! It has some typos, but they don’t really detract from the story
A great story! I am looking forward to reading the next in the series! It has some typos, but they don’t really detract from the story
July 8, 2014
Mild spoilers be beyond, yarrrr!
Again I'm torn between three and four stars. Oh hell, let me change it, let's call it four. I'll adjust it after I finish this.
I read this on the suggestion of my daughter, whose husband's cousin is the author. It's (as I understand) her first outing. While I could probably honestly, rave on the result, I can't just QUITE go that far. Don't get me wrong, once I started, I pretty much whipped right through it. The author weaves a pretty compelling narrative, even if at tines certain themes get hammered home once or twice more often than needed. I got the sense that the YA market might be closer to her target, but adults ought to enjoy this just as much.
I, a non-YA reader was mostly interested in the characters and their development, which if you've read any reviews of mine, know that's critical to me. Characters that hold no interest kill any enjoyment. All but one managed, though one, who sadly is the lead character. There's a very very central point to her growth that's a recurring theme, being her relationship with another character, and she's the ONLY person in the book, reading the book or walking past the book that isn't getting beaten in the bean with right to the point of disbelief. If a real college grad is truly this clueless about the opposite sex and picking up on signals, well maybe a wizard school on some stray world is the best place for her where her best friend is a horse.
As to influences, aside from the ones mentioned in the lead characters background early on, I felt more than a touch of Rowling, though without the creepiness of Hogwarts replaced here by a modern sounding, bucolic kind of summer camp. I think the author has read some Harry Dresden, though her wizards and Butcher' Dresden are about as alike as Peter Brady and, well and Harry Dresden.
Minor nit picks as to how a 20-ish girl flailing for a secretary job one day with no hint of previous magical ability is able to do party tricks on her first day of class. Literary wizard lore says that ability is somewhat natural yet still takes years to develop to the level these kids manage within months, mind you while skipping most of their classes.
As I said - nit picks. All things considered, this is a brave, strong first effort. When there's the promised sequel, I'm going to read that. I might loan someone my copy, but I think I'll just encourage you to go buy your own damn copy and help the struggling new writer - despite the fact that I sent her a FB invite I'm still waiting for a response to.
Again I'm torn between three and four stars. Oh hell, let me change it, let's call it four. I'll adjust it after I finish this.
I read this on the suggestion of my daughter, whose husband's cousin is the author. It's (as I understand) her first outing. While I could probably honestly, rave on the result, I can't just QUITE go that far. Don't get me wrong, once I started, I pretty much whipped right through it. The author weaves a pretty compelling narrative, even if at tines certain themes get hammered home once or twice more often than needed. I got the sense that the YA market might be closer to her target, but adults ought to enjoy this just as much.
I, a non-YA reader was mostly interested in the characters and their development, which if you've read any reviews of mine, know that's critical to me. Characters that hold no interest kill any enjoyment. All but one managed, though one, who sadly is the lead character. There's a very very central point to her growth that's a recurring theme, being her relationship with another character, and she's the ONLY person in the book, reading the book or walking past the book that isn't getting beaten in the bean with right to the point of disbelief. If a real college grad is truly this clueless about the opposite sex and picking up on signals, well maybe a wizard school on some stray world is the best place for her where her best friend is a horse.
As to influences, aside from the ones mentioned in the lead characters background early on, I felt more than a touch of Rowling, though without the creepiness of Hogwarts replaced here by a modern sounding, bucolic kind of summer camp. I think the author has read some Harry Dresden, though her wizards and Butcher' Dresden are about as alike as Peter Brady and, well and Harry Dresden.
Minor nit picks as to how a 20-ish girl flailing for a secretary job one day with no hint of previous magical ability is able to do party tricks on her first day of class. Literary wizard lore says that ability is somewhat natural yet still takes years to develop to the level these kids manage within months, mind you while skipping most of their classes.
As I said - nit picks. All things considered, this is a brave, strong first effort. When there's the promised sequel, I'm going to read that. I might loan someone my copy, but I think I'll just encourage you to go buy your own damn copy and help the struggling new writer - despite the fact that I sent her a FB invite I'm still waiting for a response to.
October 14, 2020
I loved the book. We kinda get into the character's mind and we develop a different way of thinking about magic and how it works. I confess that this was the first fantasy book that I've ever read. It got me, I couldn't put it down. The reading is easy to follow.
November 22, 2024
It is the funniest, wittiest, most heart-warming series of books I've read. It takes all of the things I love about fantasy and makes them better. The characters are well-written, hilarious, and easy to fall in love with. The world-building is superb. Read these if you need a laugh that will simply make you experience moment after moment of joy.
August 20, 2014
I was torn between 3-4 Stars for this book. The story was great and a page-turner, however I was not a fan of the writing style. The POV changed often and with no transition. At times, it was difficult to follow which POV the story was being told from. Overall, I enjoyed the story and characters.
One last thing that frustrated me were the simple grammatical errors, the book could have used another set of eyes for editing before release. With that said, I'm still looking forward to the next book and continuing the journey with Justin, Lucy, Gavin and Maya.
One last thing that frustrated me were the simple grammatical errors, the book could have used another set of eyes for editing before release. With that said, I'm still looking forward to the next book and continuing the journey with Justin, Lucy, Gavin and Maya.
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June 17, 2015kindle
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews