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The Blade Witch
Estra would never forget the night that she lay in smoldering ash and watched while everything that she loved was consumed by fire. She was once a pious young woman who had always lived a peaceful life at the nunnery where she was born. Everything changed when her convent was burned down by followers of the profane sorceress Helena the defiler. Scarred by the events of the horrifying massacre, Estra joined the church as a paladin of the faith where she was tasked with using her abilities to strike down the heretics that plague the world of Eldrin.
That once broken woman grew into a powerful figure of justice, and through her duty, she found a sense of fulfillment in protecting the innocent. As a paladin, Estra is seen as a hero in the eyes of others, but buried deep within her soul is a forever growing thirst for vengeance against the demons of her past. When she's finally given the assignment of purging those responsible for her suffering, Estra embarks on a journey which reveals that things aren't as black and white as she'd been led to believe.
That once broken woman grew into a powerful figure of justice, and through her duty, she found a sense of fulfillment in protecting the innocent. As a paladin, Estra is seen as a hero in the eyes of others, but buried deep within her soul is a forever growing thirst for vengeance against the demons of her past. When she's finally given the assignment of purging those responsible for her suffering, Estra embarks on a journey which reveals that things aren't as black and white as she'd been led to believe.
- GenresFantasy
268 pages, Paperback
Published November 13, 2017
33 people are currently reading
876 people want to read
About the author
Nygel Oglesby
3 books7 followersNygel Oglesby is an avid reader and lifelong lover of books, video games, and athletics. He currently lives in San Diego, California where he is hard at work on his next book.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 26, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. Estra was a interesting character and a bit spunky. I think this was a great book and I can't wait to see what the author has for us next. I also think the book ended much better than I thought, at first, I wondered if the author would be me hanging on. *This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.*
January 7, 2018
The Blade Witch is all about vengeance. It is a fast-paced story from the beginning to the very end. I assure you, there is little slowing down which makes for a quick read if you don't get stuck on the missing words, a few grammatical errors, and deviance in font size within the formatting. Hopefully, that was just my copy.
The world is creative and there are loads of fight scenes to keep you entertained and really, that is what drove the story forward. There were some characters that I enjoyed (though most of them contradict themselves regularly). Estra, the main character was not one that I could connect or enjoy, personally. I'm not sure if this is because I felt like she made little growth progress throughout the book, or if it's because she is all business. Maybe being all business is what prevented her from the growth, and I get that. You most certainly understand what her motivation for her story is from early on.
Overall, I liked this book.
The world is creative and there are loads of fight scenes to keep you entertained and really, that is what drove the story forward. There were some characters that I enjoyed (though most of them contradict themselves regularly). Estra, the main character was not one that I could connect or enjoy, personally. I'm not sure if this is because I felt like she made little growth progress throughout the book, or if it's because she is all business. Maybe being all business is what prevented her from the growth, and I get that. You most certainly understand what her motivation for her story is from early on.
Overall, I liked this book.
August 23, 2018
Waiting
I am watching for the next installment of this story. I followed every word and will be reading the next book I am hoping will be following.
I am watching for the next installment of this story. I followed every word and will be reading the next book I am hoping will be following.
July 25, 2019
The ashah Estra, born in a convent and raised under the guidance of her rigid Faith, embarks upon her own quest of killing the evil sorceress who took everything from a young Estra. The ashah, equipped with her Asruelian blood and thus a rare blessing of true sight, as well as her trusty sword of starsilver and her golden flames of arcane power, plans on stopping at nothing until she gets what she wants; Helena’s death. However, Estra finds her heart warming to the people around her, showing her that the world is not as dark a place as she had thought. Will she still be able to kill Helena without hurting her newfound friends? If she can’t, will the world pay the price?
The novel seems to be a traditional revenge story with plot twists scattered throughout and friendships melting the cold heart of our MC. However, this book is so much more than that. There are indeed plot twists, some I saw early on, and others where I found myself simply staring at the page when I read them, my mind attempting to connect the puzzle pieces. Needless to say, I was riveted through the entire novel! In fact, I read this entire book in one night, it was that fast-paced and engaging. It also helps that it is a fairly easy read and is relatively short (>300 pages). Even so, Estra found herself with obstacles at every turn, keeping me on my toes as I flipped (or in this case, swiped on my Kindle) each page.
One thing that I am sad about, is the fact that this book was so short. It seemed a little rushed in order to get all of the plot points and loose ends cleaned up, and I think it could have been so much better with a hundred or so more pages. I wanted more! Definitely more of the characters and the building of their relationships with others as well as with themselves. I also wanted more of this magic system, and to see more fights with Estra wielding all of her powers. It seemed as if the quest was almost too easy, too short-lived for the epic scale of it… It could have been so much more intense and stressful (in a good way for me!) if it had been drawn out a little more, had built the suspense.
As for the writing style, I already stated that it was an easy read. It flowed nicely and the language was quick to read through. However, there were a plethora of editing errors, all of which would kick me out of the story and into my real world. I stopped highlighting them after the first chapter, there were just so many. So, if you are a stickler for grammar, as I am (future English teacher here, woot!) this may not be a very enjoyable read. I was able to power through, but it definitely tarnished my rating of the novel. It also bothered me that there was one random flashback in a different POV from the rest of the novel. All of the novel is through the POV of Estra, except for one small piece in the view of Brennan the Bard and a childhood memory. It helped advance the story, as he was explaining something, but it was a bit jarring since it was the only piece of text of its kind within the entire book. Perhaps if the book had had multiple POVs throughout, or flashbacks (not including the prologue) scattered, then it would have blended better.
Overall, I did thoroughly enjoy this novel, as can be seen from the fact that I read it in its entirety in one sitting. There are a few issues that I had with it as are outlined above, but I have Faith (see what I did there? ;)) that the next book(s) in the series will be improved! Count me in for book 2 of Songs of Eldrin! I can’t wait to see what happens with Estra after this!
The novel seems to be a traditional revenge story with plot twists scattered throughout and friendships melting the cold heart of our MC. However, this book is so much more than that. There are indeed plot twists, some I saw early on, and others where I found myself simply staring at the page when I read them, my mind attempting to connect the puzzle pieces. Needless to say, I was riveted through the entire novel! In fact, I read this entire book in one night, it was that fast-paced and engaging. It also helps that it is a fairly easy read and is relatively short (>300 pages). Even so, Estra found herself with obstacles at every turn, keeping me on my toes as I flipped (or in this case, swiped on my Kindle) each page.
One thing that I am sad about, is the fact that this book was so short. It seemed a little rushed in order to get all of the plot points and loose ends cleaned up, and I think it could have been so much better with a hundred or so more pages. I wanted more! Definitely more of the characters and the building of their relationships with others as well as with themselves. I also wanted more of this magic system, and to see more fights with Estra wielding all of her powers. It seemed as if the quest was almost too easy, too short-lived for the epic scale of it… It could have been so much more intense and stressful (in a good way for me!) if it had been drawn out a little more, had built the suspense.
As for the writing style, I already stated that it was an easy read. It flowed nicely and the language was quick to read through. However, there were a plethora of editing errors, all of which would kick me out of the story and into my real world. I stopped highlighting them after the first chapter, there were just so many. So, if you are a stickler for grammar, as I am (future English teacher here, woot!) this may not be a very enjoyable read. I was able to power through, but it definitely tarnished my rating of the novel. It also bothered me that there was one random flashback in a different POV from the rest of the novel. All of the novel is through the POV of Estra, except for one small piece in the view of Brennan the Bard and a childhood memory. It helped advance the story, as he was explaining something, but it was a bit jarring since it was the only piece of text of its kind within the entire book. Perhaps if the book had had multiple POVs throughout, or flashbacks (not including the prologue) scattered, then it would have blended better.
Overall, I did thoroughly enjoy this novel, as can be seen from the fact that I read it in its entirety in one sitting. There are a few issues that I had with it as are outlined above, but I have Faith (see what I did there? ;)) that the next book(s) in the series will be improved! Count me in for book 2 of Songs of Eldrin! I can’t wait to see what happens with Estra after this!
February 28, 2018
Holly gods what a book! Man this was a new one for me. It is
so well-written and thought out. Set in another world and
time. I was so caught up I read straight through.
This is Estra's story. She was raised in a convent until it was
attached and all the holly mothers were killed. But she was
allowed to live. And when you find out why it will all make
more sense. She trains so that one day she may return and
get her revenge. And along the way she meets others that
help her. But when she meets the bard and learns what she
once thought as truth is not. She is lost for a time. But in the
end will she be able to do what must be done? Even
knowing what she has learned. You will have to read to find
out.
Now before I ruin this for you I will leave off here. I hope you
enjoy this book as much as I did. If you do like this book,
please consider leaving a review. The Authors really like it
when you do; they value your opinions too
so well-written and thought out. Set in another world and
time. I was so caught up I read straight through.
This is Estra's story. She was raised in a convent until it was
attached and all the holly mothers were killed. But she was
allowed to live. And when you find out why it will all make
more sense. She trains so that one day she may return and
get her revenge. And along the way she meets others that
help her. But when she meets the bard and learns what she
once thought as truth is not. She is lost for a time. But in the
end will she be able to do what must be done? Even
knowing what she has learned. You will have to read to find
out.
Now before I ruin this for you I will leave off here. I hope you
enjoy this book as much as I did. If you do like this book,
please consider leaving a review. The Authors really like it
when you do; they value your opinions too
February 28, 2018
Holly gods what a book! Man this was a new one for me. It is so well-written and thought out. Set in another world and time. I was so caught up I read straight through.
This is Estra's story. She was raised in a convent until it was attached and all the holly mothers were killed. But she was allowed to live. And when you find out why it will all make more sense. She trains so that one day she may return and get her revenge. And along the way she meets others that help her. But when she meets the bard and learns what she once thought as truth is not. She is lost for a time. But in the end will she be able to do what must be done? Even knowing what she has learned. You will have to read to find out.
Now before I ruin this for you I will leave off here. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. If you do like this book, please consider leaving a review. The Authors really like it when you do; they value your opinions too
This is Estra's story. She was raised in a convent until it was attached and all the holly mothers were killed. But she was allowed to live. And when you find out why it will all make more sense. She trains so that one day she may return and get her revenge. And along the way she meets others that help her. But when she meets the bard and learns what she once thought as truth is not. She is lost for a time. But in the end will she be able to do what must be done? Even knowing what she has learned. You will have to read to find out.
Now before I ruin this for you I will leave off here. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. If you do like this book, please consider leaving a review. The Authors really like it when you do; they value your opinions too
May 31, 2018
The Blade Witch is not my normal genre, but I found myself pleasantly surprised with it. We start off learning of Estra, and what she has gone through to get her where she is today. She is out for vengeance, intent on killing the woman, rather the Defiler, that killed her mother in front of her.
Normally a loner, Estra gathers a few helpers along the way. I enjoyed that other characters were brought into the storyline, and as this is the first book in the series, it will be interesting to watch them develop over time.
While the book needs some minor editing of spelling mistakes and formatting, it doesn't deter from the fact that it is non-stop action. The Blade Witch is a fast read, filled with creative enemies and a great storyline.
Normally a loner, Estra gathers a few helpers along the way. I enjoyed that other characters were brought into the storyline, and as this is the first book in the series, it will be interesting to watch them develop over time.
While the book needs some minor editing of spelling mistakes and formatting, it doesn't deter from the fact that it is non-stop action. The Blade Witch is a fast read, filled with creative enemies and a great storyline.
January 5, 2019
I enjoyed it, I wanted more. The Author built a really great world, you only saw a very small snippet of it. It did feel like the story could have been built up more, it was very fast paced. She has to fight the bad lady, next minute she is fighting the bad lady. I think the ending would have been more satisfying if you had more of a build up. But then again I am not one for a lot of fluff in a book, so it was good.
I liked how it introduced the characters, you got to learn quite a bit about them in a small amount of time. It made you understand them as people. Also, the history behind some of the characters was a nice touch.
(Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the Author. Does not affect my review)
I liked how it introduced the characters, you got to learn quite a bit about them in a small amount of time. It made you understand them as people. Also, the history behind some of the characters was a nice touch.
(Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the Author. Does not affect my review)
January 3, 2018
(Spoiler free) The Blade Witch is a story of redemption and revenge as the main female protagonist journeys to solve the riddles of her past. This is a good start for the series and ends with a satisfying conclusion that leaves the reader wanting to know what happens next. However, I did feel that the story moved at a place that was too fast. There was not enough time and character detail to make me truly care about what happened to the characters. Also, my copy of the book had a few grammatical errors. I am sure these happened in the printing process, but still, they were there. The action scenes were very well thought out and brutal. An enjoyable read.
Read
July 25, 2019An interesting story of vengeance. Given the chance for revenge, what decisions would you make? Estra is faced with the same issue.
Excellent world-building and character development. The pace is quick and the action non-stop. I occasionally had to re-read a section to make sure I understood what was happening but that could be the genre or my mind, not the fault of the story.
This book works as a stand-alone but does lead you to the next in the series.
Excellent world-building and character development. The pace is quick and the action non-stop. I occasionally had to re-read a section to make sure I understood what was happening but that could be the genre or my mind, not the fault of the story.
This book works as a stand-alone but does lead you to the next in the series.
July 27, 2020
Blade Witch
Great novel held my attention throughout. A great sci fy and fantasy book that was hard to put down. Great read
Great novel held my attention throughout. A great sci fy and fantasy book that was hard to put down. Great read
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews