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Brion never meant to start a war. But when they murdered his parents and enslaved his sister and his sweetheart, they left him no choice.

Brion of Wexford is the son of a crippled trapper living a quiet life on the edge of the vast and unruly heathland. But when Salassani raiders destroy his world, he must venture into the heathland to attempt the impossible task of finding the girls, rescuing them, and conveying them safely home across hundreds of miles of enemy territory.

Now Brion finds himself pursued by men bent on his destruction, deprived of his protectors, and haunted by the knowledge that his murdered father has hidden a dark secret that could reshape Brion’s entire identity. Brion must find a way to stay alive long enough to get the girls safely home.

This is an adventure series perfect for fans of John Flanagan’s Ranger's Apprentice, J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, T.H. White’s The Sword in the Stone, Christopher Paolini’s Eragon series, and George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones / A Song of Ice and Fire series.

290 pages, ebook

Published November 15, 2017

888 people are currently reading
621 people want to read

About the author

J.W. Elliot

33 books62 followers
James is a twenty-nine-year-old stuck in an older man’s body. He loves to paddle his canoe, shoot his handmade longbows in the woods, make knives, study martial arts, and generally enjoys challenging himself. When not teaching or writing about the real past, he is imagining worlds and histories that might have been, should have been, or may yet be.

James has two homes (though only one house)--the mountains of Idaho and the forests of New England--where he canoes, hikes, camps, rock climbs, and shoots the longbows he makes himself. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife. ​

James is a professional historian whose published works include two histories of the Inquisition, a documentary history of Columbus's first voyage, a transcription of a colonial era account book from Weymouth, Massachusetts, and a global history of piracy. This means that he is a professional teller of stories, both real and imagined.

James's favorite author is J.R.R. Tolkien, though he will never be able to watch the Peter Jackson Hobbit films again. The first viewing nearly gave him a fit. He loves The Giver and The Book Thief. He has read all the Hunger Games novels, but thinks Katniss should have ended up with Gale. (Sorry Peeta fans.) He enjoys Harry Potter and thinks magic should be real--so long as he owns the Elder Wand.

For more background, images, videos, and information related to my stories and my hobbies, see my Pinterest boards. https://www.pinterest.com/jwelliot1/b...

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5 stars
582 (54%)
4 stars
353 (32%)
3 stars
101 (9%)
2 stars
23 (2%)
1 star
15 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
September 26, 2024
I absolutely loved "Deliverance (Archer of the Heathland #1) By J.W. Elliot! To be honest I wasn't quite sure if I would like it but the morals of a lot of the characters got my interest. I must thank my mother for the recommendation! This book is full of suspense and twists and turns that I love. I was surprised to be honest that I liked it because I am having trouble getting into books right now. A certain book has so many plots and characters that you have to focus on when reading just made it hard for me to focus. Now back to this amazing book. I loved a lot of the characters, and it was fun seeing how Brion was trained! Reading this book was a fun experience and I am already at chapter 13 in the second book! To be honest I have been having problems finding good books that engage me, but this book was amazing. (Yeah, I absolutely love this series.) 5 out of 5 times I would read this again! I recommend this book.

Sincerely,

~Lady Book Fairy
Profile Image for E..
3 reviews
March 12, 2018
I loved every bit about this book and I can't wait to read the next one.
The author did a wonderful job at setting the scene and pulling you into the landscape, I could imagine everything. The character development was great, and the story was well-developed and very well-written. I've fallen in love with the characters, especially Emyr & Brigid, and Neahl & Redmond. The backstories to the characters were written in naturally. The only character I felt to be somewhat awkward was Finola - as I never really felt like I got a good sense of who she is. Still, I think she really holds her own throughout the book.
All in all, I can't wait to get my hands on the next one.
1 review1 follower
February 18, 2020
Great book!

Would recommend as a quick casual read. A lot of action and great characters that leave you wanting to read more.
12 reviews2 followers
January 1, 2021
Really very good story.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a simple read with a really good storyline. A unique plot, interesting setting, and really admirable, likable characters. Thinking back as I write this review if has donned on me how much depth has been given to the characters. Elliot has done a wonderful job of presenting each plenty of times throughout, and with the right amount attention such that each has emerged as moral, upstanding, and engaging. Interesting to think back at how this was accomplished in not such a terribly long book. Kudos! I very much look forward to the next adventure.
Profile Image for L.G. Mosher.
Author 2 books208 followers
February 11, 2020
This book starts off with a bang! You don't even know the character yet and you're sucked in and wanting to know what happens next to and of young Brion.

The first chapter takes hold of you.... And you simply cannot withstand it's hold.

"His father had taught him that a man learns to accept what he cannot change and goes on living"- Weyland.

“He made me smash my loaf of bread,” Brion said in annoyance.
This is the witty humor of this book. Brion gets into a fight with a man AT LEAST twice his size and the only thing he can say after he almost dies is that he made him smash his fresh loaf of bread from the bakers.

“I can’t do it, Brion. Not again. I can’t leave him to die.”
I dont normally cry at books but when he goes back my eyes swelled and my heart jusst couldn't take it.

"Emyr shrugged. “My adopted father taught me to accept what you can’t control and to face what you can’t avoid.”
“Sounds like good advice.”
Emyr smiled. “Then he said, ‘If the odds are against you, live to fight another day.’” Brion grinned. “So in other words, when you have to face someone you know you can’t beat, it’s best to scamper away like a deer and get the heck out of there.”
"And so we run"

"Neahl nodded. “I told you,” he said. “Fear is your best weapon. By making them fear us, we will have to kill less of them, and they will be more cautious how they approach us. Their fear increases our chances of surviving.”
Neahl smiled at her. “You let your fear drive you, but not control you. Panic is your worst enemy.”
Neahl was definantly... interesting. A bit unorthodox in his ways but highly effective. I'm glad that we will see much much more of Neahl as the series goes on!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Its fast paced without being rush, there aren't any plot holes, it keeps you intrigued and the characters development is done well. The only thing that I was left a little confused on was the 4 sons born in trumoil part. Yes we find out who they all are but it would have been nice to know just a little bit more about his fathers secret... but I guess thats what book 2 is for!
Profile Image for Dylan.
15 reviews
February 13, 2020
Plot Kept Me Reading

The revelations discovered throughout the book kept me reading! Elliot delivers an enjoyable read in a mythical land, but the story never gets too outlandish with magic dragons, spells, etc. The thrill and plot remind me of the great Bernard Cornwell books... Dare I say, better?
Profile Image for Anna.
764 reviews160 followers
December 20, 2018
This was a pretty interesting story. I know, sounds like a boring review. Especially since I had thought up one in my head and now I already forgot most of it. XD
Two of the characters remind me very much of some characters from the Ranger's Apprentice series. Neahl reminds me so much of Halt, since he is sarcastic in his own way, a little different from Halt, but nearly identical in many ways. And then Neahl's brother, Redmond, reminds me of a mix between both Crowley and Gilan.
Archer of the Heathland is full of adventure and fights with longbows during the night, as well as hand to hand combat. I almost wonder if J.W. Elliot got his ideas from the Ranger's Apprentice series, but I guess other people can imagine the longbow archers the same way.
I said it's pretty interesting, which is no doubt true, but I couldn't give it a full five stars because there were a few times that I lost what was happening, or something happened that I wasn't sure how it got to that point until I read the paragraphs around that point a few more times to clear it up.
I can't find this series in my library system that I use, so I had to buy the first book, just hoping it was going to be good. I'm glad I did, because I read the whole book in basically one day and am looking forward to the next, which I will have to purchase as well.

If you've read the Ranger's Apprentice series, I recommend reading this one as well. If you haven't read the Ranger's Apprentice either, read that as well as this.
Profile Image for Kemery Myers.
214 reviews49 followers
September 27, 2023
3 Stars

For the full review, check out: medium.com/hooked-on-books/book-revie...

What's the story about: Deliverance is a multi-POV story primarily following Brion, a young man whose family has been ravaged by death and abduction, and the two important women left in his life: Brigid, his quietly fierce and dependable sister and Finola, his betrothed that is equally fierce but openly defiant and oppositional. This first book is about Brion's training and rescuing of these two. It's a simple revenge story at first, but grows into something bigger.

Deliverance ends in a much better place than it begins. While the first half is filled with training and character setup for what appears to be a grand story of war and intrigue, the second half really ups the world-building and series-establishing storylines. I enjoyed the action, the vivid descriptions of scenes and landscapes, and the differing perspectives. While the dialogue and stakes are really unpredictable for most of the book, if you stick with it, the second half improves what comes before considerably. I don't think that the plot points and climactic turns are as satisfying as they're intended, but this may have just been my lack of attention to detail. I think this series may improve with subsequent entries, but this is an enjoyable enough first entry.
157 reviews
May 19, 2024
I enjoyed this adventure story. It is the story of a young man, Brion, his sister, Brigid, his girlfriend, Finola, and the brothers Redmond and Neahal. After a raid in which Brion's parents are killed and his sister and girlfriend are captured, Brion must train to become a warrior able to venture into the raiders homeland to rescue the captured persons. The details of the girls captivity is detailed also along with Brion's training. The rest of the book recounts the raid into enemy territory to rescue the captives with lots of adventures and fighting. This book has been compared to the Rangers Aprentice series but I think they are different enough that they can both be enjoyed. I also feel this series is a little more dark and bloody than the young adult series of John Flanagan. The fight descriptions were a little like John Wick fight but I still enjoyed them since it is a fiction book. I did enjoy the description of tracking since I enjoy trying this as a hobby in the woods.
My only complaint is the author loves his cliff hangers. It got to be annoying that the author clips the story of a fight and then recaps what actually happened during the fight a couple of pages later.
Profile Image for Richard.
191 reviews2 followers
October 14, 2023
The advertising blurb sets an impossible task, suggesting five very different series (Ranger's Apprentice, Lord of the Rings, The Sword in the Stone, Eragon and Game of Thrones) ranging from children's to adults' reading as role models for this one. Needless to say, although it tries hard, Archer of the Heathland cannot live up to such a billing.
It does peril quite well and it does the reality of Brion's situation at the beginning of the book quite well but the frequency with which he and his companions overcome impossible odds is too unrealistic to swallow.
I suppose that is what separated the good story tellers from the great: the believability of the tales they tell.
35 reviews2 followers
July 22, 2019
Great characters

Enjoyed the book. A great book needs three main elements; good relatable characters, good worldview & a good story. This book checks the first two elements in spades. The story started out as every old western I've ever read. Young man comes along, finds a pretty girl and bad guys capture her. So the whole story is him getting her back. Well, so starts this story and I almost stopped reading it. But I liked the characters so kept reading. The story then grew and I was hooked. Moving on to next book.
Profile Image for Steve Jennings.
517 reviews
April 11, 2020
I normally don't comment on the reading medium for the enjoyment of a book. However, for this one the story started so very slow and the narrators delivery was also slow and deliberate that Jr had to abandon this book only a couple of chapters in. I soldered through it and it was a pretty good book and a decent set up of a series. Some characters, and characters traits were waaay too overdone, for example how many times do we have to hear that Brian's dad's hand was deformed/injured. Haven't decided if I'll continue with the series or not.
65 reviews
June 23, 2019
Great treat to read

Enjoyable and entertaining as well as engrossing. Hard to put it down and I read until 4:30 am finishing the story. Good character development and storylines . I strongly recommend this book to all readers. Some romance, but it was integral supporting the story and character development. I think this is one of the best fantasy books I have read in the last twenty years. A good foundation for any library.

Profile Image for See.
602 reviews4 followers
January 5, 2019
This story took a long time to come together, but it was worth waiting for.

Mr. Elliot knows how weave a plot to hold your interest. I recommend this book to anyone who likes the Wheel of Time books or Terry Gookinds books. I will definitely read the next two books and the prequel.
Profile Image for Clint.
57 reviews1 follower
May 18, 2019
Great story line.

A truly entertaining tale set in a well thought out fantasy world. Many engaging characters that are entirely relatable and believable. I greatly enjoyed this story which was a mixture of both fantasy and realism. I sincerely hope that the rest of the series is just as engaging.
Profile Image for Tim David.
Author 21 books14 followers
December 19, 2019
Most of the books I read are non-fiction, but I managed to sneak this one in between books that I actually planned to read. I devoured it in record time and I'm excited to get my hands on book #2. Whether or not you're a fan of the genre, this book will pull you in quickly and hold you hostage in the best way possible. Highly recommended.
1 review
January 13, 2020
Glad I found it

Was getting a little frustrated at what to read next. I like reading adventure stories with good characters. Don’t want the violence to be really gory or to real my reading is to a escape not to be reminded what a horrible world this is.
Glad to say this grabbed my attention from the start and really carried me along
78 reviews1 follower
April 6, 2020
Pleasant coming of age story

This book came up on my "grimdark" search. Let's get a couple of things straight - this book is not particularly from not is particularly dark. It has traumatic background stressors, but then follows a standard cookie cutter fantasy novel, and is more like a coming of age story then anything remotely grimdark. A please t enough read though.
149 reviews1 follower
December 29, 2021
Fast paced and a good story. Some of the names and places were difficult to keep up with time. Even hints of romance. However, the end of the book left me cold. It set the stage for the next book, but I think the author could have brought some questions of it to a close. Still rate the book five.
91 reviews1 follower
June 29, 2022
Straight as the arrow

If any one reads these be happy for me. Another good read. Characters were diverse and easy to follow. J.W. is one of the few novelists that I've enjoyed who takes characters names and thro phonetically spelling makes it easy to follow. IE- Brian = Brion, I like that from the stand point of a lot of names it makes it easier to separate who's who,and place the person without having to go back. If you are trying to write a gone with the wind , or Dune, make up names of three vowels or four consenents. Cassini 130 pages later remember who she was.the novel was enjoyable fast paced with diverse characterS. edwyne
Profile Image for Dallas.
272 reviews1 follower
October 31, 2018
Unexpectedly well done.

Mr. Elliot has written an enjoyable story that entices me to read the next one. The characters work together nicely while keeping the character of their time with some of our more modern attitudes for today’s readers. I enjoyed it a lot.
7 reviews3 followers
July 1, 2019
Very good plot

Plot is exciting and the archery skirmishes are well written and detailed. Not sure of the historical context of the series but maybe that will become clear in later books.
3 reviews
August 18, 2019
Unique combination

An interesting and unique combination of seemingly Native American culture and swashbuckling sword fighting. Excellent character building and pacing keeps you turning the pages.
9 reviews
December 15, 2019
Good medieval themed read

If you like books with a medieval setting you'll enjoy this book. Lots of adventures, some engaging fight scenes, and plot twists that you won't see coming just to keep you reading.
4 reviews
May 9, 2020
Page Turner at its best

Rip roaring from start to finish,intriguing story that keeps you turning them pages,loved the differant characters especially our hero brion caring wait for next instalment
3 reviews
June 2, 2020
Felt like copy of Rangers Apprentice

If I were to write something with almost the exact same wording and plot for a paper in high school or college the teacher would have either failed me or made me rewrite it to be original.
40 reviews
August 22, 2020
Good story and a great read, but the initial chapters were hard to get through. Especially due to the changing perspective that kept on interrupting the flow and kill the curiosity. But later on, it became much better and too interesting
Profile Image for Jacqueline Walker.
93 reviews1 follower
December 2, 2020
My sort of story

This is a new author for me and one that I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to anyone who likes this genre. I'm now looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I hope this author keeps on producing these sorts of stories.😀
2 reviews
February 12, 2021
Just like a good western movie this is a rattling adventure story but set in a fantasy land with thankfully no sign of wizards and dragons. Drew me in from the start and now i have to read the rest of the series. Well done to the author for producing this gem.
46 reviews2 followers
December 12, 2021
Intrigue and passion

This was an exciting discovery. It seemed interesting and the more I read the more I became invested in the storyline and characters.
I look forward to the next book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews

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