The Exercise of Vital Powers

Legends of the Order #1

by Ian Gregoire

Some Lessons Must Be Learned The Hard Way.

Since its inception, The Order has been dedicated to the prevention of the misuse and abuse of magic. For seven decades this mandate has guaranteed peace and stability throughout The Nine Kingdoms. But a potential threat to the peace has emerged, and its source is much closer to home than the leadership of The Order may realise.

Arrogant, manipulative, confrontational and angry. Undesirable qualities in a person at the best of times, but more so in a young woman born with the power to bring kingdoms to their knees. Kayden Jayta, precocious apprentice of The Order, is all these things and more, yet wholly unwilling to acknowledge and rectify her many troubling traits.

Unbeknown to anyone, Kayden’s resolute determination to join the ranks of The Order is born of a secret that puts her priorities at odds with the precepts of the organisation, setting her inexorably on a collision course with the most powerful institution in The Nine Kingdoms.

If Kayden is to be dissuaded from walking the path she has chosen, averting tragic consequences in the process, two unanswered questions must be answered: What is the dark secret guiding Kayden’s actions? And, why has a legendary figure within The Order, with a secret of her own, taken undue interest in Kayden’s future?

Genres: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Fiction, Magic, Science Fiction Fantasy, Coming Of Age

431 pages, Paperback

First published April 21, 2017

About the author

The reclusive Ian Gregoire is a taciturn introvert residing somewhere in London, where he was born and raised. Of all life’s diversions, reading and writing are the only ones he ever deemed worthwhile enough to be passionate about. This eventually led to his belated decision to pursue his true calling in life as a fantasy and science fiction author. His debut novel, The Exercise Of Vital Powers, is just the first of many books he intends to inflict upon an unsuspecting world.

On the occasions he steps out of his reading and writing comfort zone, Ian has a fondness for computing, melancholy music, retro gaming, and Asian Cinema. Ian also loves peace and quiet, something that is in frustratingly short supply in his life.

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Reviews

[Ian]

As I am the author of the book it wouldn’t really be appropriate to give a rating to my own work. That being said, I obviously think the story is okay, and have no qualms about recommending it to avid fantasy readers, particularly those who have previously enjoyed the work of Trudi Canavan, Mark Lawrence, Kristin Cashore, or Rachel Hartman, since various readers have likened it to Graceling , Tess Of The Road , Red Sister , and the Black Magician Trilogy respectively.

[Kitty G Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the #SPFBO books I read as part of the awards, and I am very, very pleased to have done so. This book is certainly not something I had heard of before, and I hope that more people will go and buy and read this book after I review it, becuase it's well worth a go. I will quickly mention that this book could do with an editor in some parts because it felt a little rough in places, but really that is a minor quibble and I ended up really loving the story in the end so I could bypass the odd sentence structure at times.

This follows the story of Kayden, a young woman who is in training to unlock her magical potential and join The Order. Kayden is a pretty masterful character right from the start, she's snarky, blunt, a bit full of herself, witty and also a slightly broken and tragic character. She's not afraid of stooping to lows and rising to challenges in order to get to her end goal: revenge...

What I found most exciting about this book was that it just kept me reading. I found Kayden dislikable at times, but I always found her very interesting too and she caused quite a conundrum for me in places too. I ended up coming to feel like I understood her by the end of the story, but I still feel like she's a complex character and one who's difficult to fully unravel (this is a good thing imo).

The magic in this world revolves around drawing on lay-lines. There are three different types of magic in the world, and each one is interesting to learn about and explore. However, Kayden is an incredibly fast learner and she quickly surpasses everyone's expectations, leading her headmistress (a powerful lady called Master Fay) to take a keen interest in her...

Overall, this was a super solid read and one I was glued to. I just found this one very easy to connect to and get excited by, and I think that made it a really enjoyable read. Kayden isn't exactly a character I can relate to, but I think Master Fay is, and the potential of this world and (I hope?!) series is brilliant. I think with the benefit of a strong editor too this could be a fantastic book, and I do very much recommend trying it. I gave it 4.5*s overall.

[Jade Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a traditional reader, I prefer to curl up with a real book, turn the pages and fall into an author's world. Though on occasion exceptions are made, and I sit down with an eBook. After recieving this book, I only had to wait long enough for my son to drift off, before I could get cosy with my eReader and a pot of tea.

Then subsequently devour the story in the space of 4 hours. Now I must acquire myself a paperback to add to my library.

The character development, twisting plot, the magical abilities and knowledge take you down a winding path; leaving you at an end wondering how the next story will go, but in the safe knowledge you need to know more.

There are shocking revelations, though ones that bring up the inevitable feeling of needing more answers, to even more questions; my mind now screams various scenarios this wonderful new world could venture down.

I look forward to the next steps, whichever path these characters shall follow.

[Sadie (The Booty Queen) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope more people will discover this hidden gem. No one I know has even heard of it or the author. This is genuinely a page-turner of a book. Every time I told myself I would stop once I reached the end of the chapter I was reading, I just had to continue because I had to know what happens next. The plot, characterisation, and world building are great. This is an excellent first book of a series that has the potential to be truly great. I look forward to reading the next book which came out yesterday.

[Chantelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not expecting much from a €0.99 ebook that only has a single 1 star DNF negative review on Kobo. But I liked the cover and the blurb so I gave it a chance. Now that I have read it I am glad I ignored the stupid person who posted the bad review. If I had let her put me off I would have missed out on a new favourite book of mine.

This is an excellent book with a great story line and memorable characters. Do NOT be put off by a stupid review written by someone who cannot be bothered to read a whole book before posting a review on Kobo.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a tricky review to write without giving anything away... Let me start by saying that "The Exercise of Vital Powers" was a joy to read. Ian Gregoire's writing is enveloping, pulling you into his perfectly crafted world of magic and mystery. The characters are beautifully developed throughout the story, and the plot is a engaging and entertaining. Loved it!

My thanks to the author and StoryOrigin for a free copy to review. This review is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of the book from the author last year, with no obligation to read or review. Naturally it languished, unread, on my Kobo e-reader for months because I had no expectation that a self-published book given away for free would be any good. Earlier this week I remembered that I had the ebook so I decided to waste 5 minutes of my time to confirm my suspicion that it was terrible. To my surprise I was hooked in seconds and I couldn't put my e-reader down. I finished reading the story in two days, and once I was done I immediately purchased the sequel.

[Esme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many of the SPFBO books I've picked up recently are in the 'green' over on SPFBO. (For the first round each blogger can only pick one book for the finals, but they can also pick several books they want to highlight, and when they do the book label turns green).

As of now, Kitty G has this book highlighted green as a possible book she'll put through to the next round.

---

**Characters:**

* Kayden - This is our main character and who the story revolves around. When you first meet her she's leading a group of people to try and infiltrate an enemy compound and retrieve something as part of her mission. You can see right away that this character does not play nice. She's in a constant power struggle with the original leader of the group, and after the mission is over she continues to be abrasive to basically everyone around her. She has extremely bad temper issues, she's arrogant, and she's constantly talking down to people like everyone in the world is an idiot except for her. For people who don't like abrasive and generally unlikeable characters you may struggle with this book. Part of the plot of the book is actually her character development. She's incredibly powerful and gifted, and if she continues to be a bully and a touch insane she could be a huge problem down the line.

* Fay - Fay is the master and Kayden is the apprentice at the magic school known as the Antaris Campus. Fay is the one who's extremely concerned about the later years for Kayden if she doesn't get a hold on her anger and her intense need to be the best and prove herself superior in every way. Fays chapters were more enjoyable for me since I don't tend to like characters like Kayden, but at least there was a reprieve from Kaydens attitude and you feel validated of your dislike for Kayden through this character since they always bump heads.

* There are a lot of side characters here, there are two main settings, the city of Temis Rulan and the campus and there are groups of side characters in each setting.


--

**Plot:**

A big part of the plot is what Kayden is going to do with her life and how she's going to change or continue on her current path. In fact that's a huge part of a later chapter when Kayden confronts an entity known as The Rogue, who makes her kind of have a moment of revelation about what path in life she wants to chose. The other part of the plot revolves around The Order and the 9 Kingdoms. The Order is a group of people who are mages of sorts just like Kayden and Fay, and they work as sort of peacekeepers for the realm. The Order is one of the largest forces in the world and outnumbers most armies, which is impressive, most of them live in the city of Temis Rulan.

----

**Tone:**

Coming of age? I'm not sure if that's a tone, but this is a story of self exploration and finding ways to let go of trauma in the past. The main character had some serious shit go down with her mother and stepfather and it's a big part of why she is the way she is.

----

**Pacing:**

This wasn't exactly fast paced, but I didn't feel like it was super slow either, it was kind of a nice medium tempo through the book.

---

**Audience:**

* People who like unlikeable characters
* People looking for big growth in main character
* People who like defined magic systems
* People who like coming of age stories
* people looking for female povs
* people who like multi pov
* people who like stories that wrap up at the end, no cliffhangers

---

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

http://weatherwaxreport.blog

[Solid Snake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not without flaws, but utterly gripping nonetheless. A very promising start to a series and a writing career.

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ian Gregoire owes Kitty G a beer. Or, even better, two. I suppose no one expected she would choose this book as her favorite one in one of her SPFBO semi-final group of five, especially that contenders were very strong. I guess that’s the beauty of the contest. We tend to believe in books we hear about on blogs and boards but there’s a lot of gems that remain undiscovered. SPFBO has the power to change it. At least a bit.

The Exercise of Vital Powers is a book that describes events of two meaningful days. The story focuses on Zarantar (magic system) apprentice – Kayden Jayta. She’s special. But not in a usual way. For Kayden failure is not an option. She is manipulative, willing to use and exploit other people for her own ends, with no regard for the consequences. She is confrontational, believing power should be employed to cow people―to impose her will upon them. She treats most people in a condescending way approaching them as mentally challenged simpletons. She has no sense of authority – in order to reach a goal she’s ready to beat a teacher senseless and steal his memories of the event. As you may guess she’s not the most popular person on the campus. It would be safe to say she’s most hated one. At one stage of the story she’s described as follows:

“You must not have been paying attention; I smile all the time.”
“No, you don’t. You smirk. A withering smirk to let the recipients know they are less significant than the dirt beneath your boot.”

Angsty and arrogant teenagers aren’t that rare, however, when they have the power to bring kingdoms to their knees, they may stress out their teachers a bit. Kayden may become a huge asset to The Order – organization that keeps peace in The Nine Kingdoms. She may also become a harbinger of death and destruction as the history of the lore teaches us. Of course, Kayden doesn’t fully realize her full potential. She has other priorities - her resolute determination to join the ranks of The Order is born of a secret that puts her priorities at odds with the precepts of the organization, setting her inexorably on a collision course with the most powerful institution in The Nine Kingdoms.

The books focuses on Kayden choosing her path. Some other conflicts are mentioned, some subplots are sketched but The Exercise of Vital Powers is a book about Kayden. There’s no bigger agenda, there’s no political intrigue. Only Kayden and her choices.

I love dislikable characters. Sherlock Holmes, agent Pendergast, Repairman Jack. I love characters who have darkness in them (Royce Melborne, Faran). I love rebels and outcast however at times, it was really difficult for me to like Kayden. For such an intelligent person her deduction and reading of others were sometimes surprisingly ineffective. But it’s not even a criticism. I just warn you Kayden is at times unlikable and irritating.

Overall, I really liked the book. While it was unpolished in places it was really difficult to put it down. The story sucked me literally since the beginning. And by beginning, I mean page number 1. It wasn’t necessary to go through several chapters to get into the world. In the first chapter we learn a lot about Kayden and her school. The next chapters and story development kept me entertained and engaged in the plot until I reached approximately 78 % of the book. At this point the writing became a bit clumsier and less to the point.

A lot happened but it lacked finesse in execution. We reach climax at around 85 % of the book and some changes are a bit fetched. Also, the last part of the book is focused on the dialogue between characters. Through this dialogue, we learn more about the world, magic system and other things which isn't bad in itself. The thing is the tone of the book changes significantly and becomes unbelievable even in the light of all the described events. I’m not saying it wouldn’t finally happen. Probably it would but gradually and in few months time. The ending lacks any tension and it tells too much instead of showing things in more subtle ways.

Overall, TEOVP, being a debut work, is a good book that every fan of character-driven fantasy should try to read. I believe that a ruthless editor could help to make it an excellent book. Some things need improvement. My personal belief is that the ending should be more concise. Having said that, I encourage you to try the book as it manages to do something that’s not very common in a fantasy world. It really grabs your attention from the first page and keeps you invested for few hundred pages.

Real rating: 3.75/5

[Brayden · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unexpectedly good book. The unpredictable narrative has some very clever twists that I didn't see coming. I'm glad the sequel is already available because I'll be reading it sooner rather than later.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating: 3.5 Stars
The Order is the most powerful group in the Nine Kingdoms. Their mission is to prevent the abuse of magic and provide stability in a world with the magical potential for chaos and destruction, but that very potential for chaos may be training among them. It will be up to the Order to decide if Kayden Jayta has what it takes to become one of the most powerful members of the Order yet or if she must be destroyed to protect the Nine Kingdoms.

Kayden is gifted with intelligence, vast stores of magic and an attitude that makes her far from likable. She has her own agenda of revenge that far exceeds her desire to honor the tenets of the Order, and she will use any means necessary to achieve her goal, including using the Order to hone her magic.

Ian Gregoire’s THE EXERCISE OF VITAL POWERS is the story of one girl’s vendetta, the misuse of power and learning the hidden potential within us all-as well as how we will use it.
Mr. Gregoire has done an amazing job of creating a feeling of tension throughout, while leaving us guessing as to what will happen next, or even how the outcome will turn out. Side stories that run concurrent do add a feeling of balance to his tale, but I wanted more from them. Do not expect to find characters you instantly connect with. Kayden is that kid you want to put in anger management classes. She is the kid you want to like, but just can’t as we are told of her various methods of using others for her own gain. In her defense, she is a person in crisis, unwilling to admit she needs help, too devious and too smart to get caught, so she thinks. Her actions and attitude are that of a self-centered, young teen, not one who seems to be eighteen or nineteen, according to the timeline.

What starts out reading like a wonderful young adult fantasy is quickly realized to have some adult themes that clearly indicate Kayden is in crisis. Other key characters, while not as well-drawn as Kayden added so much to this tale. Incredible feats of magic, of the use of powers are all “invoked,” but we really are not told how. Also, the names for these invocations made it difficult to follow, because how Kayden previously learned them was told as a piece of brief background.
I did like this tale and I can definitely say this author has some writing chops and some true passion for his craft, I just didn’t love it or live within the story with the characters.

Publisher: Lucid Dream; 1 edition (April 21, 2017)
Publication Date: April 21, 2017
Genre: Fantasy | Coming of Age
Print Length: 571 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Aviar Savijon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an epic scale saga of a story. An Adventure into Fantasy, that is outstandngly written deep and emotional through out the book. I truly loved every page of this book by Ian Gregoire. I do hope for more of this from him soon. I Loved It!!!!

[Schuyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book became a page turner for me, good characters, storyline, etc. Would highly recommend to anyone out there for a very good read. schuyler

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant fantasy title, particularly for a debut. This is one creative, intelligent read. Highly recommend.

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kayden is a bitch. Don't look at me this way. I'm not mean. I state the obvious. Picture a reckless, ambitious, brilliant and determined young woman who's well aware of her superior intellect. Imagine that she treats everyone as a pitiful retard. She won't hesitate to beat you and abuse you to reach her goals. Do you picture her? Good, but the picture in your head is a nicer version of Kayden.

Ian Gregoire's debut novel participated in last year's SPFBO contest, and it did well. Kitty G, an awesome booktuber, has chosen it, somewhat unexpectedly, as her semi-finalist. Ultimately, the book didn't make it to the finals - it won the second place in Kitty's batch.

I've read the book as soon as it was chosen as a semi-finalist and I enjoyed it a lot. Sure, it wasn't perfect, but for a debut novel, it was more than promising. It had some flaws, starting with a weak cover or some awkward sentences. That's why I was thrilled to learn that the author decided to learn from the experience - upon realising that his book lacked a professional touch, Gregoire withdrew his book from sales and invested time and money to make it a better product.

In my opinion, this alone deserves a re-read.

The Exercise of Vital Powers is a book that describes events of two meaningful days. The story focuses on Zarantar's (magic system) apprentice – Kayden Jayta. She’s special. But not in a usual way. Failure is not an option for her. She is manipulative, willing to use and exploit other people for her ends, with no regard for the consequences. She is confrontational, believing power should be employed to cow people―to impose her will upon them. She treats most people in a condescending way approaching them as mentally challenged simpletons. She has no sense of authority – to reach a goal she’s ready to beat a teacher senseless and steal her memories of the event. As you may guess, she’s not the most popular person on the campus. It would be safe to say she’s the most hated one. At one stage of the story she’s described as follows:

“You must not have been paying attention. I smile all the time.” “No, you don’t. You smirk. A withering smirk to let the recipients know they are less significant than the dirt beneath your boot.”

Angsty and arrogant teenagers aren’t that rare in fiction, however, when they have the power to bring kingdoms to their knees, they may stress out their teachers a bit. Kayden may become a tremendous asset to The Order – an organisation that keeps peace in The Nine Kingdoms. She may also become a harbinger of death and destruction as the history of the lore teaches us. Of course, Kayden doesn’t fully realise her full potential. She has other priorities - her resolute determination to join the ranks of The Order is born of a secret that puts her priorities at odds with the precepts of the organisation, setting her inexorably on a collision course with the most powerful institution in The Nine Kingdoms.

The book focuses on Kayden choosing her path. Some other conflicts are mentioned, some subplots are sketched, but The Exercise of Vital Powers is, essentially, a book about Kayden. There’s no bigger agenda, and there’s no political intrigue. Only Kayden and her choices.

I love dislikable characters. Sherlock Holmes, agent Pendergast, Repairman Jack are my pals. I love characters who have darkness in them (Royce Melborne, Faran). I love rebels and outcasts. And yet at times, it was impossible to like Kayden. She's so self-absorbed and goal-oriented that she doesn't even try to understand others. So yes, have this in mind. Kayden is a bitch.

And as readers, we'll learn why and if she's willing to change.

It feels that the new edition went through the hands of a professional editor. While I've spotted one or two missing words, the writing feels neat and polished. Sentences are reasonably short and free from unnecessary adverbs found in the first edition. Overall, the flow of the prose and events is much better now; it makes the story smooth and easy to follow.

The story itself is entertaining and full of little surprises. It sucked me in literally since the beginning and was hard to put down. And by the beginning, I mean page number one. It wasn’t necessary to go through several chapters to get into the world. In the first chapter, we learn a lot about Kayden and her school. The next chapters and story development kept me entertained and engaged in the plot until the last part of the book.

We reach climax at around 85 % of the book. Later on, the story focuses on resolving various plot lines in, mostly, satisfying ways. We learn more about the world, the magic system and other things through dialogue filling the last pages of the story. As a result, the tone of the book changes to some extent. The tension drops.

While it feels good to observe certain things revealed and explained, I think that the ending tells too much instead of showing things in a subtler way.

Overall, TEOVP, being a debut work, is a good book that every fan of character-driven fantasy should try to read. I encourage you to give it a chance as it manages to do something that’s not very common in a fantasy world. It grabs your attention from the first page and keeps you invested for the next few hundred pages.

[Sirvinya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was quite excited to get to this one after Kitty G had recommended it so highly. So when I had a long train journey and a 2 hour wait at an airport, I knew it was just the thing to load onto my Kindle. And I'm so glad I did!

We follow Kayden as she pushes to complete her apprenticeship early so that she can join the Order. I immediately had quite a lot of opinions about her. She's an immensely powerful and talented user of magic and she's also arrogant and ruthless in pursuit of her goal, and she's not above using people to further her own agenda. At times she's almost unlikable and yet it became clear that there's a vulnerability there. The harder she pushed, the more I wanted to read about her. There's something about her that's really quite fascinating.

Master Fey is the Headmistress in charge of where Kayden is studying and she's quite the mystery herself. We only see her through Kayden's less than forgiving perspective but we learn more about her later on through Kayden's discoveries. Later on, the narrative splits so we get some perspective from Master Fey herself.

The side characters were well built and we had a good range of characterisation. We had a good range of people living in this world and I really appreciated how their problems were resolved.

There's definitely a focus on character growth. We see Kayden's growth and development but I did fell as though a couple of parts in her story arc were dealt with a little too quickly. I am interested to see how the events of this book effect her going forwards.

The magic system was well structured with three different branches of magic. Each has differences and limitations and I really liked how well thought out it all was. There were words used to cast magic and I appreciated how the words followed a pattern. I am looking forward to more exploration of the magic in future books and learning more about the systems.

The pacing was pretty good. We were thrown straight into tense action scenes at the start which really grab your attention and demonstrate the magic used. But the pacing was handled well throughout. Too much action can be just as tiresome as too little but this was really well balanced between action and slower paced, more character focused scenes. The action scenes themselves were well plotted and easy to follow along.

The language and world building was quite nice and easy to get into. The language was very visually descriptive without going overboard. We did have a few discussions about the history and magic in the world that everyone involved would know about anyway but it was handled as a teacher testing their student so the information was given to the reader without the dreaded "as you well know..." conversations.

Just a couple of minor quibbles overall, once or twice I felt things were a bit more telling than showing, especially where emotions were involved. But it was only very minor.

Overall, this is a wonderful character driven story in a richly created world with an interesting magic system. Kayden is a character you want to dislike but at the same time, you want to learn more about her. I cannot wait to read more in this world.

An ecopy was provided free for review in exchange for an honest review.

[Rebekah Teller · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enthralling journey of inner discovery, I found this to be an enjoyable book, entertaining and richly developed. This world has three different kinds of magical energy, each accessible in discrete ways. The Order teaches only one of the three types of magic, and we follow a critical time in the life of one of its students.

The main point of view character is a young woman, Kayden Jayta, who is studying to be inducted into The Order. These studies take 10 years, but Kayden is advancing faster than anyone, and has earned the attention of Fay Annis, the campus administrator, though not necessarily in a good way. When Kayden completes a task no student has succeeded at before, Annis must act on her suspicions and bring Kayden to meet her superior.

The school is more like a college, so don't go in expecting Harry Potter. These are older students and their interactions reflect such. Kayden's accelerated advancement is a source for much rumor and speculation, and she has trouble getting along with just about everyone on campus. She's quite arrogant about her skills and talent. In the opening chapters of the book, she's so conceited it's hard to relate to her. She treats everyone with derision and rebuffs any attempts at friendship.

Fay Annis is also a point of view character, and through her chapters we see some of her concerns and intentions in her plans for Kayden. At times such insight is a relief, at other times it brings ominous foreshadowing.

The further you read, the more you learn about Kayden and why she acts the way she does. These revelations give her character much more depth.

The world has many different countries and complex political history, which is detailed through instructional conversations. I appreciated some amount of it, but at times I didn't see how it pertained to the story. While it does add to the academic tone, I hope some of those politics and conflicts will tie in to future books.

Once the main conflicts are over, there's a fairly long wind-down period before the book concludes. This would definitely suit readers who want stories that don't end abruptly. I recommend it for those who enjoy stories of magic academies, practitioners, exploring emotional trauma and spiritual paths.

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Exercise of Vital Powers introduces to us a hateful character by the name of Kayden Jayta. I'm not exaggerating, she's truly hateful. But don't you just love to hate her??

I love it when an author can create characters that are absolutely awful people, but make you want to keep reading about them.

Going into this I thought the plot of students in a magic school might feel a bit tired and overdone, but I was soon corrected as the premise actually felt creative and original.

The prose is both eloquent and concise, which I appreciate. The author has a way with words that make mundane sentences more beautiful.

I enjoyed the plot immensely, and particularly enjoyed the parallel of Master Fay's side quest. My only gripe would be that the story felt a bit longwinded towards the end. After things had wrapped up satisfactorily for me, I felt like the ending dragged.

Overall, this was a great book that is well worth your time. I hope to read more from Kayden in future.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

https://the-persistenceof-memory.blog...

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kayden is a young woman who is soon to be inducted into the Sanatsai order. When she ruthlessly completes the assignment to get into the order, the Headmistress and her master Fay Annis decides to take her to Temis Rulan to Master Ari to teach her some discipline. Will Fay accomplish her goal? Read on and find out for yourself.

This was a pretty good epic fantasy story which I am considering as a stand-alone. If you like these types of stories, be sure to check this book out wherever books and ebooks are sold online.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received from author for honest read an review.

This was a really good book and I was so happy to receive this from Mr Gregoire.Centres around Kayden,who is a piece of work.Really hard to like but once you get to know her , she is really good.

Found the book really flowed and I reallg enjoyed all the characters.
Good strong read.

[Nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This and other reviews can be found on my blog

Thank you to Ian Gregoire for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The Exercise of Vital Powers follows Kayden Jayta, a highly talented but rather arrogant apprentice of The Order, which is an institution to train and control the people who are able to use magic. But her vast talent and unapproachable character are the reason the headmistress of the campus, Fay Annis, has been taking notice of Kayden and takes her to The Order's headquarters and its founder Ari Shinadu. He alone can decide Kayden's future and the role she might play in the future of The Order itself.

One of the things you should be aware of if you want to pick up this book is the fact that it's very character-driven and slow-paced. The story itself focuses on three crucial, life-changing days in Kayden's life and a sidestory featuring Fay Annis. This is one of the reasons we don't get to see much of the world of the Nine Kingdoms and its bordering countries. Unfortunately, the map included at the beginning of the book in the paperback edition has a rather poor quality and I had to look up certain countries or places on the kindle edition's map instead.

The magic system in this story is very interesting: Here, magic itself is called Zarantar and is thought to be emanating from ley-lines crisscrossing the world. There are three manifestations of Zarantar which results in three different factions. There are the Jaymidari, a sisterhood who can only use the power for beneficial purposes. On the other side there are the Saharbashi who taint the power by using blood sacrifices and inflict evil. And finally, there are a group of people called Sanatsai who are born with the power within them and don't need to access the ley-lines. This third type of power can be used for good and evil, so the people wielding it need to be trained sufficiently. The Sanatsai are also the people The Order was founded for. Everyone whose powers emerge can decide if he wants to have them bound or if he wants to join The Order and train to become a full Sanatsai.
I liked that Gregoire chose to give every spell a certain name, which is always mentioned whenever Kayden or any magic wielder uses it (for example Sinjaydan is used to create illumination orbs). Although this was rather challenging in the beginning since I didn't know what either Zarantar or the spell names were, it was explained gradually as the story progressed, which is something I highly enjoy in books overall.

Kayden is a very intriguing and multi-layered character. Her fellow students think she is rather arrogant and unapproachable. She is aware of her strong powers and thinks the school can't teach her appropriately. Her high ambition and attitude stem from a deeply buried secret from her past that she doesn't want to talk about with anyone. Social interaction and making friends would only get in the way of acquiring more knowledge and thus are neglected. Not only is she hated for her success and talent, but also in parts for her heritage. She strongly resembles an Asian complexion with her black hair, fair skin and almond-shaped eyes.
It's evident that the reader isn't supposed to connect with Kayden at the start of the story. Kayden isn't likable and she doesn't want to be. But for me, this didn't pose a problem since I like dark, at first glance unlikable characters often found in grimdark fantasy (Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence for example features such a main character). Kayden is the sort of character you either are intrigued by or despise completely from the get-go.

The other important character is Fay Annis, headmistress of the campus Kayden trains at. She is one of the most powerful and famous Sanatsai the Order ever had and nobody knows why she was assigned to a position completely below her abilities. At the start of the story, she is despised by Kayden for paying too much attention to her and presumably trying to have her power bound. But her intentions differ completely from Kayden's fears and over the course of the story we learn a lot about Fay's past that will also affect Kayden's life.

Even though I wouldn't categorize this book as grimdark it features some grim topics including sexual assault, racism and the loss of a family member. If this are triggering topics for you, I wouldn't pick up the book.

I think this novel shows that Gregoire is very good at creating complex characters and an intriguing fantasy world. However, I feel like the story could have been a little bit less detailed in favour of more plot. We are told almost everything in precise detail that happens the day Kayden and Fay travel to The Order's headquarters and I felt some of it could have been omitted without diminishing the overall story arc. Maybe these feelings are also the result of me wanting to learn even more about the world and read more stories about it. For example, Fay's backstory or a more political plot surrounding the foundation of The Order would be very interesting to read about.

Even though I think Gregoire did a really good job at portraying Kayden's character development, I couldn't quite believe how immensely the change was in the end. Especially her behaviour towards Fay changes so drastically over the course of just one day that it's hard to accept, even knowing the circumstances surrounding it. However, these are some minor quibbles I'm accounting mainly to this book being a debut novel and I'm certain Gregoire's writing will further improve with time.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Ian Gregoire's debut novel The Exercise of Vital Powers. I would recommend this book to fans of very character-driven stories with slow pacing, complex characters and powerful female leads. Gregoire decided to make this book into a series and I'm intrigued to see where he will go with it.

[Julie Schiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would actually give this book 4.5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and look forward to reading any additional novels in this series that Gregoire may write. I quickly became attached to the characters and the storyline. This fantasy is similar to Canavan's trilogy The Magicians Guild (which I also really liked).

I became aware of this little-known book when the author offered to send me a free copy. I checked out the summary and decided that it may be right up my alley. Since the book was very reasonably priced on my Nook ($1.99 I think) I decided to support the author and purchase it. I was not disappointed. There is mystery, excitement, intrigue, and magic; and this book takes place in only a 2-day time frame. I would love to learn more about this world and its people. I recommend it to any lover of magical fantasy.

[Suzanne Rogerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel very much. It takes place over a few days in Kayden's life when so many things change and she learns much about herself. The Order and the magic system are well thought out, and the world brought to life with descriptive writing. I really liked Kayden's mentors Fay and Ari, and Kayden is pretty cool once you get past her arrogant front. At points I just couldn't stop reading and stayed up way past bedtime because I had to know what happened next.

I felt there was a little too much information at times, which slowed the story down. However, there was a lot of historical battles and background to get across, and you need these slower passages to understand the current situation in the Nine Kingdoms. I think it also sets up possible ideas of the troubles to come in future books.

I can't believe the author managed to fit so much in over so little time. I feel this is the start of a great adventure and I am very much looking forward to the second instalment of what I believe will be a 5 part series.

I recommend to those who love detailed world building and love being transported into magical worlds.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a pleasant surprise this book proved to be. To the best of my knowledge, there's been zero hype for The Exercise Of Vital Powers, so my expectations were low, but I'm sure glad I took a chance on it. I was rewarded with a roller coaster ride that was incredibly difficult to put down. This is a genuine page-turner, with a compelling plot, excellent world building and great charaterisation.

For any prospective readers sitting on the fence, get yourself a copy of this book ASAP. It's so much better than a lot of the over-hyped bestselling fantasy books that have been released in recent years: I'm looking at you, "The Poppy War" and "The Rage Of Dragons".

[I.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

You don't have to be likeable

Firstly, I'm not one of those people who like reading or watching stories where no one is likeable so reading this novel was a little difficult in the beginning. But the world Gregoire created is so compelling, I had to keep reading. And I also fell in love with Fay, the administrator and master. She really made the story for me. I am looking forward to the next book.

[Megan Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book and I enjoyed reading it. I enjoyed the storyline and characters. The story had me in the edge of my seat.

[Mahesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely done.
Author showed how trauma can affect one's life and with out the help of friends or family we cannot come out of it.
The progression of Kayden was too good (Because I hated her first but started liking her later)
Will look forward for the next book in the series.

Thanks to Prolific works for provinding me with a free copy.

[Eclecticbookreviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kayden is a perfect anti-hero brilliant and savage. I kept reading just to figure out what drives her to win and be the best. If she can't beat you with her words she will literally beat you. This book is great with wonderful magical world building.

[Justine (Milkz)]

This is the first self published book I've accepted for reviewing purposes, and I'm honestly so excited to get to it!