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Vendetta's Rise
Elucard is a young elf thrust headlong into the world of the Black Rabbit clan, a ruthless organization of assassins. There he must wrestle with the grueling training, cut-throat competition, and the morality of being a killer.
- GenresFantasy
380 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 4, 2018
*Note: I audiobook-ed this and was sent the audio free by the author*
This book is definitely a fun one, although I do think it's got some overly-zealous moments and some under-developed ones. It's a coming of age story which has some very fun aspects (assassins, secret units, and political warfare) and it's one that, although I took a little while to get into it, kept me listening through to the end.
The story follows a few different characters, we have our main character, Elucard, who is a young boy when the story begins, but we follow his life over quite a few years after he is taken by the Black Rabbits, an Assassin Crew who steal and train children and defend those who can pay. Elucard is a very stereotypical hero character, he's easily manipulated, and forced into the role, and he quickly rises through the ranks. I liked him for his sensitive side, but as the story went on he because harder because of the events he was forced to live through and do, and I think he lost his way a little.
The Black Rabbits are an interesting and very big part of the story. Not only do we get to see how they work together and how they brainwash and manipulate the new children into believing their way is correct and so on, we also get to see the politics within the group and the rivalries that form. Elucard is not the only one who has rivals, but as you rise through the ranks the stakes get higher.
We also have the King and Prince Koda (sp?) who are another strand of the story. The dilemma Koda faces about whether to follow his grandfather or father's footsteps is a big one, and so he is in training for both roles and he hopes to take on one a long time in the future. However, the future comes quicker than expected when the King is killed by Black Rabbits, throwing the Kingdom into disarray and war.
I definitely think the battle scenes were done well in this story, and I enjoyed some of the characters' plots, but I felt at times that the mantras of the Black Rabbits because a bit grating and irritating. I would have preferred a briefing on the way they need to live at the start and then not so much recapping as we went on.
There are some flashback scenes from Legion, one of the trainers in the Black Rabbits, and we see how he was developed into the character he is today. I liked this as it added a bit of depth, but sometimes they came across a little clumsily.
Overall, it's a fun assassin story to listen to and I think it's just the start of a series as the ending was intriguing. I would give it 3*s overall :)
This book is definitely a fun one, although I do think it's got some overly-zealous moments and some under-developed ones. It's a coming of age story which has some very fun aspects (assassins, secret units, and political warfare) and it's one that, although I took a little while to get into it, kept me listening through to the end.
The story follows a few different characters, we have our main character, Elucard, who is a young boy when the story begins, but we follow his life over quite a few years after he is taken by the Black Rabbits, an Assassin Crew who steal and train children and defend those who can pay. Elucard is a very stereotypical hero character, he's easily manipulated, and forced into the role, and he quickly rises through the ranks. I liked him for his sensitive side, but as the story went on he because harder because of the events he was forced to live through and do, and I think he lost his way a little.
The Black Rabbits are an interesting and very big part of the story. Not only do we get to see how they work together and how they brainwash and manipulate the new children into believing their way is correct and so on, we also get to see the politics within the group and the rivalries that form. Elucard is not the only one who has rivals, but as you rise through the ranks the stakes get higher.
We also have the King and Prince Koda (sp?) who are another strand of the story. The dilemma Koda faces about whether to follow his grandfather or father's footsteps is a big one, and so he is in training for both roles and he hopes to take on one a long time in the future. However, the future comes quicker than expected when the King is killed by Black Rabbits, throwing the Kingdom into disarray and war.
I definitely think the battle scenes were done well in this story, and I enjoyed some of the characters' plots, but I felt at times that the mantras of the Black Rabbits because a bit grating and irritating. I would have preferred a briefing on the way they need to live at the start and then not so much recapping as we went on.
There are some flashback scenes from Legion, one of the trainers in the Black Rabbits, and we see how he was developed into the character he is today. I liked this as it added a bit of depth, but sometimes they came across a little clumsily.
Overall, it's a fun assassin story to listen to and I think it's just the start of a series as the ending was intriguing. I would give it 3*s overall :)
November 23, 2021
Amazing book.
Vendetta's Rise is the first book in The Dragon Realms Saga. And it's written by J.M. Gillespie. Vendetta's Rise is a captivating tale full of love, loss, and sacrifice.
The main protagonist Elucard is thrown headlong into the ruthless world of the assassin clan: The Black Rabbits. We also get to meet Elucard's mentor Legion. The book also follows two more main characters, Koda and Wicker. Two people fighting on the opposite side.
And here Elucard must learn to survive in The Black Rabbits. Facing not only the grueling training but also dealing with the cutthroat competition and learning how to wrestle with the vastly different morality of being a killer.
I am a huge fan of fantasy genre, and if you too are a lover of reading fantasy tales then Vendetta's Rise is the perfect read for you. One of the other things that I liked about the book is that the culture that readers will read about in the book is written so well. You can see that it's written well and in a clear manner which helped me as a reader get even more intrigued with the story. It's the type of book that will keep you intrigued and will make you more interested in reading the book. So I am waiting to read the next part of the series.
If you love reading books with assassins or books that resemble the storylines that are commonly seen in anime or video games then this book is the perfect read for you. The author has written a book with an engaging story that will keep you hooked and engaged from the first page itself. With badass assassins and great plot twists, I will recommend this book to everyone that loves reading fantasy books.
Vendetta's Rise is the first book in The Dragon Realms Saga. And it's written by J.M. Gillespie. Vendetta's Rise is a captivating tale full of love, loss, and sacrifice.
The main protagonist Elucard is thrown headlong into the ruthless world of the assassin clan: The Black Rabbits. We also get to meet Elucard's mentor Legion. The book also follows two more main characters, Koda and Wicker. Two people fighting on the opposite side.
And here Elucard must learn to survive in The Black Rabbits. Facing not only the grueling training but also dealing with the cutthroat competition and learning how to wrestle with the vastly different morality of being a killer.
I am a huge fan of fantasy genre, and if you too are a lover of reading fantasy tales then Vendetta's Rise is the perfect read for you. One of the other things that I liked about the book is that the culture that readers will read about in the book is written so well. You can see that it's written well and in a clear manner which helped me as a reader get even more intrigued with the story. It's the type of book that will keep you intrigued and will make you more interested in reading the book. So I am waiting to read the next part of the series.
If you love reading books with assassins or books that resemble the storylines that are commonly seen in anime or video games then this book is the perfect read for you. The author has written a book with an engaging story that will keep you hooked and engaged from the first page itself. With badass assassins and great plot twists, I will recommend this book to everyone that loves reading fantasy books.
August 5, 2019
A captivating tale of love, loss and the sacrifice of one's morality to survive.
I had the pleasure of reading Vendetta's Rise while traveling to see my friend. I'll start by saying this is a favorite from my recent reads, and I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. It has assassins and very anime/video game finishing moves. Which I love. It won't be for everyone. ;)
This book focuses mainly on Elucard, a young man forced to become an assassin, and his mentor Legion. There's also two other main character POVs that we follow. Koda and Wiccer. These two characters are of the opposing "side" to the main opposing assassin group, so you get a vast story that encompasses different beliefs and cultures.
Speaking of culture, there are songs, prayers and languages in this book. Which, if you follow my reviews, I usually loathe because they always seem like a half-baked necessity fantasy writes feel they need to include because of Tolkien. But, here's the plot twist, I actually liked the inclusion. It made the writing richer and helped flesh out the culture. This is the first time I have ever enjoyed this aspect of fantasy writing. (I also see there's a companion book containing the poems, prayers and songs, which if I'm honest, I might just have to pick up.)
This book has a large cast. Which is handled very well, but my own preference would have been to either cut some of the characters, or make this book longer and spend more time developing each of them. This is a downfall of epic fantasies, ones in particular that resemble an anime/video game cast. I always pick a favorite and therefore impatiently skim chapters to get to the characters I do care about. Which for me was Legion and Elucard. I did end up liking the other characters more, but when you have a favorite and the story is rolling, I sometimes can't help myself.
My main critique of this book is tied into the characters, and I'll go into detail about it here.
1) I was surprised at how much time elapsed in this book. At least a few years, if not more. I felt at times the author could have easily spent more time developing moments between characters to evoke a great affection toward more of the cast.
2) Tension. Since there is a lot of time elapsed in this book, I felt some of the "big" moments in the book weren't as big OMG moments as they could have been. More buildup, and a little more time with the characters would have fixed this. And honestly (author if you're reading this) definitely spend the time. I think mos
3.) Growing author tendencies. I feel like when I write this some people might overreact. A lot of indie books by nature are a little flawed. I don't care. I like seeing an author uninhibited by the big five publishers, so I'm willing to overlook the more rough writing.
Honestly, I feel pretty privileged to have found this author when I did, because I get to join the fan club and see how the writing, characters and story evolve.
Overall, a very enjoyable tale that I devoured. If you like anime or video games, would definitely recommend. If you like assassins, would also recommend. A comparative anime title might be a little bit of Bungou Stray dogs (because of the betrayals and general badasss-ness of assassins), although it has more heart, which I loved.
I had the pleasure of reading Vendetta's Rise while traveling to see my friend. I'll start by saying this is a favorite from my recent reads, and I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. It has assassins and very anime/video game finishing moves. Which I love. It won't be for everyone. ;)
This book focuses mainly on Elucard, a young man forced to become an assassin, and his mentor Legion. There's also two other main character POVs that we follow. Koda and Wiccer. These two characters are of the opposing "side" to the main opposing assassin group, so you get a vast story that encompasses different beliefs and cultures.
Speaking of culture, there are songs, prayers and languages in this book. Which, if you follow my reviews, I usually loathe because they always seem like a half-baked necessity fantasy writes feel they need to include because of Tolkien. But, here's the plot twist, I actually liked the inclusion. It made the writing richer and helped flesh out the culture. This is the first time I have ever enjoyed this aspect of fantasy writing. (I also see there's a companion book containing the poems, prayers and songs, which if I'm honest, I might just have to pick up.)
This book has a large cast. Which is handled very well, but my own preference would have been to either cut some of the characters, or make this book longer and spend more time developing each of them. This is a downfall of epic fantasies, ones in particular that resemble an anime/video game cast. I always pick a favorite and therefore impatiently skim chapters to get to the characters I do care about. Which for me was Legion and Elucard. I did end up liking the other characters more, but when you have a favorite and the story is rolling, I sometimes can't help myself.
My main critique of this book is tied into the characters, and I'll go into detail about it here.
1) I was surprised at how much time elapsed in this book. At least a few years, if not more. I felt at times the author could have easily spent more time developing moments between characters to evoke a great affection toward more of the cast.
2) Tension. Since there is a lot of time elapsed in this book, I felt some of the "big" moments in the book weren't as big OMG moments as they could have been. More buildup, and a little more time with the characters would have fixed this. And honestly (author if you're reading this) definitely spend the time. I think mos
3.) Growing author tendencies. I feel like when I write this some people might overreact. A lot of indie books by nature are a little flawed. I don't care. I like seeing an author uninhibited by the big five publishers, so I'm willing to overlook the more rough writing.
Honestly, I feel pretty privileged to have found this author when I did, because I get to join the fan club and see how the writing, characters and story evolve.
Overall, a very enjoyable tale that I devoured. If you like anime or video games, would definitely recommend. If you like assassins, would also recommend. A comparative anime title might be a little bit of Bungou Stray dogs (because of the betrayals and general badasss-ness of assassins), although it has more heart, which I loved.
September 24, 2025
one of the better books in my openion the characters are layered well developed like Elucard avren koda wiccer Xile izian legion
legion is a very intresting character
legion is a very intresting character
February 9, 2018
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway from the author (I think) – thank you!
Most of my review consists of things that didn’t work for me. I think that this may be a debut novel from this author (and self-published), so most of these issues are things that I imagine will be resolved as the author gains more experience. I think it’s commendable that the author is writing the story he imagined. It takes a lot of courage for a new writer to put their work out there, so I don’t mean for this review to be disheartening.
I do want to mention that the author wrote the military aspects/battles really well. I thought that these were quite convincing and felt realistic (unsurprising since I see the author served in the army). There were some very interesting ideas presented in the book as well – in particular, I was intrigued by the magic system, though this wasn’t really focused on as much. This seems like a pretty cool world that could provide many stories.
The Goodreads synopsis is a little misleading since it implies that there’s only one main character. While Elucard is the focus of most of the book, there are several other main characters. Overall, there’s a pretty large cast of characters. While it makes sense to have lots of characters in a group of assassins/military group, I think that the book would have been better off restricting the POV sections to the main characters.
I thought that the book suffered from some pacing problems – it’s supposed to be a “coming of age” story, but the book spanned more years than usual in these types of books. For example, in the first 150 pages or so, about 2 years have gone by. While it’s not necessarily a bad thing to speed up some time, I thought this was a bit jarring and I had a little bit of trouble keeping track of how old everyone was. This also felt like a very long book – I think this book would actually have been better off being split into two books.
Unfortunately, this book is in need of some serious editing. There were multiple instances where words would be unnecessarily capitalized in sentences. Punctuation was sometimes missing or incorrect. There were several cases where the wrong word was used (your instead of you’re, were instead of we’re, it’s instead of its, etc). There were a few cases where there would be an extra word in a sentence that didn’t belong (one case of this was “the their” instead of “their”). A female character (a wolf) was referred to as “he” in one case.
There were a few instances where the tense would suddenly shift from being in past tense to present tense. I felt that most of these cases were info dumps – a better way to work this information in could be in conversations that the characters have. Even if this wasn’t in a conversation, providing this information in past tense would be a good idea so it’s not so jarring to switch from past to present. Along this same train of thought, there were some cases of flashbacks to introduce some backstory. I think that this would also have been better off if it had been worked into a conversation.
I had a hard time categorizing this book. It mostly felt like a YA book in terms of how it’s written, but there were some plot points that were very mature and felt out of place. For example, the brother of one of the main characters and a former assassin suddenly have a sexual relationship. This didn’t really seem plausible as they saw each other once and then kept thinking about how much they wanted each other…even though they were enemies.
This book also felt somewhat like a novelization of an anime in terms of how the characters acted. There were many instances where characters would suddenly change their outlook on life (or opinion on something major). This didn’t feel very realistic to me that one conversation would be enough to convince someone to completely change who they were. I think that extending this change in behavior throughout the book would have been better – it would be nice to read more about a character’s struggle to reconcile what they originally believed with this new idea. To be fair, several characters do question their beliefs and struggle with it some. I liked that they questioned the morality of their activities, but I want to see more of it.
TL; DR This book definitely needs some editing. If you’re a fan of anime and aren’t bothered by grammatical issues, you may enjoy this book. For me personally, I don’t love anime and grammar issues do bother me, so this book didn’t quite hit the mark.
Most of my review consists of things that didn’t work for me. I think that this may be a debut novel from this author (and self-published), so most of these issues are things that I imagine will be resolved as the author gains more experience. I think it’s commendable that the author is writing the story he imagined. It takes a lot of courage for a new writer to put their work out there, so I don’t mean for this review to be disheartening.
I do want to mention that the author wrote the military aspects/battles really well. I thought that these were quite convincing and felt realistic (unsurprising since I see the author served in the army). There were some very interesting ideas presented in the book as well – in particular, I was intrigued by the magic system, though this wasn’t really focused on as much. This seems like a pretty cool world that could provide many stories.
The Goodreads synopsis is a little misleading since it implies that there’s only one main character. While Elucard is the focus of most of the book, there are several other main characters. Overall, there’s a pretty large cast of characters. While it makes sense to have lots of characters in a group of assassins/military group, I think that the book would have been better off restricting the POV sections to the main characters.
I thought that the book suffered from some pacing problems – it’s supposed to be a “coming of age” story, but the book spanned more years than usual in these types of books. For example, in the first 150 pages or so, about 2 years have gone by. While it’s not necessarily a bad thing to speed up some time, I thought this was a bit jarring and I had a little bit of trouble keeping track of how old everyone was. This also felt like a very long book – I think this book would actually have been better off being split into two books.
Unfortunately, this book is in need of some serious editing. There were multiple instances where words would be unnecessarily capitalized in sentences. Punctuation was sometimes missing or incorrect. There were several cases where the wrong word was used (your instead of you’re, were instead of we’re, it’s instead of its, etc). There were a few cases where there would be an extra word in a sentence that didn’t belong (one case of this was “the their” instead of “their”). A female character (a wolf) was referred to as “he” in one case.
There were a few instances where the tense would suddenly shift from being in past tense to present tense. I felt that most of these cases were info dumps – a better way to work this information in could be in conversations that the characters have. Even if this wasn’t in a conversation, providing this information in past tense would be a good idea so it’s not so jarring to switch from past to present. Along this same train of thought, there were some cases of flashbacks to introduce some backstory. I think that this would also have been better off if it had been worked into a conversation.
I had a hard time categorizing this book. It mostly felt like a YA book in terms of how it’s written, but there were some plot points that were very mature and felt out of place. For example, the brother of one of the main characters and a former assassin suddenly have a sexual relationship. This didn’t really seem plausible as they saw each other once and then kept thinking about how much they wanted each other…even though they were enemies.
This book also felt somewhat like a novelization of an anime in terms of how the characters acted. There were many instances where characters would suddenly change their outlook on life (or opinion on something major). This didn’t feel very realistic to me that one conversation would be enough to convince someone to completely change who they were. I think that extending this change in behavior throughout the book would have been better – it would be nice to read more about a character’s struggle to reconcile what they originally believed with this new idea. To be fair, several characters do question their beliefs and struggle with it some. I liked that they questioned the morality of their activities, but I want to see more of it.
TL; DR This book definitely needs some editing. If you’re a fan of anime and aren’t bothered by grammatical issues, you may enjoy this book. For me personally, I don’t love anime and grammar issues do bother me, so this book didn’t quite hit the mark.
October 7, 2022
In my latest reread of Vendetta's Rise, I was immediately reminded exactly what captivated me about this story in the first place. I still remember devouring the first act of an early draft and waiting eagerly each day to read the new installments of the second act as they were put out by the author. The budding, intertwined stories of Elucard, Wiccer, and Koda hooked me in from their very first chapters, and the world of the Dragon Realms overflowed with enticing lore and hints to future storylines. As a fan of Brent Weeks' Night Angel trilogy and holding particular fancy for rogues and assassins, dark fantasy, and revenge stories, this story grabbed my attention immediately and never let it go.
As the debut novel of an indie author, Vendetta's Rise is not without some flaws. However, in terms of actual plot, characterization, motivations, worldbuilding, and growth arcs, I have never found anything to complain about. The story is strong enough to look past the grammatical issues and simply enjoy it for what it is - which I do, immensely. There is just enough touch of anime-esque exaggeration to action sequences and visuals to make those details pop, without going overboard into ham-fisted shonen. The suspension of disbelief remained unbroken throughout. The author has a well-developed voice, and even though the writing in Vendetta's Rise has room to improve, it's easy to see just from book one that the author has the ability to go far with his storytelling (and having already read books 2 and 3, I can say without a doubt that Gillespie is a talented writer, and that it is absolutely worth it to stick with this series).
While following the paths of multiple characters in a wide cast, Vendetta's Rise focuses closest on the journey of Elucard as he turns from a simple fisherman's son to a ruthless assassin of the most feared clan in the land. The development from the innocence of childhood to the cold and frightening killer is well laid out, even so much that I was still able to root for him throughout the book, and one cannot help but think, "How will he come back from this one?" with every new horrific act he carries out, rather than hating him as a villain. Likewise, the story arcs of Wiccer and Koda were equally engaging, especially once the three of them began to overlap and affect each other with irreversible consequences. They rise, they fall, they rise again.
And of course, the stakes are raised exponentially once part two begins, complete with heart-stopping subterfuge, gripping large-scale battles, and character bonds you can never forget.
---------
One star has been deducted for the grammar, punctuation, and formatting errors. While they did not detract from my enjoyment of the story, many were impossible to ignore, and a few times they did interrupt the flow of reading and occasionally muddled clarity on small details. Overall a great read, one I will happily reread for years to come.
As the debut novel of an indie author, Vendetta's Rise is not without some flaws. However, in terms of actual plot, characterization, motivations, worldbuilding, and growth arcs, I have never found anything to complain about. The story is strong enough to look past the grammatical issues and simply enjoy it for what it is - which I do, immensely. There is just enough touch of anime-esque exaggeration to action sequences and visuals to make those details pop, without going overboard into ham-fisted shonen. The suspension of disbelief remained unbroken throughout. The author has a well-developed voice, and even though the writing in Vendetta's Rise has room to improve, it's easy to see just from book one that the author has the ability to go far with his storytelling (and having already read books 2 and 3, I can say without a doubt that Gillespie is a talented writer, and that it is absolutely worth it to stick with this series).
While following the paths of multiple characters in a wide cast, Vendetta's Rise focuses closest on the journey of Elucard as he turns from a simple fisherman's son to a ruthless assassin of the most feared clan in the land. The development from the innocence of childhood to the cold and frightening killer is well laid out, even so much that I was still able to root for him throughout the book, and one cannot help but think, "How will he come back from this one?" with every new horrific act he carries out, rather than hating him as a villain. Likewise, the story arcs of Wiccer and Koda were equally engaging, especially once the three of them began to overlap and affect each other with irreversible consequences. They rise, they fall, they rise again.
And of course, the stakes are raised exponentially once part two begins, complete with heart-stopping subterfuge, gripping large-scale battles, and character bonds you can never forget.
---------
One star has been deducted for the grammar, punctuation, and formatting errors. While they did not detract from my enjoyment of the story, many were impossible to ignore, and a few times they did interrupt the flow of reading and occasionally muddled clarity on small details. Overall a great read, one I will happily reread for years to come.
July 6, 2020
So here what I've think about the book.
The story Likable protagonist(s) with very immersive character development and the set ups in the first few parts was well worth leading to some good payoffs and surprises in later chapters.
only issue with the story tho is that Some minor characters, especially the ones that we've least spend time with, are kinda forgettable. and Some chapters are more telling rather than showing.
overall, the book has a lot of potential going for and it is a fun read
The story Likable protagonist(s) with very immersive character development and the set ups in the first few parts was well worth leading to some good payoffs and surprises in later chapters.
only issue with the story tho is that Some minor characters, especially the ones that we've least spend time with, are kinda forgettable. and Some chapters are more telling rather than showing.
overall, the book has a lot of potential going for and it is a fun read
May 17, 2018
Gillespie's vast imagination and true love for his creation combined have culminated in a life's work that truly shines. His ongoing work on the world that he is building shows a passion and desire to share his vision with his audience. If you were to buy one book this year, make it this fantastic opener to the Dragon Realms saga!
April 17, 2023
Hi J.M I personally found out about this account from Instagram as I was scrolling through,came here to try it out and oh my oh my I love your work,I am Sasha from Uganda and I adore writing so much I hope to write a book someday but I tell you what it isn't as simple as it sounds,I'm so glad I found your account and I hope you upload more and more books; lots of love and respect 🖖
October 10, 2023
A wonderful new world to explore
This book opens up an exciting new world that has so many characters to sink into. Don't get too comfortable though the plot thickens around every corner and your favorites may change in a heartbeat. While the end continues to expand this vast universe it does make me anxious to read the next book.
This book opens up an exciting new world that has so many characters to sink into. Don't get too comfortable though the plot thickens around every corner and your favorites may change in a heartbeat. While the end continues to expand this vast universe it does make me anxious to read the next book.
September 27, 2017
A gripping read! Keeps you wanting more long after the final page. what really makes it such a great read is how invested you become with the characters, you care about them and their journey!!!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews