The Ranger of Marzanna (The Goddess War, #1) by Jon Skovron

Mar 02, 2020 Petrik rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs-and-review-copies

ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review.

2.5/5 stars

Atmospheric, slow-paced, and well-written, but I have mixed feelings.

I haven’t read the series, but I’ve heard many great things about Jon Skovron’s Empire of Storms trilogy. When I saw that Skovron’s newest book, The Ranger of Marzanna, is a Russian inspired fantasy that has Magali Villleneuve as the cover artist—look at that cover art, it’s stunning—I immediately put this book on my radar. The result of the content ...more

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Mar 25, 2020 Ari rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-arc, 2020-reads

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Amazon | Waterstones

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

"...there is always suffering.
On any path.
That is an unavoidable part of life,
regardless of what you choose to do with it.
Suffering is what makes us who we are."

At the center of The Ranger of Marzanna we have the siblings Sonya and Sebastian, two very different people, tugged in very different directions amid the upcoming war in their land. Sebastian wants to be a s Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Amazon | Waterstones

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

"...there is always suffering.
On any path.
That is an unavoidable part of life,
regardless of what you choose to do with it.
Suffering is what makes us who we are."

At the center of The Ranger of Marzanna we have the siblings Sonya and Sebastian, two very different people, tugged in very different directions amid the upcoming war in their land. Sebastian wants to be a soldier for the Aureum Imperial Army that has overtaken their land of Gogoleth in Izmoroz. Sonya wants to take down said army and free the Izmoroz people, eventually lifting them to the status that they once possessed.

Despite the fact that Sonya and Sebastian are the central figures in this story, they were the two characters that I had the most difficulty associating with. I could never quite put my finger on who Sonya was, between her bursts of eager friendliness and her mindless animalistic tendencies—which, did make sense, considering how the gifts of the Lady of Marzanna are granted. I think that we just did not mesh as reader/character. And Sebastian was unlikable; rather than raise above circumstances, he would behave like the child others thought him to be, and break into murderous tantrums whenever he would become upset. Whenever the two of them would come together in a scene, any maturity they might have retained would collapse into a mess of terrible comebacks and immature behavior.

Just because they're fighting for different causes, and are, in essence, enemies, does not mean that they need to act like ten-year-olds battling over a toy.

Among the rest of the cast, Jorge, Blaine and Galina were some of the most entertaining to read. Jorge was a great source of balance for Sonya's impetuousness, he's bright, sweet, loyal. Blaine is full to bursting of a strong warrior spirit, he's funny, and a lot more intelligent than he appears to be. And Galina is incredibly smart, a great tactician, and wonderfully manipulative. It doesn't sound like that last one is a good quality to have, but it fits her personality beautifully, and therefore complements her quite well. For me, those three drove the story.

The story itself was easy to get through despite its length, and I did want to know how it would wrap up, but it was dry for the most part. It's slow-going, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but there's a lot of nothing happening throughout. I really enjoyed the inclusion of the Lady of Marzanna/Morena/Mara/Morana in the plot, and her scenes were some of the best. She gives us enough of the disturbing darkness that portrays her role as goddess of winter and death in-story very nicely. But these scenes were far too few and far in between. Her appearance at the very end—alongside whom I assume to be the Uaine's god of death, Bás—was enough to make me want to read the second book, but this first one did not meet enough of my expectations.

All in all, it's a fair novel, I'm a huge fan of the Russian influence stroked into it, and I do want to see how things develop in the next installment. I just hope for growth in the future. ...more

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Mar 30, 2020 Athena (OneReadingNurse) rated it really liked it

Thank you so much to Orbit Books via NetGalley for the e-ARC of The Ranger of Marzanna by Jon Skovron. The book was provided in exchange for an honest review and all opinions are my own.

I was looking for some awesome new fantasy books to review this spring and summer and couldn't resist this title based off of my favorite thing ever...horses on the cover. An other-worldly looking woman on a gorgeous horse, plus a description based off Russian and Polish legends did it for me. I also love sibling Thank you so much to Orbit Books via NetGalley for the e-ARC of The Ranger of Marzanna by Jon Skovron. The book was provided in exchange for an honest review and all opinions are my own.

I was looking for some awesome new fantasy books to review this spring and summer and couldn't resist this title based off of my favorite thing ever...horses on the cover. An other-worldly looking woman on a gorgeous horse, plus a description based off Russian and Polish legends did it for me. I also love sibling rivalries and was not disappointed.

The plot is interesting and the story is well paced. It may be 528 pages but did not feel that long and at times it was hard to put down. The chapters mostly alternated between Sonya and Sebastian, the siblings on either side of this war, and the chapters from other characters advanced things as well. I like books that don't repeat themselves.

The world building was fantastic with architecture, climate, food, morale, and religion of both the conquerors and the conquered described in fine detail. The nobility and the peasants both had their turn and I understood the larger motivations of the citizenry. I also loved the Uaine as a bunch of partying war bands - fucking and alcohol and necromancers, Oh my!!! The army of the dead was so cool, well done concept.

The entire plot seemed.........too easy though. Like an obvious set up. All of it.

I liked the family relationships described throughout the book. Each main character gets to examine their relationship with their parents while finding their own footing. Yes parents have lives, yes they have sex lives and friends and personalities and I think it was great that this theme kept coming out. Above all else the young characters may have made some bad decisions but they were always encouraged to do what THEY thought was right.

I also liked the characters well enough, Sonya is funny and awkward but also a Ranger, ready to whip around and murder a crew of soldiers. Jorge is funny too and I liked that while the other characters picked at his religion, he stood strong on his morals. Sebastian is just a little duped twit. See next paragraph for my discourse on motives. Elgin Mordha and Blaine might have been my favorite side characters. Galina and Sebastien's mom seemed like hollow shells... I just didn't understand their motives.

Most of my issues with this book were that I didn't think the character's motivations made sense. Things were too easy. Why would Jorge just drop his life's work? Why would Sebastian just run off and turn into a murderous twit under the tutelage of the man who killed his father? Even Sonja seemed misguided at times, like trusting Elgin Mordha seemed like a questionable choice without really knowing anything about his tribes. I think a lot of the young naivete here is setting the stage for a ton of intrigue and betrayal in book 2, which I am ready for. The end of the book pointed to a lot of tables turning and I think these characters are going to have a lot of hard lessons to learn.

I did enjoy the book and would recommend to fantasy fans. It's not an amazing stand out novel, but I'm calling it a solid one. I am on board for the second book due to the massive amount of set up that came at the end of this novel, I just see a lot of room for plot improvement and am basing this review on my level of entertainment, which was high.

Thank you again to Orbit Books for the review copy, all opinions are my own.

The book releases 4/21 so check it out if it sounds up your alley! ...more

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Jul 19, 2020 eriophora rated it it was ok

This review and others can be read on my blog, Black Forest Basilisks.

Tropes!

* GORGEOUS cover!
* Sibling rivalries!
* Magic… but at a price
* traitorous lovers

Full review

I had a few frustrations with The Ranger of Marzanna. There were many things I ought to have enjoyed more than I did - I love the idea of magic coming at a price of your own humanity, for example. Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with the characters and found the prose to be mediocre at best. The dialogue in particular tended This review and others can be read on my blog, Black Forest Basilisks.

Tropes!

* GORGEOUS cover!
* Sibling rivalries!
* Magic… but at a price
* traitorous lovers

Full review

I had a few frustrations with The Ranger of Marzanna. There were many things I ought to have enjoyed more than I did - I love the idea of magic coming at a price of your own humanity, for example. Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with the characters and found the prose to be mediocre at best. The dialogue in particular tended to take me out of the narrative.

That being said, there’s still a relatively solid foundation beneath the top level issues. The book follows two siblings who have been forced to stand at odds against one another by their different political beliefs. Sonya is committed to liberating her homeland, Izmoroz, by any means necessary. She’s pledged herself to Lady Marzanna, goddess of death, in pursuit of this goal. In exchange for the Lady’s gifts, she finds herself being slowly but surely stripped of her humanity. Each boon the Lady grants comes at a price.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t entirely impressed with how that price was presented. While Sonya has a few brief moments of horror at the way her inner, animalistic nature manifests, it does not seem to impede her day to day life much at all. Generally, it actually helps her. It felt less like a price and more like a change, which I found to be less compelling.

Her brother, Sebastian, has a very different view of how Izmoroz should be run. He’s embraced the empire that conquered them, and has joined their army as a sorcerer. He wields powerful elemental magic. Where Sonya loses her humanity through her magic, Sebastian loses his piece by piece as the empire demands ever more heinous acts from him.

Within the writing, the two characters are differentiated primarily by their mode of speech. Sebastian exists within the upper echelons of society, rubbing elbows with the nobles and upper crust. Their speech is flowery, purple, and frankly feels awkward and forced. I was not a fan. It felt… juvenile. He's supposedly smart, well-read, and intellectual, but repeatedly ignore the subtext of actions and words in real life.

His sister's actions had made reconciliation impossible. But he reminded himself that even if he had lost his sister, and barely recognized his mother in looks or speech, he had a new family: the noble Commander Vittorio, the wily General Zaniolo, the stalwart Rykov, his loyal men, and of course the beautiful and gentle Galina Odeyevtseva, who comforted him when the burdens of leadership grew heavy.

Sebastian's fiancee, Galina, was arguably the most compelling character in the novel. As it progressed, I was pleased to see her get additional screen time. She and her father have been dedicated to preserving Izmorozian culture for ages; although she's not a native resident, she recognizes the horrors of imperialism that have been inflicted on the land. Initially, she views Sebastian as an opportunity to take their conquerers down from the inside with him by her side. Gradually, these hopes are dashed... and she resolves to use her connection with him to betray the empire and support the Izmorozian uprising. She manipulates the other members of the army, hiding behind a facade of feminine naiveté.

"And to what do we owe the rare pleasure of your feminine charms?" he asked.

"Merely a longing to see my beloved. He has just returned from a mission that took him away from me for several days and I simply could not wait until supper to see him. You know how weak willed and impetuous womenfolk can be, General."

Sonya, in contrast with both Sebastian and Galina, spends most of her time among small, rural villages. She’s committed to working alongside the people. Her dialogue is peppered with modern slang and phrases. In text, it’s made clear that this is meant to represent peasant vernacular. For me, though, it felt jarring and out of place. It was a lot like how I speak to my friends. It’s not a way of speaking that I associate with a fantasy world.

If I had been more invested in the characters and better understood their motivations, I think I would have enjoyed their rivalry much more. As it was, it seemed to lack soul. I didn’t really have a particular reason to care much about Izmoroz, didn’t really understand what motivated Sonya, and Sebestian often just seemed like he was awful for the sake of it. This could have been interesting and compelling if the author had dug a little deeper and done something a bit more original than a black-and-white imperialists-vs-natives story.

The Ranger of Marzanna needed a little more depth and a little more polish. It has some great elements, but I regret to say that they don’t quite live up to their potential. On the whole, the book was aggressively mediocre.

More reviews on my blog, Black Forest Basilisks.

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Apr 19, 2020 Traveling Cloak rated it liked it

Synopsis

Sonya is a free-spirit Ranger of Marzanna; sworn to the Goddess of Winter and death, she lives off the land and protects the people of the Empire from evil. It comes at a cost, though, one that Sonya is willing to pay.

Sebastian is a powerful magician who believes in order and wishes to join the Empirical Army, something his father would never allow. When soldiers murder his father for crimes against the Empire and take Sebastian and his mother into custody, he takes the opportunity to en Synopsis

Sonya is a free-spirit Ranger of Marzanna; sworn to the Goddess of Winter and death, she lives off the land and protects the people of the Empire from evil. It comes at a cost, though, one that Sonya is willing to pay.

Sebastian is a powerful magician who believes in order and wishes to join the Empirical Army, something his father would never allow. When soldiers murder his father for crimes against the Empire and take Sebastian and his mother into custody, he takes the opportunity to enlist in order to keep his family safe.

When Sonya discovers what has happened to her family, she decides it is time for the reign of the Empire to come to an end and attempts to unite allies and rebels who are part of a budding underground revolution into one army. The goal is to drive the Empirical Army out of her homeland and free the people.

As Sebastian hones his magical skills and becomes the Empirical Army’s greatest weapon, what will happen when the two meet on the battlefield? Who will win, and will each have the determination needed to kill the other in a face-to-face battle? How far will each sibling go to protect their own beliefs? The first book in The Goddess War Series seeks to answer those questions.

Review

The Ranger of Marzanna is a story about imperialism and a people uniting against a dictatorship. That is the backdrop for a story that on the surface is a sibling rivalry: a powerful magician who has chosen to fight for the Empire, and his God-chosen sister who has decided to lead an uprising. They each take their own path, with the impetus being that eventually they are going to meet on the battlefield and will have to make tough decisions.

For me, this book has two big bright spots, the first being the cover. It is absolutely amazing, from the color scheme to the tone and the artwork itself, the publisher killed it. There is so much intrigue wrapped into it that I would have probably purchased a copy myself had I walked by it on a shelf in a store, knowing nothing about the book itself. That is a huge compliment, as I am not often that impulsive.

The second part of the book that I really enjoyed was Sonya’s character. She is a total badass, living life her way and making her own rules. Sonya eats what she wants, sleeps where she wants, beds who she wants. She is a Ranger of Marzanna (the only one left after they were eradicated during the war, as far as we know), and her skills are unsurpassed. A good portion of this book is Sonya going around the Empire kicking asses and not apologizing for it. Sonya carries this book, and I really enjoyed her journey.

There were parts of the plot that did not connect so much with me. Sebastian’s story felt rushed to me, and with him being the second main piece that was half the book that I did not really get into. In fact, there were a lot of pieces of the book that, in my opinion, were kind of skimmed over and not developed as much as I would have liked. There was so much more to explore, and I think the story would have benefitted from going in-depth on some topics. Sebastian is the only magician or wizard in the story. Why? There must be a reason. The Goddess of Winter and Death makes an appearance, but what of the other Gods? Or is there only the one? I think there is a possibility this is looked at more closely in Book 2 of the Series, but I think adding a little explanation into this book would have created more anticipation for that part of the story that is to come. I look forward to reading the second book in the series, and hopefully having some of these questions answered.

Overall, I found the Ranger of Marzanna to be a decent read with a few major flaws that took me out of the story too often. If you are into badass female leads, I recommend this book to you, as Sonya makes it all worth it. ...more

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Feb 05, 2020 Narilka rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: giveaways, read-in-2020, ebook

Rating: 3.5 stars

The Ranger of Marzanna is the first in The Goddess War series by Jon Skovron. This is a character driven epic fantasy with heavy Slavic influences. The story focuses on a pair of siblings that end up on separate paths after their father is murdered by Imperial soldiers.

The nation of Izmoroz has been conquered by the Aureumian Empire for many years. Sonya Turgenev Portinari - a Ranger and devotee of Marazanna, the goddess of winter and death - has vowed to remove the Empire's inf Rating: 3.5 stars

The Ranger of Marzanna is the first in The Goddess War series by Jon Skovron. This is a character driven epic fantasy with heavy Slavic influences. The story focuses on a pair of siblings that end up on separate paths after their father is murdered by Imperial soldiers.

The nation of Izmoroz has been conquered by the Aureumian Empire for many years. Sonya Turgenev Portinari - a Ranger and devotee of Marazanna, the goddess of winter and death - has vowed to remove the Empire's influence from Izmoroz and free her country. Coming home after a one of her trips into the wilderness she finds her father has been murdered and her mother and brother abducted. Following their trail to a nearby city Sony is shocked to find her mother, Irina Turgenev Portinari, has returned to her old life as an Izmorozan noble while her brother, Sebastian, has joined the imperial army as a powerful elemental mage. With her family torn apart by the Empire Sonya sets out to find allies in her quest to free her country.

There are a lot of things to like about The Ranger of Marzanna. The worldbuilding is solid. The elemental magic system will be fairly familiar to fantasy fans with just enough changes so it doesn't feel completely stale. More interesting is Marzanna's influence on her followers. A Ranger that receives her blessing is "marked" and begins to change, gaining beastly characteristics of an animal assigned to them by the goddess. I found this aspect fascinating and definitely want to see more of this as the series progresses. There is just enough action mixed in so that the pace remains steady though not breathless like more action oriented books can be.

Sonya is brash and wild, having fully embraced her life as a Ranger. She is determined to protect the land and her countrymen, going to any length necessary to acheive her goal. This takes a surprising turn, bordering on horror elements a times, giving her character a surprising depth. Sebastian is almost her exact opposite. He is a gentle soul, confused by his father's death yet joining the Imperial Army anyway after having been convinced it's the best way to protect his country. He is gradually lead down a path of brutality, not even realizing how badly he's being manipulated by his commanding officer, and continues to deny the atrocities he's committed against the populace. It's an interesting contrast between the two. The supporting cast is great, with the standout being Galina, Sebastian's betrothed. She understands exactly what is happening to Sebastian and tries her best to counteract it, knowing in her heart it's a losing battle. In many ways this makes Galina the most interesting and sympathetic character in the book. I hope she has a larger role in the story to come.

The Ranger of Marzanna is a solid start of a series. I look forward to continuing Sonya and Sebastian's story.

I won a copy of this book in a GoodReads giveaway. ...more

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Apr 02, 2020 Holly (The GrimDragon) rated it did not like it

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi, i-am-a-bookcover-ho

"As their carriage rattled down the road, the snowfields slipped past the barred windows, gleaming luminous in the moonlight. Mounted imperial soldiers surrounded the carriage, riding in perfect formation. Again Sebastian could not help feeling awe at their precision. His father had often spoken of the ruthless efficiency of imperial soldiers, but had neglected to mention their almost serene discipline. Every one of them seemed to know exactly what to do at all times. Sebastian envied them that ...more

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Mar 16, 2020 Jason Aycock rated it did not like it

Shelves: dnf

When The Ranger of Marzanna arrived in the mail I was thrilled. Orbit had sent me an ARC, one of the first I’ve ever received unasked for, and it was gorgeous! Just opening up the package and seeing that beautiful cover illustrated by Magali Villeneuve and designed by Lisa Marie Pompilio took my breath away. Then I flipped it over to read the blurb on the back…(see Goodreads blurb)...

Murder
Imperial intrigue
Sorcery
Sibling rivalry
Rangers
Tundra setting in winter

It’s safe to say after seeing the cov ...more

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Jan 17, 2020 Kenzie The Dragon Queen added it

Shelves: adult, adventure, books-i-have-reviewed, arcs-i-have-read, action, 2-star, fiction, arc-advanced-readers-copies, fantasy

DNF |

First of all I would like to thank the publisher, author, and NetGalley for so graciously providing me with a free digital advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'll start this review off with stating that I didn't finish this book. I wasn't enjoying my reading experience, and I wasn't able to force myself through the process of finishing this book either. I thought it would be more important and professional to submit my review to NetGalley before my three months to read ...more

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Mar 27, 2020 Elizabeth Dragina rated it liked it

Shelves: don-t-waste-your-time

DNF

I got like 15% through this book . . .

I would have continued or tried harder to give it a chance, but I am reading so many ARC's right now and I just don't have the time. :P

PROS ~

- The world building was amazing. 😍
- The MC's were enjoyable.
- PEPPERCORN 💖💖💖
- The foreshadowing and tension within the beginning. *sings* BEAUTIFUL.
- The culture!!!!!
- UMMM HELLO. THAT COVER. 😍

CONS ~

- Content (which I'll get to in a minute)
- Lack of explanation behind the MC's father's death?? Like ... bas ...more

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Apr 20, 2020 Lashaan Balasingam (Bookidote) rated it did not like it

Shelves: read-in-2020, fantasy

You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.

Siblings can be a pain. Whether it’s the inability of the youngest ones to understand the lessons passed down by their elders or the refusal of the oldest ones to allow their little brothers and sisters a chance to forge their own identity through trial and error, there’s nothing easy in this bond tied by blood. While some continue to love each other despite the omnipresent hate, others let go and move on without second thoughts. Having debuted

You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.

Siblings can be a pain. Whether it’s the inability of the youngest ones to understand the lessons passed down by their elders or the refusal of the oldest ones to allow their little brothers and sisters a chance to forge their own identity through trial and error, there’s nothing easy in this bond tied by blood. While some continue to love each other despite the omnipresent hate, others let go and move on without second thoughts. Having debuted his adult fantasy career with his Empire of Storms trilogy, once-actor now-author Jon Skovron looks to deepen this relationship through a brand-new fantasy trilogy with Poland/Russian influence.

What is The Ranger of Marzanna about? Following the murder of their father by imperial soldiers, Sebastian Turgenev Portinari, a teenager with gifted elemental powers, is recruited by the Aureumian Empire, the very faction that killed his faster, to become a valuable asset in an upcoming war against the Uaine Empire who known for their army of the dead. His sister Sonya Turgenev Portinari, however, has other plans for his brother’s betrayal as she channels her training as a Ranger of Marzanna to join the opposition in their plans to invade Izmoroz and take down the nobility that now hosts the remainder of her family. As they each go through their respective forms of training, a war putting them both up against each other is inevitable as their personae refuse to allow each other a life free of tragedy.

Falling flat in its attempt to deliver a refreshing fantasy adventure, author Jon Skovron presents a perfect example of too much telling and very little showing through characters who are less than comprehensible in their actions, thoughts, and dialog. Flawed beyond understanding, both protagonists revel in despicable personalities as they mercilessly progress through this story with firm conviction in their beliefs. With almost little sensitivity to any themes explored, whether it’s love or power, author Jon Skovron rushes through each of their development, blatantly skipping over their characterization, with no regard to the reader’s attachment to his characters.

Spelling everything out without allowing any form of interpretation from the reader, he quickly dismisses any desire to get us invested in his characters, his world or his story. It doesn’t help when the absence of style in writing is also not only frustrating but gives this novel the impression of being a pitiful parody of military fantasy. Forget about a clever strategic approach to warfare, this novel pretends to understand the subgenre and cluelessly incorporates a couple of violent and gory sequences with incredible insensitivity. Top it off with a poorly developed magic lore limited to certain characters (whether it’s the Lady Marzanna culture or the elemental magic system), the whole story consumes itself in its flaws, unable to step out of the flames it ignites along the way.

The plot’s pacing also denotes awkward progression that invites unfathomable inconsistencies. Imagine a 16-year-old child with potential wizardry skills progressing through army ranks faster than you can count to sixteen while also pretending to be an adult. The story ultimately feels like an immature battle of siblings who happen to have everything go their way, thus presenting us with a war between factions that, at first, seemed to hold much more gravity than what is delivered in the end. While there are a few decent ideas introduced in the first book of The Goddess War—although they are hastily skimmed over—they didn’t succeed in standing out enough to save this tale.

The Ranger of Marzanna is a hinderingly dull fantasy story revolving around foolish siblings as rivals preparing a lackluster war between the Aureumian and Uaine Empires.

Thank you to Orbit for sending me a copy for review!

Yours truly,

Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/ ...more

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Jan 06, 2020 Sheila Goicea rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-completed-reads, 2020-releases, fantasy-adult, tbr-series-to-complete, arc-ebook, color-me-with-this-cover, includes-zombies, warning-adult-content, 2020-top-picks

I received an ARC of this book from Orbit Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! In no way does this affect my rating or review.

description

All included quotes have been taken from an ARC and may not match the finished publication.

Content Warning: Profanity, Death, War, Adult sexual content, Gore

Hunters might strike with efficiency, thereby sparing their prey undo pain and suffering, but creatures of the wild did not take into account such things. And certainly Lady Marzanna, Godd

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Dec 25, 2020 Izzie rated it liked it

Shelves: epic-fantasy, arcs

This book was... Okay. I wanted to love it, I wanted the contents to match the beautiful cover, and to prove the other reviewers wrong. And while there was lots to enjoy - the worldbuilding, the relationships between characters, the magic - the writing just felt very... juvenile to me. It read more like a debut, which I know this is not. However, like I said, there were aspects I enjoyed, and I enjoyed them enough to want more, and to want to read the sequel when it's released next year. Hopeful ...more

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Apr 17, 2020 Delaney rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2020-releases, arcs-or-review-copies, read-in-2021

Review for The Ranger of Marzanna by Jon Skovron

Thank you so much to Orbit for sending me a copy of this to read and review! All opinions are my own.

Trigger Warnings (TW): For a lot of violence/murder scenes. Stay safe, friends!

Summary:
“ When their father is murdered by imperial soldiers, two siblings set out on opposite paths—one will destroy the Empire forever and the other will save it—in this thrilling new Russian inspired epic fantasy from Jon Skovron.

Sonya is training to be a Rang ...more

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Apr 20, 2020 Bob/Sally rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-epic, female-fronted-fantasy

With complex characters, a unique setting, an intriguing mythology, and an even more complex morality, The Ranger of Marzanna is one of those books that managed to exceed even my high expectations.

This is the story of two siblings, two families, two empires, and two armies – a gripping tale of conflicting loyalties told in chilling shades of grey. Sonya and Sebastian are Portinaris, children of an Aureumian father and an Izmorozian father, caught between the conquering Empire and the country it With complex characters, a unique setting, an intriguing mythology, and an even more complex morality, The Ranger of Marzanna is one of those books that managed to exceed even my high expectations.

This is the story of two siblings, two families, two empires, and two armies – a gripping tale of conflicting loyalties told in chilling shades of grey. Sonya and Sebastian are Portinaris, children of an Aureumian father and an Izmorozian father, caught between the conquering Empire and the country it occupies. When the murder of their father forces a decision, Sonya chooses to embrace her role as a forbidden Ranger of Marzanna while Sebastian reluctantly agrees to put his elemental sorcery to work for the Aureumian army.

It’s those conflicting loyalties that make this such a fascinating read. Both siblings believe they’re doing the right thing, but for very different reasons. Compounding that moral grey area is a mother who is playing the games of Izmorozian nobility within the Aureumian Empire, and a fiancee who is juggling love for a man with love for a culture. I loved Sonya’s passion, her dedication, and the sacrifices she makes for her cause, but she is almost as naive as she is wild. As for Sebastian, I was prepared not to like him, but the moral quandaries he’s faces, the battle he wages between a man’s sorrow and a soldier’s duty, made him surprisingly sympathetic. His betrothal to Galina is the emotional heart of the novel, and the raw pain he lays bare before her is almost as captivating as the struggle she faces to save a man while fighting to preserve a culture.

The Ranger of Marzanna is a book heavy with magic, falling into three categories. The first is the mythology of Izmoroz, particularly the magic of Lady Marzanna, a simple sort of folklore with an animalistic nature that becomes more significant as the story builds. The second is the elemental magic of Sebastian, which is full of potential and terrifying in the way he applies it to the war. The last is the magic of the Uaine necromancers, a surprisingly mythic kind of power that is terrifying to witness and yet almost sacred to understand.

If I were to have one minor complaint, it would be that certain aspects of the story are a little too easy, a little too simple, making me wonder as to whether the narrative is thinner than it appears or whether it’s all a set-up, a deliberate bit of subterfuge before revealing something bigger and more significant in the next volume. That simplicity lends itself to an odd bit of pacing as well, with some things happening surprisingly quickly, separated by longer periods of pondering and debate.

It remains to be seen whether The Goddess War will prove to be as memorable as Empire of Storms, but with The Ranger of Marzanna it’s off to a promising start.

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May 24, 2020 WS_BOOKCLUB rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy-adult

Thank you to Angela Man and Orbit books for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is available now.

Before getting into my thoughts on the book itself, I have to mention the gorgeous cover. Before even reading the blurb, I was interested in this book, based on the amazing artwork. The blurb made me want to read it all the more.

I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. The idea was a great one: two siblings who find themselves on opposite sides of a war, told from ...more

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Jul 13, 2020 Ashley rated it really liked it

Shelves: series-to-continue

This was really excellent! Can't wait for more!

I docked a star because I feel like there could have been a bit more emotion and connection to the characters. That was lacking. But the story and world building were excellent! ...more

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Mar 04, 2020 Joanna Bennett rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2020-reads, arcs-earcs

eARC provided by publisher through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

You know what I dislike? When a book that has an amazing cover is a letdown. Sure, there are things that I liked about this one but the bad reasons overshadowed them for me.

This book is split into many point-of-views. There are times that I quite enjoy this because it gives us a glimpse into other plot points or the means to them but for this one I could care less about a couple of the point-of-views we got.

My bigge ...more

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Jan 15, 2020 Marie -The Reading Otter rated it liked it

Shelves: received-for-review

Review:

I received this book from NetGalley for review.

I really enjoyed the setting and the plot, based on Russian folklore. I liked the dynamic of siblings on opposite sides of the same war. I like that the brother seems to not really know at that he is being manipulated, that his decision isn't because he's "evil", but because he's told what he's doing is for the good of the people.

Sonya's path is to serve a goddess and along the way, she starts to lose some of her humanity. Where her brot ...more

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Jun 09, 2020 Calvin Park rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy

The Ranger of Marzanna was a highly anticipated read for me. The back-of-the-book blurb, referencing ancient sects of warriors, siblings on opposite sides of a conflict, and powerful sorcerers, is basically everything that could get me excited. Couple this with a Russia-inspired setting, and it has all the ingredients for a book that I’m highly likely to enjoy. Unfortunately, in the end, those elements didn’t come together for me.

Even in a novel that didn’t end up working for me in the end, the The Ranger of Marzanna was a highly anticipated read for me. The back-of-the-book blurb, referencing ancient sects of warriors, siblings on opposite sides of a conflict, and powerful sorcerers, is basically everything that could get me excited. Couple this with a Russia-inspired setting, and it has all the ingredients for a book that I’m highly likely to enjoy. Unfortunately, in the end, those elements didn’t come together for me.

Even in a novel that didn’t end up working for me in the end, there are often elements that I did enjoy and that—for others—might make all the difference. For The Ranger of Marzanna those elements that I enjoyed are headlined by the world building. Not only is the world building interesting, and inspired by a real world setting that doesn’t get as much attention in fantasy as it might, but the prose and descriptions are used wonderful effect. This is a wintery, cold world—though there are scenes where that isn’t the case, and Skovron’s descriptions made me feel cold as I read, or warm alternatively. This part of the story was extremely well done. I also thoroughly enjoyed the magic. While it is primarily an elemental based magic system, there were interesting twists and costs to the magic and I appreciated those touches. For me, the magic system hung together well and I wouldn’t have minded even more of it.

As for what didn’t work for me, that list is a bit longer and also more integral to the book. To begin, the characters—especially the two main characters—ended up being entirely unlikeable for me. For some readers this won’t be an issue, but when I’m reading I feel like I need at least someone I connect with in some way. Even if I don’t agree with their actions, I need to understand and empathize with them at some level. These characters were not only unlikeable to me, but I never really understood their motivations. This frustrated me to no end as I was reading. Sonya was perhaps a bit more understandable than Sebastian. But she had an added complication of feeling like an incredible, perhaps almost super human warrior in some scenes and then in others normal, even bordering on ineffectual. I could not discern any reason for the difference beyond perhaps plot expedience. For me, characters are one of the most important aspects of any story, and not understanding their motivations, not liking them, and finding one inconsistently powerful resulted in a disappointing reading experience. Added to that, many of the side characters felt almost completely forgettable to me. The plot, while interesting, suffered from the lack of clear character motivations. It made it hard for me to care what was really going on. There were also times when the dialog felt stilted, or perhaps overly formal. At other times it included too much explanation to the point where it felt unnatural.

The Ranger of Marzanna had a lot of potential. For me, it didn’t live up to it. However, others may find that their mileage varies. Interesting world building and cool magic wasn’t enough to make up for the significant flaws in this one.

4.5/10

2.25/5 stars.

5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing
...more

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Jun 01, 2020 Georgi Nikolaev rated it liked it

This is spoiler free:

I liked the pacing. It is maybe the best part of this book. Because it is so good the book reads unexpectedly fast and is actually quite entertaining.

I did not like the blatant use of Russian words and names. Particularly the names. Most of them seems really lazily chosen. If the author wanted to give the book a Russian or Slavic sounding, ok, but please do not use historical names completely out of context. It really breaks the immersion (Zhukov is a general from the Grea This is spoiler free:

I liked the pacing. It is maybe the best part of this book. Because it is so good the book reads unexpectedly fast and is actually quite entertaining.

I did not like the blatant use of Russian words and names. Particularly the names. Most of them seems really lazily chosen. If the author wanted to give the book a Russian or Slavic sounding, ok, but please do not use historical names completely out of context. It really breaks the immersion (Zhukov is a general from the Great Patriotic War, Lomonosov is a famous scientist... Using their names for extras was really annoying.). Also a little research into how the Russian naming system works would have helped. (female names end with -na or -a and the second name is derived from the name of the father in either case. So for example Sonja wouldn't be Turgenev, but Turgeneva or Turgenevna, depending on that if Turgenii/Turgenius was the name of her father or his last name). This problem could have been easily avoided by using a random name generator or even using less famous Russian names from a list. Of course, for me, knowing the language, this whole thing is one extra levelof cringiness, so maybe for the casual reader it would not be such a problem.

Another problem for me was the simplicity and naïveté of some things. It's almost like the book can't decide if it is young adult or it is adult fantasy and sticks somewhere in between - with some really strange choices and not-so-good character development which young readers might overlook but for the experienced ones it would be just another reason to cringe. And then bam! - a sudden outburst of heavy darkness and violence appears, making the book quite gory grimdark.

But actually this review does not give the book its due. It is fast paced, the chapters are short and in each one of them something happens. Here you will not find the typical large fantasy chapter which are empty of action or resolutions. Here the longest chapters are 10 pages, which makes the book really enjoyable. Most of the heroes are likable. The plot thickens near the end. I read this book really fast and I cannot wait to see the second part. ...more

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Apr 23, 2020 RG rated it it was ok

2.5* Russian folklore inspired fantasy. Ive read Skovrons previous trilogy and it was fun without being oringal. It did have a YAish feel to the writing and I felt although this was a little darker the writing still had the same feel.

Overall the world building was great. Cold bleak landscapes with a solid magic system which wasnt overly complicated. My issues were really in the plot and characters.

Plotwise it was too simple plus limited. Really not alot occurs. I wouldn't go as far to say its a ...more

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Jun 02, 2020 Jaclyn rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, zombies, own-read-2020

More like a 2.5 out of 5.

I was pretty jazzed about The Ranger of Marzanna - I loved Skovron's Empire of Storms and loved the idea of this one's connection to Polish folklore. I have to admit that I was pretty disappointed with this (especially since I bought a copy). While the world building was cool I struggled to be invested in the characters, especially Sonya and her brother, Sebastian, both of whom are on the opposite sides of an impending war. Which is ironic since these two are so similar ...more

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Jan 26, 2020 Andi added it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, on-kindle, gave-up-on

DNF @ 10% in.

This was an ARC I had gotten from the publisher.

I didn't finish this book. I think the problem I had was that the characters are very, VERY modern. Which didn't really make sense since it was a fantasy-esque setting. Not only that, it had a very juvenile way of storytelling.

I had tried reading a book by this author a few years ago and I thought that with a change of location and or plot themes this would be a better fit. Now I know that I truly cannot connect with this author's work ...more

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Jan 11, 2020 Maia marked it as to-read · review of another edition

I'm so excited for this!!!!

I hope I like it as much as Hope & Red! :D ...more

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Apr 21, 2020 Jessie Sedai of the Black Ajah🥀🐍 rated it it was amazing

Review to come.

Sooooo good!!

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Mar 23, 2020 Melissa Mitchell rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

“‘There are many ways to conquer a people,’ said Yuri. ‘You can force them to submit by the sword, but that will only get you so far. To truly conquer them, you must make them forget who they are. Little by little, they chip away at what it means to be Izmorozian.’”

This immersive epic fantasy will leave you questioning your allegiance. It will have you rooting for two siblings on opposite sides of a war. Sonya and Sebastian are two very different siblings on different paths. Sonya is one of the “‘There are many ways to conquer a people,’ said Yuri. ‘You can force them to submit by the sword, but that will only get you so far. To truly conquer them, you must make them forget who they are. Little by little, they chip away at what it means to be Izmorozian.’”

This immersive epic fantasy will leave you questioning your allegiance. It will have you rooting for two siblings on opposite sides of a war. Sonya and Sebastian are two very different siblings on different paths. Sonya is one of the famed Rangers of Marzanna, a lethal killer, while her brother Sebastian is an elemental magic user, a tool sought after by the imperial army and possibly the most powerful sorcerer the world has seen. When their father is murdered, both set out on opposite journeys, one to serve the empire, the other to bring it down. The old Izmorozian ways are dying and Sonya wants to do everything in her power to restore old customs to their former glory. This starts by ejecting the empire from her homeland, but such a task is easier said than done. Sebastian is serving the very empire Sonya wishes to remove. He is unknowingly used as a pawn by many and will struggle to make choices for himself between what is good and what is easy. Will their paths bring them together? Will they find a way to reconcile their differences? Or will they be destined to work against each other until one falls?

My new favorite fantasy of 2020! This book is beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside. There’s so much originality woven into the pages I could cry. Inspired in part by Polish folklore, every turn is fresh. With rich world building details that felt immersive and realistic, I was transported to the frozen land of Izmoroz. I found myself eager for more than the plot and it’s distinct characters, desperate for a deeper understanding about Izmorozian traditions, culture, and especially the Lady of Marzanna.

Jon Skovron created a unique story that still sticks with me after the final page. Every piece of his plot was meaningful. Each chapter held consequence. I never found any unnecessary filler. That kept the story moving at a rapid pace. For a long book, I didn’t find myself bored a single time. Yet, it was easy to put the book down when I needed to walk away. Some books have too many cliff hangers after each chapter, which can leave one a little jaded for longer stories. That wasn’t the case here. Still, I was glued from page one where we discover just how lethal a Ranger of Marzanna can be.

I loved Sonya’s bad-assery. Her strong female character left me confident, yet there were times that she displayed obvious flaws, times she did not always succeed. I like that she was genuine. Sebastian was even more flawed than his sister. In terms of character depth, his character was darker and carried more faults. Yet, I never found myself hating him because I was there for each moment that shaped him. In the end, his decisions made sense, even if they were a little frustrating. I only hope that we see some redemption in him as the series continues.

If you like political intrigue this story is dripping with it. Every character has deeper motives that aren’t apparent from the beginning. It’s hard to know each, yet I learned to appreciate the characters because I came to know their strengths and weaknesses on a more intimate level. Their voices are all different, so there was never a time I felt stagnant. We get to see the story from multiple points of view, and I really enjoyed that. It added so much depth.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Orbit books for the ARC. I am so glad to have been given the opportunity to review this beauty. And a huge round of applause for Jon Skovron for his amazing work on what is certain to be a fantastic start to an amazing series! Professional Reader

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Apr 22, 2020 Beth Cato rated it liked it

Shelves: 2020, fantasy, netgalley

I received an advance copy of the book from NetGalley.

The Ranger of Marzanna is a Russian-inspired epic fantasy that pitches two gifted siblings against each other, with the fate of an empire on the line. Sonya is the title character, the Ranger. Her strong connection to the Death goddess gives her incredible sensory skills, plus the opportunity to make some pretty dark bargains. The empire thought they killed all Rangers a generation before, but now Sonya is back to deliver vengeance. Then ther I received an advance copy of the book from NetGalley.

The Ranger of Marzanna is a Russian-inspired epic fantasy that pitches two gifted siblings against each other, with the fate of an empire on the line. Sonya is the title character, the Ranger. Her strong connection to the Death goddess gives her incredible sensory skills, plus the opportunity to make some pretty dark bargains. The empire thought they killed all Rangers a generation before, but now Sonya is back to deliver vengeance. Then there's her younger brother, Sebastian. He's a powerful elemental wizard who has been sheltered--with very good reason--by their parents, but once the empire has hold of him, they train him to be his utmost: a weapon.

But then... then! There is Galina, the best character of all. She comes across as a shy teenage bookworm. She connects to Sebastian through a love of poetry and the classics. As he begins to take an increasingly dark path, her own true nature emerges.

I'm left wanting a book that is all Galina, because the two actual main characters left me feeling frustrated throughout the book. Mind you, this story has a lot of innovative twists going. Usually armies of the undead are a bad thing, but here, the rebels want to recruit whatever help they can get, living or dead. The Russian-inspired setting is fun, too, and the bitter chill really comes across. But Sonya as a character is just not the kind of person I want to be around. She's flippant and impulsive, sometimes outright stupid but still gets what she wants. She makes major sacrifices to her goddess but unfortunately they don't feel like sacrifices. Sebastian is an easy character to pity as he gets manipulated--the teenager is just so oblivious, it hurts--but I was baffled that the army recruited him then let him... train himself. I get that there are almost no wizards, but he has no oversight at all, and then he's quickly given a command over troops. The only helpful info he gets late in the plot is from a book that Galina gives him.

Also, I was REALLY EXCITED that Sonya had a horse named Peppercorn that she had a powerful bond with. I was totally there for some mystical horse adventures, but then Peppercorn was left with a village to fatten up for much of the novel.

Overall, a good book, but I just didn't feel like everything came together to sufficiently wow me in the end. ...more

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May 11, 2020 J. D. Roberts rated it liked it

Shelves: 2020

For more reviews check out our blog
https://theworldsofsff.com/2020/the-g...

I received an ARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. Views are my own and are not influenced.

I have Jon Skovron’s Empire of Storms series on my TBR, which I haven’t got to you. So, when I saw Ranger of Marzanna on NetGalley I was excited to read it… especially because of that cover. Isn’t it stunning? The cover is also a great example of the atmosphere you can expect to envision when reading this book.

Ranger of For more reviews check out our blog
https://theworldsofsff.com/2020/the-g...

I received an ARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. Views are my own and are not influenced.

I have Jon Skovron’s Empire of Storms series on my TBR, which I haven’t got to you. So, when I saw Ranger of Marzanna on NetGalley I was excited to read it… especially because of that cover. Isn’t it stunning? The cover is also a great example of the atmosphere you can expect to envision when reading this book.

Ranger of Marzanna is told from the POVs of two siblings, Sonya and Sebastian. Sebastian, as it turns out is a very powerful wizard who is recruited into the Imperial army, against the wishes of his father, and moulded into a loyal subject. Sonya on the other hand if a Ranger of Marzanna—loved by the local population; fear by their enemies; and servants to Lady Marzanna, the God of Death and Winter. Lady Marzanna has the power to allow her rangers to cheat death and requests boon… but at great cost to their humanity.

This is a well-written story, which is quite slow-paced. It’s atmospheric, particularly when Sonya is in the wilderness and during the appearances of Lady Marzanna. Out in the wilderness, beyond the Tundra, is the Uaine—an interesting culture we are introduced to in the second half of the book. They remind me of how Vikings are traditionally perceived, minus the seafaring but with the addition of necromancy.

There are a lot of interesting aspects to this tale, like the aforementioned Uaine, Lady Marzanna and also the life of a ranger. However, there is something not quite there, though it’s hard to pinpoint exactly. As I already stated this is a well-written book, an easy read and quite enjoyable. There is a place for it, it’s like one of those 6/7 out of 10 movies that you can watch when you don’t want something too heavy that you have to think about too deeply.

The story is quite predictable, and I didn’t think the characters were particularly strong. I certainly wasn’t pulled into the book by any of them, except maybe Sonya—though there was also something lacking there. She is a badass, skilled, flippant and dedicated to both her people and way of life. It was probably the impact of other characters and interaction with her that prevented me from fully buying in. As for Sebastian, I didn’t like him. He’s weak and whiny, but not in a good way.

Two other aspects of the book bugged me. Firstly, the constant use of full names. When characters are speaking it’s fine, as in the society presented in the book it is rude to address somebody both their forename only unless they have permitted you to do so. But there is no need for Skovron to keep writing the full names outside of speech. I found it annoying. The second thing was something I don’t like seeing in any book: broken-speech. Okay, some of the Uaine are not native speakers of the language, so maybe there would be some mispronunciations, such as with names, but it was nearly every word they spoke. It’s just something I’m not a fan of. There is a character in the Lightbringer series who is the same and, though thankfully not in the books too often, and I’ve said the same about that. I know other reviewers who feel the same about that kind of thing.
Side note just before I finish the review. I’ve also added this book to the LGBTQ+ category on the blog. Though same-sex relationships are not active in the book, they are implied within the Uaine culture. I believe this is an area that will be built on in the second book.

Overall, this is a decent read. I wouldn’t recommend putting it to the top of your TBR, but if you have time then you’ll likely enjoy the book. Also, if you are looking for an easy read that isn’t too long and that you don’t need to think about too much, this is an ideal book for that. I will be interested in reading the second book in the series and seeing where this series goes.
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Apr 09, 2020 Munch rated it really liked it

3.75
I received an arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
The first half of this book I thought that this was a standard 2.5-3 star book. The storyline wasn't particularly unique and I didn't feel that invested in the characters. However I found myself really enjoying and connecting more with the characters in the last half. The stakes were raised and there was more action. At first I didn't actually like Sonya much, she was strong-willed and badass but I found her distanc 3.75
I received an arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
The first half of this book I thought that this was a standard 2.5-3 star book. The storyline wasn't particularly unique and I didn't feel that invested in the characters. However I found myself really enjoying and connecting more with the characters in the last half. The stakes were raised and there was more action. At first I didn't actually like Sonya much, she was strong-willed and badass but I found her distance and kind of distain towards her family annoying, also her single mindeness unrelatable. However once she started to interact with certain characters, I started to see her as actually quite amusing and I slowly became more fond of her. I also think that the annoyance that I started to have with her brother helped me to become more on her side. I started out feeling sorry for Sebastian and kind of protective of him but as he showed himself to be ruled by his emotions and so corruptible from those around him, he started to aggravate me, which is obviously the author's plan. I wanted to shake some sense into him! There is still hope that he is not completely unredeemable though. I do understand his struggle and he is so young and naive, people take advantage, I feel that near the end he was starting to see through some of the lies that had been told to him.
Galina is a interesting character to read from, when she is introduced you don't realise what a important part she'll play. Her feelings towards Sebastian are complicated, with good reason! She isn't just the sweet, soft love interest as she seems in the beginning.
My favourite characters had to be Jorge and Blaine. Jorge is just so kind and caring. He's loyal and is sometimes the voice of much needed reason to Sonya (I see a few parallels between his role with Sonya and Galina's with Sebastian). When Blaine was introduced was when I started to actually enjoy myself, his humour brought some needed relief from the up to then quite serious characters. I'm especially intrigued to see how all three character's relationship might end up. I see much potential there.
Overall not the most unique plot and set up but the characters have depth and the magic system is pretty interesting, I'm interested to see what happens next. ...more

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