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The Travalaith Saga #1
The Season of the Plough
"There are no Chosen Ones…only the ones who choose."
The Travalaithi Empire is in a state of unrest, and the sleepy frontier town of Widowvale was meant to be a refuge from the looming civil war. But when the local militia’s hunt for a lowly poacher turns up a mysterious child at the heart of an unreliable prophecy, the town’s fortunes are transformed forever, and the deadly troubles of the outside world are brought home for the harvest.
Coming of age in this uneasy world was hard enough as a simple farmer. But when Aewyn’s heroic destiny comes crashing home, and her ancient mentor stands accused of treason, the supposed Chosen One faces a choice of her own: will she fulfill the destiny she’s been given—or sacrifice it all to save her town and her friends?
The Travalaithi Empire is in a state of unrest, and the sleepy frontier town of Widowvale was meant to be a refuge from the looming civil war. But when the local militia’s hunt for a lowly poacher turns up a mysterious child at the heart of an unreliable prophecy, the town’s fortunes are transformed forever, and the deadly troubles of the outside world are brought home for the harvest.
Coming of age in this uneasy world was hard enough as a simple farmer. But when Aewyn’s heroic destiny comes crashing home, and her ancient mentor stands accused of treason, the supposed Chosen One faces a choice of her own: will she fulfill the destiny she’s been given—or sacrifice it all to save her town and her friends?
- GenresFantasyEpic Fantasy
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 12, 2019
16 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
Luke R.J. Maynard
11 books13 followersLuke R. J. Maynard is a writer, poet, musician, literary scholar, and wearer of sundry other hats in the arts and letters. His poetry, short fiction, and scholarship have appeared in various collections across Canada and the United States, and his first CD, Desolation Sound, was released independently in 2018.
Luke is best known as the author of the Travalaith Saga, an epic fantasy series that began with "The Season of the Plough" in July 2019, and continues with "The Season of the Cerulyn," released earlier this spring. He lives in Toronto, where he is studying the law and hard at work on a sequel.
Luke is best known as the author of the Travalaith Saga, an epic fantasy series that began with "The Season of the Plough" in July 2019, and continues with "The Season of the Cerulyn," released earlier this spring. He lives in Toronto, where he is studying the law and hard at work on a sequel.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 1, 2019
*I received an ARC of this book through Voracious Reader's Only in exchange for an honest review.*
Genre: Epic Fantasy, Coming of Age
Bonus: Canadian author!!
The Season of the Plough is an epic centered on a young fairy child named Aewyn, a child of destiny. This first installment of the Travalaith Saga focuses on Aewyn's coming of age story. She is found by a group of rangers when she is a child and raised in the nearby village of Widowvale. It is clear from the beginning that she is not quite human, as her hair changes colour with the seasons, and she tells stories of her mothering the dryad, and her friends Poe and Celithrand (a druid of some reknown). As she grows up in the sleepy village she must come to terms with destiny and expectations. Should she make her own way? Should she follow what is expected of her? If she really is the destined champion, does it matter what she chooses, since it will all work out in the end? Regardless of what she chooses, war is coming to their quiet valley.
"There are no Chosen Ones, Aewyn… only the ones who choose."
Any fan of Lord of the Rings will love this series as well. The writing quality is exceptional. The cadence makes me think of a bard reciting high-prose to a court. The narrator fills in useful background when necessary and follows a character for a short while after an important interaction, but clearly has opinions as to who is the focus of the story. While not a fast-paced read, it is also not the plodding walking, followed by more walking, of Tolkien. The Season of the Plough is focused on world-building and character development, with the promise of book 2 involving more intense scenes. Book 2 had also better have some more back story on Bram, because I have questions, so many questions!
TLDNR: I loved this book, it is beautiful and incredibly interesting.
Genre: Epic Fantasy, Coming of Age
Bonus: Canadian author!!
The Season of the Plough is an epic centered on a young fairy child named Aewyn, a child of destiny. This first installment of the Travalaith Saga focuses on Aewyn's coming of age story. She is found by a group of rangers when she is a child and raised in the nearby village of Widowvale. It is clear from the beginning that she is not quite human, as her hair changes colour with the seasons, and she tells stories of her mothering the dryad, and her friends Poe and Celithrand (a druid of some reknown). As she grows up in the sleepy village she must come to terms with destiny and expectations. Should she make her own way? Should she follow what is expected of her? If she really is the destined champion, does it matter what she chooses, since it will all work out in the end? Regardless of what she chooses, war is coming to their quiet valley.
"There are no Chosen Ones, Aewyn… only the ones who choose."
Any fan of Lord of the Rings will love this series as well. The writing quality is exceptional. The cadence makes me think of a bard reciting high-prose to a court. The narrator fills in useful background when necessary and follows a character for a short while after an important interaction, but clearly has opinions as to who is the focus of the story. While not a fast-paced read, it is also not the plodding walking, followed by more walking, of Tolkien. The Season of the Plough is focused on world-building and character development, with the promise of book 2 involving more intense scenes. Book 2 had also better have some more back story on Bram, because I have questions, so many questions!
TLDNR: I loved this book, it is beautiful and incredibly interesting.
August 23, 2019
I preordered this book and I'm glad I did.
Fantasy is one of my favourite genres, but recently I’ve realized that for the past few years, aside from specific recommendation and some young adult literature, as far as fantasy goes I’ve just kept rereading Tolkien over and over again. (Okay, I’m still going to continue reading Tolkien over and over again for the rest of my life, but that’s neither here nor there.)
This is the novel I’ve been waiting for.
Like, seriously, this is how I remember feeling about reading when I was young and had much less discerning taste, so I thought most books were good and never got burned out on tropes or uncomfortable shipping or just the constant flood of low-grade sexism that is so freaking impossible to get away from. I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I had it back.
Anyway, on a more helpful note: this book is really well-written and the prose is fantastic; it manages to encapsulate both appropriately poetic high fantasy turns of phrase (i.e. ‘columns of sparkless night’) and #relatable-ness (there were at least two points reading it where I literally yelled “YES, THAT THING! I KNOW THAT THING! I’VE DONE THAT THING!” or similar) without either being jarring. There’s also a ton of my favourite variety of fantasy/historical dry humour, which is easy to miss but so hilarious if you’re paying attention.
The world-building is amazing and well-executed – the universe is extremely deep and well-fleshed out, but there are no clunky infodumps or areas where things are poorly explained and confusing. There are some really original takes on – well, on a bunch of stuff, no spoilers, but anyway it was both refreshing and lots of fun.
As far as the plot goes, it’s intriguing and engaging and never predictable in the bad way, but all I’m really going to say is…
SPOILERS:
.
.
.
This is the only book I’ve ever read where an audit is a huge, dramatic plot point, and my God does the author pull it off. I was literally more tense reading those chapters than if I was audited in real life.
.
.
.
END SPOILERS
Anyway, if you’re burned out on fantasy, sick of GoT-style selective ‘realism’, or just want to read a really good book, I unreservedly recommend this one. Just be warned, it has some pretty serious sucking-in power, so I’d advise against starting it at 10 PM.
Fantasy is one of my favourite genres, but recently I’ve realized that for the past few years, aside from specific recommendation and some young adult literature, as far as fantasy goes I’ve just kept rereading Tolkien over and over again. (Okay, I’m still going to continue reading Tolkien over and over again for the rest of my life, but that’s neither here nor there.)
This is the novel I’ve been waiting for.
Like, seriously, this is how I remember feeling about reading when I was young and had much less discerning taste, so I thought most books were good and never got burned out on tropes or uncomfortable shipping or just the constant flood of low-grade sexism that is so freaking impossible to get away from. I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I had it back.
Anyway, on a more helpful note: this book is really well-written and the prose is fantastic; it manages to encapsulate both appropriately poetic high fantasy turns of phrase (i.e. ‘columns of sparkless night’) and #relatable-ness (there were at least two points reading it where I literally yelled “YES, THAT THING! I KNOW THAT THING! I’VE DONE THAT THING!” or similar) without either being jarring. There’s also a ton of my favourite variety of fantasy/historical dry humour, which is easy to miss but so hilarious if you’re paying attention.
The world-building is amazing and well-executed – the universe is extremely deep and well-fleshed out, but there are no clunky infodumps or areas where things are poorly explained and confusing. There are some really original takes on – well, on a bunch of stuff, no spoilers, but anyway it was both refreshing and lots of fun.
As far as the plot goes, it’s intriguing and engaging and never predictable in the bad way, but all I’m really going to say is…
SPOILERS:
.
.
.
This is the only book I’ve ever read where an audit is a huge, dramatic plot point, and my God does the author pull it off. I was literally more tense reading those chapters than if I was audited in real life.
.
.
.
END SPOILERS
Anyway, if you’re burned out on fantasy, sick of GoT-style selective ‘realism’, or just want to read a really good book, I unreservedly recommend this one. Just be warned, it has some pretty serious sucking-in power, so I’d advise against starting it at 10 PM.
July 11, 2019
I received a copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only. I found this to be a well-written and enjoyable story. This is a coming of age story, and will definitely appeal to those of us who enjoyed Tolkien. I am looking forward to the next book in this series to learn more about the characters. Highly Recommend.
September 26, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this novel. There were so many outstanding elements: the pacing, the world-building, the character development, the use of description, the mythology, etc.
My favourite element was the way the author clearly based much on myths and legends. However, rather than reiterate the material, it was presented as the essence or archetype, with original layers and outcomes which resulted in it feeling both familiar and fresh at the same time.
The author has done a brilliant job of capturing small-town life. The villagers were all interesting in their own right, and I found the way they bickered, yet pulled together to be very true to my own experiences growing up in rural areas.
The character development was fantastic. There are most definitely loose ends that need tying up, backstories that cry out for further examination, and so on, but this is expected from a first-in-series entry. I found myself very emotionally involved with these characters and, at one point, had a pretty ugly-cry over them.
There are some areas where I would have appreciated a broader perspective on the happenings, but I just want to know everything, so that's strictly a personal preference. I recognise that the pacing of the story would have been negatively affected, so I think the author made the right choice about where to draw the line - plus, with more story on the docket, I am hopeful that all will be revealed in time!
I really enjoyed reading this novel and I'm definitely looking forward to the next volume!
I received a copy of this book through Voracious Readers Only.
My favourite element was the way the author clearly based much on myths and legends. However, rather than reiterate the material, it was presented as the essence or archetype, with original layers and outcomes which resulted in it feeling both familiar and fresh at the same time.
The author has done a brilliant job of capturing small-town life. The villagers were all interesting in their own right, and I found the way they bickered, yet pulled together to be very true to my own experiences growing up in rural areas.
The character development was fantastic. There are most definitely loose ends that need tying up, backstories that cry out for further examination, and so on, but this is expected from a first-in-series entry. I found myself very emotionally involved with these characters and, at one point, had a pretty ugly-cry over them.
There are some areas where I would have appreciated a broader perspective on the happenings, but I just want to know everything, so that's strictly a personal preference. I recognise that the pacing of the story would have been negatively affected, so I think the author made the right choice about where to draw the line - plus, with more story on the docket, I am hopeful that all will be revealed in time!
I really enjoyed reading this novel and I'm definitely looking forward to the next volume!
I received a copy of this book through Voracious Readers Only.
September 26, 2019
From J.R.R. Tolkien’s Shire to Robert Jordan’s Emond’s Field, one of the things that defines the fantasy genre is its portrayals of cozy rural communities. Luke Maynard continues this tradition masterfully in Season of the Plough. Not only does Maynard immerse readers in the scenery and society of the village of Widowvale, he gives that village a place in the larger politics and economics of his world. When the Widowvale citizens’ independent ways bring them into a clash with outside authorities, this novel accelerates toward its climax.
Rural communities are reputed to be hostile to outsiders. Maynard handles this theme effectively as well. The story revolves around Aewyn, an orphan growing up in Widowvale. Aewyn is different from those around her, and she forms a friendship with a creature the townspeople are inclined to regard as a monster. Her attempts to remain true to herself among people who often fail to understand her provide for powerful character development with real-life relevance.
Aewyn also serves to introduce plot themes related to magic, faerie creatures, menacing beings known as Horrors and a legend about a Chosen One. Readers may hope to see Maynard continue this epic fantasy storyline in future volumes.
Another bonus is Maynard’s occasionally lyrical writing style. This contributes further to the atmosphere of the story.
An intelligent and appealing book.
Rural communities are reputed to be hostile to outsiders. Maynard handles this theme effectively as well. The story revolves around Aewyn, an orphan growing up in Widowvale. Aewyn is different from those around her, and she forms a friendship with a creature the townspeople are inclined to regard as a monster. Her attempts to remain true to herself among people who often fail to understand her provide for powerful character development with real-life relevance.
Aewyn also serves to introduce plot themes related to magic, faerie creatures, menacing beings known as Horrors and a legend about a Chosen One. Readers may hope to see Maynard continue this epic fantasy storyline in future volumes.
Another bonus is Maynard’s occasionally lyrical writing style. This contributes further to the atmosphere of the story.
An intelligent and appealing book.
September 8, 2019
I am not typically a reader outside of what I HAVE TO read for work/education. This book was so compelling I could not put it down. Well designed story, great character development. I enjoyed this so thoroughly that the only negative I have to say is that I cannot wait for the second book!! Love!!
March 4, 2020
Received from the author via Voracious Readers Only in exchange for a review.
Longer book, with detailed world-building, especially around the village. Slow burn type of read, but enjoyable to get into. I'm looking forward to the next book, and seeing what the next step is, along with, hopefully, some more depth on the secondary characters.
Crossposted to GoodReads and Amazon.
Longer book, with detailed world-building, especially around the village. Slow burn type of read, but enjoyable to get into. I'm looking forward to the next book, and seeing what the next step is, along with, hopefully, some more depth on the secondary characters.
Crossposted to GoodReads and Amazon.
January 15, 2020
I am astounded such a fantastic book came from a first-time author. This book was amazingly written. I felt I was reading something written by a sage who has been writing hundreds of years. It flows and is delightful. I’ve read over 400 books in my life and this is by far the most eloquent of all.
This is a book about a young girl named Aewyn. The plot summary is sufficient, so I won’t cover much myself. Aewyn is found naked in the forest when she is about six. The forest is freezing cold and one man who finds her wants to kill her on the spot because she is obviously a special child. She has shock white hair and vivid green eyes. The story follows her young years until she is about twelve.
You may think this would make the story boring, and while it has a few slow points, the book is actually very engaging. The story hops around different characters, each so believable and real. You feel you are a part of the village of Widowvale and grow to love it there.
I cannot wait for the next book in this series. I am so excited to see where these characters go and their decisions for the future. I have found a wealth of amazing quotes in this book and hope to find even more in the books to come! I cannot stress enough how amazing this book was!
I genuinely enjoyed this world, characters, and story. The Season of the Plough is something I will doubtlessly read to my children. I would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy or fantastic storytelling. Please go pick this book up! I am so excited to see where this author goes and what amazing books we have in store.
This is a book about a young girl named Aewyn. The plot summary is sufficient, so I won’t cover much myself. Aewyn is found naked in the forest when she is about six. The forest is freezing cold and one man who finds her wants to kill her on the spot because she is obviously a special child. She has shock white hair and vivid green eyes. The story follows her young years until she is about twelve.
You may think this would make the story boring, and while it has a few slow points, the book is actually very engaging. The story hops around different characters, each so believable and real. You feel you are a part of the village of Widowvale and grow to love it there.
I cannot wait for the next book in this series. I am so excited to see where these characters go and their decisions for the future. I have found a wealth of amazing quotes in this book and hope to find even more in the books to come! I cannot stress enough how amazing this book was!
I genuinely enjoyed this world, characters, and story. The Season of the Plough is something I will doubtlessly read to my children. I would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy or fantastic storytelling. Please go pick this book up! I am so excited to see where this author goes and what amazing books we have in store.
August 3, 2019
Loved this book. It has a Lovely flow and gorgeous amounts of details. The characters come alive in this book and it is more of an experience to read Luke's writing and I do not thing no matter how much I say about this book will really describe what this book truly is. It is Small town epic fantasy and the best way I can describe it is in this analogy; Think of the Lord of The Rings, this story is not about the quest to destroy the ring this is the story of Hobbiton and why it is worth saving why the quest that you read in other high fantasy books is going on. Because these are the common people and they are the reason the hero's in the other books go on quests to save them.
Now don't get me wrong there is battle, war, sword fights and a hero's with and without destinies in this book but that is just part of the story and not what makes this story.
I lovely read that is a great addition to the fantasy genre collective.
Now don't get me wrong there is battle, war, sword fights and a hero's with and without destinies in this book but that is just part of the story and not what makes this story.
I lovely read that is a great addition to the fantasy genre collective.
March 2, 2020
*I received a free copy of this book through Voracious Readers in exchange for a review*
I could not finish the book. I read halfway through and had to give up. The pacing is extremely slow and nothing happens at all. The point of view jumps around from character to character so much that it's hard to care about anyone at all. Furthermore, the story likes to sort of ramble on about its side characters that seem to have no relevance to the plot, which leaves you wondering what the point of it was.
I was intrigued at the beginning with the whole discovery of Aewyn and the "coup", but that soon faded with the lack of action and plot. I wouldn't really mind this if there were character building and such, but most of what I read had little significance to the plot.
I did like the writing style, however, and the premise was interesting enough. If the book was more concise, I think I would've enjoyed the story better. Overall, however, it was a DNF from me.
I could not finish the book. I read halfway through and had to give up. The pacing is extremely slow and nothing happens at all. The point of view jumps around from character to character so much that it's hard to care about anyone at all. Furthermore, the story likes to sort of ramble on about its side characters that seem to have no relevance to the plot, which leaves you wondering what the point of it was.
I was intrigued at the beginning with the whole discovery of Aewyn and the "coup", but that soon faded with the lack of action and plot. I wouldn't really mind this if there were character building and such, but most of what I read had little significance to the plot.
I did like the writing style, however, and the premise was interesting enough. If the book was more concise, I think I would've enjoyed the story better. Overall, however, it was a DNF from me.
July 19, 2019
I received a copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only in return for an honest review.
This a really enjoyable coming of age story of Aewyn a fairy child, whom believes she has a Destiny to come. If you enjoy a good fantasy story with interesting characters and back stories then this is a book for you. A well written story that keeps you interested, definetly looking forward to the next book.
This a really enjoyable coming of age story of Aewyn a fairy child, whom believes she has a Destiny to come. If you enjoy a good fantasy story with interesting characters and back stories then this is a book for you. A well written story that keeps you interested, definetly looking forward to the next book.
July 25, 2019
This author is not just a story teller - he is a story weaver. The book does follow the threads of the more significant characters, but also weaves in moments with the more secondary characters to create a beautiful picture of the whole. A wonderful book; highly recommend!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only*
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only*
July 30, 2019
This was a beautifully done story. The main characters really come into their own. There is great character development of both the main characters and the secondary characters. I'm excited to see what comes next.
June 1, 2021
I'm in two minds about this book.
On the one hand, it's well written at a sentence level, the characters are appealing, and it does something new with the tropes of epic fantasy. The main character may or (more likely) may not be the Chosen One, violence is clearly portrayed as horrifying and repulsive rather than being valorized, and the lives and concerns of ordinary people are celebrated as important. Even in the pre-release version I got via Netgalley, apart from a few missing words in sentences and "belied" used to mean "betrayed," the editing was remarkably clean. While the druid character has an obvious debt to Gandalf (and Väinämöinen, his inspiration, before him), he's not just Generic Mentor Figure #1, and nor is the monster sidekick just a monster sidekick. All of the characters have a bit more to them than their archetypes, and feel like real people with their own concerns and internal contradictions and struggles.
On the other hand, it has a big pacing issue. The first sign of something resembling a plot or inciting incident comes at the 52% mark. Prior to that, it wanders around, telling bits of stories of numerous characters - in some cases adding that this isn't their story - without any sense of urgency or direction. Many of the events are (for the setting) mundane, and consequential only for the people involved. It keeps, in other words, one aspect of epic fantasy - the sprawling wordiness - that I suspect few people love (I certainly don't), while not being in any other sense epic.
Because the more compelling content comes in the second half of the book, I did end up coming down on the positive side. Even the first half managed to keep my interest, though I started looking for the inciting incident at the traditional 25% mark and probably wouldn't have lasted much longer if it hadn't arrived when it did. However, even though there are character and plot arcs under way in the second half, the book doesn't tell a complete story in itself; it's an extended setup for later books, hinting at big dark epic events to come. It doesn't end in a cliffhanger, but it does seem to promise that most of the payoff that we haven't had yet is going to come later. And that keeps it off my Best of the Year list, and doesn't do its job of making me want to continue with the series.
Call me too traditional, but I was looking for a structure more like: first quarter sets the scene and brings on the characters, middle half develops the situation and characters, last quarter resolves something. What it does, it does well, and I applaud the attempt to write a book that isn't just the same old cliched epic fantasy over again, but it was sufficiently far from meeting my structural expectations that I don't plan to continue with the series. I need more frequent and more significant payoffs if I'm going to spend this long on a book.
On the one hand, it's well written at a sentence level, the characters are appealing, and it does something new with the tropes of epic fantasy. The main character may or (more likely) may not be the Chosen One, violence is clearly portrayed as horrifying and repulsive rather than being valorized, and the lives and concerns of ordinary people are celebrated as important. Even in the pre-release version I got via Netgalley, apart from a few missing words in sentences and "belied" used to mean "betrayed," the editing was remarkably clean. While the druid character has an obvious debt to Gandalf (and Väinämöinen, his inspiration, before him), he's not just Generic Mentor Figure #1, and nor is the monster sidekick just a monster sidekick. All of the characters have a bit more to them than their archetypes, and feel like real people with their own concerns and internal contradictions and struggles.
On the other hand, it has a big pacing issue. The first sign of something resembling a plot or inciting incident comes at the 52% mark. Prior to that, it wanders around, telling bits of stories of numerous characters - in some cases adding that this isn't their story - without any sense of urgency or direction. Many of the events are (for the setting) mundane, and consequential only for the people involved. It keeps, in other words, one aspect of epic fantasy - the sprawling wordiness - that I suspect few people love (I certainly don't), while not being in any other sense epic.
Because the more compelling content comes in the second half of the book, I did end up coming down on the positive side. Even the first half managed to keep my interest, though I started looking for the inciting incident at the traditional 25% mark and probably wouldn't have lasted much longer if it hadn't arrived when it did. However, even though there are character and plot arcs under way in the second half, the book doesn't tell a complete story in itself; it's an extended setup for later books, hinting at big dark epic events to come. It doesn't end in a cliffhanger, but it does seem to promise that most of the payoff that we haven't had yet is going to come later. And that keeps it off my Best of the Year list, and doesn't do its job of making me want to continue with the series.
Call me too traditional, but I was looking for a structure more like: first quarter sets the scene and brings on the characters, middle half develops the situation and characters, last quarter resolves something. What it does, it does well, and I applaud the attempt to write a book that isn't just the same old cliched epic fantasy over again, but it was sufficiently far from meeting my structural expectations that I don't plan to continue with the series. I need more frequent and more significant payoffs if I'm going to spend this long on a book.
December 13, 2019
This is a review of an ARC I was given days ago. My opinons are not in any way biased for or against the book. This is an imparcial review for a fantasy book that I happened to like.
I went to a beautiful place thanks to a very talented author, Luke Maynard. I met wonderful and especial characters whom I wanted to spend hours reading about, especially the mysterious Aewyn, her "friend" Poe, and the many Havenari and the author created with endless imagination.
I love everything about this magical world, the fantasy is amazing, and I want to read more about this world and its characters. I was hooked in the first page, and it never let me go. I feel so thankful for having been given the chance to meet Aewyn, Grim, Alec or Robyn, all well defined and lovable. Chapter after chapter, I discovered more about the life of Aewyn, an adorable girl who found a way into my heart as soon as Luke Maynard introduced her to the readers.
I Will be there to read the second book, becuase the first one was incredible and had everything I look for in a book, including well-defined characters, and a writer that managed to create a new world with ease, which is very difficult.
I strongly recommend you to buy and read this beautiful and charming book. It won´t disappoint, and Will take you to a place where you Will want to stay forever.
Great debut novel. Fantasy is not an easy genre to master, and Luke Maynard did it. Congratulations.
I went to a beautiful place thanks to a very talented author, Luke Maynard. I met wonderful and especial characters whom I wanted to spend hours reading about, especially the mysterious Aewyn, her "friend" Poe, and the many Havenari and the author created with endless imagination.
I love everything about this magical world, the fantasy is amazing, and I want to read more about this world and its characters. I was hooked in the first page, and it never let me go. I feel so thankful for having been given the chance to meet Aewyn, Grim, Alec or Robyn, all well defined and lovable. Chapter after chapter, I discovered more about the life of Aewyn, an adorable girl who found a way into my heart as soon as Luke Maynard introduced her to the readers.
I Will be there to read the second book, becuase the first one was incredible and had everything I look for in a book, including well-defined characters, and a writer that managed to create a new world with ease, which is very difficult.
I strongly recommend you to buy and read this beautiful and charming book. It won´t disappoint, and Will take you to a place where you Will want to stay forever.
Great debut novel. Fantasy is not an easy genre to master, and Luke Maynard did it. Congratulations.
March 6, 2021
I don’t really know what I think of this book. The storytelling was odd - well, like a narrator telling a legend. Which often but not always made the characters remote. There is not much plot to speak of until 2/3 the way through. But the main characters and a few minor characters still managed to come to life, even though we see them through gauze. There is mythology and politics, mostly alluded to but details do emerge late. I persisted to the end partly because the writing is consistent and one character is likeable, and because of the reviews. The back 1/3 is definitely better than the first 2/3, but I don’t know if it would have worked without that long setup.
Will I read the next? I don’t know. Probably not. Sanderson book 4 is available in the library now, and when I’m done that, the inertia of this book may have worn off.
Will I read the next? I don’t know. Probably not. Sanderson book 4 is available in the library now, and when I’m done that, the inertia of this book may have worn off.
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February 28, 2020For anyone who is a fan of fantasy novels (especially those that are part of a saga and/or series) you will absolutely love this book, the first in the Travalaith Saga. I could not put this book down and pulled an all nighter because I just couldn't get enough. Within the first 2 pages, all I could think was "WOW" this author and this story remind me of the fantasy adventures I've read over and over again by the likes of C.S. Lewis, David Eddings, Anne McCaffrey, Guy Gavriel Kay only to name a few.
All the characters all well thought out and this book draws you in as well as the ease of the telling of their stories. I cannot wait to get into the next book of this series...
Well done Luke, truly an astounding read!!!!
All the characters all well thought out and this book draws you in as well as the ease of the telling of their stories. I cannot wait to get into the next book of this series...
Well done Luke, truly an astounding read!!!!
March 1, 2020
Very well written story with compelling characters! The author does a tremendous job at revealing just enough about a character to make you desperate to learn more about their past to keep you flipping pages as fast as you can read while simultaneously weaving such a complex intriguing story that you're even more eager to see what unfolds. The complexity of the cast of characters and world history is tremendously well balanced such that you want to know more then is shared without it weighing down the story in anyway.
Not only is it a fantastic read it gave me unexpected insight and a changed out look on our own world so great was some of the wisdom imparted to by some characters
Not only is it a fantastic read it gave me unexpected insight and a changed out look on our own world so great was some of the wisdom imparted to by some characters
July 19, 2023
I didn't expect myself to like this book so much. It isn't something I would have picked myself; it was a gift, and I was willing to give it a shot. There's something different about it that I really enjoyed where it feels like a folk tale, but also feels real. I'm excited for the sequels (only the second has been released, but there is a third to come eventually), and hope they are just as wonderful.
February 7, 2020
I received a free copy of this book through Voracious Readers Only.
This book has not captured my interest. The story is slow and plodding. It is supposed to be set in a fictional medieval type world but it is not realistic even for fantasy. I will not be finishing the book.
This book has not captured my interest. The story is slow and plodding. It is supposed to be set in a fictional medieval type world but it is not realistic even for fantasy. I will not be finishing the book.
May 29, 2021
An excellent epic fantasy that I thoroughly enjoyed. It's well written, the characters are fleshed out and the world building is excellent.
Gripping and highly entertaining.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Gripping and highly entertaining.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
June 23, 2022
depressing
A pretty depressing story of miserable has beens and wanna -bes. Anti-climactic ending and leaves me with no desire to read on. Daily life at the village are the best parts of the story.
A pretty depressing story of miserable has beens and wanna -bes. Anti-climactic ending and leaves me with no desire to read on. Daily life at the village are the best parts of the story.
March 14, 2020
I received a free copy from voracious readers. I loved the book. Well thought-out characters and loved the world.
March 25, 2020
A tall tale
Reminds of an oral saga, meant to be told around a campfire. A slow start, but worth the full read.
Reminds of an oral saga, meant to be told around a campfire. A slow start, but worth the full read.
February 7, 2020
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review, from Voracious Readers.
I think this was a nice book to read. I enjoyed the lore, the the character descriptions and the subtle magic in the story. It was interesting to learn about this new world, the way time is measured and read the character interactions. However, I think it can hardly be called epic fantasy. There are few magical elements, there is no adventure, there is no significant conflict. In fact, all 300 some pages of this book are worldbuilding and setup for the adventure I hope would take place in book 2.
This wasn't hard to read at all, the writing actually really good. I think the songs in the book would contribute more if this was turned into an audio production someday, but they read really awkwardly as I couldn't figure how they would fit into a line that was sung. I really enjoyed Aewyn's character arc and her relationship with Grim and his family. Grim was one of my favourite characters, along with Robin and Bram. They had some really strong development.
I think the monster descriptions were really great and they were gross and terrifying. I liked the character reactions to the monsters. It would be realistic to what would happen in that situation. The way the author describes common knowledge related to the world and monsters to characters who wouldn't know those facts was one of my favourite things - like the acidic blood the monster has, the way Celithrand interacts with the world in his druidic magic.
Unfortunately with so much set in the town and so little actual adventuring, I don't think I would want to continue this series and I can't give this book more than 3.5/5.
I think this was a nice book to read. I enjoyed the lore, the the character descriptions and the subtle magic in the story. It was interesting to learn about this new world, the way time is measured and read the character interactions. However, I think it can hardly be called epic fantasy. There are few magical elements, there is no adventure, there is no significant conflict. In fact, all 300 some pages of this book are worldbuilding and setup for the adventure I hope would take place in book 2.
This wasn't hard to read at all, the writing actually really good. I think the songs in the book would contribute more if this was turned into an audio production someday, but they read really awkwardly as I couldn't figure how they would fit into a line that was sung. I really enjoyed Aewyn's character arc and her relationship with Grim and his family. Grim was one of my favourite characters, along with Robin and Bram. They had some really strong development.
I think the monster descriptions were really great and they were gross and terrifying. I liked the character reactions to the monsters. It would be realistic to what would happen in that situation. The way the author describes common knowledge related to the world and monsters to characters who wouldn't know those facts was one of my favourite things - like the acidic blood the monster has, the way Celithrand interacts with the world in his druidic magic.
Unfortunately with so much set in the town and so little actual adventuring, I don't think I would want to continue this series and I can't give this book more than 3.5/5.
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July 9, 2021Aewyn, a half-fae young woman, comes to live in an isolated mountain town and with the help of her friends and mysterious druids, struggles to discover her destiny.
Season lays out a very in-depth world, with a substantial, detailed history. At points, it was almost overwhelming how much backstory lurks behind the story’s events. The magic and monsters inhabiting this world were, for the most part, just hinted at, in tantalizing glimpses, until thrust in the reader’s face in a bold way. Very well-constructed. Aewyn, the ostensible main character, was flawed and relatable, and grew on me over the course of the tale. Some of the secondary characters—particularly Robyn, the militia captain—were also likable.
There were a few odd moments of head-hopping mid-stream in the narrative. And while I appreciated the depth of the setting, I think it came at the expense of the pace. The first half of the book is extremely slow, without enough character or plot development for me. More interesting events occur in the book’s second half but had I not been reading this for SPFBO, I would have put it down around the 33% mark.
Season of the Plough has a big sprawling epic feel and I'd recommend it to someone for who likes slow-building plots set in detailed worlds.
Season lays out a very in-depth world, with a substantial, detailed history. At points, it was almost overwhelming how much backstory lurks behind the story’s events. The magic and monsters inhabiting this world were, for the most part, just hinted at, in tantalizing glimpses, until thrust in the reader’s face in a bold way. Very well-constructed. Aewyn, the ostensible main character, was flawed and relatable, and grew on me over the course of the tale. Some of the secondary characters—particularly Robyn, the militia captain—were also likable.
There were a few odd moments of head-hopping mid-stream in the narrative. And while I appreciated the depth of the setting, I think it came at the expense of the pace. The first half of the book is extremely slow, without enough character or plot development for me. More interesting events occur in the book’s second half but had I not been reading this for SPFBO, I would have put it down around the 33% mark.
Season of the Plough has a big sprawling epic feel and I'd recommend it to someone for who likes slow-building plots set in detailed worlds.
December 30, 2020
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
So, first, the good: the prose in this is beautiful. Elegantly written, well-crafted and overall just a pleasure to read. The author has a true talent for beautiful writing.
That said, I dropped this book at the 43% mark because it didn’t really seem to be going anywhere. Other reviews have noted this book seems focused on world building and character development and I found that to be true as well. But it became tedious after a while as, at least speaking personally, I like a * little* more action sprinkled in to the character development.
Normally, I give any book I don’t finish one star. Giving this one three stars because the prose is just that good and also because maybe others will enjoy the character development more than I do.
It’s worth a read...as long as you understand what the book is and isn’t. This is not, by any measure, an action-packed thriller.
So, first, the good: the prose in this is beautiful. Elegantly written, well-crafted and overall just a pleasure to read. The author has a true talent for beautiful writing.
That said, I dropped this book at the 43% mark because it didn’t really seem to be going anywhere. Other reviews have noted this book seems focused on world building and character development and I found that to be true as well. But it became tedious after a while as, at least speaking personally, I like a * little* more action sprinkled in to the character development.
Normally, I give any book I don’t finish one star. Giving this one three stars because the prose is just that good and also because maybe others will enjoy the character development more than I do.
It’s worth a read...as long as you understand what the book is and isn’t. This is not, by any measure, an action-packed thriller.
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