What do you think?
Rate this book
The Gifted and the Cursed #2
Tristan's Folly
Tristan's Folly is the stunning sequel to the acclaimed Kings and Daemons, and the second in The Gifted and the Cursed trilogy.
Tristan's Folly. An ageing fortress built over fifty years ago to repel the invading hordes of the Witch-King, an invasion that never materialised - until now.
Now it’s a crumbling reflection of its former self and set against Daleth's savage horde of a hundred thousand men are a mere fifteen hundred defenders, who are surely doomed to fail.
As Kings and Daemons face one another, there is but one shining light that pushes back the darkness, but even her flame might be extinguished thanks to Tristan’s Folly.
In this epic tale of a battle against the odds, the best and worst of humankind will show itself ... sacrifice, honour, bravery and love, set against depravity, betrayal, greed and hatred.
-----
Tristan's Folly is a Dark Fantasy with a light romance to offset the darkness, set in a dystopian world where those who are gifted by the gods with one hand, are cursed with the other.
Tristan's Folly. An ageing fortress built over fifty years ago to repel the invading hordes of the Witch-King, an invasion that never materialised - until now.
Now it’s a crumbling reflection of its former self and set against Daleth's savage horde of a hundred thousand men are a mere fifteen hundred defenders, who are surely doomed to fail.
As Kings and Daemons face one another, there is but one shining light that pushes back the darkness, but even her flame might be extinguished thanks to Tristan’s Folly.
In this epic tale of a battle against the odds, the best and worst of humankind will show itself ... sacrifice, honour, bravery and love, set against depravity, betrayal, greed and hatred.
-----
Tristan's Folly is a Dark Fantasy with a light romance to offset the darkness, set in a dystopian world where those who are gifted by the gods with one hand, are cursed with the other.
300 pages, Paperback
Published October 26, 2020
About the author
Marcus Lee
8 books110 followersMarcus Lee is a bestselling author of Fantasy novels full of magic, conquest, darkness vs light, and Machiavellian plot twists that you won't see coming.
Born and living in London, he has been a lover of fantasy since reading Homer the Odyssey and The Iliad as a seven year old. Now, as a father of one, he seeks to create worlds and stories that capture the imagination of a new generation of readers, to give back some of the magic he has so happily immersed himself in over the years.
Whenever Marcus' quill is at rest, he can be found wandering enchanted forests, or engaging in a variety of sports/playing computer games with his son.
Marcus can be contacted via his website: www.marcusleebooks.com
Born and living in London, he has been a lover of fantasy since reading Homer the Odyssey and The Iliad as a seven year old. Now, as a father of one, he seeks to create worlds and stories that capture the imagination of a new generation of readers, to give back some of the magic he has so happily immersed himself in over the years.
Whenever Marcus' quill is at rest, he can be found wandering enchanted forests, or engaging in a variety of sports/playing computer games with his son.
Marcus can be contacted via his website: www.marcusleebooks.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 17, 2026
Being an admirer of David Gemmell's formidable fantasy books, and recently discovered Lucy Lyons and Steven A. McKay, I'm glad that I've remembered and revisited this Indie author called Marcus Lee, for now I have under review his second book of "The Gifted and the Cursed" series, called "Tristan's Folly".
It's a splendid and fitting sequel to "Kings & Daemons", because the stories continue fluently into each other with great verve.
Storytelling is superb, all characters come vividly to life in this tale about love and devotion, hate and jealousy, honesty and deception, healing and death, and all these human factors are wonderfully combined in this great fantasy tale.
Our main characters, Maya, Taran, Rakan, Kalas, and now with also with Yana in tow, have now reached Tristan's Folly, and they will have to face on the one hand the Witch-Kings Daleth's overwhelming forces, while on the other hand sly deceitful political decisions and personal deception and destruction within will also cause much strife within the walls of Tristan's Folly.
For most its fighting for their lives and trying to survive in this last stand called Tristan's Folly, while for some flee is the only option to survive and secure their wealth and power, and hopefully to fight another day.
What is to follow is an action-packed and fast-paced fantasy story from start to finish, with real human elements interwoven, like love and devotion, hate and jealousy, war and bloodlust, but also with spirit travel for the inspirational imaginations.
Very much recommended, for this is an excellent addition to this four-part series, and that's why I like to call this 2nd episode: "A Wonderful Continuation"!
It's a splendid and fitting sequel to "Kings & Daemons", because the stories continue fluently into each other with great verve.
Storytelling is superb, all characters come vividly to life in this tale about love and devotion, hate and jealousy, honesty and deception, healing and death, and all these human factors are wonderfully combined in this great fantasy tale.
Our main characters, Maya, Taran, Rakan, Kalas, and now with also with Yana in tow, have now reached Tristan's Folly, and they will have to face on the one hand the Witch-Kings Daleth's overwhelming forces, while on the other hand sly deceitful political decisions and personal deception and destruction within will also cause much strife within the walls of Tristan's Folly.
For most its fighting for their lives and trying to survive in this last stand called Tristan's Folly, while for some flee is the only option to survive and secure their wealth and power, and hopefully to fight another day.
What is to follow is an action-packed and fast-paced fantasy story from start to finish, with real human elements interwoven, like love and devotion, hate and jealousy, war and bloodlust, but also with spirit travel for the inspirational imaginations.
Very much recommended, for this is an excellent addition to this four-part series, and that's why I like to call this 2nd episode: "A Wonderful Continuation"!
December 2, 2020
TRISTAN'S FOLLY is a worthy sequel to Kings & Daemons in many ways and in some I believe it surpasses its predecessor. For sheer action and intrigue, this book really expanded on the first and showed an evolution of the characters that I didn't see coming. Almost every character takes a turn that was not expected and the amount of backstabbing and double-dealing kept me on my toes throughout this superbly fun sequel.
In this installment we get treated to a good old fashioned fortress siege. The enemy Daleth sits at the doorstep of Tristan's Folly ready to crush everyone inside on his way to trying to rout the Freestates. We've seen this before in many books and films but it always fills me with anticipation and dread as those camped outside the fortress' walls wait for the perfect moment to unleash hell on the defenders. This one lived up to my expectations I'm happy to say as I gobbled up every page and chapter breathlessly.
What I also loved about this book is that there is very little standing about. The action comes hot and heavy and the economy of page count really lent to the feeling that this story was one that never let up. Then I was suddenly hit with the final page searching for more to no avail, with an eagerness to have that final book in my hands to see how this all ends. One thing is for certain, there's one heck of a whopping climax on the horizon and I for one can't wait to experience it.
If you are looking for a fantasy book that is very much in the traditional vein of epic fantasy in the style of David Eddings, Andre Norton, and Terry Brooks, then you will definitely enjoy Marcus Lee's TRISTAN'S FOLLY and the entire The Gifted and the Cursed series. Jump in now while the getting is good. These are fairly quick reads that pack a punch and tell their story in such a way that they feel like comfort reads. That's not to say that they are comfortable, because there are some absolute dark moments, but they call to mind a joy of storytelling that makes you want to pull up a chair with your favorite beverage and immerse yourself for hours on end.
I enjoyed TRISTAN'S FOLLY a great deal and have really become a huge fan of this series. I hope that the next book comes soon because the cliffhanger was a bit much to take (in a good way). Marcus Lee has delivered another winner as far as I'm concerned. Pick this series up soon, you won't be sorry.
In this installment we get treated to a good old fashioned fortress siege. The enemy Daleth sits at the doorstep of Tristan's Folly ready to crush everyone inside on his way to trying to rout the Freestates. We've seen this before in many books and films but it always fills me with anticipation and dread as those camped outside the fortress' walls wait for the perfect moment to unleash hell on the defenders. This one lived up to my expectations I'm happy to say as I gobbled up every page and chapter breathlessly.
What I also loved about this book is that there is very little standing about. The action comes hot and heavy and the economy of page count really lent to the feeling that this story was one that never let up. Then I was suddenly hit with the final page searching for more to no avail, with an eagerness to have that final book in my hands to see how this all ends. One thing is for certain, there's one heck of a whopping climax on the horizon and I for one can't wait to experience it.
If you are looking for a fantasy book that is very much in the traditional vein of epic fantasy in the style of David Eddings, Andre Norton, and Terry Brooks, then you will definitely enjoy Marcus Lee's TRISTAN'S FOLLY and the entire The Gifted and the Cursed series. Jump in now while the getting is good. These are fairly quick reads that pack a punch and tell their story in such a way that they feel like comfort reads. That's not to say that they are comfortable, because there are some absolute dark moments, but they call to mind a joy of storytelling that makes you want to pull up a chair with your favorite beverage and immerse yourself for hours on end.
I enjoyed TRISTAN'S FOLLY a great deal and have really become a huge fan of this series. I hope that the next book comes soon because the cliffhanger was a bit much to take (in a good way). Marcus Lee has delivered another winner as far as I'm concerned. Pick this series up soon, you won't be sorry.
December 1, 2020
Yay! I was able to get a spot on Storytellers on Tour’s promotion of Marcus Lee’s new book. Tristan’s Folly picks up where Kings and Daemons left off. I can tell you one thing, the action was immediate. That’s something that I enjoyed in the first book as much as the second book. Lee knows how to pull his readers in.
Straight off the bat, Taran and the crew makes new enemies, as well as new allies. It is fun to see the characters that we followed in the previous novel coming together in this book more. The banter between characters comes easy and made me smile quite a bit throughout the novel. While others are coming together, The Witch King is still up to his dark ways and cruelties.
Maya is one of those characters that is a breath of fresh air. She’s truly good and compassionate and wants the best for those are her. The love story being her and Taran is soft and sweet, just enough to flavor the book without overpowering it or making it feel like a romance. This is a nice contrast to the constant cloud of doom, the battles that are always near. Speaking of Maya’s kind soul, through her and Astren, Lee brings up some thought-provoking conversation about the cost of war, weighing the immediate effect against the the long term effect that will strike a chord with many. There’s such a shade of grey that comes with war. It is easy to say that it is never needed, but sometimes you have to fight back. Sometimes it simply comes down to survival of the fittest. I love books that dig deeper into your subconscious.
Tristan’s Folly is a book that makes for smooth reading. Lee doesn’t fall prey to too much imagery, he sprinkles enough in to capture your attention while keeping the book’s plot at the forefront. No long, meandering paragraphs where you gloss over. I appreciate this in a novel. I like my novels to be driven by the characters, and this is certainly the case.
I also like that we get a lot of Daleth’s POV in this. Often we don’t get to see much of the “bad guy’s” thoughts, we just see them through the eyes of the other characters. Daleth’s sinister thoughts are compelling and at times, humorous. His response and thoughts to Taran’s crew are so entertaining. He leads with strength, and though people know he’s evil, they’re still willing to follow him. Reversely, on the side of good, people are having to accept a leader that isn’t quite up to their expectations. There’s treachery and twists aplenty happening. This treachery adds to the earlier question, how much are you willing to sacrifice to win? For the greater good? Is it worth giving up your own happiness?
Lastly, I just wanna say: I think the storyline Lee gave Kalas is GENIUS. It is so unique and I can’t say much without spoiling it for those that haven’t read the books yet, but he’s such an intriguing character. Whenever he’s in a scene, I always perk up a bit more than before.
Marcus Lee made another compelling read in his series, The Gifted and the Cursed. The lines between friends and foes, dark and light, monster and man are all muddled. These are some fun reads! Thanks so much to Marcus and Storytellers on Tour!
Straight off the bat, Taran and the crew makes new enemies, as well as new allies. It is fun to see the characters that we followed in the previous novel coming together in this book more. The banter between characters comes easy and made me smile quite a bit throughout the novel. While others are coming together, The Witch King is still up to his dark ways and cruelties.
Maya is one of those characters that is a breath of fresh air. She’s truly good and compassionate and wants the best for those are her. The love story being her and Taran is soft and sweet, just enough to flavor the book without overpowering it or making it feel like a romance. This is a nice contrast to the constant cloud of doom, the battles that are always near. Speaking of Maya’s kind soul, through her and Astren, Lee brings up some thought-provoking conversation about the cost of war, weighing the immediate effect against the the long term effect that will strike a chord with many. There’s such a shade of grey that comes with war. It is easy to say that it is never needed, but sometimes you have to fight back. Sometimes it simply comes down to survival of the fittest. I love books that dig deeper into your subconscious.
Tristan’s Folly is a book that makes for smooth reading. Lee doesn’t fall prey to too much imagery, he sprinkles enough in to capture your attention while keeping the book’s plot at the forefront. No long, meandering paragraphs where you gloss over. I appreciate this in a novel. I like my novels to be driven by the characters, and this is certainly the case.
I also like that we get a lot of Daleth’s POV in this. Often we don’t get to see much of the “bad guy’s” thoughts, we just see them through the eyes of the other characters. Daleth’s sinister thoughts are compelling and at times, humorous. His response and thoughts to Taran’s crew are so entertaining. He leads with strength, and though people know he’s evil, they’re still willing to follow him. Reversely, on the side of good, people are having to accept a leader that isn’t quite up to their expectations. There’s treachery and twists aplenty happening. This treachery adds to the earlier question, how much are you willing to sacrifice to win? For the greater good? Is it worth giving up your own happiness?
Lastly, I just wanna say: I think the storyline Lee gave Kalas is GENIUS. It is so unique and I can’t say much without spoiling it for those that haven’t read the books yet, but he’s such an intriguing character. Whenever he’s in a scene, I always perk up a bit more than before.
Marcus Lee made another compelling read in his series, The Gifted and the Cursed. The lines between friends and foes, dark and light, monster and man are all muddled. These are some fun reads! Thanks so much to Marcus and Storytellers on Tour!
December 2, 2020
Something I love about books is the potential sequel, this book is worthy of one of the best sequels ever done. Not only does Marcus develop the story and depict one incredible siege, but he develops some great characters that I loved in the first book into some of the more memorable and well depicted characters I have read this year.
The book picks up pretty much where the first book ends, what I loved is that the promised siege action kicks off fairly quickly. Sieges are one of my favourite action sequences in a book and I have read only one which equals how good this one is. The ebb and flow of the action is wonderfully described by Marcus, but a master stroke is depicting the action on both sides. It pulls the reader's sympathy to both sides, and was brilliant to read.
Marcus really develops the world of The Ember Kingdom and Freestates. He opens the readers eye to this world, the traditional fantasy location which is wonderfully depicted is complemented by glimpses and further information about other parts of the realm and further locations. It is shaping up to be one fantastic world to explore and glimpse while you are there, this is arguably one of my favourite reasons why I read fantasy. Also this is another fine example of character driven fantasy, being book 2 you do really need to have read book 1, but it is through the characters and their past and new experiences that Marcus develops this fantastic world.
Now the magic system, it developed through book 1 as quite a light but potentially rules based magic system that developed with the story. Oh my does it develop in this book, Marcus has hinted about it, but the elements of how characters are both gifted and cursed are revealed and the magic system evolves. I am becoming more of a fan of an evolving magic system, particularly one that becomes well defined with rules and other aspects...needless to say I was very curious to understand what was going on. I was rewarded but I am still curious about this brilliant sounding magic system.
Characters make or break a story for me (along with other issues), they define stories and are one of the major parts of storytelling. Marcus has created some memorable and brilliant characters, what makes them so compelling is that they are clearly all driven by motivation and it is so well defined. From Astren, Tristan, Yana, Raken, Taran and Maya and an amazing roster of supporting and secondary (Drizt!) everyone is driven, hides a secret or two but does what they can, will or must to survive! I love the direction that Marucs has pointed the story and I eagerly await book 3 of this fantastic trilogy.
There you are, another fine example of self published character driven fantasy, I have tried to keep this review spoiler free for anyone yet to read the book or read book 1. I wouldn't want to spoil this story for you, it is something to be savoured and enjoyed. A talented writer is here and making his mark on the fantasy genre, an amazing novel of warfare, survival, love and determination await you. It’s a fantastic read but make sure you read book 1, an introduction is needed for this dark fantasy tale, but as sequels go this is one fantastic book. It easily gets my seal of approval and as mention I cannot wait for book 3.
The book picks up pretty much where the first book ends, what I loved is that the promised siege action kicks off fairly quickly. Sieges are one of my favourite action sequences in a book and I have read only one which equals how good this one is. The ebb and flow of the action is wonderfully described by Marcus, but a master stroke is depicting the action on both sides. It pulls the reader's sympathy to both sides, and was brilliant to read.
Marcus really develops the world of The Ember Kingdom and Freestates. He opens the readers eye to this world, the traditional fantasy location which is wonderfully depicted is complemented by glimpses and further information about other parts of the realm and further locations. It is shaping up to be one fantastic world to explore and glimpse while you are there, this is arguably one of my favourite reasons why I read fantasy. Also this is another fine example of character driven fantasy, being book 2 you do really need to have read book 1, but it is through the characters and their past and new experiences that Marcus develops this fantastic world.
Now the magic system, it developed through book 1 as quite a light but potentially rules based magic system that developed with the story. Oh my does it develop in this book, Marcus has hinted about it, but the elements of how characters are both gifted and cursed are revealed and the magic system evolves. I am becoming more of a fan of an evolving magic system, particularly one that becomes well defined with rules and other aspects...needless to say I was very curious to understand what was going on. I was rewarded but I am still curious about this brilliant sounding magic system.
Characters make or break a story for me (along with other issues), they define stories and are one of the major parts of storytelling. Marcus has created some memorable and brilliant characters, what makes them so compelling is that they are clearly all driven by motivation and it is so well defined. From Astren, Tristan, Yana, Raken, Taran and Maya and an amazing roster of supporting and secondary (Drizt!) everyone is driven, hides a secret or two but does what they can, will or must to survive! I love the direction that Marucs has pointed the story and I eagerly await book 3 of this fantastic trilogy.
There you are, another fine example of self published character driven fantasy, I have tried to keep this review spoiler free for anyone yet to read the book or read book 1. I wouldn't want to spoil this story for you, it is something to be savoured and enjoyed. A talented writer is here and making his mark on the fantasy genre, an amazing novel of warfare, survival, love and determination await you. It’s a fantastic read but make sure you read book 1, an introduction is needed for this dark fantasy tale, but as sequels go this is one fantastic book. It easily gets my seal of approval and as mention I cannot wait for book 3.
December 3, 2020
Good Evening Bookish Folk!
How are we all doing today? I hope you are all freaking awesome.
Today I am thrilled to be one of the many incredible bloggers coming together this week to talk to you about Marcus Lee’s second book Tristan’s Folly. This tour is hosted by Storytellers on Tour, who I have had the pleasure of working with on a few previous occasions, so definitely check out their site!
I would also like to take this time to thank Marcus for sending me a physical copy of this book!
Here are a few things you can expect from Tristan’s Folly:
A dark fantasy with a sprinkling of romance;
A visually stunning magic system;
Seige warfare;
A dystopia world filled with cracking characters; and
A unique and refreshing fantasy story!
On to the full review…
Today is day four of this book tour and thus my day, along with Rowena at Beneath A Thousand Skies, to share our thoughts on Tristan’s Folly. It still has another day to run, so head over to the Tour Schedule page to check out all amazing reviews already posted!
As I have said Tristan’s Folly is the second book of The Gifted and the Cursed series by Mr Marcus Lee, and it picks up right where Kings and Daemons left off. Tristan’s Folly does not mess around either, it is straight into the thick of it with so much to lose and even more to win! It is a great second instalment and I was not disappointed.
I praised the magic system in my review of Kings and Daemons and I will praise it again. It is such a lovely magic system. It gives your such a great level of variety throughout the book. It did feel very convenient at times but worry not Lee combats this superbly. One of our characters, Taran, was able to know the truth of an enemy’s words through his gift and that alone could have made many events within this book feel anti-climatic but it didn’t! It didn’t because Lee would always have other and more enjoyable sequences at play. Lee managed to create even more tension where Taran’s ability could have taken it away, the character’s reactions and the way they dealt with these revelations and truths after the fact was brilliantly done. To be honest it was refreshing, too often do you read a book that makes you just sit there and be like really, yes obviously take the bad guy at his word. There is no room for that in this book, so not only is the magic fun it’s a brilliant writing mechanism that shows Lee’s skill at changing the direction and bringing the tension that such events usually warrant a different way.
While Lee is a new writer with only two books out there for the world to see he shows such promise! This is his second book and it is already brilliant. I honestly think he can only get better as he goes on, and I for one am incredibly excited to see his style grow!
I found myself during this read constantly thinking ’oh you clever, clever man’. Again, Lee shows us he is a talented writer. At some points I was like ’mmmm well what happened then?’ because a POV would change and so would the tide of the battle. I swore I had just missed something at first only to soon see Lee reveal it in a far more spectacular way, one in particular point I was so smug and satisfied because of the way Lee wrote the sequence of events was just brilliant! As much as I would love to tell you in detail what and how Lee did this, I won’t because…SPOILERS! And you need to experience the joy of unravelling the events of this book yourself!
Having already met most of the characters in book one it was amazing to see the still growing and progressing. They didn’t plateau and were a joy to read.
I found that I liked Maya a lot more in this book, not that I didn’t like her before but you know how it is!
Now, I have said before but I shall say it again; a main character is only as good as those that surround them in my opinion. If you have a strong character but their interactions are with subpar characters they don’t shine, bu thankfully Lee doesn’t need to worry about this. Maya was such a good character to read because she was so layered and well rounded. She had deep and thought provoking conversations with Astren, but then she was soft and loving with Taran and yet comical and fiery with Drizt and Trop. IT was great to see how she changes with each person she is with!
I also really liked Daleth, I actually really likes his POV’s in book one and he doesn’t disappoint. He is a truly great character because you kind of like him. He is filled with manipulation and deceit (not so different to another character who is in the good side might I add 🤔) and yes its bad to manipulate those who serve him, yet he knows all the names of his men, he gifts them and treats them well. Yes, a good deal of their fire is based off a lie but that isn’t all they are fighting for, they are fighting for Daleth! He doesn’t lead by fear alone but through admiration and they respect and choose to follow him. He is such a brilliantly complex character that brings out much thought from the reader and not only from his own character but what he represents. Which is definitely another strength of Lee’s writing style. He shows you that not everything is as it seems, no one person is wholly bad or good!
Tristan’s Folly is a fast paced book, as I said it picks up right where it left off and it does not stop! This story is filled with action sequences and siege warfare and has you turning to the next page. Lee continues to raise the stakes in this book and sets up for what I expect is going to be a dramatic conclusion to this story. There is so much going on, though not cluttered and incoherent, and we see a lot more internal strife and deception in this book!
I really enjoyed this book as I did the first and I am excite to see Le grow as a writer and what he has in store for us in book three!
You know the drill, On to the rating…
THE RANKS:
BUY THE HARDBACK | BUY THE PAPERBACK | BUY THE EBOOK | LIBRARY RENTAL OR SALE PURCHASE
I am happy to say that Tristan’s Folly is a BUY THE PAPERBACK! Yayyy
As I said in my review, this book is delightfully written, with its plot twists and refreshing way of writing! I am super happy to have this book on my shelves and will look forward to having the final book when it is out to make the set complete!
How are we all doing today? I hope you are all freaking awesome.
Today I am thrilled to be one of the many incredible bloggers coming together this week to talk to you about Marcus Lee’s second book Tristan’s Folly. This tour is hosted by Storytellers on Tour, who I have had the pleasure of working with on a few previous occasions, so definitely check out their site!
I would also like to take this time to thank Marcus for sending me a physical copy of this book!
Here are a few things you can expect from Tristan’s Folly:
A dark fantasy with a sprinkling of romance;
A visually stunning magic system;
Seige warfare;
A dystopia world filled with cracking characters; and
A unique and refreshing fantasy story!
On to the full review…
Today is day four of this book tour and thus my day, along with Rowena at Beneath A Thousand Skies, to share our thoughts on Tristan’s Folly. It still has another day to run, so head over to the Tour Schedule page to check out all amazing reviews already posted!
As I have said Tristan’s Folly is the second book of The Gifted and the Cursed series by Mr Marcus Lee, and it picks up right where Kings and Daemons left off. Tristan’s Folly does not mess around either, it is straight into the thick of it with so much to lose and even more to win! It is a great second instalment and I was not disappointed.
I praised the magic system in my review of Kings and Daemons and I will praise it again. It is such a lovely magic system. It gives your such a great level of variety throughout the book. It did feel very convenient at times but worry not Lee combats this superbly. One of our characters, Taran, was able to know the truth of an enemy’s words through his gift and that alone could have made many events within this book feel anti-climatic but it didn’t! It didn’t because Lee would always have other and more enjoyable sequences at play. Lee managed to create even more tension where Taran’s ability could have taken it away, the character’s reactions and the way they dealt with these revelations and truths after the fact was brilliantly done. To be honest it was refreshing, too often do you read a book that makes you just sit there and be like really, yes obviously take the bad guy at his word. There is no room for that in this book, so not only is the magic fun it’s a brilliant writing mechanism that shows Lee’s skill at changing the direction and bringing the tension that such events usually warrant a different way.
While Lee is a new writer with only two books out there for the world to see he shows such promise! This is his second book and it is already brilliant. I honestly think he can only get better as he goes on, and I for one am incredibly excited to see his style grow!
I found myself during this read constantly thinking ’oh you clever, clever man’. Again, Lee shows us he is a talented writer. At some points I was like ’mmmm well what happened then?’ because a POV would change and so would the tide of the battle. I swore I had just missed something at first only to soon see Lee reveal it in a far more spectacular way, one in particular point I was so smug and satisfied because of the way Lee wrote the sequence of events was just brilliant! As much as I would love to tell you in detail what and how Lee did this, I won’t because…SPOILERS! And you need to experience the joy of unravelling the events of this book yourself!
Having already met most of the characters in book one it was amazing to see the still growing and progressing. They didn’t plateau and were a joy to read.
I found that I liked Maya a lot more in this book, not that I didn’t like her before but you know how it is!
Now, I have said before but I shall say it again; a main character is only as good as those that surround them in my opinion. If you have a strong character but their interactions are with subpar characters they don’t shine, bu thankfully Lee doesn’t need to worry about this. Maya was such a good character to read because she was so layered and well rounded. She had deep and thought provoking conversations with Astren, but then she was soft and loving with Taran and yet comical and fiery with Drizt and Trop. IT was great to see how she changes with each person she is with!
I also really liked Daleth, I actually really likes his POV’s in book one and he doesn’t disappoint. He is a truly great character because you kind of like him. He is filled with manipulation and deceit (not so different to another character who is in the good side might I add 🤔) and yes its bad to manipulate those who serve him, yet he knows all the names of his men, he gifts them and treats them well. Yes, a good deal of their fire is based off a lie but that isn’t all they are fighting for, they are fighting for Daleth! He doesn’t lead by fear alone but through admiration and they respect and choose to follow him. He is such a brilliantly complex character that brings out much thought from the reader and not only from his own character but what he represents. Which is definitely another strength of Lee’s writing style. He shows you that not everything is as it seems, no one person is wholly bad or good!
Tristan’s Folly is a fast paced book, as I said it picks up right where it left off and it does not stop! This story is filled with action sequences and siege warfare and has you turning to the next page. Lee continues to raise the stakes in this book and sets up for what I expect is going to be a dramatic conclusion to this story. There is so much going on, though not cluttered and incoherent, and we see a lot more internal strife and deception in this book!
I really enjoyed this book as I did the first and I am excite to see Le grow as a writer and what he has in store for us in book three!
You know the drill, On to the rating…
THE RANKS:
BUY THE HARDBACK | BUY THE PAPERBACK | BUY THE EBOOK | LIBRARY RENTAL OR SALE PURCHASE
I am happy to say that Tristan’s Folly is a BUY THE PAPERBACK! Yayyy
As I said in my review, this book is delightfully written, with its plot twists and refreshing way of writing! I am super happy to have this book on my shelves and will look forward to having the final book when it is out to make the set complete!
December 1, 2020
Thank you so much to Storytellers on Tour and Marcus Lee for inviting me to take part in the blog tour for Tristan’s Folly and sending me a free Advanced Review Copy, in return for an honest review.
Last month I read Kings and Daemons, the first book in The Gifted and The Cursed series and Marcus Lee’s debut novel. I absolutely loved it — so was very excited to be offered Tristan's Folly, the second in the series.
Tristan’s Folly picks up right where we left off in Kings and Daemons. Maya, Taran, Rakan and Kalas arrive at the Tristan’s Folly fortress to meet King Tristan and Astren, a wizard who can also spirit travel and invited Maya to join them. Straight away we are thrown into the action — the aftermath of Elender’s betrayal at the very end of the previous book. And, of course, the Witch-King’s epic siege of Tristan’s Folly.
The battle of Taran, Rakan, Kalas and Tristan’s men against the Witch-King Daleth built on the tension of the previous book and it certainly didn’t disappoint! Once again, there’s non-stop action, and I couldn’t put this book down. I read it in one sitting. While there is a lot of violence (as you might expect) and it is a darker book, it also has lots of twists between each bout that kept me wanting more.
I loved that the previous book showed some humanity to Daleth, and this continues in Tristan’s Folly. While he is clearly the villain, we see his vulnerability. He confesses to himself that he cares for Alano, his second-in-command and his only friend of 50 years. “If his only friend was a daemon, what did that say of him?” Daleth is loved by his men — for example, he eats with his soldiers to earn their loyalty (if only because it means they will fight harder for him).
This made for the perfect contrast against King Tristan. We expect him to be a kind, benevolent ruler, as he has given Maya, Taran, Rakan and Kalas safety and citizenship. Instead, Tristan is selfish and will do anything to get what he wants: “He’d lean upon any expertise he could lay his hands on, and that was his strength; using those around him to the best of their ability for his own personal gain.”
Marcus Lee’s writing has developed and grown in this, his second ever novel. I enjoyed reading more about our heroes — Maya continues to gain confidence, and I enjoyed her cheeky sense of humour. In addition, both Maya and Taran’s powers grow stronger through their love of each other, which I also really enjoyed reading and added a lot to the story.
The siege of Tristan’s Folly certainly didn’t disappoint after the build up in the previous book. I always love desperate last stands and this was no exception! Tristan’s Folly has non-stop action, switching between combat and moving, dramatic scenes. Marcus Lee pulls no punches, not shying away from writing about the horrors of medieval combat, while still managing to balance character development and an exciting story. I am now super excited for the third book in the series, The End of Dreams — hopefully Marcus Lee won’t keep us waiting long!
Last month I read Kings and Daemons, the first book in The Gifted and The Cursed series and Marcus Lee’s debut novel. I absolutely loved it — so was very excited to be offered Tristan's Folly, the second in the series.
Tristan’s Folly picks up right where we left off in Kings and Daemons. Maya, Taran, Rakan and Kalas arrive at the Tristan’s Folly fortress to meet King Tristan and Astren, a wizard who can also spirit travel and invited Maya to join them. Straight away we are thrown into the action — the aftermath of Elender’s betrayal at the very end of the previous book. And, of course, the Witch-King’s epic siege of Tristan’s Folly.
The battle of Taran, Rakan, Kalas and Tristan’s men against the Witch-King Daleth built on the tension of the previous book and it certainly didn’t disappoint! Once again, there’s non-stop action, and I couldn’t put this book down. I read it in one sitting. While there is a lot of violence (as you might expect) and it is a darker book, it also has lots of twists between each bout that kept me wanting more.
I loved that the previous book showed some humanity to Daleth, and this continues in Tristan’s Folly. While he is clearly the villain, we see his vulnerability. He confesses to himself that he cares for Alano, his second-in-command and his only friend of 50 years. “If his only friend was a daemon, what did that say of him?” Daleth is loved by his men — for example, he eats with his soldiers to earn their loyalty (if only because it means they will fight harder for him).
This made for the perfect contrast against King Tristan. We expect him to be a kind, benevolent ruler, as he has given Maya, Taran, Rakan and Kalas safety and citizenship. Instead, Tristan is selfish and will do anything to get what he wants: “He’d lean upon any expertise he could lay his hands on, and that was his strength; using those around him to the best of their ability for his own personal gain.”
Marcus Lee’s writing has developed and grown in this, his second ever novel. I enjoyed reading more about our heroes — Maya continues to gain confidence, and I enjoyed her cheeky sense of humour. In addition, both Maya and Taran’s powers grow stronger through their love of each other, which I also really enjoyed reading and added a lot to the story.
The siege of Tristan’s Folly certainly didn’t disappoint after the build up in the previous book. I always love desperate last stands and this was no exception! Tristan’s Folly has non-stop action, switching between combat and moving, dramatic scenes. Marcus Lee pulls no punches, not shying away from writing about the horrors of medieval combat, while still managing to balance character development and an exciting story. I am now super excited for the third book in the series, The End of Dreams — hopefully Marcus Lee won’t keep us waiting long!
March 3, 2021
4.5 stars
In reading a series, you read a sequel because you either loved the first book or you want answers to some questions…In Marcus Lee’s series, it was both for me. I was excited for the sequel because I REALLY loved book 1 (Kings and Daemons) and I was also left with questions I want answered. I want to know more about the world, the magic and of course, the characters. I am glad to share that I wasn’t disappointed by this sequel.
What really made me immersed in Lee’s world is the main concept of curses and gifts going hand in hand. It’s a very intriguing concept because it’s not something you always see in stories. It promises internal conflicts in characters. It promises black AND white not black VERSUS white. It promises evil and good and not evil VERSUS good. And being Tristan’s Folly as the second book already, I can now confidently say that the author successfully provided what was promised. That said, I want to focus on the characters.
One thing I really liked about Lee’s writing is his ability to give each of his characters the spotlight they deserve. It doesn’t matter if it’s a main character or a side character. Lee made me care for all of them. I care enough to be interested in what’s going on in their minds and understand the reasons behind their actions. And I can say this even for the new characters introduced in this book, such as Tristan. He kind of reminds me of Klaus from The Originals (I know, from a very different genre but I’m rewatching that show so he’s in my mind). I wouldn’t call him conflicted or evil but he’s just a very multi-faceted character. Everything he does, good moral aside, seems reasonable.
This is true to most characters in this book. Tristan’s Folly introduced new set of characters, some of them weren’t really friends to the main characters, but the main characters don’t know that. Another thing, it’s not easy to add new characters to an already amazing ensemble cast. Taran, Maya, Rakan and Kalas are already amazing and the main reason why I love this series but I liked the new characters too. They added intrigues and more substance to the story. Everyone is fleshed out and all their actions are reasonable that they don’t feel forced so the plot moves forward naturally. I couldn’t help but pay attention to what everyone’s thinking and doing and that includes even the army.
Yes the armies. The plot, as the blurb indicates involves a war and of course, there are armies. And usually in this kind of stories, the armies are just armies who will eventually die because that’s just what happens to them. LOL. But in here, the armies felt like real people. Like I said, the author really knows how to give his characters the spotlight they deserve. I know it’s weird that I’m talking about the army but they’re the ones I can think of that is supposedly insignificant but was written well by the author.
The reason I focus mainly on the characters in this review is because I will be posting my review of book 3 soon and I can just be more thorough there. Also, I think it’s the author’s best asset. The way he treats all his characters is something I hope I can do as a writer as well. The way Lee uses his characters to make the plot even more intriguing and his world immersive is amazing. It’s not just a skill, it’s a talent.
In reading a series, you read a sequel because you either loved the first book or you want answers to some questions…In Marcus Lee’s series, it was both for me. I was excited for the sequel because I REALLY loved book 1 (Kings and Daemons) and I was also left with questions I want answered. I want to know more about the world, the magic and of course, the characters. I am glad to share that I wasn’t disappointed by this sequel.
What really made me immersed in Lee’s world is the main concept of curses and gifts going hand in hand. It’s a very intriguing concept because it’s not something you always see in stories. It promises internal conflicts in characters. It promises black AND white not black VERSUS white. It promises evil and good and not evil VERSUS good. And being Tristan’s Folly as the second book already, I can now confidently say that the author successfully provided what was promised. That said, I want to focus on the characters.
One thing I really liked about Lee’s writing is his ability to give each of his characters the spotlight they deserve. It doesn’t matter if it’s a main character or a side character. Lee made me care for all of them. I care enough to be interested in what’s going on in their minds and understand the reasons behind their actions. And I can say this even for the new characters introduced in this book, such as Tristan. He kind of reminds me of Klaus from The Originals (I know, from a very different genre but I’m rewatching that show so he’s in my mind). I wouldn’t call him conflicted or evil but he’s just a very multi-faceted character. Everything he does, good moral aside, seems reasonable.
This is true to most characters in this book. Tristan’s Folly introduced new set of characters, some of them weren’t really friends to the main characters, but the main characters don’t know that. Another thing, it’s not easy to add new characters to an already amazing ensemble cast. Taran, Maya, Rakan and Kalas are already amazing and the main reason why I love this series but I liked the new characters too. They added intrigues and more substance to the story. Everyone is fleshed out and all their actions are reasonable that they don’t feel forced so the plot moves forward naturally. I couldn’t help but pay attention to what everyone’s thinking and doing and that includes even the army.
Yes the armies. The plot, as the blurb indicates involves a war and of course, there are armies. And usually in this kind of stories, the armies are just armies who will eventually die because that’s just what happens to them. LOL. But in here, the armies felt like real people. Like I said, the author really knows how to give his characters the spotlight they deserve. I know it’s weird that I’m talking about the army but they’re the ones I can think of that is supposedly insignificant but was written well by the author.
The reason I focus mainly on the characters in this review is because I will be posting my review of book 3 soon and I can just be more thorough there. Also, I think it’s the author’s best asset. The way he treats all his characters is something I hope I can do as a writer as well. The way Lee uses his characters to make the plot even more intriguing and his world immersive is amazing. It’s not just a skill, it’s a talent.
January 18, 2021
Thank you to the author for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. It is available for purchase now.
Tristan’s Folly is book two in The Gifted and the Cursed series, and it continues the storyline magnificently. The reader is dropped smack into the middle of things, which I loved. There aren’t any slow moments, or downtime in this book. Instead, it’s a breathtaking story, one that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.
Everything in Tristan’s Folly is ramped up to eleven, with truly astonishing character growth, even higher stakes, and…a siege! That’s right, folks, an actual siege! It’s been ages since I’ve read a book where there’s a siege, much less one that is written so well. There is violence galore, but it is never there just for shock value. Rather, it adds a level of tension to the book that is as rare as it is enthralling.
There are new characters to love (and to be a little bit scared of). I wouldn’t trust most of them, which was absolutely fantastic. I am a huge fan of morally complex characters, and the depth of each person in Tristan’s Folly is truly impressive. Each character is nuanced and unique. There are no cookie-cutter characters at all. I really loved the cunning Tristan, but everyone was great.
I’m desperate to read the next book in the series. Tristan’s Folly is fabulous and this is a series that every reader of fantasy needs to get their hands on immediately. Marcus Lee deserves a place among the great authors of the fantasy genre. I am blown away!
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.hom...
Tristan’s Folly is book two in The Gifted and the Cursed series, and it continues the storyline magnificently. The reader is dropped smack into the middle of things, which I loved. There aren’t any slow moments, or downtime in this book. Instead, it’s a breathtaking story, one that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.
Everything in Tristan’s Folly is ramped up to eleven, with truly astonishing character growth, even higher stakes, and…a siege! That’s right, folks, an actual siege! It’s been ages since I’ve read a book where there’s a siege, much less one that is written so well. There is violence galore, but it is never there just for shock value. Rather, it adds a level of tension to the book that is as rare as it is enthralling.
There are new characters to love (and to be a little bit scared of). I wouldn’t trust most of them, which was absolutely fantastic. I am a huge fan of morally complex characters, and the depth of each person in Tristan’s Folly is truly impressive. Each character is nuanced and unique. There are no cookie-cutter characters at all. I really loved the cunning Tristan, but everyone was great.
I’m desperate to read the next book in the series. Tristan’s Folly is fabulous and this is a series that every reader of fantasy needs to get their hands on immediately. Marcus Lee deserves a place among the great authors of the fantasy genre. I am blown away!
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.hom...
February 8, 2021
Daleth's army is at the gates of King Tristan's mighty fortress which is the sole obstacle in his plan to overrun the Freestates.
A beacon of resolve in his quest for dominance.
However, things are not as it seems. As the Witch King batters the wall in his attempt to crush the resistance, dark forces are at work within the fortress. Who will be left standing as the mighty fall.
Tristan's Folly is the second in The Gifted & the Cursed Trilogy by Marcus Lee and is very much a continuation of the story begun in Kings & Daemons, and I think Tristan's Folly is best regarded as a continuation rather than a separate book.
In this second chapter, Maya and the rest of the party have made their way to the Freestates and have pledged their services to King Tristan to attempt to stop the Daleth's invading hoardes.
The story revolves around the siege of the fortress and is very insular in its setting and not as expansive as Kings & Daemons. However, this provides a sense of claustrophobia and focus, which increases in the second half of the book.
The book is very definitely a game of two halves. Initially, the book has a sense of hope. However, as the siege becomes more protracted, this dissipates as tensions within the fortress become increasingly fraught.
Marcus Lee conveys this really well and does a masterful job of introducing plots and subplots that adds to the mounting tension and puts strain on the relationships between the party.
I have to say that I enjoyed this book immensely and this second book moves the story on in ways that I didn't expect. As I said earlier there is very much a darker tone than Kings & Daemons. Whilst the previous book is dark fantasy there was always that corona of light, and whilst this continues initially in Tristan’s Folly, the tone becomes much darker towards the latter part of the book
One of the standout points in Marcus Lee’s work is the depth of the characters, and this continues in Tristan's Folly. Each of the characters develop in some way and what I found to be the most interesting is that the characters will move between good decisions and pretty bad decisions depending on the events that affect them individually. This is one of the things that I like about Marcus Lee’s writing. He writes realistic characters that do have faults, that will make mistakes and thus making them more human and multi faceted, making you care for them more. Even Daleth, the Witch – King is not omnipotent, but has the ability to make mistakes and show bad judgement.
One of the themes that caught my attention is duplicity. And this theme seems to run throughout the book. Even the title is duplicitous in its meaning. What exactly is Tristan’s Folly? However, this is not something that I will go into – Plot spoilers! And I want to stay away from those.
I really liked Kings & Daemons and thought it was excellent. Tristan’s Folly develops the story of Maya and the rest of the party so much more and I found everything to be taken that one step further. Not just in relation to the the plot, but in the development of the characters and even in the writing. Marcus Lee has always had a unique voice, however in Tristan’s Folly everything is honed to absolute sharpness.
If you haven’t read The Gifted & The Cursed, I really recommend that you do as it does not disappoint, and I am really excited to be reading the third instalment of this enjoyable series.
A beacon of resolve in his quest for dominance.
However, things are not as it seems. As the Witch King batters the wall in his attempt to crush the resistance, dark forces are at work within the fortress. Who will be left standing as the mighty fall.
Tristan's Folly is the second in The Gifted & the Cursed Trilogy by Marcus Lee and is very much a continuation of the story begun in Kings & Daemons, and I think Tristan's Folly is best regarded as a continuation rather than a separate book.
In this second chapter, Maya and the rest of the party have made their way to the Freestates and have pledged their services to King Tristan to attempt to stop the Daleth's invading hoardes.
The story revolves around the siege of the fortress and is very insular in its setting and not as expansive as Kings & Daemons. However, this provides a sense of claustrophobia and focus, which increases in the second half of the book.
The book is very definitely a game of two halves. Initially, the book has a sense of hope. However, as the siege becomes more protracted, this dissipates as tensions within the fortress become increasingly fraught.
Marcus Lee conveys this really well and does a masterful job of introducing plots and subplots that adds to the mounting tension and puts strain on the relationships between the party.
I have to say that I enjoyed this book immensely and this second book moves the story on in ways that I didn't expect. As I said earlier there is very much a darker tone than Kings & Daemons. Whilst the previous book is dark fantasy there was always that corona of light, and whilst this continues initially in Tristan’s Folly, the tone becomes much darker towards the latter part of the book
One of the standout points in Marcus Lee’s work is the depth of the characters, and this continues in Tristan's Folly. Each of the characters develop in some way and what I found to be the most interesting is that the characters will move between good decisions and pretty bad decisions depending on the events that affect them individually. This is one of the things that I like about Marcus Lee’s writing. He writes realistic characters that do have faults, that will make mistakes and thus making them more human and multi faceted, making you care for them more. Even Daleth, the Witch – King is not omnipotent, but has the ability to make mistakes and show bad judgement.
One of the themes that caught my attention is duplicity. And this theme seems to run throughout the book. Even the title is duplicitous in its meaning. What exactly is Tristan’s Folly? However, this is not something that I will go into – Plot spoilers! And I want to stay away from those.
I really liked Kings & Daemons and thought it was excellent. Tristan’s Folly develops the story of Maya and the rest of the party so much more and I found everything to be taken that one step further. Not just in relation to the the plot, but in the development of the characters and even in the writing. Marcus Lee has always had a unique voice, however in Tristan’s Folly everything is honed to absolute sharpness.
If you haven’t read The Gifted & The Cursed, I really recommend that you do as it does not disappoint, and I am really excited to be reading the third instalment of this enjoyable series.
December 1, 2020
I was granted complimentary access to a review copy of Tristan’s Folly by the author through Storytellers On Tour in exchange for an honest review as part of my participation in the blog tour for this title. Thank you to both Marcus Lee and Storytellers On Tour for this opportunity! This has not swayed my opinion. My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
I would like to start by saying that I have not read the first book yet, and I went into this knowing that I was reading a sequel blind. I feel that one of the important measures of a great sequel (or later series instalment) is how readable it is to someone who didn’t read the previous book. It was certainly not unreadable! I enjoyed this book a lot and I love the low fantasy world and rich characters Marcus Lee has created. With that said, there are a lot of POV characters whose backstories were clearly established in the previous book, so when this book launches the reader straight into the action there’s a lot of reading between the lines to be done to catch up. It’s not impossible, but this book would definitely be best experienced after reading book one.
I would also like to give my compliments to the cover designer! I don’t know why the fantasy subsection of the publishing industry seems to have agreed the colour of the year is purple, but this is one of the best purple fantasy covers I’ve seen this year, and it definitely got my attention when this tour opportunity came up.
This is a very character-oriented book with lots of action and fantastic dialogue. It neither falls victim to “float head” syndrome nor weighs us down with too much flowery prose; it described just enough to give us context and beats, but leaves the focus on the characters. Although there is a romance element, it doesn’t bash the reader over the head with romance. It’s a dark fantasy first with a smattering of romance for interest. Just how I like it!
My favourite charcater was Daleth. Yes, I know, he’s the antagonist! Lee has done such a good job of making this villain empathetic with relatable motives, and I loved his POV sections. It reminds me of how Iago is the best part of Shakespeare’s Othello (and no, you can’t change my mind!)
Obviously since I haven’t read book one yet, I can’t comment on how this book works as a sequel, but I can say it’s an amazing book all on its own. I think the parts were I felt a little lost here and there or wished I had a stronger connection to a character are because it’s a sequel picking up where the previous book left off, and those little things I’m missing just happened a hundred pages or so back, it’s just not in this volume. Perhaps if I were to re-read this one after reading the first book my rating would increase to a full 5 stars. Revisit in the future, perhaps?
Overall this is a solid dark fantasy and I would recommend it to all fantasy lovers. 4 out of 5 stars, great read!
--
I read this title for a blog tour! To read the rest of the post and gain easy access to the rest of the tour, visit: https://www.westveilpublishing.com/?p...
I would like to start by saying that I have not read the first book yet, and I went into this knowing that I was reading a sequel blind. I feel that one of the important measures of a great sequel (or later series instalment) is how readable it is to someone who didn’t read the previous book. It was certainly not unreadable! I enjoyed this book a lot and I love the low fantasy world and rich characters Marcus Lee has created. With that said, there are a lot of POV characters whose backstories were clearly established in the previous book, so when this book launches the reader straight into the action there’s a lot of reading between the lines to be done to catch up. It’s not impossible, but this book would definitely be best experienced after reading book one.
I would also like to give my compliments to the cover designer! I don’t know why the fantasy subsection of the publishing industry seems to have agreed the colour of the year is purple, but this is one of the best purple fantasy covers I’ve seen this year, and it definitely got my attention when this tour opportunity came up.
This is a very character-oriented book with lots of action and fantastic dialogue. It neither falls victim to “float head” syndrome nor weighs us down with too much flowery prose; it described just enough to give us context and beats, but leaves the focus on the characters. Although there is a romance element, it doesn’t bash the reader over the head with romance. It’s a dark fantasy first with a smattering of romance for interest. Just how I like it!
My favourite charcater was Daleth. Yes, I know, he’s the antagonist! Lee has done such a good job of making this villain empathetic with relatable motives, and I loved his POV sections. It reminds me of how Iago is the best part of Shakespeare’s Othello (and no, you can’t change my mind!)
Obviously since I haven’t read book one yet, I can’t comment on how this book works as a sequel, but I can say it’s an amazing book all on its own. I think the parts were I felt a little lost here and there or wished I had a stronger connection to a character are because it’s a sequel picking up where the previous book left off, and those little things I’m missing just happened a hundred pages or so back, it’s just not in this volume. Perhaps if I were to re-read this one after reading the first book my rating would increase to a full 5 stars. Revisit in the future, perhaps?
Overall this is a solid dark fantasy and I would recommend it to all fantasy lovers. 4 out of 5 stars, great read!
--
I read this title for a blog tour! To read the rest of the post and gain easy access to the rest of the tour, visit: https://www.westveilpublishing.com/?p...
January 2, 2023
A great and easy read. onto the finale!
January 23, 2026
Tristan's Folly is a brilliant sequel to Marcus Lee's "Kings and Daemons". Before I get into the story, I briefly have to acknowledge the genius of the book's title. There is a double or even triple meaning and I have no doubt it was intentional.
Now onto my review.
On a whole I really enjoyed this sequel. It continues the story of our group. Maya, Taran, Rakan, Kalas and now Yana have made it to Tristan's Folly and find themselves joining the first line of defence stopping the witch-king from invading the Freestates. I was filled with a sense of foreboding throughout the whole siege and it was definitely a roller coaster ride.
The beautiful love between Maya and Taran continued to fill me with hope despite the state of their world. Yana's cunning and theatrics were entertaining to read and she was definitely a character I loved to hate, along with King Tristan and is ilk. Rakan continues to be a compelling found father figure whilst retaining the ruthless soldier persona he's been his whole life.
But I have to say, Kalas stole the show for me in this book. What a brilliant character. I had so many thoughts rushing through my head when I finished it. His conflicts, regrets, strengths and weaknesses all coalescing throughout the book and coming full circle. Kalas indeed came and he didn't come quietly.
I'm moving onto book 3 with my heart thumping in anticipation to see what happens with these characters I've grown attached to.
Now onto my review.
On a whole I really enjoyed this sequel. It continues the story of our group. Maya, Taran, Rakan, Kalas and now Yana have made it to Tristan's Folly and find themselves joining the first line of defence stopping the witch-king from invading the Freestates. I was filled with a sense of foreboding throughout the whole siege and it was definitely a roller coaster ride.
The beautiful love between Maya and Taran continued to fill me with hope despite the state of their world. Yana's cunning and theatrics were entertaining to read and she was definitely a character I loved to hate, along with King Tristan and is ilk. Rakan continues to be a compelling found father figure whilst retaining the ruthless soldier persona he's been his whole life.
But I have to say, Kalas stole the show for me in this book. What a brilliant character. I had so many thoughts rushing through my head when I finished it. His conflicts, regrets, strengths and weaknesses all coalescing throughout the book and coming full circle. Kalas indeed came and he didn't come quietly.
I'm moving onto book 3 with my heart thumping in anticipation to see what happens with these characters I've grown attached to.
March 26, 2025
disappointing.
I loved book one but suddenly in book 2 everyone has become TSTL. Maya is ridiculous. Oh we are at war and oh this evil king has stolen me and ruined my life, and I have this power that could free me, but I cannot kill anyone just because they are evil. Smh. When the king forces her to sit beside him or he will leave his wounded soldiers behind to die and she complies rather than use her power to end this farce, I decided to DNF. Literally everyone is a traitor at this point and Taran is so dumb he whines about her leaving him, and he says something yo the effect of “I thought we had something special but she chose the king”. okay stupid.
The whole thing is just annoying. Not a character worth saving at this point.
I loved book one but suddenly in book 2 everyone has become TSTL. Maya is ridiculous. Oh we are at war and oh this evil king has stolen me and ruined my life, and I have this power that could free me, but I cannot kill anyone just because they are evil. Smh. When the king forces her to sit beside him or he will leave his wounded soldiers behind to die and she complies rather than use her power to end this farce, I decided to DNF. Literally everyone is a traitor at this point and Taran is so dumb he whines about her leaving him, and he says something yo the effect of “I thought we had something special but she chose the king”. okay stupid.
The whole thing is just annoying. Not a character worth saving at this point.
February 4, 2021
The middle book in Marcus Lee’s ‘The Gifted and the Cursed’ trilogy lives up to the promise of Kings and Daemons. In book one, the Witch King was established as the unequivocal villain of the piece, yet with book two more complex shades of wickedness continue to emerge, with unlooked for betrayals and the knowledge that selfish greed and acquisitiveness are no less life-sapping than Daleth’s brand of evil. Parts of Tristan’s Folly will be upsetting for readers who have learned to care for the central characters. I won’t give any spoilers away, but readers have to hope that book three will offer truth and healing to those affected.
March 14, 2025
A great story mired by lazy writing
Overall, I enjoyed the second installment in the series, which is why I couldn't rate it any less than three stars, but having Taran and Maya's powers come and go and vary in power depending on whatever was convenient for the current scene reeked of the kind of lazy writing far lesser authors regularly use as a crux.
Overall, I enjoyed the second installment in the series, which is why I couldn't rate it any less than three stars, but having Taran and Maya's powers come and go and vary in power depending on whatever was convenient for the current scene reeked of the kind of lazy writing far lesser authors regularly use as a crux.
April 7, 2026
Evil Vs Evil
Practically every person in this is irredeemably awful. It's as far removed from heroic fantasy as anything I can possibly bring to mind. If you love Gemmel, Sanderson,Ryan and the like, don't bother with this. Frankly,a hateful story of greed, cowardice and every base human emotion and action. I feel less for having read it.
Practically every person in this is irredeemably awful. It's as far removed from heroic fantasy as anything I can possibly bring to mind. If you love Gemmel, Sanderson,Ryan and the like, don't bother with this. Frankly,a hateful story of greed, cowardice and every base human emotion and action. I feel less for having read it.
June 25, 2021
Tristan's Folly is a siege where the main characters are vastly outnumber by the enemy and have their backs against the wall. There are multiple twists and turns which makes it all the more exciting for the reader. Worthy sequel to Kings and Daemons and I enjoyed it even more than the first one!
July 18, 2024
Yes it was pretty good
Well it was an exciting story, if certainly had its up and downs. A few twists I wasn't expecting. A few very heart wrenching moments but a lot of good battles. A good story so far now to read the last book.
Well it was an exciting story, if certainly had its up and downs. A few twists I wasn't expecting. A few very heart wrenching moments but a lot of good battles. A good story so far now to read the last book.
December 27, 2025
Enjoyable fast paced fantasy novel
A good book but sometimes a hard read as Marcus Lee puts his characters through the wringer, there is a real feeling of weight and consequence in this novel, entertaining.
A good book but sometimes a hard read as Marcus Lee puts his characters through the wringer, there is a real feeling of weight and consequence in this novel, entertaining.
April 20, 2025
Just....wow.
Action!!! So much...action. Lots of emotions here...Loved every minute!!! Cried like a baby at the end! Marcus Lee...you are amazing!
Action!!! So much...action. Lots of emotions here...Loved every minute!!! Cried like a baby at the end! Marcus Lee...you are amazing!
September 25, 2025
Another compelling story
Another great book from Marcus. Engaging fantasy and epic battles. Hard to out down and enjoyable to read. Nothing is ever what it seems
Another great book from Marcus. Engaging fantasy and epic battles. Hard to out down and enjoyable to read. Nothing is ever what it seems
October 10, 2025
A brilliant author with real imagination that carries through to the reader to bring his stories and characters alive. Excellent!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews