The Witch of Selvenor

Chronicles of Virgàm #1

by Brooke J. Losee

Darkness has shrouded the kingdom of Selvenor. The witch, Eradoma, and her monstrous army have laid siege on the land and the people are suffering. Prince Anaros and Zynnera set out to find a way to end Eradoma's reign, only to discover their last hope is no longer alive. But Zynnera holds a secret, one that just might help them on their path to defeating the evil that threatens her people, but only if she is brave enough to use it.

Genres: Fantasy

Paperback

Published October 1, 2021

Reviews

[Josie Bidwell]

I read the first 2 novellas and they were interesting. There is one word for this book……..irritating.

Synopsis:
He has a secret but doesn’t want to tell her.
She finds out, it’s fine……he realizes he should have told her sooner.
She has a secret but doesn’t want to tell him. He finds out, it’s fine…….she realizes she should have told him sooner.

Rinse and repeat over and over even to the last page.
Won’t be reading the next.

[Beba Andric]

3 immortal sisters, a pact formed, until one decided to break from it... betrayal set events into motion that devastated a Kingdom. Intriguing, right? Well, let me tell you, this book took me to a place I haven't been in a while! A good place that is. The characters are truly spectacular, they each have a secret they're desperate to keep hidden, but as they say, the truth will out! It's completely feasible (in fiction of course!) that an evil witch, no, that's not a derogatory term, she IS a spell conjuring witch, puts an immortality spell on the reigning Prince, throws him in a dungeon to languish for 20 years, whilst she takes over his kingdom. Until.....an unexpected prisoner frees him and the adventure begins! Loved how Anaros and Zynnera dance around each other, how reliant they are on each other and even when the truth comes out, they rally together. The slow burn was delightful, although I did get to the stage of "kiss her already!", he must have heard me, because he did! Rhemues adds light humour to almost every situation, one can't help just loving him! The story progresses so smoothly, events unfold timeously and are so captivating, it was difficult to put down. I loved the magical elements, the insecurities it brings out and ultimately, the determination of 2 incredibly likeable characters! Definitely has me scrambling to find the rest of the series!

[Wren]

I received a copy of this in exchange of a review, the review, are as always my own opinion.

So the first thing I want to say is this. I was enjoying the story, interested what would come next, coasting through, and then around the 35% point I realized that everything else I had read and enjoyed were just the backdrop, the foundation, the warm up, the back story. And it all came together to Launch the story to new heights. Everything clicked and I was hooked.

It’s always hard for me to balance my review to be informative and yet avoid spoilers. this story has a quality to it that spoilers can’t rob its charm. I could list out the twists and turns, and even without the surprise and tension, there would be the world and characters that made you love them, the relationships, the friendships, the smiles and laughs that became my own.

A thief and a prince in a dungeon, Hope overcoming darkness, determination and trust. I loved how the characters weren’t perfect, but they consistently and consciously worked through their troubles. I appreciated how two characters could disagree or even argue, but the bond between them never broke or wavered. It felt so wholesome and life like. My sister and I might get in a tiff when she borrows my new shoes and loses them, but in the end, even during our issue, is love and acceptance that no pair of shoes, no matter if they were expensive and super cute and I got them for 75% off, they can’t, or rather, we won’t let them break our relationship. I loved the mature way they dealt with issues.

It always bothers me when an author throws conflict around to make more plot, clashing their characters to get dialogue. I don’t care how many stories say that bickering is romantic banter, if all they do is argue, that’s not a “connection”. (I personally hope that’s not how my romantic relationship would work!) But not Brooke Losee, she doesn’t need contrived drama to have action, lovely characters and enjoyable conversations.

I’m a pretty squeamish reader. It’s a clean read, no swearing or vulgarity. There is some extra death sprinkled in the beginning, but it was more so there so we could understand what our heroes were fighting for, every life saved was a victory. There is some ouchies that happen, swords fights, monster slaying etc… but mild and not graphic.

My sister reads some of her favorite books out loud to me, she substitutes words to help me with my squeamish sensibilities. Curses are “Nope, Nope you don’t!” Blessings or magical gifts are “A-Okay”, any borderline creepy creatures are either “Ninja’s” or “Robo-chicks” (they like math, so that’s why everyone is wary of them), temples become “ gymnasiums”.) but enough about me,

There is some torture, or Nope, Nope you don’t! But it’s more them dealing with pain instead of putting a friend in danger. Nothing malicious or detailed.

All in all,I highly recommend this book, I’m eager to read the next book in the series

[Angie]

Pushed me a bit out of my genre comfort zone, but I still totally enjoyed it! Intriguing characters and relationships. My only "complaint" is that some of the storylines were left unresolved which left me a little grumpy and wanting more (wanting more is obviously not a bad thing :) ), but I knew this was the first in a series so I expected there to be some kind of continuation and possible cliffhangers. I was just waiting for one particular thing to get solidified, and it didn't happen in this book so I'll just have to anxiously await the next I guess!

[E.T. Rose]

I really liked reading this book. I was kind of waiting for something from the beginning to be brought back, but it never was. Maybe in a future book. All in all, it was good. I really liked the relationship between all the characters and how Zynnera was able to fit in. It was good to see Anaros reunited with those people. I’m excited to read the next book.

[J.R. White]

Such a fun and heartwarming story that had me invested from start to finish. Anaros is such a fun and lovable character and I was cheering for him and Zynnera from the get go. A sweet romance with plenty of adventures and laughs :)

[Jessica]

Great book!

I only give 5 star reviews to books that get me so excited that I just can't put the book down. This book did that!

[Alexis]

This was a fun story! I loved the characters, and the side characters were just as engaging and alive as the main characters were. It was great how close they all were, how much it felt like one big family, and there was still some conflict between them, which is a huge plus in my book. It made them feel that much more real, and they came together even closer in the end. This definitely reminded me of my love for classic fairytales and stories about castles and magic, and I can't wait to see more of the world and the magic system in the sequels!

[Kiraka]

All in all, this is a fun read 🤗 The pacing feels really quick in the beginning, but I love the premise & characters! Here’s to the rest of the series 🥂

[Virginia]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.