A Sword of the Three Rivers (The Sendyne Empire, #1) in Review / Write / Read Club (Indie & Self-Published)

Dec 15, 2023 P.J. Ashton rated it it was amazing

Shelves: epic-fantasy, high-fantasy, action, adventure

A sword of the three rivers is a far more intimate story. We follow Bovir as he is betrayed, his tribe murdered and he is exiled and left for dead on an island. Just as he is about to be sacrificed and eaten alive by sharks, he is rescued by Abzrielle. Together, they flee the island, unfortunately, they end up on a ship controlled by the Sendyne Empire. The rest of the book follows the two characters as Bovir attempts to find his way home so he can enact his revenge.

The strengths of this book li ...more

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Sep 20, 2022 Seth Hobbs rated it really liked it · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Shelves: epic, fantasy, war, romance, ancient, sword-and-sworcery, epic-fantasy, war-fiction, new, kindle

Author Review: First of all, let me disclose that I am Seth Hobbs. I am the author of this book, and I have seen people debate whether authors should rate their own work. I am trying to be as objective as possible, but if you like Fantasy or Historical Fiction work, romance, or adventure, then I think you will enjoy the worlds I have created. I am very confident in this first book, and I want to finish a trilogy. It is very frustrating not to get any reviews or ratings as a new author, so I just ...more

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Jul 05, 2023 Terry Birdgenaw rated it really liked it

An action-packed fantasy novel with powerful writing and beautiful imagery.
Although a young warrior, Bovir has earned the respect of his fellow soldiers and stands side-by-side with his experienced general, Oscala. Yet, their military exploits are foiled by a traitor within their midst, and the troop is all but decimated in a treacherous ambush. Bovir, who survives, is captured and exiled to an island that all fear worse than death. Had it not been for the brave assistance of the beautiful fugit An action-packed fantasy novel with powerful writing and beautiful imagery.
Although a young warrior, Bovir has earned the respect of his fellow soldiers and stands side-by-side with his experienced general, Oscala. Yet, their military exploits are foiled by a traitor within their midst, and the troop is all but decimated in a treacherous ambush. Bovir, who survives, is captured and exiled to an island that all fear worse than death. Had it not been for the brave assistance of the beautiful fugitive Abzrielle, Bovir would have perished at the hands of the sadistic cannibals on the forsaken island. Their dramatic escape into the open seas mirrored the expression ‘out of the frying pan and into the fire’ as exile became servitude to masters on a ship from a conquering empire.
‘A Sword of the Three Rivers’ is a fast-paced fantasy that keeps readers turning pages for never-ending action and adventure. Author Seth Hobbs writes fight scenes like the best of them with vivid descriptions of the grace, grittiness, and gore of battle. Yet, amongst the bloody violence is artistry and beauty in wordsmithing with metaphors and images that are sometimes stunning. The reader is immersed in a world that reflects the darker side of human nature with deceit, greed, betrayal, and colonialism, yet is counterbalanced with spicy romance, admirable spirit, and strength of conviction.
I suggest the author replace the preface with warnings of the volume’s misgivings with a more robust effort to edit the grammatical errors and repetitive word choices that pull the reader from the story. The brilliance of writing evident in the novel could shine even more brightly with the help of a good editor. There were a few issues, such as the relatively weak portrayal of women, and occasional language that didn’t reflect the period, that could also benefit from editing. I was also somewhat bothered by the abrupt ending, but as the first book in a series, it is a cliffhanger that will attract many readers to the sequel. Reading a fantasy novel that avoids the tired trope of witches, wizards, and magic was refreshing. ...more

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Jan 22, 2024 Loralee rated it really liked it

The author of this story has a fantastic imagination! Bovir is the main character, and has the typical adventures, misadventures, and troubles as you would expect in a fantasy novel with a character who struggles to face the lot he's been given.
I think the author would have done well not to include the author's note indicating his awareness of faults in the grammar/writing. Rather, having an editor look over it for both line and content would have been a better choice than admit outright that th ...more

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