Fae: The Wild Hunt (The Riven Wyrde Saga, #1) in Realmwalker Publishing Group

Jan 03, 2017 J.P. Ashman rated it really liked it

I'm not one for long reviews so I'll stay consistent with this one:

I listened to this on Audible because I knew the author had got hold of a good narrator for his trilogy. And he has! The narration was second to none. Accents were brilliant, narration itself was too, and actions scenes were enhanced by realistic shouting which I've not heard a narrator do before.

But what about the story? Well I shall tell you!

I found this first book to be a character, setting and atmosphere building story. It al ...more

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Jan 03, 2016 G.R. Matthews rated it it was amazing

This book broke my 'bookfast' and I am glad it did.

There is a lot of description world building, always with the sense that it is leading somewhere. Foreshadowing is used well and, like all good books, the beginning sets up a satisfying end. The fact that there are two more in the series is good news! ...more

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Apr 30, 2014 L.K. Evans rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: indie-challenge

So this is another book where I found the story interesting, but it just didn’t hold my attention throughout.

First off, there was way too much description for my taste and it slowed the story down terribly. I started skimming descriptions half way through the book. Not that they were done poorly, they were just too drawn out for me. I’d also say that the writing and proofreading got a tad bit lazy towards the end. There were repetitive words and, sadly, I noticed quite a few quotation errors and So this is another book where I found the story interesting, but it just didn’t hold my attention throughout.

First off, there was way too much description for my taste and it slowed the story down terribly. I started skimming descriptions half way through the book. Not that they were done poorly, they were just too drawn out for me. I’d also say that the writing and proofreading got a tad bit lazy towards the end. There were repetitive words and, sadly, I noticed quite a few quotation errors and incorrect commas. It seemed to get worse the further in I got. Or maybe I just noticed it more.

If I’m being honest, about 70% in I thought about putting it down. I had lost interests, I wasn’t invested in the characters, and I didn’t feel like the story moved at all. But I had a tiny bit of curiosity gnawing away at me so I skimmed until about 85%. I must say the ending was great. Really great. Seriously enjoyed it. I’d been following what I consider to be 3 main story lines and they came together in whirlwind of action in the last part of the book.

Though I didn’t feel invested in any of the characters, Devin was my favorite. I was more curious about his storyline throughout. He faced more adversity than the others. I will say that the story of Kloss dragged for me, though I did like him. I think that’s probably my problem with all the characters. Their stories were slow in evolving and I wasn’t invested in them enough to enjoy a slow moving plot. If I had latched on to any of them, I wouldn’t have minded the slower pace. Matter of fact, I would have loved it.

Overall, I think this was a book meant to submerge you into the lives of the characters, but besides Devin, the others didn’t go through enough hardships for me (personally) to be invested. And while Devin did, I think I just wasn’t in his mind enough to grow attached to him. Or maybe his reactions kept me at a distance.

I was also slightly confused on the timing of everything. At one point, I find out that we’d skipped five years. I’m fine with that, but I’m not sure when the other 2 story lines jumped. I would have liked a break or label to show me.

I’m curious about the second book. I’ll pick it up one day because book 1 left us with a cliffhanger. I mean, a serious one: ending it right at an action scene. So if cliffhangers bother you, you might want to wait until you have the second book in hand.

Overall, I think the ending and Devin saved this book for me. If you do pick it up, be prepared for an interesting, slower evolving plot, a few grammar issues, and a sprinkling of lengthy descriptions (said by a reader who doesn't care much for descriptions). If by chance you connect with one of the characters, you’ll undoubtedly enjoy spending chapters with them. It’s a decent way to pass some time and I don’t regret reading it in the slightest.
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Nov 29, 2014 T.O. Munro rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy-fiction

When I was at primary school many moons ago, the height of technology was the old record player brought out for assemblies. If it was your birthday that day you got to pick a record to play in celebration. Seeiing as how this was the late 1960s there were only about three records to choose from, education budgets being no more generous then than they are now. The one I remember most was the "Teddy Bear's picnic." There was the slight frisson of the unknown in the opening line "If you go down to When I was at primary school many moons ago, the height of technology was the old record player brought out for assemblies. If it was your birthday that day you got to pick a record to play in celebration. Seeiing as how this was the late 1960s there were only about three records to choose from, education budgets being no more generous then than they are now. The one I remember most was the "Teddy Bear's picnic." There was the slight frisson of the unknown in the opening line "If you go down to the woods today you're in for a big surprise" juxtaposing posed with the imagined friendliness of the teddy bears. Mark Lawrence in his Sleeping Beauty short story takes a sideswipe at a few other fairy tales along the way - including a foolish goldilocks getting her due come-uppance.

Graham Austin-King weaves an effective story around a world where fairie stories commemorate in childish song and play an older colder reality of fear and threat. It is a story well told, which builds in pace and engagement so that I ripped through the last few pages at a rate of knots, suddenly finding myself quite intolerant of the well meaning distraction of family calling me to watch the latest installment of "I'm a celebrity - get me out of here." Ironic really as the threat in the woods near Widdengate is enough to have even the staunchest celebrity calling immediately for the champagne helicopter home.

The disparate characters, converge on the denoument over the course of many pages like tributaries to a stream where it is only near the end that one sees how they feed a single narrative flow. This means at first the book can seem a little jumpy. The opening is like a long prologue as Miriam and her son flee an abusive husband and father. Just when I thought I knew where the story was going this opening sequence breaks off and we almost start again with three main characters, a reluctant ducal bride, a fostered boy and an ambitious sea warrior, all leading different lives in different places attended each by a handful of minor supporting characters. However, having told my own tales through multiple points of view, I was happy to relax and be lead by the author through seemingly unrelated stories confident that he would weave them together in due course, and he did.

In some ways it reminds me of Michael J Sullivan's Ryria Chronicles, there is the same sense of a flowing story with engaging characters, and of a back story to elves and the fae which is not quite Tolkien. However, Austin-King's story is darker than Sullivan's and his style allows (without excessively embracing) the coarse variety of language that one might expect from a variety of coarse people. For example in a frozen sea a crew of young sea-raiders are warned in no uncertain terms of the what they stand to lose should they relieve themselves with anything less than alacrity.

What's too like? well it is an engaging story that leads you along with enough sub-plots and character development to keep the pages turning as the deeper darker plot gradually uncoils in the shadows ready to bind our leading characters in a terrible finale. The author teaches us early on that no character is safe and in the best GRRM tradition, that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat knowing that all characters are mortal.

There is also some lyrical writing and imagery. The bird's eye view of the sea-raiders island fortress was a particularly evocative introduction of a new setting and main character. One could almost imagine the camera of a film adaptation sweeping in over the landscape and landing like the bird itself on the prow of the leading boat in a fifty ship race.

If it has a downside then it maybe just that it ends with something of a cliffhanger, but then that's not a problem for me as I've just got an Advance Reader Copy of book 2 and can plunge straight on. The rest of you will have to wait a week or so! ...more

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Feb 04, 2014 Clare Davidson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Fae: The Wild Hunt is an epic fantasy, written in a similar sweeping style as "old-school" fantasy writers such as Eddings. The prose is beautiful, but at a couple of points a little verbose, however that's my only niggle.

There are several characters and plot threads running through this book, which all build up towards a stunning finale. Warning: it does have a cliff hanger ending, but a very successful one that leaves you wanting more.

Like the work of G.R.R. Martin, there is a welcome lack of ...more

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May 12, 2015 Jennifer (bunnyreads) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2015, fantasy-dark-grimdark, hidden-gems

4.5
What a fantastic book! I always have a harder time reviewing books that I enjoyed because I just read and get into the story instead of read and think about why certain things aren't working for me.
This story follows several characters over the years as events work their way up to the hunt.
I loved everyone and though I liked some characters more than others, I still wanted to find out what was going on with each of them. I didn't skim anyone's sections.
There is a lot of little glimpses a ...more

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May 08, 2015 Leo rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, indie-books

I have received a review copy from the author in exchange of an honest review and I must say this is a very impressive story with intriguing characters, great plot and gets extra points from me for not having the typical fantasy cliches.

What really impressed me is that the point of view characters’ storylines going in parallel, not connected to each other. This made me quite curious and I kept turning the pages, making wild guesses how they will connect to each other. And they eventually do conn ...more

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Jul 09, 2015 Fraslund rated it it was amazing

First and foremost, Graham Austin-King is a great storyteller. The characters in the book are compelling from the very start and the humble origins really help ground the world as a contrast for what is to come. The supernatural elements of this book are fantastically done. The author teases you with brief glimpses and really paints the surrounding world in broad strokes giving you a look at players from the lowly to the lofty and how they are all a part of the bigger picture. While this book wa ...more

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Mar 10, 2015 James Schmidt rated it really liked it

Well, this is a very hard review to write. Maybe I should write two reviews, one for the first half of the book and one for the second half. In any case I guess I will just give this a go. The first half of the book is well, boring. I could not get into the story or the characters. I found myself wanting to quit this book several times. The only reason I kept going is the writing is still very good. That may sound strange but it is true. I stuck with it hoping that the story and the characters w ...more

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