From the Bookshelf of Q&A with Josh Lanyon…

Champion of the Scarlet Wolf, Book One (The Cadeleonian Series, #3)

Ginn Hale

Start date: May 1, 2022

Finish date: May 31, 2022

Discussion: Book of the Month Club

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What Members Thought

Oct 01, 2014 Mandapanda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

Such a pleasure to read this book! This sequel to the popular Lord of the White Hell series features the conflicted and spurned former best friend of Javier. Elezar is struggling with his memories and guilt, both for his involvement in his brother's death and his violent act against Javier. He can't seem to remove himself from a cycle of violence and the lives he has taken weigh heavily on his spirit. His self-loathing is compounded by his realization of his preference for men.

To save Elezar fr Such a pleasure to read this book! This sequel to the popular Lord of the White Hell series features the conflicted and spurned former best friend of Javier. Elezar is struggling with his memories and guilt, both for his involvement in his brother's death and his violent act against Javier. He can't seem to remove himself from a cycle of violence and the lives he has taken weigh heavily on his spirit. His self-loathing is compounded by his realization of his preference for men.

To save Elezar from his latest disaster, Fedeles, now Duke of Rauma, sends Elezar and his friend, Atreau, to the distant city of Milmuraille, on an undercover mission to stop a war between their two civilizations.

Elezar's love interest, Skellan, is a beautifully realized character. His poverty, his bone-deep connection with the city and its inhabitants, from the highest personage down to the smallest stones at his feet, his mysterious origins, his belief in himself and his destiny, and his tenderness with Bonecrusher and the witch children, made him complex and lovable.

Skellan pressed his face close to the black granite, drinking in the thick musky scent of the living body lying just beneath the stone. Old memories of summer afternoons spent sprawled across this warm rock, licking honey from his fingers and laughing as Bone-crusher's deep voice shook his whole body flickered through the cold hunger of his mind. For an instant he felt a chasm of raw sorrow open in him - he would never know that life again.

But he caught himself. He wasn't a child anymore and he'd have his revenge soon enough. Then he'd eat pork and cherries in winter, and he'd wear mink-lined gloves. He'd possess sweet beeswax tapers, burn butter in his lamps if he wanted, and at night he'd sleep on silk and goose down. But he'd get none of that by scrubbing his face raw against a rough stone while mourning the ruin of his boyhood.

Oesir's treachery had taught him one thing very well. Fortune favored those with the daring and drive to seize what they wanted.

"Tonight I'll break Oesir and take the sanctum," Skellan whispered. "And I will keep my promise to you, Bone-crusher."

It's a very slow burn romance and not overly graphic when it gets down to the intimate scenes but it's one of those relationships where I felt completely convinced by the hero's love because I felt it myself.

Whereas Lord Of The White Hell had a definite YA feel, this book is the grown up version. Certainly darker. These heroes are men and the fate of the world rests heavily on their shoulders. But there is plenty of light-heartedness as well and I especially enjoyed Atreau's obsession with his memoirs.

I can't remember when LOTWH was written but it must have been several years ago. In that time the author's writing skills have got even better and I found it incredibly pleasurable to read the beautiful passages and vivid descriptions.

Cool, sea-scented winds rose off the river and brushed over Elezar like cold-fingered pickpockets.

The city of Milmuraille was a powerful presence right throughout the story and the world of the witch-queen Grimmas was frightening. This is fantasy at its best, packed with mythology and marvels and an epic battle.

You definitely should read Lord Of The White Hell before starting this and even better read the short story that comes after books 1 and 2 as well: A Very White Hell Solstice. I'm really grateful that book 4 is not so far off (Dec. 31st).

An excerpt of the first chapter can be found on Tor.com: http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/10/ch... ...more

26 likes · Like · see review

Aug 01, 2014 Leanne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: autobuy-author, made-me-cry, mm, romance, favorites, slow-burn, fantasy, made-me-laugh, wow, series

Ginn Hale has done it again.

Incredible world building, a cast of irresistibly charming and truly wonderful characters, an intriguing plot....and I just want to go back to page one and immerse myself in Hale's world all over again....
Gah. Book 2 can't come soon enough.

Loved it.
...more

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Jan 23, 2015 Arch Bala rated it it was amazing

Shelves: on-top, 5-stars, omg, family, not-here, best-series, supernatural, demons, readathon-day-2015, alt-universe

another perfect storytelling from Ginn Hale!!!

I’m a happy kid yet again after saying temporary farewell to Kiram Kir-Zaki and Javier Tornesal in the Lord of the White Hell book 1 and 2 – Ginn Hale yet again brings us to this world but this time the focus is on Elezar (remember Javier’s bestfriend who’s got this unrequited love for him for years?) Oh yes, good times!

I was not the biggest fan of Elezar since I found out that he’s been pining for Javier (I think we got that memo in the second book another perfect storytelling from Ginn Hale!!!

I’m a happy kid yet again after saying temporary farewell to Kiram Kir-Zaki and Javier Tornesal in the Lord of the White Hell book 1 and 2 – Ginn Hale yet again brings us to this world but this time the focus is on Elezar (remember Javier’s bestfriend who’s got this unrequited love for him for years?) Oh yes, good times!

I was not the biggest fan of Elezar since I found out that he’s been pining for Javier (I think we got that memo in the second book of Lord of the White Hell during the winter’s solstice when Kiram sneaked up to the Hellions’ rooms bearing gifts while the rest are attending some sort of solstice ceremony and he saw a picture of Javier in Elezar’s drawer – that was the time I realized it of course – that was it right?) Anyways, of course he almost killed Javier and was sending dagger looks towards Kiram eversince but since they all went together in the Old Road until the end – I guess, it went okay by then. But of course, Javier and Kiram had to leave which left Elezar in Cadeleon and so the book started five years after the couple flee for their lives.

Things didn’t go easy for Elezar and he always finds himself in trouble – mainly becoming this big, kickass nobleman whose life suddenly spiraled down to a purposeless existence. When he acted to save his dear friend and fellow Hellion Altreau from getting killed – he's got no choice but to flee Cadeleon with Altreau and was sent on a mission by Fadeles (yup, remember Javier’s possessed cousin?) in the heart of Milmuraille. There he meets Skellan, a street witch whom he initially met and saved as a street hound. There’s more to Skellan than meets the eye and this red head witch awakens something from Elezar that he thought he’d long buried five years ago.

So I won’t into too many details because really, there’s so much in this book that I’d really like to discuss. Case in point, the long babbling I just did. Anyhoo, this story was a signature Ginn Hale book – detailed, deep UST and a lot of feels which I can’t even!

This book will very much remind you of Narnia because of the witch’s familiar and well - the witches. There’s so much magic going on that sometimes it was a bit difficult to catch up. I myself gets confused and had to go back to a certain page.

The good thing about this book though was how detailed it was with each character, each event and each minute references. I’ve no problem with the length of the story and I enjoyed reading it that I even find myself skipping a meal to actually get to the main action. O_O

This was Elezar’s story more than Skellan obviously but at some point in the book, I can’t help but feel for Skellan’s character and what he’s endured before he met Elezar. There were some characters whom I’d rather see die in the first book but unfortunately didn’t (yes – I’m bad that way) but overall, it made the story even more exciting.

Milmuraille achieved relative peace at the end – atleast for our characters but it also opened a lot of questions and revelations for the second book to dissect. Now this is what’s so good about the story, it makes you wanna read the next book right away because it makes you anxious to know what will happen with these characters. After this first book, I was so attached with Skellan ( I loved him) and Elezar that I just really want them to be together already without Elezar’s worrying to much about the law and religion (ugh. Like’s he’s a very religious guy to begin with) and yes – this book made me even giddy to read more about Javier and Kiram!

This book is another masterpiece from Ginn Hale. Ugh. Seriously, she doesn’t know how not to deliver!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ...more

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Oct 07, 2014 k reads rated it really liked it

Shelves: queer, fav2016

Inventive and compelling. Topnotch.

1 like · Like · see review

May 16, 2022 Jordan Lombard rated it really liked it

Shelves: g-fantasy, a-own, g-romance-m-m, z-2018-challenge-mustreads, a-own-print, a-own-ebook, y-2022reads, z-2022-challenge-jl-cadeleonian

This got really good and gripping toward the end. While I enjoyed the whole thing, I think the middle needed more direction or action. Elezar is sent to find a person, but then seems to forget all about that mission. I also wish we’d gotten his first m/m sex scene from his point of view. But, otherwise, this was a great read, even if it took me two weeks to get through it.

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Dec 16, 2014 Carey rated it it was amazing

Shelves: m-m-romance, fantasy

Loved seeing the Hellions again and Skellan was an awesome character. Can't wait to immerse myself in book 2!
Loved this line for some reason :)
“The witchflame within him knotted and kicked against his will like a rat swallowed live that now gnawed and thrashed at his gut as he tried to keep it down”
...more

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