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bookloversofi's review
4.0
This book is really GOOD!. I think it has a great world building and it has kept me entertained from the beginning to the end. I want to remind you of the importance of supporting our inde authors, they really need and appreciate our support
4/5 Stars
You can find this one and more of my review on my blog A Book. A Thought.
It's so hard to explain what exactly this book is about, I think I couldn't do better than the synopsis and I'll not try it lol.
From the first chapter I knew that I would enjoy this book a lot and I wasn't wrong about. I'm delighted to having accepted to review it. When you jump into a fantasy new world you know that there will be a lot of information that you'll have to process, sometimes this can be overwhelming but I didn't feel that with this book, I think that the way in which the story is told is brilliant, I really like the intrigue that delivery with each chapter, I just needed to know what would happen next, so it's very difficult to put it down
The world building is incredible, it's my favorite aspect of the book and I think it's the best achieved. The descriptions are exceptional, without doubts.
The characters are great, I liked them a lot. I think I would have appreciated that they had developed a little more, especially some secondary characters that seemed very intriguing for me, they have a lot of potential though, and I hope to see that growth in future books. There is something very noble especially in the main characters, and I liked the fact that the plot follows several stories and jumps between different characters constantly
There is a lot of travel in this book, the plot revolves around a search, so the characters travel from one place to another all the time, so I think that if you like this aspect in fantasy, it's very well achieved. Personally it's not something that I usually enjoy, when the characters are in constant movements sometimes you lose the main idea of the book, you know?. But even so, I think this is one of the few cases in which that hasn't bothered me at all, I think there are many things happening all the time so there is no way to get bored
There are in fact a couple of deaths in the book and absolutely unexpected moments that have made me feel so bad! I didn't see anything coming and I didn't really expect to feel so touched by it, but I did.
The writing style is very good I like how you can feel what is happening so intensely, you can feel when something is about to happen and that made me feel super hooked with the book. When a book makes you feel that kind of strong emotions is because it has done something right. It's quite dark, and I think it can work if you want to start that transition between YA-fantasy to Adult-fantasy.
I recommend it a lot if you want to read an addictive fantasy, with a great world building, variety of characters and a unique magic aspect of which I don't want to talk much cause I think it will be fun for you to discover it on your own.
jenbsbooks's review
3.0
3.5 stars. I liked this, but I was also ready to be done, and I'm not sure I'll continue on with the series. I read tons of fantasy and books with unique settings, but here I struggled just a bit to understand Kalaya, and there were SO many characters. Each chapter seemed to shift focus from one set of characters to another (all third person but definitely getting into separate POVs). I was listening to the audiobook (which I received for free in exchange for an honest review) and these shifts were quite confusing, because there was NO pause or any indication of a scene shift. The text is available in Kindle Unlimited, so I checked out the Kindle copy to just peek and review when I got a little lost with the narration. I noticed in the text, there was a **** to give readers a visual that the storyline was shifting. The audio needed something there. Just a longer pause, or perhaps a small sound effect.
Because ... holy sound effects! And um, no, just no. They didn't work here and the audiobook would have been much better without them (that's my opinion anyway). I could just picture the narrator and a sound editor with a keyboard of sounds "Gavin heard a baby cry" (narration stops for a moment and we hear the baby cry), "the sounds of gulls overhead ...." insert sounds of gulls and so on ... water lapping, horse hooves clomping, swords clashing, cries of terror. I'd start to relax into the narration and the suddenly SOUNDS would startle me so. My mind would be saying "please, please, let the sounds be over". The narrator was really good, I loved his accent. I hated the sounds.
Lots of fantasy books like this with a created kingdom and lands have seemed to include a map (which wouldn't have helped with the audiobook version, but I checked the Kindle copy, but no map). I would have liked that here, to better understand Kalaya and the different locations mentioned.
There seemed to be three main storylines - Tei is the main character, the story starts with her and her storyline dominates. Garrick and Rike are with her most of the time. Then there is Brogen, he and the "assembly" and farmers/masked riders storylines. Then there is Farrell, outside of Kalaya, trying to find the island (but it's hidden by magic, by the Sentinel).
I liked the characters, and was interested in where the story was going. I was sad when some characters didn't make it out unscathed ... I peeked at the blurbs for the next books in the series. The trilogy is included in Kindle Unlimited. We'll see if it makes it onto my "to read" list.
Because ... holy sound effects! And um, no, just no. They didn't work here and the audiobook would have been much better without them (that's my opinion anyway). I could just picture the narrator and a sound editor with a keyboard of sounds "Gavin heard a baby cry" (narration stops for a moment and we hear the baby cry), "the sounds of gulls overhead ...." insert sounds of gulls and so on ... water lapping, horse hooves clomping, swords clashing, cries of terror. I'd start to relax into the narration and the suddenly SOUNDS would startle me so. My mind would be saying "please, please, let the sounds be over". The narrator was really good, I loved his accent. I hated the sounds.
Lots of fantasy books like this with a created kingdom and lands have seemed to include a map (which wouldn't have helped with the audiobook version, but I checked the Kindle copy, but no map). I would have liked that here, to better understand Kalaya and the different locations mentioned.
There seemed to be three main storylines - Tei is the main character, the story starts with her and her storyline dominates. Garrick and Rike are with her most of the time. Then there is Brogen, he and the "assembly" and farmers/masked riders storylines. Then there is Farrell, outside of Kalaya, trying to find the island (but it's hidden by magic, by the Sentinel).
I liked the characters, and was interested in where the story was going. I was sad when some characters didn't make it out unscathed ... I peeked at the blurbs for the next books in the series. The trilogy is included in Kindle Unlimited. We'll see if it makes it onto my "to read" list.
writingwwolves's review
4.0
Rating: 4.5 Stars
I really, really enjoyed this book & know for a fact that I will love the rest of the series. I love this unique world, the clever magic system & the multiple points of view that make the story feel so incredibly alive. It took me a while to get through this book because of life, but I was always eager to return to it & was gripped to the plot from the start. I can’t wait to read book two!!
⚠️ This book contains death, violence & scenes/references of a sexual nature ⚠️
I was sent this book to review as part of a blog tour organised by Rachel’s Random Resources.
Mid-Read Review: https://wp.me/p8MbIo-2OT
Mini-Review: https://wp.me/p8MbIo-2PC
I really, really enjoyed this book & know for a fact that I will love the rest of the series. I love this unique world, the clever magic system & the multiple points of view that make the story feel so incredibly alive. It took me a while to get through this book because of life, but I was always eager to return to it & was gripped to the plot from the start. I can’t wait to read book two!!
⚠️ This book contains death, violence & scenes/references of a sexual nature ⚠️
I was sent this book to review as part of a blog tour organised by Rachel’s Random Resources.
Mid-Read Review: https://wp.me/p8MbIo-2OT
Mini-Review: https://wp.me/p8MbIo-2PC
maxines_obsessions's review
3.0
3.5 stars
Full review up on my blog
The Lost Sentinel is a character driven fantasy set in the beautiful land of Kalaya. Here the magic runs deep through the land, giving to the people and as they pass on, their magic is absorbed back into the land. The Sentinel guards the magic, holds it tight, protecting Kalaya and the people, but as times pass people begin to forget. People with magic are exiled, new people rule who begin pushing for magic to be banned. Things are going wrong on the astral plane as well, souls aren't making it through the gates, there is something in the dark, waiting, lurking, taking the souls for itself.
When Tei's father dies and she discovers the strength of her own magic, the Sentinel is old, he is losing his grip on the magic of the land. If the new Sentinel isn't found soon, Kalaya will no longer be protected.
Full review up on my blog
The Lost Sentinel is a character driven fantasy set in the beautiful land of Kalaya. Here the magic runs deep through the land, giving to the people and as they pass on, their magic is absorbed back into the land. The Sentinel guards the magic, holds it tight, protecting Kalaya and the people, but as times pass people begin to forget. People with magic are exiled, new people rule who begin pushing for magic to be banned. Things are going wrong on the astral plane as well, souls aren't making it through the gates, there is something in the dark, waiting, lurking, taking the souls for itself.
When Tei's father dies and she discovers the strength of her own magic, the Sentinel is old, he is losing his grip on the magic of the land. If the new Sentinel isn't found soon, Kalaya will no longer be protected.
ljwrites85's review
3.0
So I said to myself this year, I wanted to read a little more fantasy, it’s a genre that I keep meaning to read more of. The blurb of The Lost Sentinel, the first of the Silent Seas Chronicles, really intrigued me and I love anything that contains magic so I thought I’d give it a go!
Tei is a tailor’s daughter, living an ordinary life, hiding her magic as it is feared and blamed for all that goes wrong on the island of Kalaya, until the day her powers are discovered and she is forced to run.
Forced into hiding by the Assembly and their Masked Riders, Tei hides in the mountains with the other exiles. She is soon tasked with finding the lost Sentinel who will restore magic back to the island. Is Tei ready for such a challenge?
The Lost Sentinel is a fantasy quest that combines moral questions with magic and imagination to create a compelling read.
There is some great world building and description in the story, I enjoyed learning about the rules and intricacies of Kalaya. There’s also a number of different viewpoints throughout the story which I think really added to the overall story, showing Kalaya from different perspectives, so you really got the sense of the place and the people within it.
There are some interesting characters throughout. It centres round Tei, Brogan a farmer forced to become a part of the Assembly after the death of his father and Captain Farrell, who is look for a place for his displaced people. Tei is headstrong and more than a little stubborn which gets her in trouble a fair bit but you just can’t help rooting for her. I did feel like at times her character wasn’t as strong in comparison to Brogan and Captain Farrell but I feel like it leaves it open for her to grow more in the next novels.
So as this is the first book, it’s setting up for the next books in the series, which it does well but at times I felt the pacing was a little off, sometimes it meandered along, other times it went a breakneck speed but of course that’s just my opinion.
If you love fantasy with intricate world building and a good old fashioned quest at its core then I think this is a book you would really enjoy.
Tei is a tailor’s daughter, living an ordinary life, hiding her magic as it is feared and blamed for all that goes wrong on the island of Kalaya, until the day her powers are discovered and she is forced to run.
Forced into hiding by the Assembly and their Masked Riders, Tei hides in the mountains with the other exiles. She is soon tasked with finding the lost Sentinel who will restore magic back to the island. Is Tei ready for such a challenge?
The Lost Sentinel is a fantasy quest that combines moral questions with magic and imagination to create a compelling read.
There is some great world building and description in the story, I enjoyed learning about the rules and intricacies of Kalaya. There’s also a number of different viewpoints throughout the story which I think really added to the overall story, showing Kalaya from different perspectives, so you really got the sense of the place and the people within it.
There are some interesting characters throughout. It centres round Tei, Brogan a farmer forced to become a part of the Assembly after the death of his father and Captain Farrell, who is look for a place for his displaced people. Tei is headstrong and more than a little stubborn which gets her in trouble a fair bit but you just can’t help rooting for her. I did feel like at times her character wasn’t as strong in comparison to Brogan and Captain Farrell but I feel like it leaves it open for her to grow more in the next novels.
So as this is the first book, it’s setting up for the next books in the series, which it does well but at times I felt the pacing was a little off, sometimes it meandered along, other times it went a breakneck speed but of course that’s just my opinion.
If you love fantasy with intricate world building and a good old fashioned quest at its core then I think this is a book you would really enjoy.
vondav's review
4.0
Once you start this book you realise that you are going on a magical adventure. Meeting Tei straightaway, you follow her as she realises that her life is going to change. As the story continues you meet Brogan and Farrell, whilst there is no connection between them, they share Kalaya in common. Written in 3rd person POV, enables you to follow each of their story without being confused and I got drawn into a story that gave me excitement and heartbreak.
I liked Tei, Brogan and Farrell straightaway, they all had a caring nature to them and whilst each of them had to make some difficult decisions, you could see that they did not take their missons lightly. With the main characters there are some great secondary characters and if you are like me you will have your favourites. One of my favourites was Beliss a sweet young girl and I hope she has a part to play in the further stories.
Whilst the pace starts of slowly, you are introduced to the main players, their politics and the way of the land, this enable you to be fully invested in the story. As each of their quest get more intense, I found myself reading quicker to find out the outcome. The description of Kalaya and the surrounding mountains had me imagining what a beautiful land it was.
I am going to read the others in this series and carry on the adventure. If you love fantasy and quest than pick up this series.
I liked Tei, Brogan and Farrell straightaway, they all had a caring nature to them and whilst each of them had to make some difficult decisions, you could see that they did not take their missons lightly. With the main characters there are some great secondary characters and if you are like me you will have your favourites. One of my favourites was Beliss a sweet young girl and I hope she has a part to play in the further stories.
Whilst the pace starts of slowly, you are introduced to the main players, their politics and the way of the land, this enable you to be fully invested in the story. As each of their quest get more intense, I found myself reading quicker to find out the outcome. The description of Kalaya and the surrounding mountains had me imagining what a beautiful land it was.
I am going to read the others in this series and carry on the adventure. If you love fantasy and quest than pick up this series.
booksavvyreviews's review
4.0
A solid 3.5 savvy crowns.
This book grabbed my attention, to begin with. A fantasy novel that revolves around an astral realm, the heroine is somehow connected to it and holds great importance. I smelled a quest! To which I shouted, yes, yes, yes!
Initially, I was so intrigued by the idea of this, Tei was a likable character and drew me into the story, but soon into the story more than a few characters were dropped in and I found the stories began to branch off. For me, this caused issues because I lost sight of the main story and at some points, I found myself a little frustrated because I wasn't trying to remember what the premise is about. When it came around full circle back to the main story I enjoyed it, but the distraction of the supporting roles was just - well it was distracting.
The characters in a whole I felt needed more development, there were often unexplainable shifts in the character, they suddenly felt this way without any development that is seen. I like to read these developments and not just be told that it has happened.
If you're not easily distracted as a reader then I don't think you'd have the aforementioned problem like I did. Each character/side story is an interesting one, to be sure, that adds up to the main story. Each character is relevant, each character achieves something, but for me, it was just an overload.
As far as the world and mechanics of said world, it is explained and created wonderfully, without heavy info drops.
This is my second read by Rogerson and again, as before, I do applaud her work.
So if you're into high fantasy, definitely consider this read.
- Website - Facebook - Instagram -
This book grabbed my attention, to begin with. A fantasy novel that revolves around an astral realm, the heroine is somehow connected to it and holds great importance. I smelled a quest! To which I shouted, yes, yes, yes!
Initially, I was so intrigued by the idea of this, Tei was a likable character and drew me into the story, but soon into the story more than a few characters were dropped in and I found the stories began to branch off. For me, this caused issues because I lost sight of the main story and at some points, I found myself a little frustrated because I wasn't trying to remember what the premise is about. When it came around full circle back to the main story I enjoyed it, but the distraction of the supporting roles was just - well it was distracting.
The characters in a whole I felt needed more development, there were often unexplainable shifts in the character, they suddenly felt this way without any development that is seen. I like to read these developments and not just be told that it has happened.
If you're not easily distracted as a reader then I don't think you'd have the aforementioned problem like I did. Each character/side story is an interesting one, to be sure, that adds up to the main story. Each character is relevant, each character achieves something, but for me, it was just an overload.
As far as the world and mechanics of said world, it is explained and created wonderfully, without heavy info drops.
This is my second read by Rogerson and again, as before, I do applaud her work.
So if you're into high fantasy, definitely consider this read.
- Website - Facebook - Instagram -
avoraciousreader68's review against another edition
4.5
4.5
Book source ~ BBNYA
Kalaya is a magical island but the magic is slowly dying. The Assembly governs the island and they are not happy having magic users amongst them. So, they drive away the ones they can and if they die along the way? Oh, well. However, there are ones hiding in plain sight and they know if a new Sentinel is not found and soon then all hope for the magic of Kalaya will be lost forever. Tei and her father flee to the exiles’ location in the Turrak Mountains, but the way is fraught with danger. Tei’s mother always believed that Tei was special, that she was the one who could turn the tide and save Kalaya. Tei herself isn’t so sure. But she’s about to find out.
What an epic fantasy! There’s danger, magic, persecution, and hope. The race to find the new Sentinel before the bad guys do is tense. Whoa. The characters are excellent, the plot solid, and the pacing is pretty good. It lags a bit in spots for me, but that’s the only bad thing I can say about this wonderful tale of good vs evil. I’m looking forward to checking out book 2, The Sentinel’s Reign.
jessbookishlife's review
4.0
This isn't the first book I have read of Suzanne Rogerson, but it is the start of a series and I was quite excited about this. In this book we get transported to Kalaya and a magical world that will make the reader want to read more and discover what the characters will do, and how the story will develop.
The fact that the book is in the third person POV made it wonderfull for me because I felt like it was easier to connect with all the characters and understand their thoughts and feelings, and if it were in the first person POV and changing character's POVs with each chapter of scene the flow would feel fragmented to me. So I loved that it was so open and the pace was flow sometime and quick in others so I could get the full experience of this journey.
Speaking of the characters. When we first met Tei, and we are introduced to the world and the time period in this book, I was very curious. So Tei is one of my favorite characters, not only because she was the first one I connected with, but also because of her personality and background story.
And of course we meet other characters that take an important part in the plot and that I hope I can see even more growth in terms of their characteristics and personality and attitudes. Then again this is book one, of course things will change and more information will be revealed, that's one thing I'm excited about in terms of the characters.
The fun thing about reading a series, is that everything changes as time goes by and with each book more question and answers we have. As we gradually turn the pages and discover a new key character, scene or question that will make every sense once it's time. But one things I absolutely loved, besides the realism that some characters had, was the world building.
This fictional fantasy world was so vivid in my mind thanks to all the descriptions. Actually the all book was great for so many reasons, including the descriptions. All the details and the interesting characters and world made it possible for me not only reading this book almost in one sitting, but also, as soon as I was done with it to jump right into the second book. I was so excited to learn more and to see what was going to happen next that I couldn't resist.
Overall, this is a fantastic adventurous, magical and drama fueled first novel, that took me on a journey and made me wish I could just visit Kalaya once for a bit, just to see the land and learn about the history by being there. So if you have read Suzanne Rogerson's other book "Visions of Zarua", you may like this book to, so check it out.
The fact that the book is in the third person POV made it wonderfull for me because I felt like it was easier to connect with all the characters and understand their thoughts and feelings, and if it were in the first person POV and changing character's POVs with each chapter of scene the flow would feel fragmented to me. So I loved that it was so open and the pace was flow sometime and quick in others so I could get the full experience of this journey.
Speaking of the characters. When we first met Tei, and we are introduced to the world and the time period in this book, I was very curious. So Tei is one of my favorite characters, not only because she was the first one I connected with, but also because of her personality and background story.
And of course we meet other characters that take an important part in the plot and that I hope I can see even more growth in terms of their characteristics and personality and attitudes. Then again this is book one, of course things will change and more information will be revealed, that's one thing I'm excited about in terms of the characters.
The fun thing about reading a series, is that everything changes as time goes by and with each book more question and answers we have. As we gradually turn the pages and discover a new key character, scene or question that will make every sense once it's time. But one things I absolutely loved, besides the realism that some characters had, was the world building.
This fictional fantasy world was so vivid in my mind thanks to all the descriptions. Actually the all book was great for so many reasons, including the descriptions. All the details and the interesting characters and world made it possible for me not only reading this book almost in one sitting, but also, as soon as I was done with it to jump right into the second book. I was so excited to learn more and to see what was going to happen next that I couldn't resist.
Overall, this is a fantastic adventurous, magical and drama fueled first novel, that took me on a journey and made me wish I could just visit Kalaya once for a bit, just to see the land and learn about the history by being there. So if you have read Suzanne Rogerson's other book "Visions of Zarua", you may like this book to, so check it out.