Hey, y’all! Back again so soon! I think a trend is starting! :) So, as you know, I haven’t been doing many reviews lately. That’s for two reasons. One, I’m super busy this year at school and with school things. Second, I am reviewing and beta reading for people who have requested it of me. If you would like me to review or beta read a book, there are instructions and an email address on Cody’s blog to send me requests. Above all, I really want to thank the authors who have asked me to review and beta read their books. It’s an honor and a privilege that I don’t take lightly. I also want to thank this author, Ms. Hoffman, for being so patient with me. This review took awhile because I have been so busy. But it was well worth the wait for me to read and review for her because it was an awesome book!
I decided to reread the first book to get a good feel for the characters before reading this one. If you haven’t read Key of Behliseth yet, then you need to read it before reading this book. It is not a stand-alone book, and it will not make a lot of sense without reading the first. In the first book we learn a lot about the world that this book takes place in.
First, I want to say thank you to Ms. Hoffmann, because whether it was done on purpose or not, she took my advice from the first review. This book was a much easier read. It was still descriptive and I could close my eyes and picture what she had written, but I did not get lost in the descriptions. I did not have to reread parts. I was able to fully immerse myself in the world she created. (Wow, that sounded really professional! :D) So for those readers who are unsure whether they want to read the second book because of that happening in the first, let me say, it is not a problem here. Please don’t cheat yourself out of an awesome read.
Now, the characters: Ms. Hoffmann did an awesome job building the characters in the first book, but in this book, you really get into their heads. Literally! I really enjoyed getting to know them so well. They aren’t as you might expect, and they often make mistakes. The big powerful wizard is a normal person who doesn’t have all the answers! I like that! I like that there is no perfect person in this book, because it helps it feel real to me. That’s very important in a fantasy story. Also, you see how the experiences in the first book have changed the characters. How the experiences made them view the world, and how to deal with the results. That is a great thing in a book as well because it also makes me feel like this could be real. People change due to what happens in their lives. Their attitudes change and sometimes their personalities change too.
The book itself is a little harder to review because there is no great reveal, and yet there are many! Let me explain the best I can without spoilers. For me, the second book felt like Thárros and Elpída—it was originally one huge book cut in the middle to make two books. So this first part was a lot of build-up for what will happen next. We are just waiting now for the second half of the book. That is why I say there was no big reveal. There is no doubt that the book is not finished. Though not really a cliffhanger, you are left to wonder what will happen with all the little subplots the author has touched on in this book. However, you do find out very important things in this book. Who the “bad guy” really is, but not how it will unfold. Also, there are many other things going on that were left open, so I don’t know if they are all something different, or if they will all connect later in the third book.
This book is a journey. It takes you through many places and times, and you watch the characters grow as people and find out who they were meant to be. I enjoyed every minute of Wraith Queen's Veil and I would recommend it to every reader who is into fantasy. Also, because it is what I would call a “clean” story (no sex), it is great for all ages! There is some exploring of sexuality, but it is done in such away that it makes it a safe book for younger kids. So, I would say 10 years or older, though an even younger good reader could read it as well. I give this book 4 marbles, and am excited to read the next part of Lucky’s adventure.~Timmy
I decided to reread the first book to get a good feel for the characters before reading this one. If you haven’t read Key of Behliseth yet, then you need to read it before reading this book. It is not a stand-alone book, and it will not make a lot of sense without reading the first. In the first book we learn a lot about the world that this book takes place in.
First, I want to say thank you to Ms. Hoffmann, because whether it was done on purpose or not, she took my advice from the first review. This book was a much easier read. It was still descriptive and I could close my eyes and picture what she had written, but I did not get lost in the descriptions. I did not have to reread parts. I was able to fully immerse myself in the world she created. (Wow, that sounded really professional! :D) So for those readers who are unsure whether they want to read the second book because of that happening in the first, let me say, it is not a problem here. Please don’t cheat yourself out of an awesome read.
Now, the characters: Ms. Hoffmann did an awesome job building the characters in the first book, but in this book, you really get into their heads. Literally! I really enjoyed getting to know them so well. They aren’t as you might expect, and they often make mistakes. The big powerful wizard is a normal person who doesn’t have all the answers! I like that! I like that there is no perfect person in this book, because it helps it feel real to me. That’s very important in a fantasy story. Also, you see how the experiences in the first book have changed the characters. How the experiences made them view the world, and how to deal with the results. That is a great thing in a book as well because it also makes me feel like this could be real. People change due to what happens in their lives. Their attitudes change and sometimes their personalities change too.
The book itself is a little harder to review because there is no great reveal, and yet there are many! Let me explain the best I can without spoilers. For me, the second book felt like Thárros and Elpída—it was originally one huge book cut in the middle to make two books. So this first part was a lot of build-up for what will happen next. We are just waiting now for the second half of the book. That is why I say there was no big reveal. There is no doubt that the book is not finished. Though not really a cliffhanger, you are left to wonder what will happen with all the little subplots the author has touched on in this book. However, you do find out very important things in this book. Who the “bad guy” really is, but not how it will unfold. Also, there are many other things going on that were left open, so I don’t know if they are all something different, or if they will all connect later in the third book.
This book is a journey. It takes you through many places and times, and you watch the characters grow as people and find out who they were meant to be. I enjoyed every minute of Wraith Queen's Veil and I would recommend it to every reader who is into fantasy. Also, because it is what I would call a “clean” story (no sex), it is great for all ages! There is some exploring of sexuality, but it is done in such away that it makes it a safe book for younger kids. So, I would say 10 years or older, though an even younger good reader could read it as well. I give this book 4 marbles, and am excited to read the next part of Lucky’s adventure.~Timmy
P.S. This cover should win awards! So beautiful! It fits the story so well! Awesome job to Catt Ford!
P.S.S. Dragons!!!! Need I say more???
P.S.S.S. (Just in case) A flying horse!!! If I still need to say more, you're a lost cause! :D LOL
Wraith Queen’s Veil is available from Harmony Ink Press!
Also available from
Amazon and Barnes & Noble!
When Lucky arrives in Ethra, the world of his birth and destiny, he expects a joyful reunion, but the first thing he notices when he reaches the Sisterhold—his home—is something false behind his mother’s smile. In a matter of weeks, the Sisterhold becomes agitated with worries and war plans. People he trusts—like the wizard Thurlock—frequently can’t be found. His mother seems angry, especially with Lucky. Even Han Shieth, the warrior uncle he has come to rely on and love above all others, maintains a sullen silence toward him.
When Lucky’s resentment builds to the breaking point, his bad decisions put him and his friends, L’Aria and Zhevi, in unthinkable danger. Han arrives to help, but he can’t claim invulnerability to the hazards and evils that threaten at every turn. Events launch Lucky, alone, on a quest for he knows not what, but every step brings him closer to his identity and full strength. Self-knowledge, trust, and strength lead to smarter choices, but even his best efforts might not render his world truly safe, now or for the future.
Also available from
Amazon and Barnes & Noble!
Lou Hoffmann has carried on her love affair with books for decades, yet she hasn’t even made a dent in the list of books she’d love to read—at least partly because the list keeps growing. She reads factual things—books about physics and history and fractal chaos, but when she wants truth, she looks for it in quality fiction. She loves all sorts of wonderful things: music and silence, laughter and tears, youth and age, sunshine and storms, forests and fields, flora and fauna, rivers and seas. Even good movies and popcorn! Those things help her breathe, and everyone she knows helps her write. (Special mention goes to (1) George the Lady Cat and (2) readers.) She writes for readers who find themselves anywhere on the spectrums of age and gender, aiming to create characters that live not only in their stories, but always in your imagination and your heart.
She blogs at Queerly YA, is on facebook, is @Lou_Hoffmann on Twitter, and loves to hear from readers at louhoffmannbooks (at)gmail(dot)com. She believes in love, believes in you, and believes in the magic of a good book.
Great review Timmy. I've been sitting on the first book but now I know I'm going to get to it in the new year for definite now. Dragons? YAY
ReplyDeleteYay! We can chat about it as you read!
ReplyDelete<3 Timmy
Awesome review, Timmy!!! I'll have to get up to speed on this series. Dragons and a flying horse? No, you need not say more... I'm in.
ReplyDeleteAwesome My Mel! I know you will like these! And we can chat about them.
Delete<3 Timmy
Wow! Fantastic review, Timmy! Your reviews are so great you make me want to read all of the books! This one is no exception.
ReplyDeleteRead all of the BOOKS!!! Lol yes that sounds like the best plan for life!
Delete<3 Timmy
Love your review, Timmy! The cover is so cool! Looking forward to The Key of Behliseth. I love dragons <3
ReplyDeleteWell the dragons are awesome but sadly they don't end well. But the adventure you go on in this book is so awesome.
Delete<3 Timmy