Rhiannon PailleBesprekingen

I just could not for the life of me get into this book at all.

Review posted at SoManyBooksSoLittleTime

I just could not for the life of me get into this book at all.

This is a book that hooked me from the start, with an opening scene that is filled with such mystery, magic, and foreboding that you can't resist the turn of the page. I loved the concept of the Ferrymen and the Flames, with the taboo relationship between Krishani and Kaliel drawing me even deeper into Rhiannon's world.

I've seen some reviewers comments upon feeling lost in the early portions of the book but, for me, that's how a great fantasy story should begin. Assuming the author has done her job well (and Rhiannon has), you should be immersed in the geography, mythology, and culture of the world and allowed time to get your bearings, but expected to do so quickly. There's nothing worse than an info-dump that spoon-feeds the world to the reader, boring them to tears before they can get into the story itself. It's not an easy story to fall into, but an easy one to want to fall into - and that's important to me.

The characters here are wonderfully developed, playing off one another in ways you don't always expect. They're a little immature at times and, paradoxically, mature beyond their years at other times, but that's ok given the roles they're to play. The romance element borders on the melodramatic, at times, but it rings true for the characters - they're young, but they're also shouldering a very mature burden of responsiblity.

Although the pacing is a little slow at times, it picks up beautifully in the later third of the novel, which is standard for a fantasy novel. Fortunately, the characters and the world-building are strong enough to carry the reader through the slow points and make them want to keep reading. As for the ending, it was more of a cliffhanger than I expected, and it does bother me that the book doesn't entirely seem to work as a stand-alone piece of fiction, but it excited me and intrigued me enough to want to read the sequel . . . so I guess the tease worked.

Background: Kaliel is trying to learn her place in adulthood, and to do that she must see the Great Oak for her prophecy. Upon doing so she eventually learns she is a Flame, or a weapon. All the while she is falling in love with a boy she only met once before her prophecy, a strange boy with two different colored eyes. She cannot get him out of her mind, the only problem is, that her prophecy has told her not to be with him.

Review: I enjoyed this book but I also felt like it was very long-winded. I enjoyed the scenes with Kaliel and Pux (her childhood friend) and her experiences getting to know her destiny. I loved the elements of nature throughout the book, they were beautifully imagined and expressed.

Kaliel's love story was very nice and I was pressed to read more and more as she continued to find out more about the boy, but like I expressed, the book seemed long-winded, I felt there was a lot of information that as a reader I could have not read and would have been fine, and maybe even a few parts were I think the author left some important things out. That all being said, it is the first book in a series, so I imagine more will be explained as we go.

At the end, I became me interested not in Kaliel's story but the story of the Ferryman, and I am interested to see where that will take us.

Justice picks up right where Surrender ended. It's also a much darker novel than Surrender.

Krishani is completely heart-broken after the events in Surrender. He feels he has no reason to live. The people of Avristar are blaming Krishani for the attack on their lands. He still doesn't understand the terms of being the Ferryman. He only knows that he doesn't want the job.

I liked that we learned more about the Flames, and what they can do. There's still a lot I don't understand, but I'm hoping will be touched upon later in the series. Tiki is my favorite flame. She's strong-willed, and doesn't spill all of her information to anyone. Kla scared the mess out of me. He's just so unyielding and rude.

We also finally meet Krishani's ancestors, and find out why they left him in Avristar. I have to say I'm not too impressed with them. You'll see why as you read the book. Mallorn proves to be an invaluable resource. He is full of so much knowledge. He's a great mentor to all of the younger characters. Now on to Pux. I thought it was a fun free spirit in Surrender. It took me a while to appreciate his character in Justice. He's a hot mess, but you can't help but respect him by the end of the book.

You have plenty of action/battle scenes, but the most fascinating battle is the one Krishani has with himself. He wants to give up, but doesn't want to. He's constantly trying to justify his actions. That proves to be the most intense battle throughout the book.

And my goodness, the way it ends!!!! I'm not sure what to expect now. I can't wait to see how the story unfolds from the events that take place!

I unfortunately I didn't like this second book of the series as much as the first. I guess I was in a sappy mood and was hoping for a miraculous love story between Kashani and Kaliel which was what drew me into the first book however the glimpses into Kashani's memories and his emotions of undying love and utter despair and anger were very powerful. You get to know him better in this story and the purpose and abilities of the flames are given a little more light which is also very interesting. The journey he goes on that leads up to the inevitable battle really gives the series some long term focus. That classic good verses evil in the fantasy context is alive well here and once again looking forward to the next segment.

I had expected this short story to be somewhat of a tie-in between the first and second book of this series however it is in fact chapters which were removed from the original book. You are thrown a little abruptly into the story but into the action that keeps a steady pace. I really loved the parts which gave you an insight to each of the flames. It has definitely wet my appetite for the second book which I am really looking forward to reading.

This was a great fantasy book! I was glued to the story on each page and loved how the characters developed as the story went on. It had an emotional tone which I enjoyed as well. Not a heavy fantasy book as some can often be but a truly enjoyable read!

Unfinished.,

Never got anywhere didn't care about the characters didn't understand the world which wasn't making any internal sense. No plot, no action and generally poor writing too.

Something about some guy makes a bunch of magical items with embodied souls in them only he doesn't know that, and then a team of magical aliens come along and want to recruit him to be their ultimate king, only he's refused them a load of times before. So the aliens set fire to the entire world (apart form his village which escapes down a whirlpool with his girlfriend), and he starts a last ditch defiance again, only this time one of the magical items comes to life and seduces the Ferryman to kill the aliens who flee.

I gave up at this point.

It might have been part of a series, although there's no indication to say so. - usually I can pick up past storylines easily enough, but I've no idea this time. The characters were wooden, the magic and world completely flexible, the mythic names jumbled. and well who cares.½

I was given a chance to beta read "Mercy" by Rhiannon Paille. It is the fourth book in her The Ferryman and The Flame series. This particular book is intended to be a possible start point even if you never read the first three. After reading Mercy I will say that even though Rhi did a wonderful job pulling enough details to give you background and the overall history of the world that I would still start from the beginning. I'm a bit picky when it comes to things like that. My plan now is to finish the series and then start over so that I can absorb all the details in their actual order. On the topic of Rhi using this as a second starting point, I love that as an author she decided to continue the series and follow the characters beyond a major conclusion. I wish so many more authors would do this. I usually find myself so disappointed after a series ends but just from what I've read of this series I don't think I will have that feeling.
I found this to be a nice jump back into YA fantasy/romance. I've been rather bored with the genre lately and this book made me realize what was missing in most YA today. There are so many unique characters and details in this series. The creatures and magic, while maybe reminding you of something similar, make it clear that this is a different take on them. Krishani for instance may remind you of the grim reaper but is in fact so much more and in ways so much more terrifying. When reading from his POV you feel his torment, despair and struggle. I like the character of Kaliel because even though she may come off as innocent, something so much more incredible is buried in her soul.
This seems to be a very enjoyable series that won't leave you bored or asking yourself why you began in the first place. Once I finish the series as a whole I plan to come back and edit my review with more detail. So go check out The Ferryman and The Flame series! You will not regret it!

A fantasy novel that illustrates the emotional process of losing someone; it's interesting. This sequel is much darker than the first book in the series, but don't let that dissuade you from taking a chance on it. The author clearly spent a huge amount of time creating the lands and races, so enjoy the detail. I loved the illustrations. My only complaint: choose a different ebook version (my eyes are sore from the smallish font).

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AMAZING!

I am speechless. This is a phenomenal book. Review to come soon.

*I received a free ARC of Surrender from CreateSpace via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review*

This and other reviews can also be found on my blog: (un)Conventional Bookviews.


In Surrender, Kaliel is a young girl who feels clumsy around her kinsfolk, she can speak to the trees and the merfolk, but she falls over everytime she needs to go somewhere. At the fire festival in Avristar, she goes to a waterfall one evening. Behind the waterfall, Krishani, part of the Amersil Brotherhood is watching her. When they meet, they both feel an attraction toward the other, even if they are hiding it at first. As Kaliel and Krishani go back to their own villages, the readers follow Kaliels adventures as she nears the time she will go to the mysterious great oak to get her parable. What the great oak tells her will rule the rest of her life, it is supposed to tell her what her goal in life is, but Kaliel cannot understand the meaning of the great oaks parable. It seems like whatever she will choose to do, it will only lead to disaster for Avristar and the people living there.

Surrender is a book that explores magic and the connection to the earth in a way that is very different from what I have read before. The premise is extremely interesting, the way people are shown the direction of their life from a very old tree who is supposed to guide them intrigued me. Kaliel is a young girl of 16, and she is not one to meekly follow orders. She wants to know why some things are forbidden. Like, swimming in the lake is forbidden because of the merfolk. Kaliel still goes there, and she can understand what they are saying. There is a very real danger in the water, though, and Kaliel finds that out the hard way.

Krishani is supposed to have great powers, but he has no way to control them. He either does too little, or too much. When he does too much the land and people around him are devastated by the force of his fire. The brotherhood even makes him leave, and sends him to Avristar to be trained by Istar, the sovereign of Avristar. Soon after Krishani arrives in Avristar to train, Kaliel is sent there as well, to be trained by Lady Atara, Istar's wife. It seems that both Krishani and Kaliel carry a huge responsibility to their country and their fellow kinsmen, and at times, it appears impossible for them to be able to complete their tasks.

Surrender had everything to be a very good book, the premise, the world, the characters were all well done. However, the reading was a little jilted at times, and the pacing was very uneven. In some places, I also felt that the story was too wordy, with some explanations I didn't really need. Because of this, it took me a long time to finish this book. However, because the premise is so promising, and the characters very attaching, I know I will read Justice and the other books in the series. This is a world that is completely different from ours, and even if Surrender ended with grief, there is still some sense of hope. And as long as there is hope, I want to know what happens next. If you're up to a fantasy that takes you far away from our world, you should give Surrender a chance, maybe the great oak will give you some guidance as well.

Read my full review HERE

Read my full review HERE

What a beautiful cover! This novel starts off slow and a little confusing, but hang in there. A third of the way through, the characters become stronger and, overall, easier to relate to. Although the story could flow better, the author describes the scenery so well, at times the work can be lyrical. I look forward to see the development of the MCs in the sequel and maybe some clarification of the different groups as well as the parts they play. A nice little love conquers all story. I hope it works out in the end!

There is an alternate ending; although interesting, I prefer the original one.

Net Galley Feedback
[book:Surrender|17255904]
[author:Rhiannon Paille|4653530]

To start I have to say how much I immensely enjoyed this read. Rhiannon Paille really sets a beautiful scene of an enchanted world full of magical beings and an especially magical land. It was refreshing to read about a Fae themed world and not have the story itself cling to or revolve around an already know classic fable retold. Paille did an amazing job creating these characters and their own past tales to live by and grand destines to thwart.

Although this book is a fantasy novel it is still a young adult novel as well; this shows throughout the novel through the main characters development, growth, and determination to overcome their individual internal struggles. It makes the young couple, although apart of a fantasy world, more relatable to other young adults. The struggles of the two main characters in Surrender may be more extreme than what teens these days are facing, but still relatable none the less.

For me Paille kept a great pace throughout the novel. There were no weak points that seemed to drag on and all of the context throughout was relevant to growth of the story. All in all if your looking for an adventurous story that will send you careening on the emotional rollercoaster of young love in a fantasy realm than I highly recommend Surrender. You wont be able to put it down until you've read the last page, and then you won't be able to wait for Paille's next installment.

Surrender is one of those books that has a few little flaws but compensates with the amazing plot and loving characters. Kaliel, our sweet elf girl is one of the MC alongside Krishani, who is a part of the merfolk. And their love is impossible.

First I must warn you, this is not going to be a description of what the book is about because, to be honest, Rhiannon just leave us, her dearest readers, in the middle of Avristar and it's up to us to understand who is who and what's going on. Although to be fair she does includes a complete guide at the beginning of the book to give us a hand.
And I'm so grateful! But let me clarify something here: great new worlds like the Middle Earth (Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Toklien) or Krynn (Dragonlance series by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis) are so vast, so full of rich and complex scenarios and creatures that it can be overwhelming if we don't have the necessary back up. Remember guys, this a world within a book -which is just plain awesome.
As you can already imagine by my examples this book is a jewel for all fantasy fans as it holds adventure, twists, romance, magic, fights, drama and an epic cliffhanger end.
A few little advices: It's always good to remember to keep an open mind to absorb every little detail and read the book in a slow pace if needed.

One thing I'm enjoying a lot lately is the change of POV, it's still fresh and unique to see the story through a guy's eyes and Krishani was an excellent companion.

Speaking of Krishani, another great point for this book was the uniqueness of the names. I'm a sucker for new/different/unique/awesome invented names, it's just one of those things that wins my heart in a second and makes me smile like an idiot for a long while. And it's so worthy.
As for the character development it was so well-handed, so real that if at the beginning Kaliel seemed timid and fragile -she is an Elve- by the end of the book her personality has changed for the best and is getting ready to stand up and fight in order to fulfill her destiny.
The small things I didn't like were the almost insta-love that Kaliel and Krishani share but that's because I've seen it a lot lately. And then the whole starcrossed lovers part -for the same reason as before- although, to be honest, the way both characters want to break the rules to make their love work and how committed they are to each other was sweet and touching.

I don't know what the future holds for the two of them but I can't wait to find out, I'm ready to submerge myself in the next book, Justice, and follow them until the very end. I'm ready to spend more hours in the island of Avristar and speak with the trees. I'm ready for every book written by Rhiannon Paille.

Background: Kaliel is trying to learn her place in adulthood, and to do that she must see the Great Oak for her prophecy. Upon doing so she eventually learns she is a Flame, or a weapon. All the while she is falling in love with a boy she only met once before her prophecy, a strange boy with two different colored eyes. She cannot get him out of her mind, the only problem is, that her prophecy has told her not to be with him.

Review: I enjoyed this book but I also felt like it was very long-winded. I enjoyed the scenes with Kaliel and Pux (her childhood friend) and her experiences getting to know her destiny. I loved the elements of nature throughout the book, they were beautifully imagined and expressed.

Kaliel's love story was very nice and I was pressed to read more and more as she continued to find out more about the boy, but like I expressed, the book seemed long-winded, I felt there was a lot of information that as a reader I could have not read and would have been fine, and maybe even a few parts were I think the author left some important things out. That all being said, it is the first book in a series, so I imagine more will be explained as we go.

At the end, I became me interested not in Kaliel's story but the story of the Ferryman, and I am interested to see where that will take us.

I was really touched by this sad and sweet story. The emotions that play out over time from when Kaliel is 14 and Krishani I believe was 15 or 16 and on, they first met at those ages, but their budding love really didn’t hit until later and grew. It was a forbidden love I would call it. I did have some confusion on what the term “to Marry the Land” meant, but guessing since this is a fantasy with the elves, that they would be like monks and nuns to the land? I am not sure, it’s the best way I was able to think of it. What is sad, is that they are told what their destiny is, they have no choices at all in their own life, and that is so sad. It turns out both of them had a bit different future in store for them.
This book is written very well, and really pulls you into this fantasy world. But it’s not so farfetched that you do not believe it, it really is brought to life for you.
Here is a very sweet reunion for them, they are a bit older here:

“I thought about you every day,” he said as she pressed her cheek into his tunic.
She smiled against his shirt. “And I thought about you.”
“Promise me something?” He wasn’t holding her, not really, their bodies weren’t pressed together and the inches between them made Kaliel feel cold.
“What?”
“You’ll find a happy ending.”
“What if I can’t?”
He pulled back and brushed his thumb across her cheek. “Promise me you will.” His eyes met hers and his jaw dropped. His hand paused, cupping her face in his palm. He held her gaze, her heart beating hard. Before she had time to answer, he pressed his lips against hers. She didn’t expect him to do that and it was better than she imagined. She came to life under him, kissing him back with unyielding passion that made him pull away to seemingly catch his breath.
Kaliel’s sadness drained away as he broke from her lips and then cupped her face with both hands and kissed her again, pressing the length of his body against her. His kisses made her feel light and giddy, like she could float into the sky. She slid her hands up his chest and looped them around his neck. There was swimming in the lake and losing her breath and then there was this. Being out of breath with him was like drowning in a sea of happiness. He could keep her prisoner forever and she’d never complain. He pulled away again, and wound his arms around her waist, trapping her against him. His lips found hers again, rough and inexperienced, but strong and satisfying.
She opened her mouth and his tongue grazed hers, warmth spreading from her heart to the rest of her body, making her tingle. She smiled against his lips.
“I missed you.” She tried to steady her breathing.
Krishani shook his head and put his hands on either side of her face. “This is all I want. This and nothing else, ever.” His mouth covered hers again. He pressed himself against her and she sighed. It felt like she had known him her entire life and even longer, if longer even existed.

Also this part:

“I made a bolt of lightning strike down a threethousand-year-old-tree in Amersil, because in the middle of a meditation I thought about your green eyes.” A sheepish smile crept onto his face.
Her eyes widened. “Three thousand years?”
“All because of your green eyes.” He pressed his lips against hers. He leaned back and she followed his lips, straddling him, pressing her hips into his groin, bracing herself on his shoulders.
“All I want is this, this and nothing else. Ever.”
Krishani grunted in agreement as her mouth came down on his.

As you can see by that sweet scene, they deeply care for one another, and it only grows from there. I do not want to say much on what is expected of them, or what they do, so not to spoil anything.

I think some of the abilities that Kaliel have are pretty cool, she can “talk” to the trees and animals, as well as sortof communicate with the mermaids that are supposed to be dangerous. She is always running off to swim in the pond or lake, when it’s forbidden to do so. Krishani also seems to be really powerful, but is unable to control his powers. He loosed control when he tries to control the elements like he should, destroying whole areas of trees that are old. He seems to have the best control if he is near Kaliel.

It’s an amazing fantasy book, and highly recommend anyone who likes the paranormal/fantasy type books. It’s truly captivating. You really need to read this. I can’t wait for book 2.

5 out of 5 stars.

I was provided a copy of this book for my honest review from the author.

See my blog for the book tour and the excerpt and more.
Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books http://concisebookreviewsbymichelle.blogspot.com/

Can I just say that I loved this book? I honestly fell in love with the world, the characters, and the circumstances these characters found themselves in. Okay, now that I got that out of the way, here's the review:

Surrender, the first book in The Ferryman and the Flame series, by Rhiannon Paille begins with a strong start. It introduces a world that has a complex set of laws and a dark past that no one can truly understand unless they experienced it. In the mind of the young protagonist, Avristar is a utopia, above war and the cruelties of life. But the story illustrates that peace doesn't not always mean perfect. I struggled, however, with the fact that the history of the land was hardly touched on and I kept wanting to hear more about it but that never really happened.

Why are certain things forbidden? Why must these boys -- men -- marry the land? What was the true catalyst of this situation and why do I feel like there is something missing? I hate it when I feel like something is missing. I felt that a lot of key narrative about the bad guy especially was not covered, the story focused more on the light and I felt that the story needed a bit more dark. The nice thing about this story though is that the pacing makes it easy for you to forget the lack of information and I honestly didn't really have time to process what was missing until I finished the story. The pacing made the story addictive and I definitely couldn't put it down.

Kaliel and Krishani are quite a pair with their deep sense of duty and continuous longing for what is considered forbidden in their land. It was heartbreaking to read about them giving up so much and despite everything, they cling to the hope that they may be together. I loved how their romance was set up during the course of the story and it takes some time to process just what their love means. It was easy to lose myself in them and their feelings for each other. Their whole romance was enchanting. I liked how the author put them on equal terms with their insecurities, skills, and emotions. They have a beautiful relationship and I definitely don't want to see it end. Ever.

The book was awesome except for those few missing things that made me yearn for answers and get frustrated at the narrative. I loved it and I really think you will too.

Note: I received this book via Netgalley.

The first thing that caught my attention about this book was the cover; it was gorgeously breathtaking and drew me to the book right away. The plot itself seemed a little Romeo and Julietish to me. As elvens Kaliel and Krishani are supposed to “marry the land,” not fall in love with one another. The challenges they seem to face are overwhelming but their love for each other is intense enough to last. For the most part the relationship seemed realistic in the rush of intensity and emotion they felt for one another.

Rhiannon did an amazing job of character and world building. The world is imaginative and creative although at some parts I got lost in what was going on and had to reread. Even though the story was extremely descriptive there were a few parts that stretched out making the pace of the story as a whole slow.

Overall, the book was extremely interesting once the reader immersed themselves into the world and the story was innovative enough to be entertaining.

Also on http://lrjohnson13.blogspot.com/2012/11/flame-of-surrender-ferryman-and-flame-1....

I'd read some really good reviews of this book before I read it, and as I usually am when that happens, I'm a bit nervous starting the book because I'm afraid I'll be that one person who says "it just wasn't for me". Thankfully, that didn't happen with this book - I loved it! Rhiannon Paille created a beautiful world that was described in such detail, you could definitely picture yourself there. Kaliel seems very timid at the beginning of the book, but by the end there has been a lot of character growth and you see her finally come into her own. The same can be said of Krishani. They are both destined for great things, things they cannot even imagine themselves being able to do. Kaliel just wants to be like everyone else, but she's too special for that. Kaliel and Krishani fall for each other immediately, even though most elves are married to the land and don't ever experience real love unless the land decides to allow it. They can't stay away from each other, and they can't stop thinking of each other, even when they are pulled apart. They are destined to be together, but the very heart of what they are will keep that from ever happening.

I can now highly recommend this book along with everyone else! The writing is creative and descriptive, and the characters come to life in Ms. Paille's hands. Definitely a must-read for all fans of fantasy and romance alike:)