{These reviews taken from my book review site, KiriBeth.}
Title: A Stretch of Loyalty
Series: The Loyalty Trilogy (Book #1)
Year: 2013
Author: Jack Lewis Baillot
Summary: Prince Lachlan's only crime is that he is the youngest son of the king, a selfish man who took what he wanted no matter the cost. Now Lachlan's life is in danger because his father's last law was that the last of his sons left living will be the new king.
Lachlan's half brothers are determined to get rid of him first before they work on killing each other, but their plans are foiled when Lachlan is saved by a young girl named Magda. Knowing Lachlan would make a better king then any of his brothers, Magda flees into the wild, hoping to find help and safety for the boy in one of the neighboring kingdoms. Instead, all Magda finds is rejection.
But help might be closer then she thinks, and it comes in the form of a grumpy, one handed hermit, an elf with a sense of humor, and two dwarf brothers. Together, they might have a chance to save the boy - but what price do you pay to keep a stranger alive? Just how far are they willing to go to make sure he is kept safe? (from Goodreads)
Lachlan's half brothers are determined to get rid of him first before they work on killing each other, but their plans are foiled when Lachlan is saved by a young girl named Magda. Knowing Lachlan would make a better king then any of his brothers, Magda flees into the wild, hoping to find help and safety for the boy in one of the neighboring kingdoms. Instead, all Magda finds is rejection.
But help might be closer then she thinks, and it comes in the form of a grumpy, one handed hermit, an elf with a sense of humor, and two dwarf brothers. Together, they might have a chance to save the boy - but what price do you pay to keep a stranger alive? Just how far are they willing to go to make sure he is kept safe? (from Goodreads)
Main Characters:
~ Magda Kalmyk
~ Stefan Haulier
~ Prince Lachlan
~ Ennion
~ Golon
~ Cordon
~ Prince Igor
~ Magda Kalmyk
~ Stefan Haulier
~ Prince Lachlan
~ Ennion
~ Golon
~ Cordon
~ Prince Igor
Review: You know that feeling when you find a book that you're certain is going to be wonderful, and then when you finally get to read it, it's even more amazing than you hoped? That's how it was with A Stretch of Loyalty. The author, Jack, is a friend of mine, and from the snippets and character posts she's done on her blog, I knew I was going to like this story. Of course, I didn't realize *how* much I was going to enjoy it. I am so ready to dive into book two, A Test of Loyalty!
The story starts off with a bang - the king dies and pretty much tells his sons to get rid of each other so that the last one of them living will be the next king. And of course, the three eldest immediately decide to get rid of their youngest brother first: little seven-year old Lachlan. Magda, the daughter of a local seamstress, is recruited to save him, and the whole adventure tumbles down from there. It's a twisting, wild ride from page one that keeps you in suspense of the next chapter.
The characters were astonishingly so untypical of a usual fantasy. Magda is a seamstress who has practically no fighting skills whatsoever; Stefan is a grumpy, one handed hermit with a bundle of secrets; even Lachlan is no usual fantasy prince - a fact that I was greatly appreciative of. Ennion was an epic character, and although his race (the elves) reminded me muchly of Tolkien's descriptions of elves, he had enough personality to draw him completely out of the stereotype that J.R.R. Tolkien created. For anyone who loves LOTR and Narnia, or just a good, clean adventure story (with no magic - I might add), A Stretch of Loyalty is the perfect book. I don't think I could recommend it enough. Since this is a self-published novel, there are a few typos and grammatical errors, yet they don't detract from the awesomeness of the story.
And can I just say, I loved the title. How far *can* loyalty stretch? The friendships forged in this book were some of my favorite in any novel I've read in a long time. A true, caring friendship that faces storms together and battles through them. All around epic, and definitely deserving 5 stars. And now that I've finished the book, I'm on my way to hand it over to my brother who, having picked it up when I first got it read a few chapters to himself and really enjoyed it, gets to read it next.
The story starts off with a bang - the king dies and pretty much tells his sons to get rid of each other so that the last one of them living will be the next king. And of course, the three eldest immediately decide to get rid of their youngest brother first: little seven-year old Lachlan. Magda, the daughter of a local seamstress, is recruited to save him, and the whole adventure tumbles down from there. It's a twisting, wild ride from page one that keeps you in suspense of the next chapter.
The characters were astonishingly so untypical of a usual fantasy. Magda is a seamstress who has practically no fighting skills whatsoever; Stefan is a grumpy, one handed hermit with a bundle of secrets; even Lachlan is no usual fantasy prince - a fact that I was greatly appreciative of. Ennion was an epic character, and although his race (the elves) reminded me muchly of Tolkien's descriptions of elves, he had enough personality to draw him completely out of the stereotype that J.R.R. Tolkien created. For anyone who loves LOTR and Narnia, or just a good, clean adventure story (with no magic - I might add), A Stretch of Loyalty is the perfect book. I don't think I could recommend it enough. Since this is a self-published novel, there are a few typos and grammatical errors, yet they don't detract from the awesomeness of the story.
And can I just say, I loved the title. How far *can* loyalty stretch? The friendships forged in this book were some of my favorite in any novel I've read in a long time. A true, caring friendship that faces storms together and battles through them. All around epic, and definitely deserving 5 stars. And now that I've finished the book, I'm on my way to hand it over to my brother who, having picked it up when I first got it read a few chapters to himself and really enjoyed it, gets to read it next.
Advisory: The only thing that bothered me in this story was something concerning King Garolds. He had four sons, and each child had a different mother. However, the matter is very discreetly handled, and always shown in a bad light. There's also some fantasy action and fighting, as the travelers meet a lake monster, giants, and other creatures, but it's exciting and not graphic.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
*I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.*
~*~*~*~*~
Title: A Test of Loyalty
Series: The Loyalty Trilogy (Book #2)
Year: 2014
Author: Jack Lewis Baillot
Summary: Upon learning he is one of the sons of the now dead king, Prince Lachlan is forced to leave the only home he has ever known. Fleeing for his life, his step-brothers a step behind, Lachlan finds safety and friendship with a young seamstress named Magda, a hermit, an Elf, and two Dwarf brothers. Determined to keep the young prince alive, Magda and the others seek out help in the surrounding Nations.
Everywhere they go, the fugitives are constantly turned away. They are followed by Lachlan's half- brothers who are determined to kill him so that one of them might take their father's crown and become the next king. With every place Lachlan is taken, his brothers close in and when the finally catch up Lachlan is forced to face the question that has been haunting him since he left home.Lachlan was saved in the hopes he would become a better king then his father and his brothers. But the last thing he wants is to sit on the throne. If he refuses the crown, will there be anyone willing to fight to keep him alive? (from Goodreads)
Everywhere they go, the fugitives are constantly turned away. They are followed by Lachlan's half- brothers who are determined to kill him so that one of them might take their father's crown and become the next king. With every place Lachlan is taken, his brothers close in and when the finally catch up Lachlan is forced to face the question that has been haunting him since he left home.Lachlan was saved in the hopes he would become a better king then his father and his brothers. But the last thing he wants is to sit on the throne. If he refuses the crown, will there be anyone willing to fight to keep him alive? (from Goodreads)
Main Characters:
~ Magda Kalmyk
~ Stefan Haulier
~ Prince Lachlan
~ Ennion
~ Golon
~ Cordon
~ Magda Kalmyk
~ Stefan Haulier
~ Prince Lachlan
~ Ennion
~ Golon
~ Cordon
Review: Another epic tale from Jack Lewis Baillot! Lachlan is still on the run from his brothers, yet everywhere he and his small band of companions go, they are met with danger or dismissal. No one seems to want to help the little prince, and those who do can only do so much. Safe-havens are no longer safe, and conflict is brewing much faster than anyone might have realized. Lachlan knows his half-brothers seek his life, but just how far can he run from their evil schemes? And is there someplace where he can truly be safe from them?
Okay, did I love the first book? Yes. Did I love the second book? YES. Am I going nuts waiting for the third book in the trilogy? Double YES. This has all the flavor of Lewis or Tolkien, but in a completely new way. From what I expected from this book, Jack took all of that and threw it away. The epicness of the tale remains intact throughout the entire novel, but there was so much that jumped out at me unexpectedly. I just don't know if 5 stars do these books justice. Do I recommend this book and its predecessor? Triple yes.
A Test of Loyalty brings back all the fun characters we knew and loved in A Stretch of Loyalty. Magda -- the young seamstress; Stefan -- the one-handed hermit who is finally learning how to laugh; Ennion -- the "funnest" elf ever since Legolas; and then Golon and Cordon -- two very untypical dwarf brothers. And they are all banded together to help the little prince Lachlan. I really like the way Jack portrays her characters. They're not the best of friends (Golon and Ennion hardly ever see eye-to-eye, and that's not even because of their height difference), yet they still work together to help Lachlan. Learning to trust each other is no easy task. Humor is high, danger is around every corner, secrets are discovered, loyalties are tested (huh... now why would that sound familiar?), and it's a non-stop ride from start to finish.
Now I realize this review must not make much sense, but I don't intend it to. I'd get too easily wrapped up in giving away all the spoilers if I tried to be sensible, so I'm just letting my fingers do the typing right now. Seriously, I've read a lot of fantasy over the years, and if there was one book/series that showcased everything I loved about that genre, it'd be this one. Dwarves, elves, journeys, hermits, jokes, adventure, swords, etc. What more could you ask for?
Okay, did I love the first book? Yes. Did I love the second book? YES. Am I going nuts waiting for the third book in the trilogy? Double YES. This has all the flavor of Lewis or Tolkien, but in a completely new way. From what I expected from this book, Jack took all of that and threw it away. The epicness of the tale remains intact throughout the entire novel, but there was so much that jumped out at me unexpectedly. I just don't know if 5 stars do these books justice. Do I recommend this book and its predecessor? Triple yes.
A Test of Loyalty brings back all the fun characters we knew and loved in A Stretch of Loyalty. Magda -- the young seamstress; Stefan -- the one-handed hermit who is finally learning how to laugh; Ennion -- the "funnest" elf ever since Legolas; and then Golon and Cordon -- two very untypical dwarf brothers. And they are all banded together to help the little prince Lachlan. I really like the way Jack portrays her characters. They're not the best of friends (Golon and Ennion hardly ever see eye-to-eye, and that's not even because of their height difference), yet they still work together to help Lachlan. Learning to trust each other is no easy task. Humor is high, danger is around every corner, secrets are discovered, loyalties are tested (huh... now why would that sound familiar?), and it's a non-stop ride from start to finish.
Now I realize this review must not make much sense, but I don't intend it to. I'd get too easily wrapped up in giving away all the spoilers if I tried to be sensible, so I'm just letting my fingers do the typing right now. Seriously, I've read a lot of fantasy over the years, and if there was one book/series that showcased everything I loved about that genre, it'd be this one. Dwarves, elves, journeys, hermits, jokes, adventure, swords, etc. What more could you ask for?
Advisory: Some fantasy violence (creatures, fighting, etc.), but nothing graphic.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Related reviews: A Stretch of Loyalty
*I received a free advance copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. A Test of Loyalty will be released on July 14th. Please click HERE to visit the author's website to learn more.*
God bless!
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