Dreadlands: Wolf Moon
by Jaimie Engle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
In the lands that Leif Erickson explored and the god Odin blesses there lives a blend of man and ferine, and the half-blood in outcast. Far from the city, in the Outlands, Arud has grown up all his life, wondering why they live in the Outlands instead of the city, but never questioning his parents. Things are changing and the ferine are growing bolder, and so his mother, Vinter decides that it is time that he take his little sister Lykke to the city. It's hard journey and will take them close to three weeks, but his mother is determined that they have to leave and quickly. Arud and Lykke trust in their mother, but this journey will change everything they have ever believed in before now. Dreadlands : Wolf Moon is the story of self-discovery and enlightenment in the journey of Arud. Author Jaimie Engle takes a paranormal/supernatural story and weaves coming of age and self discovery into a wonderful tale that you want to continue reading.
Dreadlands: Wolf Moon is reminiscent of a classic werewolf story in that you have the ferine, but they are much more animalistic. The ferine are an animal that comes out on the full moon, and they are hunters. Don't let that analogy fool you though, this is in no way a werewolf tell, that is just the best way to describe the ferine to someone who hasn't read them yet. Author Jaimie Engle puts her own spin on that animal-shifter idea, places the story in the cold northwest, bring in tells of Vikings and Norse and the god Odin. It is so unique and well written that you read the whole book before you realize what you have done. The battle scenes are not graphic and there is no sex or bad language so I recommend this to readers of all ages.
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As you know, when I find a new author I like, I lie to do these little Author Posts and introduce them to you with some information about them and some links.
So, let's get to it!
E. J. Squires:
Author Interveiw
Author Interview
Google Page Twitter
Books:
A Viking Blood Saga
Book 1 - Winter Solstice Winter
My Review Secondary Review Amazon Link
Book 2 - Summer Solstice Summer
My Review Amazon Link
Book 3 - Fall of the Realms (coming June 31, 2014)
Book 4 - Ragnarok Spring (coming December 31, 2014)
Desireable Creatures Series
Book 1 - Wraithsong
My Review
Book 2 -
Summer Solstice Summer
by E.J. Squires
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
Soren and Ailia, along with their family are heading to the Southlandic Kingdom to escape from Eiess and her minions. Just as they are set to leave the Aesira Jewel is stolen, Soren takes off back north after the jewel while Ailia and the rest of the family heads south. Summer Solstice Summer is set mostly in the warm Southlandic Kingdom where most of the family is staying. Even this far away they are not out of reach of Eiess and her wicked ways. She send the Nukkern to shape-shift into Soren and try to break Ailia's spirit. Meanwhile in the north Soren is captured and tortured almost to the point of death, leaving him little to bargain with to escape, but yet escape he finally does.+E.J. Squires weaves the Vikings and the magic, the myths and the legends all into a wonderful story that will captivate you.
Summer Solstice Summer is not only the story of Soren and Ailia, but the story of Ailia's twin sister Lucia. To say that Ailia and Lucia are polar opposites is an understatement. Lucia and thrown her fate in with Eiess and is working against her sister, but in this book we she her growing her own indepence a little, and she has her own building storyline. E. J. Squires takes all the great things about the Viking tales of the longhouses, the dragonboats, the furs and cold weather, then mixes it with this legend of a Sun Queen that must reset the season, and a jewel and different realms and worlds and yet it doesn't feel like a mess. It all comes together and feels like it was meant to be there, this is exactly how the world was meant to be, and the characters and feelings are so vivid that you find yourself crying and laughing along with them. This is wonderful book, the second in a series, and I feel that any age would enjoy it, young adult to older adult. Definitely something you want to look for.
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Winter Solstice Winter
by E.J. Squires
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Take a trip with me, back to the year of 1007, to the Northern reaches of Europe. The Nordic lands, the lands of snow and Vikings. Can you imagine the snow and cliffs, the cold, grey stone that builds the castles and keeps, the long houses with grey smoke coming out all the time to keep the people warm. Yes, this is where our story begins.
Winter Solstice Winter begins in the village, with just a normal village family and normal village life, except their daughter is having mare’s at night. Dreams that seem so real, almost as if it were memories of another life. We watch as Aillia and her family deal with those has other happenings occur in the area.
At the castle, the Queen although advanced in age and with a 17 year old daughter, is once again pregnant, hopefully with a son for the King, but all is not going well, and she passes away during childbirth along with the babe. Her daughter Lucia, is lost, having no idea how to manage life without her mother, but unbeknownst to her, life is about to change in more ways than she can ever imagine.
As the story progresses and we follow these two women, both born on the Winter Solstice Eve, we learn the history of the area and the legends that are guiding the events and shaping what is occurring. Much to the +Evelyn Squires credit, the back history is told in conversations between character’s, so it fits into the storyline perfectly and makes sense. It’s not just some aside that takes you back and fills you in on the history. It belongs where it is, and since it unfolds in conversations, you get small bits and pieces at a time, so it is almost like unwrapping a puzzle.
The characters; Aillia, Lucia, and just to make it interesting a love interest for both girls, Soren; are well thought out and easy to get to know. I related to them and understood them. Of course at times I thought Lucia was a spoiled, rich-kid brat, but then again that really is what she is. The weaving of the characters, past and present into the story just makes it feel more like a tale you have heard over and over, not a book you are reading for the first time.
Although the book ends, leaving you on a bit of a cliff wanting to know more, and having to wait for the next book to come out; it does end at a very logical place. It is a natural break in the storyline that fits well with transitioning to another book. I applaud the author for that as well, because not many authors can do that, some leave you on a huge cliff and this was more a natural cliff. Yes I am waiting for the next book, but I feel good about where the characters are at while I wait.
If you are at all interested in historical fiction, viking lore, Nordic lore and the such this is a great book for you. Even if you aren’t that impressed with that, I think you would still enjoy this book just on the richness of the story itself. The writing and weaving of the story is genuine and truly the work of a great author.
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