Knightmare Arcanist by Shami Stovall

First of all, I want to thank The Write Reads for all they do organizing blog tours and bringing our community together… Every time I log into Twitter I know I will find inspiration in my fellow readers and bloggers. It’s good to be a part of this thriving band of book lovers!

Now on to Knightmare Arcanist!

Shami Stovall’s book is a coming-of-age fantasy that pits a novice against a master… A fledgling magic user vs a virtual immortal who has bonded with a leviathan. The book starts on familiar ground with two orphans who desperately want to change their status and be among the heroes of the realm, also known as arcanists. These are people who are able to bond with magical creatures and combine powers to stave off pirates and other dastardly enemies.

Although our main character Volke is denied from bonding with a powerful phoenix, he and his adopted sister Illia manage to find a couple of other magical creatures that are willing to join up… Now they need a teacher, someone to guide them through their magical coming-of-age. They are off to the capital to find a guild and a master who will accept them. Oh yeah, they will also be joined by two others from their home island who have had all the training since they were very young… this creates a constant conflict between the silver spooners and the orphans. It’s fun to see how this plays out.

Now I mentioned above that the story begins with a situation readers may be familiar with, but I want to tell you that Stovall’s imagination and writing prowess quickly becomes evident as the pages start to fly. The creatures, four-legged, two-legged and otherwise, are written to keep you interested. And the plot flies by… twists and turns. And the action is developed every so swiftly… be ready to dip into scene after scene of magical attacks with creatures backing.

A fun start to what should prove to be a very good series. Check it out, you SFF fans!!!

Thank you to The Write Reads and the author for a copy for review.