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Merissa (13956 KP) rated Awakening of the Starborne (The Game of Endings and Beginnings #1) in Books

Nov 5, 2025

AWAKENING OF THE STARBORNE is the first book in The Game of Endings and Beginnings. It is an epic fantasy, so expect a large page count, but trust me when I say it is worth it! There are trigger warnings for this book, so take note!

We begin with Savaé as a child, and what a childhood she had. However, Sully, a quiet blacksmith, takes her in and becomes her adoptive father. Sully is a great character for the time he is in the book, and I would love to know more of his past, but that's another story. Back to Savaé. She wants to become an Ellian Knight, one of the protectors of the realm. To do so, she needs to pass three trials, so Sully trains her. She has a lot to overcome and has her own coping mechanisms. Are they healthy? Well, I'll let you decide that! At her first trial, she meets Sølas, not knowing that things are about to change her life.

Sølas is such an outstanding character. There is so much I could say about him, but I don't want to give anything away. He is gorgeous, protective (think Touch-Her-And-D!e), and will not do anything to hurt Savaé. In fact, I don't think he physically can! He is her support system when she doesn't even think she needs one.

I was completely hooked on this book! The story is dark and full of action, with a fascinating group of characters that both help and hinder. Told mostly from Savaé's perspective, you get an inside seat on what she is thinking and feeling. As I said, this is epic, so it includes lots of descriptions (that are fantastic) plus betrayals, action, and more plot twists than you can shake a stick at. The ending just about killed me, but it has left me with a longing for the next book. I can already see this is a series I will buy as a hardcopy and re-read many times.

As a debut book, this was outstanding in pretty much every way. However, some of the segues and transitions from one scene to the next were either jarring or not entirely clear. And that is me being exceedingly picky! I loved this book and HIGHLY RECOMMEND it to any fantasy lovers out there.

** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 5, 2025

Kudos

Sarah (7800 KP) rated One Hundred Years of Solitude in Books

Aug 5, 2018

Weird and a little overrated

I thought this book was more of a historical epic, and although it's based around the history of one family, I hadn't expected the deep fantasy elements throughout the story.

To begin with this book was a revelation - it was weird and wonderful, entertaining and a little bit bonkers. However this for me could only keep me going so far. Around 2/3 of the way through I started to get a little bit bored and getting through the remainder of the book was such a drag. The book has a sort of dreamlike quality to it and the plot and narrative moves and jumps around quite a lot and it did become a little difficult to follow. It wasn't helped by the fact that nearly all characters had different variations of the same 3 names, so it was a massive issue trying to remember which person was being spoken about. The characters themselves were also fairly unlikable and you can only read for so long when you don't like the characters.

It's an interesting story and a very unusual plot and writing style, but I just wish it had been at the very least a little shorter. Not one I'd read again.

Kudos

Soccer Spirits

Games, Entertainment and Stickers

(0 Ratings) Rate It

App

Fantasy Soccer that's out of this world! Assemble the best soccer team in the galaxy to defeat the...

The Wheel of Osheim

Mark Lawrence

7.5 (2 Ratings) Rate It

Book

From the critically-acclaimed author of PRINCE OF FOOLS comes the third volume of the brilliant new...

King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword (2017)

6.6 (63 Ratings) Rate It

Movie Watch

Acclaimed filmmaker Guy Ritchie brings his dynamic style to the epic fantasy action adventure...

TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated Nomad (The Flight and Flame Trilogy, #2) in Books

Feb 24, 2021

Yall…I have no idea where to begin describing the epicness that is this book. Nomad is the second book in R. J. Andersons The Flight and Flame trilogy, and I was totally not prepared for the next level that R. J. Anderson took this book to. I mean I LOVED Swift the first book in the series, but this one….
The adventures that Ivy and Martin go on are riveting in their intensity and made me stay up way too late to finish the book. I love the way all the characters interact together; R. J. Anderson has created such good relationships between her characters that they feel natural and inclusive. I loved how Ivy stepped up in this book and became a leader for her people. I also really love Martin’s antics and layered characteristics that keep me wondering.
Readers of all ages will love this epic fantasy filled with great characters, an original storyline, and an adventure of a lifetime. I HIGHLY recommend Nomad and I CANNOT wait for Torch to release! 5 out of 5 stars!

*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.