Michelle Hauck

I received an e-arc of of this book via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review as part of the blog tour organised by RockStar Book Tours. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

I read and reviewed the first book in this trilogy, [b:Grudging: Birth of Saints Book One|27777346|Grudging Birth of Saints Book One|Michelle Hauck|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447617147s/27777346.jpg|45672818], as my first book of the year, so it is only fitting that as the year draws to a close, I should be so lucky as to take part in the blog tour for the second book. I loved Grudging, back in January, and am incredibly happy to say that my love for this series only grows stronger after reading Faithful!

Now, I am notoriously bad at finishing series. Usually, I read the first book and then put off reading any sequel because I am just so scared of being disappointed by "fillers" up to the final installment. Gladly, I didn't fall into this trap with Faithful.

This book picks up just a little after Grudging had closed, with the people of Colina Hermosa, Ramiro and Claire still trying to deal with the aftermath of their encounter with the Northerners. From the very beginning, we start to catch glimpses of the main themes that will accompany us throughout the rest of the book. Building on from what was started in Grudging, the role of women in society is further explored, as several strong female figures jump to the lead of their respective societies, opposing world-views clash. I really enjoyed seeing the evolution of Claire's character in particular: still struggling to accept the consequences of the magic she performed in order to save the people of Colina Hermosa, she also has to come to terms with the fact that they seem to fear and distrust her.

And dealing with the consequences of difficult choices is one of the recurring themes of the book: Claire and Ramiro, but also Julian and Beatriz, Teresa and Father Telo... in this time of uncertainty and war, everyone has to make incredibly tough choices, and is left wondering whether the path chosen was indeed the right one. And dealing with the consequences of it all. As in the previous book, the characters were stunning. Each one is perfectly crafted in an incredibly realistic way that makes them stand out as individuals, struggling to cope with the loss of everything they hold dear: family, friends, home and possibly everything they had ever known. The cast is varied, and all the stories intersect and are masterfully weaved together to great a complex world.

In short, Faithful is a great addition to a fantastic series. A middle book that never feels like just a filler, Faithful combines fantasy, action and romance, giving us a great story set in a complex world with constantly-evolving characters. I honestly cannot wait to see how the story will end. Definitely one of my favourite reads this year, this is one series you do not want to miss!

For this and more reviews, visit Book for Thought.… (mer)

I received an e-arc of this book via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review as part of the blog tour organised by Rockstar Book Tours. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

Ooops, she did it again... Michelle Hauck managed to wow me once again with this stunning conclusion to her Birth of Saints trilogy! I am so in love with this series, I'm more than a little sorry that it is over... Might be just the right time to schedule a back-to-back reread!

Picking up right where Faithful left off, Steadfast takes us on an emotional rollercoaster, as the stakes for our characters grow ever higher. After having witnessed entire cities burned to the ground and armies destroyed, they are now faced with a threat bigger than ever before: the potential annihilation of humankind itself. Desperate to find a way to stop Dal, the Northerners' Sun God, before he succeeds in satisfying his blood thirst, our heroes are forced to separate and rally together new and unlikely allies to their cause.

Steadfast has all the elements of the first two books that I adored, and keeps adding more! The world building continues to be spot on, and the complexities of these many societies, with their individual customs and beliefs, continue to be explored in great detail. In a masterful touch, this time round we get a glimpse into Northerner society, too. I loved the introduction of Santabe's point of view and the scenes with the Northerner commander Rasdid. We now get a glimpse into this foreign society, and as Teresa and Ramiro figure out, it proves to be much more complicated than it would appear. Personally, I wouldn't mind getting to know them a little bit better still, so perhaps there could be room for a new spin-off series at some point? Just throwing it out there... it is nearly Christmas after all (wink, wink)...
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This series started out really well, and right up to the end it did not disappoint! The characters kept growing and developing incessantly, each of them desperately fighting his or her own battle to understand their own identity and make sure it would not be lost in the wider war for survival. Michelle Hauck somehow managed to masterfully weave together a fantasy world, great action scenes and ethical dilemmas: just how far should one go in order to ensure their own survival? And what about other people's? These and other questions keep swirling around in all the main characters' minds... and our own. Issues of social justice and contrasting world-views are also present once more, expanding on what was introduced in the first two books, and showing how the destruction of the old world order can be the starting point for something new to be built.

At times funny, at times heartbreaking, Steadfast is the perfect conclusion to a stunning trilogy. There is never a dull moment, and each and every scene and character are absolutely key to the story's development. A book I could not put down, and one I wished could never end, it will draw you in and keep you wondering up until the end: has the age of saints returned? And it will show you just how powerful love, faith and hope can prove, even in the most desperate of times.

For this and more reviews, visit Book for Thought.… (mer)

I received an e-arc of this book via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of this book in any way.

I enjoyed absolutely everything about this book. From the setting, to the characters, to the story, to the writing style every aspect helped in keeping me glued to the pages.

While the plot in itself would not seem the most original in the realm of fantasy books (young hero sets out on an impossible mission to save his country and meets pretty girl with special talent in the process), there were enough original elements to make even the common tropes enjoyable. For starters, I loved the medieval Spanish atmosphere that radiated from the ciudades-estatos. It was definitely not something I had come across before, and so it kept me really interested in the setting as much as the story. Speaking of which, the world-building here was absolutely amazing! I think the author did an awesome job of incorporating different cultures and always giving just the right amount of information to understand her world, always avoiding boring info-dumps.

One of my favourite elements of this book was definitely the underlying theme of clashing cultures. The peaceful society of Colina Hermosa is suddenly faced with a bloodthirsty enemy that fully intends to wipe out anyone who doesn't conform to its ideals. I really enjoyed following the political attempts to compromise with an enemy that has absolutely zero tolerance for the different. And then there's the witches. Living secluded in the swamps, completely cut out from the rest of society, the Women of the Song live in a full-on matriarchy. I was really curious about the witches' culture, and while I didn't get many answers yet as to their traditions and beliefs, I am hopeful that the author will explore this society in more detail in the next books, seeing as she did such a fantastic job with Colina Hermosa in this one!

And then, the characters. I really, really loved all of them! I adored how each of the characters, even the "minor" ones, had a clear personality and evolved throughout the book. The Northerners were easy to dislike, especially given their brutality and cruelty, but it was clear that there were reasons for their behaviour deeply rooted in their culture and religion, and I look forward to finding out more details about this in the sequels. As for the heroes, I enjoyed seeing them doubt themselves and their abilities and question their choices: none of them were perfect, predestined saviours who reached their goals effortlessly. They made mistakes and had to find their own way through trial and error, and I loved them for it. And Ramiro and Claire! Oh, I ship these two so much. I'm incredibly happy that the author avoided an instalove and went for a more realistic relationship instead.

In short, I absolutely loved Grudging and I seriously can't wait to read the second book in the series! I definitely recommend it to everyone, but especially fantasy lovers: you won't be disappointed.

Originally published on Book for Thought.… (mer)