War Heart

 War Heart is a high fantasy novel featuring warring empires and magic. 

Kilek and his band of friends interact with a goddess, who grants each friend a special power, like speed or accuracy with a bow. One of the gifts seems to be age, as Kilek’s friends become young adults while Kilek is still a teenager. One interesting twist is that all of the gifts bestowed by the goddess they encounter are also bequeathed in parity to their enemies. Or said another way, a rival God, Javoteth, has chosen 5 others as his champions and bestowed gifts upon them. Any benefit Kilek and party are given, an equivalent benefit is also permitted for Javoteth to bestow on his champions. Kilek worries that maybe the gifts his party has received are not worth it.

The plot is one I haven’t exactly seen before, which is that the villagers of Kilek’s town are abducted by a foreign power and conscripted to fight in a war. Kilek seeks the aid of the king in saving his citizens. The prince of the foreign power, the abductor, interviews those he has abducted and seems keenly interested in children’s tales/fables. It helps develop a sense of intrigue as we wonder exactly what force has driven the prince to abduct these people, and why does he hold such importance to children’s tales?

There are a few different options when it comes to fantasy names; War Heart chooses to make them all up. We have interesting assortments of letters that are names: Kilek, Mathi, Paxoth, etc. It is actually a little hard to recall them on the spot for that reason.

I think the story really picks up towards the end of the book. Here we start to learn some of the answers to the questions we have been asking. What is the odd broach the main character wears and why are so many people interested in purchasing it? What are the powers of all the characters? 

In the latter half of the book we also see some of the inner workings of the capital and meet some interesting characters, like the royal family and a master-of-spies type character. We also learn a bit about Kilek’s past. It seems much of the royal family knew his father, and a sense of mystery is built as the backstory is revealed.

Perspective: 3rd person

Tense: past

Length: 328 pages 

Kindle Unlimited: No

https://www.amazon.com/Five-Furies-Heaven-Ashley-Capes-ebook/dp/B08B3SWZQH