Happy Friday! The main story where I am has been the weather – we’ve been close to record lows! There has been snow, ice, and negative wind chills. None of those things are weather that I am used to! Thankfully, my work has been responsible with adjusting our operating hours so that staff can travel in the safest time of day (we Okies aren’t used to driving on slick roads!). I can’t imagine not having a safe and warm place to stay in weather like this. But, that’s a ramble for another day.
Today I’m sharing my review of Eubeltic Quest. This is the second book in the Eubeltic Realms series. I reviewed the first book in 2018, so my return to this land was long awaited. How good this book is caught me off guard! Read on for my full review.
About the Book
Title: Eubeltic Quest (Eubeltic Realm #2)
Author: Nadine C. Keels
Genre: self-described as “inspirational historical fantasy: fictional history that takes place in a completely fictional world”
Synopsis: As a respected guardsman in the kingdom he calls home, Dauntless is more than ready to take on his next assignment. He’s been chosen to accompany the king on a trip to witness the inauguration of a new Eubeltic nation.
Aside from the prestige of the trip, Daun is relieved to be getting away for a while. He hasn’t fully recovered from the recent damage to his trust in the woman he has a passion for.
This time of travel could be his best chance to soul-search. But when critical remnants of the past come to collide with the present, Daun realizes just how risky—and eruptive—a true quest of the soul can become.
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Other Books I Have Reviewed By This Author: Eubeltic Descent
I received a complimentary ecopy of this book from the author and happily provide my honest review.
Review
I didn’t expect to love this book, but boy did it blow me away! I generally liked the first book in the series, but it didn’t leave me with a strong desire to return to the world and finish the series. I am so glad I took the opportunity to read book two!
This is a love story, but more than that it is a story of healing and family and learning to live on your own terms rather than being defined by circumstances you have no control over.
Daun is a highly respected guardsman assigned to accompany the king on a politically precarious journey. Early in the book he is taken aside and told that the reason he has been chosen to serve so close to the king on this trip is because he has proven himself sympathetic and human, not because of his military abilities. This is important, as sympathy and compassion are themes that come up again and again throughout this book.
The author does a wonderful job of combining action and introspection. We get to know the inside of Daun’s mind very well, but it never slows the story. The same goes for the flashbacks. There are a few times when the book jumps from one time to another or allows a memory to slip in and take over for a bit, but we always keep walking toward the end point of the story. I appreciate this a lot.
As Daun travels physically, he finds himself closer to things from his past which he did not want to revisit. As he struggles to figure out how to deal with this, he also finds himself struggling with his affection for Abigaia, who unintentionally betrayed him in book one. It was interesting to see his perception of their interactions, since in book one we only had Abigaia’s. There is a lot of depth to this story as Daun works through both past and present wounds, physical and psychological. I found myself easily rooting for him, something that rarely happens when I read fantasy books for some reason.
The Verdict
This is a wonderfully written book; I loved reading it so much more than I expected, even though I anticipated liking it! By the time I reached the end of this book, I was thoroughly invested in both Daun and Abigaia’s lives and relished their peace and healing. If you’re looking for a happy ending, this is a lovely one. 5 stars.
I think we could all use a happy ending right about now, don’t you? This one really surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I struggled with the first book, especially the beginning section of it, so even though it improved throughout, I was a little concerned about this one. I’m so glad to have had my concerns negated!
Tomorrow I will launch the first official Spell the Month in Books linkup – check back to add your post to the link and see all the creative ways people are using book titles to spell January!
What’s the weather like in your area? What was the biggest local news story this week?
Until the next chapter,
Jana
Reviews From the Stacks 