A Forest Of Vanity And Valour (The Levanthria Series)

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And where did Morgana come from? She was creepy as hell. I got r/menwritingwomen vibes from her due to the way that she was described. It's one thing to have Jareb view her in such a way but then Vireo immediately described her as a woman in a skintight dress. Sir, you have more pressing things to worry about. Your friends are dying. The writing isn't great. I don't consider myself a book snob and I understand that self-published indie books come with quirks and occasional mistakes, but I believe writing takes skill and ALL writing benefits from a few goes around with an editor and even ARC readers to really bring out the best in a story. The book was an interesting take on Robin Hood. The plot itself was solid and, if the story had been better executed, it could have been amazing. While I enjoyed Vireo's chapters, I despised Jareb's. There was no variation in voice despite them being on opposing sides. He was just so flat! Initially, I didn't mind him because he seemed to be doing his best with what he had. I was intrigued by an antagonist who put his people first, but his 180 turn into a tyrant was jarring. Even if we blame it on Morgana's influence, it should have taken him longer to forget his morals.

An aggressive debt collector banished from the kingdom. Now his life depends on his ability to help the less fortunate.... Now, as a fan of myths, legends and lore, I adored the concept of these books, which was the second reason I rushed to buy them. Unfortunately that's where the positives end.Not the worst book I’ve read in 2023, but hella disappointing for how good it looked on TikTok and the cover is pretty legit. Embroiled in a secret affair with a fellow noble’s wife, Vireo is mortified when he’s forced to commit an unthinkable act. Driven into exile, no longer able to coerce the vulnerable, and with the powerful tome in his enemy’s hands, the fallen agent’s only shot at survival hangs on his skills at saving others.

His history with Lek and Gillan could have been fleshed out more, but I still got a good sense of their characters. Jordell was also an interesting character and, to be frank, the only one with his head screwed on right. The abysmal writing style combined with the painful point of view and tense made this short book extremely difficult to get through. By the time I got to the halfway mark, I was reading it out of spite. Seriously. I read six books between starting this and finally finishing it. First-person is difficult to pull off, especially when there are multiple points of view, and this one flopped. Again, I really wanted to like this book. I am a big fan of fantasy, legends and even Robin Hood in general. While I do not wish to discourage the writer, as this seems to be his first book, it is a good example of self-publishing gone wrong. The ending was rushed and made no sense. Lek gave no indication that he would betray everyone. If anything, I thought it would be Gillan. Did he make a deal with Jareb? Was he manipulated by Morgana? Who knows? And what happened to him in the end? Because homeboy just vanished into thin air. Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Librarians Group is the official group for requesting additions or updates to the catalog, including:Third, and spoiler, but Lek betraying him…..JUST WHY. Like give me a reason, any reason for this. But no, and from what it looks like, the next book doesn’t have any of the same characters so you won’t get to know. Vireo was a well-written character. He was selfish and greedy and, by all means, an unlikeable tax collector. His reasoning for his actions made sense (unlike other characters) and his evolution from a selfish man to a budding hero felt natural. Most importantly, his grief was palpable. I really felt for him when he was forced to kill the love of his life. Having him wear her green hood was a nice touch. The characters themselves miss depth and would be better suited in a game of Dungeons and Dragons. In fact, the whole book feels like it could have been a transcript of a D&D campaign.