Her tribe is shattered. Her parents are gone.When eight-year-old Samara faces the capture of her tribe, an unimaginable power awakens within her. Even as this magic threatens to consume her, a disembodied voice intervenes, offering guidance and helping her control these newfound abilities.Meanwhile, Samara’s father chases his wife’s captors across an unfamiliar terrain. But can Orin find his wife … But can Orin find his wife in time to save her? Will Samara learn to control her power and reunite with her family? And who is the mysterious entity traveling with her?
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Samara was born under auspicious circumstances, and 8 years later, her tribe finds itself under attack. They have something the elves want, only they’re not aware of that. The elves take the women harvesting for two reasons, a bargaining chip and to work as slaves. The tribe is no match for the elves. Samara, frustrated and scared, unleashes something, a power beyond imagination, and a power beyond her control.
Upon realizing that he’s lost a good portion of his tribe, and clueless to his daughter Samara’s power, Orin sets out to find his wife and take down the elves who destroyed their grounds. What ensues is a quest to fight, to understand, and to reconnect family members.
While a fantasy novel involving magic, this book centers a lot around the characters, their desire to reconnect with their lost family members, and in Orin’s case, his quest to find his wife and take down the elves. He’s a very angry character, who is hot-headed and quick to act. He’s incredibly skilled when it comes to fighting and he’s ruled by his anger and his family. I thought what we learned of the elves had a lot of potential, especially with the way things finished out. I also especially liked the Khaliji, traveling performers that Samara traveled with, namely Varisha and Omar (and wouldn’t mind seeing them in another book).
This was a fun story with many elements of various magic. It was a unique fantasy that had a young girl at its center, and Sahd made it work. Samara was incredibly powerful, and once grown out of the whims of a child, could be the force to be reckoned with. The only thing I questioned was when he wrote that Sigmia had one more task, but we never found out what that was. I initially agreed to read The Unfettered Child because my niece shares our main character’s name, and I’m so glad I agreed because this turned into such a pleasant surprise.
Grand Fantasy
Sahd pens a grand story in The Unfettered Child. The genre is fantasy, but the feeling of the story feels almost real. Samara is a great character with a lot of depth, and she’s just a child. She has these powers that she is trying to figure out how to use and how to not let them lose control. I enjoyed this story, and entering Samara’s world. This is the first book of Sahd’s that I’ve read, but I really enjoyed the story. It’s not just about powers but about survival and even inner turmoil. It was very well-written, and well-told. I look forward to reading more by this author.
Let’s start off by saying how astonished I was by how quick I was immersed with this novel and how easily I was absorbed in the fantasy world that the author was able to create. From page one it was very apparent how engaging the storyline was and needless to say I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to catch a glimpse of Samara journey to find her parents while dealing with an unwanted gift and Orin deadly rescue mission to save his beloved from the treacherous elves. Moreso I loved how the plot didn’t just focus on one character and each had their own story to tell which was emphasized by the author unique, detailed writing and ideal writing style. I will definitely be back for more and I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next.