Catling – She’s a weapon desired by those who reign and those who rebel.In the tiered cities of Ellegeance, the elite Influencers’ Guild holds the power to manipulate emotions. Love and fear, pleasure and pain mark the extremes of their sway. But it’s the subtle blends that hook their victims’ hearts. They hide behind oaths of loyalty and rule the world. Until Catling discovers the gift that will … discovers the gift that will be her bane. She is the shield that disrupts the influencer’s sway.
Born in the grim warrens beneath the city, Catling rues the rose birthmark encircling her eye. Yet, it grants her a unique ability, the means to remake a civilization. To the Guild, she an aberration, a threat, and they order her death. No longer a helpless child, Catling has other plans.
As chaos shakes the foundations of order and rule, will she become the realm’s savior? Or its executioner?
Welcome to a world of three moons, a sentient landscape, rivers of light, and tier cities that rise from the swamps like otherworld flowers. A planet of waterdragons, where humans are the aliens living among three-fingered natives with spotted skin. Where a half-blood converses with the fog and the goddess plans her final reckoning.
In the spirit of the fantasy tradition set by Patrick Rothfuss, Karen Miller, and Glenda Larke, follow Catling’s journey as she grows into the deadly force that shapes the future. She is the realm’s shield, an influencer, assassin, healer, mother, and avenger. And all she desires is to go home.
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It is the darkest night, and the city of Mur-Vallis is shrouded in fog. Raker, the slant-eyed, three-fingered half-fen, half-human loiters near the dock as if possibly summoned there by the mysterious luminescence that flows through the rivers and streams of the planet. Before this night is done, Raker will save the young child, Catling, whose future will be intertwined with his own in ways neither he nor she ever imagined.
The mystical Farlanders, the original inhabitants of the planet before the Ellegeans, came across to me as the natives, in tune with the natural rhythms of the planet. For me, these beings were reminiscent of the creatures in the movie, Avatar. They lived off the land and followed their nature-based customs believing in the kari, the natural spirits of the planet. However, the Farlanders and their magic posed a threat to the Ellegeans, and when they took power, these folk were tortured and slaughtered as spectacles of entertainment for the people.
The Ellegeans establish an order where the lowliest are born in the bottoms, and where those with the most power abide in the highest levels of the cities. The Influencers’ Guild, a secretive, closed society within Ellegean, holds control over the tiers by flexing their power to manipulate emotions. The Guild’s influence is so subtle that the people have no idea they are controlled from the lowliest to the top, including the King.
Except for Catling, who possesses a rose-colored birthmark encircling her eye which allows her to block the “influence” from affecting the people. This magical ability allows her to see the threads of influence that binds the people. Catling’s ability is a bane to power as well as a boon. The Guild wants her dead, and Catling becomes a pawn in the hands of those wielding power because Catling will never be free of who she is.
Catling’s Bane qualifies as epic fantasy meeting the three qualifications: It is a trilogy or longer, it encompasses many years, and it includes a universe filled with backstory where the saga takes place. This book was my first introduction to D. Wallace Peach’s writing, and I must say I feel like a gushing fan. The writing is superb with descriptions that fly from the page plunking the reader into the midst of this mysterious world. Seldom have I found writing this engaging.
Fantasy and science fiction lovers will applaud the detail in the world of Ellegean. I took my time reading, relishing the characters and the magic that breathed from the author’s written words. I encountered two issues – I couldn’t put the book down, and I dreamed of this far away world every night. I loved the story so much; I’ve already bought the second novel in the series.
If you love epic fantasy/science fiction, this book will engage, enlighten, and entertain you. The book, listed at the introductory price of only $.99, will steal your heart.
Catling’s Bane is the first in the Rose Shield series and showcases D. Wallace Peach’s wonderful fantasy writing. It is a character driven story with a young girl: Catling taking centre stage. BUT don’t be fooled into thinking this is a gentle read. It is not. There are influencers at work, who think nothing of killing people, even the youngest members of society are cruelly eliminated for minor crimes, whilst their peers, and family members are ‘influenced,’ to believe that their hangings are no more than a fun day of entertainment.There is a strong political element to the story, with warrens representing the classes of society. Also, there is a sense of wanting to belong, to be part of a caring family, and poor Catling longs for that more than anything: even though her mother isn’t exactly maternal Catling still cares for her.
The beginning was a little difficult to follow due to the large cast of characters. A short introduction to them all would have been welcome.
At times the plot shifted in an unexpected way but the ending had me buzzing for more. The ending was brutal but beautifully written. I couldn’t look away! Oh my!
This is my first introduction to D. Wallace Peach’s novels. I’ve been following her blog for a long while and been impressed by her writing. There is no doubt in my mind that D. Wallace Peach is a talented author.
Beautiful writing in all categories: descriptive, emotive and very entertaining dialogue and I couldn’t help but be invested in Catling’s plight.
#highlyrecommended
My rating: 4.5 stars
An engaging character carries the theme of the story through a (well-written and) deeply felt journey. It’s a gradual build, but if you enjoy stories by Sanderson, you’ll enjoy this one.
I loved it, the concept feels unique (even though we see it in our own world), and the cast of characters are compelling and real.
The characters are strong. The passion obvious. The plot addicting.
I really enjoyed Catling’s bane, the prose is excellent and so are many of the characters, with quality varying upon how much time was devoted to them. Catling, in particular, is good, as her personality evolves as she matures and experiences the various events of her life.
The plot itself is also excellent, with its core foundation revolving around the morality of emotionally influencing people for ‘the greater good.’ This provided a wealth of depth to the world, plot, and characters because the author doesn’t simplify the moral conflict. We are introduced to heinous, middling and benevolent characters performing this mental abuse, many of them truly believing in their cause while acknowledging the reality that they’re oppressive and abusive. I loved this moral core of the narrative.
However, speaking the narrative, there are stretches where not much happens. I never found the story boring, in part because of the prose and character’s excellence, and these inactive sections do have a purpose in the story, the narrative just doesn’t progress. It’s particularly prevalent in one of the POV characters, who, despite having emotional nucleus and goals, spent most of their chapters floundering through the story and not really interacting with or affecting events meaningfully.
That one, minor, qualm aside, I really enjoyed the book.
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Catling’s Bane is a highly enjoyable read by D. Wallace Peach. In chapter one, we’re introduced to the protagonist, Catling, on Hanging Day, and event where the onlookers emotions are manipulated until they react to the display with nothing but joy—even those being hanged don’t express regret. Not long afterward, Catling is sold by her mother to man named Scruff, which seemed terrible on the surface, but Catling learns to love her new home.
But it turns out that Catling can block the artificial emotions being broadcast to the populace, and that makes her extremely dangerous to some, and incredibly valuable to others.
This book has solid, creative world-building, and reminds me of the work of Brandon Sanderson. It’s a high fantasy, set in a world built by colonists, and the speculative elements are logical and consistent, but never take up the story. In the end, they showcase the characters and plot, rather than the latter being a vehicle to convey the magic.
The arc merely comes to an end at the finish, but more story is promised, and in Peach’s capable hands is likely to reach a satisfying conclusion. Should appeal to readers who enjoy Sanderson and McCaffrey.
Catling’s Bane (The Rose Shield #1) by D. Wallace Peach – I won a copy of this one, and forgot I won it. I have been sorting through my tbr pile trying to review books I won advanced copies of and this one matriculated to the top. If you like political/dystopian fantasy, this has some lovingly detailed world building. I liked our leading lady, but I wanted there to be a bit more action and a bit less description. Ever read a British Pastoral Novel (Thomas Hardy we are looking at you man)? Description to excess. Don’t get me wrong, it was beautifully done. But I wanted a bit more plot. Still enjoyed it! Happy Reading!