Best Indie Book Award 2018. Best-selling author R.K. Lander’s second book in the Silvan Series.Fel’annár is an immortal half-blood warrior from the Deep Forest, an orphan whose questions were never answered. With a dream of becoming a Silvan captain in an army ruled by the Alpine elves, he is sent to protect a prince of the realm on a journey to Tar’eastór, land of the mighty Alpine elves and of … mighty Alpine elves and of Fel’annár’s own father – whoever he was.
His nascent powers continue to evolve while his shrouded past finally surfaces. The truth he never thought to hear will thrust him onto a path strewn with political intrigue, discrimination, self-discovery – and danger.
Meanwhile, a failing king will rise from the depths and reclaim his place as leader of the Great Forest. Warriors will battle the enemy on the borders, while at court, councillors will clash over the racial divide that is tearing them apart.
They say that civil war is coming, but one elf can avoid it – if he can embrace his past, control his powers and accept the role he is destined to play. From warrior to master and beyond, Fel’annár is The Silvan who can restore peace in the Great Forest, or cast it into eternal chaos.
Road of a Warrior is the second book in the epic fantasy series The Silvan, by R.K. Lander. If you’re looking for non-stop action and a story of family, friendship and valor, don’t miss out on this stunning second installment.
The Silvan Series
#1 Path of a Novice
#2 Road of a Warrior
#3 Dawn of a Legend – launching May 2019
#4 Rise of a Warlord – 2020
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2018 Best Indie Book Award Winner!
(Full disclosure—this is a book on which I did the coaching and editing)
Narration: 4 out of 5. The narration is sweeping, artistic, and epic, just like the world and the story. It captures the feel of Fel’annár’s travels, the way the lands change as he climbs the mountains and what he and the other characters feel as they experience it—how they interpret it, whether they see it as beautiful or threatening, and what metaphors they use when interpreting it.
It’s fantastic narration, but there are times when it gets confusing, when the description and scene transitions, while dramatic, aren’t helpful in following the story. It becomes more poetry than useful prose, and in those moments, I feel it detracts from the story.
Content: 4 out of 5. The content of this book was more varied than book one, where we mostly just saw everything from Fel’annár’s point of view. Like that book, there are moments of battle (and very well done battle-sequences, though at times briefly disorienting) and times of thoughtful reflection and playful character interaction.
Once again, the issues of racism and colonization are central, but it’s beautifully and thoughtfully presented, to where neither side is faultless. There are dark- and light-skinned elves, and, in this book, we get to see the strength of the elvish women at last. There is even a bit of romance in this one (yay!), but the antagonists’ threads were left underdeveloped. We just don’t get to know that much about what they’re doing while everything else is going on, though we finally do get to meet some of the villains.
Characters: 5 out of 5. The book shines in this department. The characters feel…well, not human, since they’re elves, but alive, realistic, and believable, and we get to meet more of them this time. We get to know Fel’annár’s friends in ways that didn’t happen in Book One while learning more about Lainon, the king, Councillor Aradan, and Crown Prince Rinon, and we get to understand them, both past and present.
I particularly like how the story doesn’t revolve around Fel’annár alone. He may be the gifted one, but the other characters have their own strengths, and Fel’annár isn’t the source of all power, wisdom, ideas and knowledge. He needs the other characters, and they need him, in a beautiful, interelational way. It’s delightful and, next to the artistry of the narration, the characters are one of the most enjoyable parts of the story.
Artwork: Subjective. Personally, I love how the cover incorporates elements of the new, second version of the cover for Book One while clearly looking like a different book. Fel’annár looks older and more dangerous in this, which fits, as he’s now a warrior and not just a novice, and I like the hint at his gift with the green haze in his right hand.
World-Building: 5 out of 5. This was another area where the book was just about as perfect as a story can get. We not only got to understand Fel’annár’s gift more over the course of the book, but we were able to learn more about elven culture and customs and spiritual beliefs. After this book, I finally feel like I know enough to understand why the elves act the way they do, my lingering questions and confusions from Book One answered and explained away, though I know we’ve only begun to explore this varied, rich world.
Overall Response: 18 out of 20, or 4.5 overall. The story is delightful, the characters genuine, and the narration gloriously artistic. If you like epic fantasy and tales of action, adventure, intrigue, and deep friendship set in a rich, powerful literary world, you’ll want to pick up this book.
While Path of a Novice (the first book in this series) drew me into R.K. Lander’s intricate universe of elves and humans, Road of a Warrior has left me firmly invested in the characters and their stories. In the first book, the focus is primarily on the forest lands, the native Silvans, and their culture. In this book, we follow a journey into the mountain kingdom of the Alpines. Just as Fel’annár discovers that the Alpines he had always hated are as capable of love, friendship, fairness and honor as the Silvans, we too come to realize that the native Alpines do not share the prejudices of some of their colonist cousins.
The political intrigue deepens as the elves in power jostle for position in the midst of world-changing events, but Fel’annár’s story continues to make these events personal. He and the rest of The Company (which also grows) bring the emotional component. I laughed out loud at times, empathized with the fears and anxieties of Fel’annár and his brothers in arms, and cried at the loss of a dear friend. It’s a true balancing act, to tell an epic story with global consequences, while still keeping the reader/listener emotionally invested in the outcome, and R.K. Lander succeeds brilliantly.
The prose is fluid and straightforward making for an overall easy read. Even though the elf names are not inthemselves memorable because they’re so complicated they are distinct enough to enable to reader to follow who is who. The descriptions are clever and rarely a cliche, Lander has a rare touch.
Great follow-up to Novice.
I will tell you nothing about this book except read it! Mostly for fear that i will tell u everything, so i’ll say nothing except, its better than the 1st 1 and is still brimming with action, secret family drama, and a potential coup de ta in the royal family. and if a kingdom fighting a war with mutant creatures while trying to hold off a civil war brewing within the country while people in the royal family plot and scheme from the shadows to start a coup de ta and take over the country then nothing else will interest you