Dorhen was born to a grievous fate. Who can break his chains of torment?An elf’s name is branded to their soul at birth and defines them for life. After Dorhen’s mother gives him a forbidden name which dooms him to exile, it doesn’t take long for his peaceful childhood to crumble. His father loses his mind to black magic, his mother vanishes, and his home is devoured by flames. For years, Dorhen … flames. For years, Dorhen wanders the land of Kaihals with only a cold, unfeeling fairy specter as his companion…until he meets Kalea.
Kalea is a novice vestal patiently awaiting the day she will take her vow of chastity. The comfort and complacency of her humble routine is shaken to the core when she witnesses an angry mob threaten to kill Dorhen for stealing food. Kalea rescues him, and a precarious romance begins to blossom between them.
When sorcerers raid her convent and kidnap the other novices, Kalea discovers a treacherous plot to bring all of Kaihals under the sway of a sadistic cult with shocking ties to the family Dorhen lost. She manages to escape with Dorhen’s help, but he disappears during the attack. Determined to rescue her sisters and the elf she loves, Kalea sets out on a perilous journey across a land rife with magic and festering with an unknown evil. Can she save Dorhen from the fiendish sorcerers and the shackles of his dark past? Even if she can, what about the bleak future thrust upon him by his devious family?
Sufferborn is the first installment of a sprawling dark fantasy with interweaving plotlines, multiple points of view, and sensual elements. This gritty tale of heartache and courage under fire is not for the faint of heart, and will appeal to fans of Terry Goodkind and Elizabeth Haydon.
As of 1/23/2021, Sufferborn’s book cover changed. Same book, new look!
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Sufferborn is both a beautiful, poignant love story and a gripping dark fantasy. The story starts out simply enough when the main character Kalea rescues an elf, Dorhen, from persecution in her village, but grows deeper and more complex over the course of the book.
Kalea is an appealing protagonist, smart and compassionate with a great deal of inner strength, while Dorhen is a blend of sexy, endearing, and brooding that’s utterly impossible to resist. Characters like Daghahen, Gaije, and Bowaen are equally likable and well-written, and although their subplots are not as extensive as the main story arc, there are intriguing hints that they will eventually weave together to create a sprawling epic–something I look forward to following as the series continues.
Hartcarver also excels at weaving small, yet vital details into her narrative that make the cultures and settings of her book come to life without the kind of lengthy exposition that can grow so tedious for readers. The elven culture is particularly vibrant, at once familiar and unique. All in all, this is a great read, and highly recommended for anyone who enjoys their fantasy with a generous helping of romance on the side… or vice-versa. 😉
An exciting read until the end. Sufferborn’s in-depth characters and plot combine well; creating a romantic, and compelling adventure. As Kalea journeys, she not only explores the world around her, but also the complex emotions that surround her new fate. This dark fantasy story is a refreshing addition to its genre and can’t be missed!
This was an amazing debut for an up and coming independent writer.
The premise makes like traditional high fantasy much like the books of Robert Jordan and J.R. Tolkien, but takes an amazingly dark turn.
J.C. Hartcarver put a massive amount of time, effort, and detail into a world steeped in lore turmoil to bring this story to life.
The prologue itself introduces you into that fact that this story is dark….and very mature…..very mature.
The characters introduced through out this first book bring an abundance of story from many perspectives. A plus for me because it shows depth in the story development.
Progression of the main story gives many different and sometimes surprising twists that you may not expect the first read through.
There hasnt been many times where I’ve anxiously awaited the next in a series, but I just can’t wait for the next installment.
There’s many different aspects that capture you and keep you drawn into the story. I would describe a few but why give it away.
Well developed characters, well developed world, and a story that leaves you waiting and urging for more.
Sufferborn is the story of elves and humans, how they live, and what happens when their worlds overlap. We start off in the past where Orinleah has just given birth and Daghahen is found by his brother. We learn Orinleah gives the boy a name that is banned from most of the tribes, Dorhen, meaning ‘stranger’. Apparently, it means his life will not be long but be very arduous. Why she names him this isn’t exactly clear as she seems so happy about it.
The pacing of this book is overall very slow. There are moments when it picks up but then it slows down again. This is good in the majority of the cases as there is always a lot going on, so it gives you time to grasp the situation as well as learning more about the characters. I would say that personally I would have found chapter headings to be helpful, just so I could find out who was talking and when, but that’s probably just me.
And there are a LOT of characters too! The main ones end up being Daghahen, Dorhen, and Kalea, but trust me when I say there is a whole caboodle of characters there that will draw your attention. In fact, even in the last few chapters, you are introduced to new characters to take into book two with you.
With the slow pace and the amount of characters, it comes as no surprise this is a long book, typical of Fantasy. I wouldn’t call it a Fantasy Romance as I felt the romance between Dorhen and Kalea actually wasn’t that important. I mean, obviously it is or Kalea wouldn’t have gone looking for him, but on the whole, there is so much more to the story than “just” romance. I would call it Dark Fantasy as there is plenty of violence and the threat of rape and/or rape scenes.
It ends on a cliffhanger so fair warning and I haven’t found anything online to say when the next book is available. If Dark Fantasy ticks your box then I would recommend it.