Monsters come in many forms, and not everyone knows a monster when they see one. After three hundred years of monstrous, feral elves plaguing the island nation of Selkirk, everyone believes they know what a monster is. Humans have learned to live with their savage neighbors, enacting a Clearing every four years to push the elves back from their borders. The system has worked for centuries, until … until after one such purge, a babe was found in the forest.
As Tallis grows, she discovers she isn’t like everyone else. There is something a little different that makes people leery in her presence, and she only ever makes a handful of friends.
But when the elves gather their forces and emerge from the forests literally hissing Tallis’s name like a battle mantra, making friends is the least of her troubles. Tallis and her companions find themselves on an unwilling journey to not only clear her name, but to stop the elves from ravaging her homeland.
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Been in my pile for a while and just got around to reading, really wasn’t sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. Wasn’t over the top with action but didn’t drag either, kept my interest for the most part and I could relate to the characters and empathize with them. Does an excellent job of showing that that greener grass is just the same on either side of the fence and a lot of times what we think we want or how we think we want to fit in is not always the way it seems most times. Was a little disappointed at ending on huge cliffhanger but definitely am interested enough to continue with next installment.
This is a great read and I cant wait to read more!. The premise is so original and different. I love paranormal fantasy stuff and I will be reading more from this author! High recommend
I received a copy of this book free from the author and have left an honest review
The Duality of Nature is the first book in the new epic fantasy series The Monster of Selkirk by C.E. Clayton. Written in third-person the book has several point-of-view characters it switches between throughout the story. The change from one point-of-view character to the next is done by use of a spacer (—-) and by starting new chapters; because of this the switch is smooth and causes no confusion. The writing is very well done and the characters are interesting and well developed.
C.E. Clayton’s first book in The Monster of Selkirk series is constructed with thoughtful and intriguing world building that will grab your interest from the very beginning. The story is well-paced and has enough action to keep you reading to the end.
Don’t let the beginning of the book intimidate you with its use of new language. There are only a few words you need to learn the meaning of and their meanings are made very clear through context and point-of-view character thoughts. The names of the characters and places are easy to remember and pronounce (unlike in some fantasy books).
This coming of age fantasy story’s main character is a young woman named Tallis. Tallis is of mysterious origins (found as a baby in the forest after a Tremp Clearing), beautiful, intelligent, and possesses unearthly agility. As she grows she finds her beauty and intellect cause jealousy and because of this she is treated as an outsider by the rest of the town. This story follows Tallis from childhood, where she discovers her love of knowledge and weapon training, to womanhood, as she embarks on a quest to discover exactly who she is and how she connects to the secrets of the forest.
Tallis is the main character but she has three friends of note who accompany her on her adventure. One is her cousin, a knight with strong values and honor who would do just about anything for his younger cousin. Her best friend, a young fun loving pickpocket, who belongs to one of the nomadic forest clans. And Tomis, a young initiate at the Brotherhood who’s exceptional intelligence and creativity make him a misfit in the monastery.
I really enjoyed this book, and am definitely looking forward to reading the next one. This story is part of a series and does end on a cliff-hanger.
Recommended to fans of epic fantasy, strong female characters, and well-crafted world building