This is a short Prequel to Rise of the Ash Gods, a paranormal reverse harem series.Valentina has prepared for this all her life. She is ready. Just one test to pass, and she’ll finally become a Keeper of the Spades, and a proper member of her coven. Born a witch, sworn to protect the Mysteries of the Tarot, Val will not fail and will not disappoint her family.But something goes awfully wrong. … something goes awfully wrong. When she gets lost in the intricate multi-dimensions of the Test, she loses control and gets thrown from one time-space to another. And that’s how she meets them. She doesn’t know who they are, but what she knows for sure is they are not just men. Ghosts? Angels, or demons? Gods?
Fate is playing tricks on her… She only wants to pass the Test and serve her coven, not figure out why she was meant to meet nine strangers who seem just as confused as she is.
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She has only one test to complete and she will take her place in the coven. She is ready and the rest starts but the gates has other ideas. She is bounced from one place to another. She meets nine strangers who are just as confused as she is. What will happen? Will she pass the test? Follow her journey
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Valentina de Rossi, a big name to live up to!
Keeper of the Spades is what Val’s mother decided she has to be. When the day of the Test, the final step of becoming a junior Keeper arrives, things go not as planned. Although she scores the highest test result, her test turns out to be just the first of many differences about her.
And it is the first of many catastrophes and wonders that follow.
I wanted to read this and the Hanged Maiden because the storyline sounded really interesting. I liked Valentina’s character, she’s young, learning the craft and getting ready for the biggest test of her life, the test was an intense and interestingly enough affair. You definitely need to read this book before the next book ‘The Hanged Maiden’ only to know what actually will be occurring.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Valentina is a witch who has to pass a test to become a Keeper of the Spades and a member of her coven. In this short novella we meet Val and the rest of the main characters. This is a fantastic prequel to the Rise of the Ash Gods series and I look forward to reading more.
Caution: It’s a set-up
Cara Wylde is off and running with a new paranormal, tarot-focused, reverse harem series, The Rise of the Ash Gods. The Test is the prequel – a fact made obvious as the book details the character and the dilemma faced by young witch Valentina as she aspires to become a Keeper of the Spades, a defender of all the arcane knowledge of the Tarot. There’s no reverse harem here, not even a smidgeon of sex, so the reader is left to focus on the Valentina’s preparation for her unknown future. It’s a totally bizarre experience, filled with down-the-rabbit-hole type characters and events, beguilingly narrated by an unseen third person, and notable for the strange dichotomy between Valentina and the internal voice of her so-called Higher Self. I found it interesting and entertaining enough to forgive the obvious set-up for future adventures, as well as the lack of romance in any form. I’m going to continue with the series. BookSprout was so good as to provide an ARC, which I am reviewing voluntarily, independently, and without compensation.
The author has outdone herself with this prequel, I was swept away into this fantastical world where Valentina is pulled into a vortex of gods and wrong doorways. The story is exciting and I simply couldn’t put it down as I just had to know how she ended up going on this path where she wasn’t supposed to be interacting with beings that shouldn’t have been in her test. Then there is the mystery as to who, or what, Ravenna is and what has happened to Valentina’s own Higher Self. This bodes well for the rest of the series and I cannot wait to see the path that the author is going to take Valentina down next.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This prequel is a splendid start to the new reverse harem series “Rise of the Ash Gods” it has an intriguing well-written plot with interesting characters.
There is: a young female witch (Valentina) hoping for a guardian position, some twists & turns, intrigue, family issues, friendship, tests, various gods, anger, self-doubt, determination, astral projection, confusion, verbal conflict, warnings, surprises & a tantalizing glimpse of the next book in the series.
This prequel was an enjoyable read & I am waiting with great anticipation for the next book in the series.
This is a interesting prequel and makes me really look forward to the series. Valentina De Rossi has been studying her whole life with plans on becoming the High Keeper and now it is time to take the next step towards that with her test to become a Keeper. I look forward to reading the next book and following her journey.
The Test – A Reverse Harem Prequel by Cara Wylde is a wonderful story that I read. I fell in love with this stor cause it has witches in it and I love reading about witches. I highly recommedn this story to everyone who loves reading about witches as much as I do.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Valentina is a witch who has to take a test. Evidently she is not alone. Quick and fun read where she meets various characters as she takes her test. A little twist is involved and I will have to read more of Valentina. I am reviewing an arc I received from Booksprout.
Well worth reading!
This is a NON-SPOILER REVIEW. The Test by Cara Wylde is a Prequel to the New Series Rise of the Ash Gods. Now here is a really interesting storyline! The Test introduces us to Valentina Di Rosso and the coven she belongs to Keepers of the Sword. Valentina is on the cusp of taking, you guessed it, “The Test” to become a guardian to the Tarot. I really enjoyed this story. It’s different, has lots of action and a truly amazing cast of characters. I am interested to see where this series is headed. As a prequel, The Test did it’s job and pulled me in for a read of the First Book – The Hanging Maiden. I recommend this quick read to anyone looking for something different and read worthy.
This honest and voluntary review was made possible by reading a copy through Booksprout.
Valentina De Rossi is a witch, at the moment frustrated while studying. She tosses her book to the floor once again, picks it up to return it to her desk, then takes deep breaths to calm down. This test tomorrow was vitally important. If she passed, she would become a Keeper. Valentina came from a long line of witches and Keepers of the Spades, born to protect the mysteries of the Tarot. She could not let her family down. But to a person for whom predictability is essential, the random approach to studying for this test was driving her crazy!
As the test began, Val felt as if she floated out of her physical body. She rose, went through the ceiling, and saw mountains which she decided to float to. She had used one of her mother’s prohibited floating spells in secret, so she was familiar with guiding her flight. Only this time, she began to fall downward through the ground and to the center of the Earth. She was out of control. She hovered above what looked like grass, and 3 golden drops fell on her. She grabbed something sharp as she fell but didn’t get cut. It was a sword she had grabbed, and she remembered that the golden drops were ‘yods’. She seemed to be inside the scene shown on the Ace of Swords, but the crown was nowhere to be seen. She couldn’t answer the question of the first card, the Ace. To get to the King, she would have to pass the tests of each of the thirteen cards before it. If she didn’t answer the Ace’s question “Who is she?” then the Head Keeper would remove her from the trance and she would fail the test. The voice in her head gave her the name ‘Ravenna’, she said it, and began to fall again.
Each test of the card seemed to bring pain and confusion. But without passing whatever the test was, she could not proceed through to the next one. She would fail. The tests were not necessarily demanding logic – it seemed mostly to be her gut reaction to how she should proceed. And as she went with her feelings, doors and alternatives seemed to open up. Perhaps that was what this test was for? To learn to rely on your instincts and trust them to lead you to safety? She had to make a decision now or she would fall unconscious and perhaps not survive this time and who knows where she will end up or who she might meet!
I felt like I was at such a disadvantage not knowing anything about Tarot cards. I had to Google each one to see the pictures on the cards and learn a little more about them. But this was a fascinating prequel, taking us on a journey by means of Val’s test to understand what’s going on. I would definitely recommend reading this prequel before you venture into the actual series. I think it sets some valuable groundwork for the reader. Enjoy!
Valentina is a witch from a long line of guardians to the tarot cards The. Swords. She is preparing for a test that will make her a keeper but it doesn’t quite go as she expected. I cannot tell you more as it would ruin it for those who enjoy this genre.
It was a departure of my normal genre as I love my shifters however, I also like witches and young adult or new adult stories which at this point I feel this is. I think the world building and ccharcters are rich with promise for a series opener and I cannot wait to see how Valentina fairs on the next step in her journey.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I absolutely loved this book. I cannot wait to see where this series is going to go. You will be on the edge of your seat to see where this will go. I didn’t want to put it down when I started.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Loved this prequel! Fast paced and exciting read about a young woman, Valentina De Rossi, determined to prove herself, and using any means necessary to become an apprentice Keeper by passing The Test. Fantastic book!
I am voluntarily leaving an honest and nonincentivized review of this ARC.
A good beginning to this series. A very interesting tale and characters. Valentina De Rossi has studied her whole life hoping to one day become the High Keeper and now that the day has arrived she finds herself doubting her ability to past the Keeper test. The wicked little voice in her head that has been slowly tempting her down the wrong path is now coming to light, but will Val be strong enough to force it back. This was an excellent ending to keep us coming back for more. I can’t wait to read what happens next.
Great first look into what seems will be a favorite new series of mine. this prequel takes readers into our FMC life and the test before everything goes haywire in the first book. We get glimpses of each of her men and it made me need more like now. I highly recommend you read this novella and definitely read it before starting the series if you want more insight on the characters well see through the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.