Book Reviews

Book Blurb

"Your Path is muddy, Kelnaht, but don't think avoiding the puddles will make it easier to travel."

Kelnaht, a cloud elf, is a truth seeker caught between love and faith when a murder committed ten days before Solstice reveals an illicit affair between two tree elves he desires more than he can admit. Kelnaht's former lover Ianys once betrayed him, and the shunned forester Taruif is not allowed to talk to anyone but the guide, their spiritual pathfinder.

When Taruif turns out to be the only witness to the crime, Kelnaht must suppress his forbidden feelings or face the ire of the elders. Ianys is terrified the tribe will blame Taruif for the crime, and despite their painful history, Kelnaht tries to keep his impulsive ex-lover from sacrificing his freedom for an impossible love. If Taruif and Ianys’ affair becomes known, Ianys will lose his daughter. 

Kelnaht finds himself yearning to claim both Taruif and Ianys at the coming Solstice and turns to the guide, who gives him only cryptic advice. It is up to Kelnaht to prove Taruif’s innocence and find a path free of puddles and mud for all three of them.

NOTE: This book was previously published under the title The Forester (Forester 1) by Storm Moon Press in December 2011.

Book Review

A murder mystery set in a fantasy world is at the center of act one of the ‘Forester Triad’ and it had my attention from the beginning. The main character, a cloud elf named Kelnaht, is a truth seeker, an elf tasked with examining the situation and figuring out who murdered an innocent young woman. As I followed him through the procedure, his examination of the evidence, and the gradual uncovering of clues, I found out more about him as well as the elf society. It turned out to be a fascinating trip on every level!

Kelnaht has his hands full not just with a murder case that seems to be impossible to solve, but also with his former lover, Ianys, who suddenly plays a role, and his own forbidden desires for the shunned forester elf, Taruif. The elf society Kelnaht lives in is very restrictive, and the more I discovered about all the things he is not supposed to do and how strict the elders are, the more I felt for him.

Ianys has history with Kelnaht, and it’s not a happy tale. Taruif is not allowed to speak to anyone, and when I found out why, my heart broke for him. He lives at the border of elf society and, as it turns out, Ianys is breaking the rules and has been having an affair with him. What a mess!

As an introduction to this trilogy, ‘Act One’ worked well for me. The three main players are interesting men who each have their own issues as well as a total muddle of a three-way relationship. I hope they will turn into a true triad at some point – and the title of the book seems to indicate that’s what will happen – but I am already sure that it will not be easy! I am equally sure that it will be an exciting, unusual journey full of obstacles and am looking forward to reading the next book.  

If you like fantasy worlds full of elves with all kinds of “rules and regulations” keeping them from doing what their hearts desire, if you want to see the beginning of a complicated three-way relationship, and if you’re looking for a read that is both suspenseful and filled with magic, then you will probably like this novella.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by the author for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 70 pages/18600 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	15-August-2016
Price	$1.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Forester-Triad-Tales-Forest-Book-ebook/dp/B01JNU3ZXQ