Blind at birth, Daemus Alaric is blessed with the gift of prophetic Sight.
I was approached by the author with a review request after featuring this book on my blog in an organized social media book blitz, and after taking a second look at the synopsis, I said yes! Thanks for giving me the second chance to say yes to this book. My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
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About the Book
The Last Keeper
The Warminster Series Book One
by J.V. Hilliard
Published 7 December 2021
Dragon Moon Press
Genre: Fantasy
Page Count: 419
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
A young boy’s prophetic visions.
Blind at birth, Daemus Alaric is blessed with the gift of prophetic Sight. Now, as a Keeper of the Forbidden, he must use his powers of the Sight to foil the plans of a fallen Keeper, Graytorris the Mad.
An elven Princess with a horrifying secret.
Princess Addilyn Elspeth travels from Eldwal, the magically hidden home of the Vermilion elves, to begin her life as a diplomat to the human capital of Castleshire. During her journey, she stumbles upon a mystical creature foretelling ill tidings. A terrifying force of evil.
Daemus’ recurring nightmare vision threatens to catapult him into a terrifying struggle that will leave the fate of the Keepers—and the realm—hanging in the balance. Daemus and Princess Addilyn must set out to face the menace that threatens their very existence. Will the entire realm fall to its knees?
The Last Keeper is the first book in The Warminster Series. With gripping, epic action and heart-pounding adventure, you’ll love this new adventure series.
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My Review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Consider liking my review on Goodreads
I was approached by the author with a review request after featuring this book on my blog in an organized social media book blitz, and after taking a second look at the synopsis, I said yes! Thanks for giving me the second chance to say yes to this book. My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
The Last Keeper is an adventure full of epic battles, intriguing characters, and a fascinating set of religious beliefs and cultural rules that make the world stand out as unique while still feeling like the familiar old classical high fantasy we seasoned SFF nerds cut our teeth on. I was surprised to see a 3-day span of reading dates on my Goodreads record for this book until I looked back and realized the middle date was a running around town doing errands with the husband while kiddo was off at her grandparents’ day and I probably didn’t read anything that day at all! So this was a two-sitting read for me. Almost literally couldn’t put it down!
I’ve seen some other reviewers wish for a map. While illustrated maps in fantasy novels are always really cool to look at (coming from the girl who taped a bunch of A4 pages together in order to redraw the Middle Earth map big enough to write all of the plot beats on the Fellowship’s path in an eighth grade project…) I think Hilliard did an amazing job of crafting that map in words. I had no trouble visualizing the world as our heroes (and not-so-heroic friends) made their way through it.
This is a great start to what is shaping up to be a great trilogy!
About the Author
Born of steel, fire and black wind, J.V. Hilliard was raised as a highlander in the foothills of a once-great mountain chain on the confluence of the three mighty rivers that forged his realm’s wealth and power for generations.
His father, a peasant twerg, toiled away in industries of honest labor and instilled in him a work ethic that would shape his destiny. His mother, a local healer, cared for his elders and his warrior uncle, who helped to raise him during his formative years. His genius brother, whose wizardly prowess allowed him to master the art of the abacus and his own quill, trained with him for battles on fields of green and sheets of ice.
Hilliard’s earliest education took place in his warrior uncle’s tower, where he learned his first words. His uncle helped him to learn the basics of life—and, most importantly, creative writing.
Hilliard’s training and education readied him to lift a quill that would scribe the tale of the realm of Warminster, filled with brave knights, harrowing adventure and legendary struggles. He lives in the city of silver cups, hypocycloids and golden triangles with his wife, a ranger of the diamond. They built their castle not far into the countryside, guarded by his own two horsehounds, Thor and MacLeod, and resides there to this day.
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Want more? Read an excerpt from this book over on my original post during the book blitz!
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