Hey darlings! I’ve been blessed enough to have some amazing reviews of Lichgates (Grimoire Saga #1) come from some talented people, so I wanted to share them with you.
Thomas Winship, author of Vaempires: Revolution
In Lichgates, S.M. Boyce shows–in grand style and with a debut novel, to boot–that she is capable of joining the ranks of the genre’s greats.
Her characters are charismatic and endearing. Their story is compelling. Her world overflows with magic, drama, adventure, and layer-upon-layer of intrigue and suspense. Boyce’s storytelling is so rich and deftly executed that I found myself bouncing between pure amazement, unadulterated enjoyment, and absolute, perverse envy. She is that good.
Are there flaws? Of course–the fact that we must wait for the second book!
In fact, forget what I said earlier–Lichgates immediately places S.M. Boyce in the pantheon of fantasy writers. It isn’t all wine and roses, though. In addition to the epic story Boyce must complete, she now has to contend with the monster of expectations that she, alone, is responsible for creating.
Bottom line: if you read only one new book this week … this month … this year, read this one.
PLEASE NOTE: S.M. Boyce is running a contest in which you can make a guest appearance in the final book of the trilogy! Check it out here.
Read the full review on Winship’s blog.
Heather Sutherlin, blogger at Kids Gotta Write
This week’s book is one that I could NOT put down. Not only was it mesmerizing as a reader, but it inspired me as a writer. Maybe it is because parts of it remind me of my own personal work. Or, perhaps it is the detailed and beautiful world-building. It certainly had something to do with the depth she infused into her characters. From the beginning of this book, I was smitten. By the end I was reaching for a pen to rewrite scenes in my own work, in the hopes of capturing some of the energy and beauty for myself.
The story begins with a young woman, Kara, hiking through the forest in the northern Rockies when she unexpectedly passes through a Lichgate, a magical doorway into a hidden part of our world. She discovers a powerful book, the Grimoire, and finds herself entangled in a dangerous web of political intrigue, deadly secrets, and racial war. Guided by a dangerous prince who must live in constant disguise, she is never certain who she can trust. As everything that matters to her is stripped away, she must take on a new identity and find a way to promote peace in a world determined for war.
My Thoughts
Sounds awesome, right? It is! This book is full of action from the very beginning. There are deadly creatures at every turn and Kara struggles to stay just one step ahead with little to guide her in this dangerous place. It will keep you turning pages, believe me!
The characters are just as detailed as the many and various creatures. Imagine different races that are not only distinct in their appearances, but in their abilities and how they live. Can they ever learn to respect one another and work together? Must they always fight and consider each other enemies? I adore what Boyce has done with the prince in this story, Braeden. As if it isn’t fabulous enough that he lives in constant disguise, hunted by his own father and feared by all others, he softens for Kara, showing a side of himself, and his kind, that none believe to exist. I think even he is surprised by it. How incredible it is that Boyce is able to convey all of that to us in a way that feels as though we are discovering Braeden as he is discovering himself. Wonderful work!
Watch this author, friends. Her sequel, Treason, is expected to come out this summer. I am on pins and needles for this one. I can hardly wait to see what happens next to Kara and Braeden. Will they finish their quest or die trying?