What a powerful and intense story. From page one, the story starts strong and doesn’t stop!
About the Book
Carved into the side of a cliff, the city of Avinyón stands on the edge of the ocean. Wealth, power, and control flow into the capital of the empire from its conquests. But for those at the bottom of the city, the only thing that flows their way is a never-ending fight for survival… and crashing salt water.
In a world powered by runes, where magic and technology fuse, Damian is about to graduate from the empire’s premier university. His thesis, poised to revolutionize the understanding of runes, is his ticket to a better life and saving his brother from the deadly military draft.
The Heretic unfolds conflict between sovereignty and revolution, combat and creativity, discovery and deceit.
My Thoughts
Stories about any military situation can be a big “maybe” for me, but this one really stood out. I fell in love with the MC (yes, the actual main character!!) from the start. It’s that big brother paternal instinct that always wins me over. I don’t have siblings, really, but my husband does, and there’s just something about that energy that is so lovely!
Unfortunately, the action-packed storyline brings non-stop struggles to our MC and his little brother Ned. Damian has been doing everything he can to protect Ned from being forcibly drafted into the military when the area experiences another draft.
There are so many moving parts and so many interesting fantasy, sovereign, and other unique elements that I really enjoyed. The author’s blending of them all together and making them work together is masterful.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Despite its near-epic length – about 180k words, it flew by, and I enjoyed all of it. For me, none of it dragged or made me feel like I was losing interest.
I’m so excited to have been included in this tour by the author and Love Books Tours. I can’t wait to read more, especially in this series!
Who’s It For?
If you love a good imperialistic war/fantasy adventure, this is the book for you! It reminds me a little of Hunger Games and The Maze Runner, as well as similar books. It’s about young people carrying the burdens of their dystopian, troubled societies on their backs. In some ways, a little too close to home!
Content Warnings: Dystopian Society, Violence, Religious Ideology, Forcible Military Recruitment (Drafting), Religious War, Death, Prejudice against S3x Workers, Divorce, Child Harm
About the Author
Nathan R Allen was born in Utah and grew up enamored with Star Wars and Lego (or even better, Star Wars Lego). His parents helped him love books, but it was his younger brother who truly got him hooked. David even went to the length of reading multiple thousand-plus-page books out loud all the way through high school to make sure Nathan knew about the best literature out there.
While growing up, Nathan could always be found drawing and painting (especially when he was supposed to be doing something else, like homework). He pursued art in college and graduated from Brigham Young University with a BFA in Animation. His career in the entertainment industry has taken him to work on projects with Sony Imageworks, National Geographic, and Hasbro. He has been part of the team making Star Wars television at Lucasfilm Animation for over six years.
Driven by an unyielding desire to create compelling stories and characters, Nathan started a webcomic, a project that would later develop into his debut novel. He started the digital art school Sharpened Stylus, so he could help budding artists in his community and online. He married Suzanne, who has elevated his life in every imaginable way and became the secret sauce that turned his passion project into a reality. A few years and kids later, his first book was released, marking an official start to his work as an author.
Amazon US: https://a.co/d/hB7esQK
Amazon UK: https://amzn.eu/d/ao3BMyl
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213817404-the-heretic
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Published by Amorina Carlton. Award-winning American author, Amorina Carlton, is currently working on her first novel. You can find more about her published work and works in progress on the home page. She also serves as the PR/Marketing Lead for Ravens and Roses Publishing, and reviews books, mostly by other indie authors, here and on Bookstagram.