This is my stop during the blog tour for Mother of Wolves by J Aislynn d'Merricksson. This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 22 May till 11 June. See the tour schedule here
Mother of Wolves (Evalyce Worldshaper #1)By J Aislynn d'Merricksson
Genre: Sci-fi/ fantasy/ arcanepunk
Age category: Adult
Release Date: July 2, 2015
Blurb:
It is a year of awakening and change for Kalla kyl’Solidor - the Wolf Who Sleeps. After a fire wyvern attacks her home, she sets on a harsh path to self-discovery.
With the future of their world at stake, Kalla and her magister embark on a journey that will shake the foundations of De Sikkari and shape their destiny.
From the depths of Xibalba to the plains of Arkkadia, and the soaring heights of the sky continent of Argoth, they journey to claim their rightful place in the world, and to put an end to the source of the destruction before chaos claims the realm.
Book 1 of 4 in the Evalyce: Worldshaper series
You can find Mother of Wolves on Goodreads
You can buy Mother of Wolves here on Amazon
My Musings :
I didn't realise how apt the title is till the end. The story is all about the Mother of wolves and it is a nicely woven piece of fiction. The blurb had me interested in the story but the cover, though contained the elements of the story, didn't have the right look to complement the book.
I admit as soon as I started the book and finished the first scene, I was a bit disappointed. It felt too familiar as with other books. But thank goodness I continued because after that, it was a completely unique fantastical story with elements of Scifi thrown in. Actually I loved the mix of fantasy and scifi in the story. That's one reason I fell in love with the book.
The plot was pretty fast paced. There was no time to sit and think at all. From the start till the end, I was in a race to know what was going on. The flow of the scenes was pretty good. There was no jumps. Only thing I found hard was keeping straight the characters because of their names. Another thing which was well done was the world building. It is a completely unique and fun universe and it was a pleasure to read. I am expecting to know more of it in the sequels. I am sure the next book will rock as much as this one has.
As for the characters, they are a very good bunch. Kalla is such a strong and dominant person. She adds her own twist to each scene. I love her confidence and her righteousness. Aleister is a delight with her part serious and part mischievous persona. But Vander is the one who touched my heart. I really felt for him. The author has created characters who not only settle in good in the storyline but also touch the heart with their dilemmas and past.
I look forward to the sequels with much anticipation because yeah it was kind of a cliffhanger. And I can't wait to continue! I want more of Kalla and Aleister especially. There are so many things hinted at that I can't keep my head straight. It is a refreshingly new voice inspite of a familiar beginning. I can't recommend it enough!
I received a copy for reviewing purposes. This doesn't impact my review in any way.
My one line review : A refreshingly new blend of scifi and fantasy for the adventurous readers.
My rating : 4/5
My reread factor : 4/5
About the Author:Allemerra! That’s ‘hello’ in Argosian. Argoth is one of the countries of the world of De Sikkari, where my Evalyce novels take place. It is a vibrant world, as real to me as the mundane world here. The ‘J’ in my name stands for Julianna, but I prefer Aislynn.
I have a degree in anthropology you see. I approach my writing from the viewpoint of an anthropologist. My sister calls me a ‘biblioanthropologist’. I like the word. It fits perfectly! What are writers but consummate anthropologists? Writers must employ the skills of the ethnographer, the cultural anthropologist, the archaeologist, the linguist, and sometimes even the psychologist and the naturalist in order to weave their stories. I do not craft this world. I merely found the key to it and happen to have the skills (and courage) to share it with others.
I was destined for a career in forensic anthropology. A medical issue thwarted those plans and I ended up with a bachelor’s in archaeology, and later a master’s and a doctorate in philosophy. Along the crooked path away from what I found familiar, and into the unknown, I discovered a knack for poetry, and a gift for writing. I’ve honed these raw skills to something worth sharing, and found the key to a world I’ve fallen in love with.
There was a decade-long love affair with teaching, in which I crafted many of my own classes related to mythic studies, anthropology, archaeology, and ethics. My favourite class crafting was for an intro to mythology class. I did not want a boring listing such as Intro to Mythology. So…. I tweeted several famous people, authors, actors, and the like, the question- what would you name a class on mythology if you wanted to be creative. The last person I ever expected to respond was Mark Sheppard (Crowley on Supernatural. His response was ‘Bob’. So I took the challenge, and in the end, I had a class called BoB, a gift from the King of Hell. The full name was Blessing of Bragi, Bragi being the poet and keeper of stories in Norse mythology.
An observant person may notice that my eyes are heterochromatic. One is blue and one is hazel. Now, true heterochromia is rare. In my case it is a personal choice. That medical issue was a serious one. At the age of twenty, I lost my right eye and had prosthesis put in. That gave me the opportunity to express my eccentricity and insist on an eye that was a different colour. It also forced me to confront one of my greatest fears- that of losing my eyesight altogether.
I think I have Loki to thank for that. I follow a Norse spiritual path called Rokkatru. Brother Wildfire always has lessons for me. Fun fact-Loki is also known as the Lord of Laughter. My lessons generally are to teach me to laugh at the mild or major setbacks in life. It’s a lesson I’m slowly learning.
My crooked path has led me to a wonderful home in Northern California, where I live with my sister, bond-brother, bond-mate, niece, a guinea pig, and two kitty cats. Yes, we have a large house! Sometimes it feels a little crowded, but most often it is nice to have the closeness of family.
I spend my nights as an innkeep, which usually gives me ample time to write, or to read. I love to read! I was an early reader and I always have a book with me. That’s a passion that lead me to becoming a professional book reviewer, freelancing for several review groups such as the San Francisco Book Review. Such bliss! Paid to read! What could be better?
Synmerra! That’s good-bye in Argosian :)
Feel free to stop by Port Jericho! Always happy to see new people.
www.aislynndmerricksson.com
You can find and contact J Aislynn d'Merricksson here:
- Website
- Creativia page
- Creativia Mother of Wolves
- Goodreads
- Amazon
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