The Exiled Seven (#1) by Blake Renworth
Published by: Inglenook Publishing House on May 12th 2016
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Pages: 340
Format: eBook
Source: Courtesy of the Publishing Company

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Summary: When Alariq is exiled from his home city-state for a crime he did not commit, only six stand by his side, convinced of his innocence and steadfast in their loyalty.

The seven dwarfs must set out from Ishtara to look for a new place to call home, but in doing so, they make a discovery that puts them all in danger. They are rescued and taken in by a mysterious and beautiful outsider, who lives alone in the depths of Loraheem Forest. What follows is Alariq’s struggle to come to terms with his exile, as those around him seek to make a place for themselves in this new life. Soon, however, it becomes clear their situation is more complex than they initially realized, and they begin to wonder if there is more behind Alariq’s exile than simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Told in a unique storyteller voice, this reversal and reimagining of the classic fairy tale explores the themes of shattering betrayal, the subsequent struggle to trust again, and the basic desire to take control of one’s own destiny.

Review: Inglenook reached out to me to review this book. I gave the synopsis a read and decided it was probably something I would enjoy! It’s a fantasy novel which took some getting used to as I hadn’t read the genre in a while. The writing style also took some getting used to. I can’t remember that last time I read a book that was narrative. It was interesting and I quite enjoyed it.

The Characters – Obviously by the title there is 7 dwarfs. Alariq being the main one. He got on my nerves. He seemed quite whiny and always thinking about himself. I didn’t see the logic in his decisions or actions. I also feel like he treated people poorly in the beginning portion. The other 6 are kind of background characters. You learn a little about who each of them is but it’s hard to keep track of all of them. Tianna was an interesting character. She was really mysterious and I really want to find out “what” she is. The different beings like ettins and finfiends were a neat aspect as well. The description of them really got me to picture them

The World Building – This was great. Everything was descriptive and nothing felt info dumpy. I didn’t get confused with all the information. It was very natural how it was all relayed.

The Plot – It was your standard fantasy adventure plot. Something causes them to leave behind their town and they go on a journey for a new home while battling many obstacles along the way.

The Cover – Very artistic however, it’s not something that I would gravitate towards. It’s very dark, although the font is very fairytale-esque.

I would definitely recommend this to someone who loves fantasy novels and enjoys a little fairytale aspect to it.

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