Hello everyone!
Yep, we're back with the witches, appropriate, isn't it, given that we're headed towards the end of October?
Although speaking of, WHERE has the time gone??? I really wonder.
I swear it was just yesterday when we walked into autumn and now we're already halfway through it, marching straight towards winter.
No clue where the time went. None.
BUT back to the actual point of this blog post, which is that we're taking a look at a prequel novella of sorts for the Elemental Bloodlines series, you know, the one by C. L. Carhart?
The books I've been reviewing on here for a while now?
Well, they're getting an addition tonight, and it's called Gift of Light.
Links to previous related works can be found at the bottom of the page, as always.
This story doesn't really take place in modern times, but it does cover the tail end of the 19th century, and a small village in Germany.
Where a young woman named Helena lives with her two sisters, brother and father, or should we say HALF siblings really. Her father married her mother later, after the passing of his first wife, and his second one also passed unfortunately, so it’s every man for himself with the kiddos.
Until, that is, he and his son suddenly don’t make it home from their annual trip to a fair where they should have been selling goods from their village, and only one of their horses returns.
Helena takes the horse to try and find them, which leads her to a castle hidden on the mountain where she learns they’ve been taken prisoner by some sort of being with horns and claws, although this thing does have a name.
His name happens to be Konstantin. He also happens to be a Black Priest, you know, the guys who worship Woutan in this universe?
Well, he’s taken her father and brother captive to sacrifice them to the demon lord, as per the instructions of his peer Nemo, but seeing Helena, he changes his mind and takes her instead.
Where a young woman named Helena lives with her two sisters, brother and father, or should we say HALF siblings really. Her father married her mother later, after the passing of his first wife, and his second one also passed unfortunately, so it’s every man for himself with the kiddos.
Until, that is, he and his son suddenly don’t make it home from their annual trip to a fair where they should have been selling goods from their village, and only one of their horses returns.
Helena takes the horse to try and find them, which leads her to a castle hidden on the mountain where she learns they’ve been taken prisoner by some sort of being with horns and claws, although this thing does have a name.
His name happens to be Konstantin. He also happens to be a Black Priest, you know, the guys who worship Woutan in this universe?
Well, he’s taken her father and brother captive to sacrifice them to the demon lord, as per the instructions of his peer Nemo, but seeing Helena, he changes his mind and takes her instead.
Sounds familiar by now?
Yes, this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but don't worry about it, it's still got some extra magical kick to help it along!
Helena becomes Konstantin's guest rather than prisoner, and he explains her Teutonic heritage as well as her gift to her, which happens to be light - until the moment when Nemo suddenly arrives. Now, she's heard all about Nemo, having ran from the castle after accidentally stumbling into one of his torture chambers there and having Konstantin save her from two other witches who happened to find her at the time, and who wanted to bleed her to learn what she knows.
Now, Konstantin deposits her with her family while he deals with Nemo and the sacrifice and whatnot, only, Helena learns upon returning that the Teutonic Brotherhood, the group which had sworn to eliminate the dead priests from this world, has its clutches in her brother, who went with them to try and save her.
And now they're storming the castle, or want to storm the castle, of the two undead beings who can kill them with one thought.
She warns Konstantin about this and luckily manages to persuade her brother not to go with the group, who are all taken captive by Konstantin, to be used for the sacrifice while he's at it.
Well, all of them, that is, except the actual witches who'd been plotting. He leaves those for Nemo.
Then he comes a-knockin' to ask for Helena's hand in marriage, and all's well that ends well!
Whew.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Listen.
Beauty and the Beast is my jam okay. So Konstantin and Helena's story is right up my alley. And I love it!
It's short, sweet and to the point - but more importantly, rather than simply being a fantasy retelling in the world of Teutonica, we get to see how a Black Priest HAS loved in the past and managed to make it work.
This is vital information for the mainstream stories where we currently have one of the Dead Ones lurking about.
Konstantin is a great example how things can be if one wants them to.
The author's writing remains engaging and consistent, though I have to say that for a story set in the late 19th century, the vocabulary is slightly modern-ish which may take some people out of the scenery.
But Helena and Konstantin are worth it. This is one book I'd love to have a physical copy of!
Listen.
Beauty and the Beast is my jam okay. So Konstantin and Helena's story is right up my alley. And I love it!
It's short, sweet and to the point - but more importantly, rather than simply being a fantasy retelling in the world of Teutonica, we get to see how a Black Priest HAS loved in the past and managed to make it work.
This is vital information for the mainstream stories where we currently have one of the Dead Ones lurking about.
Konstantin is a great example how things can be if one wants them to.
The author's writing remains engaging and consistent, though I have to say that for a story set in the late 19th century, the vocabulary is slightly modern-ish which may take some people out of the scenery.
But Helena and Konstantin are worth it. This is one book I'd love to have a physical copy of!
xx
*image not mine
Do you take book review requests? I saw that Lord of the Rings was a favorite of yours and (while 100% not on the legendary level of Tolkien) I drew a lot of inspiration from Tolkiens work including light dabbling in some language creation. I'd love your thoughts / review if you'd be interested. My email is Tedwardsccc@gmail.com
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