Kelvin Womack

In a world on the verge of enslavement to darkness, Vayn embarks on a quest to avenge his father's death, putting him at odds with the gods who fear he'll learn their secrets. Bonds will be forged, love found, along with the worst treachery.

Elusion of Freedom

Rating: 3.5 stars

As soon as I unboxed this I was like OMG look at this cover! and underneath the jacket was such a gorgeous surprise. Elusion of War reminded me a lot of those massive battle movies that you saw back in the early 2000's (yes I am old). I was impressed with the characters, both main and sidelines. The traits were something I was interested in learning and I liked the development of Vayn. I will admit he was pretty badass, there is nothing better than seeing a main character go all in for what they believe in and be good at it. I would love to learn more about the side characters! I'm a sucker for those surrounding and help build up the story. 

The worldbuilding was detailed, the battle scenes were intense. There were parts of the story where I had to sit back and take it in to process it, I was a bit confused in certain areas. I am a huge fan of romance/relationships in books, the addition or better yet evolution of such would have been a great factor for Vayn. I feel like there was something missing and I cant put my finger on it. Although, I felt like that little part was missing, the details in the story kept me hooked. I look forward to learning more about this world and hopefully seeing more of the historical/origins side. 

Thank you so much to the author for sending me this gorgeous book in exchange for an honest review, I look forward to reading more about the Elusion of Freedom!

Chiara Vitale Zelaia

Actual rating: 3.5/5 stars

From the very first pages of ELUSION OF FREEDOM, I immediately thought “It’s like Devil May Cry and God of War had a baby”, and I have my gamer brother to thank if I could make that comparison.

Elusion of Freedom is the first book in a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid series. It follows Vayn, a survivor of a brutal attack that ravaged his land. The only place he and his father can take refuge in is within the Order’s walls, and thus Vayn is raised as a soldier within the Order’s ranks, seemingly forfeiting his freedom to the Order’s cause. Things, however, are not as simple as they seem. Years after Vayn has arrived in the Order, the Reapers that ravaged his land break into the Order. Vayn’s father is murdered and, desperate for revenge, Vayn leaves the sanctuary of the Order at a great cost. What is the price Vayn pays for freedom, and will Vayn obtain the vengeance he craves? You know the drill…you’ll have to read the book to find out!

The story counts on many elements that make a fantasy read engaging and addictive. The narration was filled with action, mystery and plot twists and counted on a large cast of characters, each with their own storyline. Found family is one of my favorite tropes in any story, and I adored the one between Vayn, Caiden and Sern. I also really appreciated Vayn as a protagonist and felt for his painful past and recent heartbreaks, which he still faced with steadfast determination.

This read was engaging and I found myself making many theories as I was reading. My chagrin, however, was that oftentimes the relationships were sacrificed in favor of plot, whereas I would have liked them to be explored in more depth. Caiden’s storyline is a perfect example of this. I would have felt much more for his story if some elements had been shown, not told. I felt this issue also with Vayn’s romantic storyline. We definitely see a lot of it, but I was missing sparks in the relationship’s build-up. Another issue I had was that sometimes the cast felt too vast and I had some difficulty holding on to all the threads of the plot around the halfway mark.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable read and the final twist had me screaming! I’m very curious to see where this story is headed and I recommend this read to fans of plot/action-driven sci-fi and fantasy!

Thank you to the author for sending me a copy!

Maria Elena Vitale Zelaia

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars

Wow, have you seen that cover? I’m not going to lie, my interest skyrocketed when I saw it in a friend’s unboxing. Not only does the protagonist look…interesting *wink*, but I got such epic videogame vibes from it. Gaming is my brother’s area of specialty, but my sister and I often get hooked watching him play games with awesome storylines. In fact, this cover feels like a lovechild between Devil May Cry and God of War. 

And indeed the premises of this book—the plot, the world, the characters—would make for a very interesting game. I know my brother would be intrigued and pick it up, and that my sister and I would get nothing done because we’d be constantly watching over his shoulder. Elusion of Freedom is the first in a sci-fi/fantasy series following Vayn, who is one of the few survivors of an attack led by the Reapers that destroys his homeland. Vayn and his father take refuge within the Order, and Vayn grows up and trains as a soldier within its ranks. But years later, the Reapers return and infiltrate the Order, killing Vayn’s father in the process. Enraged, Vayn leaves the Order and seeks revenge. Will this choice cost him? You’ll have to read to find out!

Despite the large cast of characters and the intricate plot, this story was fast-paced, which is something that I always appreciate in a book. One of the elements I enjoyed the most was, of course, the romance with Celine. They had a very mature relationship and her sass complemented Vayn’s broody personality well. However, there are some storylines that I liked less than others, simply because there was so much going on that I found myself more interested in certain characters than others. Also, there were some instances where the eloquent writing threw me a bit off. I’m the sort of reader who likes a more direct phrase, which is why sometimes I had to go back and re-read a few passages. It all comes down to personal taste. 

The ending was...*screams. No spoilers, but why? *cries* This book is a good fit for people who especially enjoy fantasy and stories with a dark atmosphere. Thank you to the author for sending me a copy!

Elusion of Freedom

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