This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Being an Emergency Room physician for close to forty years, Dr. Mucci found that the pandemic brought forth new horrors in the ER. Writing this fantasy story about Ignatius became an enjoyable escape for him from all that was happening in the real world.
Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite
Ignatius and the Swords of Nostaw by D.A. Mucci is the first book in the Ignatius series. The Kingdom of Skye has a curse hanging over it and barren land where nothing grows. A prophecy haunts the current emperor's throne that could bring the kingdom back to its former glory but bringing it back to life will require uncovering the truth. Ignatius' strengths have always been rooted in clever comebacks and how effectively he could avoid a confrontation. When bullies challenge him to a fight, Iggy does the only logical thing and runs away. When he's saved from a Death Knight by a mysterious stranger, he's given the gift of two swords and is drawn into the Kingdom of Skye. He's spent his life running away from his problems, so he couldn't possibly be the hero that has been prophesied but as a threat emerges he learns just what he's capable of achieving.
The Kingdom of Skye is described as a place containing too much evil for anything to grow, which creates a vivid visual of the state of these lands. D.A. Mucci weaves in details that bring the kingdom to life and create a setting with a backstory as rich as the plot. This delivers the ideal background for Iggy's arc from the boy that runs away to the hero of the kingdom. The details that have gone into each setting are much appreciated and each peels back layers to Iggy and foreshadows his hero's journey. Mucci incorporates enjoyable and vivid descriptions of Iggy through other characters that describe him as a scared rabbit and as a witless child of no courage. The plot focuses on how he discovers his own bravery in the face of his fear and learns how to go against his instinct to run away.
The writing is fast-paced and never loses sight of the journey that Iggy is on which is woven from the various characters that he encounters throughout the kingdom. Among the most significant are Lecque and Raraesa who take him in and teach him how to blend in with society while serving as his protectors and as catalysts for him taking a chance at becoming a hero. His time in the kingdom and in Pennsylvania are mirrors of each other with him running away from confrontation in one world and challenging a curse in the other world. Ignatius and the Swords of Nostaw is an epic adventure ideal for young adults with a rich fantasy setting, a hero's journey, a self-discovery of courage, and action-packed moments.
