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.
Reviewed by Caitlin Lyle Farley for Readers' Favorite
Melkorka leads the reader into Joshua Robertson’s The Kaelandur Series with an epic quest. Branimir Baran is a Kras, a race enslaved by the Highborn men of the North for generations. Much of the history and culture of his own people is lost to him, and the ways of the magic-wielding Highborn are often incomprehensible. The Highborn do not craft weapons, yet Branimir witnesses the forging of the dagger, Kaelandur, destined to execute Nedezhda, a Highborn found guilty of practising death magic. On the eve of Nedezhda’s execution, a horde of demons descends from the crags and falls upon the Highborn fortress of Melkorka. The Highborn and their Kras slaves are all but destroyed in the battle, leaving only a handful of Highborn and Branimir to seek out the Tree of Life and prevent Nedezhda and her demons from destroying it.
The magic system of the Highborn is simple yet captivating, and impacts on the plot of Melkorka in unexpected ways. Branimir is a likable character, but his most compelling aspect is the way generations of slavery have coupled his sense of heritage to servitude. This intertwines with his desperation to know about Kras civilisation and culture prior to their enslavement to form a subtle yet complex internal conflict. Dorofej’s tendency to voice every snarky thought without an ounce of tact never fails to entertain while his kindness towards Branimir is endearing. Joshua Robertson takes an alternative route with regard to the characters' moral compasses, emphasising the ideal that the lives of the many outweigh those of the few. The result is refreshing, as it prevents the rise of that tiresome plot device wherein the hero dumps the world-saving quest in favour of saving family or friends, usually with disastrous results.
