The Seer


Fiction - Fantasy - Epic
251 Pages
Reviewed on 11/03/2019
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

The Seer was great fun for me to write - I've been fascinated with Druids since childhood and am a practicing Bardic Druid. Being a history junkie, I was also perfectly happy to wallow around in 4th century Britain.

I love the way the Bronan character came out. Magical and powerful he might be, but he's just a regular bloke with insecurities who trips over his own bad decisions like the rest of us. Being a hero when you're a fallible, regular sort is a definite challenge. Generally, I find squeaky clean people odd anyway - give me a regular Joe who overcomes life's hurdles and still comes out on top any day.

Sir William Robert is my hands-down favourite for regular guys in the hero's circle of friends. He's tough, dependable and gets shit done. If he was a real person? He'd be that friend you can call at 3am who would have your back without judging no matter what you'd done. We'd probably go for beer on a Friday night.

The Seer is a very different story from my first book, Blood Runner. While both about the hero's journey, there are no vampires in this one. It's a challenging read - written formally with a light application of Shakespearean-eque English and some court-speak by royalty. If you enjoy stories about knights and honour and kingdoms in peril, you may enjoy The Seer. It does contain some violence and adult situations, so I wouldn't recommend it for MG readers.

    Book Review

Reviewed by K.J. Simmill for Readers' Favorite

The rule of the Red King, Barry, has driven the people of Edenshire to the brink of devastation. Even the Seer can divine only destruction before them, and it is a path he himself had brought to pass. He had ended King Manfred's reign by his own hand and ensured that Manfred's daughter, Brigit, became his ward, learning from him, as she also did from Sir William, captain of the King's guard. But the time for such tomfoolery had come to an end. Despite her yearnings, she was no longer permitted a sword in hand, she had to be schooled in the ways of being a lady, a home-maker. King Barry may have other plans for the princess, but fate itself has its own ideas of what should come to pass, regardless of how much anyone tries to fight it.

You know you are going to enjoy a book when the first pages make you grin and JD Stanley's The Seer did just that. I loved the playful exchange and incorporation of old English insults and words. Compelling dialogue is found throughout and really adds a medieval character and feel to the writing. I thought the characters were well developed, some fighting what fate has laid before them, and others embracing the life they are given. Forbidden love, underhanded schemes, deception, abandonment, and endless insanity and war drive the plot, drawing you deeper into a world of magic and madness. You will find yourself mentally berating some characters' choices, while eagerly awaiting others receiving their comeuppance, and you can't help but root for the more deserving as they try to find their path. Intense, gripping, emotional, and action-filled, The Seer will give you hours of entertainment.

Ray Simmons

I liked The Seer by JD Stanley. It was, in many ways, a typical sword and sorcery tale and I like those. But a few things made it a little different too. It was a little wittier than the usual tale in this genre. I felt the wit helped move the reading along and made it funny. I appreciated that. The Seer has a serious, complicated plot, but it is not mind-numbingly dramatic. JD Stanley handles telling the story by using a deft sense of balance. I like that. He tells a good story because he writes very well. The story appealed to me because I like action. I like adventure. I like stories set in feudal societies. They appeal to me for reasons I haven’t examined too closely. They appeal to a lot of people and, if you are one of those people, you will love The Seer.

In any story like this, two elements either make it good or bad. The first is character. I liked the characters in The Seer. Princess Briget, Bronan, even Barry, all were made more believable by JD Stanley’s expert way of using wit and irony to tell a story. It made all the characters more well-rounded, in my opinion. The second element that a writer needs to master to make a great story in this genre is plot. The Seer is plotted well. I don’t see how the story could have been moved along any better. I like magic and mayhem. I like characters who are complicated. That is why I loved The Seer.

Rabia Tanveer

The Seer by JD Stanley is an epic fantasy novel with plenty of action, drama and suspense to keep the reader interested. It has been 13 years since good King Manfred passed away and his brother ascended the throne. Barry may be king of the lands, but he is not loved by his people. Ruthless and merciless, he aims to take it all and stand against anything that gets in his way. In the midst of all this, the young Princess Brigit is heavily watched over and guarded by Bronan, a good friend of her late father, and a Seer and Druid Counselor. While the princess is learning to become a lady and a fighter, Bronan is trying to protect the throne and the people. He is gathering the evidence to remove Barry from the throne, but in doing so, he will have to reveal a secret that he has kept secret for years. While trying to save the future of the people, he also has to protect the princess from Barry and ensure that he gets the job done in time, or else it will be too late to save anyone. Can he do it?

The Seer by JD Stanley was unexpectedly immersive. I had no idea that this book would be such a gem. The narrative style is very unique; the author has a flair with words that becomes apparent as you read on. The characters and their development were on point, the author gave the characters a lot of room to grow and show their potential. Nothing was rushed, everything was paced just right and the plot moved smoothly for me to stay invested in the story. I enjoyed the suspense; I enjoyed how Bronan worked as a guardian angel for not only Brigit but everyone. I usually don’t enjoy epic fantasies much, but this is definitely a brilliant novel! Pure entertainment. The cover is beautiful too.

Jamie Michele

The Seer by JD Stanley is the first book in the Bronan the Druid series, taking readers back dozens of centuries and into the folds of legend and folklore. A fantasy epic, The Seer brings magic to the forefront of a tale about power, but not so much that the main characters become secondary to what the Seer is able to visualize...which isn't really good for any of them. The King of Edenshire is dead and his heir, his daughter, Princess Brigit, was given to the care of the Druid Bronan moments before his demise. It is now Barry who is King, uncle to Brigit and tyrant of Barrymore Castle. Brigit's future—and her life—are in peril with Barry on the throne, and while it may take an entire village to raise a child, it takes an entire kingdom, all who protect and serve it, and whatever magic can be mustered to raise a Queen.

JD Stanley does an excellent job of building a bygone world and those we like to imagine inhabiting it in The Seer. The characters are extraordinarily well developed, with emphasis on Princess Brigit, Bronan, and the realistic portrayal of Sir William Robert. Despite this, I actually found the deplorable and grotesque King Barry to be the most fascinating, but I suppose any antagonist worth his sage and salt must be. The writing itself is clean and the story moves at a quick pace, although I did find some of the dialogue (just tiny sprinklings) to be a bit stilted. This is made right by the narrative, which pushes through with descriptions and arcs that are totally engrossing. There's an ambitious series in play here but, having thoroughly enjoyed this book, I have no doubt that it will delight those who love the genre.