Hedge King in Winter by Michael E. Dellert - 5/5
~*~ “Nothing counts so much as blood. The rest are just strangers.” - Michael E. Dellert ~*~
Blurb: “The Matter of Manred begins.
The King is crippled. The Kingdom stands on the brink of war. Can the King’s brother Eowain defend the realm against the machinations of their rival cousin?”
Waaah! Fantasy is a personal favorite! Hedge King in Winter is the first tale in Michael E. Dellert’s Matter of Manred series. I received it in the June Go Indie Now! subscription box.
Sidenote before we begin: Can I just say that the dedication is one of the sweetest that I have EVER read? Kudos to Dellert for his thoughtfulness. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
Okay, here we go:
Droma is in trouble. The land is being attacked by brutal bandits and it’s current ruler, King Lorcan, has been wounded and is now crippled, meaning he can no longer stay in power. This leaves the position open. To avoid a corruption of power if Lorcan’s cousin Lord Tnuthgal comes into power, Lord-Drymn Medyr and the King’s aunt, Lady Rathtyen, suggest that his brother, Eowain take the throne. There are only a couple of problems. 1. He doesn’t have a wife and 2. He has little interest in ruling.
This story had me sucked in from page one! The abruptness with which I was pulled in was a bit breathtaking.
Plot: 5/5
I love a good fantasy, and this plot has all the elements that make it perfection. The plot follows Eowain and his rivalry with his cousin, Lord Tnuthgal in their fight for the throne. What i loved the most about it is the relationship between all of the characters and the nonstop action throughout the story. There was never a point at which I could put it down because it just kept going and going and going. It was awesome!
Characters: 5/5
I love Eowain. From the beginning, he lifts off the page and is strong and unyielding. He’s a bit of a Hufflepuff, extraordinarily loyal and and a strong defender of his family. I loved watching him grow into a leader.
King Lorcan’s stubbornness is perfect. I love the bond between the brothers. It is filled with respect and dignity, which I feel is sometimes ignored in the case of leadership. There is often jealousy between younger brothers and their ruling older siblings, and it was refreshing that this didn’t seem to be the case in this story at all.
Lord Tnuthgal is a great villain. I loved when he and King Lorcan were playing the game of Fickle and he used the game as a way to throw King Lorcan’s own dire situation into his face. Perfection.
There are also a couple of awesome ladies featured in this installment! I particularly enjoyed Lady Fidelm. She is a strong and relentless character and her power and prowess are to be admired. Lady Eithne seems like she will be another exciting female character and I can’t wait to read more about her in the next installments.
Writing Style: 5/5
Dellert’s writing style has a way of sucking in readers immediately. As I stated before, I could not put this book down. Though it is short, just over 100 pages, it is concise. There is not a single word or phrase out of place. Every single word is important to the story. It never ever drags. The world building and attention to detail were A+!
Pacing: 5/5
Dellert’s pacing is perfect. As each installment in this series is an episode, it is important that he is able to use his space wisely and keep readers’ attention throughout. He does this by keeping the action coming and providing us with characters who we feel the need to learn more about.
Cover: 5/5
The cover art for this novella is amazing. It’s beautiful and original and perfectly portrays the world in which the story lives. If I’d seen it in the bookstore, I definitely would have picked it up.
Final Score: 5/5
Overall Impression: This series is really interesting because each book should be treated as an episode. They’re short, novellas, and they work together to give a wider view of the world. The second tale in the series is currently available and is called A Merchant’s Tale, and the third, The Romance of Eowain, is to be released in July. This first tale did not disappoint. I was sucked in from page one, and I have to say that I am quite excited to read the rest of the installments!
