Grudging by Michelle Hauck Pages: 432
Published by Harper Voyager Impulse on December 22, 2015
Series: Birth of Saints #1
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy & Magic
Source: ecopy from Author
A world of chivalry and witchcraft…and the invaders who would destroy everything.
The North has invaded, bringing a cruel religion and no mercy. The ciudades-estados who have stood in their way have been razed to nothing, and now the horde is before the gates of Colina Hermosa…demanding blood.
On a mission of desperation, a small group escapes the besieged city in search of the one thing that might stem the tide of Northerners: the witches of the southern swamps.
The Women of the Song.
But when tragedy strikes their negotiations, all that is left is a single untried knight and a witch who has never given voice to her power. And time is running out.
A lyrical tale of honor and magic, Grudging is the opening salvo in the Book of Saints trilogy.
Today the Steadfast blog tour takes a stop at Book Briefs. Steadfast is the third book in the birth of saints trilogy. Because I am new to the trilogy, I decided to start at the beginning, which I thought would be a good place to start. And it was a really good idea, because author Michelle Hauck has created a very rich and detailed world, and now that all of the books in the trilogy are out, this series is the perfect binge read when you are looking for some adventure steeped in magic and witchcraft. Grudging felt like magic meets the crusades. It was really interesting and unlike anything I have read lately. I’m not sure how I missed this book when it came out in 2015, but boy am I glad I found it now.
Grudging is the first book in the birth of saints trilogy. This is a trilogy that must be read in order. Grudging follows seventeen year old Ramiro and Claire. The atmosphere that Grudging takes place in was really interesting to me. On one hand, it felt a bit like a historical book, with wonderful descriptions of a medieval city, but on the other hand there was also this fascinating magical element woven into the story with the swamp witches.
Ramiro is on the fighting side, and is the son of a city official, and Claire lives in the swamp and is the daughter of a very powerful witch. . As soon as they meet, the pace of the book really picked up. There is so much going on in Grudging, and I can’t wait to see it all developed even more in the next book. The most interesting aspect of Grudging was how different all of the characters are. It makes sense, since this is a story revolving around a war, but as a history nerd, I always love seeing societal, religious and cultural differences and how they impact decisions and personalities of the people within them. This was really apparent with the differences between Ramiro and Claire’s families, for example. These cultural differences did play into a majority of the roadblocks for these characters, but it was really great to see such growth in both of them by the end of the book. I can’t wait to see where the next book will take them.
Grudging does have a good bit of violence in it, but it was in line with the plot of the story, and it wasn’t so much that it was off putting. However; I would say this book is best for upper young adult readers. Fans of epic fantasy, who don’t mind a bit of fighting in a verging war setting will love this book. The characters are all wonderful. They were my favorite part of the story and they will be the reason that I continue on. I can’t wait to see where book two takes us.
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About Michelle Hauck
Michelle Hauck lives in the bustling metropolis of northern Indiana with her hubby and two teenagers. Two papillons help balance out the teenage drama. Besides working with special needs children by day, she writes all sorts of fantasy, giving her imagination free range. A book worm, she passes up the darker vices in favor of chocolate and looks for any excuse to reward herself. Bio finished? Time for a sweet snack.
She is a co-host of the yearly contests Query Kombat and Nightmare on Query Street, and Sun versus Snow.
Her epic fantasy, Kindar’s Cure, is published by Divertir Publishing. Her short story, Frost and Fog, is published by The Elephant’s Bookshelf Press in their anthology, Summer’s Double Edge. She’s repped by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
sherry fundin
I don’t read a lot of this type of book, but it sounds like you really enjoyed it. Have a great weekend.
sherry @ fundinmental
Kara Lauren
Sounds like an awesome trilogy that I would love!