I originally wasn't sure I'd feel about this back but ended up really enjoying! Thank you for the arc, sorry for not posting my rating earlier.

I finished Drakon last week, and I am dying to read the entire sequence.

For those who enjoy a reading like The Game of Thrones, with intrigues, conflicts, deep-built characters, this is an excellent option!

It tells the stories of Da-Ren and of Sara, and it alternates between their days as children and then adults. It is a bit confusing in the beginning, but soon you understand how their lives are connected, and when you have the full picture of the plot, oh my, the book ends and eaves you dying for the next.

I will definitely read the entire collection!

An entertaining dark fantasy with interesting characters and a decent story. A bit too similar to The Hunger Games or Maze Runner and the like but still a pretty good, quick read.

This first instalment in the Drakon book sees a mysterious figure, Da-Ren, appear at a monastery looking for salvation, and then follows his memories of his coming-of-age journey as a 12 year-old boy. Dragged from his bed in the orphans camp of his tribe and thrown into The Sieve - a 6 week long trial to weed out the weakest of the tribe, he and his fellow tribe members are forced to stand barely clothed in the freezing field - if they don't fall they get the luxury of clothes and meat; otherwise its porridge. The story flows really well and only seems to drag in a couple of chapters - quite a feat considering the daily drudge being described!
This first part is very short indeed and I can't help but wonder why. I think the overall page count of the full 4 "book" series is about 1500 - so cutting it in to 4 sections seems a little far. This book is about 250 pages. While it tells the full story of Da-Ren's time in the sieve and concludes with his final rating (the role he will perform for the tribe for the rest of his life) I think more of the present story (the monastery) could have been added on the end. A story featuring flashbacks should absolutely not finish in the flashback - showing that this is not really a standalone book at all.
I will read the rest of the series in due course as I loved the storytelling, the world built and am intrigued as to what is next.

Unfortunately this is a DNF book for me. I tried reading the first pages but it was just too slow for me. The first pages must capture my interest and even if there is some interesting writing it should still be enough to entice me to read further. I tried revisting this story many times but just couldn't finish it. Sorry.

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I devoured this book in almost a single sitting (who needs sleep?). It was well written and I liked the back and forth from "present day" to the past. I will definitely read the next installments as I felt like it just ended. Well written, I would recommend it.

This was one of those fantasy novels where the cover caught my eye. Not only was the face on the cover odd but the “Drakon” made me wonder if there were dragons in it. I have a soft spot for dragons. The synopsis sounded interesting, so I requested it. Of course, by the time I read the book I had forgotten what it was about. I think that contributed to me enjoyment of the story. The story is of a “hero” Da-Ren who has fled to a monastery asking for redemption for his wife and daughter. The monks there require that he tell his story in detail and assign a young monk to transcribe the tale. The author has chosen to split this epic fantasy in four parts. This novel was part one and deals with Da-Ren’s training in the Sieve.
I enjoyed this setup from the monk’s point of view. We approach Da-Ren’s story from the end knowing that he has been labelled the “First Blade of the Devil.” The monk’s insight into Da-Ren’s character set the tone for the reader learning Da-Ren’s tale. While most of the story is told from Da-Ren’s point of view, the author does returns to the monk’s viewpoint, but I didn’t always enjoy the interruption.
When I first started to read this, I had my doubts just because this is a hard format to make good. I'm glad I continued to read because I didn't have to read too many pages before it got good. The author does an incredible job putting the reader into the lives of these children. I felt their pain and saw the world through their eyes. It is a quick read, but trust me when I say this story will stick with you. The cover alone gives me the creeps. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
I found Da-Ren to be a compelling character and narrator. The society was rich with tradition and detail. The myths in particular were compelling and enriched the narration. The trial itself was very unusual in its composition. I found this novel overall to be highly enjoyable and read it in one sitting. While there were some inconsistencies in the story, I am not sure if they were part of the overall larger picture or just mistakes. In any case, I thought it was a great introduction to a fun character and worldview and I certainly want to know what’s coming next.

The description gave me hope for this book only to disappoint me. The character development wasn't there and the book seemed a bit rushed, as if he was about to meet his deadline and needed the book done.

I do love fantasy but this book, neither the story nor cover, could convince me. I had to turn it away, which hardly happens...
Might be your kind of story, but it could not grab my attention.

Characters that were not obvious were well developed, the story itself, although a part of a group of books was well written and could be considered stand-alone, at least as a first book. It is not only a good story, but one that I would like to see continued.

I'll admit that I had a hard time getting into the story of Drakon initially, but it picked up quickly for me. The character and world building are pretty extraordinary. It really stands out amongst the hoards of fantasy novels with a unique perspective. The brutality, the realism of our MC's struggle, the witches and Pagan lore- it has the elements of the kind of fantasy story that can stand the test of time.

This book was written in a truly epic way, I understand why it's part of a four part series now. I cannot imagine trying to digest the whole story in one novel. I'm really looking forward to the next installment!

This book was just not for me. The book and I did not 'click'.

Da-Ren appears on the doorstep of Castel Monastery demanding the monks redeem the lives of his wife and daughter. Despite being a barbarian, a pagan, and infidel in their eyes, the monks let him on the island where they are tasked with transcribing the warrior's story.

This book is the story of Da-Ren's first trials of training in a gauntlet his tribe calls The Sieve; a series of grueling life or death tests that had me legit wondering if this tribe just runs out of kids at some point. But my stupid jokes aside, this is the type of dark fantasy that's depressing but written in such a visceral and lyrical manner that it's almost hypnotic. It's written in the style of most sweeping epics, so it's not dumbed down or flinch from the gore. You can't help but get invested in Da-Ren and his world and though the book only covers the first part of his training and you know more is to home, the cliffhanger doesn't feel jarring enough to not seek out the next installment; which I will definitely be doing. If you like dark fantasy, this is a fantastic installment. A welcome 4.7 out of 5.

It took me a few pages to get into this book and to get my bearings in the plot and setting of this book. I think this book would appeal to Halo, Hunger Games, and Mazerunner fans. Some of the vocabulary takes some getting used to, but after I figured it out, I was really into the book. I loved the characters and was horrified by what was happening to these children! I want to read the next one to see what happens!

I don't know that I would choose to market the story of Da-Ren predominantly as a book for "young adults", It was a beautifully written story to which the description does not do justice. What I ended up with when I opened the pages was a story thats potential, for a full fledged dark, complex, and wonderfully mysterious world, was only just beginning to be discovered. The detail and tone in which the author paints the picture of the Sieve leaves me eager to continue the story of Da-Ren, and follow him to the end of his journey.

The first in a new high fantasy series, Caskabel introduces us to his protagonist (Da-Ren) through the grueling and cruel coming of age gauntlet called The Sieve that will lead him to find his place in the culture. Caskabel has built an elaborate mythology and religion that he skillfully weaves into his story as we watch Da-Ren survive.

Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .

the sieve (C.A. Caskabel)

Title: the sieve

Author: C.A. Caskabel

Publisher: AuthorBuzz

Publication Date: September 13, 2016 (paperback/e-book)

ISBN: 9781533476784

Source: NetGalley

This was one of those fantasy novels where the cover caught me eye:

Not only was the face on the cover odd but the "Drakon" made me wonder if there were dragons in it. I have a soft spot for dragons. The synopsis sounded interesting so I requested it. Of course by the time I read the book I had forgotten what it was about. I actually think that contributed to me enjoyment of the story.

The story is of a "hero" Da-Ren who has fled to a monastery asking for redemption for his wife and daughter. The monks there require that he tell his story in detail and assign a young monk to transcribe the tale. The author has chosen to split this epic fantasy in four parts. This novel was part one and deals with Da-Ren's training in the Sieve.

I enjoyed this setup from the monk's point of view. We approach Da-Ren's story from the end point knowing that he has been labeled the "First Blade of the Devil." The monk's insight into Da-Ren's character set the tone for the reader learning Da-Ren's tale. While most of the story is told from Da-Ren's point of view, the author does returns to the monk's viewpoint. I didn't always enjoy the interruption.

The Sieve is a coming-of-age trial for children of the tribe. Da-Ren is an orphan raised in the dregs of society. It is a warrior based society where both men and woman can have high roles if they earn it. The spiritual side of the tribe is controlled by women who are witches (though men play a part as well). I enjoyed that there were some strong female characters. Da-Ren being an orphan, in this culture meaning his mother has died, is placed outside the usual structures. He is uneducated, mistreated, and considered worthless to the tribe.

I found Da-Ren to be a compelling character and narrator. The society was rich with tradition and detail. The myths in particular were compelling and enriched the narration. The trial itself was very unusual in its composition. I found this novel overall to be highly enjoyable and read it in one sitting. While there were some inconsistancies in the story, I am not sure if they were part of the overall larger picture or just mistakes. In any case, I thought it was a great introduction to a fun character and worldview and I certainly want to know what's coming next.

So lastly . . .

Thank you AuthorBuzz!

Netgalley has this to say about the novel:

“I am here to redeem the lives of my wife and daughter. I’ve brought the offering.”

Da-Ren, an infidel barbarian, arrives at the Castlemonastery, his only offering a jar of honey. Baagh, the Cross Sorcerer, follows him there under orders of the Emperor, demanding from the monks to transcribe the warrior’s story.

Book I chronicles Da-Ren’s early years, growing up in a tribe of archer riders and pagan witches, camped north of the Blackvein River. He enters the Sieve, the forty-day initiation trial that determines the fate of every boy and girl. Many of his comrades will fall, the strong will join the warriors, and an elite few will be marked for leadership. Da-Ren learns to endure the elements, to obey the Truths, to keep standing when all hope is lost. He swallows the legends of the Ouna-Ma witches, learns to hate all other tribes, and conquers fear.

And yet there is one trial that will bring him to his knees. The Goddess’s favorite daughter. “Brown-haired, brown-eyed. Brown was the first color of the day.”

The journey begins for the man who will become the First Blade of the Devil.

To visit the author’s website go to:

C.A. Caskabel - Author

To buy the novel please visit:

the sieve - Book

To add to Goodreads go to:

Yer Ports for Plunder List

I truely love this kind of book and the story plot. It was an awesome book.

This book was fast paced, well thought out, and completely original. Just the right mix of dark and mysterious. I was left wanting more back story on most of the characters, but understand that it is the first in the series, so that may be deliberate.