Interesting fantasy novel with magic, fast-paced action, secrets, friends on a mission, betrayals, politics and everything else you would expect in a fantasy novel.
Kelbain is trying to become King and raise his dead father from the grave, while others try to unite several houses in order to oppose him. What I liked is that there are several interesting characters and the book focuses on each of their storylines. There is no real good and bad guy here as most are a little bit morally gray which also gives the reader a basic understanding of the antagonists in this novel. In my opinion this gives the plot a little more depth.
In general I liked the premise of these books (it's a series and I read book 1 and 2 back-to-back) the world is interesting enough, the characters and different houses as well, yet the writing style was not for me. It was too simple, for example what could have been an epic fight scene got reduced to maybe 2 sentences. This did not help me as a reader to really get into the story, also the dialogue was stilted and didn't seem to flow naturally.
So I am a bit on the fence about this one, I did enjoy the plot and want to know how the events will turn out, but the writing style issues change my rating from a 4 to 3 stars.

***An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. ***

This a a solid [plot driven] read with an interesting spread of characters and good world building. The story opens with treachery in the “West” as the [nearly immortal] son of a vanquished sorcerer makes his move to claim the throne. This sets into motion the King of the East and his three scion (Thasus, Andemar and Rudimere) as they maneuver to secure allies in the North and South, knowing that they are next on the hit parade. Although we do see some character drama, there really isn’t much development for any of the MCs. And while there are a few twists and turns along the way, the story pretty much unfolds predictably. In this first book, we really only see the West and some of the North (and its perpetual winter and feuding Lords). Presumable we will see the South in the next installment. Magic within the world is attributed to “Sages” and as a result of past abuse are not well looked upon. The appendix in the back gives a good summary, but it was not hard to figure it out in the story from the context … and so we have Illusionists, Foreseers, Evolutionaries and Sorcerers. I really liked the author’s take on this. And while the writing isn’t likely to knock you socks off, the author did manage to avoid most of the mistakes that drive me up a wall to the point where I start taking away stars … so I am rounded up to 4 here (and reading the sequel on kindle unlimited).

The series is available on KindleUnlimited. I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#GenesisOfWar #NetGalley #KindleUnlimited

Genesis of War (The Realm of Areon Book 1)

As the story unfolds you are introduced to the son of a long-dead demon and his name is Kelbain. His first act is murdering a King and claiming his throne for his own. However, he is not fulfilled through with just the one crown and has big ambitions to start a war for all of them. This will make him as the ultimate victor in his mind.

In a different kingdom three Prince's, Andemar, Thasus, and Rudi, are about to be given tasks that will challenge them but more importantly could save the free world from tyranny and untold deaths. Prince Andemar stays home to advise and train others. He soon comes to the realization that being left at home is not necessarily the easy option. Rudi, the youngest of the three, wants to prove he is worthy of the corwn and gathers his friends for what could be a great adventure. Thasus, the most dangerous of the three, travels North to face inhospitable conditions knowing he might not survive, but he has his own dark secrets.

Rudi and his band of friends got me very excited as the trope of would-be warriors gets into various altercations. Thasus surprised and entertained me the most with his special abilities many would either fear or seek to control. Andemar was also intriguing in his own way with him quietly dealing with his own issues, and some things may not be as they seem.

In most books like this, you know who the heroes are and who are the villains. I am very pleased to see that R.T. Cole gave the reader morally grey characters to fish out of the story. It makes Genesis of War a very well-rounded and balanced read. As a reader, you might feel that you know which characters have magic but as this first chapter of this series closes there are surprises to be found.

If you're into shows like Game of Thrones, movies like Willow and Lord of the Rings, and playing D&D is your thing then this book is defiantly a reader's must. The writing is fantastic and the story unfolds as a fantasy genre book should. With fully developed characters, and a story that kept you trying to see where it was going I couldn’t put the book down. It made me feel like I was with each character for every step of their journey. I truly can not wait for the second installment in this series.

This review was made possible by a copy provided to me by NetGalley.

This story begins with Kelbain, the son of a long dead Demon murdering a King and taking his throne. Kelbain is not content though with just the one crown and has big ambitions to start a war with himself as the ultimate victor.
In a different Court three Prince's are about to be given tasks that will challenge them but more importantly could save the free world from tyranny and untold deaths. Prince Andemar stays home to advise and train others but being left at home is not necessarily the easy option. The most dangerous of the three Thasus, travels North to face inhospitable conditions knowing he might not survive but he has his own secrets. Rudi, the youngest gathers his friends for what could be a great adventure and finally the chance to prove his worth !
I thoroughly enjoyed this what is almost an ensemble piece as the story flitted between characters giving insight into not just the trials and tribulations of these characters but also motives. We get quite a picture of Kelbain and his family but its still a shock when the author throws the unexpected into the works. I liked that we got to see the various magical abilities at work but boy there are thoroughly nasty people here who deserve all they get but my lips are sealed !
I think many readers will enjoy Rudi and his cohorts as they get involved in various altercations . However for this reader it was the indomitable, lusty Thasus who surprised and entertained me the most. He is a Sage with abilities many would either fear or seek to control. This isn't just an adventure story though because back home Andemar is quietly dealing with his own issues but what really is the truth ?
Of course no good fantasy is complete without a well written villain and here the author decided to give his readers very morally grey characters and luckily we spent a lot of time with them which really made this feel well rounded and balanced. No spoilers here but initially we might feel that we know which characters have magic but as this ends there are surprises galore ! Perhaps a little shorter than I expected but with the next book already lined up on my kindle there are no complaints here.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair