2.5 stars

I added The Warden to my to-be-read list based on the cover and the keyword necromancy. And yet this book delivers only slivers of those two elements. My disappointment in this book may partially be based on inaccurate expectations, however, the story was incredibly flat and underdeveloped.

My biggest complaint with this book is the painfully underdeveloped magic system. Based on other reviews and quick googling I discovered that most of the magic system in this book is based on Dungeons & Dragons. I am always hesitant to pick up books that I know are based on D&D because, in my personal experience, they tend to get a bit lazy with the world-building and magic systems because of the ties to existing concepts. The Warden offers no explanation for any of the potentially interesting elements of the world or magic system. There are seven classes of magic (you guessed it they're based on D&D) that have no clear distinguishing features. At one point Aelis literally refuses to explain the differences between the classes because it's, in her own words, "too complicated." That line alone almost had me DNFing this book 75% of the way through. Our main character Aelis is seemingly mediocre at her magical specialties. Except for necromancy which doesn't even come into play until the very end. Descriptions of Aelis using magic are reduced to an incredibly bland "two syllables" or a random name for the spell she is using that means nothing to the reader.

Aelis was a fine main character. At times I really appreciated her stubbornness and self-confidence. But she could also be incredibly arrogant and entitled, especially when dealing with the villagers of Lone Pine. I found it off-putting how much she looked down on them and how comfortable she was manipulating them with light compulsions. Though I recognize that the villagers were cold to her, I wish the story had focused more on Aelis earning their trust and their Warden rather than having her run off on a drawn-out quest. None of the side characters were particularly compelling as most of them fell into easy stereotypes. Tun was definitely the most interesting character and I enjoyed his banter with Aelis a lot. The romance was predictable and I don't understand why Ford bothered trying to create a will-they wont-they banter-filled dynamic when it was such an insignificant portion of the story.

The writing was pretty solid and I have hope for future installments of this series (I will not be reading them though so not that much hope). However, there were a few quirks that really drew me out of the story. The writing relies predominantly on "telling" with very little of the descriptive "showing" that I prefer. Aelis also talks to herself out loud as a way to reveal things to the reader which is incredibly strange and unnatural. What really kills the pacing of the story is the amount of flashbacks. It will be the middle of an action scene and Aelis will have a sudden, detailed flashback to her time in college. They make no sense and happen way too often to the point that I started skimming them. This also seems to be the only attempt at exploring the details of the magic system which is just lazy.

I was originally charmed by the surprisingly cozy vibes, but then the book strayed from everything that I was interested in. The "mystery" quest element was dull and wasted the story's potential. I appreciate how all of the elements of the book connected together, though it may have been a bit too neat and easy. The Warden feels like it ends 15% earlier than it actually does. The "mystery" element is wrapped up, there is a conflict with the big bad, and we get a few interesting details to hold our interest for the next book. But then the author decided to start book two at the very end of book one just so that it could end on a cliffhanger. The cliffhanger felt a bit cheap because there was such a natural place to end the story about 40 pages earlier. I had to drag myself through the last bit because I was just ready for the story to be over.

The Warden is a fine fantasy book though not particularly original or interesting. I feel a bit harsh giving it 2.5 stars, however, I never actively enjoyed my time with this book. From very early on I was only reading this to finish it.

Having recently graduated from the Lyceum, Aelis is sent to the small border town of Lone Pine as their Warden. Aelis is used to a life of luxury as a De Lenti, and finds the way of life out in Lone Pine difficult to adjust to. There is little use for her magical skills out in the sleepy village and Aelis is bored and frustrated. Until a traveling party of adventurers appears in Lone Pine with a lot of gold from the borderlands. People begin to behave strangely and Aelis finds perhaps her necromancy and other magical abilities might be needed after all.
I struggled to get into this book to begin with. I found the author's writing style, in particular their sentence structure, a bit jarring. As I continued to read the book I found that I became more interested in the character of Aelis and her story and I found that this stopped being a problem.
I ended up really enjoying this book. I loved the magical system, the way that the magic operated and the different schools of magic that could be learnt. I enjoyed the characters, I thought they were very well written and felt well rounded and believable. In particular I found Aelis’s personality very engaging and interesting. The book is written from a first person perspective and I enjoyed being in Aelis’ head.
The author managed to give just enough information to keep me interested and the story moving, while at the same time keeping me wanting to read to discover more.
I did enjoy the romance in the book, but I would like Maurania to be given a little more of a personality and a back story than she currently has, this is the first in a series though so it may very well come.
I felt like I was on a Dungeons and Dragons campaign while reading this book, which was such a fun feeling.
Overall I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a fun fantasy, or D&D Campaign.

This was a miss for me unfortunately. Ford is a compelling writer when it comes to atmosphere and a character's interior life, and I even felt that his decision to lean hard into well-worn fantasy tropes from a unique cozy western perspective, with lush—if unoriginal—worldbuilding, worked well. But the book just didn't grab me. All the characters were /almost/ lovable, and the plot was /almost/ interesting, but a bit too slow and low-stakes to grab me. Even when going for coziness, the stakes need to matter; they can be small and only matter in terms of the life of a few people or a town, but they need to matter, and Ford never really convinced me they did. Overall I didn't think much of the book, but I'll definitely consider checking something else by Ford out in a few years, he's got some good ideas, and is not an untalented writer, but this one just didn't hit me right for right now.

Note: Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and Daniel M. Ford for sending me an advanced review copy (ARC) via NetGalley.com. I wasn't paid for this review and it's my real opinion!

3.5/5 stars
First, I would just like to say that I loved having a foul mouthed MC. Aelis was so fun to see react to different situations. I was never fully invested into the story, however, it has a lot of potential and Daniel Ford is definitely an author I will be keeping my eye on!! The pacing was a little slow and the world building felt lacking.

This was a fun, low-stakes fantasy (I don't care what the description says, it was truly not that serious), and I have a soft spot for fantasy that deals largely with the everyday lives of normal people in an otherwise fantastical world, so I had a great time. Our main character, Aelis, is a recently graduated necromancer who is relocated from the heart of a city she loves to a rural town mostly populated by sheep and goats, and I found watching her struggle with the culture shock endlessly amusing.

The magic system in The Warden was also fascinating. Y'all know I love books that don't actually explain anything to you, and this is a story that reveals bits and parts of its extremely complex magic system while still leaving the majority of it up for speculation. About halfway through reading this book I also realized it's meant to be part of a series, and I honestly think I would keep reading just to find out more about how magic is used in this world. It's not a convenient system at all; Aelis is limited to a few schools of magic that are barely helpful in about half the situations she finds herself in, and the magic she is able to wield is convoluted and takes great effort on her part. We hear anecdotally what other forms of magic might look like, but only meet a few other practitioners in this book, so I'd love to see more.

One star off because the only thing I didn't enjoy in this book, unfortunately, was the romance. You would normally never ever ever catch me advocating for a woman to date a man, but come on. How can a half-elf woman with no personality hold my attention when there is also a mysterious orc man who turns into a bear werewolf-style available? I do plan on continuing on with the series, though, so maybe the romantic interest will change or maybe I'll be given some reason to care about the elf lady.

If you're someone who doesn't mind slower-paced, low-stakes books, definitely given this a try. Thanks to Tor for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Book Summary:

Aelis de Leni worked her butt off to make it through the Magisters' Lyceum – the prestigious magical school of the area. She could have had an easy life, but Aelis is not the type of person to waste talent, especially not her own.

She had this big plan. Graduate from the Lyceum, blow their minds and land the perfect position as a Warden. Unfortunately, her new Warden position has put her in the middle of nowhere, dealing with a small town that doesn't understand her role – or her magic.

My Review:

I knew right away that I was going to love The Warden. First, the title and description are compelling. But it was the first two chapters that sold me on this story. I love the idea of magical Wardens setting up shop, working to protect the townspeople from necromancy and other monsters.

Mostly, I loved Daniel M. Ford's take on necromancy and magical abilities. It made the system feel new and fresh, adding weight to the world and the story as a whole. I'm already looking forward to the next novel, and that's at least partially because I want to see more of the world/magical system.

On that note, I found myself enjoying the present more than all the flashbacks. Yes, they were relevant to Aelis' situation, but I feel like they could have been summed up in one or two flashbacks if that makes sense.

Regardless, I really enjoyed The Warden and can't wait for the next novel in the series to release. The cliffhanger may have something to do with that anxiety, but only partially. This is a world worth diving into.

Highlights:
Fantasy
LGBT Protagonist
Necromancy/Mages

Trigger Warnings:
Severe Injuries/Graphic Details

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for the advanced copy of this book!

What can I say? I’m a sucker for a bad ass lady necromancer and this book delivered. But also, bonus? She’s sassy, bi, and has a sword.

The world building and magic system were really interested and expertly woven into the story. It didn’t fall victim to over explaining and instead showed these things, which is a big deal for me in fantasy.

I also loved all of the side characters and the pacing for the book was excellent. It may be slow for some folks, but I really enjoyed getting to know the village and background. I’m really excited for the next book, because that cliffhanger was too much.

For Aelis, having magic, money, connections, skill, and power entitled her to a prestigious position in one of the largest cities in the empire. After all, she’s one of a very few female necromancers, an excellent anatomist, a top student in most of her classes, and has graduated from all three colleges. Aelis is destined for great things, not … this. Not some sheep village that even the backend of nowhere would look down upon. Instead of a tower, she’s expected to live in a two-story pile of stone with no roof, a door that doesn’t close, and covered in years of filth.

She’s trying very, very, very hard not to be upset.

Lone Pine is a small border town somewhere between the frontier and civilization. In one direction is a road leading to distant cities, culture, friends, good food, and fashion. In the other direction, woods. Mountains. Orcs and bandits and the ruins left behind by the war some twenty years in the past. The land is slowly healing, and so are the people — like Rus, the inkeeper and barkeep, and his husband Martin, the cook whose hand trembles when he has to cut meat. Or Elmo, who served as a scout in the war and has night terrors and violent outbursts. These people and their children are her charges, now. And their sheep. And their goats.

None of this was part of the plan. None of this was part of her destiny, but Aelis refuses to back down and give in. She is a Warden. It’s what she wanted, what she fought for, to use her magic for good, to defend the helpless, bring justice and mercy in equal measure, and if she sticks it out for a few years, maybe they’ll station her somewhere better, somewhere more suited to her talents? Then the dwarves show up with their gold, found in some lost and abandoned fort. Gold that looks newly minted, gold that draws the eye and the heart, causing brother to turn against brother, neighbor to turn against neighbor. A missing book, a murder, a man no one remembers, and the oncoming winter will soon be the least of Aelis’s worries.

This is the first book in Daniel M. Ford’s Warden series and I’m hooked. It has necromancers, giant bears, half orcs, half elves, and a conspiracy to bring back a fallen Dukedom, interspersed with the undead, with sorcerous arts and artifice, and devil trees. (And the goat.) There’s an abundance of world building, a well-crafted plot, and Aelis, who is worth reading the book for in her own right.

Aelis is a genius. In flashbacks scattered throughout the book, we learn both about the magic system of the world, and Aelis herself. She is determined, dedicated, and willing to push herself beyond her limits just to see if she can. While she has money and a family name, it’s her power and her skill and her inexperience that best serve her here. Half of the things she does are simply because she doesn’t stop to think whether or not she can; she relies on her own native brilliance and gut instincts. For all that she is self-deprecating about her power, the temptation to use it is only tempered by the physical limits of exhaustion that pull at her every time she uses it. But the more she uses it, the stronger she becomes, and the more confident in her own abilities and her own self.

Again and again, Aelis demurs the dangers and preconceptions of necromancy, telling people it’s no more than a tool. And then she gets to use it, to truly use it, and we see both her sheer power and her sheer delight in using her native magic. And then the book ends and I have to wait for book two to come out so I can keep reading. Aelis goes through a great deal of character growth, from her first moments of carefully hidden disdain and disinterest to using her power for the citizens of Lone Pine and earning their respect by them because she put their safety above her own. There is a line between fear and respect, between respect and love, and Aelis balances on that tangled knot with an unconscious grace.

Her two closest friends in the book are Tun, the half orc — who would be shunned by the citizens of Lone Pine if they knew what he was, so he keeps to the woods — and Maurenia, the half elf, who travels into the woodlands to treasure hunt and grave rob. Maurenia is more obvious with her flirtation and seduction of Aelis, who is instantly attracted to her beauty, her confidence, and the fact that, like Aelis, she is an outsider. Maurenia won’t be staying in Lone Pine longer than a few weeks at a time, perfect for a fling … but there’s a spark between them. Given time, given fuel, Aelis could easily find herself falling in love. Tun is more subtle. With them is a meeting of equal wits, of kindred spirits. Tun matches Aelis’ spirit, her intellect, her sense of humor, but his awareness of his own inhumanity keeps him from treating Aelis as anything but a friend. And yet there is something there, something subtle and still growing.

As much as I enjoyed the story and Aelis, the writing relies sometimes overly much on needless description: how many socks, how many windows are in a room. It’s at its best when the focus is on Aelis’ thoughts and emotions and actions, such as when she’s solving a puzzle or coming up with a plan. I felt the length of the book as I read it, and the pace can be a bit leisurely in places — and the flashback scenes are all exposition, but well-framed through Aelis’ very personality-filled point of view. Add to that Aelis herself, who will explain, sometimes in detail, about what and how and why her magic does, leading to a bit of repetition here and there. Still, for all that, I very much enjoyed my time with this book and this world, and look forward to reading the next one!

This is being sold as “for fans who have always wanted their Twin Peaks to have some wizards“. You know this is one of my all-time favorite shows, so my excitement was high…and then came crashing down. This village is nothing like Twin Peaks, so get that out of your head. It’s just a small rural village on the border of the kingdom. Most of the people are wary or frightened of their new Warden, but I think that’s understandable–they’re simple folks who don’t understand magic.

I had two major problems with this book, and they are the main points for this book: the magic system and our main character Aelis. The magic system seems needlessly clunky. It doesn’t seem to be something that comes naturally to our MC. When she needs to use a spell there is this process of stopping and thinking about your problem and what level of spell will have an effect, then casting that particular spell. It seems to take maybe 15 to 20 seconds, which is too long if, for example, you’re trying to stop a bear from attacking people.

Then there’s Aelis. She is arrogant, snippy, and a snob. She throws around orders and almost treats them as her servants rather than what they actually are, which are her charges. Here’s a grand example: a man is injured and Aelis performs surgery on him. Afterwards she finds the village healer examining him and screams at her to stop touching her patient, you don’t know what you’re doing, go away, etc. Then a couple hours later she goes back up to the healer and is like “hey I have to leave town for a couple days, so I need you to watch over the patient“. Ummm, that’s what she was already trying to do before you screamed at her 🙄.

Thank you to NetGalley & Tor Publishing Group for this advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

When Aelis arrives in Lone Pine, she’s struck almost immediately by the smell of sheep shit. This doesn’t bode well for her scheduled two-year tenure as the new Warden of the small farming village out on the border with orc country. Still, she has no way to contest her station, despite her wealthy heritage. The Lyceum where she studied wizardry saw fit to send her to Lone Pine, even if it doesn’t seem like a proper location for a Warden who specialized in Necromancy.

Truth be told, Aelis would rather be anywhere else. Any urban post. Somewhere closer to her friends and lovers from school. Anywhere were her contractually obligated housing isn’t a broken down, falling apart tower. Anywhere she might have people to protect who aren’t deathly afraid of her. But no. She’s in Lone Pine, and only Martin and Rus, the local innkeepers, have any tolerance for her presence. Almost everyone else shuns her and attempts to avoid her at all costs. It’s a rough start, to be sure, but it’s Aelis’s station, and she’ll do her job. She’s a Warden, after all, not just a wizard.

When a group of adventurers make their way into Lone Pine from a frontier excursion, cart laden with gold to spend in the small town, it seems like the fortunes of the villagers are about to change. However, a violent encounter shatters the peace and sends Aelis on a quest to track down the guilty party. Her journey will take her into the wilderness, and bring her face to face with threats both old and new.

Daniel M. Ford’s The Warden is out in stores today, and I highly recommend it to any D&D player or fantasy adventure fan, especially for those who’ve enjoyed Travis Baldree’s Legends and Lattes or Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth. It was an absolute treat to read, playing with tropes and expectations throughout the book. I’ve loved every minute that I’ve spent in this world, and I hope to get to visit it again soon.

My utmost thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for access to an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review originally appeared here: https://swordsoftheancients.com/2023/04/18/the-warden-a-review/

TL;DR

The Warden by Daniel M. Ford is a fun fantasy adventure set in country village where secrets, the past, and an ancient threat are stirring. The result could be an end to the peace between humans and orcs. Warden Aelis de Lenti is the only hope to stop the evil before war once again breaks out. Highly recommended, especially for fans of Brandon Sanderson.

Disclaimer: The publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Any and all opinions that follow are mine alone.

Review: The Warden by Daniel M. Ford

I’ve been playing a lot of Grim Dawn recently. It’s an amazing action RPG with neat magic system, interesting storyline, and action a plenty. Frankly, I’m addicted, and as soon as I finish writing this, I’ll load it up and knock out a quest or two. The Warden by Daniel M. Ford reminded me so much of Grim Dawn. It was fun; it has a neat magic system; and I didn’t want to stop reading it.

Aelis de Lenti was head of her class at the Magisters’ Lyceum. She passed the tests of three colleges of magic, one of only 11 to do so. She’s a skilled Abjurer and Enchanter; she was also the best Necromantic student in the Lyceum. For all her successes, she’s assigned to a village on the northern border between the human kingdom and orcish civilization. Aelis expected a posting in a city, to live a life she’s used to, and to be respected for her accomplishments. Instead, she’s sent to village where the sheep outnumber the people, the literacy rate is doubled with her arrival, and life is hard. Merchants drop by once or twice per year, and the decadents wines and liqueurs that she’s used to are in short supply, but only because the supply she brought with her is all there is. Aelis is a Warden, though. That means that the village and its people are her responsibility. She’s part lawkeeper, part doctor, part governor, part helper, and part protector. Aelis can’t not take her job seriously. She hates it and wishes she were anywhere else. But she devotes herself fully to the village. She helps mend a fence; she reads letters brought by the post; she provides care for the injured, justice for laws broken, and teacher to a child.

When adventurers from the North come into town, villagers begin to act strangely. A murder is attempted. Aelis must figure out what is going on and track down the killer. In the process, she learns that the North isn’t a sleepy, little place where she can pass the time tending sheep until she can transfer. Ancient evil stirs along the border, and its rise threatens the peace between humanity and orcs.

The Warden by Daniel M. Ford is a first person point of view novel that follows Aelis as she settles into the job of Warden. All chapters are told in Aelis point of view. There are some flashbacks to her university days to help fill in backstory. The pacing is even and keeps the reader moving through the story. Ford balances action and character work well. This is a book that Brandon Sanderson fans will enjoy.

Necromancy

Ford has an interesting take on Necromancy. His magic users study it so as to combat it. They aren’t raising the dead; they’re dispelling them. They’re not draining the life from people; they’re preserving their life force to repair bodies. The ancient art of Necromancy is illegal, and now the art has been inverted so that the practitioners are Necrobanes, i.e. a bane to the existence of necromancers. As part of their study, Ford’s necromancers make an intimate study of the body. Aelis is skilled at anatomy and actually uses her skills as a surgeon in the book. It was a delight to see necromancers in a different light than the pure evil normally associated with them in fiction.

Quest Driven Action

The Warden felt very much like a story from a role playing game (RPG). Aelis went on quests where the loot was friendship, trust, and emotional/personal growth. This isn’t a criticism; I think it worked for this story because the plot wasn’t the main point. Aelis fitting into the village and growing into the role of Warden was. She reassesses the villagers even if she can’t throw away all her stereotypes. She’s impressed by the culture of the Orcs as she’s confronted by their reality. She learns that sophistication and erudition can exist outside cities. The quests are simply how she develops her character.

Integrity

Again and again throughout the novel, readers see that Aelis has integrity. She does what’s right even if she knows it may come back to haunt her. She is the arbiter of the law in these here parts, but she practices nuance and compassion in her sentencing. She looks for the complications and hopes for the best in people when other Wardens would have chosen an execution. Aelis doesn’t relent when she knows she’s right. She’s not above tossing her authority around when she needs to and will swallow her pride if that gets the job done.

She also has success after success after success. Her setbacks don’t feel like setbacks. The cost she pays for some successes are high, but her winning is never in doubt.

Structure

As I wrote earlier, Aelis’s story is a series of quests, which provides a sort of structure to the novel. Each quest sort of builds into the others that takes Aelis further into the secrets of the North. It feels like a linear progression towards the end. However, the climax or peak of the book happened at about 80% of the way through. There is a denouement, and the Aelis gets another quest. The book ends in the middle of this final quest, which will be important for future books. But because of the big confrontation at 80%, the final quest just didn’t feel as important as its meant to be. Don’t get me wrong; it’s a cool quest, and it’s got me looking forward to book two. It just felt like a non-ending, though. It was almost as if the opening few chapters of book two were attached the end of the book.

The Warden is small by fantasy standards. It’s 320 pages long, which is a third of an epic fantasy novel. Did the editors feel it needed padding? I don’t know. This ending is an odd way to cap off an excellent book, though.

Conclusion

Daniel M. Ford’s The Warden is a fun start to a new fantasy series. It has action, character development, tough moral choices, and a neat magic system. Like Grim Dawn, The Warden had a lot of hype surrounding it. Daniel M. Ford delivered in all respects. Fans of Brandon Sanderson will love this book. Highly recommended.

"Lone Pine is a small town, where the bears are wise and the brew is strong. But this sleepy little town is also home to a secret: a hidden world of magic and mystery.”

Aelis is a middle child who comes from a very wealthy family who realized she was so far off from ever taking the throne that she decided to pursue academics in the form of Wizardry. As a bit of an overachiever as a result she became proficient in 3 different studies (something she likes to remind those around her of frequently) but the most important being necromancy.

After completing her studies she is assigned her first job as Warden of the small town of Lone Pine. Aelis immediately feels like she has been shafted and believes if she wasn’t a woman she wouldn’t have been sent to a town of such little significance, while she might be right about getting the assignment she did because of her gender she is all sorts of wrong about the significance of Lone Pine. I think the towns folk picked up on her hesitancy to be there and you mix that with their distrust of magic, especially necromancy and well you're bound to have a bit of a less than stellar first impression of each other.

Honestly there is so much to love in this book, I feel like it's a bit of modern fantasy, mixed with cozy fantasy with a dash of an old western thrown in. Daniel M. Ford’s worldbuilding is excellent, I’m not always a visual reader but I honestly felt like I could see the town of Lone Pine and at least in my imagination it felt like a bit of a modern western setting. I found his descriptions of food, drink and locations to be extremely vivid and really captivated me.

When it comes to character development Daniel is no slouch as I really enjoyed the detail we got of each of the significant characters in the story. While we didn’t get a full back story on each one, in my opinion we got more than enough over all to really connect with them. From friendships, to sassy stand offs / headbutting, to unexpected romance there is truly something for everyone.

My only gripe with the book was the ending, while I’m all for a good cliffhanger the way this one ended felt a tad rushed. In speaking with the author this series will at least be a trilogy with the possibility of expanding beyond that so my critique would be to work on sticking the landing for the books going forward as this one was a tad wobbly.

All in all this was a fun fast paced read and I’m extremely grateful for Athena @TPG reaching out and asking if I would be interested in reading this book as I might not have discovered it otherwise. Athena if you read this please consider adding me to your list of ARC readers for the sequel as I’m excited to see where the story goes from here.

*Thank you so much to Tor Books for the digital ARC they provided me of this book for an honest review*

First half of the book: 3 Stars
Second half of the book: 4 Stars

I very rarely split my stars in half for books, but to be honest, with this one, there were times I almost felt like I was reading two different stories.

In the first half of the book you are introduced to Aelis, a trained Warden, who has been assigned to protect and oversee a very backcountry village called Lone Pine. This is very far removed from the lifestyle she is used to as she is the daughter of a Count, which is a fact that is mentioned only a few times in the book, but we get the feeling she is used to the finer things in life, she definitely is not poor, and she is used to city life. So, in the first half of the book, Aelis spends her time trying to get acclimated to her new lifestyle and trying to win over the village people to the extent that they will at least trust her even if they don’t necessarily want her there. I liked this first half but didn’t love it. I did enjoy that interspersed between reading about Aelis trying to get the village people to accept her that we got to hear a little bit about her time at her magic school, Magisters’ Lyceum, and how some of the magic worked and the different fields of magic she studied. I kind of wish we had seen more of this in the story. Ultimately for me, the first half meandered a bit. But, I did find it entertaining enough to keep going. I especially loved the interactions she had with a certain goat. Part of it was laugh-out-loud funny. And I enjoyed the introduction to the love interest. I am interested to see where that goes in further books. But I just felt like maybe the pacing was a bit off in the first half. As if maybe some of it could have been cut down or maybe different parts of the story could have been expounded upon more

In the second half of the book, and literally, this is no joke because this was right at the 50% mark, the story really starts to pick up and becomes more of an action-adventure story. In the first half, you see that some of the townspeople have begun to act suspiciously and of course, part of Aelis’s job is to figure out the cause and find a solution. I won’t spoil anything but figuring out at least part of the solution and having to go after an individual for a connected event sends her and a companion on a mini-quest, which was quite fast-paced and fun. Once she returns to the village after a short amount of time she has to embark on another challenge of sorts. And believe me when I say the second half of the story definitely picks up speed so much so that I thought maybe the ending was a little rushed (a far cry from the first half of the book) and I wouldn’t say I didn’t like the ending although it was a bit abrupt but definitely made me want to read the second book.

Overall, even though the book took me a bit to get into I did end up having fun with it, and I was entertained enough by the second half of the book to want to continue the series. There are some really good characters in the book that I definitely want to know more about. I think my liking the book, but not necessarily loving it comes from it feeling a bit disjointed to me. That word might not be fair, to be honest. I feel like the author knows the endgame and I do not think anything he wrote was not part of the overarching goal. At least in my opinion. This is all speculation on my part though, so we will not know until the next book comes out and we will have a better idea of the grand plan. I just know that I am glad I gave this book a shot and am looking forward to the next book.

This is one of those books where upon receiving the opportunity to review it, I was immediately drawn to its captivating cover. I made the choice to delve into The Warden by Daniel M. Ford without any real knowledge of the plot or its characters and I can’t help but feel like that actually made me enjoy it more. Although the story proved to be one of the most peculiar books I’ve read in recent years, it immediately sucked me in and has already become one of my favorites. Upon completing the book, I came across a description that aptly described it as “Twin Peaks with Wizards,” a fitting analogy that accurately captures the book’s essence.

Normally when I read a book I’m able to sit back at something like “This. This is what made me love this book so much” but when it comes to The Warden by Daniel M. Ford, I find it challenging to pinpoint specific aspects that stood out to me since there are so many things I enjoyed about the book. Unlike other novels where I can identify specific elements that made me like it, I feel like The Warden’s excellence lies in it entirety. Aelis is undoubtedly the standout character, but I couldn’t help but love every other character in this book thanks to Daniel M. Ford’s exceptional writing, world-building, and pacing. Additionally, as someone who loves a good romance or crush in a story, I was particularly taken by how cute and awkward Aelis’s was.

My only grievances with The Warden are that it had to come to an end and that I have to wait for the next book in the series to release. In fact, as I write this I find myself staring at the audiobook and considering purchasing it just to relive the story in a new medium. Reading The Warden has also encouraged me to explore more of Daniel M. Ford’s works as I can only imagine they are just as good as this one is. Overall, I found The Warden to be a remarkable introduction to what I hope is a long series and I will wholeheartedly recommend it to any reader I know.

I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.

I’m giving this five stars nit for the quality of writing or any particular literary merit but because I had a good time reading it. Woke up in the wee hours of the night last night and thought oh. I’ll just read 1 chapter. Read the last eight…. no regrets!
The biggest flaw of the book is the author does lean a little too heavily on flashbacks to set the stage and the world is a pretty basic your D&D game could be set here elves, dwarves, orcs sort of world…. However I really enjoyed the fish out of water main character fumbling her way through country living. I liked that the book was pretty light and a page turner. So I’d recommend this book to anyone that just wants a fun little fantasy adventure. The little bit of romance is pretty fade to black so it’d be older teen safe. They’ve absolutely read and seen more explicit things. The romance is definitely a side note to the character and not the focus of the story. I’ve marked book two to read on Goodreads. This has been my favorite ARC so far this year. Maybe I was just in the right mood for a light read but it really worked for me.

I’ve been looking forward to checking out The Warden since reading the synopsis. I picked this up with the thought that I’d try out a few pages and see if it clicked. Well, it clicked alright and I ended up reading over a hundred pages before deciding that I should probably go to bed. I picked it up first thing the next morning and finished the rest of it because it is a non-stop magical thriller!
Aelis de Lenti un Tirraval had grand plans after graduating with not one, but three magical specialties but she was instead assigned to a cold and remote village on the very border of the empire called Lone Pine. Things aren’t great from the start - the villagers fear her, her Warden’s tower is in crumbling disrepair, and everything smells like sheep shit - but things don’t stay mundane for long. Aelis soon finds her skills rather in demand and as she’s chasing a man through the wilds of Old Ystain, she begins to think that dark magic is afoot.
Let me start off by saying, I loved Aelis. She’s young, but proves herself to be exceedingly competent time and time again. At the smallest mistake, she finds herself reviewing her errors (sometimes imagining what her magisters and teachers would say) and making mental notes to not repeat the mistake. She definitely comes off as a little abrasive and pulls rank, but not without reason. She’s the character we follow during the entire story - no multi-POV tale here - so the reader really gets to connect with her, and by extension connect with the secondary characters she interacts with. Tunbridge the half-orc was a strong favorite as well. Though he’s a loner somewhat by choice, he’s a well-read, erudite man with mad tracking skills. He and Aelis make a great team wandering through the wilds of Old Ystain. The innkeepers and Pip, a young village girl, are also totally lovable.
The worldbuilding is pretty damn cool as well. You have this world that’s recovering from a war against the orcs several decades past and so many things have changed in that time. Aelis’s schooling, while already completed at the time the book begins, is revealed through a few key flashback sections that give you an idea of the rigorous training she completed. The various schools of magic are pretty fascinating and we only really get to see the three that Aelis herself specialized in - Necromancy (including medical training), Abjuration (wards, battle), and Enchantment. Necromancers, as one might expect, are seriously misunderstood and feared by most. Out in Old Ystain, orc bands roam but the interactions we see are surprisingly conflict free. There are adventuring parties that go out and look for treasure, there are rogue magicians and bandits out there too.
I have to say, I’m totally in love with this book because it covers so many things I love in a book! It has a little mystery, cool magic, a touch of romance, and an excellent sense of adventure. Just skimming through a few other early reviews, it seems that folks either totally love it like I do or just felt a bit meh about it, so your mileage may vary. If this seems like your cup of tea, I’d highly recommend you check it out. I personally will be keeping an eye out for a firm release date for the second book, Necrobane, which is currently slated for an unspecified 2024 release.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I really enjoyed the start to a new series.  Aelis is a graduate of the Magisters’ Lyceum and a female necromancer, among other talents.  Assigned to a backwater town hundreds of miles from anywhere, she misses city life and the pleasures her wealth afforded her.  Lone Pine only seems to have cold weather, goats, and peasants that need her talents but are scared of her.  Aelis expects the posting to be boring and is planning to serve her time and get back to the real world.  Instead she finds unexpected trouble.

A lot of the enjoyment of the book will come down to if the reader likes Aelis. I happened to love her.  She is snarky and grumpy and extremely self-indulgent at times.  She is also principled and stubborn and fun to root for.  There are not many fleshed out characters in this.  The tracker, Tun, is one of the few nuanced people in the book.  I loved him too.  

The pacing of the book is a bit slow and takes about half the book to get to the conflict.  The world building is light and practically non-existent.  I did like the slice-of-life insight into Aelis' life and thoughts.  The magic system is very interesting and is slowly revealed in the form of Aelis' reminiscing about her studies.  There is not a lot of explanation for the magic overall though.

The novel has an old school feel to it and I really disliked having to put the book down.  I am look forward to the next book after the abrupt cliff hanger ending.  I need to know what happens to Aelis next.  Arrrr!

The Warden was an okay fantasy book. I did not mind reading it, but I am probably not going to bother with the sequel despite the cliff hanger ending. It is very slow paced slice-of-life for almost the first half of the book, with the main character Aelis, an extremely talented mage, starting her post in the small rural town she's been assigned Warden of. She does not think much of the town, or the people, and she lets both the reader inside her head and frequently the townsfolk themselves know it. I expected her to grow and maybe come to love the town or I don't know, at least like the people, but she doesn't really. By the end she still hates the town and while she's made a couple friends, sort of, and managed to reel in her condescension a bit, she is still rather unpleasant.

The plot takes off about halfway through, with the discovery of some cursed artifacts and a fugitive that Aelis has to track down. This gets the pace moving a bit faster, but I have to admit I did not enjoy how frequently she uses her power of magical persuasion to get people to do what she wants, frequently without even trying to ask them first. She also at one point unmagics a bunch of people, at least one of whom has apparent brain damage from being ensorcelled, and she just... leaves them in the wilderness. They're not what she's there for, and she doesn't seem to have much compassion for the fact that they were compelled to do what they were doing.

I really liked the character Tun, who was the most fleshed out character other than Aelis. He is half orc, half human, which makes people not trust him, but he has a lot of knowledge of the countryside and ends up helping Aelis during the plot half of the book.

The magic system was also interesting, I enjoyed Aelis's necromantic abilities being used as a healer and surgeon, an Anatomist in the book, rather than the more traditional uses of necromancy. I was also curious about the world itself, we get glimpses of world building but since much of the book takes place in a small town, we don't see a huge amount of it. I am guessing the next book explores it more, given the (extremely abrupt) ending, but I admit I probably won't find out.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book other than it was fantasy, and had an old-school looking cover to it.

The book follows a promising mage who just graduated from the kingdom's magic school as a Warden, a mage who uses their magic to protect people and fight monsters and magic appearances in the realm. As a top graduate of the school they are shocked to be assigned to the far edges of the realm away from the cities and areas they are used to inhabiting.

They arrive to find the previous warden just disappeared and the home they are to inhabit is run down and the locals are distrustful of them and their magic. Being near the borderlands has it's own dangers with the chance of incursions from the wild.

I enjoyed the book and the characters quite a bit. It has a feel of the older fantasy books I grew up with. Also has a bit of the city-dweller in the farm country to it. I enjoyed the ramping up of the story and the danger to the characters. My only complaint is the sudden ending to the book. It felt a bit unnatural in where it happened, but it definitely has me wanting to read the next one to complete the story. It was a decent read, and I look forward to the next volume.

I thought this book was a fun, light bordering on cozy, fantasy, with a cover that really drew me in. While it was a slower-going story, and some of the high stakes didn't really feel as suspenseful as I would like, I really enjoyed reading this.

I loved the world-building, and magic, I enjoyed seeing Aelis as she settled into her new life, trying to help its residents even as they are afraid of her. I loved her friendship with Tun, and how she ended up making some unlikely friends, and even got her own loved interest. I think that this as a first book did a good job of setting everything up for the next book, and the way it ended definitely left me wanting to read what comes out next.