This was a dark and complex book and it took me some time to get through but overall it was a good story. I'm so very curious to see how the second book plays out. This book is slept on though for all you true fantasy girlies. The world building was very in depth at time and the emotions ran high. It harkened to classic fantasy through out the entire book and I felt myself getting lost in the story. 5/5

Unfortunately this just didn’t work for me.

The plot felt predictable, and I just couldn’t get into the romance! I wish I could have rooted for it more, but I felt so disconnected from it.

Thank you NetGalley, Shadow Spark, and the Collins authors for this e-ARC.

This was the first book I was ever approved for on NetGalley, but unfortunately, I just can’t continue on with it. I tried picking this one up again after a few months, and it just didn’t do it for me. I found the pacing to be slow, and when I read a fantasy novel, I have to be immediately engaged. Otherwise, it feels like I’m trudging through it, especially if I can’t use an audiobook to help me through the reading process if needed.

But that doesn’t mean that this book won’t be a fabulous adventure for someone else!

I liked how this book had more traditional fantasy vibes - knights, princesses, quests, goblins, elves, dragons and forest. That felt nostalgic and traditional which felt new because a lot of fantasy is not like this. It's exactly what I thought to would be.

The plot is entertaining and well executed, the quest storyline is enjoyable and nostalgic and the main and side characters were relatable and lovable. The plot and writing was well done and for the story. I really enjoyed this book.

I was really excited for this but unfortunately it fell flat for me. The premise sounded great but perhaps this authors debut isn’t going to be for everyone.

For fans of:
- Kingdom of Claw

Dimitar lives in a world infested by sinister, vile creatures called the Corrupted. He has spent his life training to fight these malicious creatures, but when King Connor, the ruler of a neighboring kingdom, is brutally murdered by the Corrupted, they go from being nightmares to combative adversaries. All Dimitar wants is to defend his people, arm and arm with his fellow knights, but he is instead assigned with the task of guarding his princess, Kaleela.

This book includes:
- Zombie-ish demons that will eat a man alive
- noble knights
- brothers in arms
- honorable kings
- a princess with a knack for getting herself into trouble
- rude-ass elves

This book has a great concept. Dimitar is very very likable and is probably the type of knight that I would fall desperately in love with. Kaleela is strong and I like that she is never embarrassed or afraid to express her feelings, even if she is feeling painful grief. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to deeply connect with any of the characters and wonder if they are a bit two-dimensional for me, or if the book just wasn't my cup of tea? Either way, I would still recommend this book to my pals.

I received this ebook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Courtney & Clarke Collins, and Shadow Spark Publishing for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted across my socials under the username @tinynightingales, check out my GoodReads profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863
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Highly enjoyable read. Characters are likeable and relatable. Setting (magic, history, races, countries, etc) was well put together, and coherent. Action was fast paced. Fun plot twists. Reminded me a bit of Sarah J. Maas and her work.

I just don't think I was the target audience for this one. Got about 40% into it and was just a put off by the constant disregard of safety to deal with the supernatural threat.

3/5 stars not my absolute favorite of a book but I definitely enjoyed it. But I did enjoy the elf’s in the book. I’m hoping book 2 will be more interesting in the series

This book was well written and had a great vibe! I’ve seen too many fantasy novels lately with bad writing so I really appreciated this one.

Adult novel with appeal for teens in terms of writing style and accessibility. This will also appeal to some LOTR fans and many fantasy readers who value a fast pace and familiar plot and character elements.

Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Spark Publishing for this ARC of *In the Name of Honor* by Clarke and Courtney Collins.

I ultimately decided to DNF this book at 60%, which was not an easy choice. It took me a long time to get that far, and I kept holding on, hoping the story would finally deliver on its potential, however this was just not the right fit.

*In the Name of Honor* presents a narrative that many may find appealing, but for me, it fell short. The pacing is extremely slow, and while I can appreciate a slow-burn romance, the plot felt stretched too thin, making it difficult to stay engaged. I wanted to connect with the characters and their relationships, but the gradual development felt more drawn out than immersive.

That being said, I can see how readers who enjoy intricate world-building with well-crafted settings and gradual storytelling might find something to love here. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me. For readers who are patient with character arcs and plot-progression, this might still be worth exploring; however, for those seeking immediate engagement or action-packed sequences, it may not be the best fit.

Eh, I probably should have DNF'd this book. The plot was fine, but for some reason I felt like I was slogging through the entire read. The characters felt very one dimensional and I didn't feel an emotional connection to any of them. I'm also super confused why this is part of a series as it seemed to come to a conclusion at the end. The whole thing was fine, but I don't think this is a series I'll be continuing.

I enjoyed reading this book took a while to get into but I did! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

A classic good vs evil fantasy with a little bit of romance, this was a fun read. The romance was developed right from the beginning and done really well. The plot in general wasn't something I personally loved, but I'm sure other people would enjoy this more.

I was excited to read this book because I love the genre, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite land for me. While it had the right elements on paper, I struggled to connect with the plot. I kept hoping it would pick up, but in the end, it just wasn’t for me.

That said, I can see how readers who enjoy lots of world building elements in the style of Lord of the Rings might have a better experience with it. While it wasn’t my cup of tea, I appreciate the opportunity to read an early copy, thanks Courtney & Clarke Collins.

Thank you Shadow Spark and NetGalley for the ARC!

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish this. While it was a compelling plot, I felt that it was just a mix and re-telling of already existing epic fantasy stories. The characters also felt one dimensional. Overall the writing also did not grab me since it was a lot of "telling" and not "showing."

I made it to about 25% before I put the book down and just never came back to it. I don't know if it was the pacing of the story or what, but I never felt compelled to pick it back up again.

There were a few parts of the book that I did enjoy but overall I wasn’t really feeling the book. So much was going on it was hard to focus on the main plot when so much confusing info/characters were introduced every few chapters. The world building and character were overall lacking

This fantasy follows reads as YA (not in a bad way) and takes you on a great adventure. The characters are lovable and the plot makes you want to know what happens next. That said, the novel fell flat for me. There were times everything moved too fast, like the end, and moments where everything dragged on. I enjoyed the multi POV but feel like we got to know some characters better than others, I want to know about Dimitir and Olaf’s history! Who IS Ral and WHAT is Karn?
Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read this eARC.