The Secret of the Scroll

When I started to read this book it was not quite what I expected and I started to think this is not the genre for me. Many hours later after reading straight though (except stopping for drinks and food). I thought maybe it was !
Definitely buying the next in the series to see where the story goes from here.

This was an easily readable tale and captivating enough that I completed the book in one sitting. Being the first time I have read anything by this author, I look forward to reading some more.

I really loved this bookfrom startto finish.i knew from when I read the blurb that I would enjoy it. Never a dull moment. Thanks so much for the opportunity

Thanks, Netgalley and Publisher for the opportunity to read and review!
A very intriguing read with very captivating characters. It's always nice to read a story that balances its narrative and development between the heroes and the villains. It starts a little bit slow but the narrative gets you engrossed and the plot blooms with every next page. I will definitely read more from the author.

DJ Harrison does a wonderful Job of creating a story, that in my opinion, is a very different fantasy!
Filled with Demons, magic, steel and swords....YES!

But the first novels twist is that there is no clear, main character. All of them are so real, that the closest you get are Anti-heros. The human flaws that flesh them out and make them real, mean that they don't stand out in the traditional sense.

Is it Tyrant, who is an unwitting participant in every aspect of the story, but simultaneously so vital. ( the series is clearly named.for him),

Ant, who by his fathers meddling in magic, draws him into a need to find his friends, kill the king, and become what is he is destined for.
...which is not revealed.

Malachi, clearly a wizard, with gift for manipulation, but also a gift for failure when he should so surely succeed...good, bad, his intentions murky at best...

Or Lone, such a powerful woman, but still so clearly tethered by her Gender in a male dominant world..

The story cleverly takes a non-linear path and even though it doesn't arrive at a concrete conclusion in one book, it deftly leaves you wanting more with such unique occurrences and world bulding...

Fans of Abercrombie will love it!

A funny, magical quest story of a boy drawn into demon conjuring, a sorceror who may or not be evil depending on your point of view a king who holds on to his throne through fear, a reluctant demon disguised as a silly looking horse, 2 girls looking for their parents and the protectors and enemies they encounter.
I really enjoyed this, it has a flavour of Pratchett with a undercurrent of menace and danger. I am really looking forward to the next installment.

Tyrant loves to do his own thing, and just wants to be left alone. Lone the witch has other plans, can Tyrant finally escape her clutches? and if he does will he survive?

Ant trying to impress his friends, creates some kind of portal they get sucked into, with his town in chaos and the king turning on his own people, Ant is sentenced to be hung. When he survives, he finds himself on an epic journey with witches and demons, but will his thirst for revenge be his downfall?

Malachi determined to win his kings ear finds himself instead trying to escape the kings wrath. Now with his wife's arrival, can their plan be salvaged?

Patch, unfortunately too curious for his own good, finds himself in a position he finds demeaning. Is he more than he seems, and will he get what he wants?

This was an enjoyable first in series read and I look forward to reading more.
Thank you to Open Circle Publishing for the ARC on NetGalley.
#DJHarrison #TheSecretoftheScroll #NetGalley

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book got off to a little bit of a slow start but by a quarter of the way in I was hooked. This is a book about people messing with magic they don't understand and living in the context of an authoritarian regime. Great worldbuilding, although at first the book began in a way that felt it over explained rather than showing the world building, this issue resolved as the book progressed. The book ends with a lot left unresolved and is clearly setting the stage for the next book (which I am eager to read).
There are some feminist themes of the book that are not fully explored but hints that more might be coming in future books.

High adventure in a Midevil time of kings, knights, sorcerers, and demons with attitude. Parallel stories progress together following perilous paths to escape the evil king, and plot to eliminate him. Fun adventure at a fast moving pace - and continues in Book 2!

An interesting start to a promising new series, this book contains fun characters, and a well-developed new world for readers to explore. My biggest complaint is there are so many different characters that it can be hard to keep track of everyone and their various storylines. That said, overall the plot is interesting, and the characters are decently developed. I'm curious to see where the rest of the series will go, and if it'll follow the continuing adventures of those we were introduced to in this opening installment.