Honestly speaking, this was one of those books that took me a LONG time to formulate my thoughts with how I was in two minds about nearly every aspect, but I enjoyed it immensely.

A DRUIDS TALE by A.J. Thornton

Publication: 1 March 2021 | Read: 29 January 2021
Series: Rise of Balor #1
Genre(s): Fantasy | Age Group: Young Adult
No. of Pages: 360
Click here to view Trigger Warnings
Death, KillingAverion is a world full of magic where the battle for peace in a land of fantasy and mystery falls to the ancient Blood-Hunters.
To be a Blood-Hunter it is said, is to live a life of sacrifice in earning the powers that can subdue the sleeping evil that permeates throughout the land.
Aifien is a fiery young Celtic warrior and together with her wise teacher Finral they embark on a journey as proud Blood-Hunters to right a terrible wrong and to put pay to the evil resurrected Fomorian King Balor before he can reclaim what remains of his lost power.
Their quest will see them form an alliance with The Lost Gods. But will the hidden secrets given up by the land and borne through themselves be enough to save Averion from Balor and his rampaging Balorites.
Every battle has its monsters but sometimes the greatest enemy is a friend.
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Thank you to the author, A.J. Thornton for providing me a review copy in exchange for a sincere review.

REVIEW
A Druid’s Tale follows Aifien, a Blood-Hunter and her mentor, Finral, who are directed by the Gods, and in this book going on a journey to stop the recently resurrected Formorian Balor King before he can reclaim all his power once again.
The pacing was a pity in this book, and yet a delight in the end. The first 50% was slow, with the characters just wandering around in a forest and I had no idea where this book was going. It felt very “on the surface” and admittedly did I got frustrated at times, partially why it took me a while to finish this one. However, halfway the book starts to pick up place, with a series of dramatic events and the sense of mystery coming in which heightened the mystery and suspense so well, and the direction becoming very clear and this made me so so excited to plow through the story. I think one unique aspect of this book would be the relationship between the characters in the plot. I felt that the characters were very steadfast in their personality which was a double edged sword in the sense that they were distinct and together forming such an unlikely yet dynamic team with all the chemistry and banter that I loved, but on the other hand, they were very predictable (Aifien did give me special snowflake vibes for most part of the book) and I could not see growth at all, something that I was hoping for especially with serious themes of morality and duty raised earlier on.
With all fantasy novels that come my way, I’m always on the lookout for world-building for that is one of the most crucial aspects as fantasy does an important thing of escapism for me. A Druid’s Tale is based on Celtic legends, and I thought it did well (based on my limited knowledge of them). After finishing the book, I did a little research on the characters and marvelled. Not only did I learn so much about the different mythologies like those of Ireland, Scotland etc, I was impressed at the rewriting and (sort of) compilation of them into the book which made it so much richer.

Overall, I’m truly happy for this intriguing read and thought that it set up really well for the series, with that dramatically ominous yet gripping ending, as well as themes of morality and forging one’s own path being hinted at! Will definitely be gobbling up the sequel when it comes!
rating // ★★★½

This is such a great review, Cherelle! 😊
And the book cover and font used are so beautiful! 😍
I’m glad the pacing and suspense worked out in the end. I might consider giving this story a go because I haven’t read many stories inspired by Celtic mythology. Most seem to be inspired by Greek/Roman mythology these days!
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I know, I could stare at the cover for days! 🤩 That’s a good point, Greek mythology inspired books are numerous, probably thanks to the Percy Jackson craze haha… I love Greek mythology but it A Druids Tale was really refreshing! I hope that you enjoy it if you pick it up. Thank you, Noelle! 💖
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ooh a fantasy based on a celtic legend?? that sounds so intriguing!! i haven’t read any books similar to this one before, so i think i might give it a try!! i love stories with good endings – though i’m sorry the pacing wasn’t great in the beginning!! lovely review as always, cherelle!! 💖💖
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I’m so heartened you think so! Ahh the ending was worth the wait and the slow start, I’m now desperate for the next book! Thank you so much Ahaana! 💕
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I’ve not heard of this before but it sounds intetesting. Great review!
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Thank you Georgia! 💖
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ooo this book sounds interesting! Nice review Cherelle! ❤
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It’s based on Celtic mythology which is rarer compared to books based on Greek mythology and thus was refreshing and insightful to read! Thanks Saniya! 💞
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Oo sounds interesting, thanks!
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I haven’t heard of this book before but I loved reading your thoughts on it Cherelle!! Great review ❤️
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Thank you for reading, Abby!! 💖
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It is really annoying when a book is hard to get into….but oh so worth it when it pays of at the end!! And I am soo happy that you are reviewing arcs now!! ❤️
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I know, it’s a pity that many slow starts throw me into reading slumps and cause me to DNF the book before the epic finale ahh but I’m glad I stayed with this one! Aww thank you Ashmita, me too! 💕
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This book sounds interesting! Love your review! 🙂
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Thank you May!
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