I picked up a copy of Stella Brie‘s The Rowan as an Amazon freebie.
For over three hundred years, Arden’s very existence has been hidden. Until one night, when the latest assassination attempt fails and the third Killian blade makes its appearance.
A powerful witch with little knowledge of her heritage, Arden’s first step on the path of destiny is The Abbey. A place of sanctuary and power, it’s a haven in a sea of unknowns and where she hopes to find an ally.
An Elven prince, a Fae lord, the First Vampire, a warlock, and the King of Dragons make up the Imperium Cadre, one of the most powerful cadres in existence. Owning and managing The Abbey for over a thousand years, they’re not known for taking in strays. But Lord Theron’s life debt paves Arden’s entry into the formidable sphere of their protection.
As the sweeping winds of change blow, Arden and the cadre will navigate the path of destiny together. Secrets are revealed, heritage found, and alliances forged and lost.
Honestly, this might have been a personal preference sort of thing, but I was just so incredibly bored throughout this entire book. She shows up at The Abbey, and all the men instantly fall for her. So, there’s no sense of tension or getting to know each other (let alone time for the reader to get to know anyone or come to care for the potential relationships). She arrives super strong and competent/confident. So, there is no sense of room for personal growth in her character. But still the reader has to sit through all the ‘training’ and ‘testing.’ *Yawn*
There is very little worldbuilding. In fact, I started to suspect this might be a spin-off of something else. (That would mean the worldbuilding was in a previous book or series and would account for the pre-existing relationships that feel important in some of the side characters.) The villains are cliched. Actually, the treatment of ALL OF THE FEMALE CHARACTERS is cliched. The whole thing reads like an upper YA/lower NA book, despite the character theoretically being 328 years old. For those that care, there is no on-page sex, and the book ends on a cliffhanger. I don’t think I’ll bother with the next book.
Other Reviews:
Book Review – The Rowan (The Killian Blade 1) by Stella Brie