Release: November 29, 2022
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Podium Publishing
Source: Jeanbooknerd Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, BookDepository
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A team of adventurers enters an epic trial of wits, magic, and monsters in this thrilling new fantasy series set within the Arcane Ascension universe.
Parties attempting to claim the treasures of the Tortoise Spire of Dalenos are usually composed of six professional climbers. But following a near-disastrous climb, Team Guiding Star Legacy finds itself two challengers short. With Nieve as the frontline fighter, Sage as the strategist, Lani as the healer, and Emiko as the spellcaster, they need a couple powerful allies to round out the squad.
The first new recruit, Hane, is a fighting and stealth specialist, while the second, Aldis, has quite the talent for teleportation magic. Though their individual reasons for scaling the spire vary—wealth, fame, favor—the team’s shared goal is thus: fight, win, ascend, and repeat. All in the hopes of one day making it to the top, where the goddess awaits to grant them the objects of their deepest desires.
To achieve this goal, they must master escalating levels of fire and ice, dangerous creatures, and confounding illusions. Whether facing a threat to their bodies, their magic, or their minds, each of the climbers accepts the risks. And bending the rules is part of the challenge. Some call this cheating; others call it winning.
But no test is ever straightforward. Because Guiding Star Legacy is being judged, and their next contest is one they aren’t meant to survive. Ascend or fall, the quest is only just beginning.
About the Authors:
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | GOODREADS
Lifelong nerd and fangirl Kayleigh Nicol earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Animal Science at Cal Poly Pomona, California. After years of volunteering at zoos and aquariums in California, Kayleigh now works at a therapeutic horseback riding center in Long Island, NY. When not taking care of her own menagerie of rescued animals, she enjoys watching anime, playing video games and reading as many fantasy books as she can get her hands on.
Crystal Awakening Review:
I have yet to read The Arcane Ascension series, so I was skeptical if I would enjoy this book. While the beginning was a bit bumpy, I enjoyed it and thought the authors executed it creatively.
Let’s begin with how larger-than-life this book feels. The authors add so many details in the worldbuilding and the characters that you get immersed in another world. The concept of attunement levels, spires, and marks made the story enjoyable as our climbers went on their mission.
Moreover, I enjoyed how the authors toggle the storyline between multiple points of view. All the characters, whether Safe, Aldis, Hane, Lani, Emiko, or Nieve, spark the story with their unique traits. Hane was my favorite because he is the newly joined recruit, and it was interesting to see how he adjusted to the team and the situations. The story also progresses well, where the team faces various challenges and has to review how to achieve their quest.
Perhaps the only downside to the tale is how overwhelming worldbuilding sometimes gets. As soon as you start reading, the story immediately immerses you into the Arcane Ascension universe, and you need more time to adjust to understand how it works slowly. I found myself going back and forth initially to get the hang of what was happening. However, once I got the gist of the tale, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!
Overall, “Crystal Awakening” is an exciting start to the Shattered Legacy series, and I cannot wait to see how it continues!
Giveaway Details:
I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the Crystal Awakening by Andrew Rowe,Kayleigh Nicol Blog Tour hosted by Jeanbooknerd Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
