Gathering of the Four by A. E. Bennett

Release: April 2, 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Independently published
Source: The Writereads Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle

“In the Realm, every citizen knows their place.”

Leora of Mae is a young woman orphaned at birth and raised on a remote farm. As a wielder of Xanthcraft, her abilities set her apart from her adoptive family and the other villagers.

Shortly before her twentieth birthday, she learns of her family’s plot to sell her into servitude. Fearing for her life, she flees from the only home she’s ever known—defying societal conventions and breaking the edicts of the Realm.

As she runs, Leora meets Roland Shallowbrook, a traveler on the Thieves’ Road; Lady Aurora Verte, daughter of a powerful member of the gentry; and the White Rider Leopold, a soldier with a secret.

Together, this found family will have to band together to survive.

Set in the distant future during the return of the Hale-Bopp comet, Gathering of the Four is the first book in The Serrulata Saga.

About the Author:

A.E. Bennett lives in Washington, D.C. She is originally from North Carolina.

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Gathering of the Four Review:

Oh my goodness! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thought it was a fantastic start to the Serrulata Saga Series.

Firstly, I enjoyed the world-building and how the author depicted the future. The author reveals fragments of the complete potential of the Xanthcraft initially, and like the characters, we also get bits and pieces of what they can do for the story, which makes it interesting.

Moreover, the web of intricate relationships between the characters is exciting and unexpected. On the one hand, you have a complex interest between Aurora, Roland, Anand, and Samuel. On the other hand, you also have something happening between Leora, Shep, and Leopold. While these relationships were unimportant to the main plot, I found it entertaining and wondered who would get together.

There are also some exciting moments in the story where I could not put the book down. Some such incidents are when Jude confronts Leopold or the incident with Eve, Damek, and Alrich. Speaking of whom, the author writes the supporting characters also well. I was rooting for Eve throughout and thought the author progressed her story well. Alrich is someone you love to hate. Another couple that surprised me was Octavia and Gerald. Initially, I didn’t think I would be invested in these two as they appear only in the background. However, I was intrigued when the author gave them the spotlight and curious about what they would bring to the next book. Even the residents of the Sanctuary felt like family members after a while.

Considering that this is the first book of the series, the author leaves a lot of plots open-ended, making you want to pick up the next book immediately to continue reading. Overall, I loved “Gathering of the Four” and am excited for the next book!