Overall a very enjoyable read and basically exactly what I was looking for in a gay fantasy story. There's a good balance between familiar fantasy elements and some unique characters and worldbuilding that make it a cozy, comforting experience without feeling stale. I like the dynamics between the two leads as well as the friendship between Alwyn and the king. I very much enjoyed all the suggestive jokes and flirting, but there was no shortage of genuine moments and bonding through dangerous situations either.
Some resolutions felt a little too easy, especially where Alwyn's backstory is concerned. While I like the theme of forgiveness, it feels like it was too easily dismissed and the complexities of the situation not quite given the weight they deserved.
The prose was pleasant to read and I don't recall stumbling over any awkward phrasings or the like.
While the ending wasn't unsatisfying, there are still plenty of dangling plot threads left open, so I hope there'll be a sequel eventually - there is definitely potential for more developments both on the character and the plot side.
A fun little fantasy novella. The characters all had voice from the moment they were introduced, and it quickly became clear they also had depth and history... We get a lot of Alwyn's story in this first installment; I hope to learn more about the things Dain keeps hidden in the future.
And characters aside (though what's a story without good characters) the plot is similarly fun, with depth and intrigue building as the characters' investigation continues. Looking forward to seeing what more they uncover in the sequel
I liked reading Warden. It is quite gentle and lightly written and there is humour! Delyth also uses a lot of nice words in this novella.
There were some words that I have never read before and actually I really love that. There were so much delightful words! I mean, I do not often come across a work where the word 'gaol' is used, so I love it when I see it being used. It might seem old-fashioned, but that is what I like about it.
I thoroughly enjoyed Warden by Delyth Angharad. A light-hearted fantasy where characters may have dark pasts but they are able to counsel and support each other in moving past them. It's a delightful queer romance that doesn't dwell in angst and instead focuses on the joy and chemistry between its two leads. And most importantly, there's a flying deer-creature animal companion!
I highly recommend it and am looking forward to the next!
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For some reason, the text images are not loading for me. Can you upload the first few chapters?
It's a novella so the first few chapters would be half the book, hehe, but here's a text form of the images: https://dotart.blog/welshpixie/warden-excerpt :)
Overall a very enjoyable read and basically exactly what I was looking for in a gay fantasy story. There's a good balance between familiar fantasy elements and some unique characters and worldbuilding that make it a cozy, comforting experience without feeling stale. I like the dynamics between the two leads as well as the friendship between Alwyn and the king. I very much enjoyed all the suggestive jokes and flirting, but there was no shortage of genuine moments and bonding through dangerous situations either.
Some resolutions felt a little too easy, especially where Alwyn's backstory is concerned. While I like the theme of forgiveness, it feels like it was too easily dismissed and the complexities of the situation not quite given the weight they deserved.
The prose was pleasant to read and I don't recall stumbling over any awkward phrasings or the like.
While the ending wasn't unsatisfying, there are still plenty of dangling plot threads left open, so I hope there'll be a sequel eventually - there is definitely potential for more developments both on the character and the plot side.
A fun little fantasy novella. The characters all had voice from the moment they were introduced, and it quickly became clear they also had depth and history... We get a lot of Alwyn's story in this first installment; I hope to learn more about the things Dain keeps hidden in the future.
And characters aside (though what's a story without good characters) the plot is similarly fun, with depth and intrigue building as the characters' investigation continues. Looking forward to seeing what more they uncover in the sequel
I liked reading Warden. It is quite gentle and lightly written and there is humour! Delyth also uses a lot of nice words in this novella.
There were some words that I have never read before and actually I really love that. There were so much delightful words! I mean, I do not often come across a work where the word 'gaol' is used, so I love it when I see it being used. It might seem old-fashioned, but that is what I like about it.
I really liked the writing style of this novella!
I thoroughly enjoyed Warden by Delyth Angharad. A light-hearted fantasy where characters may have dark pasts but they are able to counsel and support each other in moving past them. It's a delightful queer romance that doesn't dwell in angst and instead focuses on the joy and chemistry between its two leads. And most importantly, there's a flying deer-creature animal companion!
I highly recommend it and am looking forward to the next!