Customer Reviews

The Strangeling

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

An ancient curse is about to be unleashed as prophecy comes to fruition....

Nearly 100 years ago, a prophecy spoke of the undead armies of Crondor and Yaxlan rising up with the power from the underworld. Only a specific maiden can save THE STRANGELING forest from the skeletal place of death it has become. The elders of the Western Tor believe Maerose is this maiden. Two men, Veldor and Bron, believe this as well, although Veldor's desires are sinister in nature. What will happen this Samhain to THE STRANGELING when legends and ancient prophecies come to life?

THE STRANGELING is a hauntingly beautiful tale of good versus evil. An eerie atmosphere permeates the story as Saskia Walker brings her carefully crafted world to vivid life. The lush descriptions of the scenery are stunning as Ms. Walker depicts the stark, almost ghostly reality of THE STRANGELING. The images evoked by the demons will send shivers down the spine of the reader of this compelling tale.

The character development of Maerose, Bron, and Veldor is superb. Maerose demonstrates great strength of character and her purity of heart shines through. She is a phenomenal female lead in this fantasy and her character truly makes this story work. Bron is the perfect male complement for Maerose as he seeks only to do what is right. Veldor provides a stunning contrast as his malevolence is powerfully written.

THE STRANGELING is the sort of story that haunts the reader long after the last page is turned. Saskia Walker has a true gem with this superb fantasy novel coupled with all the elements to make a great paranormal romance as well. This reviewer will definitely be keeping an eye out for further fantasy novels from this fabulous author!

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

The Strangeling
by Saskia Walker
Juno Books
Fantasy
[...]
The setting is Edren a fantasy world created by the author who has a magical imaginative spark in storytelling.

The Strangeling is an erotic fantasy novel that revolves around Maerose, a beautiful young woman with magical powers. Maerose is the heroine and Bron is her hero. Bron is an elder and goes on the quest of rescuing Maerose from her captor, Veldor who is a former elder himself. Veldor's intentions are malicious as he seeks to mate with Maerose in order to master the demons and rule the lands.Veldor is knowledgeable on the prophecy made around 100 years ago; the prophecy is one of a chilling nature where the undead armies of Crondor and Yaxlan rise up from the underworld with great power. As the prophecy has foretold of a maiden that can save the forest and the elders all believe this to be Maerose due to the revelations revealed about the prophecy. Will good conquer evil or will evil prevail in this fascinating fantasy?

The Strangeling is a short fantasy novel that is packed with vivid details and a precise amount of action. Walker writes the story with impact and the story is a superbly crafted erotic fantasy. The characters are well developed with detail and the author manages to tie the characters together well.

This is the first of the author's works I have had the pleasure of reviewing and have to admit I am hooked. I look forward to her new release next month which is also a fantasy entitled "Unveiling The Sorceress".

Saskia Walker is a British author of erotic romance, fantasy and erotica. Her idea for this novel began at a tender age of between 8 and 9 when she first became interested in paganism and her parents took her to visit Stonehenge.Saskia Walker earned her BA with honors from the University of Sussex, and has a MA in Literature and Visual Arts from theUniversity of Reading. She currently resides north of London with her true love Mark.

A Magical 5 stars for The Strangeling!

A backdrop of Old World magic and virgin woodlands set the scene in THE STRANGELING, a 2007 release by Saskia Walker. Maerose, Veldor, and Bron exist in a world where chivalry reigns supreme and life can be condensed into a battle between good and evil.

THE STRANGELING is an enchanted forest near the land of Edren where fey reside and magic reigns. As prophesied by an elder, a bloody battle ensues between two armies over possession of the land. Hundreds die and as the demons of the underworld devour their souls, the forest becomes cursed.

One hundred years later, the curse is coming to fruition. On Samhain, the spirits of the slain soldiers will rise on the wings of the strengthened underworld demons as evil spreads throughout the ruins of The Strangeling and the surrounding areas. One person has the power to change the terrible fate. "She will be a daughter of Beltane, born in the village known as Riversbend, and she will come of age at the time when the curse will come to pass." She will need to offer herself as a mate to a man of faith on Samhain, at the gate of the underworld, to unleash her magic.

When Maerose is abducted, she has no idea of the prophecy fortelling her future. Her captor Veldor, a former elder, intends to be the man of faith she mates with so he can master the hordes of demons and rule the land. It is elder Bron's task to rescue Maerose from Veldor's clutches so the prophecy may unfold.

The reader does not have much background knowledge of the characters before the book jumps right into the action. This allows the characters to develop and be fully realized as the story progresses. Veldor is the traditional nemesis, evil and willing to go to any means necessary for power. Unfortunately, this makes him a bit predictable, but he falls into the background for the majority of the plot, allowing Bron and Maerose to take center stage.

A great deal of time is devoted to the developing relationship between Bron and Maerose. Bron must guide Maerose to her destiny while she struggles to understand the incredible connection between the two. Approximately 70 of the book's 175 pages are devoted to Bron helping Maerose recognize her power. The way that Maerose harnesses her magic will not leave romance-seekers disappointed. An interesting twist at the end makes the climax worth waiting for.

My only real complaint is that I wish more time was spent developing the setting and exploring the secondary characters. It has a lot of potential as a fantasy story which is overshadowed by the dominance of the romantic theme. However, it just depends on what the reader is looking for. Erotica readers will find the story right on target.

Saskia Walker is no stranger to the erotica genre. Her books include DOUBLE DARE and UNVEILING THE SORCERESS and she has coauthored many other stories, including KINK and several erotica collections.

This book is written on the level of a Harlequin romance for young teens. I was hoping for better from this slim novel but was very disappointed.

In her lifetime no one was abducted by the evil Druids though stories persist that was not so a century ago. Most of the young assume it is an adult device to make them behave. However, with Samheim Eve five nights away, the hooded figure kidnaps the maiden Maerose as he knows she is they key to how the STRANGELING curse will be unleashed upon the world.

Veldar the Druid believes that if he takes her virginity on Samheim Eve, he will prevent the only means of stopping his diabolical plan of bringing forth an army of evil spirits under his control that will attack the living. If he does not and she mates with a pious believer, the portal to allow evil to cross will remain closed. However, over confident, Veldar fails to insure his unwilling future mate cannot escape. Instead Bron rescues Maerose, who realizes to save her life and that of her people, he is the one she must mate with on Samheim Eve as in his way he is a true believer.

This short novel (175 pages) packs a lot of action and three well developed characters in the exciting story line. Most fascinating is how similar Veldar and Bron are though at the same time they are opposites as each fervently and passionately believe in what they are doing yet the villainous druid is a megalomaniac while the hero is a caring kindhearted soul. That comparison along with the coming of age of Maerose from a village mouse into a superhero provides the audience with a wonderful one sitting fantasy.

Harriet Klausner