Gravedigger

by Michael-Israel Jarvis

[Chelsea]

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thoughts When I Finished:

I was pleasantly surprised after finishing this book. Most of the story was a solid 3-4 stars for me but I really love how the ending turned out and that's what pushed my rating up higher.

What I Loved:

I think what I loved most about this book was the idea that this plain boy could become something so much greater than himself. I especially liked Perin because he was just thrown into this strange situation and he ended up being a person that people looked up to and lead them. I also really loved that there was no judgement in this book, which is a little unrealistic I guess. There were humans, mages, undead, and so many more creatures but Perin just kind of banded together with whoever he wanted. There was one boy who was a mage and the mages weren't well loved in this book. But Perin ended up becoming like a brother to him even though their relationship wasn't easy. It was easily all the themes and morals that really made this book for me.

What I Didn't Like:

There wasn't anything I could say that I didn't like but I found that the plot made me confused quite a bit. The world building was lacking a little and it made it hard for me to figure out what was happening at some points. I think this book could have gotten 5 stars if it wasn't for the world building and some plot points early on.

Who I'd recommend To:

I'd recommend this book to lovers of high fantasy. It's not a light read by any means so you need to be dedicated to the fantasy genre to be able to get through this whole story. That's not a bad thing, it just means that this shouldn't be one of your first fantasy books maybe. I think it would also be a good book for people who love coming of age books. You can really see the character development of the main character and how he never forgets where he came from.

Review Summary:

A great story for seasoned fantasy lovers of all kinds! It's a fantasy book without following the usual patterns of other fantasy books. Be prepared for something a little different! It's not a book you'll be able to speed through, but a book where you would relax and be fully integrated into the story. The action and adventure is drawn out until the very end so at not point during this book will you be bored.