Thursday, January 18, 2018

Review: Cathadeus by Jeff J. Peters with Giveaway



Cathadeus
Book One of the Walking Gates
by Jeff J. Peters
Wise Ink Creative Publishing
YA Fantasy
December 8th, 2017
344 pages


Jan 15 to Feb 2, 2018
Content Rating: PG-13 (fighting scenes)



It has been six hundred years since the Alchemists fused together men and beasts to form strong, mindless slaves. Now, their most vicious creations have attacked the mystical Walking Gates, slaughtering their Keepers and isolating their cities. Wounded in the brutal attack, Braxton Prinn’s mother is on the verge of death and he makes a desperate journey to find the reclusive elven master who can save her. But when he discovers an ancient magic, Brax is caught up in an even greater struggle and soon finds himself hunted for his power. Drawn into the chaos of an impending war and pursued by enemies on all sides, Brax must fight to save his mother and her race from slipping into darkness. Though his untamed magic may be the greatest threat of all . . .




MY TIDBITS

This is a rich fantasy with never ending adventure, vivid scenes and characters which dig in and don't let go.

Braxton's life gets turned upside down when long-forgotten monsters, Minotaurs, attack the Walking Gate and leave his mother with life-threatening injuries. In a quest to save her, he travels with several friends in search of her tree and an elven master. He soon discovers that there's so much more than he knew going on, and finds himself in the middle of a war and battling the discovery of his own powers.

This is a fantasy tale, which holds everything it should. The world is rich, exciting and comes to life as Braxton journeys through the realm. It's easy to sink into the world and envision the surroundings (especially with a lovely drawn map in the beginning of the book). Although it takes a couple of pages to sink into the situation, by the second chapter the story hooks in. One adventure leads to another, each one with unexpected twists and mounds of tension. A lot happens, making this a read hard to put down. The smooth writing draws in and makes the pages flip by.

There is a large palette of characters, as a fantasy should have, and each one has their own quirks, history and intriguing qualities. While Braxton himself is a hero worthy to root for, he has his rough edges as well. Although he's an engaging character, it's his friends who stand at is side and help him through which truly make this an interesting read. The characters come across realistic, their decisions sound and their determination inspiring.

Fantasy friends are sure to enjoy this one. Although there are several violent scenes, it's never over the top and makes for an exciting read.


BOOK BUZZ. . .

“Jeff J. Peters’ strong cinematic writing style allowed me to easily visualize the story and feel that I was right there alongside the characters.”
- Alison W.

“Jeff J. Peters’ writing is so smooth and easy to read – I can’t tell you how much of a pleasure it was…and how quickly you end up being drawn into the story because of it.”
- Amanda R.

“Cathadeus is the best kind of fantasy story - you get to learn along with a flawed main character while you get lost in a richly designed world. You can’t help but keep reading. A cleanly written pairing of characters you wish you could spend more time with and an enthralling world built around them. Cathadeus is the kind of story that plays perfectly off of your imagination, with characters grounded in reality to make it feel like you could really be there.”
- Ryan N.

“Jeff J. Peters definitely has storytelling skills...The story stayed on my mind when I wasn’t reading it. Young readers will be drawn in this imaginative story, while they relate to Braxton’s struggles with temper, insecurity, and young love. Cathadeus is dramatic, with an anxious tone—at times bleak, as the story keeps you wondering until the final battle if good will prevail.”
- Elizabeth C.






And here he is. . .



JEFF J. PETERS was born in South Africa and immigrated to the United States as a teenager, where he fell in love with all things fantasy. He obtained degrees in digital electronics and computer science and worked as an IT professional for more than twenty years. In 2014, he left his corporate position to focus full-time on writing. Cathadeus is his debut novel. He is currently working on the sequel.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Facebook






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Ends Feb 10


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2 comments:

James Robert said...

Thanks so much for the review and giveaway as well.

Mary Preston said...

This looks amazing!!