Colleen’s 2018 #Book #Reviews – “Catling’s Bane,” by Author, D. Wallace Peach

Posted on January 1, 2018 by

102 Comments

Title: Catling’s Bane, The Rose Shield, Book 1 of 4

Amazon Author Page: D. Wallace Peach

Publication Date: March 12, 2017

Formats: Paperback & Kindle

Genres: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Colonization, Science Fiction, First Contact, Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

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IN THE AUTHOR’S WORDS:

“In the tiers of Ellegeance, the elite Influencers’ Guild holds the power to manipulate emotions. Love and fear, pain and pleasure, healing and death mark the extremes of their sway, but it’s the subtle blends that hook their victims’ hearts. They hide behind oaths of loyalty and rule the world.

A child born in the grim warrens beneath the city, Catling rues the rose birthmark encircling her eye. Yet, it grants her the ability to disrupt the influencers’ sway. Established methods of civil control disintegrate before her. She’s a weapon desired by those who reign and those who rebel.

To the Influencer’s Guild, she’s an aberration, a threat. They order her death, and thus the betrayals begin. One woman protects and trains her, plotting to use her shield to further imperial goals. No longer a helpless child, Catling has other plans. As chaos shakes the foundations of order and rule, will she become the realm’s savior? Or it’s executioner?

The Rose Shield Tetralogy – a blend of science fiction and fantasy.

Welcome to a world of three moons, a sentient landscape, rivers of light, and tier cities that rise from the swamps like otherworld flowers. A planet of water dragons, where humans are the aliens living among three-fingered natives with spotted skin. Where a half-blood converses with the fog and the goddess plans her final reckoning.

Follow Catling’s journey as she grows from childhood into the deadly force that shapes the future. She is the realm’s shield, an influencer, assassin, healer, mother, and avenger. And all she wants is to go home.

The books of The Rose Shield Tetralogy
Catling’s Bane
Oathbreakers’ Guild
Farlanders’ Law
Kari’s Reckoning”

MY RECOMMENDATION:

It is the darkest night, and the city of Mur-Vallis is shrouded in fog. Raker, the slant-eyed, three-fingered half-fen, half-human loiters near the dock as if possibly summoned there by the mysterious luminescence that flows through the rivers and streams of the planet. Before this night is done, Raker will save the young child, Catling, whose future will be intertwined with his own in ways neither he nor she ever imagined.

The mystical Farlanders, the original inhabitants of the planet before the Ellegeans, came across to me as the natives, in tune with the natural rhythms of the planet. For me, these beings were reminiscent of the creatures in the movie, Avatar. They lived off the land and followed their nature-based customs believing in the kari, the natural spirits of the planet. However, the Farlanders and their magic posed a threat to the Ellegeans, and when they took power, these folk were tortured and slaughtered as spectacles of entertainment for the people.

The Ellegeans establish an order where the lowliest are born in the bottoms, and where those with the most power abide in the highest levels of the cities. The Influencers’ Guild, a secretive, closed society within Ellegean, holds control over the tiers by flexing their power to manipulate emotions. The Guild’s influence is so subtle that the people have no idea they are controlled from the lowliest to the top, including the King.

Except for Catling, who possesses a rose-colored birthmark encircling her eye which allows her to block the “influence” from affecting the people. This magical ability allows her to see the threads of influence that binds the people. Catling’s ability is a bane to power as well as a boon. The Guild wants her dead, and Catling becomes a pawn in the hands of those wielding power because Catling will never be free of who she is.

Catling’s Bane qualifies as epic fantasy meeting the three qualifications: It is a trilogy or longer, it encompasses many years, and it includes a universe filled with backstory where the saga takes place. This book was my first introduction to D. Wallace Peach’s writing, and I must say I feel like a gushing fan. The writing is superb with descriptions that fly from the page plunking the reader into the midst of this mysterious world. Seldom have I found writing this engaging.

Fantasy and science fiction lovers will applaud the detail in the world of Ellegean. I took my time reading, relishing the characters and the magic that breathed from the author’s written words. I encountered two issues – I couldn’t put the book down, and I dreamed of this far away world every night. I loved the story so much; I’ve already bought the second novel in the series.

If you love epic fantasy/science fiction, this book will engage, enlighten, and entertain you. The book, listed at the introductory price of only $.99, will steal your heart. I’m hooked! Stay tuned, because I’ll be reviewing each book in the series.

I had to come back to reality to write this review. ❤ I know you’ll love the series as much as I do.

MY RATING:

Character Believability: 5
Flow and Pace: 5
Reader Engagement: 5
Reader Enrichment: 5
Reader Enjoyment: 5
Overall Rate: 5 out of 5 Fairies


*I follow the Amazon Rating System*


About the Author: D. Wallace Peach

Tolkien … literally changed my life. I didn’t care for reading as a child – I preferred Bonanza and Beverly Hillbillies reruns, Saturday morning cartoons and the Ed Sullivan show. Then one day, I opened a book titled The Hobbit. Magic happened.

I love writing and have the privilege to pursue my passion full time. I’m still exploring the fantasy genre, trying out new points of view, playing with tense, creating optimistic works with light-hearted endings, and delving into the grim and gritty what-ifs of a post-apocalyptic world. Forgive me if I seem unfocused in my offering of reads. Perhaps one day, I’ll settle into something more reliable. For now, it’s simply an uncharted journey, and I hope you enjoy the adventure as much as I.

D. Wallace Peach started writing later in life after the kids were grown and a move left her with hours to fill. Years of working in business surrendered to a full-time indulgence in the imaginative world of books, and when she started writing, she was instantly hooked. Diana lives in a log cabin amongst the tall evergreens and emerald moss of Oregon’s Coastal Mountains with her husband, two dogs, and Pinky the Cat.

Ready for an adventure? Click HERE to visit D. Wallace Peach’s Amazon Author Page to find all of her books.

The Sorcerer’s Garden
Sunwielder
The Bone Wall
The Melding of Aeris

The Rose Shield Tetralogy:
Catling’s Bane, Book I
Oathbreakers’ Guild, Book II
Farlanders’ Law, Book III
Kari’s Reckoning, Book IV

The Dragon Soul Saga:
Myths of the Mirror, Book I
Eye of Fire, Book II
Eye of Blind, Book III
Eye of Fire, Book IV

Grumpy Ana and the Grouchy Monsters: A Children’s Space Tale

How to Connect with the Author

For book descriptions, excerpts, maps, and behind the scenes info, please visit:  http://dwallacepeachbooks.com.

For her blog on all things writing, please visit http://mythsofthemirror.com.

TWITTER: @Dwallacepeach

FACEBOOK: Myths of the Mirror: @DWPeachbooks

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/dianapeach33/pins/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/activities/d-wallace-peach+0_2F1UmSg–qRIqYJlk2W1Q_?trk=nav_responsive_sub_nav_yourupdates
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/101899993447765818692/posts

Thanks for stopping by to meet D. Wallace Peach! ❤

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Category: Book ReviewsTags: , , , , , , , , , ,

102 Comments on “Colleen’s 2018 #Book #Reviews – “Catling’s Bane,” by Author, D. Wallace Peach”

  6. I was so delighted to stumble across this review, Colleen, as I catch up from a holiday break. I’m tickled that you enjoyed the writing and the story, and appreciate your kind words. I’m just grinning ear to ear and doing a little wiggle dance. Ha ha. You made my day. I will reblog shortly as I catch my breath. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review. Wishing you a marvelous new year, full of vigorous health, joy, creativity, abundance, and of course… magic. ❤

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  8. I just finished the final book a few weeks ago. I’ll have to come back to see how you liked the remainder of the series. I too just loved all of it!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  11. Pingback: Colleen’s Book Reviews – “Catling’s Bane” | Myths of the Mirror

  13. Colleen, this is a wonderful review of Diana’s book – your description of her writing mirrors my own feelings when I read her work and am transported away to other worlds. I have this on my kindle and look forward to catching up on all my reading soon! xx

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  18. 5 out of 5 out of 5 – Catling AND your review! I’m not normally a fantasy reader, but like you, I gush after I read each of Diana’ books. This one still has me hooked months after I read it. 💜

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  20. Pingback: #Fairies, #Myths, & #Magic 2018 Author Spotlight Guest Posts, “Myths of the Mirror,” by Author, D. Wallace Peach – colleenchesebro.com

  21. Pingback: Author Spotlight: Magical Writing, D. Wallace Peach | Myths of the Mirror

  23. I find the three qualifications of an ‘epic fantasy’ to be fascinating. Almost makes me want to try writing one myself. 😉 Anyway I just ordered a copy of Catling’s Bane. Very much looking forward to this read…

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Excellent. I’m a fan. I still have two more reviews to do on this series and I’ve just bought her other series, Myths of the Mirror. Please stop by and tell me how much you enjoyed her enchanting stories. ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • Thanks so much for checking out the review, Jan. I was just tickled when I found it on Colleen’s site. My covers are done by Deranged Doctor Design. They are super professional, reasonably priced, and talented. Their lead times are about 5 months, though! Have a wonderful weekend.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  26. I really can’t wait to read this–I’ve got it on my tablet. I’ve got a few other books on my TBR list ahead of it, though, but now I might have to move it up the list 😀 Great review, Colleen! And you are so right about Diana’s writing–it’s fantastic!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  28. Pingback: Colleen’s 2018 Book Reviews: “Farlander’s Law,” The Rose Shield, Book 3 | colleenchesebro.com

  29. Pingback: Colleen’s 2018 #Book #Reviews, “Kari’s Reckoning, The Rose Shield, Book 4,” by D. Wallace Peach | colleenchesebro.com

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Colleen M. Chesebro: Prose-Metrist, Novelist, & Word Witch
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Colleen M. Chesebro

Colleen M. Chesebro is an American Poet who loves crafting paranormal fantasy and magical realism, cross-genre flash fiction, syllabic poetry, and creative nonfiction. Colleen sponsors a weekly syllabic poetry challenge, called Tanka Tuesday, on wordcraftpoetry.com where participants learn how to write traditional and current forms of haiku, senryu, haiga, tanka, gogyohka, tanka prose, renga, solo-renga, haibun, cinquain, Etheree, nonet, and shadorma poetry. Colleen's syllabic poetry has appeared in the Auroras & Blossoms Poetry Journal, and in “Hedgerow, a journal of small poems.” She’s won numerous awards from participating in the Carrot Ranch Rodeo, a yearly flash fiction contest sponsored by carrotranch.com. In 2020, she won first place in the Carrot Ranch Folk Tale or Fable category, with her story called “Why Wolf Howls at the Moon.” Colleen is a Sister of the Fey, where she pursues a pagan path through her writing. When she is not writing, she is reading. She also loves gardening and crocheting old-fashioned doilies into works of art.

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