Title: Elva’s Master: The Coburg Chronicles
Author: Warren Downing
Publisher: PageTurner, Press and Media
ISBN: 978-0228831229
Pages: 318
Genre: Action & Adventure
Reviewed by: Aly Avina
Hollywood Book Reviews
There is a multitude of fantasy worlds in which avid fantasy readers are apt to find themselves in, but none quite as exciting as this one in recent years. In his debut novel, Elva’s Master: The Coburg Chronicles, author Warren Downing takes us down the rabbit hole of his new and enthralling fantasy world with great authenticity and finesse. Readers will see throughout this book how much inspiration the author must have taken from fantasy role-playing games, while simultaneously giving the genre a fresh take that has been lacking for far too long in Fantasy and Sci-Fi novels.
This book takes you on a journey with lead heroine Elva, who was given to the aforementioned Masters of this tale as part of an agreement made at the surrender at the Kingdom of Ari. Subsequently, she must do whatever it takes to survive her new circumstances as those around her see her as food and nothing more. Elva soon proves her worth as a living being, which inevitably brings its own challenges, including the Masters wanting to use her as a pawn in their schemes until they deem she has served her purpose. All the while, Elva is navigating the ways of the Masters politically, which is no easy feat. This results in action-packed scenes and edge-of-your-seat moments throughout the book.
When building a fantasy world, the details of it all can get muddy for some authors, but not for Downing. He is able to perfectly describe in great detail the setting – including the history and politics of the world Elva is in, the geography, and the characters are well thought out as a whole. All of it has a constancy that makes the story even easier to find yourself lost in and turning the page as quickly as possible to see what happens next.
Warren Downing does a fantastic job with his storytelling abilities in his first book, Elva’s Master: The Coburg Chronicles. I eagerly await the next installment in this series to see where Elva’s journey takes her, as Downing continues to build this fantastical world full of intrigue. The only warning I would give while reading this is to be prepared for graphic scenes of violence and plenty of adult themes to go around. Whether or not that is something that easily offends you, though, I would still highly recommend giving this book a read. It will not disappoint.