“Mezzi stood there for a long time after Silverback left. The dog whined and she aimlessly stroked his head and the soft spot behind his ears. Chablis had asked if she were lonely up here. Looking up, she observed young wyvern alternately soaring and tumbling through the air, learning to gauge the wind. The underside of its wings was silky and smooth and it executed a beautiful fall, turning over and over then recovering and regaining its altitude. It appeared to be alone, content with only the wind and the sky for companions. But yet, Mezzi thought, it was not alone, nor was she. She was refreshed by the sight of the wyvern, perhaps it too was enjoying her viewing of its serene display. Mezzi wasn’t sure what being lonely felt like, but she knew she was not lonely.”

1. I read a lot of fantasy and mythology books, so this is a genre I’m familiar with. But I’ve been suffering epic fantasy burnout as of late as to me it all is feeling the same these days… But the description for this book was intriguing and the opening sample caught my attention so I gave it a shot (I always love when an “Evil Queen” is involved!). I must say that Amy Seeling is unarguably a very talented writer, but more than that she genuinely impressed me with her thorough world-building and sheer creativeness on many levels. All too often I read works that feel clearly derivative of other books, and although I appreciate literary influences (as is mildly felt here on occasion as well), when something this original comes along it is a refreshing change of pace! Some of the writing was downright lyrical in the simple elegance of the prose, and other times I was nearly breathless from the intensity and violent passion. I finished it in less than a week, and went through so many highs and lows, it felt like a rollercoaster. Great cast of characters, and a great surprising twist at the end. I like that some questions get answered, but the ending of Part 1 definitely leaves us wanting more, and I already have it loaded up on my kindle! Can’t wait to see what happens with Isladora, Ariah, Json, Keit, Lepola, The King, the Wyvern and I Part 1 , Anyumay, and all the others… A must read for fans of high fantasy (dragons and magic and evil spells and all!!).

2. I really enjoyed “The King, the Wyvern and I Part 1” by author Amy Seeling, even though “epic” fantasy isn’t usually one of my more preferred genres (don’t dislike it, just don’t generally gravitate). But I was looking for something out of my comfort zone so I thought I’d try this, I was really impressed! It was so easy to get into right away and we feel the conflict that young Isladora faces when the king dies and her mother fears them being cast out. She is forced to go on the run after her mother is used as a bartering chip, and the evil queen mother is out to get her. Whew! I thought that Seeling did such a wonderful job with the descriptions of the world and the different characters, I did fall in love with Isladora and Ariah (and the others) and was so shocked at some things that happened. The Evil Queen mother was the worst. Overall very emotionally engaging and with lots of action and beautiful writing!! Very descriptive and passionate and great pacing. There are no boring spots but sometimes had a bit more narrative when I would have preferred more dialogue with the characters. Feels pretty suitable for mature teens on up. I had a great time reading this, and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

3. “The King, the Wyvern and I Part 1 ” was great… lots of fun to read and very creative. Describing it is a hard task! All sorts of really interesting characters, and a terrific mix of fantasy, adventure, and danger and dark, gritty magical kingdom. I liked that it was so descriptive that we can really put ourselves inside the various character’s perspectives, and there are several here- almost too many, to be honest. But the storyline was so deliciously original and descriptive… Gorgeous narrative prose that was both literary and powerful. It holds its own with the top-notch writing and plot structure, and an exciting, varied cast of colorful characters and plenty of evil and action and thrills to go around. There are some familiar tropes here (as with most fantasy), however, I feel Ms. Seeling did a great job of bringing in a unique voice and making the story wholly her own, and giving it a fresh feel. I didn’t feel like I’ve read this million times before. An engrossing story with more complex subplots and layers than one would initially think – and I liked that the women were all so strong (even the evil queen mother). No simpering helpless females here! I was impressed with the level of character development, especially with Isladora, but also with others. Has a unique vibe of feeling almost mythological and modern at the same time. Recommend.

4. Brilliantly crafted and written, “The King, the Wyvern and I” by author AMY Seeling the first in a thrilling new epic fantasy series that I will definitely be following through. This world is wholly conceived, and I was very pleased with the level of character development on all fronts. The plots are complex and intelligent, yet quirky enough to keep you guessing. There are several big reveals that continue to shift the dynamic of the storyline in unexpected ways, something that even a jaded reader like myself can fully appreciate and still be shocked by. This is great because nothing I hate more than predictable clichés. I would also like to commend the level of writing, very vivid, almost ethereal and poetic at times. But still packed with action, tension, and witty dialogue. Like that Isladora is so strong, not a stereotypical weak female side piece, and so is all the other women characters, good, bad, and dragon :-). Looking forward to more of this series from AMY Seeling and will be recommending to my friends.

5. Usually I tend to favor more modern, romance, or character-driven novels, but I like changing things up on occasion and reading something different. Well, I can definitely say that a lot of people would love this book! First off the characters are awesome, and I liked how totally kick butt Isladora is, and all she endures. Heartbreaking! So many characters I liked, from her mom, to The Queen Mother (I know she’s bad but she’s really good at it!), and Ariah (AWESOME), to Keit and Json and so many to others, and of course can’t forget Phoenix! But there is also so much good action, and a comfortably familiar, yet inventive storylines to keep us invested emotionally and mentally all the way through. I don’t think Seeling is reinventing the wheel here premise-wise and that’s fine. Not all books need to be genre-shattering and it has all the elements of a good action/fantasy that I like. Many characters, some more fleshed out than others, but all are realistic enough and don’t seem like cardboard cutouts. I especially liked the different magic used and that it was powerful and there but not totally over the top unbelievable. Was really happy with the ending and I enjoyed this much more than expected!

6. Fantastic! Wow what an ending! Actually the whole thing was pretty great, but I don’t think I put my kindle down once after the 70% mark. This is an impressive effort from author AMY Seeling, and it is quite clear that she is an author to keep an eye on in the future for sure. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series… I don’t want to give away anything at all, but let’s just say that there is a lot of chaos and some pretty crazy drama that goes down that makes you just need to know what will happen next! There are some surprises that I didn’t expect, and I could totally see this being a movie or miniseries (or it should be!) Great characters we can root for (or hate) and I liked how Seeling pulled from so many popular tropes (magic, spells, dragon, outcast hero(ine), fallen kings, etc..) but made it feel original and unique. Great job!