Review: The Keeper Chronicles by JA Andrews

Blurb:

"A mage, a dwarf, and an elf walk into a tavern… The Keeper Chronicles are everything I want in epic fantasy."

When Mallon the Undying threatened the land years ago, the elves stopped him—and then disappeared.
Now Mallon's followers seek to bring him back to finish what he started. Only the Keepers—storytellers, historians, and magic-wielders—are left to stand against them. Alaric, who betrayed everything he believed to save his wife — and still failed. Will, a storyteller who’s convinced his weak magic makes him useless. And Sini, a former slave girl with unimaginable power but no way to wield it.

Can they survive being hunted by dragons, attacked by frost goblins, and betrayed by traitors in their midst? Or will Mallon's minions overwhelm them and plunge the land into darkness?

Review:

The Keeper Chronicles is a book that I picked up on audio in preparation for a long drive. I felt like it was too good of an opportunity to pass up on. It is the complete trilogy, following the lives of three Keepers. Each is a self contained story with each of them following the path of one Keeper, with their own struggles and view of life. These stories are deep, with some emotional moments that will definitely impact a reader in a variety of ways. The lives of each of the Keepers is completely different, with a strength that becomes impactful the more the story continues. I was able to connect with two out of the three characters almost instantly, understanding the goals that they were trying to accomplish almost immediately. There are some unexpected twists and turns in each of these unique tales that will keep a reader invested through each of the pages, wondering what could be coming next.

The strength of the novel is definitely the characters. They are varied, unique, and all of them are interesting, including the side characters. I found that they were all deep and believable in each instance that the reader is able to come into contact with them. It appeared to be a strength of the author, as they were able to express the deep history of each of them without focusing solely on them. It was refreshing to see an author not get lost in the side stories of the support characters while still completely allowing them to live their lives. I did struggle with the final novel of the trilogy, wanting to go back to other characters that I had enjoyed. The stories are all self contained but have a small theme that carries over to each one.

This is a great deal of a credit on audible if you are looking for a fun read with a fantastic narrator in Tim Gerard Reynolds. All of the stories are entertaining with a variety of classic fantasy characters from elves of different types to dwarves to dragons, all of which are mixed with some new takes in Keepers. The implications of this mixture is awesome and leads to some very interesting dynamics. There is a lot of heart wrenching moments mixed with a dash of humor, all in some thrilling adventures that will keep you turning the pages (or listening for hours) until you reach the satisfying conclusion. This is definitely worth it if you are a fantasy fan.

Thank you for taking the time to read my review. As always, happy reading and Stay Great!!