Resistance (Ilyon Chronicles)

Oh my... where to even start? It brought me to tears, made my skin tingle in delight, had my mind racing, and made my heart sigh. Resistance tells the stories of a fascinating array of characters; the most prominent being Kyrin Altair and Jace. Kyrin, along with her twin brother Kaden, train in Tarvin Hall to serve the emperor. Jace is of a feared race, an outcast to society. Both of them have this in common: they serve King Elom; which is a dangerous thing to do in the darkening days of Ilyon. Believers of Elom labor to keep their faith a secret... but evil is at work. In the end, who will bow, and who will resist? The setting of Resistance is an unusual, captivating mix of Ancient Rome-like times, fantasy concepts, and a futuristic touch, with the Christian allegory ever present. The collection of different "fantasy" races was intriguing. From the ruthless, supposedly soulless ryriks, to the regal, peace-loving talcrins, I was delighted by this creativity! Can't wait to meet more of the races, such as the cretes and the giants (dorlanders)! This story was deep. Deep, emotionally-stirring, thought-provoking, and hitting very close to home. I often found myself thinking, "What would I do in that situation?" Because I have much in common with Kyrin and Jace. A faith that has faced persecution around the world and across the centuries, for one. And it's a faith worth fighting for! Resistance displayed that... with scenes that pierced my heart. No, I will not bow down to your gods; I serve King Elom, and Him alone! Yes, it was deep. It felt real. The love story, well... it's not exactly a love story... but, I believe it will be, later on! :) Anyway, the relationship was so sweet. It came about with real compassion, selflessness, and care. Truly beautiful to watch unfold. Oh, and did I mention that I love Kaden? Really, he's the epitome of "big brotherly-ness". He definitely ranks as a favorite character, along with Kyrin and Jace. But I liked all the characters... the good ones, I mean. Rayad, Trev, Endathlorsam, Liam, William, Trask, Anne... Ah, I just want to read more of them! Resistance was surprising, with breathtaking twists and turns. It was bittersweet and love-filled, with scenes that made me want to cry and smile all at once. It was interesting, with its amazing settings and happenings. It was heart-rending. It was beautiful. It was worth it. Definitely not your fluffy romance story, but I loved it. I absolutely can't wait to read the next book to the Ilyon Chronicles!! And the next, and the next. I hear there's six books to the series, yay! :) There was some violence, in order to enhance the story. I would caution younger children (12 and under). But otherwise, it's definitely not all gruesome and gore, just a bit of violence to make the situation more real. All in all, a stunning story. Even after the last page, the impact remains.

Sweet Elom, where do I even start. I'm not a big fantasy reader (prefer historical) but am always on the hunt for a great hero book. This author happens to be a fan of my own work so when I saw this book on sale on Facebook for .99 I grabbed it. Well before I tossed it in my to be read pile on my ereader, I wanted to read "just a little." That was five days ago and I finished it just now. It's rare I stumble into a book this great without help from my reader and author friends recommending it first, but I absolutely did and am so glad. Now I get to go tell all of them "You must read this."The author grabbed me by the throat in the opening scenes by playing the wounded hero card which is my absolute reader drug of choice. As talented a writer as I am no review I write will do this book justice. I'm going to try anyway while staying spoiler free to preserve the reader experience of a very rich, multi-layered plot. There are so many sub plots but they never tangle and always tie back to the central conflict - good and evil in the forms of followers of Elom the true God and the 2 pagan gods. I loved that as I moved through the characters and got to know them in their separate stories at the beginning, the world building and characterization were so well woven I never felt lost or needed to refer to the maps or race listings (which honestly freak me out because I'm like... if I need cliff notes to the story world I'm already in trouble, LOL but I found I never needed to refer to them. The way the author drew me into the story world and pace at which story and world elements were introduced were so natural and well done I was never lost. Only intrigued.) It takes an incredible amount of skill and author chops to carry as many point of view characters as this novel has in a way that enriches rather than confuses the full depth of the storytelling. Second, it takes even more skill to write a book that is as equally plot driven as it is character driven, and this book does that in spades. It is quite simply fantastic.It's long, and at times in the middle pacing did drag a bit but I had to know what was going to happen to Jace and Kyrin and all the other characters I'd come to love so that wasn't overly burdensome to get through the few slow places. Along the way I chuckled now and then, felt my reader heart get ripped apart in my chest, a few misty eyed moments, and in the final pages I wanted to stand up and shout "right here, right now, we are the resistance" with a sword at my side too.Just as a great story, this novel is already that. But in light of the rampant persecution in our own real world, today, beneath the story resonating with my own soul was that one day the fortitude to stand strong for the faith in the face of death may one day become my reality. I hope and pray if and when that time comes, I show not only the fortitude of the 21 Egyptian martyrs, but that of these characters, as well. So thankful book 2 is already out, and I've already bought it. However I'm using it as an incentive as a reward for when I get my own next book in my series out, I'm looking forward to it that much.One final note is that at my core I am a romance reader/writer and I was so impressed with how a "romantic thread" played out in this novel. that's all I will say to stay spoiler free but to witness such a relationship of healing and self-discovery that was so strong and pure, without physical attraction or any element of traditional romance was beautiful, believable, and awe inspiring. Well done, Jaye L. Knight. Well done.

A well written take of epic proportions, depicting the rising tide of evil which the believers must oppose. Somewhat like our times now? Will you bow or will you stand against all odds? A good question.

I love this writer, she inspires integrity with her characters, nobility with the trials they face and a desire to be more than I am with her internal and external journeying. A fantasy with epic possibilities.

Great book! Well wrote.