Book Review: Author Jeff Wheeler
If you (or your teens) are into fantasy, I have a great recommendation for you to keep you reading throughout the summer and beyond. The author is Jeff Wheeler. He has several series that (spoiler alert!) overlap just a little bit in surprising and awesome ways.
Here are books in his series that I have read and can whole-heartedly recommend (in the order they were released):
The Wretched of Muirwood
This book introduces us the beautiful, yet tumultuous world of Comoros, where unwanted children are considered “wretcheds” and forced to earn their keep and are forbidden to learn to read or write. There we meet Lia, a young kitchen maid whose fondest dream is to join the students at Muirwood Abbey and learn the mysteries of the universe. You can read more about the story on the book’s Amazon page.
I highly recommend this series for those who enjoy fantasy books with a unique and interesting magic system, characters who are both flawed and root-for-able (not a word), and enough darkness/suspense/intrigue to keep adults anxiously turning pages and teens engaged without any of the smut or profanity that so often finds its way into fantasy. How’s that for a run-on sentence?
Anyway, the three-book Legends of Muirwood series is a highly enjoyable, escapist read that will stay with long after you turn the last page.
The Queen's Poisoner
The Kingfountain series is actually my first introduction to Jeff Wheeler’s work. I fell in love with the characters, world, and ingenious magic system introduced in this first book and quickly devoured the rest of the series, as well as its prequels and novellas. While the main character is a young boy at the start of the story, he is heavily influenced by several adult characters, for both good and ill. These influences set the stage as he becomes a powerful force in the world of Kingfountain.
I’ve recommended this series to personal friends and family (young adults on up through old fogies like me) and have always received great feedback in response. It has wide appeal for those who love a well-developed fantasy world, fascinating characters, and world-in-the-balance stakes to overcome.
Storm Glass
Storm Glass is the first book in Wheeler’s most recently completed series, Harbinger. While these books are perfectly able to stand on their own, I believe it is more enjoyable to read these after having read the previous two series. For those already familiar with the worlds of Muirwood and Kingfountain, there are fun sort-of easter-eggs that add a feeling of insider-ness (I like to make up words) that ratchet up the satisfaction.
A few words about Jeff Wheeler
One thing that I particularly appreciate about Wheeler, especially as a male author, is that he writes impressively powerful and intelligent female characters, both as protagonists and antagonists. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that many of his worlds skew slightly matriarchal in their power systems. As a woman, this is a breath of fresh air and makes me even more likely to recommend his books to women of all ages.
If Mr. Wheeler ever happens to come across this humble review, I would just leave him with this one suggestion, however: You should try wearing a dress for a few days. And during your experiment with women’s apparel, I believe it would be informative to try running, climbing, and fighting. Just a thought 😉
You can find all of Jeff Wheeler’s books in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audio formats on Amazon.com. In fact, if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited (as I do), all of his books are included with your subscription. Booyah!
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