Title: TruthStone (Truthseer Archives #1)
Author: Mike Shelton
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Independent
Release Date: February 15th 2018

* BLURB *

One little lie won’t hurt, will it?

When fifteen year old Shaeleen unexpectedly is given a TruthStone, every lie she hears or tells causes her immense physical pain. As she struggles to control her new power and curb the pain, she learns a powerful truth that could thrust an entire continent into civil war. She must choose: reveal the truth and stop the pain – or sacrifice her own well-being to protect her kingdom.

For two hundred years the five kingdoms of Wayland have been protected by the stones of power. Now those stones are failing and a darker power is trying to take control. With the help of her brother, Cole and a newfound friend, Orin, Shaeleen sets out to gather and restore the power of all the stones.

But will she succeed before the endless lies destroy her?

BUY LINKS

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REVIEW

Disclaimer: I received a review copy from YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

What a journey!

It felt like ages since the last time I read a YA fantasy. I totally missed THAT magical feeling while reading a fantasy book and Mike Shelton didn’t fail to give what I was looking for.

This is my first book from Mike Shelton and I requested a review copy on a whim. The cover intrigued me – it’s really gorgeous! And believe me, the world inside the book is just as beautiful. Totally worth requesting for!

The story

TruthStone is the first book from the TruthSeer Archive series by Mike Shelton. The story revolves around a girl named Shaeleen. Shaeleen is a merchant daughter with a pair of pale blue eyes, a physical trait known as a heritage of the people of Verlyn. She was on her way to see her big brother at his sword practice when the old stone keeper, Melindra, bumped into her at the town. That’s when the old Melindra broke the news to her that she’s the prophesied TruthSeer of the whole Continent of Wayland.

Wayland is composed of five kingdoms and one isolated island which is Verlyn. Each kingdom has their own TruthSeers and TruthStones. The five kingdoms are handed one gemstone each which represents different power abilities. The stones are from Verlyn, an island where descendants of elves live in.

These TruthSeers have the ability to tell whether a person tells the truth or lie. Lies give them pain, with the intensity depending on the degree of the lie being told. When Shae received the TruthStone from Melindra, her journey, discoveries of lies and truths about the kingdoms, and endless pain began.

A fast-paced story that will keep you entertained until the end.

Just like how I normally do when I pick a book, I didn’t read the synopsis. AT ALL. Lol. I only checked the cover and the title and that’s it. I usually check Goodreads, but this time, it just all my gut feeling. It was a risky thing to do so I didn’t expect too much to avoid disappointments.

But when I started the book, I was actually surprised at how I got into the middle of the story without even realizing it. That means that the story got the best of my interest, and I was thoroughly enjoying it.

The flow and writing style is really relaxed and light. The turn of events is fast and didn’t make me weary at all.

At first, I thought I’ll have a hard time following the elements of the story, with all the kingdoms and characters, but I was just easily being carried out by the story.

The world-building didn’t give me much of the wow-factor  that I always look forward to when it comes to fantasy novels, but it’s good enough for me to want to explore the whole continent of Wayland.

The magic is more laid back in general. But when it’s just Shaeleen and her powers, that’s when I feel the magical elements more.

You’ll look forward to meet the characters.

Shaeleen is the main character of the story.  I wasn’t a big fan of her at first, but I learned to admire her character as the story goes on.

Her character development from when she’s just a normal girl to when she received her TruthStone was very evident.

However, Shae can come as rude sometimes, especially when she’s in front of the high ranking royalties and noble folks. It makes me cringe as much as it does her brother. BUT it’s also probably because of the power bestowed upon her.

She doesn’t follow anyone but herself. I actually quite like that. Lol

Shea casually addresses the princes and even the Queen of Galena just by their names alone. I find cringey at first, but I later found it funny. Haha

Shaeleen’s brother, Cole also played a big real in the story, as well as their new found friend along their journey, Orin.

Orin is actually my favorite character, and I think he will play a bigger role on the next books and I’m looking forward for that.

Romance?

Romance on YA fantasy is my guilty pleasure. Lol. So, sorry to my fellow YA fantasy romance-loving creatures. This book doesn’t have a tinge of romance to it. BUT don’t let that refrain you from reading this book. TruthStone is an amazing piece!

Final verdict

The ending of the first book is a bit of a cliffhanger. Their journey continues, and I’m very excited to read the sequel to this book!

What a great introduction to Mike Shelton. I’ll definitely get more of his books. It was a good choice to request for a review copy of TruthStone.

I discovered another gem (pun intended lol) in the indie book world.

OVERALL RATING

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Mike was born in California and has lived in multiple states from the west coast to the east coast. He cannot remember a time when he wasn’t reading a book. At school, home, on vacation, at work at lunch time, and yes even a few pages in the car (at times when he just couldn’t put that great book down). Though he has read all sorts of genres he has always been drawn to fantasy. It is his way of escaping to a simpler time filled with magic, wonders and heroics of young men and women.

Other than reading, Mike has always enjoyed the outdoors. From the beaches in Southern California to the warm waters of North Carolina. From the waterfalls in the Northwest to the Rocky Mountains in Utah. Mike has appreciated the beauty that God provides for us. He also enjoys hiking, discovering nature, playing a little basketball or volleyball, and most recently disc golf. He has a lovely wife who has always supported him, and three beautiful children who have been the center of his life.

Mike began writing stories in elementary school and moved on to larger novels in his early adult years. He has worked in corporate finance for most of his career. That, along with spending time with his wonderful family and obligations at church has made it difficult to find the time to truly dedicate to writing. In the last few years as his children have become older he has returned to doing what he truly enjoys – writing!

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