J. R. Wagner (1)

Tristis Manor (The Never Chronicles) Last year I dove into J.R. Wagner's Exiled, and fell in love with the fantasy world he had built. When I found out that Tristis Manor was an Exiled novella, I was excited. I was looking forward to the opportunity to get to know one of the characters better.
 
At roughly 170 pages, this is a quick look into Margaret's past. A fair warning to readers, her story is not an easy one to read. We meet a girl whose mother mistreats her, who uses pain to escape her reality and who, most of all, has a deep dark secret she can't let go of. I saw none of the magic from the Exiled world, just the quiet inner battle of a young girl.
 
My first thoughts upon finishing Tristis Manor were very jumbled. It's been quite a while since I last read Exiled, and so I couldn't quite remember how Margaret fit in until after I'd read a bit. I was also torn because this story is so sad, yet poignant at the same time. At the end of the day I am glad I took a chance on this novella. I'm now even more eager for the next official installment in the Exiled series.… (altro)

Exiled opens up a new world that Fantasy lovers will have a blast exploring. Here we are introduced to the "The Never", a place where people go who have been exiled from normal society. Mysterious islands, giant plants, man-eating reptiles, it all makes an appearance here. Couple this new world with the fact that the rest of the book is set in Europe circa the late 1800's, and you have a very fascinating setting to get lost in. Hands down, this was my favorite part of the book.

The characters are also very well done. J.R. Wagner takes ample time to make sure that the reader is not only immersed in the world the characters live in, but that they understand the characters in depth as well. By the time I was mid way into the book I was invested in the characters so wholly that I was rooting for them! That's a good feeling while reading a Fantasy novel, especially since the cast of characters is so large. I liked James a lot. Although he is impulsive, it's easy to see why. His spirit definitely makes him a great protagonist to follow.

What fell short for me was the flow of the story. Exiled is told in a way that alternates between different time periods and points of view. At the beginning I had no problem following along, and the story was moving nicely. However as things moved along it began to get pretty confusing. Flashbacks are common throughout the story and, although they are labeled with the date, after a bit I was lost as to what age the characters were at the time and who was speaking. My other problem was that there was no cliffhanger. I liked the story well enough, but what is to keep me reading on?

Overall, Exiled was a great read by the end. I wish the balance between description and interaction had been a little bit more equal, but I did enjoy the read! I'd love to see a little more development in the next book in the series and, perhaps, a little romance? I'm a sucker for that. Either way if you like Fantasy this is a read to give a shot! Let J.R. Wagner take you into The Never.… (altro)

Background: James is accused of murdering his mentor and as a punishment is sent to The Never to live out the rest of his life. The Never is an alternate world, an island really, that has a mind of its own. James has never had a simple life. Ever since he can remember his family has been running in order to keep him safe, and now he is stuck in a different world. James is determined to make it back to prove his innocence and save his real world.

Review: This was a pretty quick read for me; I only wish I had had the time to read it in one sitting. The book is broken up nicely; we jump back and forth from what is happening to James now and things that occurred in the past -- to him, his mother, and his mentors. The most interesting are the chapters about James on the island, as he learns how it responds to the people that inhabit it. His determination to return home was the push that this story needed, it even made up for the slower chapters about him and his mother on the run. I loved the settings that were described, but I think that the character development has a ways to go; we learned a lot about James and a little about his mother, but his comrades on the island are a total mystery. I look forward to more in The Never Chronicles.
… (altro)

WOW! This was an intense book to read. I was so taken aback by the emotion and pain from the story, but also how well the author put all of it onto paper. I am blown away by this story.

Tristis Manor is a novella in The Never Chronicles series, and I have read book one and it was great, but I am not sure how this will play into it, thus the 4 star rating versus 5. It tells the story of Margaret and her pain and suffering and it was not an easy book to read in terms of there being mental and physical abuse, as well as rape and a good amount of violence.

The author does a spectacular job with his descriptions, in the beginning of the book you learn that Margaret has a coping strategy of running her fingers over splinted wood, and the detail that he goes into to describe these motions and feelings made me both cringe and assess the state of my fingertips.

Also impressive is the overall storytelling, Wagner is a wonderful fantasy writer, and this was no exception. He builds the Manor, the characters, and the emotion around this one little girl that has you feel for her as if you know her. She is strong but also weak and deals with so much more than a child should.

I am interested to see where his character is added into the Never Chronicles or how these stories merge. If you have the opportunity though, and a strong stomach, you can pick up this novella without any knowledge of the first book in the series.… (altro)