Reviews
Legends of Lightning
book one
Hidden Realm
"Author T. R. Slauf has crafted a fantastical and truly
imaginative work of fiction with a perfect balance of
familiarity and originality to offer its audience. In terms
of its presentation of character, I found that the use of
close narration creates a deeper emotional resonance, and
brings readers right into the center of the action with Esther
as their guide. Emotive and passionate with a strong theme
of self-discovery, this is a tale that feels immersive and cinematic in every aspect of its presentation. What results is an atmospheric start to what promises to be a very engaging series, filled with clever twists, exciting action scenes, and plenty of surprises despite being on familiar ground. Overall, I would highly recommend Hidden Realm to fans of dark fairytale atmospheres, heartfelt character presentations, and fans of enigmatic fantasy fiction everywhere."
-- K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Hidden Realm gives me those shivery feelings I’d get while reading the gothic fairy tales, while also blending in the very best elements of epic fantasy and tossing in a dash of horror...The perils the heroes experience feel real and I was completely drawn into their struggles, as each of them deals with the outcomes. Even the “villains” are complex and not easily put into a box as being completely evil. I love the way each of the kingdoms reflects the ruler and their story. Again, the author had done a stellar job of making the characters and the individual tales they inhabit familiar, yet fresh.
--DL Smith for Artisan Book Reviews
The story of Hidden Realm is one that is full of mystery and captivating moments. All of this and more is perfectly weaved together into an incredibly entertaining story and this is thanks to the phenomenal author T.R. Slauf who from beginning to end thrills me with her in-depth and compelling literature and brilliant characters!
-- The Read Headed Book Lover
"Legends of Lightning: Hidden Realm is an exciting debut fit for any fantasy lover. The book takes the Brother's Grimm fairy tales to a whole new extreme, mashing the stories you love into a twisted world of their own full of death, monsters, and addiction."
--The Book Coven--
"Full of nods to grim fairy tales and a somewhat “Game of Thrones” setting, this book can quench your thirst for fantastical adventure...Esther had some hardcore decisions to make, and because of her relatability, I almost felt as if I were in the trenches with her, holding her hand as she contemplated her next move. The horrors she endured, the sentimental moments with key characters… all of it felt real despite the unfamiliar setting of this dark fantasy world."
-- Emily L. Terry
"Esther is a complicated character, one who struggles with her identity throughout the novel... "
"Amazing, amazing, amazing book. I loved every minute of it, everything about it. Masterfully crafted plot, world, characters... brilliant!"
"...Exceeded my high expectations! There is so much to love; a librarian protagonist, a cat, twisted and dark fairy tales, engaging characters and riveting plot twists!"
"I couldn't put it down! Esther is such a wonderful character and the world she explores is both enchanting and realistic."
Read More Reviews on Goodreads!
Legends of Lightning
book two
Redemption
"The intensity of the novel is aided by the extremely
graphic nature of Slauf's storytelling. It is not common to
find fantasy battles described with such a high degree
of detail. The primary character, Esther, has so many
flaws she struggles with that it became impossible not
to see a bit of myself in her. This masterstroke by the
author in humanizing her stands out for me and gives the
book a certain degree of authenticity. This novel has a little bit of everything in it, from romance to action, plots, and counterplots. These combine nicely to create the magical atmosphere that is Slauf's masterpiece. Redemption is a top-drawer novel in a class of its own."
-- Essien Asian for Readers' Favorite
"The world building that I fell in love with in the first book continued to be expanded upon in this one. I was completely invested in the characters, Esther, Snow and Windsor especially. Slauf just laid Esther's little soul wide open for the readers to get lost in her grief, her quest for vengeance and desire to fulfill her prophecy. ... I do believe this is the darkest retelling I've read to date. Queens Snow, Cinder, Aurora are all nightmarish immortals who rule their respective Kingdoms and the war brewing has begun to make its presence felt. - EVERYTHING about this series was better in this installment. I couldn't stop thinking about it once I started reading it and I am so eager to get my hands on the next one!
-- The Nerdy Narrative
"The quest to rescue, save and remain alive takes place by the wonderful Esther. There was so much build up in the first book that this one explodes out of the pages. So much emotion, turbulence, allies and enemies jump out at you. Leaving you not knowing what will happen next. The level of detail is just as intense. I never thought so much evil could be almost put across as beautifully dark."
"The Legend of Lightning series is set in the world of Grimm’s fairy tales. It’s dark and gruesome, and the second book, Redemption, did not disappoint! I really enjoyed the focus on the fairy tale queens in this one, and all of the political happenings were handled really well. There are betrayals and twists that had me saying 'One more chapter' until the very end."
"Redemption is even better than the first book, such a twisty and dark tale. We see Esther, the realm walker coming into her power in this story. A story that also has a retelling of a fairy tale within the pages too. I have to say I loved it."
"This is the second book in the series I’ve read and it’s completely overtaken the first in so many levels, I didn’t think it would get much better than book one but I was so wrong."
"Another story that combines darkness, action, fantasy and fairy tale retelling to create a book that immerses you till the last page."
"I could not put this book down. The storyline is dark and violent, but enthralling."
The Devil Within
A Horror Novella
"The Devil Within is a short but psychologically scary
novella. The story starts in the beautiful Vermont
countryside, late in the 19th century, but that is where
the beauty ends... I was captivated by every word,
while Slauf uses carefully chosen words to make an
impact. I enjoy psychology and find its history fascinating
but also terrible. Dr. Grey administers a variety of painful
therapies to his patients in the hope of healing them from their physical and psychiatric disorders. Of course, at that time they thought these methods did work. As a firm believer in modern medicine and mental health, to me, this book was a hard-hitting thriller about what life was like back then and just how much better we have it now. This is a must-read if you love a mix of horror and thriller."
--Melanie Kennedy for Readers’ Favorite
"Amazing! This was not at all what I thought. It's everything I love. Fast pace, sinister, creepy mental institution. And some gore thrown in for good measure! I will probably read this one again!"
"The good doctor is sure he's helping his patients heal, but gets his jollies by subjecting them to torturous 'treatments.' ... All manner of evil is brewing in the asylum, some of it not from this world."