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Fifth Unmasking #1
The Hidden Face
A face without a face - an unmasking that leaves the mask.
Once every few hundred years the sun god, the Akhen, takes on human form and descends to earth. Each Unmasking of the Face of the Akhen ends one era and begins another; the last one created the Faustian Empire. Where and when will the Face next appear, and who will he - or she - be?
Dayraven, son of a great hero, returns to Faustia after years as a hostage of their rivals, the Magians. Those years have changed him, but Faustia has changed as well; the emperor Calvo now seems eccentric and is controlled by one of Dayraven's old enemies. Following the brutal murder of his old teacher, Dayraven is drawn, together with a female warrior named Sunniva, into the search for an ancient secret that would change the fate of empires.
The Hidden Face is a fantasy novel drenched in the atmosphere of the early Middle Ages and in Kabbalistic riddles.
Once every few hundred years the sun god, the Akhen, takes on human form and descends to earth. Each Unmasking of the Face of the Akhen ends one era and begins another; the last one created the Faustian Empire. Where and when will the Face next appear, and who will he - or she - be?
Dayraven, son of a great hero, returns to Faustia after years as a hostage of their rivals, the Magians. Those years have changed him, but Faustia has changed as well; the emperor Calvo now seems eccentric and is controlled by one of Dayraven's old enemies. Following the brutal murder of his old teacher, Dayraven is drawn, together with a female warrior named Sunniva, into the search for an ancient secret that would change the fate of empires.
The Hidden Face is a fantasy novel drenched in the atmosphere of the early Middle Ages and in Kabbalistic riddles.
350 pages, ebook
Published November 25, 2017
About the author
S.C. Flynn
5 books90 followersS.C. Flynn was born in a small town in South West Western Australia. He has lived in Europe for a long time; first the United Kingdom, then Italy and currently Ireland, the home of his ancestors. He still speaks English with an Australian accent, and fluent Italian.
He writes poetry and fantasy novels.
Join S.C. Flynn's email list for newly published writing and news:
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He writes poetry and fantasy novels.
Join S.C. Flynn's email list for newly published writing and news:
http://eepurl.com/hA8kHT
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
October 17, 2017
The Hidden Face is a fun and fast-paced fantasy adventure set in an imaginative Levant-like world where empires rise and fall at the whim of a god. Two young main characters become embroiled in a conspiracy of secret societies to overthrow the most recent emperor. The modern dialogue and feel in an epic fantasy setting might not appeal to everyone, but I found it refreshing and stylish. A fun fast read with puzzles to work out and mysteries to be solved.
March 23, 2018
4 1/2 out of 5.
Click here for full review:
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Click here for full review:
https://outofthisworldrev.blogspot.co...
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August 14, 2018Second edition now available: includes blurbs from Dyrk Ashton, Charles Phipps and many more, and a freshly-edited text.
December 7, 2018
*This is one of the #SPFBO entries for this year*
I picked this up hoping for good things as I have previously read another book by the same author and I enjoyed that one. This book was quite different to the previous title by this author, for example this is the start of a trilogy whereas that was standalone, and I think there was a slightly darker tone in this book too. This story does deal with sexual exploitation and manipulation, there are a few sections I found pretty dark, and yet it has some good moments too between characters. I do think there is some alienation of disfigurement in this book and mental health, and I didn't think that was a great representation to portray, but that may be personal bias more than anything else.
So this story follows the character of Dayraven, a young lord who was sent away as a hostage when he was very young. He's now older and he's come back to his homeland, but the traditions of this land are foreign to him because of how much time he spent away during his childhood.
Dayraven is a man who excels at figuring out puzzles. He has been trying to reconnect with his old friend and tutor when he is pulled into a plot with the ruler of the nation.
The other main character we follow is Sunniva, a young woman disguised as a soldier who is trying to find out what has happened to her father. Sunniva's path quickly crosses with Dayraven's when they find his old mentor killed and they have to team up to uncover the clues left for them about what to do next and the mysteries they seek the answers to.
Overall, this was a fun read and I felt like it was fast-paced and easy. I did think at times that there was some issue with how characters were portrayed, particularly Twister who I felt was handled poorly on the whole, but the main characters were done well. There was a lot to like about the characters and how they come together in the end, but I am a little biased and I think I would have liked to see a more complex backstory and unravelling of the characters who are just deemed 'crazy' or 'evil'...maybe this will be explained more as the series goes on?
In the end I gave this a 3*s which is 6/10 for #SPFBO and I enjoyed it despite the complaints I had. It's a fantasy book with some good ideas and fun puzzles and I think a lot of readers would enjoy it.
I picked this up hoping for good things as I have previously read another book by the same author and I enjoyed that one. This book was quite different to the previous title by this author, for example this is the start of a trilogy whereas that was standalone, and I think there was a slightly darker tone in this book too. This story does deal with sexual exploitation and manipulation, there are a few sections I found pretty dark, and yet it has some good moments too between characters. I do think there is some alienation of disfigurement in this book and mental health, and I didn't think that was a great representation to portray, but that may be personal bias more than anything else.
So this story follows the character of Dayraven, a young lord who was sent away as a hostage when he was very young. He's now older and he's come back to his homeland, but the traditions of this land are foreign to him because of how much time he spent away during his childhood.
Dayraven is a man who excels at figuring out puzzles. He has been trying to reconnect with his old friend and tutor when he is pulled into a plot with the ruler of the nation.
The other main character we follow is Sunniva, a young woman disguised as a soldier who is trying to find out what has happened to her father. Sunniva's path quickly crosses with Dayraven's when they find his old mentor killed and they have to team up to uncover the clues left for them about what to do next and the mysteries they seek the answers to.
Overall, this was a fun read and I felt like it was fast-paced and easy. I did think at times that there was some issue with how characters were portrayed, particularly Twister who I felt was handled poorly on the whole, but the main characters were done well. There was a lot to like about the characters and how they come together in the end, but I am a little biased and I think I would have liked to see a more complex backstory and unravelling of the characters who are just deemed 'crazy' or 'evil'...maybe this will be explained more as the series goes on?
In the end I gave this a 3*s which is 6/10 for #SPFBO and I enjoyed it despite the complaints I had. It's a fantasy book with some good ideas and fun puzzles and I think a lot of readers would enjoy it.
November 27, 2017
One of the reasons that I love reading Fantasy (whether it be Epic, High, Dark, Heroic, etc.) is that Fantasy writers take chances and aren’t afraid of doing things differently. Tales in which the exhausted trope of ‘the prophesied one’ are upended and refreshed; tales in which magic itself takes a backseat so that the world and he characters shine brighter. These kinds of tales give readers something new to experience, and The Hidden Face is on of those tales.
Looking at the great cover as a starting point (the cover was created by illustrator John Di Giovanni and designer Shawn King), we get the sense that this novel might have a religious-focus, because the cover brings to mind paintings of Jesus Christ – and not only does the cover echo those kinds of paintings, but also inverts them; we’re used to seeing a halo around Jesus’ head, yet in this cover, the focus is the obscuring of the figure’s face. The cover works absolutely as an eye- and interest-catcher, but works even better once you’ve read the novel – if there was an award for ‘Best Cover Accurately Representing a Novel‘, of something similar, the cover of The Hidden Face would win it. Damned well done, John and Shawn. 🙂
Shifting to the characters, Dayraven and Sunniva are both interesting and absolutely central to the plot. Dayraven has spent 15 years as a royal hostage and the tale kicks off upon his return to his home-kingdom; he returns to an seemingly ineffectual Emperor and has to contend with stepping into a situation in which one of his old rivals has amassed power and influence, and when Dayraven is asked to meet one of his old allies an teachers, the plot kicks off. If I have any qualms about the two main characters, one is when Sunniva was introduced- while she holds her own in the narrative and her past, like Dayraven’s, is important, the opening chapters’ focus on Dayraven as the main character and robs her of the shared-spotlight. This book is a book in which two characters solve a mystery, and so the book is about the mystery and not the characters – and even though the characters drive the plot forward as they should, it seems as if Dayraven is behind the wheel and Sunniva is the passenger. Their roles to achieve a balance as the narrative progresses, but due to the Dayraven-focus early on, it feels as if Sunniva is always trying to catch up. My second qualm is actually trite, but being a writer myself, it stood out: Dayraven’s name. Taking into consideration that none of the other characters have similar names (in terms of the name’s construction and meaning: Day-Raven), his name stood out as not really fitting him. The hunchback mentioned in the synopsis has a fitting name, but Dayraven’s name is never explained nor ‘used’, in terms of what it may mean. (if it is, I completely missed it and apologize for being a dumbass)
In terms of character development, the stand-out character for me was The Twister. He, too, is central to the plot, and commend the author on taking us into the mind of a damaged and manipulated individual while shifting the character’s role from that of victim to plot-driver.
One of the other characters, Dayraven’s ‘rival’ mentioned in the synopsis, was the only character I couldn’t remain interested in, but I do believe that this character’s role was well handled, especially when new antagonists are revealed, and even though these new antagonists steal the spotlight from the ‘rival’.
In terms of ‘place’, the history of the novel’s world takes a more prominent role than the world itself – but this isn’t a bad thing. The concept of the Face is really cool, and the manner in which the Face impacts the world and its peoples was excellently handled and explained (in a manner absolutely devoid of info-dumps and boring, lengthy ‘history lessons’).
The plot races along as Dayraven and Sunniva pursue the mysteries rearing into the path, and the author manages an excellent balance between keeping the plot ticking along, giving us glimpses of the world and it’s history, and allowing the characters their space to progress, change and grow.
Where the novel really shines is in how the mystery is pursued and solved – I never expected to read a Fantasy novel which presented a mystery that had to be solved by the decoding of clues, visits to hidden crypts and tombs, and the like. The effect is that we’re given a tight Fantasy Mystery novel in which the mystery and the solving thereof is as interesting as the plot and characters. If you’ve been looking for a Da Vinci-code type tale in a Fantasy setting, I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy this novel and the mystery at it’s heart.
All in all, The Hidden Face is a strong and entertaining debut and shows the author is adept at giving us the kind of Fantasy we’ve come to enjoy while spicing it with enough to make it stand out in a crowded field. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book, and to another excellent cover from Di Giovanni and King.
Looking at the great cover as a starting point (the cover was created by illustrator John Di Giovanni and designer Shawn King), we get the sense that this novel might have a religious-focus, because the cover brings to mind paintings of Jesus Christ – and not only does the cover echo those kinds of paintings, but also inverts them; we’re used to seeing a halo around Jesus’ head, yet in this cover, the focus is the obscuring of the figure’s face. The cover works absolutely as an eye- and interest-catcher, but works even better once you’ve read the novel – if there was an award for ‘Best Cover Accurately Representing a Novel‘, of something similar, the cover of The Hidden Face would win it. Damned well done, John and Shawn. 🙂
Shifting to the characters, Dayraven and Sunniva are both interesting and absolutely central to the plot. Dayraven has spent 15 years as a royal hostage and the tale kicks off upon his return to his home-kingdom; he returns to an seemingly ineffectual Emperor and has to contend with stepping into a situation in which one of his old rivals has amassed power and influence, and when Dayraven is asked to meet one of his old allies an teachers, the plot kicks off. If I have any qualms about the two main characters, one is when Sunniva was introduced- while she holds her own in the narrative and her past, like Dayraven’s, is important, the opening chapters’ focus on Dayraven as the main character and robs her of the shared-spotlight. This book is a book in which two characters solve a mystery, and so the book is about the mystery and not the characters – and even though the characters drive the plot forward as they should, it seems as if Dayraven is behind the wheel and Sunniva is the passenger. Their roles to achieve a balance as the narrative progresses, but due to the Dayraven-focus early on, it feels as if Sunniva is always trying to catch up. My second qualm is actually trite, but being a writer myself, it stood out: Dayraven’s name. Taking into consideration that none of the other characters have similar names (in terms of the name’s construction and meaning: Day-Raven), his name stood out as not really fitting him. The hunchback mentioned in the synopsis has a fitting name, but Dayraven’s name is never explained nor ‘used’, in terms of what it may mean. (if it is, I completely missed it and apologize for being a dumbass)
In terms of character development, the stand-out character for me was The Twister. He, too, is central to the plot, and commend the author on taking us into the mind of a damaged and manipulated individual while shifting the character’s role from that of victim to plot-driver.
One of the other characters, Dayraven’s ‘rival’ mentioned in the synopsis, was the only character I couldn’t remain interested in, but I do believe that this character’s role was well handled, especially when new antagonists are revealed, and even though these new antagonists steal the spotlight from the ‘rival’.
In terms of ‘place’, the history of the novel’s world takes a more prominent role than the world itself – but this isn’t a bad thing. The concept of the Face is really cool, and the manner in which the Face impacts the world and its peoples was excellently handled and explained (in a manner absolutely devoid of info-dumps and boring, lengthy ‘history lessons’).
The plot races along as Dayraven and Sunniva pursue the mysteries rearing into the path, and the author manages an excellent balance between keeping the plot ticking along, giving us glimpses of the world and it’s history, and allowing the characters their space to progress, change and grow.
Where the novel really shines is in how the mystery is pursued and solved – I never expected to read a Fantasy novel which presented a mystery that had to be solved by the decoding of clues, visits to hidden crypts and tombs, and the like. The effect is that we’re given a tight Fantasy Mystery novel in which the mystery and the solving thereof is as interesting as the plot and characters. If you’ve been looking for a Da Vinci-code type tale in a Fantasy setting, I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy this novel and the mystery at it’s heart.
All in all, The Hidden Face is a strong and entertaining debut and shows the author is adept at giving us the kind of Fantasy we’ve come to enjoy while spicing it with enough to make it stand out in a crowded field. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book, and to another excellent cover from Di Giovanni and King.
September 19, 2017
Fantasy novel begins with a map of the fantasy world? Check. Points awarded.
This one tugs at emotional strings really quickly, in an incredibly effective way. The hero Dayraven is the son of a deceased hero, and the author depicts the son's sadness in a moving, wrenching way.
The author constructs an elaborate fantasy world, which is good stuff. The story is a quest that moves along with a surprisingly well-done sense of humor. I don't mean a surprise as in I didn't expect the author could do it that well -- I mean a surprise as in its skillful execution in comparison to the sadness.
On its face, this book is a cool fantasy adventure with warrior women and magic and bad guys, but the emotional guts brings it home. This one is well worth a shot.
(Review from an early advance copy.)
This one tugs at emotional strings really quickly, in an incredibly effective way. The hero Dayraven is the son of a deceased hero, and the author depicts the son's sadness in a moving, wrenching way.
The author constructs an elaborate fantasy world, which is good stuff. The story is a quest that moves along with a surprisingly well-done sense of humor. I don't mean a surprise as in I didn't expect the author could do it that well -- I mean a surprise as in its skillful execution in comparison to the sadness.
On its face, this book is a cool fantasy adventure with warrior women and magic and bad guys, but the emotional guts brings it home. This one is well worth a shot.
(Review from an early advance copy.)
November 22, 2017
I don’t think I’ve ever read a fantasy quite like The Hidden Face before. The plot in this book reminded me of Uncharted (ye-haaay! look at me pulling a gaming reference), except the end result of connecting all of the clues and finding the ‘big prize’ doesn’t result in a big payout and Pina Coladas on a Carribean beach. Finding the big prize aka who and where The Face is, is a matter of life and death for all countries in the world Flynn has created. Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a heroic quest at hand!
Dayraven has been a hostage for 15 years and when he returns to his home country, the emperor is no longer the man he once knew. The emperor is now seemingly in constant brain fog, blundering countries for riches and not at all bothered about the impending Fifth Unmasking. Dayraven will not be left to enjoy being back on home soil for long though as he is immediately pushed on said quest to retrieve a scroll that holds a great secret. The great secret is not the answer to all and everything, it is only the beginning of a perilous journey for Dayraven and Sunniva.
It is nothing to do with fate pushing a male and a female together on the quest- the two are meant to be on this journey together, so when Sunniva and Dayraven start piecing together each clue as they get closer and closer to the Face, it appears that there are others who are after it for very selfish reasons and they are quite dangerous indeed.
The Unmasking is an interesting concept. Every few hundred years the Unmasking of the Face happens. This event moves the political power from one country to another. What a wonderful idea… If only we could make it work in our reality as well… that should keep things balanced, nay? But of course, it’s never just that simple. There are always some who believe they should have the power over everyone else. Because, high horses and self-entitlements!
The Hidden Face is a plot-driven title and even though I prefer my books to be character-driven, I must admit, I was quite hooked on each and every new clue our main characters discovered whilst battling the bad guys in the race of ‘who get’s there first‘.
Throughout the story, our couple finds themselves in all sorts of situations- escaping the baddies, camping, bathing in the river, solving clues with their combined knowledge. Can’t really blame them for developing a bit of a spark… but it doesn’t come easy! *zips lips, so you can find out for yourself*
Besides Dayraven and Sunniva, a few more characters have a strong presence. For example, there’s Dagon. He’s the baddest of them all and a beekeeper. Nope, I’m not kidding. He has a shedload of bees and he uses them, but not for honey harvest!
Then, there’s Malombra. When I think of her only two words come to my mind- femme fatale. Really. I never thought I’d be able to use this description. Ever. But there we go.. she’s quite possibly a bit deluded but also done over in the past and one’s heart does go out to her for what she’s been through… However, lady needs to dial down on the plant potions a bit. Also, in the modern day setting she would probably be one of those Beverly Hills/Orange County housewives too taken with their appearance and thinking their punanny holds all the powers!
And the Twister! The humpbacked, bastard son of an emperor who seriously got a bad hand dealt to him. I wasn’t entirely sure if I was afraid of him or if I felt pity. Maybe a bit of both. He’s one of those characters that begs to be approached with caution because truly, he remained unpredictable to me throughout. I was expecting horrible, horrible things from him… and… *zips mouth*
Overall, I would say, this was an enjoyable read. Even though my usual character-driven (the tortured hero searching for the meaning of life) plot wasn’t the core in this book, I was still quite engrossed in the adventure. The start of the book delivered quite a few flashbacks from both Dayraven and Sunniva but these had purpose vital for connecting the dots and as such can’t be labelled as infodumps.
What can I say? It’s quite an interesting start to the trilogy- the stage has been set, characters introduced and backstories explained. I expect a rather interesting sequel!
Dayraven has been a hostage for 15 years and when he returns to his home country, the emperor is no longer the man he once knew. The emperor is now seemingly in constant brain fog, blundering countries for riches and not at all bothered about the impending Fifth Unmasking. Dayraven will not be left to enjoy being back on home soil for long though as he is immediately pushed on said quest to retrieve a scroll that holds a great secret. The great secret is not the answer to all and everything, it is only the beginning of a perilous journey for Dayraven and Sunniva.
It is nothing to do with fate pushing a male and a female together on the quest- the two are meant to be on this journey together, so when Sunniva and Dayraven start piecing together each clue as they get closer and closer to the Face, it appears that there are others who are after it for very selfish reasons and they are quite dangerous indeed.
The Unmasking is an interesting concept. Every few hundred years the Unmasking of the Face happens. This event moves the political power from one country to another. What a wonderful idea… If only we could make it work in our reality as well… that should keep things balanced, nay? But of course, it’s never just that simple. There are always some who believe they should have the power over everyone else. Because, high horses and self-entitlements!
The Hidden Face is a plot-driven title and even though I prefer my books to be character-driven, I must admit, I was quite hooked on each and every new clue our main characters discovered whilst battling the bad guys in the race of ‘who get’s there first‘.
Throughout the story, our couple finds themselves in all sorts of situations- escaping the baddies, camping, bathing in the river, solving clues with their combined knowledge. Can’t really blame them for developing a bit of a spark… but it doesn’t come easy! *zips lips, so you can find out for yourself*
Besides Dayraven and Sunniva, a few more characters have a strong presence. For example, there’s Dagon. He’s the baddest of them all and a beekeeper. Nope, I’m not kidding. He has a shedload of bees and he uses them, but not for honey harvest!
Then, there’s Malombra. When I think of her only two words come to my mind- femme fatale. Really. I never thought I’d be able to use this description. Ever. But there we go.. she’s quite possibly a bit deluded but also done over in the past and one’s heart does go out to her for what she’s been through… However, lady needs to dial down on the plant potions a bit. Also, in the modern day setting she would probably be one of those Beverly Hills/Orange County housewives too taken with their appearance and thinking their punanny holds all the powers!
And the Twister! The humpbacked, bastard son of an emperor who seriously got a bad hand dealt to him. I wasn’t entirely sure if I was afraid of him or if I felt pity. Maybe a bit of both. He’s one of those characters that begs to be approached with caution because truly, he remained unpredictable to me throughout. I was expecting horrible, horrible things from him… and… *zips mouth*
Overall, I would say, this was an enjoyable read. Even though my usual character-driven (the tortured hero searching for the meaning of life) plot wasn’t the core in this book, I was still quite engrossed in the adventure. The start of the book delivered quite a few flashbacks from both Dayraven and Sunniva but these had purpose vital for connecting the dots and as such can’t be labelled as infodumps.
What can I say? It’s quite an interesting start to the trilogy- the stage has been set, characters introduced and backstories explained. I expect a rather interesting sequel!
April 8, 2018
An excellent historical fantasy which deals with the nature of messianic myths and cyclical prophecy. In a dying Roman Empire-like environment, the people pray for a savior like the kind who founded their empire but what sort of savior are they going to be getting when the Sun god returns? It's a fun book with intrigue, betrayal, and lies spread throughout. The beginning is a bit slow but it eventually becomes a very engrossing tale.
8.5/10
8.5/10
March 9, 2018
I was asked if I would review this book, and received an ebook copy from the author.
The Hidden Face is an interesting book. In summary, it’s like fantasy meets Dan Brown, so if you like both genres then you will probably enjoy The Hidden Face. I actually do like both, although I think with Dan Brown you need a hefty amount of suspension of disbelief.
One of the great things about this book is the mythology. In this world The Face of Ahken , a prophet of God, appears every 500 years or so, each time in a different country. When The Face appears he or she brings great power and wealth to that country which becomes an empire, so spreading the worship of Ahken. The appearance of The Face is called the Unmasking. This story takes place between the Fourth and Fifth Unmaskings and the name The Hidden Face refers to a secret which will lead to the identity of The Face for the Fifth Unmasking. That sounds complicated but it works really well in the book. As well as that, the world the characters inhabit is very well realised. One of those books where you can easily imagine the settings and you really feel like you are travelling along with the characters.
Speaking of characters, there are some good ones. The protagonists are Dayraven, a suitably heroic warrior returned from exile, and Sunniva, a women searching for her missing father. Sunniva is my favourite of the two, she’s a strong and intelligent woman on an equal level with Dayraven, which is nice to see, plus she’s good in a fight! There is a good cast of villains as well, with my favourite being The Twister, who loops around the story as well as in and out of his own sanity.
If I have a criticism it is that I felt that too much of the characters own internal dialogue was described. There are lots of points of view, which is not necessarily a problem, but sometimes the thoughts and feelings of the characters were made explicit when they could have been implied by the descriptions of or actions of the characters. I felt this impeded the story at some points.
Overall this is worth a read and I’m interested to see how the next one in the series turns out.
The Hidden Face is an interesting book. In summary, it’s like fantasy meets Dan Brown, so if you like both genres then you will probably enjoy The Hidden Face. I actually do like both, although I think with Dan Brown you need a hefty amount of suspension of disbelief.
One of the great things about this book is the mythology. In this world The Face of Ahken , a prophet of God, appears every 500 years or so, each time in a different country. When The Face appears he or she brings great power and wealth to that country which becomes an empire, so spreading the worship of Ahken. The appearance of The Face is called the Unmasking. This story takes place between the Fourth and Fifth Unmaskings and the name The Hidden Face refers to a secret which will lead to the identity of The Face for the Fifth Unmasking. That sounds complicated but it works really well in the book. As well as that, the world the characters inhabit is very well realised. One of those books where you can easily imagine the settings and you really feel like you are travelling along with the characters.
Speaking of characters, there are some good ones. The protagonists are Dayraven, a suitably heroic warrior returned from exile, and Sunniva, a women searching for her missing father. Sunniva is my favourite of the two, she’s a strong and intelligent woman on an equal level with Dayraven, which is nice to see, plus she’s good in a fight! There is a good cast of villains as well, with my favourite being The Twister, who loops around the story as well as in and out of his own sanity.
If I have a criticism it is that I felt that too much of the characters own internal dialogue was described. There are lots of points of view, which is not necessarily a problem, but sometimes the thoughts and feelings of the characters were made explicit when they could have been implied by the descriptions of or actions of the characters. I felt this impeded the story at some points.
Overall this is worth a read and I’m interested to see how the next one in the series turns out.
November 25, 2017
You can find this review , along with all my other book reviews at my blog - https://ablogaboutbook.wordpress.com/
So ... Disclaimer , I was one of the few lucky individuals who were chosen to be given an opportunity to read and review this book by the author himself, But having had that opportunity has in no way influenced any part of this review .
What I Liked :
For an Epic Fantasy book , this book is pretty thin , however this in no way makes the book any less entertaining than it should be . The story is told via multiple Point-of-views and is excellently detailed via good story telling on part of the author .
The book maintains a really fast pace throughout but during the beginning it starts a bit slow , but things start pacing up very soon with introduction of various clues and mysteries that the protagonists must solve. These clues were my favorite part in the book as it made this book feel like a scenario that may result if you put the National Treasure movie in a fantasy setting .
Talking of setting , the story does revolve around prophecies , and to me prophecies have become a little overused as trope in the fantasy genre ergo going into the book I was a bit skeptical , however my doubts were thrown aside quickly by the authors depiction in the book . The settings were helped by characters who were not heavily detailed but given enough exposure so as to make their motivations coherent as the settings , clues & characters combined to make a fun adventurous fantasy tale
What I didn't Like :
One of the things that I may be a little untrustworthy to review is romance , it's not my genre , I am still single and I have no grasp on how it works , but to me the whole romance angle felt sort of awkward . From the first encounter we know that the two protagonist are attracted to each other , but why? There was an instant romance initiated that carried along throughout the book and the final conclusion of the said romance felt really forced and came about out of nowhere .
Similarly I did feel a little let down by the final battle sequence , It was a convergence with all characters coming to slug it out but the finale of that battle sequence felt a little anti-climatic to me . In fact the action sequences felt like they could have been done better as they felt like far apart in the story to occur and when they did ,these sequences felt repetitive .
I was also unhappy with Astolf and Sunniva's characterization , we barely learnt anything about Astolf and with how things ended there seems no scope to learn anything about him in future books either . Sunniva meanwhile started out as per description as a smart and strong character but throughout the book she felt over-reliant on Dayraven and another character* , come to think of it , I don't think she finished any of her battles on her own or won any of her battles .
* whom I won't name for fear of minor spoilers
Verdict:
In the end , I can definitely call The hidden face , being the best ARC , I ever read . It has some things that are not upto my taste ,but in the end the plot and story-telling make for an entertaining read that overshadows the flaws . And let's face it , reading is all about enjoying and being entertained and so for me , this book was a success and I definitely recommend it to anyone who will be willing to consider my recommendations .
So ... Disclaimer , I was one of the few lucky individuals who were chosen to be given an opportunity to read and review this book by the author himself, But having had that opportunity has in no way influenced any part of this review .
What I Liked :
For an Epic Fantasy book , this book is pretty thin , however this in no way makes the book any less entertaining than it should be . The story is told via multiple Point-of-views and is excellently detailed via good story telling on part of the author .
The book maintains a really fast pace throughout but during the beginning it starts a bit slow , but things start pacing up very soon with introduction of various clues and mysteries that the protagonists must solve. These clues were my favorite part in the book as it made this book feel like a scenario that may result if you put the National Treasure movie in a fantasy setting .
Talking of setting , the story does revolve around prophecies , and to me prophecies have become a little overused as trope in the fantasy genre ergo going into the book I was a bit skeptical , however my doubts were thrown aside quickly by the authors depiction in the book . The settings were helped by characters who were not heavily detailed but given enough exposure so as to make their motivations coherent as the settings , clues & characters combined to make a fun adventurous fantasy tale
What I didn't Like :
One of the things that I may be a little untrustworthy to review is romance , it's not my genre , I am still single and I have no grasp on how it works , but to me the whole romance angle felt sort of awkward . From the first encounter we know that the two protagonist are attracted to each other , but why? There was an instant romance initiated that carried along throughout the book and the final conclusion of the said romance felt really forced and came about out of nowhere .
Similarly I did feel a little let down by the final battle sequence , It was a convergence with all characters coming to slug it out but the finale of that battle sequence felt a little anti-climatic to me . In fact the action sequences felt like they could have been done better as they felt like far apart in the story to occur and when they did ,these sequences felt repetitive .
I was also unhappy with Astolf and Sunniva's characterization , we barely learnt anything about Astolf and with how things ended there seems no scope to learn anything about him in future books either . Sunniva meanwhile started out as per description as a smart and strong character but throughout the book she felt over-reliant on Dayraven and another character* , come to think of it , I don't think she finished any of her battles on her own or won any of her battles .
* whom I won't name for fear of minor spoilers
Verdict:
In the end , I can definitely call The hidden face , being the best ARC , I ever read . It has some things that are not upto my taste ,but in the end the plot and story-telling make for an entertaining read that overshadows the flaws . And let's face it , reading is all about enjoying and being entertained and so for me , this book was a success and I definitely recommend it to anyone who will be willing to consider my recommendations .
February 7, 2018
The Hidden Face was an interesting read - it's a YA style adventure with a smattering of adult themes and some slightly risqué content. While I hate to do the "it's X meets Y" thing in my reviews, I genuinely think in this instance it would be fair to say that it's The Da Vinci Code meets Indiana Jones in a fantasy setting. Not my typical fare these days, but as a teenager I guarantee I would have eaten this up with a spoon.
The Hidden Face is a mystical entity, the Sun God, who appears every few hundred years to a different nation to grant them a great boon of prosperity and power. Faustia was the last beneficiary, but their time is drawing to a close and the Hidden Face is due to reappear elsewhere soon. Unfortunately for Faustia, their emperor has done a bit of a Théoden and spent time that he should have used to create strong alliances being manipulated into a position of weakness.
On to our protagonists:
Dayraven is the son of a great hero of the Faustian empire, and here he returns to his home after 15 years spent as the ward (read: hostage) of their rivals, the Magians.
Sunniva is the warrior daughter of a great architect and archaeologist, who designed the temple where our story gets going.
A murder takes place in the temple, and from here our protagonists are hurled into a conspiracy that leads them through a series of riddles which they must solve together in a race against time, pursued by enemies of the empire. There's a childhood rival, a femme fatale (with one particularly memorable scene involving a pair of goblets), a mad hunchback, a warrior who can communicate only through his tattoos and more. The pacing trundles along at a fair clip and the prose is uncomplicated, and as a result it's quite a fast read.
I will say that a couple of issues I found I had were that the author writes the character's names too frequently, where a "he" or "she" would suffice. The characters also repeat themselves enough that I found it a little distracting. But overall it's a solidly plotted story in a unique setting with some genuinely great ideas and a lot of potential, and I think younger readers especially will find a great deal to enjoy.
For that reason I think it's deserving of 3 stars.
The Hidden Face is a mystical entity, the Sun God, who appears every few hundred years to a different nation to grant them a great boon of prosperity and power. Faustia was the last beneficiary, but their time is drawing to a close and the Hidden Face is due to reappear elsewhere soon. Unfortunately for Faustia, their emperor has done a bit of a Théoden and spent time that he should have used to create strong alliances being manipulated into a position of weakness.
On to our protagonists:
Dayraven is the son of a great hero of the Faustian empire, and here he returns to his home after 15 years spent as the ward (read: hostage) of their rivals, the Magians.
Sunniva is the warrior daughter of a great architect and archaeologist, who designed the temple where our story gets going.
A murder takes place in the temple, and from here our protagonists are hurled into a conspiracy that leads them through a series of riddles which they must solve together in a race against time, pursued by enemies of the empire. There's a childhood rival, a femme fatale (with one particularly memorable scene involving a pair of goblets), a mad hunchback, a warrior who can communicate only through his tattoos and more. The pacing trundles along at a fair clip and the prose is uncomplicated, and as a result it's quite a fast read.
I will say that a couple of issues I found I had were that the author writes the character's names too frequently, where a "he" or "she" would suffice. The characters also repeat themselves enough that I found it a little distracting. But overall it's a solidly plotted story in a unique setting with some genuinely great ideas and a lot of potential, and I think younger readers especially will find a great deal to enjoy.
For that reason I think it's deserving of 3 stars.
March 27, 2018
The Hidden Face is a novel that I really wanted to love but just had some issues that kept me from really getting into the very good storyline. This is a novel that in many ways was a mystery thriller novel set in a fantasy world. Our two main protagonists are Dayraven and Sunniva, two very distinctive names for sure.
Dayraven is a 30 year old man whose father was a great hero who died because of treachery. When he was a teenager he was sent in a hostage exchange between his empire, Faustia, and the Duke of Magia, to ensure peace between the two. He is very intelligent and is much like his father. When the story begins he is understandably upset that he has been left for 15 years and worries that he no longer truly fits in after spending his formative years in Magia. He was given a first rate education and training while he was a hostage and has grown to love the Duke.
When we first meet Sunniva she is dressed as a soldier in disguise. This is not a world where women are equal and allowed to serve as soldiers so she has stolen some of her brother’s gear in order to fit in. Sunniva is beautiful and smart and as we get to know her a little better we see she has been well educated by her father, who was friends with Dayraven’s tutor, and Sunniva’s father and Dayraven’s tutor appear to have set them up to solve an important mystery that may be tied to the religion of this world.
The religion of this world is actually pretty cool and is a nice touch in helping to flesh out the world and directly helps set up the political situation in the world. Akhen, their god, has appeared in the guise of different people four different times in the history of the world during the last two thousand years. The Face gives a different country access to blessings and technology that allows them to gain power over other countries and they are able to build an empire. The Face seems to disappear fairly shortly after they appear but their blessing remains for roughly five hundred years each time. Faustia was blessed by the Face close to six hundred years ago so many people are just waiting to see how much longer they will remain a dominant power. As the story begins they are actually growing in power but many people worry that they should actually be working to improve relations with their neighbors in case one of those neighbors receives the blessing next.
I think that the story itself is very compelling and I enjoyed the way the puzzle solving scenes were written. Some of the characters were very well written and I genuinely cared what happened to them. I think that the storytelling is the strongest element of the novel.
I didn’t always care for the very frequent flashbacks in the novel but they serve to do the bulk of the world building in the novel.
The reason that this is a 3* instead of a 4 or 5* novel for me though is that there were a lot of little things that at times took me out of the flow of the story, that “movie in my mind” I drone on about endlessly.
First of all the author uses the character’s very distinctive names even when saying “he” or “she” would suffice. This isn’t a big deal but at one point the author even has the emperor speaking to Dayraven and say, “Right now, you remind me of your father, Urland.” Now this isn’t a big deal, and I understand that the author does this to help the reader learn a name, but unless Dayraven has two fathers it wasn’t necessary for his name to be included in that sentence. Things like that take me out of the flow of the story as I am imagining the emperor in a scene that the author actually set up amazingly well. The author described the scene well enough that I was really imagining I was watching the emperor talking to Dayraven but that’s not something that he would ever have had to say to Dayraven. There are quite a few instances of characters say8ing things that are obviously meant to help the reader but that make the dialogue feel clunky at times.
I felt like the antagonists in the story weren’t as well written as the protagonists. Astolf can seem like a caricature of a villain at times with his bumbling and poorly thought out, fear based decisions. He has managed to rise to a very high position within the church and is supposed to be the emperor’s most trusted advisor but even if some treachery is involved I never believed that he would have been capable of rising to this position of power even with help.
Death, the Rider was another character who I didn’t particularly think was written like a real person. He seemed too much like a simpleton to me.
This novel had quite the mystery thriller element to it and at times I did feel like certain things were explained to me a little too well. I would have liked to feel that mystery along with the characters and to have had the characters keep a little bit of what they were thinking, or had found out, to themselves.
One last thing is that at times as I was reading this book I would go twenty pages completely locked in and really enjoying the book when I would hit a section that almost made me think it had been written at a much earlier time and when the book was re-written at a later date was a scene that got left in. I have no idea if this is actually the case but the way I felt that it could be uneven gave me that impression.
So at the end I would say that there are many people who would enjoy this novel for the storyline and if you aren’t quite as anal about little details like feeling like a sentence of dialogue was written just for the reader and wouldn’t have been necessary strictly if the two characters had been speaking to each other. Unfortunately things like that do bother me and when I am taken out of the flow of the book to think about things like that I have trouble truly enjoying a book.
Dayraven is a 30 year old man whose father was a great hero who died because of treachery. When he was a teenager he was sent in a hostage exchange between his empire, Faustia, and the Duke of Magia, to ensure peace between the two. He is very intelligent and is much like his father. When the story begins he is understandably upset that he has been left for 15 years and worries that he no longer truly fits in after spending his formative years in Magia. He was given a first rate education and training while he was a hostage and has grown to love the Duke.
When we first meet Sunniva she is dressed as a soldier in disguise. This is not a world where women are equal and allowed to serve as soldiers so she has stolen some of her brother’s gear in order to fit in. Sunniva is beautiful and smart and as we get to know her a little better we see she has been well educated by her father, who was friends with Dayraven’s tutor, and Sunniva’s father and Dayraven’s tutor appear to have set them up to solve an important mystery that may be tied to the religion of this world.
The religion of this world is actually pretty cool and is a nice touch in helping to flesh out the world and directly helps set up the political situation in the world. Akhen, their god, has appeared in the guise of different people four different times in the history of the world during the last two thousand years. The Face gives a different country access to blessings and technology that allows them to gain power over other countries and they are able to build an empire. The Face seems to disappear fairly shortly after they appear but their blessing remains for roughly five hundred years each time. Faustia was blessed by the Face close to six hundred years ago so many people are just waiting to see how much longer they will remain a dominant power. As the story begins they are actually growing in power but many people worry that they should actually be working to improve relations with their neighbors in case one of those neighbors receives the blessing next.
I think that the story itself is very compelling and I enjoyed the way the puzzle solving scenes were written. Some of the characters were very well written and I genuinely cared what happened to them. I think that the storytelling is the strongest element of the novel.
I didn’t always care for the very frequent flashbacks in the novel but they serve to do the bulk of the world building in the novel.
The reason that this is a 3* instead of a 4 or 5* novel for me though is that there were a lot of little things that at times took me out of the flow of the story, that “movie in my mind” I drone on about endlessly.
First of all the author uses the character’s very distinctive names even when saying “he” or “she” would suffice. This isn’t a big deal but at one point the author even has the emperor speaking to Dayraven and say, “Right now, you remind me of your father, Urland.” Now this isn’t a big deal, and I understand that the author does this to help the reader learn a name, but unless Dayraven has two fathers it wasn’t necessary for his name to be included in that sentence. Things like that take me out of the flow of the story as I am imagining the emperor in a scene that the author actually set up amazingly well. The author described the scene well enough that I was really imagining I was watching the emperor talking to Dayraven but that’s not something that he would ever have had to say to Dayraven. There are quite a few instances of characters say8ing things that are obviously meant to help the reader but that make the dialogue feel clunky at times.
I felt like the antagonists in the story weren’t as well written as the protagonists. Astolf can seem like a caricature of a villain at times with his bumbling and poorly thought out, fear based decisions. He has managed to rise to a very high position within the church and is supposed to be the emperor’s most trusted advisor but even if some treachery is involved I never believed that he would have been capable of rising to this position of power even with help.
Death, the Rider was another character who I didn’t particularly think was written like a real person. He seemed too much like a simpleton to me.
This novel had quite the mystery thriller element to it and at times I did feel like certain things were explained to me a little too well. I would have liked to feel that mystery along with the characters and to have had the characters keep a little bit of what they were thinking, or had found out, to themselves.
One last thing is that at times as I was reading this book I would go twenty pages completely locked in and really enjoying the book when I would hit a section that almost made me think it had been written at a much earlier time and when the book was re-written at a later date was a scene that got left in. I have no idea if this is actually the case but the way I felt that it could be uneven gave me that impression.
So at the end I would say that there are many people who would enjoy this novel for the storyline and if you aren’t quite as anal about little details like feeling like a sentence of dialogue was written just for the reader and wouldn’t have been necessary strictly if the two characters had been speaking to each other. Unfortunately things like that do bother me and when I am taken out of the flow of the book to think about things like that I have trouble truly enjoying a book.
September 20, 2018
After a period where it became quite tired and unimaginative, fantasy writing over the last decade or so become a good vehicle for interesting story telling. The Hidden Face is no exception for this, being in the epic fantasy mould but with some fresh ideas thrown in.
The premise is that every few hundred years the god Akhen manifests in human form and reveals (unmasks) itself, resulting in a huge shift in the balance of power between nations. If someone could know ahead of time who was the vessel for Akhen then whoever controlled them would wield enormous power. And there are certain parties who want that power at all costs.
Standing in their way are Dayraven, former hostage and son of a famous hero, and Sunniva, daughter of a scholar and archaeologist. Between them they must solve scattered clues and prevent their enemies discovering the secrets that they know.
There is a lot that is conventional here, but there are some nice twists that avoid the usual fantasy cliches. It is also refreshing for there not to be some all pervading evil that must be defeated. Here the simple lust for power is enough to create entirely suitable adversaries. Also there a lot of factions, all with their own motives and allies, some of which change of the course of the book.
The writing is strong, with some great characters. Special mention must go to The Twister, one of the most interesting personalities I've come across with his own internal logic for his often bizarre actions.
A terrific start to a new fantasy series that looks to be something well worth reading. There are certainly plenty of mysteries still to be revealed in this fascinating world.
The premise is that every few hundred years the god Akhen manifests in human form and reveals (unmasks) itself, resulting in a huge shift in the balance of power between nations. If someone could know ahead of time who was the vessel for Akhen then whoever controlled them would wield enormous power. And there are certain parties who want that power at all costs.
Standing in their way are Dayraven, former hostage and son of a famous hero, and Sunniva, daughter of a scholar and archaeologist. Between them they must solve scattered clues and prevent their enemies discovering the secrets that they know.
There is a lot that is conventional here, but there are some nice twists that avoid the usual fantasy cliches. It is also refreshing for there not to be some all pervading evil that must be defeated. Here the simple lust for power is enough to create entirely suitable adversaries. Also there a lot of factions, all with their own motives and allies, some of which change of the course of the book.
The writing is strong, with some great characters. Special mention must go to The Twister, one of the most interesting personalities I've come across with his own internal logic for his often bizarre actions.
A terrific start to a new fantasy series that looks to be something well worth reading. There are certainly plenty of mysteries still to be revealed in this fascinating world.
September 6, 2018
The Hidden Face is a simmering tale of revenge and legacies, of politics and old religions, of puzzles and ambitions. Flynn creates a world stoked in political intrigue and family loyalty. A pair of creepy and deadly hunters. The double cross, or even a possible triple cross. As a writer, it seems Flynn always knows what to hold back, that missing piece you look for that keeps you reading until the end. It wasn’t without its troubles. There are some forced plot points and a troubled romance, but I don’t think these take away from the overall story arc or the great promise this series holds. I’m excited for the second installment of The Fifth Installment.
Here's a link to my full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2018/09/06/th...
All my reviews can be found here: https://paulspicks.blog
Here's a link to my full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2018/09/06/th...
All my reviews can be found here: https://paulspicks.blog
November 25, 2017
I liked both protagonists, Dayraven in particular. In common with a lot of high-born children, he has been sent to a neighbouring kingdom as surety for good behaviour and brought up in their court. But while he expected to return home within a handful of years, he has to wait a lot longer before returning home to discover all is changed – and not in a good way. Flynn’s unfussy writing style quickly drew me into the story as Dayraven finds out just who his enemies are, while he hurries to meet up with his former tutor and mentor.
And from then, the story nocks up another notch and we are whisked along with Dayraven, who begins to appreciate there is a lot more at stake than Emperor Calvo’s current mental confusion. Once he encounters Sunniva and they form a team, they begin to try to unpick the trail of clues left behind by the two guardians of these vital secrets. Together, they manage to uncover part of the mystery – but a number of formidable antagonists are in close pursuit.
I have seen this book rated as YA – do be aware that while the puzzle-solving aspect may appeal to teens, this one isn’t suitable for a younger age-group. I would not be happy to discover my thirteen-year-old granddaughter reading it as there is a fair amount of sexual content, including a rather explicit sex scene.
Other than that concern, I enjoyed this one. I particularly appreciated the depiction of the antagonists as we discover their motives and why they are trying to find out where the Fifth Unmasking will take place. This works well in powering the story forward as the reader is left in no doubt as to what will happen should the secrets fall into the wrong hands.
The storyline comes to a climactic denouement with plenty of action and drama that had the pages turning and bringing this particular slice of the adventure to a satisfactory close – though there are several major plotpoints left dangling as the story evidently will be continued in the next book. Recommended for epic fantasy fans with a taste for arcane mysteries embedded within the worldbuilding.
8/10
And from then, the story nocks up another notch and we are whisked along with Dayraven, who begins to appreciate there is a lot more at stake than Emperor Calvo’s current mental confusion. Once he encounters Sunniva and they form a team, they begin to try to unpick the trail of clues left behind by the two guardians of these vital secrets. Together, they manage to uncover part of the mystery – but a number of formidable antagonists are in close pursuit.
I have seen this book rated as YA – do be aware that while the puzzle-solving aspect may appeal to teens, this one isn’t suitable for a younger age-group. I would not be happy to discover my thirteen-year-old granddaughter reading it as there is a fair amount of sexual content, including a rather explicit sex scene.
Other than that concern, I enjoyed this one. I particularly appreciated the depiction of the antagonists as we discover their motives and why they are trying to find out where the Fifth Unmasking will take place. This works well in powering the story forward as the reader is left in no doubt as to what will happen should the secrets fall into the wrong hands.
The storyline comes to a climactic denouement with plenty of action and drama that had the pages turning and bringing this particular slice of the adventure to a satisfactory close – though there are several major plotpoints left dangling as the story evidently will be continued in the next book. Recommended for epic fantasy fans with a taste for arcane mysteries embedded within the worldbuilding.
8/10
September 13, 2018
Firstly a big thank you to S.C. Flynn for sending an e-arc copy of The Hidden Face for review.
Every five hundred years or so, the Face of the Akhen is unmasked. Each Unmasking raises a new Empire, making the ruler of whichever land the Akhen favours wealthy, powerful and strong.
And allowing it to eclipse those who benefitted from previous Unmaskings.
The Fifth Unmasking is now overdue, and Calvo, the Emperor of Faustia, which was raised to dominance by the fourth, waits to see what will happen next. But others want to control and manipulate the Unmasking.
The Hidden Face follows Dayraven, a young man returned bitter from years of exile as a hostage in far (and alien) Magia, and Sunniva, a warrior trying to find her father who has disappeared.
The Hidden Face is a story that has a nice even balance between story, plot, characterisation and world building. There is a clever use of puzzles to connect the stories themes together, which reminded me of the puzzles you get in very clever RPGs or even dare I say Raiders of the Lost Arc.
There is a diverse cast of characters, ones that you can become emotional attached to without compromising story or plot.
The Hidden Face was fun, well paced and very interesting fantasy book and one that I recommend you read.
Every five hundred years or so, the Face of the Akhen is unmasked. Each Unmasking raises a new Empire, making the ruler of whichever land the Akhen favours wealthy, powerful and strong.
And allowing it to eclipse those who benefitted from previous Unmaskings.
The Fifth Unmasking is now overdue, and Calvo, the Emperor of Faustia, which was raised to dominance by the fourth, waits to see what will happen next. But others want to control and manipulate the Unmasking.
The Hidden Face follows Dayraven, a young man returned bitter from years of exile as a hostage in far (and alien) Magia, and Sunniva, a warrior trying to find her father who has disappeared.
The Hidden Face is a story that has a nice even balance between story, plot, characterisation and world building. There is a clever use of puzzles to connect the stories themes together, which reminded me of the puzzles you get in very clever RPGs or even dare I say Raiders of the Lost Arc.
There is a diverse cast of characters, ones that you can become emotional attached to without compromising story or plot.
The Hidden Face was fun, well paced and very interesting fantasy book and one that I recommend you read.
October 9, 2018
Very original with memorable characters and a rich historical background!
November 25, 2017
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
There's so much of the world-building, the overall mythology and political structure of this book that drives the plot and is given in bits and pieces to the reader, that I'm having a hard time knowing how talk about it without taking away anything from your experience in reading the book.
Essentially, you've got Dayraven, returning to the Emperor's court from being a political hostage for 15 years -- he's pretty smart, a better than average fighter, and the son of a legendarily great warrior. He's been returned to the court at a pivotal time, and he's also supposed to be meeting his former teacher for reasons he doesn't understand, but seem possibly more important.
One of those reasons is to be teamed up with Sunniva, a woman making her way through the world disguised as a man to make it easier for her to move freely as she searches for her missing father. I really liked her -- from her memories of a childhood where she'd get bored playing the way the other kids wanted to, so she'd make up her own stories of battle and gallantry, to her dealing with her phobias, to her grit, determination, and compassion. She's not much clearer on why she's been teamed up with Dayraven, but jumps in with both feet, certain that it's the right thing to do.
They have puzzles to solve, clues to piece together -- which lead to fights with mercenaries, legendary criminals, a conspiracy or two, and others, while they're trying to piece together more of the clues which should point the way to the Fifth Unmasking. Don't worry, you'll find out what that means as you read the book. On the one hand, none of this story is new to you -- you've read all these elements before. But the way that Flynn has assembled them, and the way he executes them are pretty novel and are interestingly entertaining.
When we first meet the Emperor, I wasn't sure how I was supposed to feel about him -- whether he was supposed to be funny, if I was supposed to pity him, or something else entirely. If you react similarly, hang in there, and you'll learn that both reactions are wrong -- and you'll likely end up really liking the Emperor.
There's a very Sméagol-y character, a few clearly villain-ish characters, and a pretty cool mercenary to round out the cast. All in all, especially by the time we get to the end of the novel and we understand them all pretty clearly, are as strong a collection that you can ask for.
Flynn does do something that it bugs me so much when Fantasy authors do -- he uses words/names/ from English/our world to mean something alien in their world. FOr example, the kingdom of Faustia results in the adjective "Faustian." Which is used a lot, and each time I had to remind myself that he didn't mean anything like what is usually meant. It's pretty distracting. Particularly in the opening chapters there's a sentence or two of dialogue that made me roll my eyes. But it's not something that detracts too much from the story or, really, makes up that much of the dialogue. My most significant area of criticism is the way that Flynn unspools the mythology for the reader -- I think he could have done it a little faster and clearer to get the reader on board with the theology/government of this world. Is it possible that I was being particularly dense this day? Yes. Is it possible that other readers will pick up on things a lot better than I did? Yes. But I don't think so -- I think it was Flynn trying to avoid an info-dump and to dole out the information to the reader at his pace. Which I absolutely endorse, I just think he could have done it a smidge faster.
I'm not sure, but I can't think of many fantasy novels that I've read lately that are as short as The Hidden Face. This isn't a selling point or a word of warning, I'm just saying this is short, and fast paced. Flynn crams a lot of story into this book and does it well. You don't feel rushed, or that he's cutting corners -- you don't get the impression he's doing anything other than telling his story until you stop and think of everything that happens in 350 pages, a good deal of it is what I expected in book 3. I'm not sure how he pulls that off, honestly.
This is a strong, fast and gripping fantasy novel. I cannot wait for the sequel -- it's pretty clear where it'll start, but I'm not really sure what to expect the story to do after that, and that really appeals to me. The Hidden Face, isn't perfect, but it's good -- you should give it a try.
Disclaimer: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for my honest opinion, for which I'm grateful, but not so grateful that it colored my thinking.
---
There's so much of the world-building, the overall mythology and political structure of this book that drives the plot and is given in bits and pieces to the reader, that I'm having a hard time knowing how talk about it without taking away anything from your experience in reading the book.
Essentially, you've got Dayraven, returning to the Emperor's court from being a political hostage for 15 years -- he's pretty smart, a better than average fighter, and the son of a legendarily great warrior. He's been returned to the court at a pivotal time, and he's also supposed to be meeting his former teacher for reasons he doesn't understand, but seem possibly more important.
One of those reasons is to be teamed up with Sunniva, a woman making her way through the world disguised as a man to make it easier for her to move freely as she searches for her missing father. I really liked her -- from her memories of a childhood where she'd get bored playing the way the other kids wanted to, so she'd make up her own stories of battle and gallantry, to her dealing with her phobias, to her grit, determination, and compassion. She's not much clearer on why she's been teamed up with Dayraven, but jumps in with both feet, certain that it's the right thing to do.
They have puzzles to solve, clues to piece together -- which lead to fights with mercenaries, legendary criminals, a conspiracy or two, and others, while they're trying to piece together more of the clues which should point the way to the Fifth Unmasking. Don't worry, you'll find out what that means as you read the book. On the one hand, none of this story is new to you -- you've read all these elements before. But the way that Flynn has assembled them, and the way he executes them are pretty novel and are interestingly entertaining.
When we first meet the Emperor, I wasn't sure how I was supposed to feel about him -- whether he was supposed to be funny, if I was supposed to pity him, or something else entirely. If you react similarly, hang in there, and you'll learn that both reactions are wrong -- and you'll likely end up really liking the Emperor.
There's a very Sméagol-y character, a few clearly villain-ish characters, and a pretty cool mercenary to round out the cast. All in all, especially by the time we get to the end of the novel and we understand them all pretty clearly, are as strong a collection that you can ask for.
Flynn does do something that it bugs me so much when Fantasy authors do -- he uses words/names/ from English/our world to mean something alien in their world. FOr example, the kingdom of Faustia results in the adjective "Faustian." Which is used a lot, and each time I had to remind myself that he didn't mean anything like what is usually meant. It's pretty distracting. Particularly in the opening chapters there's a sentence or two of dialogue that made me roll my eyes. But it's not something that detracts too much from the story or, really, makes up that much of the dialogue. My most significant area of criticism is the way that Flynn unspools the mythology for the reader -- I think he could have done it a little faster and clearer to get the reader on board with the theology/government of this world. Is it possible that I was being particularly dense this day? Yes. Is it possible that other readers will pick up on things a lot better than I did? Yes. But I don't think so -- I think it was Flynn trying to avoid an info-dump and to dole out the information to the reader at his pace. Which I absolutely endorse, I just think he could have done it a smidge faster.
I'm not sure, but I can't think of many fantasy novels that I've read lately that are as short as The Hidden Face. This isn't a selling point or a word of warning, I'm just saying this is short, and fast paced. Flynn crams a lot of story into this book and does it well. You don't feel rushed, or that he's cutting corners -- you don't get the impression he's doing anything other than telling his story until you stop and think of everything that happens in 350 pages, a good deal of it is what I expected in book 3. I'm not sure how he pulls that off, honestly.
This is a strong, fast and gripping fantasy novel. I cannot wait for the sequel -- it's pretty clear where it'll start, but I'm not really sure what to expect the story to do after that, and that really appeals to me. The Hidden Face, isn't perfect, but it's good -- you should give it a try.
Disclaimer: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for my honest opinion, for which I'm grateful, but not so grateful that it colored my thinking.
December 8, 2017
Firstly a big thank you to S.C. Flynn for sending an e-arc copy of The Hidden Face for review.
I first heard about The Hidden Face months ago and upon reading the synopsis I was very intrigued by the premise. Fast forward a couple of months later when S.C. Flynn offered me a review copy, which I was excited to receive and very quickly said yes.
What I have come to notice over the past number of years reading Sci-fi and Fantasy books is that they generally tend to focus on one particular area (e.g. story or characterisation) more than others. With The Hidden Face I didn’t come across this as I felt the book certainly had a nice balance between story, characterisation and world building.
Over the past number of months I have read many books that have had very grim characters or the book as a whole was quite dark but upon reading The Hidden Face I was glad to see this was not the case and this in part made it easy to read. The other part that made it easy to read is the fact the book felt like it had a very natural pace to the story. However this was somewhat let down by some portions being a bit slower and over extended in places, but I only came across a couple of instances of this.
Once aspect of the book I enjoyed the most was S.C. Flynn’s use of puzzles to help connect the different elements of the story as well as a method of story progression. I don’t very often come across puzzles in fantasy books but when I do they usually take a back seat to everything else that is going on and they usually aren’t that complex. However these puzzles are in a league of their own as them seem to use a mixture of encryption, anagrams and hieroglyphics.
The one aspect that I feel though that certainly had a major positive and negative is the characters. On the one hand I really like how diverse the cast of characters that The Hidden Face has because they are unique in their own way. At certain points this might not seem the case because you think they are just a loyal follower but then it is clearly shown a character acts out of their own intentions. For me brought an air of mystery to some of the characters because even by the end of this book we still don’t know what side they are on or what they are truly after.
For me though the diverse set of characters come at a price because I found it difficult to empathise or be emotionally attached with any characters in particular and I think this somewhat weakens the beauty of this book. Certain characters do draw out certain emotions such as laughter or happiness but I found this usually stemmed something they said or done rather than how they themselves felt.
Upon reading this book I can say for certain that it takes a unique perspective that I have never read in an epic fantasy book before with the puzzles. The Hidden Face is certainly not perfect but I find it very difficult these days to find a book that doesn’t have some small issues. However this doesn’t detract from the fact that I still really enjoyed reading The Hidden Face as it was fun, well paced and very interesting fantasy book and recommend you read it. If perhaps you aren’t a fan of fantasy books but do enjoy a good mystery then I would still recommend you read this as I believe it is something you will enjoy due to the overall mystery behind the story and the puzzles within it.
I first heard about The Hidden Face months ago and upon reading the synopsis I was very intrigued by the premise. Fast forward a couple of months later when S.C. Flynn offered me a review copy, which I was excited to receive and very quickly said yes.
What I have come to notice over the past number of years reading Sci-fi and Fantasy books is that they generally tend to focus on one particular area (e.g. story or characterisation) more than others. With The Hidden Face I didn’t come across this as I felt the book certainly had a nice balance between story, characterisation and world building.
Over the past number of months I have read many books that have had very grim characters or the book as a whole was quite dark but upon reading The Hidden Face I was glad to see this was not the case and this in part made it easy to read. The other part that made it easy to read is the fact the book felt like it had a very natural pace to the story. However this was somewhat let down by some portions being a bit slower and over extended in places, but I only came across a couple of instances of this.
Once aspect of the book I enjoyed the most was S.C. Flynn’s use of puzzles to help connect the different elements of the story as well as a method of story progression. I don’t very often come across puzzles in fantasy books but when I do they usually take a back seat to everything else that is going on and they usually aren’t that complex. However these puzzles are in a league of their own as them seem to use a mixture of encryption, anagrams and hieroglyphics.
The one aspect that I feel though that certainly had a major positive and negative is the characters. On the one hand I really like how diverse the cast of characters that The Hidden Face has because they are unique in their own way. At certain points this might not seem the case because you think they are just a loyal follower but then it is clearly shown a character acts out of their own intentions. For me brought an air of mystery to some of the characters because even by the end of this book we still don’t know what side they are on or what they are truly after.
For me though the diverse set of characters come at a price because I found it difficult to empathise or be emotionally attached with any characters in particular and I think this somewhat weakens the beauty of this book. Certain characters do draw out certain emotions such as laughter or happiness but I found this usually stemmed something they said or done rather than how they themselves felt.
Upon reading this book I can say for certain that it takes a unique perspective that I have never read in an epic fantasy book before with the puzzles. The Hidden Face is certainly not perfect but I find it very difficult these days to find a book that doesn’t have some small issues. However this doesn’t detract from the fact that I still really enjoyed reading The Hidden Face as it was fun, well paced and very interesting fantasy book and recommend you read it. If perhaps you aren’t a fan of fantasy books but do enjoy a good mystery then I would still recommend you read this as I believe it is something you will enjoy due to the overall mystery behind the story and the puzzles within it.
October 24, 2017
Full review is here, on my blog.
This was a really interesting book. It took me a little while to understand what was happening, but after I really got into it, it was quite hard to put down.
This takes place in a world where every few hundred years or so, the god of this world, The Akhen, comes down as an incarnate being known as the Face of the Akhen in a move known as an Unmasking. There have been four of those so far, and the last one happened in the Faustian Empire, where this story takes place, and started the Faustian Era.
Dayraven, who is the son of a slain hero of the empire, has been a hostage of the Magia (sort of a rival nation of the Faustian Empire) for about 15 years, and has just shown back up in town. The Emperor is ahh… a bit crazy now, and spends most of his time in the bath (I can understand that a little!) and he suspects that an old enemy/rival of his is behind it. Dayraven goes to the local temple to meet with his old teacher, and finds him dead, and a scroll that was with him leads to clues that he and Sunniva, a local warrior and daughter of the architect of the temple itself, follow to find the secret of the Hidden Face. Others are after the secret too, for their own reasons, and so it becomes a thrilling romp through the world to find all the clues before anyone else can find them.
I was having a little trouble getting really enthusiastic about this one right up until Dayraven and Sunniva found the scroll and started to work out the clues in it. Then it sort of became like a Da Vinci Code scavenger hunt in the way that these clues come together, and I have to say that once that first clue happened and we moved onto the next, it was just about impossible to put this one down. I am a total sucker for a good riddle or puzzle (and yes, I loved the damn Da Vinci Code because of it. There, I said it.) There were legit twists in this one that I never saw coming, and the mystery was a good one. The additional characters, mainly the Twister and Malombra were interesting and quite unique.
I liked that there was a romantic element as well, and that it was in itself fraught with its own ups and downs. It was believable, though it did move a little too quickly, I think. But eh, it was a short book. Either way, I thought it was alright.
This was quite a thrilling little fantasy novel. It’s not super long, either, so you’ve got the time and inclination, one could finish it in a day. I’m excited to see where the story heads in the future!
This was a really interesting book. It took me a little while to understand what was happening, but after I really got into it, it was quite hard to put down.
This takes place in a world where every few hundred years or so, the god of this world, The Akhen, comes down as an incarnate being known as the Face of the Akhen in a move known as an Unmasking. There have been four of those so far, and the last one happened in the Faustian Empire, where this story takes place, and started the Faustian Era.
Dayraven, who is the son of a slain hero of the empire, has been a hostage of the Magia (sort of a rival nation of the Faustian Empire) for about 15 years, and has just shown back up in town. The Emperor is ahh… a bit crazy now, and spends most of his time in the bath (I can understand that a little!) and he suspects that an old enemy/rival of his is behind it. Dayraven goes to the local temple to meet with his old teacher, and finds him dead, and a scroll that was with him leads to clues that he and Sunniva, a local warrior and daughter of the architect of the temple itself, follow to find the secret of the Hidden Face. Others are after the secret too, for their own reasons, and so it becomes a thrilling romp through the world to find all the clues before anyone else can find them.
I was having a little trouble getting really enthusiastic about this one right up until Dayraven and Sunniva found the scroll and started to work out the clues in it. Then it sort of became like a Da Vinci Code scavenger hunt in the way that these clues come together, and I have to say that once that first clue happened and we moved onto the next, it was just about impossible to put this one down. I am a total sucker for a good riddle or puzzle (and yes, I loved the damn Da Vinci Code because of it. There, I said it.) There were legit twists in this one that I never saw coming, and the mystery was a good one. The additional characters, mainly the Twister and Malombra were interesting and quite unique.
I liked that there was a romantic element as well, and that it was in itself fraught with its own ups and downs. It was believable, though it did move a little too quickly, I think. But eh, it was a short book. Either way, I thought it was alright.
This was quite a thrilling little fantasy novel. It’s not super long, either, so you’ve got the time and inclination, one could finish it in a day. I’m excited to see where the story heads in the future!
November 26, 2017
I’m not going to lie, I found The Hidden Face really hard to get into initially. It was really laden with details and names and I found myself getting confused early on. However, once the main characters met, and they found themselves thrown together to unravel the clues left for them, it really picked up the pace.
Dayraven find his old teacher brutally murdered, ad he is left something that makes him question everything. Enter Sunniva, a female warrior who can help him on his quest for the truth.
At this point, the book picks up pace as they work together to solve clues left for them to uncover the truth of an ancient secret. It really draws the reader in, as you become invested in their quest.
The Hidden Face is a very intriguing read. It has some excellent characters along with some intricate world-building. I particularly enjoyed seeing the relationship between Dayraven and Sunniva shift as the book changed its course.
If you’re a fan of fantasy, this is definitely one to add to your list.
Recommended for sure!
Dayraven find his old teacher brutally murdered, ad he is left something that makes him question everything. Enter Sunniva, a female warrior who can help him on his quest for the truth.
At this point, the book picks up pace as they work together to solve clues left for them to uncover the truth of an ancient secret. It really draws the reader in, as you become invested in their quest.
The Hidden Face is a very intriguing read. It has some excellent characters along with some intricate world-building. I particularly enjoyed seeing the relationship between Dayraven and Sunniva shift as the book changed its course.
If you’re a fan of fantasy, this is definitely one to add to your list.
Recommended for sure!
November 21, 2017
DNF - not really working for me I’m afraid. Pace is slowed down by exposition and really not grabbing me halfway through - not my cup of tea
April 5, 2018
Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!
Is it weird to say that I feel... winded after reading The Hidden Face? The reason I say that is because this book is an extremely adventurous, fast-paced story that I really had a fun time reading. And really, if you like fantasy that moves at a quick pace and throws plenty of action at you on almost every page, then you should really give this one a go.
What grabbed my attention about this book was this little excerpt from the synopsis: "Once every few hundred years the sun god, the Akhen, takes on human form and descends to earth. Each Unmasking of the Face of the Akhen ends one era and begins another; the last one created the Faustian Empire." I am so intrigued by that premise--gods coming to earth to stop and start eras? Yes, please!--so I was more than happy to pick this book up and find out just what this Unmasking of the Face was all about. (If you want a full synopsis of this book, you can find one here.)
Flynn created a really interesting mythology for this world that I found myself actively engaged with and wanting to find out more about it. There is a lot of exposition regarding the mythology and how the characters are affected by it, but I didn't mind it too much because it was exposition that was actually engaging and did provide important information to the story. Included in the mythology are prophecies that do play a pretty large in the story. Prophecy being used as a plot point is a huge hit or miss for me these days, but I think Flynn did a good job of making it something that isn't overly cliche'd or awkward, but instead flows well with the narrative and plotline of the overall story.
The two main characters, Dayraven and Sunniva, each bring plenty of motivation and intrigue to the story, and I appreciated getting to know each of them and their personality. Sunniva is your rather badass warrior woman who carries an air of confidence around her that I particularly enjoyed. Dayraven is a recently returned 'hostage' from an enemy city who comes across as somewhat lost in the beginning of the book, which is understandable considering he had been cut off from his hometown for the past fifteen years. As the story progresses, though, his confidence grows and more of his personality starts to emerge, leading to him becoming a rather endearing character. There are plenty of other characters involved (this is epic fantasy, of course), but the only other one I want to mention in this review is The Twister, who is one of the 'semi-mad' figures that steals whatever scene they are in. I really enjoyed reading his character and found myself rather partial to any scenes with him.
The Hidden Face is riddled with puzzles and secret codes that must be solved by the characters, but is written in a way that actively engages the reader to solve at the same time. At times, I felt as if I was both reading and playing a game at the same time, which was really unique and also entertaining. I can see how people might dislike the in-depth puzzle solving, but at the same I thought it added a certain sort of authenticity and detail that improved the writing and showed the Flynn knows exactly what he is doing. There are too many books where characters just magically solve things without really allowing the reader to understand how they did it, so I really appreciated that aspect of this book.
There were a few times when the dialogue and word choice in the narrative felt a bit awkward, which briefly jolted me out of the story. I'm not one that usually get too hung up on issues like this as long as they aren't overtaking my ability to enjoy the book, and fortunately this wasn't that bad. I also had a few issues with the worldbuilding, mainly that I wanted more of it. I feel like the world is explained fairly well, but I just couldn't quite get a good understanding of the entire world and how things worked.
Overall, I've given The Hidden Face four stars and would certainly recommend it.
Is it weird to say that I feel... winded after reading The Hidden Face? The reason I say that is because this book is an extremely adventurous, fast-paced story that I really had a fun time reading. And really, if you like fantasy that moves at a quick pace and throws plenty of action at you on almost every page, then you should really give this one a go.
What grabbed my attention about this book was this little excerpt from the synopsis: "Once every few hundred years the sun god, the Akhen, takes on human form and descends to earth. Each Unmasking of the Face of the Akhen ends one era and begins another; the last one created the Faustian Empire." I am so intrigued by that premise--gods coming to earth to stop and start eras? Yes, please!--so I was more than happy to pick this book up and find out just what this Unmasking of the Face was all about. (If you want a full synopsis of this book, you can find one here.)
Flynn created a really interesting mythology for this world that I found myself actively engaged with and wanting to find out more about it. There is a lot of exposition regarding the mythology and how the characters are affected by it, but I didn't mind it too much because it was exposition that was actually engaging and did provide important information to the story. Included in the mythology are prophecies that do play a pretty large in the story. Prophecy being used as a plot point is a huge hit or miss for me these days, but I think Flynn did a good job of making it something that isn't overly cliche'd or awkward, but instead flows well with the narrative and plotline of the overall story.
The two main characters, Dayraven and Sunniva, each bring plenty of motivation and intrigue to the story, and I appreciated getting to know each of them and their personality. Sunniva is your rather badass warrior woman who carries an air of confidence around her that I particularly enjoyed. Dayraven is a recently returned 'hostage' from an enemy city who comes across as somewhat lost in the beginning of the book, which is understandable considering he had been cut off from his hometown for the past fifteen years. As the story progresses, though, his confidence grows and more of his personality starts to emerge, leading to him becoming a rather endearing character. There are plenty of other characters involved (this is epic fantasy, of course), but the only other one I want to mention in this review is The Twister, who is one of the 'semi-mad' figures that steals whatever scene they are in. I really enjoyed reading his character and found myself rather partial to any scenes with him.
The Hidden Face is riddled with puzzles and secret codes that must be solved by the characters, but is written in a way that actively engages the reader to solve at the same time. At times, I felt as if I was both reading and playing a game at the same time, which was really unique and also entertaining. I can see how people might dislike the in-depth puzzle solving, but at the same I thought it added a certain sort of authenticity and detail that improved the writing and showed the Flynn knows exactly what he is doing. There are too many books where characters just magically solve things without really allowing the reader to understand how they did it, so I really appreciated that aspect of this book.
There were a few times when the dialogue and word choice in the narrative felt a bit awkward, which briefly jolted me out of the story. I'm not one that usually get too hung up on issues like this as long as they aren't overtaking my ability to enjoy the book, and fortunately this wasn't that bad. I also had a few issues with the worldbuilding, mainly that I wanted more of it. I feel like the world is explained fairly well, but I just couldn't quite get a good understanding of the entire world and how things worked.
Overall, I've given The Hidden Face four stars and would certainly recommend it.
January 28, 2018
This fictional empire has a strange force that makes its presence felt once every few hundred years. The sun god, Akhen, appears in human form and takes one region on to great heights. The two central characters in this story, Dayraven and Sunniva, are thrown together with challenging puzzles to solve, before the next incarnation. They face many obstacles, some life-threatening, in their bid to prevent evil protagonists using Akhen to increase their dominance over their neighbours.
Although this is a fictional world, it bears many natural resemblances to our own, with its rivers, forests, mountains, deserts etc. However, its timeline is far removed from our own. Here we have characters in chain mail armour, bearing swords, axes and knives, horse drawn boats on the river and horse and carts on the roads. Dayraven and Sunniva have only the most basic resources to help them in their endeavours. Their characters are very 'human', the reader can closely follow their highs and lows, triumphs and losses, feeling their raw emotions as they face tremendous challenges, some from possible magical sources. As they solve one puzzle it leads them to yet another. Can they succeed against all the odds set against them?
This is a story that draws the reader into its depths. Although written in three parts, there are no chapter breaks so the narrative flows very smoothly. I look forward with great anticipation to reading what happens next.
Although this is a fictional world, it bears many natural resemblances to our own, with its rivers, forests, mountains, deserts etc. However, its timeline is far removed from our own. Here we have characters in chain mail armour, bearing swords, axes and knives, horse drawn boats on the river and horse and carts on the roads. Dayraven and Sunniva have only the most basic resources to help them in their endeavours. Their characters are very 'human', the reader can closely follow their highs and lows, triumphs and losses, feeling their raw emotions as they face tremendous challenges, some from possible magical sources. As they solve one puzzle it leads them to yet another. Can they succeed against all the odds set against them?
This is a story that draws the reader into its depths. Although written in three parts, there are no chapter breaks so the narrative flows very smoothly. I look forward with great anticipation to reading what happens next.
April 3, 2018
The best way to describe this book is a mix of A Song of Ice and Fire with The Sword of Truth series set in a Roman Empire. I found the politics of the different clans very easy to follow. Each character had a unique name and whenever they appeared I did not have to go searching to previous spots to remind myself who they were. The love story between the two protaganists felt natural, not forced and the moment where they reveal their feelings for each other was not stretched over the course of the story just to be revealed at the very end. What bothered me a little where the clues. The way the main characters solved them was using a language and alphabet that was invented I’m assuming by the author. So when the explination was given on how to crack the code I just had to assume that it was right and go with it. There was nothing for me to base it on. There might be some readers who find that kind of stuff interesting, but I’m not one of them. Also Dayraven and Sunniva talked at lengths about their Fathers. We learn that both were very close with their Fathers and it just made me wonder about their mothers. I don’t think that neither of their Mothers were mentioned. But other than that I had a real good time with this book and look foward to see where the series goes.
November 3, 2018
The Hidden Face has an intriguing central concept - the idea of a messiah like figure "the hidden face" who is born into the world anew once every several centuries and is "unmasked" on reaching the age of thirty. At that point the hidden face will use his/her power and influence to raise up another nation to power and dominion over the world, enabling a cycle of the birth and death of empires.
The identity and potential unmasking of the hidden face is therefore a matter of great political interest to both dead and decaying empires. This tension drives the conspiracy that Flynn's protagonists - the returning prisoner of war Dayraven and his quickly realised romantic interest Suniva - must seek to unravel.
I liked the world premise and the motivations of the different factions within it. There were points where I was thrown out of the story by a simile or line of description that jarred. for example "her tear-filled eyes stood out like flames" or a key character - the hunchbacked Twister who has an almost Smeagol-Gollum type relationship with his hump. I found it an unusual body part to invest with a separate personality or to describe as "sizzling."
I also wasn't as convinced as I would have liked by the central romance. It rose too quickly and didn't add enough depth to the characters for my liking. But these are always difficult elements to carry off - I had similar concerns with the love story within David Gemmell's debut "Legend."
The book is plot and world led and so made for a relaxing and enjoyable evening read.
The identity and potential unmasking of the hidden face is therefore a matter of great political interest to both dead and decaying empires. This tension drives the conspiracy that Flynn's protagonists - the returning prisoner of war Dayraven and his quickly realised romantic interest Suniva - must seek to unravel.
I liked the world premise and the motivations of the different factions within it. There were points where I was thrown out of the story by a simile or line of description that jarred. for example "her tear-filled eyes stood out like flames" or a key character - the hunchbacked Twister who has an almost Smeagol-Gollum type relationship with his hump. I found it an unusual body part to invest with a separate personality or to describe as "sizzling."
I also wasn't as convinced as I would have liked by the central romance. It rose too quickly and didn't add enough depth to the characters for my liking. But these are always difficult elements to carry off - I had similar concerns with the love story within David Gemmell's debut "Legend."
The book is plot and world led and so made for a relaxing and enjoyable evening read.
October 22, 2017
I reviewed his previous novel on audio, and do think this one might be better in audio than in print. The talking ones often are.
I did enjoy it at first. We meet Dayraven who has come back to his homeland after being sent away as pawn in politics when young. I liked how their God sends someone every 500 years and that country and culture blossoms. And how this country seems to be in decline now. Evil priest behind an aging king and all.
But then Sunniva showed up and it just got so talkey. Clues, clues, more clues, really more clues? And that is where it lost me, half way in. It started well enough but then it changed. Those eternal clues that they solved so fast. Evil people after them. No one bothering to talk about these things before...these things happen. Now that is just silly.
Good start. Mediocre second half.
I did enjoy it at first. We meet Dayraven who has come back to his homeland after being sent away as pawn in politics when young. I liked how their God sends someone every 500 years and that country and culture blossoms. And how this country seems to be in decline now. Evil priest behind an aging king and all.
But then Sunniva showed up and it just got so talkey. Clues, clues, more clues, really more clues? And that is where it lost me, half way in. It started well enough but then it changed. Those eternal clues that they solved so fast. Evil people after them. No one bothering to talk about these things before...these things happen. Now that is just silly.
Good start. Mediocre second half.
November 19, 2017
[2.5 stars] - I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I would totally reccomend this book to fantasy lovers.
I would not reccomend this book to people who are not into fantasy or people who don’t like books with more than 4 POV’s.
It took me ages to finish this book because I was in a huge readingslump. I enjoyed this book, but not as much as I wanted to. The book started off a bit slow but I lóved the second half of it. I loved Dayraven and Sunniva’s POV’s, but did not really care about the other POV’s. I know it’s common to have multiple POV’s in a fantasy book, but this was a bit too much for my liking.
I would totally reccomend this book to fantasy lovers.
I would not reccomend this book to people who are not into fantasy or people who don’t like books with more than 4 POV’s.
It took me ages to finish this book because I was in a huge readingslump. I enjoyed this book, but not as much as I wanted to. The book started off a bit slow but I lóved the second half of it. I loved Dayraven and Sunniva’s POV’s, but did not really care about the other POV’s. I know it’s common to have multiple POV’s in a fantasy book, but this was a bit too much for my liking.
May 4, 2018
I don’t even know where to begin with this review of The Hidden Face. The book is that good. What caught my attention when I was approached to review the book was the blurb. I didn’t even have to think about it. I wanted to read The Hidden Face. I need to read it. I am so glad I made the decision to accept the review request. This has to be one of the best fantasy books that I have read in a while.
The plotlines were great. A god that takes human form every 500 years and no one knows who it is until he/she is Unmasked? Yes!! That Unmasking starts ends the current era and starts a new one? Double yes. A hero who is trying to piece together clues left by his former mentor? Love it. A woman pretending to be a man so she can search for her father? Love it. An insane hunchback who might or might not be the bad guy (definitely a gray area there)? Yup. A priest, a beautiful woman and the king of a rival kingdom coming together to make sure that the prophecy goes in their favor? Definitely yes.
The characters, main and secondary, were all well written. They all had layers. For a secondary character to have layers is rare. In my experience, they are usually fillers between the scenes that feature the main characters. For the author to build up the secondary characters like that, I loved it. It made the book have more depth and be more realistic in my eyes.
The main characters were also all well-rounded and layered. Take, for instance, Perin the hunchback. At the beginning of the book, he is portrayed as nothing more than a killer working for Astolf, the High Priest. As the book went on, it is revealed that he is being used by Astolf. He became a tortured man who was firmly in a gray area. He killed, yes but he also protected. Once something about him was revealed, another layer appeared. It was that attention to detail that made this book so enjoyable for me to read.
I liked how the author kept the identity of who the Face was until the end of the book. Not only was who it was but where this person was living. Of course, the Face’s parentage was revealed. I wasn’t surprised at who the parents were. I do wonder how those people are going to figure into everything in the next book.
I liked Dayraven. I did think that he was the Face for 90% of the book. All the riddles that he solved seemed to point to it. When the real identity of the Face was revealed, I couldn’t help but wonder how he was going to factor into that person’s Unmasking.
I wonder the same thing about Sunniva. She was on her own personal quest to find out what happened to her father. When she found out, I wonder what will happen to her in book 2. I also wonder how she is going to factor into the Unmasking.
Astolf left me feeling unclean. I wanted to take a shower after reading his scenes. He was such an evil person. What he did to Emperor Calvo, Perin and countless others were awful. So I didn’t feel bad when what happened to him happened. I felt vindicated.
Dagon and Malombra were a couple made in Hell. Malombra was reportedly a beautiful woman who killed anyone who saw her face. She was also very talented with herbs and poisons. Dagon was the head of the Clovian Dynasty. He was a nasty man who wanted to destroy Emperor Calvo in the worse way. So when those two hooked up, I was disgusted. The things that they did to Sunniva and Dayraven were disgusting. But, I am curious to see what happens to them in book 2.
The end of The Hidden Face was fantastic. The author did a great job at ending some storylines. Other’s were left open to be pursued in book 2. The slight cliffhanger was perfect for the book. It was enough for me to want to read book 2.
What I liked about The Hidden Face:
A) Excellent world building
B) Excellent storylines
C) Excellent world building
What I disliked about The Hidden Face:
A) Astolf. He made me feel dirty
B) Dagon and Malombra. The power couple from Hell.
C) Perin. I disliked how he was treated throughout the book.
I would give The Hidden Face a rating of Older Teen. There is sex but it is not graphic. It is vague but you know what is going on. There is violence. Not so much graphic but the author got creative with how he killed off characters. The whole beehive scene made me shudder. There is no language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.
There are no trigger warnings in The Hidden Face.
I would recommend The Hidden Face to family and friends. This is a book that I will be rereading. I will also be reading the other books in the series when they come out.
I would like to thank S.C. Flynn for allowing me to read and review The Hidden Face.
All opinions stated in this review of The Hidden Face are mine.
**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**
The plotlines were great. A god that takes human form every 500 years and no one knows who it is until he/she is Unmasked? Yes!! That Unmasking starts ends the current era and starts a new one? Double yes. A hero who is trying to piece together clues left by his former mentor? Love it. A woman pretending to be a man so she can search for her father? Love it. An insane hunchback who might or might not be the bad guy (definitely a gray area there)? Yup. A priest, a beautiful woman and the king of a rival kingdom coming together to make sure that the prophecy goes in their favor? Definitely yes.
The characters, main and secondary, were all well written. They all had layers. For a secondary character to have layers is rare. In my experience, they are usually fillers between the scenes that feature the main characters. For the author to build up the secondary characters like that, I loved it. It made the book have more depth and be more realistic in my eyes.
The main characters were also all well-rounded and layered. Take, for instance, Perin the hunchback. At the beginning of the book, he is portrayed as nothing more than a killer working for Astolf, the High Priest. As the book went on, it is revealed that he is being used by Astolf. He became a tortured man who was firmly in a gray area. He killed, yes but he also protected. Once something about him was revealed, another layer appeared. It was that attention to detail that made this book so enjoyable for me to read.
I liked how the author kept the identity of who the Face was until the end of the book. Not only was who it was but where this person was living. Of course, the Face’s parentage was revealed. I wasn’t surprised at who the parents were. I do wonder how those people are going to figure into everything in the next book.
I liked Dayraven. I did think that he was the Face for 90% of the book. All the riddles that he solved seemed to point to it. When the real identity of the Face was revealed, I couldn’t help but wonder how he was going to factor into that person’s Unmasking.
I wonder the same thing about Sunniva. She was on her own personal quest to find out what happened to her father. When she found out, I wonder what will happen to her in book 2. I also wonder how she is going to factor into the Unmasking.
Astolf left me feeling unclean. I wanted to take a shower after reading his scenes. He was such an evil person. What he did to Emperor Calvo, Perin and countless others were awful. So I didn’t feel bad when what happened to him happened. I felt vindicated.
Dagon and Malombra were a couple made in Hell. Malombra was reportedly a beautiful woman who killed anyone who saw her face. She was also very talented with herbs and poisons. Dagon was the head of the Clovian Dynasty. He was a nasty man who wanted to destroy Emperor Calvo in the worse way. So when those two hooked up, I was disgusted. The things that they did to Sunniva and Dayraven were disgusting. But, I am curious to see what happens to them in book 2.
The end of The Hidden Face was fantastic. The author did a great job at ending some storylines. Other’s were left open to be pursued in book 2. The slight cliffhanger was perfect for the book. It was enough for me to want to read book 2.
What I liked about The Hidden Face:
A) Excellent world building
B) Excellent storylines
C) Excellent world building
What I disliked about The Hidden Face:
A) Astolf. He made me feel dirty
B) Dagon and Malombra. The power couple from Hell.
C) Perin. I disliked how he was treated throughout the book.
I would give The Hidden Face a rating of Older Teen. There is sex but it is not graphic. It is vague but you know what is going on. There is violence. Not so much graphic but the author got creative with how he killed off characters. The whole beehive scene made me shudder. There is no language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.
There are no trigger warnings in The Hidden Face.
I would recommend The Hidden Face to family and friends. This is a book that I will be rereading. I will also be reading the other books in the series when they come out.
I would like to thank S.C. Flynn for allowing me to read and review The Hidden Face.
All opinions stated in this review of The Hidden Face are mine.
**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**
November 2, 2017
I was luck enough to receive a ARC for a honest review , and to show how honest it shocked me to have SC send me a email as I had a Arc if his first book and scored it low so for me the fact he asked me again is shows that he is A open to honest feedback and B took on the feedback and used to grow as an author.
I hate throwing spoilers out in reviews so I shall to steer away a bit. Well this is so different than SC first book so many ways .
So we find a man returning home after 15 years a goodwill hostage to ensure peace between two kingdoms , he is steeped in nostalgia about coming home but it’s not the hole he recalls and once proud king is now deep into old age and let his reign waver , we get through some flash backs a little bit of why the main male character has been away and what he has done over this time away . He has recently received a letter from a old mentor asking for a meeting but before he can the king summons him left him no choice during this meeting his old mentor is brutally murdered this leads to a massive cat and mouse chase over the kingdom and a encounter with our lead female who is also a old friend of the character who is murdered , this all stems from a religion that is always at the forefront of the whole ethos of events and how whoever controls the emissary will prosper . I found this whole story a bit refreshing and although at times it slows down a bit but the whole world and characters even the challenges they face have been built with care and you can feel the areas the author has loved writing. I applaud SC for stretching himself with a different style of book . The books has some great scenes and some interesting threads that I hope to see more played with in the next book . Now I have the ending it converged well linking the POVs and even throwing out a little twist and a ohhh moment so would I buy this book and to answer this question truthfully I need to say yeah I would , what about the next instalment yeah as there is a need to see what the ohh moment leads too . Why 4* well I want to challenge SC to deliver that what he has in him a wow book or a holy sh t that’s a great book ..... SC if ur reading the gauntlet has been thrown done
I hate throwing spoilers out in reviews so I shall to steer away a bit. Well this is so different than SC first book so many ways .
So we find a man returning home after 15 years a goodwill hostage to ensure peace between two kingdoms , he is steeped in nostalgia about coming home but it’s not the hole he recalls and once proud king is now deep into old age and let his reign waver , we get through some flash backs a little bit of why the main male character has been away and what he has done over this time away . He has recently received a letter from a old mentor asking for a meeting but before he can the king summons him left him no choice during this meeting his old mentor is brutally murdered this leads to a massive cat and mouse chase over the kingdom and a encounter with our lead female who is also a old friend of the character who is murdered , this all stems from a religion that is always at the forefront of the whole ethos of events and how whoever controls the emissary will prosper . I found this whole story a bit refreshing and although at times it slows down a bit but the whole world and characters even the challenges they face have been built with care and you can feel the areas the author has loved writing. I applaud SC for stretching himself with a different style of book . The books has some great scenes and some interesting threads that I hope to see more played with in the next book . Now I have the ending it converged well linking the POVs and even throwing out a little twist and a ohhh moment so would I buy this book and to answer this question truthfully I need to say yeah I would , what about the next instalment yeah as there is a need to see what the ohh moment leads too . Why 4* well I want to challenge SC to deliver that what he has in him a wow book or a holy sh t that’s a great book ..... SC if ur reading the gauntlet has been thrown done
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