*I received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review*
Tullus is trying to find Hadrack, a master in Elementia, to help him have a greater understanding on the magic that he possesses. Meanwhile, darker forces are stirring and Serpentus a.k.a Norbanus, a young tribune in exile, is recruited to lead a reproduction of the ancient Serpent Cult that was once the enemies of the Air Paladin. Having so much dark power, Norbanus corrupts the mind of His Godship Caligula and orders him to have all the Dryads killed. Eliana is doing all in her power to stop the killings even if it means that she’s putting her life in danger. But Norbanus isn’t your average enemy; he has armed himself with very powerful people. Under the tutelage of a fanatical cleric, Serpentus embarks on a destructive path for dark power and concocts a deadly plan to destroy the Leopard King and his companion Celestra.
It has come to my attention that Uner’s female characters are usually my favorite. Eliana is such a brave girl and I’m very proud of her for standing up to her father and to the ideas that she believes in. I also really loved the fact that Tullus’s POV appeared at the very beginning then disappeared for a while then reappeared again towards the middle. It made his part seem very realistic because it’s impossible to get proper training in a couple of days. It takes months and it shows when you read the book. As usual, Uner’s rich vocabulary makes the Leopard Stratagem quite a delightful read. On the other hand, I also felt like this book was filled with coincidences (ex: Anna has a twin that we never heard of that comes to the rescue, Norbanus suddenly has magic powers and just happens to want to seek revenge on the Leopard King, Sharkus’ nemesis randomly appears at the worst time possible when he could’ve attacked a decade ago…) It just ruined the credibility of the potentially good book. There was also a part halfway throughout the book where random characters from Uner’s novellas join in and were very out of place. I found myself speed reading all of their parts because I was just not interested. That being said, the cliffhanger has been answered by another cliffhanger (arrrgggg!!!) and some typo mistakes still remain.
My verdict is that the Leopard Stratagem is a decent book but needs more CONNECTION. So more Eliana and Tullus. Preferably together. Add a couple of kids. Yeah. Create something intimate. As cheesy as it might seem, steamy scenes create connections between the characters and the reader(e.g. Outlander, Fall of Giants) Yes, yes, I know that life isn't all about rainbows and butterflies but a little excitement doesn't hurt a fly. Just don't overdo it, but don't underdo it either.
3 stars
Tullus is trying to find Hadrack, a master in Elementia, to help him have a greater understanding on the magic that he possesses. Meanwhile, darker forces are stirring and Serpentus a.k.a Norbanus, a young tribune in exile, is recruited to lead a reproduction of the ancient Serpent Cult that was once the enemies of the Air Paladin. Having so much dark power, Norbanus corrupts the mind of His Godship Caligula and orders him to have all the Dryads killed. Eliana is doing all in her power to stop the killings even if it means that she’s putting her life in danger. But Norbanus isn’t your average enemy; he has armed himself with very powerful people. Under the tutelage of a fanatical cleric, Serpentus embarks on a destructive path for dark power and concocts a deadly plan to destroy the Leopard King and his companion Celestra.
It has come to my attention that Uner’s female characters are usually my favorite. Eliana is such a brave girl and I’m very proud of her for standing up to her father and to the ideas that she believes in. I also really loved the fact that Tullus’s POV appeared at the very beginning then disappeared for a while then reappeared again towards the middle. It made his part seem very realistic because it’s impossible to get proper training in a couple of days. It takes months and it shows when you read the book. As usual, Uner’s rich vocabulary makes the Leopard Stratagem quite a delightful read. On the other hand, I also felt like this book was filled with coincidences (ex: Anna has a twin that we never heard of that comes to the rescue, Norbanus suddenly has magic powers and just happens to want to seek revenge on the Leopard King, Sharkus’ nemesis randomly appears at the worst time possible when he could’ve attacked a decade ago…) It just ruined the credibility of the potentially good book. There was also a part halfway throughout the book where random characters from Uner’s novellas join in and were very out of place. I found myself speed reading all of their parts because I was just not interested. That being said, the cliffhanger has been answered by another cliffhanger (arrrgggg!!!) and some typo mistakes still remain.
My verdict is that the Leopard Stratagem is a decent book but needs more CONNECTION. So more Eliana and Tullus. Preferably together. Add a couple of kids. Yeah. Create something intimate. As cheesy as it might seem, steamy scenes create connections between the characters and the reader(e.g. Outlander, Fall of Giants) Yes, yes, I know that life isn't all about rainbows and butterflies but a little excitement doesn't hurt a fly. Just don't overdo it, but don't underdo it either.
3 stars