Hey everyone, I’m Ayxan Solongo aka Arden Skye aka TimeFliesAway, a shapeshifter traveling through the multiverse.
Grand Challenge: Book 1: Strength
Tales of Isarine
I’m very confused. (Not sure whether it’s my issues with concentration recently, or whether that’s on purpose as a cliffhanger/teaser for the sequel.)
I’ve understood it as a stand-alone, but “Osea” was mentioned both in the preface and afterword, so maybe not that much a stand-alone.
The writing style is great, rich vocabulary and vivid metaphors.
- Still, oftentimes left me confused of what was happening. Maybe that was on purpose. Or maybe “Osea” readers have an advantage.
- At least, I didn’t understand the last chapters at all. Events and incidents have been described in a way that the author expects the reader be familiar about. I wasn’t, so I had question marks floating above my head every time another truth came to the surface. Ana gasped in realization, and I frowned in confusion.
- I like the connotations. Feels like it’s not written by Ana, but rather the book being a history book within the world. Especially because of the year dates. Interesting choice; haven’t seen it done before.
Characters:
- Ana was a bit irritating at the beginning. Not necessarily because I disliked her (I didn’t actually). Once I found out she’s on the wrong side of the war, on the side that goes against my ethics, I found her even more sigh-inducing. But she somehow still served as a good MC and I didn’t want to stop reading. Towards the end, I could understand her more and don’t really blame her actions.
- Osea was honestly annoying — quite how Ana saw her until when she found out that Osea doesn’t speak Finean. (The racist aspects were good, though, and probably helped in Ana’s journey.)
- Ana’s sudden admiration for Osea seemed nice, and I do ship them a bit, but came out of nowhere for me. There’s no “show” in the story. (The only justification for that would be, that my social attractions also often come inexplainable to me, where I suddenly admire someone I haven’t really noticed/liked before. Could be the same for Ana. Still, would’ve liked more “show” than “tell” on that matter.)
- I wonder how my perception of Osea will change in her own book.
- Ella was a good friend and i like her queer romance in the background. But her not having any flaws or struggles going on (except for her crush, but you see quite soon that it’s not much of a struggle), she fell quite flat. Unfortunately.
- I like that Ella and Ana have similar names to Elsa and Anna, while also having a similar relationship. (Frozen is my favorite WD movie, obvious for me to notice that. ^^)
- Fez is quite autistic-coded. Is he actually autistic? Would be kinda nice cause he’s a good friend. I wonder how Ana and him will develop cause I kinda can see it becoming romantic, but I also hope it stays platonic.
- Keidal was a good mentor, kinda, though also very suspicious here and there. The ending surprised and confused me. But it’s also interesting cause if I were to re-read this book, I’d view him very different compared to the first time.
- It’s funny how everyone has unique fantasy-world-like names, and then there’s Ana.
There are other mention-worthy characters, but I feel like they should be explored by each reader on their own. Any more thoughts of mine might accidentally spoiler something.
World-building:
I am also a bit confused about the magic system. But I suppose I will get my answers in the other books. (Despite my confusions, I do want to continue.)
I like the Finean language and I love that it was always written in native words, not translated, unless in dialogue.
Story:
It started very slice of life, very slow. I liked that.
I didn’t mind when it became quicker in pace after the 100th or so page, though the pacing was too imbalanced towards the ending. Things happened way too fast in the last few chapters. I am hoping they just serve as a cliffhanger and everything will be explained in the sequel.
Other art
The cover is gorgeous, the designs (ie of the symbols) are neat.
Recommended?
Yes. But you should probably read “Osea” first.
| Criteria | Scores | Our Score |
|---|---|---|
| Artistic Achievement | 1-5 | 4 |
| Pacing | 1-5 | 3 |
| Characters | 1-5 | 4 |
| Writing Style | 1-5 | 4 |
| Originality | 1-5 | 3 |
Finale Grade
B
Thank you to S. E. T. on BookSirens for a digital review copy.
The book was released on Nov 22, 2025.
Left 2nd November 2026
~A. S.
Check my other content on this earth: Newsletter | Commissions | My books | Fediverse
Arden Skye or Ayxan Solongo, also widely known as TimeFliesAway, is a shapeshifter traveling through the multiverse.
Written By: Arden Skye aka Ayxan Solongo aka TimeFliesAway
Favorite game/film/book: doesn’t have one, cause there are too many good ones!
About: A child of Mother Nature, traveling through the multiverse. Likes to explore the stories of unique individuals – most often referred to as “weird” in a lot of worlds.
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