Review: The Brothers Three (The Blackwood Saga #1)

Author: Layton Green

Started reading: May 8th 2021

Finished the book: May 16th 2021

Pages: 330

Genres: Fantasy, Adventure

Published: March 14th 2017

Source: Digital copy from the author

Goodreads score: 3.96

My score:

Synopsis

All Will Blackwood ever wanted was a little adventure. A fantasy addict and apprentice contractor in New Orleans, struggling to make ends meet, he has long wished for an escape from the real world.

Late one night, he and his brothers receive a surprise inheritance: a staff with a mysterious stone on top, a pair of rogue's bracers, and a sword that Will can barely lift. A man with strange powers shows up to take the sword, and the three brothers barely escape with their lives. Searching for an explanation, it is not until a magical key whisks them across time and space, into a terrifying version of New Orleans ruled by wizards, that Will accepts the truth about his family's past.

It seems Will Blackwood has found his adventure. But this isn't one of his fantasy novels, or a gaming campaign with friends. In his father's world, magic and monsters are real. Choices are life and death. And they have no idea how to get home . . .

My thoughts

This book had a bit of a rough start for me, but I leaned in eventually and actually enjoyed it a lot! It felt like I was a on a really big adventure with these three brothers. We were exploring together and on our way to fulfill a quest! It's definitely an adventure fantasy story with loads of things happening.

Pros

• Sibling love: These three brothers know each other really well and have so much love and care for each other. It was just lovely to read and really added depth to the story, characters and their bond. It was one of the things that I enjoyed most; the parts with the three of them, maybe bantering or just taking care of each other.
• Explanation: Things in this book are explained really well. These three brothers have no idea what is happening and need loads of things explained to them, so you learn, as a reader, together with them and that's a lot of fun. You're actually going on a trip for answers together with these characters.
• Middle: The beginning was really rough for me, I might even have given it 2 stars after the first 20%. But I decided to keep reading, because I was going pretty fast. The middle part really gets better and I was enjoying the book more and more. Definitely all the answers you get and the action scenes in thie middle added more to the story!
• Ending: CLIFFHANGER ALERT! This book ends with a huge cliffhanger. It's a really good cliffhanger to be honest. I had not seen it coming and I thought it was so clever. I definitely need some answers now.

Cons

• Beginning: I would've loved a bit more of a build up before the action and weirdness started to happen. Maybe a chapter or 2 at least? In stead of 2 pages. I just felt like I was thrown right in, and sometimes that really works, but this book it didn't do it for me.

Overall

This is one of those fantasy books that just takes you out on an adventure. You're learning together with the main characters and that's so much fun. The brotherly love was definitely something that gave this adventure depth and more layers. I think everybody that loves fantasy books and would read this one, would want answers after the ending of this book!

Other opinions on this book

"One of the best fantasy quest books that I have read in a long time."

- Blood Rose Books

"The writing style of this book had me hooked from the beginning and the world building is just amazing."

- Books A Plenty Book reviews

Memorable quotes from this book

"Of what use was freedom, he thought, without hope?"

Thanks for reading!

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