Signed Copy of The Call of Wind

So happy to have received my signed copy!!! Cant wait to crack this book open!

A good coming of age YA novel about war, family and adventure. I’d say give it a try if that sounds up your alley.

I loved that some details were kept mysterious for resolution in the next book, and the dual-perspective writing kept things fresh and interesting! This book explores such an interesting world and I found both brother’s stories captivating.

I discovered this book as a fellow contestant of the SPFBO XI contest by Mark Lawrence. I made the decision to check it out solely based on its cover, which I think is fantastic.My Review:Lots of fun fantasy here, including a new and interesting take on the stereotypical magical types of earth, wind, fire, nature, stone etc. The book opens with the harrowing scene displayed on the cover, and there are many such scenes as it progresses. The country where the story occurs is steeped in religious zealotry which has overtaken all common sense, leading to poverty, blind faith, and more specific to the plot: the abuse of conscripts forced into its military.Over time, the book separates from one into two main characters, brothers named Elias and Marc. Although I wasn't a fan of the stupid decisions Elias made, I admit it was an effective plot device to keep my heart pumping and the stakes high. Elias is plunged into so many desperate situations that I often forgot they were often entirely of his own making. Marcus, his older brother, also makes some bad decisions, but his aren't so unforgivable and I was able to gloss over them more easily.Even with these concerns, I found myself cheering for the two bad-luck brothers, and I didn't mind one bit how the plot split in two to keep up with their independent stories. In some other books, when the novel changes POV, I find myself disappointed. Not so here: I was bought in to both their stories and wanted to keep up with them both.SPOILER BELOW:My single biggest complaint was how the ending left me on such a downer. I'm all for setting up a cliffhanger for the next book in a series, but this descended too far into despair for my taste, leaving me depressed at Elias's plight, rather than hopeful or intrigued. Because of this, I'm far less likely to read the second installment in a series for fear of the same lack of payoff.Overall, a solid fantasy entry and an entertaining read. Four stars.

Such a great read from a new author! Excited for the next book in the series!

Brothers Elias and Marc of Eshira and their struggles to survive their harsh, extraordinary world, drew me in far beyond my expectations. Natural and supernatural forces are unified in this world, forces which give and take and drive and shape the very human characters, who are good, and bad, and confused, brave, fearful, full of belief and doubt, complex and changing. A page-turner, truly, and I look forward to the sequel!

Enjoyable book. I judge a book by what time I get to sleep after I start reading it in bed. Considering I usually have lights out by 11pm, this book had me up until 1am one night. The story grabbed my attention. I wish there was a little more resolution to this story before the next book.

Thank you so much to the author for allowing me to read this book as an ARC!I really enjoyed this book and found myself pulled into its world from the very first chapters. The magic system is absolutely fascinating and refreshingly unique, unlike anything I have read before. It is layered and complex, which makes it all the more intriguing, though I will admit there were moments when I had to pause and piece everything together.One of my favorite aspects of the story is the sibling relationship at its core. Even though the siblings spend much of the book separated, their bond is undeniable and remains one of the story’s strongest emotional threads. Watching how deeply they care for one another, even from afar, added so much heart to the book.The world building is another standout. There is a lot to absorb, but it paints such a vivid and immersive picture of the world. By the time I reached the end, I was on the edge of my seat, eager to know what happens next.A strong start to a series I’ll definitely be continuing!

I loved this first book in the Unmarked series! The story and characters felt very fresh and well developed. The story follows Marc, a devout lifecaller and social elite in service to Gaya, and Elias, an outcast desperate to prove himself and wrestling with newfound abilities of his own. Very well written and can’t wait for the next book to find out what happens next!

the story had a grip on me from the first chapter! Riveting story telling and good twists! Would recommend!

Excellent.

I had the pleasure of being an ARC reader for this book and when I tell you it isn’t what I expected!!!Elias and Marc are an excellent set of characters that just make you wish they get what they want!! Their dynamic duo is different and unique. One is fight and a risk taker while the other is grounded which already shows how their character will be tested!! I loved these brothers!Okay, I love world building and lore and the intricacies that are well placed in a book, and I got that with this book!! Kaily did an AMAZING job at keeping the world tight but grand which I would say is a very hard thing to do!! The world lives as if it’s a character itself!And I have to talk about the prose!! It’s clean, it flows and it isn’t one of those things that makes you feel like you need a thesaurus or dictionary to understand. I found myself engrossed in how well it was written.This is a well done debut that shines and should be given a chance!! If you like the last airbender with more consequences give this a shot! You won’t regret it!

This is the debut novel for K.R. House and I would never have guessed that was the case. This story hooked me immediately. I love elemental magic and the unique take in this world is both refreshing and intriguing. The writing flows well and is very descriptive, which makes it easy on the imagination. The world building is rich but not overwhelming, I love world building personally but I know sometimes it can feel like too much. This does not come across this way AT ALL. There are also mystery and treasure hunting aspects to this one and I am absolutely here for it.Marc and Elias are both amazing characters. There are no perfect characters in this one, which I'm excited about. I love seeing the growth and how much they change as their experiences shape them, even when they are resistant. It makes it very easy to feel for them and to be invested in what they are going through. The side characters also make an impact, I'm getting some strong found family vibes from this one.I will absolutely be continuing this series. I'm already impatiently waiting for the next book and am adding K.R. House to my auto read and buy for anything else that she comes up with!

If you like epic fantasy, high fantasy, well thought out worlds, dramatic war sequences, awesome magic systems, and fun characters you should check out this book ASAP.I love both POVs in this dual POV adventures and learning about the magic of the world feels natural from the perspective of our MCs. Hard to believe this is a debut novel as the execution of the writing in an obviously masterful world is expert.

This book had an incredible flow to it. Flow within its writing style helps the reader get in to their “flow” state in reading the book. This is an impactful way to get the reader invested and immersed in to the story. It had to be worded methodically, in order to make it look easy. What’s also nice about a good flow in books is that it can provide relaxation while reading it, so it’s a good book if you’re looking for something to ease the stressors of everyday life.I can’t wait to get in to more of the land of Eshira within future books to come. I wouldn’t mind taking a vacation, or perhaps moving to Eshira 🥰.

I received this book ahead of release as an ARC reader.There is a clear separation in writing between having a great concept and its execution. I'm happy to say that Call of the Wind executes its concept with stellar success. Our protagonists and their journey were engaging. The plot and how the world influences it were well done. Speaking of the world, I loved how we weren't just presented with this world's society, but we were entrenched in it. We learned how it functions and how those functions in society thrust our main characters onto their path throughout the book. They were sympathetic and relatable (unemployed), and I greatly enjoyed having them be my eyes and ears into this whole new world. The pacing was in that Goldilocks zone where you, the reader, will always be looking forward to turning the next page.Reading this book was an absolute treat. It made me an instant fan of the author, and I cannot wait for what will come next! Overall, get this book!

I received a free copy of Call of Wind as an ARC reader. This is an excellent read for anyone into Christopher Paolini’s Eragon, or the works of Brandon Sanderson. The world is built around a system of magic equal parts scientific and mysterious.The world of Call of Wind thematically blends the familial and familiar with the distant and unknown. The earth goddess Gaya acts as a metaphor for the dual protagonist interactions with nature itself. A dichotomy of peace and chaos, safety and danger, steadfastness and uncertainty. By extension, the natural order of the family is highlighted, as both a source of security and pain.Elias and Marc are perfectly contrasting lenses to view the Eshiran society. The brothers have opposing views only growing further apart as the story progresses, but they both display the deep empathy of a strong protagonist. They are alike and in tune on a fundamental level.This work shows a maturity in style, theme, and characterization typically not present in an author’s debut. Looking forward to the continuing adventures in this series.

Great world building and interesting characters. Looking forward to what's next in this series.

4.25/5 starsFormat E-Book (ARC)Spoilers: NoI was provided with a free ARC of this book ahead of its publication.The Call of Wind, K.R. House's debut YA fantasy novel, is a fantastic read, and all the more impressive being this is a debut novel.The story centers on two half brothers who are set on divergent paths in life, each with a special magical ability. The magic system is creative and centers on those blessed with gifts being able to call and utilize water, wind, fire, or plant life. Our two main POV characters, Marc and Elias, have each been blessed with the gift of calling. However, in this world, those who are not taught how to call and protected with a ward rune can succumb to the process of wilding, where the element transforms them into something not entirely human.This is a coming of age story. Our POVs both start in very different positions, but I enjoyed how they each had their own growth and development shaped by the events they experienced. There are some intriguing secondary characters introduced throughout the book who will also be interesting to get to know better in subsequent entries. I thought the world building was really well done as well. We are introduced to a world where the people are separated not only by geography, but also on religion and calling abilities.In addition to the main two plot lines following the brothers, I thought the book had some really interesting sub plots as well, including religion and zealotry, some political intrigue, war and its cost, and how people reconcile their actions with their personal/religious beliefs. Family is also a recurring theme - who is our family, can we trust family inherently, and can we find family along the way? The last third of the book picked up the pace, and both of our main characters' stories leave the reader wondering what is going to happen in the next installment. The ending was great, and the Epilogue is very clever.While this is a coming of age story that is geared towards the Young Adult audience, I think many adults would enjoy it as well. I am someone who often gravitates towards dark adult fantasy novels, and this was a great read for me. If you like epic fantasy, unique magic, and stories about people thrust into difficult situations who need to adapt and come of age, you will love it. With great world building, great character work, and an interesting world of magic and religion, I think readers of any age will have a good time with this one, and I personally cannot wait for future installments to find out where this is going. Congratulations to the author on a really fun book, and please go check this one out!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Review by: Hannah C.First off, I just have to say how impressed I am that this is a debut novel. The writing, the characters, the dialogue, the world—it all felt so well put together. Honestly, it read like something from an author who’s been at this for years. The prose had great vocabulary without ever feeling like it was trying too hard, and the sprinkling of humor within the character’s voices was perfect.Elias and Marc are such different brothers, and I loved seeing and relating to how they grew up in the same world but still see and interact with it in totally different ways. Even when Elias’s internal thoughts made me roll my eyes a little, it only made him feel more real. All the characters felt very relatable, and I loved the focus on family and trust.Marc is devoted to the Holy Grove and to their goddess, Gaya, yet it’s clear his family comes first—even at the risk of losing her favor. That conflict made him such an engaging character. Elias, meanwhile, is every bit a 16-year-old: impulsive, flawed, and still figuring out who he is. I think KR House nailed the way teenagers actually think, and it makes me excited to see how Elias grows through future books. His scenes with Alda were some of my favorite.The dialogue was refreshing. Too often I read dialogue that pulls me out of a story, but here it felt natural and everyone had a very distinct voice. And the antagonist, I mean, come on… he was written so vividly that I could picture him perfectly… and hated him thoroughly. In the best way possible.The only reason this is a 4 star for me instead of a 5 is because it took me a little while to feel fully locked in. I stopped and started a few times before I really hit my groove. But once it clicked, I couldn’t put it down.The worldbuilding felt so natural, nothing felt out of place or random. Everything was so well thought out and beautifully described. And the way the elemental powers worked was new and refreshing.I’m genuinely excited to keep going with this series. KR House did such a great job setting up the world and the characters, and I can’t wait for book two to (hopefully!) answer some of the big questions I have.I received an ARC of The Call of Wind in exchange for an honest review.