The peaceful existence between the factions of Dwarves and Molpens in the Deep’en Kingdom is disrupted by a despicable elemental being. He possesses a Molpen, Militch, and makes him destroy the Circle of Trust, which has kept the dwarves bonded for ages. Avery Noble, the Truth Wizard, is summoned from earth to help salvage the situation. She’s the only one who can restore peace. But things take a sour turn when she goes missing on her mission. Carson, the crown prince of Afflatus gets Avery’s boyfriend and knight, Jared Swagger, to help find her. In a nerve-racking race against time, Carson, Jared, and his friend Garon must rescue Avery in time for her to restore the Circle of Trust and end the war between the Dwarves and Molpens.

Author C.R Endacott’s Circle of Trust is a riveting adventure novel in the fantasy genre that cuts across two worlds –earth and a fictional setting. C.R Endacott plunges readers into the Deep’en Kingdom, where some trees survive on dust and waterfalls heal wounds and replenish people’s energy stores.

Amidst the fast-paced adventure, Endacott slips in relevant themes apart from the clear ones of bravery and camaraderie. The standout ones for me include a message on the rigid expectations society has on how people should live their lives. Also, the book alludes to how the evil we commit is simply a result of unrestrained weaknesses. In other words, the people who perpetrate great evil are those who fail to keep their weaknesses under control. Similarly, good people aren’t absolutely devoid of sinister tendencies. They’ve just kept them on a leash.

I think we all enjoy twists and turns that are shocking enough to make us gasp. But we relish them more when we can recollect previously overlooked hints or clues foreshadowing those twists. That moment where it all makes sense, and we nod our heads or think, “ooh, so that’s why that happened”. Endacott evokes reactions like this by expertly sprinkling clues, which add up when the author finally introduces twists in some of the subplots.

While the book’s subplots had a few twists, I felt the main plot was a little too linear. It could have done with a few pleasant or unpleasant curveballs. In any case, the central conflict was enough to keep me quickly flipping page untill the end.

Circle of Trust is only the first in the Heroes of Afflatus series. This is an excellent start to what is sure to be a thrilling series. If you’re looking to get lost in an otherworldly adventure for a while, you can let C.R Endacott take you on a fantastical ride.

Pages: 108 | ASIN: B08GJZ9XG1