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Giahem’s Talons
![Giahem's Talons (The Incarn Saga Book 4) by [Wibell, Katharine]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51BKxL79kpL.jpg)
Lluava is broken, embittered, and lost. She alone bears the responsibility for the fall of the kingdom, and she is more than aware of the fact that she alone can repair it. A young girl herself, she shoulders the weight of her wrongs and is now facing the most difficult task of her life. She has been stripped of her rank and barred from serving in the position she loves most. If she cannot fight, who is she? If she cannot defend, what is her worth? Will she be able to tackle her own demons and change the world as she knows it?
Lluava, a Theriomorph, is the main character of Katharine Wibell’s Giahem’s Talons. This is Wibell’s fourth installment of the Incarn Saga. Wibell has managed to carry over to this fourth book both the look and feel of an intense fantasy rooted in well-developed characters and a riveting plot. Lluava, though a young girl, carries the weight of hundred men on her shoulders and is a fantastic character in her own right. Nowhere else will readers find such a strong example of both femininity and power rolled into one main character.
I was touched by the addition of Odel to this book. His character serves to bring Lluava down to earth when she is beginning to falter. Her entire experience being ostracized and stripped of the right to battle has broken her spirit, but Odel’s appearance grounds her and makes her whole again.
I am intrigued by the idea of the Theriomorph. Lluava stands as a shining example of a race of people who are misunderstood and virtually alone in their characteristics and abilities. The Theriomorphs add a wonderfully rich element to Wibell’s work. As Lluava struggles to prove herself, she bears this additional weight, making her task all the more difficult.
Readers who enjoy fantasies will find everything they require from this genre within the pages of Wibell’s work. Though this is the fourth in a series, readers who have not familiarized themselves with books 1-3 will be able to pick up on page 1 and not feel lost. Wibell pulls together the four books easily and quickly and gives readers sufficient information to be able to read this book without having digested the first three. Giahem’s Talons: Book Four of the Incarn Saga is a compelling fantasy and not to be missed.
Pages: 306 | ASIN: B07Y2BSL2N
Crocotta’s Hackles
![Crocotta's Hackles (The Incarn Saga Book 3) by [Wibell, Katharine]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51HUZfLbzzL.jpg)
Lluava has horrifying nightmares that keep her from resting. In those very real and vivid dreams, she feels she will surely meet with her own death. Life for Lluava is every bit as harrowing and challenging as the dreams that plague her. At the tender age of eighteen, Lluava is chasing Therimorphs and fighting the elements of winter. Her heightened senses are the only thing keeping her going. She feels, she thinks, and she sees much more deeply than any other human. To complicate matters, her dual form isn’t exactly in her favor. Lluava seems to have everything and everyone against her.
Crocotta’s Hackles, by Katharine Wibell, is the third book in the Incarn series. With a complex plot spanning the series, Wibell offers readers yet another peek into Lluava’s life. Hers is a dual world; she lives two very different lives and struggles to maintain a solid balance between the two. When she and Apex find themselves in the middle of Leucrocotta, and isolated Theriomorph civilization, they are both overwhelmed with the possibilities that there may be others like it.
This fantasy adventure by Wibell breaks into areas seemingly unexplored by other novels in the same genre. The dual forms experienced by the main characters make for a truly interesting reading experience. Wibell’s characters are thoroughly developed and even secondary characters are given engaging scenes and dialogue that makes them easy to visualize. Truth be told, I am as taken with Wibell’s secondary characters as I am her cast of primary players. There is just something about the way she introduces each character to the plot that makes them easy to visualize.
One of the most enthralling aspects of Wibell’s novel is the point of view provided readers as they watch Lluava function in her dual form. It is a unique perspective and gives readers the opportunity to see her operate as an animal as she voices her thoughts as a human. Not many authors are able to pull this type of character development off without losing readers’ interest, but Wibell has written well-rounded characters and kept amazing consistency from one book to the next in this saga.
The gods, as described in Crocotta’s Hackles, are quite the entities. I am not always intrigued by books that have a mythical feel, but Crocotta’s Hackles portrays gods as less than holy and much more meddlesome and vengeful. This, in and of itself, makes Crocotta’s Hackles an engaging read. The havoc they wreak on Lluava’s life is no small part of the book’s plot and makes the main character’s predicament all the more challenging.
Fans of the fantasy genre will find Wibell’s work a welcome change to the vast majority of books currently available. A far as the saga itself goes, Crocotta’s Hackles is the most intensely focused of the three books. Readers who choose to explore Lluava’s dual worlds will not be disappointed.
Pages: 320 | ASIN: B07L1DLXBD
Ullr’s Fangs
![Ullr's Fangs (The Incarn Saga Book 2) by [Wibell, Katharine]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZuD85dyRL.jpg)
Lluava is fighter in more ways than one. She is highly trained, has seen her share of the devastation of war, and she is a Theriomorph. Varren is Lluava’s partner and anxious to again see his grandfather, the king. When Lluava is told she will be traveling with Varren to meet King Thor, she is not prepared for what she finds in Varren’s childhood home. While Lluava and Varren are a pair to be reckoned with in the field, they have a private relationship that defies definition. Lluava’s stay in the royal castle begins a string of events that will change the course of the lives of everyone around her.
Ullr’s Fangs: Book Two of The Incarn Saga, by Katharine Wibell, is a rather dark fantasy surrounding the experiences of young Lluava as she faces some massive responsibilities. Her own fascination with Varren and her determination to become an even more capable fighter dominates the story line of Wibell’s work.
As fantasies go, Ullr’s Fangs is a wonderful thrill ride. I am a reader who becomes much more involved in the characters’ backstories and the relationships they have with one another. Though this installment of Wibell’s series is chock full of action, there is a much bigger draw involving Lluava’s fascination with Varren. Watching their interactions evolve is enthralling.
I am impressed with the tactful way in which Wibell deals with the mental decline of King Thor. His loss of memory and his periodic references to his son give the reader pause. Dementia is a difficult but relatable topic for many readers, and Wibell reveals the king’s struggle slowly and tastefully in small conversations. I find the inclusion of this condition to be a nice way to help readers further relate to the characters.
As I read, I kept coming back to Lluava and her personality traits. She is as kind and loving as she is fierce. When faced with the challenge of training, she perseveres through immense trials and physical challenges. The gentle manner in which she relates to the young maiden assigned to her at the castle is touching.
The shape-shifting aspect of Wibell’s characters is another intriguing element of her writing. I am amazed at the details Wibell manages to include in her work. Lluava’s transformation are easily visualized and exceptionally penned. The Theriomorphs alone are reason enough to read Wibell’s series.
Readers who enjoy fantasies filled with action and well-developed characters will find themselves deeply involved in the plot of Ullr’s Fangs. From cover to cover, Wibell keeps readers on their toes. The fantastic details throughout Wibell’s book bring readers into the story and provide ample opportunity for them to lose themselves in the world she has created. I highly recommend Ullr’s Fangs to any reader looking for a new fantasy series with memorable characters and highly-involved action sequences.
Pages: 342 | ASIN: B07CRQ7S6R
LITERARY TITAN 