Book Review: The Summerlark Elf by Brandon Draga

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Apologies for the quality of the picture!

The Summerlark Elf is a fantasy novel which follows Enna, an elf brought up as a human, as she learns her true identity and becomes embroiled in a plot against the King. She is aided by a mix of characters as circumstances thrust them together and new friendships are made.

Draga has created a straight up, traditional fantasy in The Summerlark Elf; as I said during our initial correspondence, it has ‘elf’ in the title so I’m already looking forward. It has everything you can expect of a typical fantasy; your mixed races, including elves, halflings, dwarves and orcs, but also lycanthropes which was a fun addition. You’ve got magic, sourcery, arcana, warring kingdoms and swords.

It was an enjoyable read; a proper cozy, comfortable story. Draga’s writing style is easy to read and has such a warmth to it. There wasn’t anything particularly stand-out or unique about it, no plot twists that left me reeling or any scenes where I felt genuine concern over the safety of the characters. It felt quite clear that this was going to be a feel-good kind of story where the good guys win and the bad guys get their comeuppance, and sometimes that’s all you need from a story.

I loved the variety of characters and their nuances; I certainly feel like I would want to read the next books in the series to see where their adventures take them. Draga has created a fascinating world of different kingdoms and cultures, that almost put me in mind of Skyrim; guilds and arcana universities. I’m not sure who Draga’s intended audience is but I would be happy recommending this to teenagers and young adults, it’s certainly something that would have truly captured my imagination when I was younger.

3 out of 5 stars