Legends of the Exiles by Jesse Teller

A hefty helping of strong female characters brings us four stories that will shake you with their intensity. The tales overlap, moving back and forth through where the clans and villages exist on the mountain and within the City of Exiles. Each a complete story, they weave into one another in ways that are unexpected. I found myself in tears at times both in sadness and happiness. The highs and lows are extreme. You cannot ask more from a book than that.

A strong foray into a foreign culture of clans, Legends of the Exiles intertwines the stories of four women as they struggle within their societies. The pain, brutality, hardships, and broken hearts are what forge these legends. Each a survivor, they are the epitome of fortitude, however cruel fortune may be. There is patriarchal oppression, drug addiction, rape (absolutely needed to tell the woman’s tale), and murder. These tragedies are not for shock value. They are the traumas which shape lives. A reader cannot help but be captured by the completeness of each woman in their depth of detail. The characters fairly leap off the page as their stories build the world in which we find them. The setting is vivid and every word put to page serves a purpose. Readers will find themselves desperate for more. To get the answers, you must experience the tale of each woman.

The timelines between each novella run simultaneously but each is at a different point within each woman’s life. The first novella starting five years before the prologue. Within each, the tale is set apart by chapter headings dating the Escape.

Escape from what? Jesse Teller is weaving a great tapestry within his series. A careful reader will begin to see the puzzle pieces of the tales of Perilisc and there is a clue we find in the prologue to this amazing book.

Readers of Legends of Perilisc may find the Easter eggs sooner than others. Jesse Teller’s first foray into a non linear style is terrific. Just look at this wall, no pantser here! A prolific author, Teller’s  connections within his books are impressive and obviously he does a lot of planning.

About the book:

The Flurryfists live in a village high on the mountain, steep and set in layered stairs. Not far is the territory of the Fendis, some of whom may soul call a wolf as a war partner. The Furies, a vicious matriarchal society of warriors who are feared by all the clans are high on the mountain land. The Stonefists left the mountains generations ago, but still return their warriors to the mountain to brand them as men.

The bottom of the mountain houses Tregeggor’s Gate. Two massive cliffs in the Fendish lands, the wolf clan whose symbols of snarling wolves are carved into walls surrounding it. Here begins the outlands, and the days of travel to the city of Tergor. The City of Exiles, where the clans live in ghettos ruled by their king chiefs.

From the mountain to the city, and back again, the stories eventually put the protagonists on the same page. Some as enemies, others as friends.

The stunning cover art is by two amazing women, a mother and daughter team, from Seedlings Design Studio. It is beautiful and captures the spirit of the tales within the book. There’s a story behind that you can find here. 

An absolutely top-notch fantasy that explores the depths of overcoming adversity, highly recommended.

The isolated barbarians of Neather have deep ancestry and strict traditions. Four resilient women defy tribal customs as they fight to overcome their own tragedies. Abuse. Addiction. Assault. Grief. What struggles can they endure to defend their hopes and their hearts?
Helena seeks a love as bold as she, yet finds the men of her village lacking. 
Jocelyn fears her strange visions and sacrifices a life with the man she loves for the one her destiny demands. 
Torn apart by abuse and grief, Ellen is a brilliant woman who must focus her intellect on finding reasons to persevere.
Rachel, a brash girl of noble heritage, dares all men to challenge her and longs for one who will.
In this set of four interwoven novellas, award-winning author Jesse Teller challenges assumptions and showcases the strength of feminine resolve.

Available April 15, 2019, you can pre-order your copy by clicking on the cover below.

About the Author:

Jesse Teller fell in love with fantasy when he was five years old and played his first game of Dungeons & Dragons. The game gave him the ability to create stories and characters from a young age. He started consuming fantasy in every form and, by nine, was obsessed with the genre. As a young adult, he knew he wanted to make his life about fantasy. From exploring the relationship between man and woman, to studying the qualities of a leader or a tyrant, Jesse Teller uses his stories and settings to study real-world themes and issues.
He lives with his supportive wife, Rebekah, and his two inspiring children, Rayph and Tobin.