Book Review Tuesday: Liars and Thieves, Allies and Spies, Lord of Chaos #UnravelingtheVeil @Dwallacepeach

Posted on by

Warm and cozy window seat with cushions and a opened book, light through vintage shutters, rustic style home decor. Small cat on window seat, along with coffee cup by pillow, Words Book Review Tuesday superimposed over imageToday, I have the pleasure of reviewing an entire series, written by a stellar author.
D. Wallace Peach is a gifted story-teller. She not only delivers riveting fiction time after time, but does so using beautiful prose, vivid imagery, and complex world-building. It’s my pleasure to share my five star reviews for all three novels in her Unraveling the Veil series.

Book cover for Liars and Thieves gives appearance of old medieval tome Liars and Thieves
by D. Wallace Peach

In any D. Wallace Peach novel, you can count on a diverse cast of characters and an exceptionally detailed fantasy world. With Liars and Thieves, Peach delivers both, mesmerizing the reader from the first chapter. Goblins, elves, and changelings maintain tenuous relationships, one step away from erupting into war. At the center are Savan crystals, mined by the goblins, but necessary for the survival of all three races.

The trio of main characters—a temperamental elfin solider, a sly and cunning changeling, and a half-breed goblin—are inexplicably thrown together among a backdrop of political machinations and festering hostilities. All three have reasons to distrust, even loathe the others. As a reader, it takes a while to warm up to Alue, Talin and Naj, as none come off as the typically crafted fantasy characters, but all are equally compelling. Glimpses into their backstories are doled out morsels at a time, deftly reeling in the reader.

I can’t applaud the author enough for her brilliant use of description, gift for imagery, and—most especially—her complex worldbuilding, all of which held me spellbound. If you enjoy flawed characters, a plot that moves like a chess game with moves and countermoves, plus exquisite writing, don’t miss Liars and Thieves. I am ready and eager to dive into book two!

5 Stars

Amazon Link
Genre: Dark Fantasy Horror > Sword and Sorcery Fantasy

Book cover for Allies and Spies gives appearance of old medieval tomeAllies and Spies
by D. Wallace Peach

The danger ramps up in the second installment of this series. Alue, Naj, and Talin, tenuous allies forced to work together at the end of book one, now find themselves dependent on one another as the mysterious earthquakes and disappearances responsible for bringing them together increase in frequency. The richly detailed world Peach crafted in the first novel of this engaging trilogy is more closely examined as the reader learns more about the three races at its core—elves, goblins, and changelings. The power of shifting is key to how things play out. Peril is constant, scenes hurtling into each other as Alue, Naj, and Talin are thrust from one dangerous situation into the next.

But it isn’t just the constant menace that elevates this book in its genre. Character development is given equal attention. I loved seeing the roller coaster range of emotions in the three main characters as they shuffle through various degrees of skepticism, mistrust, forced reliance, and slowly-gained but often questionable loyalty. There are several surprises, including one mind-blowing revelation regarding one of the three leads that left me slack-jawed and stunned.

Descriptions are engrossing, immersing the reader in Peach’s vividly imagined world. The writing is polished and professional, making this middle book a pleasure to read, as it sets the stage for what I’m sure will be an exceptional conclusion. Now, thoroughly invested in the lives of the three leads, and the squabbling races that comprise this world, I’m poised to launch into book three. When you want epic fantasy at its best, you can always count on D. Wallace Peach to deliver!

5 Stars

Amazon Link
Genre: Dark Fantasy Horror > Sword and Sorcery Fantasy

Book cover for Lord of Chaos gives appearance of old medieval tomeLord of Chaos
by D. Wallace Peach

In the concluding novel of this outstanding trilogy, the alliance between the three lead characters¬—Alue, Talin, and Naj—fray, even as tenuous relationships between their respective races—elf, changeling, and goblin—completely break down. War looms and battles erupt. With changelings able to assume the guise of others, including those in positions of authority, deception abounds. The action is constant, barely giving the reader a moment to catch their breath. There are also multiple scenes, especially those that take place in the Authority, that had me squirming as I awaited the outcome.

As in the other books, the plot threads are tightly woven and complex, with surprises along the way. The writing is polished and professional, scenes intensively vivid. This is one writer who knows how to craft a riveting tale while delivering a subtle message. A superb conclusion to a phenomenal series. I will miss these characters.

5 Stars

Amazon Link
Genre: Dark Fantasy Horror > Sword and Sorcery Fantasy

I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys high fantasy or books with complex and exquisite world building. If fantasy is not your normal genre of reading, I expect you will be enthralled regardless, given this author’s superb talent. Happy reading!

116 thoughts on “Book Review Tuesday: Liars and Thieves, Allies and Spies, Lord of Chaos #UnravelingtheVeil @Dwallacepeach”

    • I know, Balroop. Three in a row, in one post, is such a treat. I’m a binge reader, in general, so I like to know that a series ends as strong as it starts. I’m so grateful to Mae and to you for reading and sharing your reviews. Thank you for taking the time to offer your wonderful thoughts. ❤

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply ↓

  21. Thank you, Mae! I need to shut my gaging mouth and take a breath. I had no idea when I trotted over here that I’d find glowing reviews of all three books. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing the entire trilogy and sharing here on your blog. I’m honored and over the roof that a writer of your caliber enjoyed it. This has been a sweet week for the books and it makes the years of toil worth it. Thank you again for your generosity and kindness. ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • HI, Diana. I’m so glad the reviews came as a happy surprise. I liked that I could read all three books in succession without a break in between, and share the reviews the same way. BTW, I’ve been enjoying the heck out of the comments you’ve been leaving for everyone. 🙂
      Thank you for the lovely comment you left me as well. Happy writing, my friend!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓

      • Thanks again, Mae. I was surprised and delighted! The review of the whole trilogy was an extra treat. I like binge-reading, so I like to give readers that opportunity, especially since the books aren’t written to be stand-alones. 🙂 And your followers are wonderfully kind. I’ve had a ball chatting with them. Happy Writing!

        Liked by 1 person

  22. I’m so happy you gave this series a try, Mae. Diana’s writing is truly beautiful, isn’t it? Can you pick a favorite of the three? I think I have to go with the third book, as it reminded me of biblical stories, though all are AMAZING!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply ↓

    • Thanks, Jacqui. What an insightful comment. I have very little knowledge of biblical stories, but there is definitely a touch of “God wiping out the failed civilization.” I did try to ramp up the danger and tension with each book, and there’s a lot on the line at the end. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading and making me smile!!!! ❤ ❤

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply ↓

    • Wow, picking a favorite is really hard. They were all so good. I think maybe if I absolutely had to, I’d go with the second one. I liked the growing and tenuous relationship between the leads.
      I’m with you about Diana’s writing–it’s positively beautiful. And yet, she can make things extremely raw and gritty when the scenes demand. Such talent!!

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply ↓

  23. Thanks, Jacqui. What an insightful comment. I have very little knowledge of biblical stories, but there is definitely a touch of “God wiping out the failed civilization.” I did try to ramp up the danger and tension with each book, and there’s a lot on the line at the end. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading and making me smile!!!! ❤ ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  27. Thank you for sharing your amazing reviews, Mae. I’ve yet to read Diana’s books but I have two in my Kindle. Your post is a great reminder of what I’m missing. 💗 Congratulations, Diana, I will be reading your series very soon.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply ↓

  31. Pingback: Book Review Tuesday: Liars and Thieves, Allies and Spies, Lord of Chaos #UnravelingtheVeil @Dwallacepeach – Sarah's Attic Of Treasures

  33. I’m ridiculously late arriving here, but NOT because I didn’t love the holy heck outta this series! Your reviews are spot on, Mae! And Diana, you absolutely had me from Page 1 of this series. I’ve enjoyed all of your books so far, but this was my very favorite, I think. (It’s close!) Just loved the characters, the world building, and the story arc! It’s a series I know I’ll be re-reading now and then, just for the fun of it! 🙂 ❤

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply ↓

I love comments, so please scribble a thought or two!

Please log in using one of these methods to post your comment:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.