Orb and Arrow: Exploration by V.L. Stuart

This is the first book in the new YA fantasy series Orb and Arrow by V.L. Stuart following the teenage healer Brillar on her adventures through the Wild. It was a light and enjoyable read, with a strong main character to root for and an interesting world building, but a bit slow at times.

In short, the story is about the young noblewoman Brillar of Laurenfell, who was expected to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a healer, but instead decided to take on the way of the bow and run away to explore the world as an archer. Now a highly skilled hunter, she has been forced to kill to release a mage, bound in enchanted chains. When the mage, Master Elden, insists on making Brillar his apprentice, Brillar finds herself on a new journey where her healing skills will find greater challenges. Settled lands are one thing, but in the Wild, she will have to rely on her Master’s knowledge of the terrain and the people, the Rovers, who are not always friendly…

I love strong female leads and I immediately rooted for Brillar. She’s so headstrong, brave and has such a great moral compass. I really liked the premise of the plot and the world building. But for a YA fantasy there wasn’t as much action as could have been expected. Some parts were a bit slow and the writing felt a bit drawn with long descriptions of Brillar’s and Elden’s travel and the people they met without much happening. I also never fully understood why Brillar had run away from her studies and what she’d hoped to achieve more than a wish to see the world, nor what the purpose of her and Elden’s journey really was.

For a YA fantasy, I also missed some kind of romance or pining for unrequited love. I do believe that the author will let the relationship between Brillar and Elden develop into a romantic one as the series continues, but for this installment there was nothing to spark the interest as far as romance goes. I also have some mixed feelings about the idea of Brillar’s and Elden’s relationship taking a romantic direction, since it was clear that Brillar thought of the twice-her-age Elden more as an uncle or teacher. I hope that any relationship developments onwards will be done in a way that ensures that Brillar stays powerful.

But all in all, Orb and Arrow: Exploration was a light and enjoyable read with an interesting world building, loveable characters and exciting adventures that I want to keep on reading about in the next installment of this series!

Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for the free review copy and blog tour invitation! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
3 stars

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Author info:
V.L. Stuart