Etania's Worth

Daughters of Tamnarae #1

By: M.H. Elrich

Narrated by: Grace Woods

Cryptic power changes Etania’s life forever....

Etania’s new apprenticeship as a librarian is shattered when she fends off an attacker with Neuma, the hidden power she didn’t know she had. When her father discovers Etania’s gift, Jakin wants to use her as a weapon to stop a threat rising over Tamnarae. Etania despises the idea of being used as a weapon, but the death of a family member forces her to act before it is too late, setting her on a journey leading to love and an acceptance for her newfound gift.

©2018 M.H. Elrich (P)2021 Grace Woods

Good story!

NOTE: I received a free copy of the audiobook of this story from the author in exchange for a review. A positive review was not required. The following is my honest opinion.

This was very interesting! I'd seen this book around since it came out, and I was interested, but just hadn't gotten around to reading it until the author offered me a review copy. As soon as I started listening to the audiobook, I was drawn in. Elrich pulls the reader seamlessly into the world in which Etania lives, with vivid descriptions that helped me quickly get a feel for what this place was like.

I also liked that the characters were realistically flawed and yet, still likable. In the beginning, Etania could be a little annoying the way she'd get mad at her father, and yet, it's not unrealistic that sometimes parents and children, especially young adults don't understand each other. I know I've been there. She didn't stay that way, though, and I liked the way all the main characters learned and grew, not just in their understanding of each other, but in their faith.

The action and adventure throughout was fun, too.

I'm giving this 4 stars and I'm curious to read the second book and find out what happens.

Fascinating Christian Fantasy

This was my first experience with M. H. Elrich's work, and I enjoyed it. The world building was extensive. The characters were unique. There were dragons and magic. The plot was fast paced. The story kept my attention. There was a definite underlying theme of religion running throughout the tale. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. Grace Woods' narration was fine, and her performance added to the story's entertainment. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.

Fantastic read

M.H. Elrich’s book Etania’s worth is an amazing story of trust, faith, love and perseverance set in a beautifully written world with lovable characters.

The world of Tamnarae is a beautifully written world that holds many levels of complexity, including different cultures, biomes, and creatures and is by far one of my favorite fictional world. I have to say by far my favorite kingdoms are the Draconi and the Aritan (I hope this how it is spelled.)

In addition to a beautiful world the characters of Elrich’s story are well written and relatable. Each one has struggles and battles that many of us deal with in our own lives and as a result makes them very easy to relate to and cheer for and learn from.

Finally we have the plot of the book. While a little jumpy in some areas the plot is very straightforward with some good twist and turns and only a few things that I wished had been given some more emphasis or time to help develop the characters.

All in all, this book is a good read especially for transitioning teens and older readers. Thank you M.H. Elrich for writing this story it was a join to hear!

I went into this story knowing nothing...

I went into this story knowing nothing about it - no reviews, no summary, no nothing. I wanted to be completely blind (for fun-sies). And I got to say, there were a lot of parts I really loved about this book.

Etania’s Worth follows Etania, her father Jakin, and her bodyguard Keyel as they gather forces to fight against a usurper of evil who, of course, thinks he can take over the known world. (And who doesn’t like a villain with ambitions?)

The twist here is that this uprising has come years after a war that spanned the entire world. It was only because of Melchizedek, a stand-in for Christ in the book, that the wars ended and peace came to all people. But not everyone believes in that peace or Melchizedek’s love for them, including the usurper.

As I read this book, I loved reading about the world around Etania’s village. It was vast with different tribes who all had different abilities based on what Melchizedek saw right for them. I think my favorite people were the residents of Draconia. Each bonds with a dragon when they reach a certain age. But they don't just get to ride the dragons! Their hair and eyes change to match their bonded dragons' scales and eyes! So cool!

I do wish that I had seen a lot more of each country and its people, but that would make the book way too long.

I also loved how the magic system works in this world, because it reminds me of the magic systems in my own books. Each person has a gift - their own personal powers bestowed by Melchizedek. This gift doesn’t have to be magical, but there are many who have powers beyond the mundane. These are people with Neuma, a power that works beyond their human bodies. Jakin can teleport and shoot purple flames. His friend Cephas can create barriers. And Etania can - well, I won’t spoil it for you.

Anyone who goes against their own gift or fights to have more power becomes a Skazic, a deformed creature who relies on corrupt magic rather than Melchizedek’s power. And let me tell you, they are some nasty creatures. And I’m not just talking about looks!

I enjoyed watching Etania, Jakin, and Keyel grow throughout their travels. There were a few times that I wished the stakes for them were raised even more in the story. I did love the slight twist at the end - I didn’t see it coming and was very pleased with it. (It gives a good lead into the second book.)

When it came to Melchizedek representing Christ in this book, it felt more on-the-nose than most books I've read. But that's not a bad thing at all! It was interesting to see how Christ's love for us works out when applied to worlds that contain power, or Neuma.

My favorite line was when it said, "He loved her even when she couldn't love herself." Not going to lie, I totally started tearing up.

Fantasy with a Wonderful Christian Allegory Spin

Parents- PG - 5th grade and up
Language- None
Violence- PG - normal to genre - nothing too graphic
Sexual Content- nothing to warn of, just snuggles and kissing variety

I really enjoyed this storyline, probably one of the better fantasy books with the Christian spin to it that I've read. It is a pretty strong element to the story with Melchizadek as the character for the Savior and the evil represented in a few characters one group being the Skazic that have been deformed by their evil magic. Very much a battle of good and evil and shows the slippery slope that is revenge and anger. There are many hard lessons and they're presented in a fun fantasy realm with dragons and magic/numa. It's a fantastic read for older elementary (5th grade) on up through high school. Our kids need more of the uplifting and entertaining stories that teach positive self worth with and dealing with trials with the help of family, friends and leaning on the Saviors love and power of prayer and answers received. Highly recommend to those looking for clean fantasy and enjoy Christian novels.

Narrator- 4.5⭐ has a pleasant voice, good differentiations with different accents and voices, the only one I didn't like the voice used for Etania's friend sounded like a little girl not someone her age. The speaking rate was a bit slow but fixed at 1.25x speed.

—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Captivating

I loved this story! Such interesting, well developed characters and fascinating story line. I was so engrossed in the story with the way this narrator made each character come to life. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

excellent

Loved it !! this story. the narrator is so fantastic it's like your really there!! good overall

Great Story!

*Disclaimer: I was given a free audiobook code. All thoughts, words and ideas expressed in this review are my own.


I have seen this story around Instagram and Goodreads and even placed it on my Goodreads list, but didn't know there was an audiobook until quite recently.

Etania's Worth is a beautiful story about finding your worth in who God says you are.

I really appreciated the three main characters and how the author worked on bringing their individual storylines to life in a satisfactory way. Often, I see one main character shine out among others, but the author really fleshed out all three! 💯

As for the audiobook narrator, she did a wonderful job bringing the characters and world to life. The various accents were a nice touch to show the depth and many cultures of the world.

A beautiful Christian fantasy!

This is one of my favorite books, and I opted to listen to the audiobook in preparation for the sequel — Grace Woods does a fabulous job making M. H. Elrich’s world come to life! What I love most about the book is Etania’s journey (the actually journey as well as her personal spiritual journey). I also love the slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance and my absolute favorite line in the book is, “He loved her even when she couldn’t love herself.” I HIGHLY recommend this book for readers of clean fantasy stories with Christ-centered themes! I’d give the audiobook more than 5 stars if I could!

Love it! Awesome!

Great narrator! 👍 very clear, ! I will continue listening to other books. Fantastic! ♥️🙂