Week 38 Reviews: Marked by Stars, Followed by Thunder

From Goodreads:

A wolf without a pack and a boy in need of roots become founders.

After a heavenly visitation, one young wolf turns his back on his pack and on the moon in order to tread a lonesome path. A blaze of stars. A brand of copper. A burden of trust. First of Dogs, he takes a new name, makes peace with group of weary humans, and helps to found the In-between. This is a tale of the Kindred. This is the lore of the Starmark clan.

Songs of the Amaranthine is a collection of short stories set in Forthright's Amaranthine universe. Before the Emergence, the clans were nothing more than whispers and mysteries and legends and lore. But every so often—in out-of-the-way places or shockingly close to home—an unsuspecting person stumbled into a fateful encounter with someone who was decidedly other. An eclectic collection, spanning continents and centuries. Tales of adventure, discovery, friendship, rescue, belonging, and love. Each short story stands alone and can be read in any order.

From Goodreads:

One sister, a pure light that beckons, the other, a fierce light that burns.

Fira and her sister are chased out of another village. Fleeing on foot across the empty moors, they're caught by a storm that roars like the monsters ever in pursuit. But the wind changes and the thundering brings a stampede of defenders who carry them off to a secret place. Where mares dance and rabbits mine. Where the lost clans hid a lasting treasure. Where the girls' curse is considered a blessing.

My first review of Marked by Stars, Followed by Thunder
My Review:

It was such a delight to read these stories again! I really enjoyed them the first time, and while it's only been 2 years since I first read them, the last book in the main series just came out, so of course I have to read all the content that became before it again before I read that! 

Both of these stories are times set well before the events of the main series, before there's much technology, and definitely before the Emergence. That they are both pretty big moments in their own ways, the beginning of the In-Between, and one of, if not the first, romantic unions between a Reaver and a Amaranthine, yeah, so good! 

Marked by Stars, it was so good, and a bit sad at the same time. Because we know in book 4 of the main series, his firstborn has died, and reading the story of when he was young, and the promise that Glint makes him. When I reread that part, oh, it's going to get me! 

Followed by Thunder, which explores more the different types of Reavers as they're just starting out, battlers and wards, was really interesting. Though I thought the story ended with that one mare pregnant in speaking form, to see what it was like. This read through, I got the impression that she was hoping that it would happen. But such a great read! 

Loved reading these stories, and I can't wait to continue on! 

Author: Forthright 
Series: Songs of the Amaranthine #1, 2
First Read: August 10th, 10th, 2022 

Read: September 16th, 16th, 2024
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Rereading, and they're Historical Fiction 2024 Books and Prequel & Sequel 2024 Books!

Publisher: Twinkle Press
Published: December 4th 2018, May 4th 2019

Marked by Stars:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Followed by Thunder:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars