I hope everyone had a great weekend. To get your week started off right, it's time to take a look at another story that you might have missed when it originally posted. This week, Puppilull has provided us a great review of The Alliance by VVesley. Don't forget to leave reviews if you go check it out, let the author know what you thought of the story.

Are you in the mood for an historical piece that isn’t really historical? The Alliance is set on an alternate earth, reminding me of ancient Rome. It is the story of Alexandre and Carlin, played out against a rich backdrop consisting of the constantly troubled times in three different countries, Nabia, Ironia and Tomacia. All very different, but all living in fear of the powerful and violent Nabians.

When we first meet Alexandre, a young nobleman, he’s set to be married in an arranged marriage to a woman he does not love. Matters are made worse since he killed her father and brother. To say he’s not looking forward to the event would be an understatement.

For Nabians, the art of war is highly regarded, and every person, man or woman, is valued based on fighting skills, their might and power. Although belonging to the same nation or family even, the Nabians can trust no one. Love is regarded as a weakness, leaving a person open for attack and betrayal.

Alex is however starting to doubt that this is how life is supposed to be. Never trusting, always suspicious, ready to kill at any moment. To voice his thoughts would be close to suicide and brand him as weak in the eyes of everyone around him.
While wrestling his doubts, Alex by chance meets Carlin, a man captured as slave from neighboring Tomacia, a peaceful place with a very different outlook on life. As they are drawn closer, Alex finds Carlin might not be who he thinks he is. As it turns out, Carlin also makes a few discoveries of his own.

Reviewing The Alliance without scaring people off has proven to be a bit difficult, since I have to be honest. It is a violent tale, with some rather graphic depictions of violence. In the beginning, I have to admit it made me slightly queasy and I’m not a very sensitive person. Why did I go on reading then? Because the violence has a definite purpose and is actually necessary for the story. Without it, we wouldn’t get the full grasp of the Nabian culture.

Also, apart from the violence, the story is also filled with loyalty, friendship and love, making it well worth the read. As the story unfolds, we get to experience the evolving relationships between Alex, Carlin and the people around them. In a culture built on distrust, this is an enormous feat.

The world VVesley builds for us is fascinating and detailed, something that makes the read intriguing. There are quite a few action packed sequences, making the story a real page-turner. The characters, while some are truly horrible people, are consistent and unapologetic in their actions, even if the readers are all yelling at them to stop. To pull off such a story and still have readers celebrating the release of the sequel (Yay!) shows the skill of the writer. I for one look forward to book two, The Bond.