jbronderbookreviews

Kingdom of Haven Series

By Freddie Silva

Genre: Fantasy

 The Order of the Wolf: Kingdom of Haven Book 1

The Order of the Wolf is set in the Seven Kingdoms, where the rulers are greedy and mercenary companies known as the Free Orders are paid to settle their disputes.

As a member of The Order of the Wolf, Olaf never questioned his path until his mates were killed. What is a mercenary to do without his Order mates?

Wielding a death wish and his poleaxe, Olaf must confront haunting memories on a long journey to avenge the honor of his lost comrades and heal from his relentless grief.  Along the way, he will try to die in battle, fight old foes and new, meet the love of his life, and come face-to-face with the man he most fears.

Before he is finished, Olaf must stop hiding behind his axe and find a life for himself.

Who says a mid-life crisis has to be about fast cars?

Amazon     Barnes and Noble     Goodreads

Stenson Blues: The Kingdom of Haven Book 2

Olaf wasn’t sure when his luck went bad. Most said it was the day he fell and twisted his leg out of shape, but that was just the final straw on his unhappy slide from favor.  Even though he was a member of one of the most powerful families in the Seven Kingdoms, after the accident, he was relegated to herding pigs.

Olaf had accepted his fate until his long-lost uncle and namesake suddenly appeared with a kingdom.  Olaf, as the closest living relative, is sent with the family delegation to persuade his uncle to share his good fortune.

To succeed, Olaf must overcome his own feelings of inadequacy, vie against his dirty-dealing cousin, and persuade his suspicious uncle that he can be trusted.  Along the way, he gets caught up in his uncle’s political schemes, and may even meet the love of his life.  In the end, can Olaf prevail, make his uncle proud, and change his own luck?

Amazon     Barnes and Noble     Goodreads

The Eastern Factor: Kingdom of Haven Book 3

After being shattered by the death of his lady love, Olaf is sent east by his namesake Uncle to recover in the relative safety of the Eastern Confederation.  Even here, he cannot rest.  The Empire of Jewel is marching against his uncle’s fledgling Kingdom of Haven, and Olaf is tasked with finding a way to aid his uncle.

Suffering from his own internal demons of self-doubt and grief, he attacks his mission with as much gusto as he can manage, but has he learned from his previous mistakes?  In order to succeed, he must form odd alliances and thread the needle of daunting Eastern politics.  Has he learned enough to recognize friends from enemies, and, above all, keep his own dark impulses from destroying his efforts?

The fate of the Kingdom of Haven is depending upon his success.

​Coming of age is tougher when you’re a Stenson.

Goodreads

About The Author

Freddie Silva lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.  He has a passion for history, religion, and mythology.  He strives to use elements from these interests in his writing.  He has published stories in a variety of venues including: Catfish Stew: A South Carolina anthology of literature; Triangulation; The Alchemist Review, and Short & Twisted Christmas Tales.  The first two novels in his Kingdom of Haven series, The Order of the Wolf and Stenson Blues, are available on Amazon and Kobo.  The third book, The Eastern Factor, will be released in January 2018.  He can be found at http://www.freddiesilva.com.

Amazon     Facebook

Interview with Author

 Tell us about your genre.  How did you come to choose it?  Why does it appeal to you?

I write speculative fiction, primarily novels in the fantasy genre.  I’ve been an avid reader in the genre since I was a child. I also love history and most fantasy stories are based upon past historical periods.

It wasn’t until I was in my late-twenties when I decided to write.  I chose the fantasy genre because it is what I’ve always read and because it is a genre where you can let your imagination soar.

What do you find most challenging about the writing process, and how do you deal with it?

I started out as a pantser.  I had a story in my head and just let it spew out on the page.  The more I’ve learned about writing, the more structured my writing has become.  While I still don’t follow a formal outline, trying to find the right balance between planning and writing is my greatest challenge.  I’m still working out my own unique process.

When and where do you do your writing?

I have an office in my home.  Most of my writing is done there on the computer.  I am a routine kinda guy, so I do have a hard time writing in other places.  Although, I do attend local write-ins and have gotta better at writing in other locations.

My best writing time is in the morning before noon, but because I have a full-time job I end up doing most of my writing in the evening.  I do get to write in the mornings on the weekend.

What have you learned about promoting your books?

I am currently promoting my first series, The Kingdom of Haven.  I waited until the series was completed before doing any major promotion so I can’t speak on this too much.

I have done some local promotions at bookstores and such.  These went well, but you have to approach a book signing with low expectations because it’s hard to draw a crowd when your unknown.

Online promotion is a lot of work and can cost you a few dollars.  From what I can tell you either pay to have someone else do your promotion or put in the hours and do it yourself.  I’m shooting for something in the middle.

What are you most proud of as a writer?

I think publishing your first book is probably every author’s proudest moment.  It is a great accomplishment and future books just don’t have the same impact.

Having a reader like your work is probably even better.  Positive comments and feedback from readers, especially in person, cannot be beaten.

If you could have dinner with any writer, living or dead, who would it be and what would you talk about?

Wow, this is a tough question.  I’m an avid reader and like to read a variety of genres.  Still, I have been a sci-fi geek my whole life.  I would choose Robert A. Heinlein.

He was probably my favorite author in my youth, and his writing touched on some many topics.  Stranger in a Strange Land is one of those books that makes you think about our world and humankind.  Yep, some of his stuff is weird, but it was all entertaining and made you think.

Of course, we would talk about whatever he wanted, and hopefully about his writing and world view.  I’m sure it would be a stimulating conversation.