I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the PIERCING THE VEIL by Steven A. Guglich Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

They say that legends are born, not made.

But for Jeremy Goodson and Masaru Hagen that is far from the truth. Confronted by something that neither of them can explain, two complete strangers from opposite sides of the world embark on an unforgettable journey that will forge them into living legends.

It has been almost 4,000 years since magic disappeared from the Earth. Hidden from humanity by the Veil, those who possess magic live in ancient settlements across the globe. Over the centuries, these beings have pierced the Veil, leaving behind glimpses and shadows of the fantastic and arcane. Fueled by distant memories and humanity’s desire for wonder, familiar stories of myths and legends have been passed down for thousands of years in nearly every culture and nation.

Jeremy Goodson, an average, overweight teacher in New York City finds his entire world turned upside down when a stranger tempts him to leave everything behind and start a journey that will test Jeremy’s mysterious gift and bring magic and hope back to humanity.

Masaru Hagen, the adopted son of American tech entrepreneurs living in Tokyo, has been guided by an unseen voice all his life. On the eve of his twentieth birthday, the voice leads him across thousands of miles, on a mysterious and perilous mission he alone can undertake.

But there are principalities of this world that will do whatever they can to stop Jeremy and Masaru and keep magic out of the hands of humanity forever.

One of these men will bring hope to the world; the other will bring death. The world they once knew will be changed forever, not only for themselves, but for everyone on Earth…and maybe not for the best.

*Review*

I was super skeptical when I started reading this book. I was so afraid it was going to be another religious author pushing his religion on me. Honestly, I almost stopped reading the book all together. The length was a little off putting as well.

Then it got crazy.

The author is religious. He does not hide this, and I would not expect nor ask him to. I have no problem reading novels with religious themes. That it what I would classify Piercing the Veil as. Yes, there are religious history facts. Starting with how Christians were tossed to the lions. Guglich also doesn’t shy away from, and actually points out, the fact Christians can be unforgiving and judgmental. It got less in your face religion around 26% of the way in.

I really enjoyed how the author weaved together Saint Nick, Santa Claus, Nikolaus, and fantasy aspects. There are strong Lord of the ring vibes, especially with some of the names.

The world building is great. We get to see both sides of the Veil; modern day cities and elf villages. With the world building comes the action scenes. These are really good! I can visualize the sword fights, the training, the magic, and everything else.

The cloak & dagger was fun, as well. I’m not sure I would go so far as calling it subterfuge, but it’s pretty close. Mercurio was a very interesting character. He’s like a diamond, many different facets.

I’m not sure what the deal with Masaru and Turtak is. There was a ton of evasive answers and non-answers for most of the novel, then Turtak dropped this massive bomb and I’m so unsure what to think.

There is a lot of stuff going on in Piercing the Veil. There are side plots that I didn’t totally understand why they were included in the first place and it was easily to get overwhelmed and confused. Even the magic system gets confusing once in awhile, but there is a bit of fun in that. How do you explain the unexplainable, anyways?

Due to everything going on, there are a ton of different POVs. It’s all written in third person, but several different characters. At least eight. So, if you’re not into multiple POVs, or have a limit, this may not be a book for you.

I didn’t too much like that John Wayne was used as an example as a “good man.” Being a product of his time, he was actually very racist. I will admit though, that it made an interesting, and some what good, point.

The author also doesn’t shy away from prejudices. The elves feel things strongly against humans and the yilchaga (which is a “mixed breed” of elf males and human females), and it is pointed out several times. Not all races feel this way, and a major theme along side this is acceptance.

The most prevailing theme throughout the entire story, however, is hope. This is where the John Wayne quote comes in to sort of help drive the point of help and doing what is right, not easy. It’s a beautiful notion and not usually one that is brought out as much in other fantasy stories.

I’m interested in the romance aspect of Ezzy and Jeremy. I really enjoyed that romance wasn’t a bigger part of the story, as there is already so much going on, but it was a nice smaller addition that doesn’t get brought up too much until about 70% of the way through the book. And that goes for any set of characters really.

I loved the chapter titles, as well as the little quotes that precede the chapter. They are like a glimpse into more of the history of the Veil and the characters we’ve already met.

I would have loved a glossary or pronunciation guide. There were some tough words and little context or explanation. I enjoyed the map though! Maps are one of my favorite things about fantasy novels and it didn’t disappoint in the slightest.

Piercing the Veil, in total, is a completely overwhelming, but absolutely engaging, immersive, fantastical novel. If you have the time and the will power to get through a long book, I highly recommend it.

Tropes:

Magic

Limb-Loss Representation

Religion

Acceptance

Found Family

Content Warnings:

Violence

Torture & Mutilation

Death of Loved Ones

Suicide

Prejudices

I rated Piercing the Veil four stars.

About Steven A. Guglich:

Steven A. Guglich grew up in New York City. He lives in Williston, North Dakota with his wife, his four children, and his collection of books. He is an Elementary School Principal and is the 2020 North Dakota Principal of the Year.

In 2022, he and his wife launched Your Wildest Dreams Publishing, LLC to fulfil a dream born in the imagination of Steven’s Dad, Stanley and to publish Steven’s books.

For more information on Steven’s books, please visit Steven’s website.

Subscribe to Steven’s newsletter!

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*Giveaway*

One (1) winner will receive a finished copy of PIERCING THE VEIL, US Only.

Ends April 15th, midnight EST.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba21648/

Title: PIERCING THE VEIL

Series Title: The Veil Saga #1

Author: Steven A. Guglich

Pub. Date: March 31, 2023

Publisher: Your Wildest Dreams Publishing LLC

Formats: Paperback, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 614

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/Steven-A-Guglich

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

3/27/2023I’m Into BooksExcerpt/IG Post
3/27/2023Mythical BooksExcerpt/IG Post
3/28/2023Cara NorthReview/IG Post
3/28/2023Country Mamas With KidsReview/IG Post
3/29/2023#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee BlogExcerpt/IG Post
3/29/2023Books With a ChanceReview/IG Post
3/30/2023Emily AshlynIG Review/FB Post
3/30/2023OneMoreExclamationReview/IG Post
3/31/2023Brandi Danielle DavisIG Review/TikTok Post
3/31/2023Review Thick And ThinReview/IG Post
4/1/2023A Blue Box Full of BooksIG Review/LFL Drop Pic
4/1/2023Jazzy Book ReviewsExcerpt/IG Post

Week Two:

4/2/2023@froggyreadteachIG Review
4/2/2023GryffindorBookishNerdIG Review
4/3/2023The Book CountessReview/IG Post
4/3/2023Books and KatsExcerpt/IG Post
4/4/2023Read Dog ReviewsIG Post
4/4/2023The Momma SpotReview
4/5/2023@evergirl200IG Review
4/5/2023Sadie’s SpotlightExcerpt/IG Post
4/6/2023Two Chicks on BooksGuest Post/IG Post
4/6/2023A Dream Within A DreamGuest Post/IG Post
4/7/2023More Books Please blogReview/IG Post
4/7/2023Fire and IceReview
4/8/2023Rajiv’s ReviewsReview/IG Post
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