Splendor of Dawn Book Tag (+moodboard + excerpt!) (sponsored)

Hey everyone! Today I’m bringing you another original book tag, this time inspired in Ryan D. Gebhart’s book series “The Jewel of Life”, which follows the life of Devlyn as he tries to find out the truth of his origin and whether he’s a descendant of long-extinct elves or not. I definitely recommend this book to fans of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, as the vibes are pretty similar!

Splendor of Dawn, the first book in the series, has one of the most detailed worldbuildings and magical systems I’ve ever read. This is the perfect book to read if you want to completely disconnect from reality for a while and go into an ancient world of dragons, magic and myths; and you can check it out on Amazon and Goodreads.

More info on the book will be at the bottom of the post, as well as a moodboard made by myself inspired in this magical story.

Without further ado, let’s start with the tag! I took inspiration from the characters and settings of the book to create the questions, so you can get some hints of what to expect if you decide to pick up the book.

Rules

• List the prompts and the rules in the post.
• Pingback to the creator of the tag (bellerosereads)
• Thank the person who tagged you.
• Tag at least three people.

Prompts

1. Devlyn: A character who thinks they don’t fit their surroundings

Manu Azul from Lobizona – One of the main elements of this book is Manu’s feeling of don’t fitting anywhere –not on USA, where she has lived illegally for many years; nor on Argentina where she was born and where her roots are.

2. Arlyn: Your favorite parental figure in literature

‘Buela from With the Fire on High – The reason why ‘Buela is my favorite parental figure is because she’s raw, real, honest and supportive of Emoni, but she also reminds me of my own family. Acevedo does a GREAT job at representing Latinx families as diverse as they are, and you can definitely see it in the family bonds from this book.

3. Arbol: A book with nature elements on the cover

Ghost Wood Song by Erika Waters – I haven’t read this one yet, but I really want to! The cover is beautiful, there’s no doubt, but it’s premise which mixes musical and magic elements it’s what intrigues me the most.

4. Lucillia: Your favorite magical city/town/universe

Night Court from A Court of Thorns and Roses – I’m a verified Night Court citizen, okay? Besides, how can I not love this court if Rhysand is its High Lord?

5. Alex: A book about friendship

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman – Many books are centered on friendship but this is my favorite one so far. Aled and Frances friendship was so painfully beautiful, and raw. But beyond their friendship there are also some other friendship bonds that give color and life to the story.

6. Velaria: A badass female character

Lady Sarnai from Spin the Dawn – This is definitely one of the most intriguing characters I’ve read this year. She’s ruthless and cruel and most definitely a cold woman, but she’s very complex and brave and I admire her so much. You can’t hate her or love her entirely and that’s what makes her so great.

7. E’iana: Your favorite book centered around magic

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim – This is also a tough question because while most fantasy books feature magic, not all of them are centered on this element. Spin the Dawn is one of the books most focused on magic I’ve read recently and I loved the original uses of magic portrayed in the book, used to create dresses, and how fashion and magic connect in this one.

8. Gwilnor Academy: The best fictional school you’ve read about

El Laberinto from Lobizona – Once again, Lobizona is here. I loved the role this school played on the book and how it became a “safe” place for Manu, plus it has its own sport!! *which I’m not a fan of but you can’t deny it’s very original*

9. Perrien: A book about or featuring royalty

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E Schwab – This book features royalty, as Kell is actually part of the royal family of… one of the London’s *excuse my terrible memory, but there are too many London’s in here*. There are of course many other books with royalty and here, it’s not even the central element, but this book is just so good.

10. Yelaris: Your favorite non-human character

Church from The Infernal Devices – This cat has a personality like any other. And we can agree in one thing: we both love Jem Carstairs, and Jem Carstairs only.

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It knows we’re here. Devlyn’s thoughts scrambled as he watched the flying figure grow larger the closer it neared.

“Quick, bring the spears; leave the bows, they won’t do this beast any harm,” said Karl.

“It’s not what I think it is? Is it?” Devlyn was not at all eager for the answer.

“Depends; do you both think they too are only a myth? If you have any tricks up your sleeve, boy, now would be the time.”

What does he mean by that? Devlyn stared blankly before picking up one of the spears Karl had propped against the farmhouse exterior wall earlier that night, the bows and swords left unattended.

“All right then, stand at the ready, both of you.” Even as Karl barked out the order, Devlyn thought, just what are we supposed to do?

A few brief moments passed before the beast came lower and closer, then circled about the farmhouse before landing in front of them, shaking the ground beneath them. Devlyn’s heart raced; he couldn’t see straight, and his fatigue had finally caught up with him despite the added adrenaline.

The dark blue beast’s sinuous neck stretched to its full length above them and its fiery eyes looked down on them. It folded its outstretched wings against its side, hardly diminishing its overall size.

Clutching his spear tightly, Devlyn could not believe his eyes; a dragon, that ferocious terrible beast from stories, stood before them. Karl and Alex stood on either side of him, and Devlyn wondered if their palms were as sweaty as his own. He waited for Karl’s command to attack.

-Chapter 11, Splendor of Dawn by Ryan D. Gebhart

Title: Splendor of Dawn
Author: Ryan D. Gebhart
Publisher: Self-published
Release date: September 18th, 2018
Page count: 355
Genre: Fantasy
Book links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Fantastic Fiction

Summary:

What was once reality now fill the minds of Eklean’s children as no more than fables. Despite his pointy ears, not even Devlyn believes that he is an elf, they have all passed from living memory into stories. At least, that’s what he’s been told his entire life, growing up as a ward of the abbey school of Cor’lera. One day, a silver-eyed woman with pointy ears tells him something very different and invites him beyond the village limits to discover the truth about his allegedly criminal family. Swept into a world of magic that includes dragons and a phoenix, Devlyn’s eyes open to a world he believed was a myth when shadows of the past reveal themselves once again.

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About the Author

Ryan D. Gebhart first started writing the Jewel of Life series in 2012 in Philadelphia, PA, shortly after concluding his undergraduate studies in philosophy. This unexpected passion evolved over the years and has remained a constant companion through his career changes, from a Capuchin Friar, to a Claims Processor, receiving a Graduate Degree in Architecture, and now working at an Architecture Firm in Washington, DC. Ryan D. Gebhart is originally from Wilmington, DE.

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That’s all for this post. I hope you liked it, and maybe do the tag yourself!

What is your favorite epic fantasy book? Are you interested in reading Splendor of Dawn? Let’s talk in the comments!