First of all, the cover is stunning! Second, this book has everything for a nice fantasy novel that I need to be pleased. The world is explained enough and the characters are becoming friends when I read. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

The Land Beyond the Waste by B. F. Peterson ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

My thoughts: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. This book was a pleasant surprise. It didn't blow me away but it was a fun read that had some interesting twists and really wonderful characters. It is also a high fantasy standalone which I am always looking for.

Characters - The main character is the real strength of this book. I liked Rydara, she is a strong and intriguing character with so much growth throughout the book. I found her understandable and relatable and I wanted her to succeed. Seeing such a strong sibling bond between Rydara and Aander was so refreshing. They love and support each other while also being independent. I do wish there was more character development for Aander as he lacked some depth and individuality.

Plot - The plot was a lot larger than I originally anticipated. I expected this book to be more of a journey story and was pleasantly surprised when it was so much more than that. There is political intrigue, some interesting fight sequences, and a small dash of romance. However, I think the plot was a little too expansive for the length of the book. I found the ending very rushed and if fell rather flat given the scope and the stakes of the story. The world was also interesting and I loved the dragons.

I would recommend it if you want books featuring dragons and elves and are looking for a fantasy standalone.

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I first heard about BF Peterson via her upcoming novel published under Angry Robot called The Ellyrian Code. I was surprised to see that The Land Beyond the Waste, published by Roundfire Books, is a companion novel to The Ellyrian Code.

So, in order to hype myself up for The Ellyrian Code, I decided to read The Land Beyond the Waste. Sadly, this book was just okay and I didn't really find it all too exciting.

I wish I could recommend this book, but it's your typical fantasy novel with humans, elves, and dragons. This might be good for YA audiences looking to transition into epic fantasy, but for adults who love fantasy already, this might read very YA.

As much as I wanted to love Rydara and co., they read like typical stock fantasy characters, especially when it came to the elves and dragons. While I liked the relationship between Rydara and her half-brother, the elves felt like bees in a hive. Other than the token bad guy elf and the queen elf, it was hard to tell them apart. And even worse, all of their actions (including the bad guy and the queen) felt like the FMC was interacting with NPCs in a video game.

The ending was kind of weird. After Rydara's narrative was over, the author started writing short summaries of what happened to each character. The POV was in third person limited and then suddenly it switched to omniscient. That was jarring and confusing. It didn't really work out for me.

Rydara being mixed race was supposed to be a huge plot point, but the way that it was added to the story felt very YA fantasy. Rydara's skin color and hair texture sets her apart from her father's family, who are all light skinned. And that was about it. I didn't feel like it added anything to the story at all. She could've been the same race as her father, and still be his bastard child, and nothing would've changed imo.

I did like the black elves though. That was something different.

I'll still pick up The Ellyrian Code because I'm always a sucker for a new fantasy novel. But The Land Beyond the Waste was nothing new and nothing interesting.

Thank you to Roundfire Books and NetGalley for this arc.

Technically rated this 3.5 on StoryGraph.

TL;DR:
Overall, I found this entertaining. There were elements that I loved and then some elements that I didn't think were executed as well as they could have been & made it fall flat in some areas. But it was a promising debut, and I will definitely read more from this author. The sequel/companion to this book is coming out in June or July of 2025, and I plan to check it out.

Characters:
I quite enjoyed the main character and the side characters, but I felt like most of the character relationships were a bit one-dimensional, even my favorite dynamic of the MC and her brother. Their relationship was delightful and such a joy to see. I live for a solid, loyal, trusting, loving sibling dynamic! But I would have loved to see more of their bond's depth.

There were several moments when other side characters expressed some deep connection (platonic or romantic) with our MC that made me go, "Huh? Based on what? Since when?" I think some of that can be chalked up to the quick pacing, though. As well as times when characters would relay information that didn't match up, particularly toward the end with the talk of hope. More on that below.

I loved following an MC who had the capacity for such deep forgiveness.

Plot:
On that note, the pacing was probably my biggest qualm with this book. We got off to a slow start with the travel across the wastes... and then kind of hanging around with the elves... and then the ending just RUSHED in like crazy. And the very end/epilogue was overly neat & tidy and clipped in the delivery, I felt.

But the world was SO cool and interesting... the politics were intriguing... the magic was a little too convenient in some ways, but very cool in other ways... and the story was entertaining and fun. We had a pretty good "here comes the cavalry" moment, which I always love, as well as an author NOT pulling punches.. ! We lose some characters, and they actually stay deceased without magical reincarnation. We have magic in abundance and dragons and dragon riders and mental communication possible with said dragons... ! It's all very fun and cool.

Sometimes the explanation of the familial connections and histories got slightly convoluted and clipped, and I wish we had more grounding/foundation with that, particularly with the elves.

I learned that this is a companion/prequel to the Illyrian Code by this author coming out later in 2025, and that makes sense for how this ended. It was a pretty conveniently tidy ending and clearly was setting us up for the following book, which sounds like it will take place at least a generation or so after this one. I think the author did set up an entertaining and fun enough fantasy world that I'm intrigued to check that book out and continue with this series.

Writing:
I found the writing to be serviceable overall and in some places quite emotionally evocative. There were also a few places where it felt slightly repetitive, but not obnoxiously so.

Also, I found the writing to be a little bit humorous in places, which I always enjoy (when done well, of course).

Themes:
This was one element I had some issue with in the end -- there was very much a message of hopefulness, but the way it was explained at times seemed contradictory from my perspective. The MC saying she "kept trying even when she didn't have hope" but in my perspective that is exactly what hope is. Pressing forward for some (however small) desire and HOPE for a more positive future. The very REASON you continue trying and pushing through adversity, is because of the hope you have. It's when people give up that they don't have hope. You can simultaneously be a little cynical like, "This probably won't work... " AND follow that up with, "... but fuck it, I have to try!" That is hope!

The other major theme I noted was executed more cohesively, in my opinion. And that was simply powerful, true, deep love -- in its various forms. The power that loyalty and love can have on the people and the WORLD around us.

Memorable Quotes:
"It doesn't really matter how they see me. It matters how I see myself."

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

2.75 stars rounded up to 3

While I appreciated the world that the author was attempting to build with this book, I cannot recommend it as a novel that I enjoyed. I felt as though the characters were a bit one-dimensional, and though I appreciated the protagonist's arc and personality, the secondary characters were flat. The use of modern jargon within the book was also very jarring. In all, it is clear that this book is a debut, and that the plot and secondary characters needed to be much more fleshed out to be compelling.
There are certainly redeeming characteristics of this book; the main character's relationship with her brother was very endearing, and the main character's personality was refreshing. The world, while unique, did fall just a little bit short.
Overall, this book is a unique debut, but it lacks refinement and depth.

Thank you Collective Ink Limited/Roundfire Books and NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. My review is my own and not influenced by others.

When the mixed-race bastard daughter of a tribal king, Rydara finds out that the queen of a neightboring country is murdering tribespeople, her father refuses to believe her and banishes her to avoid the risk of war. Rydara and her brother Aander run awat through the desert in hope to find magic strong enough to defeat the queen.

I am hesistant to read debut books because I’ve experienced that it is a hit or mis for me. A lot of debuts aren’t well developed, don’t have good written main characters and writing style to call it a good book and often feels amateurish. For me this book didn’t work out unfortunately; it had all the elements of a debut book that is too amateurish to enjoy it and it was chaotic from the start of the book.

Bit of a slow start, this story takes place in a world where magic powers are not uncommon. We have Speaking (similar to "the Voice" from Dune), Perceiving, Showing, Knowing, and a few others I cannot recall off my head. The magic system and history are particularly interesting and clearly thought out. The world, divided by kingdoms, is on the brink of all-out war and our heroine and her brother are doing their best to save their people and civilization (as they know it) from those who want to destroy it.

While I enjoyed the world details and overall plot goals, I did feel like the characters were a tad impersonal to me. I would have liked to see more for them, maybe a bit of humor. Maybe more sibling chemistry between the brother and sister who are extremely loyal to each other. Maybe a little bit of humor here and there or the characters just having a moment to themselves to be themselves. Something along those lines that allow us to see a little further into their relationships and lenses. I think it would have made me get more attached to them and make the story easier to immerse myself into.

I did really love the description of the Elves and their land/cultural practices. It was one of my favorite parts of the book. In fact I was more interested in their land than I was with most of the other activities elsewhere. And by god, their language? Super super cool. I love the detail put into their world in general, definitely a favorite part of the story.

I am not quite sure about how everything resolved though and have mixed feelings. I feel for the build up it didn't quite match the outcome. But that's my personal opinion, others will see it differently.

Overall, this was a 3.75./5 for me (personally). I feel those who love high stakes fantasy will enjoy this as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars

Summary of the plot:
In this world, people have different kinds of magic: Knowing (the ability to understand the meaning behind words, even in other languages), Showing, Perceiving, etc. Some magics are more forbidden than others (such as manipulating someone's memories). Rydara is a Knower and an advisor to her brother, Aander, a prince. She gets banished from her tribe by her father, the king, because he thinks she is lying when she claims that the neighboring country is murdering people for dark reasons (claims that Aander cannot back up because his memories had be altered). So she seeks the help of the elves and dragons in a far away land, only to be confronted with more problems.

Thoughts on the book:
Overall, I thought this book was just okay. The magic system was interesting and different from other magic systems that I'm familiar with. I had questions about it, but I figured this book didn't warrant the level of details that I wanted. However, that's kind of the only good thing about this book. I thought the plot was kind of slow at times, so I got bored easily. The characters also did not intrigue me at all. There wasn't a single person or character that I enjoyed reading about. Not that they didn't have personalities, but it felt very surface level. I don't think this was a ad book per se, but it wasn't for me.

The Land Beyond The Waste - B.F Peterson
★★★★★

"You, too, are a child of two worlds, her mother had told her once And like the rydar, you will thrive and add colour wherever you grow"


Thank you Netgalley for the arc copy.

H O L Y M O T H E R. This book is a fantastic, well built, deep and rich and tension-filled fantasy story combining all well- loved elements of high fantasy that follows Rydara and her half-brother Aandar after her banishment for defying her Father, the King, after her special ability proves they are all in danger. What unfolds is a intricate, politically charged, fast-paced journey that leads them to the hidden village of the elves where Rydara and Aandar plead their case for help from a race their tribes have spurned for years, whose language they cannot speak.

With exceptional world-building, high-stakes combat, deep lore and dragons, The Land Beyond The Waste takes you on a journey from despair and loneliness, through acceptance and courage, to sacrifice and selflessness. The magic system is unique whilst still retaining a comfort of understanding and although complicated, is very satisfying to follow as the reader understands certain exchanges before the characters do. It's certainly a book that leaves you needing a minute after you finish just to gather your thoughts.

I'd recommend adding to your Goodreads, you're definitely going to want to read this.

- Rich history
- Politcal intrigue
- Warfare
- Combat
- Dragons & elves
- Telepathic communication
- Unique magic
- Deep lore
- High fantasy

The Land Beyond the Waste offers rich worldbuilding, a unique magic system, and a fresh take on beloved classic fantasy elements that it quickly became impossible for me to put down! The rich and detailed world-building has left me eager to dive into more of its history and lore in the The Ellyrian Code.