Vellmar the Blade

I usually don’t give five stars to short stories or novellas, because they don’t have the wider scope of a novel. (I did once, due to the affection to old friend characters, but I usually don’t).But Vellmar the Blade really deserves the full score. I’d like to describe this expanded novella as chiseled, because indeed it seems to me like a compact, delightful, chiseled artwork.The story is very simple, no more than some episodes in the life of a secondary character, an athletic competiti [...]

I read Vellmar the Blade a few years ago as an online version and really liked it. This published version has been expanded and polished and I liked it even more. DeLancey skillfully weaves the familiar and completely new characters, thus creating another great story in my beloved series Chronicles of Alsea. In the series order, this is fifth part, while the fourth part (Catalyst) is still in the making. But since Catalyst will deal with two characters from the first part of the series (The Caph [...]

*I received this book from NetGalley and Ylva Publishing in return for a fair review.*For better or worse I need to start off with a little unfortunate bit of warning. Though it is one that may or may not already be known (though GoodReads currently is ‘messing’ with people by having the series count wrong). While this specific story is the fifth 'thing' released in this series, which includes the short story Projection, it is actually the sixth 'thing' in the series (including short story), [...]

This was kind of a placeholder book in the series, which is why it's also out of order (for those of you wondering why you're reading book 5 when book 4 hasn't come out yet). We're following the new Lead Guard, Fianna Vellmar, as she finally enters the Games that she's been avoiding so she doesn't have to compete against her mother. In an interesting twist, we also hear bits of the story as told by a father to his children centuries after the events have occurred. I found that an enjoyable addit [...]

Very much a complimentary story in the Chronicles of Alsea series, Vellmar the Blade focuses primarily on the titular character, Fianna Vellmar, the Lead Guard for Lancer Andira Tal. The story is set during the Global Games, Alsea's version of the Olympics, and follows Vellmar's path through the games, spending some time developing her friendships, family relationships, and a romance along the way. While not as long as The Caphenon or the Without a Front duology, this book covers a fair amount o [...]

I really enjoyed this story. Vellmar is an interesting character but I was more happy to see Lanaril again, as she was a favourite of mine in the Front series, although she wasn't as fleshed out here as she could have been. Salomon and Tal also get a fair bit of 'screen time' and aren't just obligatory cameos, and Vellmar's family are also fairly fleshed out. The only thing I could have done without was the Princess Bride type framing of telling a story within a story, but it wasn't enough to de [...]

Vellmar the Blade is the fifth book in the Chronicles of Alsea series. Unlike the other books, this is told in the form of a 'bedtime story' for kids, presumably set in an unspecified Alsean future where the name Vellmar draws pure adulation from Alsean kids and her exploits are the stuff legends are made of. Because this is set in a time in the far future when Vellmar is a legendary figure instead of a lowly guard, it serves as a kind of epilogue to the entire series. At the same time, it gives [...]

I very much enjoyed the character of Vellmar in the previous book and was happy to read more about her and her family. And I loved the way it was told and the little girl, who I so want to see in a future book set 15 years into the future because she's going to make a fantastic warrior!

I was so happy to be immersed once again in the world of Alsea when I started this book. It was great to be reunited with favorite characters such as Lancer Tal and Salomen. This is a story, however, of Lead Guard Vellmar, who intrigued me in the previous books with her blade-wielding skills. This was such a wonderful read and pleasantly surprised me with her would-be future achievements (won't say more as this would be a spoiler). I just wish that this was a novel-length book because I can neve [...]

Definitely my favorite in the series. I am a sucker for stories with rescued animals. The vallcat kittens was brilliant!

I loved this just as much as the rest of Fletcher Delancey's books. It's a great story.

*ARC provided by Netgalley and Ylva Publishing for an honest review*There is only one word needed to descibe this book, brilliant! Now while it might only need one word, I am going to ask you to allow me a few more to desciribe my personal experience with it becuase it is definitely something to experience.I am not really a huge fan of Sci-fi and When I saw this book being offered for review on Netgalley my first instinct was to ignore but then i went to read the reviews of the other books in th [...]

Vellmar the Blade is a wonderful novella that's part of the Chronicles of Alsea, but can absolutely be read as a standalone piece. Fianna Vellmar is lead guard to Lancer Andira Tal, taking her first shot at the global games. She's never entered the games before, not wanting to face her mother, the current and long-reigning champion at blade throwing. She's so close to the champion's spot that she can almost see it when her fate comes down to a split-second decision.While I loved reading about Ve [...]

Fletcher DeLancey’s Alsea series is wonderful. Brilliant world building, well -done scifi, excellent stories and absolutely top class characters who have already become our friends."Vellmar the Blade" tells the story of Lead Guard Vellmar’s first Alsean ‘Olympics’ through the narration of a children’s bedtime story. It continues the world building by giving us more insight into Alsean society, while deepening and extending our knowledge of one of the secondary players.DeLancey’s cast [...]

Wow, so glad Fletcher gave us a sneak peak into Vellmar, but now I need more Alsea. And have so many new questions about Lancer Tal and Lead Templar Lanaril. Not sure which one I like more. But since more books are coming I can just dream about them both. Thank You Fletcher for the stories and characters.

I just finished this book and I have to say, Vellmar the Blade is a lovely counter piece to the earlier, more intense trilogy from the Alsea universe. If you want a taste of the world that this author has built for us, but you don’t feel ready for an epic adventure with angst, devious villains, fight scenes, moral dilemmas and an intense romance – then start with this novella instead. That’s not to say this novella isn’t thrilling in its own right! It has an Olympic-style competition, a [...]

I really like this series and am bummed that there are only 4-5 at the moment. It's been a while since i've found a 'space opera/ sci-fi' worth my time or that's made me want to skip all my responsibilities. This 5th or 4th installment is a change of pace from the other books in the series, but just as fun to read. I really don't have anything more to add other than that i'm hooked.

Loved itI have enjoyed this series and can't wait for more stories of Alsea and the powerful women who inhabit the planet. Though this story ends sounding like the finality of the series, I hope to be reading more of Lancer Tal, Salomen, Ekatya, Lhyn as well as Lanarial and Vellmar. Strong, confident and fiercely loyal women ready and willing to fight for what they believe and who they love.

Oh stars, my heart!!! This was such a wonderful and fun story. I just wish it were longer instead of being a novella! Vellmar was an instant favorite for me after she showed up earlier in this series, and everything about this was just so perfect and lovely??? The reveals about her future! The vallcats! The romance! Ugh, I want a full novel! I can only hope one may be coming eventually.

I'm reviewing this on a reread.This is the fifth (and also technically fourth,) installment of the Chronicles of Alsea, but it could probably be understood without reading the first four books. It isn't related to the main plot of the series and tells the story of Vellmar in her first Games. The first time I read it was when the fourth book hadn't been released yet, and though I was still able to read it I understand it better now.I liked this a lot. It was a nice little side story with a tidy p [...]

The Chronicles of Alsea is a series developed and written by Fletcher DeLancey. Vellmar the Blade is the fifth book (novella) in this set and took me on a beautiful flight to the next galaxy. It's a science fiction series and the first one I have read in this genre. I'd heard great things about Fletcher DeLancey's work in several groups on Facebook, but I kept ignoring them (shame on me) because I thought I wouldn't like the genre or I wouldn't understand it.Oh, my goodness, HOW WRONG WAS I! Thi [...]

** I was given a copy from NetGalley for an honest review.**"This is the story of how Vellmar lost the championship at the Global Games." Just by using such an enticing contradictory phrase as a synopsis of the story, it caught my attention.Vellmar the Blade is quite shorter than the previous books of the series but I believe the 'story within a story' that as used as the narrative device is a well chosen one. Not only establishing Vellmar as the legend she will become as well as highlighting he [...]