Evocator Crystallum: The Ancilian Forsvar Book 1 Paperback – May 3, 2022

In Evocator Crystallum, Wolstad establishes a world of magic, intrigue, love, and battles for glory that's easy to get lost in, admiring the depth and detail of his world-building. At its heart, the book focuses on a love story and mystery in one. As protagonist Luke, Lord Valor (and if ever there was a more appropriate character name I haven't seen it yet) attempts to find out what happened to his love (and heir to the kingdom) Lady Aurelia, he finds there are great forces keeping him from the truth.The reading flies by, making it easy to get lost in the engaging dialogue and compelling action. Like the start of any great fantasy epic, the ending brings some answers but sets up a larger war to come. And I, for one, look forward to a view from the frontlines.

Walstad truly threw himself into the story while working on this text. Rich with high-stakes adventures, thrilling escapades, and deep character dives, ‘Evocator Crystallum’ is an amazing tale that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The worldbuilding in particular is a delight that pulled me through the entirety of the text. The character interactions, also, are very well written. It truly feels like these individuals can come off of the page and speak to you directly. This was a delight to read.

Another amazing kickstart to another series by Tolv Walstad! I hope all he does is write full time because I can't wait for Volume 2! So many surprising twists in the plot and great, multi-faceted characters. I'm so sad to leave them at the end of this book until Volume 2 is ready. A great read for teens and adults alike! I highly recommend this book.

A well written, engaging fantasy that drew me in immediately.A unique tale that explores many themes.Great character development that anyone can relate to. Would recommend to anyone!

Reading this book was a little hard in the beginning, as words and terms were used that I didn't recognize. However the story and detail is amazing. It has truly left me wanting more! I have only read one other book in my entire life that has given me this feeling. Truly there is a bright future for this author.

This is one of those fantastic fantasy novels that you can truly lose yourself in. From the myriad relationships to the detailed descriptions to the epic battles, I flew through this novel and am already looking forward to the next one. I’m so glad to see some strong female characters (Lady Beatrix, Lady Aurelia, etc.) – I was a bit worried by the description that this would be a run-of-the-mill “guy rescues the damsel in distress” tale, but it most definitely is not!

This book has lots of potential. Sadly though, the best part of it was the cover art. The characters are flat, the plot disjointed. While I don’t mind supporting a local author, it needed several more rounds of revision and editing to live up to what it could have been.That said, the kid has potential.

While his first novel, The Relic, was inspired by Scandinavian and Celtic history and mythology, Evocatur Crystallum is well-seated in ancient Roman culture. Walstad has created another rich, diverse, balanced fantasy world that still feels very solidly placed in an historical context. One war is ending as we drop directly into the action, and the next roller coaster continues as the characters are still dealing with the aftermath of the previous war. The main character Luke is new responsibilities that will affect his surviving family, and secrets surround him.And can we talk about cliffhangers? Though the epilogue alludes to what the next book will concentrate on, I wasn’t ready for it to end!