Book Extract & Review: Dohva: The Land Within by Sophie Haeder

I’m so delighted to be welcoming Sophie Haeder to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her upcoming book, Dohva: The Land Within.

Embark on a journey to the enigmatic realm of Dohva, where elemental magic reigns supreme and ancient secrets lie buried beneath the mountains.

In the isolated land of Dohva, where souls are trapped in an endless cycle of rebirth by an ancient elemental sphere, a malevolent force wields the forbidden dark magic of the demon prince Agthod. Avala, a rebellious air sorceress haunted by the loss ofher closest friend, is driven to unravel the mysteries that have long plagued her world. She finds unlikely allies with three anti-heroes, a colourful and diverse cast who each struggle with their own demons and desires for redemption.

But as the shadows deepen and the threat grows, Avala and her newfound companions must set aside their differences and forge an uneasy bond. But can they confront this powerful enemy force that threatens to consume their world and change their destiny forever?

“Dohva – The Land Within” is the first book of an epic fantasy meets romantasy trilogy that will captivate readers from beginning to end and leave them eagerly anticipating the next installment in this spellbinding saga.

My review for the book is below as well as details on how you can pre-order the novel. Sophie has also shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy it. 

*****beginning of extract*****

“What are you thinking, Avala? I can see you’re worried. What is it?” Sineth asked.

“I just think she might be expecting us to come to her.”

“So? Even if she does, she might not see everything we have planned. The most important thing is that Kalira and Kima can do their part. I can handle Venja,” Baldor said, stepping to the door. He opened it and stared in. For a moment, Avala thought he might not see anything, but he waved her inside. “Hold on to me, I’ll guide you. Avala, tell me where to go.”

She took Baldor’s hand, cold to the touch and strangely soft, like a child’s skin. It contrasted with the hand she took from Sineth, the familiar calluses of hard work. Somehow it calmed her nerves to hold hands with these two very different men.

It was quiet inside, no footsteps, no voices except for their movements and breathing. What could she do without being able to see? It was so strange; usually the darkness didn’t bother her that much. She could at least make out the general shapes of things and maneuver around if she was careful. But this felt different—a darkness her eyes could not penetrate.

They moved at a slow pace, but made steady progress. Finally, they made their way down a winding staircase that would lead them directly into the council hall. Avala felt her heart race in her chest. I won’t be afraid; I’ll let my rage be the fuel to set her body on fire. I will wield the storm, and I will bring the thunder.

Baldor was the first to step out into the hall. For a split second, a flickering green light shot through the darkness, with the sizzling sound of a missile being fired from somewhere inside. Baldor’s body collapsed to the ground. Then a huge wall of fire appeared directly in front of Baldor. Behind her stood Sineth, hands raised, pushing the flames higher and higher to shield their unconscious ally. With the light of the flames filling the room, she could make out a sea of dark figures, not humanoid, but translucent, hovering away from the flames. And in the far corner of the room stood Venja, arms raised, a mad smile on her beautiful face. She knew, she knew we were coming, and we walked right into her trap.

*****end of extract*****

About Sophie Haeder:

With a lifelong passion for fantasy, encompassing everything from fairies to witches to trolls, Sophie Haeder has found solace in imaginative play since childhood.

Serving as a gamemaster for her Dungeons & Dragons group eventually led her to writing, a natural progression from her professional career as a content marketing manager.

Sophie also creates all the artwork for her books herself, including the illustrations.

She lives in the picturesque countryside of Bavaria, Germany.

Say hello to Sophie via her website, Instagram and TikTok.

Dohva: The Land Within by Sophie Haeder is due to be released 0n 28th November and will be  available from all good bookstores: https://www.sophiehaeder.com/buy-i

*****

My verdict on Dohva: The Land Within: 

The citizens of Dohva live, die and are reborn. An elemental sphere is what assures this cycle. However, every year, ten people are chosen to make their last journey.

Avala, sad at the loss of a friend, wants to know the truth behind her way of life. 

Garon tires of not being able to be with the girl he loves. However, he is soon facing things he never thought possible. 

Sineth leads the resistance and hopes for a way to bring the elemental reign to an end. 

Kima loves to build things but starts looking for more adventure. 

I was delighted to be invited onto the blog tour for Dohva- The Land Within as the premise for this book sounded amazing. 

I was also excited to hear that this is book one in a brand new series. 

This was quite unique as I’ve not seen a book involving elemental magic before. I found all that intriguing. Also the idea of past lives that you remember. That added an additional interesting component. 

The plot unfolded well. There is a bit of set up with it being the first book but I don’t feel it slowed it down at all. The author does a great job at keeping the pace up. 

Told from the point of view of multiple characters, I felt that there was an excellent and well rounded development of them all. All of them have their strengths, flaws and powers and I feel they will realise that they are all stronger together. They have some hard decisions to make along the course of the narrative. Im not sure what I’d decide. 

There was more to Vanja than what can be seen at face value and I feel her backstory could be a novella or even a novel all on its own. Thats all I will say about that. I don’t want to give too much away. 

The setting of the world of Dovha was so vivid, beautiful and felt very cinematic. Everything about this book drew me in. I read it over one sitting pretty much. 

I really enjoyed this novel. It’s full of twists, turns, suspense, magic and tension and it’s right up my street. Its themes include those of family, friendship, trust, betrayal and self belief. It asks how far you’re willing to go to do the right thing – and how hard making that decision can be. 

This was a fantastic start to what promises to be an amazing series. I look forward to book two. 

(Thank you to Hannah Hargrave PR for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.)

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.