The Amulet of Nethelar: Book One of The God Amulets Trilogy

by Sarah J. Brown

When a vainglorious priest awakens the Amulet of Nethelar and then mysteriously disappears, Teron, Inquisitor of Nethelar, begins to investigate. When Olivia returns from hunting to find her family home in flames, she seeks to know why and where her family ran off to. When Ken accompanies his mentor to assist him with diplomacy, he tries to keep a careful eye on his mentor’s suddenly strange behaviors. Their worlds collide at the Lord Mayor’s Gala and starts a chain of events that will reshape the world of Rivalquinn as they know it.

Genres: Fantasy

423 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 8, 2023

About the author

Find tropes, trigger warnings, info and more at my sarahjbrownauthor website.

Sarah spent her early years hating to read and write, until she discovered the fantasy genre.

She is now a writer by night, staring blurry-eyed at her computer at 3am quite often. She received her M.A. in Creative Writing at Eastern Illinois University. In her spare time (ha!), she gardens quite badly, plays with her two dogs Chewie and Leia, and watches movies with her husband Josh.

She writes epic fantasy (under Sarah J. Brown) and romantasy (under S.J. Brown).

Reviews

[Jennifer Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book hit every note I long for in a good fantasy to perfection. I have been reading full on chapter books since kinder, and have averaged 125 books a year, since middle school. And I say this because I want to emphasize that I don’t often add a book to my favorite books of all time list and this one made the list before I hit the halfway mark.

Adventure, witty banter, laugh out loud moments, animal companions, epic fights, memorable characters, witty banter, mystery, twists, world spanning journeys, a sprinkle of subplot romance, did I mention the witty banter? I laughed, I shed tears, I cheered, I gasped, I giggled, I cried out in theatrical gloriousness “Nooooooo!” I did all the things, okay, all of them, in the span of 400+ pages!

If I could give it more than five stars I would. If you love good story telling, or love a good DnD Campaign, you’ll love this! If you love having multiple POVs with really well thought out characters who have unique voices and personalities that will stick with you long after you are done reading, you’ll love this! If you love a book that will make you need to dive into the next one cause you aren’t ready to leave the vibrant world or the friends you’ve made in it, you’ll love this. Look, I just know, you’ll love this, so don’t bother putting it on your TBR, just buy it and read it, right now! Don’t wait. You won’t be sorry!

I can’t wait for the soon to be released audiobook, and for book two!!! Cause this one is going to make me sit with it for a few days before I can pick up another book, and I have a different book in every format possible, going at once, always… Nope. Not right now I don’t. All has come to a halt because I need a moment to sit, clutching the book to my chest in my reading nook, staring longingly into the vivid depths of Rivalquinn for a while longer…

[Rakhi (New Book Reviewer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Take:

What if you stumbled upon a hidden power that could change everything?

In, The Amulet of Nethelar: Book One of The God Amulets Trilogy by Sarah J. Brown, this gripping idea is explored with masterful storytelling.

This book is an absolute page-turner. The highlight I loved about this read is how it seamlessly weaves together multiple storylines, drawing you into a world where secrets and mysteries abound. The storyline is rich with intrigue and suspense, starting with the mysterious disappearance of a priest and unfolding into a complex tapestry of events that shape the world of Rivalquinn.

The author has created a compelling narrative with intricate details that make the world come alive. The writing is immersive, capturing the reader’s imagination and maintaining a steady pace that keeps you hooked from start to finish. Each chapter reveals new layers of the story, making it hard to put the book down.

This book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys epic fantasies filled with suspense and adventure. I found this book to be an unforgettable experience that left me eager to dive into the next installment. The author's ability to craft such an engaging and multifaceted story is impressive, and I can't wait to read more from this series.

Overall, an engrossing and thrilling start to an epic trilogy.

[Margo · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 out of 5! I really did enjoy this book a lot! While the beginning was a little slow with so many characters to introduce and bustle along to their eventual meetings, I wound up really invested in the characters and their interactions once they formed their party and began their adventure proper. I also enjoyed seeing little nods or similarities to dungeons and dragons here and there, or at least my mind made connections like that, and the pacing was great at keeping me invested and glued to the story. I kind wanted to scream at the twist of Olivia's family history in the last chapters of the book, but I can look past it as it was largely resolved relatively quickly. I do hope the author continues the story, as I'd love to see what happens next, both with the party and the antagonists.

[Margo · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 out of 5! I really did enjoy this book a lot! While the beginning was a little slow with so many characters to introduce and bustle along to their eventual meetings, I wound up really invested in the characters and their interactions once they formed their party and began their adventure proper. I also enjoyed seeing little nods or similarities to dungeons and dragons here and there, or at least my mind made connections like that, and the pacing was great at keeping me invested and glued to the story. I kind of wanted to scream at the twist of Olivia's family history in the last chapters of the book, but I can look past it as it was largely resolved relatively quickly. I do hope the author continues the story, as I'd love to see what happens next, both with the party and the antagonists.

[Brish B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing world building! So glad I came across this book.
Won in Goodreads giveaway!

[Martha Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A supremely fun fantasy adventure that will remind you of your favorite Dungeons & Dragons campaign. I appreciate that the storytelling puts a lot of trust in the reader - many of the questions I had as I was reading where answered scant pages later, as the worldbuilding fills in and the characters themselves discover more information.

My main critique is that I want to spend more time with the characters - very much looking forward to the following volumes. It's a good time!

[Rick Bruner · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read. Great story. strong characters, and engaging prose. A very well done homage to the classics of Fantasy Literature with more to come.