In Bastial Energy by B.T. Narro, young Cleve, a warrior in training, not to mention a bit of a loner, is forced to interact with people when he moves into the Academy dorm with three others. One girl, Reela, is a psychic and Cleve finds himself instantly attracted to her, but he's wary as well because psychics may have the power to detect and resurface the torment Cleve buried within himself upon his parents' passing. He also begins to open up to Steffen, a shy chemist, and Effie, a rambunctious mage. But political intrigue and rumors of war begin to encroach on their bubble of friendship until they find themselves thoroughly entangled as they're recruited for assassinations, arranged marriages, and are tasked to prevent the slaughter and enslavement of an intelligent yet docile race. Told from multiple points of view, Bastial Energy is sure to be devoured by many hungry fantasy fans.

I loved reading this book - it is a unique and original fantasy novel that doesn't lean on the usual fantasy tropes (noble knight, ancient dragons, wise wizard, dark, inherently evil, evil). I love fantasy but sometimes it feels like there's an unspoken competition to create the most generic and cliched version of Wheatlandia possible.

I loved how the world of Bastial Energy was set up mostly for the dynamic between the races of humans, elves, the Krepps (a reptilian-like race), and the Slugari (who look like slugs). It was very interconnected and interdependent. The magic laws were nicely set up and the characters were engaging, making this book a quick, but satisfying and fun read. I can't wait for Book 2: The Sartious Mage.

Bastial Energy: The Rhythm of Rivalry, Book 1 by B.T. Narro takes place in a world populated by: humans, elves, reptilian humanoids called Krepps, and the underground dwellers known as Slugaris. Housemates Cleve, Effie, Steffen, and Reela are humans enrolled in an academy where one can learn to be a warrior, mage, chemist, or psychic. It is mandatory for all students of the academy to give service to the crown after graduation, and in the event of war, they will all be conscripted into service immediately. As the lives of these four humans are intertwined, they are enveloped by the threat of a looming war with the Krepps. In a parallel story line, Zoke and Vithos, a Krepp and an elf respectively, travel around the world trying to find allies. Succeeding events will determine the outcome of the war and change the lives of these characters forever.

An exceedingly interesting plot and highly colorful characters are the two literary elements that immediately catch my attention in B.T. Narro’s Bastial Energy. The author develops his characters in such a way that the readers get to understand why they think and react the way they do. In this way, they pop out of the pages of the pages and become almost real. This is especially true of Cleve, a boy trying to seek solace from his painful personal struggles in the middle of a brewing storm that threatens to destroy the world as he knows it.

This story explores the ties between friends, family, and races. As such, it involves love, friendship, fear, hate, and betrayal. In the midst of the chaos brought about by greed and hate, bonds of friendship are forged that make the story heartwarming. This is a book that will appeal to readers of all ages because B.T. Narro’s fertile imagination and engaging writing style makes it an excellent read.

Bastial Energy (The Rhythm of Rivalry: Book 1) by B.T. Narro takes the reader into a fantasy world that is populated by humans, elves (not so many of them though), Krepps (some sort of walking reptilians), Slugari (slug-like creatures that reach up to a human's knee in size) and other beings that are mentioned but don't play too big a role in this first book.

The story is told from the perspective of different characters - three young humans who entered the Academy to become a warrior, a chemist and a mage, and two Krepps who are brother and sister. War is coming to the world and all the characters in the book are in some way involved in it - the Krepps because they would like nothing better than finding the hidden Slugari colony to eat them all and they think that the humans know where the colony is. The two warring human factions would each like the Krepps on their side or against their enemy. And then there is that one elf who has been held 'captive' by the Krepps because of his psychic abilities and because he also might be able to help find the Slugari. There are quite a few twists and turns in the story.

What I didn't like was that ideas like bastial energy and other energy forms were never really explained in depth. It would have been nice to get more background about these things and have various ideas fleshed out more. The ending of the book also came too soon and did not feel satisfying. Those are the two reason why this is "only" a four star rating.

What I liked was that the story was told from the perspective of different characters which enabled the author to show what was happening in different parts of the world and to show the different ideals and attitudes. I also liked that the book wasn't full of fantasy cliches. And there were no dwarves! The book was in general very entertaining and a nice read!

In a mythical land, Cleve Polken joins other first year students at the Academy in Kyrro at an unsettled time in history. For the first time in many years, the threat of war places everyone on high alert and citizens are forced to take sides. Complicated issues and alliances make it difficult to know who to trust and following the heart and conscience is the only way to move forward. In Bastial Energy by B.T. Narro, Cleve demonstrates surprising skill as a warrior and is in possession of an illegal bow that makes him a pawn in the scheming of the king. Elves, chemists, and mages, as well as inhuman and magical creatures complete the population and are all pitted against one another as the greed of the rulers causes an upheaval in their way of life.

An epic tale similar in scope to ‘Lord of the Rings’ or ‘Star Wars’, Bastial Energy follows the development of a global conflict between different races and cultures, with the possible outcome of annihilation for the losers. In this first book of the tale of the Rhythm of Rivalry, the characters are well developed and a fantasy world is as real as what is outside everyone’s door. Special abilities and creatures with amazing powers add to the excitement of the quest for understanding undertaken by a small party of first year Academy students and their headmaster. Their interaction with different species sets the stage for a major confrontation between war-minded rulers. Bastial Energy is a story that is difficult to put down as it draws the reader into the heart of an incredible world.