Second book of the series. Of the 4 books, this is the best written! The romance blends in perfectly with the fantasy and the ending leaves you craving for more, as a Moud Adel's trademark.

Orantine is the best spy in her faction, the one they go to for impossible missions. But her next target is like nothing she has faced before, a high ranking official in a faction whose members can see the future.

Orantine has never failed before, but this time, she isn’t sure success is possible.

Armed with her faction’s genetic mutation, and the latest technology the world has to offer. Orantine believes she has found the perfect plan.

Nothing comes without a price, however, and this mission will push her to the edge, and further.

How far will she go to ensure success? And how far is she willing to go to prove she is the greatest in her world?

Honestly the nerd in me exploded reading this book. Also what a great concept of the seeds. Which are implants on the human body which can have and show different effects on you at different times. The amount of content in such a short book is ridiculous. For such a short page count it packs a lot. You literally cannot put this down. You need to keep reading it as every page has something going on. There is know let up. You immediately get sucked into this futuristic world and the get really involved and have an emotional attachment with the characters. The world and character building has been beautifully written. You are constantly kept on your toes the author has you guessing all the time. You think you've figured it out and a curve ball comes in and totally knocks you back to square one. I really can't say much more without spoiling the story which I wouldn't want to do. I'm really looking forward to the next book and hoping I can get my hands on it.

I will clarify first of all this is not my usual genre, I normally read crime or thrillers. But was asked if I would mind giving this a go I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest, fair and unbiased opinion. I was so glad I agreed. Because I absolutely loved this novella and was so disappointed when it game to an end, I needed more, I want more.

The writing of this is so well done, the ideas the plot. You can tell the author is and Egyptologist and his passion for world building certainly shows. The story is set on an island called Mastoperia it is divided into four factions which are united by The Forbidden City which sits in the middle and is the governing body of the factions.

The story is focused on two factions the Lunars and the Delphians. Each faction have special powers. The Delphians are able to read minds and can read up-to certain times In The future depending on their abilities. They are ranked by the colour of their collars.
The Lunars special powers are in seeds which are on different parts of the body and are different colours, the main seed used in this story is the blue one which sits on the forehead this works like a recorder, the seeds store memories.

Orantine is married to Bodya and they have a three year old daughter they are both Lunars. Orantine is to go on a spying mission to find out more about a Delphian known as Matso, but because he can read minds it is a dangerous mission for her, to go into as a spy. Matso has a brown collar meaning he can see things a decade ahead, they can only see their own future but there is an ability to manipulate that.

In order for Orantine to take on this mission she needs to have her memories wiped otherwise Matso will know she is a spy. Bodya is an inventor and he has made a set of 6 blue seeds each one can store a years worth of memories. The plan is for Orantine to go in with blank seeds so that Matso is unable to read her mind and then she has to change the seeds one at a time which will give her some of her memories back. Whilst spying on Matso she will be collecting information on the seeds planted that will then be swapped over. What could go wrong?

The ideas are brilliant the different abilities, I just loved it. But there is also some heartbreak, sacrifice and forgiveness all within this 140 page novella. I really look forward to more, I need to see what happens next.

An intense and dramatic story full of emotion and heart. And all of this is surrounded by a fantastical world and wonderful characters I have come to know through Adel's other stories, yet at the same time, there is so much yet to learn.

I can't wait for the next in this series!

Loved the intricate world the author has created with strong characters that take you on a roller coaster ride as they try to bring peace to four very different proud factions. Cant wait for the rest of the series...

How frustrating must it be to have magic but when you use it it shortens your life.
Can Rakamai risk this to get his revenge and help his people or will he die trying before his time.
Is a short future better than no future.
Read on to find out in this amazing magical adventure.

The book did its job well when it introduced very clearly a world of mages as well as diverse and interesting magic systems of each faction. The book also discusses the relationship and history between the factions and provides a brief introduction to the main characters of the plot.
I really liked the way the author described the magic battle and that made it impossible for me to put down the book. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Naruto or Fairy Tales or Harry Potter :).

Preface: Twelve Jackals By Moud Adel presents a great world, with an amazing magic system and lovely characters. Despite its short length, it has succeeded in presenting a new world, one of the greatest magic systems I have seen, and structure an entire story from start to end, giving a satisfying conclusion while giving a clear view to where the main series starts.

Introduction: War Remnants By Moud Adel is the prologue novella for the Forbidden series. It is around 150 pages (which to my calculations should be around... 40-k words). It is a self-contained story that works as an introduction to the world of Mastoperia.

In there, there are four main factions, as well as the overseeing Forbidden warriors. Each faction has their own traditions, features and even completely different magic systems, but it was well done and enjoyable, despite a bit jarring at first when some of those changes (especially technologically) were shown, but it is a non-issue mostly.

Conflict is grown from the very beginning, as the story starts very quickly, and doesn't let you go until it finally ends, giving you the conclusion.

Some point that I saw people have conflict in was editing and proofreading, I was fortunate to not see any of those issues, I did notice one case where a punctuation mark was missing, but that is not a critical issue and did not affect my enjoyment to the slightest.

I have really loved the characters presented here, felt they acted very realistically, and I fell in love with quite a few of them. I would say a few characters were the shining feature of the novel.

The writing style is fast-paced and imaginative, some might not enjoy it, while others will love it. I personally fall into the 2nd category.

I highly recommend reading this book, it has been an amazing read of mine, and I can't wait to go through the rest of the author's books.

Conclusion: If you enjoy fantasy, intricate magic systems, fun battles, and a really engaging story, I highly recommend reading this book.

The structure of the world alone adds enough depth to keep the story flowing even before anything happens. I was particularly taken by the idea of tribal wars. It was so well written that I could feel the power flowing through me. Add to all of that the magical systems which amazed me. There was a different system for each faction, but my personal favorite was that of Averett. Then there's is the Forbidden City, which serves as a mediator between all the factions. I loved seeing how they work and trying to decipher the motives for each action because clearly, they had their own Agenda.
This is a fast-paced story that kept me wanting for more, and I can't wait for the next part.
The author clearly has a creative imagination.
My favorite characters were Rakamai and Amalia. Reading the fights took me way beyond imagining them. I wished I was there, not fighting with Rakamai, but beside him, for his cause. That's how much I loved this book

I read this series backwards. But I don't regret it. This book had so much action and I got to meet characters from the other books, but also I got to meet characters who were only mentioned. The background this installment provides to the series is significant and wonderful. It really ties everything together. More background on the four factions of the continent of Mastoperia. How it they all began. More information on why some of our later friends are the way they are. But aside from background information, it has action. Lots and lots of action. Immerse yourself in battles of several factions members against an even amount on the opposite side. And read how an amazing man has only 12 others to help him, but still pits himself against an entire tribe of 1,000... and their own helpers. The people you meet here have their own unique stories and plans and ways of going about getting what they want. Their own codes of honor, if you will. It's a beautiful story and it's a deadly story. It may be the first installment of the series and you are encouraged to read it as such. But don't be upset if it is a story you come upon in the middle of your journey through the world of Mastoperia either. There are no spoilers in the book, however, there is much enlightenment to be found regardless of where you begin your journey.

I stumbled upon this book, and I'm so glad I did. The book starts out with a tense scene, and the action doesn't stop there. From the very first words to the end of the book there is always something happening. The author developed characters that were engaging, and they brought you right into their world. I really liked the storyline, and I can't wait for the next book in the series to come. I would recommend this book

Everything about this is so original and different.
It’s been a while since I read a book that involves magic or powers that didn’t feel similar to any other universe. The author’s writing style is engaging and easy to follow. I especially loved how he describes characters and places within dialogues instead of tedious boring descriptive paragraphs.
There’s A LOT going on in this book. Complex characters with different powers and different motives making it extremely engaging and unexpected. Just when you think you know how the story ends, it keeps going in shocking twists.
I can’t wait for the rest if the series.

I truly enjoyed this author's work. I fell in love first with the characters Rakamai and Tora made me laugh and I was so caught up in them and their struggle against the Averetti's.
The next thing that really struck me was the well thought out magical systems each faction so unique and separate! I had to stop and marvel at it. Such a wonderful worldbuilder, I know I'll be reading this story again. I truly recommend reading this and I look forward to reading more of Mastoperia and the factions and hopefully seeing the world outside of Mastoperia as well. I feel so teased that it was brought up and then stolen away!

It's times like these that I wish I was a real honest to god book fairy, with little wings, a wand, a tutu, and magical powers, of course. I'll simply fly around and place this book under the pillows of little kids. I hope this is a huge hit, and all the kids read it. Listen up kids, this book has everything that you're looking for: conspiracy, ego, foolishness, greed, improbable things and a wonderful, wonderful magic system.
Adel is a master storyteller and what a damn fine story he made.
Drumrolls, for my book of the month : Twelve Jackals by Moud Adel.
This book is a novella and it opens up in the continent of Mastoperia which is divided into factions. Each faction has its own unique magic system, something I'm sure no reader would have stumbled upon before . These factions are on the verge of a war and it is the job of the Forbidden Warriors, to maintain peace among them. But their motives suggest otherwise, or so we'll see. Leaders kill each other, betrayal happens, magic is tested to their limits and shaky alliances are formed . Overall, this was a breath taking journey. The characters have flaws yet they are loveable. The story doesn't really end at a cliffhanger but it does set out things for future events . The writing was pleasant and the locations were exquisite. The names sound rich in your mouth ,though with some it's hard to tell their gender right away (maybe that's just me because of my culture).
I highly , highly recommend this series to the lovers of fantasy. Pick it up and you won't be disappointed, I promise.
The only thing that sucks is that November is soo far away!

Reading Twelve Jackals was like watching a remake of a wonderful story made even better as he's revamping his Illicitum series.

This author brings us an immersive world you won't soon forget, full of fascinating characters and unique magic systems. Every scene played out in vivid color in my mind's eye. You'll walk away sure you just watched the movie.