February 7, 2022
The Gargoyle’s Gift: A Novella
Beasts of Men and Gods Series
Ryan M. Oliver
Aviva Publishing (2022)
ISBN: 978-1-944335-22-9
New Beasts of Men and Gods Prequel Reveals How Nestor’s Visions Began
The Gargoyle’s Gift is a prequel by Ryan Oliver to his popular Beasts of Men and Gods Series. The main character of this novella is Nestor, first introduced to readers in Soldiers of Fire as a retired general in the Gargolian kingdom on the continent of Ruxar. In that novel, Nestor’s son Orion was more of the main character, but he relied upon his father for support and knowledge about the kingdom’s past as they prepared to fight an enemy seeking to take over the entire continent. It was also revealed that Nestor had once had a falling out with the king, which is why he retired, and that past event becomes an obstacle for Orion’s efforts to save Ruxar.
Nestor is a pivotal character in the series because of his rare gift of seeing visions that foretell the future. The reader continually sees Nestor struggle with that gift, trying to decide whether to reveal what he knows of the future, whether to try to prevent future disasters from happening, or whether he should just stay silent about his visions since when he does try to intercede, he often only succeeds in helping to bring about the very event he is trying to prevent.
In The Gargoyle’s Gift, we learn Nestor’s story from childhood through his falling out with the king and what led to that monumental event. The title makes clear that Nestor’s gift is closely tied to that of a gargoyle. We see Nestor as a child watching his mother care for gargoyles, and when he is present to see a gargoyle hatch from his egg, Nestor finds that the gargoyle has imprinted upon him, creating an unbreakable bond between them that means not only will the gargoyle be protective toward him and his family, but it also will eventually share its gift with his family. Usually, it is generations before the gift manifests, but surprisingly, Nestor begins manifesting the gift as an adult.
We also learn more about the gargoyles and their past. Nestor’s mother tells a story of how three gargoyles had an adventure that determined the different types of gifts they would pass on to humans, and not all those gifts are desirable since some can lead to nightmares of incredible detriment.
As the novel progresses, so does Nestor’s relationship with the gargoyle Fia. We also watch him grow up, enter military service, become a respected leader, meet his future wife Phaedra, and eventually become a father to Orion.
Author Ryan Oliver ensures plenty of action, excitement, and surprises in these pages as Nestor rises up in the army’s ranks, and that is done through battle and warfare as well as training gargoyles to fight.
Overall, The Gargoyle’s Gift is a treat for anyone who wants to know more about the history of Ruxar, its people, and its magical beasts. It can be read as a stand-alone novel for those who have not read other books in the Beasts of Men and Gods series, but readers of the series will also enjoy finding that it answers many questions they may have about Ruxar.
Besides this prequel, Oliver has published the first book in the series, Soldiers of Fire, and he is currently completing the second volume, Forgotten Fathers.
For more information about Ryan Oliver, The Gargoyle’s Gift, and the Beasts of Men and Gods series, visit www.RyanMOliver.com.
— Tyler R. Tichelaar, PhD and award-winning author of Arthur’s Legacy and The Gothic Wanderer
