Kindle Edition Amazon Amazon Category:  Fantasy ISBN-10:  1073070921 Type: Fiction Pages: 422 Copyright: August 28, 2019 ISBN-13: 9781073070923 Price: $2.99 (eBook) A young child. A deadly power. A nomadic tribe, shattered. When eight-year-old Samara faces the capture of her tribe, an unimaginable power awakens within her. Even as this magic threatens to consume her, a mysterious entity reaches out to her, helping her control her newfound abilities. Meanwhile, Samara’s father chases his wife’s captors across an unfamiliar terrain. But can Orin find his wife in time to save her? Will Samara learn to control her power and reunite with her family? And who is the mysterious entity traveling with her?       Excerpt “In all the countless moons of my life, I have never met an elf, Abizou.” The strong, deep voice emanated from what seemed to be a human skeleton into a throne room that appeared richly decorated, yet devoid of life. Even as it spoke, the skeleton sat motionless on its marble throne, its bones loosely wrapped in gold-embroidered, red-and-white silk robes. Gold and marble made up the decor of the large room as well, with scatterings of white banners that each featured a red sun. They are treacherous, Abdhul. Almost as treacherous as you, said a woman’s voice, as if from nowhere. “Come now, Abizou, you’ve been with us for ages. Stop being bitter.” The skeleton’s head turned slowly to gaze sightlessly upon a round, blue-faceted gem resting on a red velvet pillow. Two pinpoints of light glowed red in the hollows of the skeleton’s eyes. “No matter. What do you suppose the elves want? I could not discern it with my magic.” Elves have powerful mages who put shields in place to protect against any such divinations. Also, they are not known to parley with lesser beings, said the woman’s voice, apparently originating from the gem. The skeleton’s gaze turned back to the large double doors that stood at the entrance of the hall. Distant horns could be heard, marking the approach of the elves. The skeleton stood, pulling itself up with a staff cast of copper and silver, a red gem set into its top. No sooner had it taken a step down the dais than a yellow halo enveloped it. Like a strange liquid, muscle flowed around its bones, then flesh filled out its draping robes. Now, in front of the throne stood a strong, handsome, olive-skinned man. He looked over at the blue stone sitting next to the throne and smiled. “I’m pleased the elves realize that we are not lesser beings,” Havelle said, looking admiringly at his new skin. If the stone could have scoffed, it would have. Instead, it remained silent. Havelle stepped to the right of the throne. Flattening his robes with his hands, he said, “I think, perhaps, I sleep too much.” Your lineage manages the empire just fine without you, said Abizou. After hundreds of years, Havelle sighed for the first time. Enjoying the sensation, he sighed again. Troubles? asked the gem. “Troubles? No, I’m just enjoying the sensations of having a body.” He smiled wickedly at the gem.

Review by Entertainingly Nerdy
I don't read fantasy that often but it seems the few I've been reading lately have been really good. The unfettered child was really good! It is about a young girl finding out that she has powers that she can't quite handle. Every time I read a fantasy book like this it always makes me miss playing world of warcraft since the have similar characters. The book is very well written and grabbed my attention the entire way through. I will be rereading this one!

Review by Energy Rae
Samara was born under auspicious circumstances, and 8 years later, her tribe finds itself under attack. They have something the elves want, only they're not aware of that. The elves take the women harvesting for two reasons, a bargaining chip and to work as slaves. The tribe is no match for the elves. Samara, frustrated and scared, unleashes something, a power beyond imagination, and a power beyond her control.

Upon realizing that he's lost a good portion of his tribe, and clueless to his daughter Samara's power, Orin sets out to find his wife and take down the elves who destroyed their grounds. What ensues is a quest to fight, to understand, and to reconnect family members.

While a fantasy novel involving magic, this book centers a lot around the characters, their desire to reconnect with their lost family members, and in Orin's case, his quest to find his wife and take down the elves. He's a very angry character, who is hot-headed and quick to act. He's incredibly skilled when it comes to fighting and he's ruled by his anger and his family. I thought what we learned of the elves had a lot of potential, especially with the way things finished out. I also especially liked the Khaliji, traveling performers that Samara traveled with, namely Varisha and Omar (and wouldn't mind seeing them in another book).

This was a fun story with many elements of various magic. It was a unique fantasy that had a young girl at its center, and Sahd made it work. Samara was incredibly powerful, and once grown out of the whims of a child, could be the force to be reckoned with. The only thing I questioned was when he wrote that Sigmia had one more task, but we never found out what that was. I initially agreed to read The Unfettered Child because my niece shares our main character's name, and I'm so glad I agreed because this turned into such a pleasant surprise.

Review by Oh, The Sheenanigans!
Let’s start off by saying how astonished I was by how quick I was immersed with this novel and how easily I was absorbed in the fantasy world that the author was able to create. From page one it was very apparent how engaging the storyline was and needless to say I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to catch a glimpse of Samara journey to find her parents while dealing with an unwanted gift and Orin deadly rescue mission to save his beloved from the treacherous elves. Moreso I loved how the plot didn’t just focus on one character and each had their own story to tell which was emphasized by the author unique, detailed writing and ideal writing style. I will definitely be back for more and I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next.