Published: April 24, 2012
Words: 77,534 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781476204130

Short description

In another world, the beautiful city Abbelôn has fallen and a brutal enemy threatens more war and destruction. Rulers of great cities are useless and smaller towns are weak. Then an extraordinary young woman crosses paths with a man unlike any she has met before. Elsewhere, a boy and a girl move separately toward their own destiny. Do these four hold the key to restoring peace to the world?

Extended description

Long ago in a time known as the Anziên age, people lived in a complex and vibrant society which reached levels of technology and genetic engineering unimaginable to anyone now alive. Then 3,500 years ago, the Anziên era ended abruptly and traumatically.

The only bright spot came in a land called Pàçia. Physically separated from the rest of the world by high mountains, the gentle nature of the Pàçian people also set them apart from all others. They built the beautiful city Abbelôn and chose the wisest and most benevolent among them to lead the way on the path of tranquility and harmony. These leaders had no power or authority. They did not rule; they fulfilled duties. They made the world a better place but their strength gradually weakened with time, and three and a half millennia is a very long time.

Outside Pàçia, the population grew and cities arose. The Great Cities were ruled by powerful despots who increasingly ignored lessons of peace and goodwill. Worse, new enemie.. (Read more) Long ago in a time known as the Anziên age, people lived in a complex and vibrant society which reached levels of technology and genetic engineering unimaginable to anyone now alive. Then 3,500 years ago, the Anziên era ended abruptly and traumatically.

The only bright spot came in a land called Pàçia. Physically separated from the rest of the world by high mountains, the gentle nature of the Pàçian people also set them apart from all others. They built the beautiful city Abbelôn and chose the wisest and most benevolent among them to lead the way on the path of tranquility and harmony. These leaders had no power or authority. They did not rule; they fulfilled duties. They made the world a better place but their strength gradually weakened with time, and three and a half millennia is a very long time.

Outside Pàçia, the population grew and cities arose. The Great Cities were ruled by powerful despots who increasingly ignored lessons of peace and goodwill. Worse, new enemies invaded part of the land. But were they really ‘new’ or were they terrors returned from a forgotten past?

In this environment, the story begins.
*
Twelve years ago, brutal men called the Zafiri invaded Pàçia with a massive army, capturing the beautiful city Abbelôn and crushing the gentle people there. Now the rest of the world is threatened by more war and destruction.

Then an extraordinary young woman named Sistére Graice crosses paths with a man unlike any she has met before. Her ‘effect,’ her ability to control everyone else, has no power over him. Known only as Holder, the man has no memory, not even of his own identity. Graice’s mentor Sybille hires him as a guide for a journey she and Graice must make, partly so they can keep him close until they discover his secret. As they travel, Graice tries to help Holder recover his memory. While he is in a drugged sleep, she ‘sees’ into his mind and discovers small fragments of past events, all involving a beautiful golden-haired woman. When he wakes, Holder still does not remember these scenes but Graice has learned much about him.

In the backwaters of the land meanwhile, a boy age thirteen travels with his aunt, his only living relative, hiding from enemy spies by moving constantly and using false names and disguises. He knows nothing about his parents or his family name and its history. Later, the aunt gives him an amulet and implies he will wear it someday. It’s an Emblem of High Duty, she says.

A girl named Caelia, also thirteen, hides from the same enemy in a cavern where her father searches for secrets of the Anziên civilization. Named after a legendary heroine from antiquity, Caelia is unusually bright and mature for her age and her shining red-gold hair sets her apart. Everyone in the community loves Caelia but even the girl herself does not know why. When she wants to leave the cave on an adventure, everybody objects but no one can say no to her. She gets her way and departs with a trading expedition.

Along their separate paths, Graice and Holder are attacked by a monstrous creature; outlaws kidnap Caelia; and enemy soldiers close in on the boy. Not only do all survive but the encounters also reveal hidden secrets. The story continues in Part II.
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Tags

peace, fantasy, epic fantasy, visions, other worlds, ancient secrets, clairvoyance, alternate magic, alternate fantasy, heroines and heroes, characters with secrets

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Reviews

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Review by: Lorraine Beaumont on March 08, 2013 :
I will be honest, this is not what I normally read. However this was written well, it kept my interest and took me on a journey into an unexpected realm. This book is more of an introduction into a complex story-line. I enjoyed it so much I will definitely be reading the second book in the series. If you like a book that makes you use your brain a little this is definitely your kind of read!
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by: Noree Cosper on Jan. 31, 2013 :
I would have to say that this book just wasn't for me. It has gotten some good reviews so this goes to show that everyone has different tastes. (If not this world would be a boring place.) There is a sensible start with the preface, solid description of a world and its peoples. The only detracting point to that is at the end of the preface where the author breaks with the entrance into the world by explaining to the reader that the story is full of disconnection in both location and character, but will all make sense in the end. It is not necessary to inform a reader that things will make sense in the end and sends the wrong message as to what to expect from the story.

The 4 main characters felt flat and 2 dimensional. The progression is jerky and without rhythm that would give the flowery descriptions a hand in fleshing out the world. I also felt the descriptions were over drawn for places that were mentioned in passing. This story is constantly shifting between character, locations and time periods to the point of almost utter confusion, with some level of connection to events most of the story gets left by the wayside. My personal opinion is to remove a lot of the superfluous material and stick with the story of the boy, as it has the most powerful plot
(review of free book)

Review by: ACWinOH on Dec. 18, 2012 :
Wonderful introduction - you can kinda tell that's what it is from the description - to the characters and land. And the characters are so likable and real! Well, except for their powers, which aren't that extraordinary as a rule. I've read the other two books and can truly recommend this series as one guaranteed to entertain to the very end and keep your interest throughout.
(review of free book)

Review by: Vanna Smythe on Dec. 02, 2012 :
A Very Entertaining Read

I'm a big fan of stories told from multiple points of view, so this book is exactly they type of book I love to read. All the voices of the main characters are well diversified and easy to distinguish between. Another thing I really enjoyed was the descriptions and set up of the world. It was very vivid and I could clearly picture the scenes in my mind, which to me is a sign of a great book!

The plot of this novel is complicated and multilayered, and is not yet resolved by the end of this story. But that's to be expected, as this is only the first part of a longer series. I can't wait to start reading book 2 to see how the story continues.

I don't want to reveal the storyline for fear of spoilers, but I loved both the main protagonists, Holden and Grace. They really came alive on the page, and I kind of miss them now that I'm done with the book.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. It is well-written, well-edited and very entertaining. And at its current price you can't go wrong!
(review of free book)

Review by: Amethyst Puri on Nov. 28, 2012 :
This story has a mystical old world feel. This story is fantasy but with a spiritual glow. There is magic to the scenes in this tale, and you can tell that the author is highly intelligent as the book is well written.

My favorite character at this point is Holder; found in the slums of a dirty, medieval city, by Graice; a gifted pure woman, after he tried to protect her from some drunks. His character is the most intriguing, since he cannot remember his past, and because it seems clear in the story that he possess some abilities that are extraordinary.

This book is a wonderful adventure and it is only the beginning since it is part of a trilogy.

Loved it!
(review of free book)

Review by: Jamie Marchant on Nov. 10, 2012 :
This novel reads more as an introduction to a novel rather than a full novel itself. It forms the characters, but we don't yet understand the central conflict. Nothing much happens. However, the characters are so fascinating that it full kept my attention from start to finish. My favorites are Rafe and Belo, a wolf and a bat-like creatures with human level intelligence. This download is free, but once you're done reading it, you'll want to buy the rest of the books in the series to find out what happens to the characters you've began to fall in love with. I know I did.
(review of free book)

Review by: Sherrie Cronin on July 22, 2012 :
This is a complex and intriguing tale of politics, sacred duties and gifted chosen ones in a fictitious land with tantalizing parallels to our own. The strength of the story lies in the many rich characters and in enjoying the development of their only partially revealed destinies.
Because in this first book of three the author is weaving together several story lines that will certainly intertwine eventually, the reader has to be a little patient and be willing to not always move through the plot in a direct fashion. Some story lines are stronger in this first book, and better developed than others. My favorite, and the one that carried the book for me, involves an amnesiac fighter and a prudish sisterhood that will make anyone raised catholic chuckle out loud. Others, like the story of two quasi-human creatures who resemble a wolf and a bat, are sketched more lightly. I am sure more will come later.
A reader should consider this full tale to be a three book endeavor. After enjoying the author's wit and imagination throughout this first book, I am anxious to pick up the next one.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Richard Dodds on May 21, 2012 :
A masterfully told story that draws you in and keeps you reading. So good I've bought the two sequels as well!
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

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