Published: Sep. 15, 2010
Words: 131,240 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781452367903

Short description

Griffins, Dragons, and BNPs (Bugs of Nightmarish Proportions). Who knew? It seemed harmless enough. See a mysterious door and step through to see what happens, right? Now stranded in a magical kingdom, husband and wife search for a way home. However, enlisting the aid of the king and queen has given them their biggest shock yet: Royal Babysitters. Some days it didn't pay to get out of bed.

Extended description

Dragons, griffins, and BNPs (Bugs of Nightmarish Proportions). Never in their wildest dreams could they have imagined what was in store for them.

After learning he had inherited an enormous mansion and a huge tract of land from a reclusive set of relatives, Steve Miller, along with his wife Sarah, decide to take a few days off to investigate their new-found fortune in the quiet resort town of northern Idaho, Coeur d’Alene.

While taking inventory of the vast manor, they discover a unique set of doors on the top floor. Mistaking them to be an ornate decoration, the doors are accidentally activated, presenting the two new homeowners with a tantalizing decision: step through or ignore? No harm could possibly befall them by simply walking through an open door, right? Curiosity getting the better of them, they step through and both are sent on a one-way journey to a land of unimagined wonder! (Read more) Dragons, griffins, and BNPs (Bugs of Nightmarish Proportions). Never in their wildest dreams could they have imagined what was in store for them.

After learning he had inherited an enormous mansion and a huge tract of land from a reclusive set of relatives, Steve Miller, along with his wife Sarah, decide to take a few days off to investigate their new-found fortune in the quiet resort town of northern Idaho, Coeur d’Alene.

While taking inventory of the vast manor, they discover a unique set of doors on the top floor. Mistaking them to be an ornate decoration, the doors are accidentally activated, presenting the two new homeowners with a tantalizing decision: step through or ignore? No harm could possibly befall them by simply walking through an open door, right? Curiosity getting the better of them, they step through and both are sent on a one-way journey to a land of unimagined wonder!

Realizing they were now stranded on a world populated with creatures that should exist only in one’s imagination, they enlist the aid of the local king and queen. Their troubles continue to escalate, however, as it is revealed their arrival had been long foretold by an ancient local prophecy, bestowing upon them the status of Royal Bodyguards to the young crown prince.

Stuck on a foreign world where mythical creatures abound, trying to avoid being attacked by griffins, and hoping to impress a living, breathing dragon, the newly appointed babysitters must find a way to return home soon before harm could befall the young prince.

Some days it didn't pay to get out of bed.
(Less)

Tags

magic, wizards, dragons, prophecy, dwarf, swords, stranded, kings, castles, quest, queens, dwarves, portals, chivalry, mythical, griffins, lentari, jhorun, fire thrower, teleporter, bakkian, bakkian chronicles, kingdoms

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Reviews

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Review by: Georgi Abbott on Oct. 16, 2012 : (no rating)
I don't usually read books like this but I'm glad I did because i thoroughly enjoyed it.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: crpgnut on Aug. 08, 2012 :
Wonderful story! This is a story of a married couple, living a typical life in Idaho. They inherit a mansion from the husband's estranged grandparents, which contains a portal to a world of fantasy. There is absolutely nothing new in this book. If you've read over 50 fantasies in your life, then you have read this book.

However, it is well told and from a slightly less than normal perspective, so I didn't mind in the least that the format was predictable. Steve and Sarah love each other deeply, and that's kinda nice to read for a change. Their marriage is at the root of many of their successes in the book and leaves this married reader feeling good.

Kudos, Jeffrey, I look forward to purchasing the next book in the series.
(review of free book)

Review by: Mia Darien on March 03, 2012 :
Okay, a strange thing happened to me while I was reading this book. I thought it was supposed to be... heavier. Darker. And it wasn't, and it threw me. In retrospect and in rereading the description, I have no conceivable idea why I thought it would be. My only excuse is that I just finished reading an anthology of dark, gritty fantasy and was still stuck in the wrong world.

Anyway, about halfway through, I was unable to tell if I liked this story or not but then it started reminding me of a Xanth novel. I smacked myself upside the head and realized this was a... lighter fantasy than I had expected it to be. (I've been a Xanth lover since I was eleven, so this is a good comparison.)

Once I got that through my head, this book got a lot more fun. The fact that Steve and Sarah read more like teenagers to me than their purported ages wasn't a problem any more. The casualness of the writing became quirky, like characters that actually say "omigod!" in dialog, or "cool!" being in the exposition. I'm usually a dictator about Point of View and not a fan of Omiscent unless it's Austen or Dickens, but it kind of worked for me here.

My only two... complaints about this book were that I would have liked a slightly heavier (more realistic) treatment of serious matters, like when Steve fends off some bad guys and drives them to their deaths. That didn't seem to affect him at all. Even though they were bad guys, and he didn't technically kill them, the way it rolled off him to no effect did bother me. Similar "deeper events" were treated as lightly and I did struggle with that.

Secondly, my inner consistency meter didn't understand sending Steve and Sarah off for the key instead of staying with Mikal. Being who they were, it didn't make a lot of sense to me. I would have liked to have had more of a reason for them to make the journey themselves before they left, rather than seeing it later on when they got there. (If there was a reason and I missed it, then my bad but I don't recall one.) There were other little similar things, but in the breezy spirit of the story, I got over it easy.

Otherwise... the fire stuff was cool, I liked Rhenyon (I think I spelled that right), and the key 'surprise' at the end was funny. It was a fun, breezy kind of fantastical read. I give it a 4 and will, once I catch up with the rest of my reading list, get to Bakkian II and future Bakkian tales!
(review of free book)

Review by: Sky Corbelli on Jan. 15, 2012 :
I really only had one problem with this book. I hate the third person omniscient voice. It hampers individual character development, stunts meaningful dialogue, and generally feels like a crutch. The worst part is, it's a crutch that this book didn't need! It would be like giving a sprinter a crutch just before a race. Clumsy, occasionally painful, and a little sad as you wonder what the race would have been like without it.

That said, this book was a good read. This is not a gritty, "real" fantasy world. You won't feel dirty after reading it, you can be pretty confident that the good guys are going to win the day, and you can count on cheesy one-liners when the going gets rough. In short, it's everything that a nice escapist fantasy should be. The ideas are clever, the world is interesting, and you can tell that the author has a genuinely good heart. Especially since my mind jumped to incredibly evil applications of some of these powers... I'll just leave it at that.

Definitely a series to watch if you like your fantasy lighthearted, your action explosive, and your reading fun.
(review of free book)

Review by: readinginterest on Dec. 24, 2011 :
This book uses so much foul language it overshadows everything else.

It had potential, but the author seemed to think they needed to insert foul words into almost every bit of dialog. Perhaps the author thought they were making the story more realistic, or more gritty, but no one truly speaks like that. It's just distracting.

One would think that if someone is creative enough to write a story, they'd be more creative in their dialog as well.
(review of free book)

Review by: B Throwsnaill on Aug. 21, 2011 :
A light-hearted fantasy read w/ good action & dialogue: 4.5 stars

Bakkian Chronicles (Vol I) is the charming tale of a couple named Steve and Sarah who discover a gateway from our world to the world of Lentari. Lentari is a magical world where most people have a magical talent. This system of magic and the light-hearted tone of the story both remind me of the early installments of Piers Anthony's Xanth (minus the puns).
The characters of Steve and Sarah, who are thoroughly rooted in our modern world and its pop culture, are thrust into this new environment, and react with bravery and good humor to almost everything that they encounter (good and bad). They come off as people that you might know in your everyday life, except for the fact that they have no real flaws. But though they seem somewhat idealized, they are very likable, and their personas fit well into the overall fun tone of the story.
The beginning of the book is very enjoyable. Following Steve and Sarah as they adapt and react to their new surroundings makes for some entertaining reading. The banter between the characters is well done and often funny.
The story slows down a notch at the end of the first act, when a lot of (likely necessary) world building is communicated to the reader. The pace rapidly picks up again, however, and though the final act doesn't answer many questions about the over-arching backstory, it is an incredibly satisfying adventure unto itself that requires little justification beyond its intrinsic coolness--and it also nicely advances the development of Steve and Sarah's magical powers.
The novel comes to a satisfying conclusion despite the fact that the status of main conflict that drives the backstory is still somewhat unclear. Circumstances at the end of the novel also open up some intruiging new directions that subsequent novels in this series could move in. It will be very interesting to see how this story unfolds.
In summary, if you are looking for an entertaining, light-hearted fantasy read with good action and well written dialogue, then look no further than Bakkian Chronicles (Vol I). I enjoyed it a lot!
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Robert Day on April 19, 2011 :
The Prophecy - Book 1 of the Bakkian Chronicles, tells the story of Steve and Sarah, husband and wife from Idaho, whose lives are turned upside down when they are transported through a magical gate to the world of Lentari. On this magical world, they find themselves empowered with the ability to use jhorun (magic), and after finding themselves before the King and Queen, discover they are prophecised protectors of Prince Mikal, sole heir to the throne. Not too much is spoken about the 'threat' to the Prince, which I would have liked to have been fleshed out a bit, but it does give indication of future conflict.

The outworlders soon have the idea of returning with the Prince to Idaho, out of harms way, but in order to do so they need to have a magical key created by a dwarven Smith. Thus begins their journey through dragon / griffin / bug infested lands to find the dwarven home. I won't give too much away, but the story is excellent as it follows the evolution of the couple's self-taught magical tutelage on their way to secure their magical Key. The author weaves together realism, humour and a healthy dose of adventure in what is a very entertaining read. The book can definitely be classified as a YA read, though anybody between the ages of 12 - 120 would find it enjoyable.

The only criticisms / observations / cons I found with this book are very minor. Another edit could tighten up the flow of the novel. Over-use of the word 'that' is evident throughout (although perhaps it was because I had just finished a very long editing of my own two novels, thus in my own editing mode). A couple of re-mixed paragraphs focusing on the mis-use or repetition of some words would iron out the kinks.
Another thing (more of a personal issue this one) was the cloying use of the word 'babe' between the couple. It seemed every second sentence contained the endearment (or something similar). Although the banter / relationship between the husband and wife was for the most part enjoyable, this just seemed to detract from the overall 'soul' of the book (for me). If I could give half-stars, I would have given this one 4.5, but I feel that with the tightening I mentioned above, it would raise this to a 5-star gem!

~Robert Day
www.robertdaybooks.com
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Suzanne on April 19, 2011 :
I don't know how some characters would have found out about their jhorun ...but otherwise I enjoyed this book. I can't wait for the next in the series.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Bookblogger on March 17, 2011 :
The Bakkian Chronicles follow Steve and his wife Sarah as they find out that Steve's grandparents died and they inherit everything. They take a trip to their new house and find some strange things. There is a journal filled withed references to people and places they have never heard of, a safe filled strange items and an even stranger key. That key opens a portal to Lentari that they enter without understanding what they are really doing.

Their journey begins as a simple quest to find out how to get home. They learn that everyone in Lentari has a magical power called jhorun. They are then kidnapped to be sold as slaves and must discover their own hidden powers to escape. Next stop is the palace where they meet the kind and queen and find out that they are prophesied protectors of the prince. That is the point where their adventure truly begins...

This is an extremely well written story with great dialogue that had me engaged with the character and even laughing a few times. The pace of the story moves very well with lots of action, but does not sacrifice character development. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good fantasy read at a totally reasonable price. I am looking forward to the second in the series a great deal.
(reviewed long after purchase)

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