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Jul 15, Lisa rated it really liked it. I enjoyed this book far more than expected. I plan on reading the next two to complete the trilogy. The author has done a good job creating a post-apocalyptic world which remembers technology but magic has also appeared. The male characters are quite strongly portrayed and of the two female characters of note: One is rather one dimensional, the other, the "nun" is far more compelling and seems to fit better.
I could be that the other female character will be developed more in the next books.
I en I enjoyed this book far more than expected. I enjoyed the conflict between being a soldier and being a spiritual man which is a conflict I believe many can relate to. How does one decide when it is murder and when it is a righteous defense of the innocent? Can you be preemptive to protect the innocent or would that be murder? Sep 15, Cheryl rated it really liked it.
I will definitely be reading more Shader books. Apr 15, Timothy Cummings rated it really liked it. This book was just plain fabulous, well crafted characters presented in a well crafted story, that blends genres flawlessly. A tale written for adults who appreciate good writting. May 27, Gerald Black rated it it was amazing. A most entertaining read.
The characters have depth and purpose. Plot is well thought out and handled with a deft hand. Jan 14, Robert Defrank rated it it was amazing. A world to rival China Mieville's. We are given no glossary and introduced to a plethora of tongue-twisting names of the various gods, demigods, and figures of myth, and the reader is forced to piece together much of the history in context while the action is going on.
Be prepared to u A world to rival China Mieville's. Be prepared to use the search function frequently to check back for prior mentions of a name and its associations. Fortunately, Prior succeeds in pacing the storyline so that dropped hints are quickly paid off, and scenes of exposition are delivered during quieter moments and in interesting settings.
But the reader must still keep his or her eye keen and pay close attention to the little details dropped or referenced by one character or another. The first book will definitely merit a re-reading. The story in short: The laws of physics now allow for strange and magical forces at work, and new religious and political entities have arisen. We are introduced immediately to our hero: Deacon Shader, a man of unsurpassed martial prowess who is in the process of testing his ability against other warriors to prove worthy of the eponymous Sword of the Archon.
He will then consider retiring to a life of quiet contemplation. Cadman has come upon a plan for true immortality, free of the dependency on flesh and blood of the living, and of the fear on one day being put down. One relic from this battle was the statue of a goddess, since broken into five parts and given to five different guardians. Should the pieces ever be reassembled, the wielder of the statue would have the power to end and remake the world. Cadman proceeds to seek and kill these guardians for possession of their pieces, and with each piece he gains, Cadman makes use of its power, but tainted and twisted by misuse, unleashes plague and ruin.
It falls to Deacon Shader as wielder of the Sword of the Archon to stop this threat. Mechanical monstrosities and undead hordes threaten to plunge the world into war, no matter what. And all of these sinister forces are merely pawns of the Demiorgos, a dark god who longs for the obliteration of existence. This serves to invest the reader in the story, and as a way to introduce these strange histories and mysteries.
One clever detail came about through the immortal characters: I eagerly await following further adventures. Nov 15, Stephanie Cook rated it it was ok Shelves: It was readable, but not one I'd read again. One of the huge issues I had was with the female characters. They were useless really. They were incredibly objectified. They were portrayed as possessions which is annoying. They other thing was that when there was a problem, such as when Rhiannon was raped and had to face her attacker again, all she ever did was freeze up. I It was readable, but not one I'd read again.
I can tell you as a woman who has been raped that that is not how most women react. They want to hurt the person who hurt them. Then when you get to the main character Shader, he acts like a bi-polar jerk. He's supposed to be incredibly disciplined soldier, but he overreacts to infuriating stimuli. My husband is a member of the Association of Renaissance Martial Arts, and mentioned that if he had challenged a man to a duel, he would spend the time before the duel in preparation, not uncontrollably beating the man every chance he got.
Overall, this was a decent book, and I would read other works from Prior as he clearly has talent and imagination, he just needs some practice and work and I think he could be a really great writer. The story is set several hundred years after an apocalyptic event, much of our modern technology has been lost, creating a pseudo-medieval society controlled by a new church based in Aeternam, which we know as Rome.
Aeternam controls most of the world, with the exception of Sahul, known today as Austrailia. Deacon Shader is an experienced soldier and knight of Aeternam from Britain, who felt extreme disturbance by the horrors of wars he fought for the Holy Templum. As such he fled to Sahul, far from the control of the Ipissimus, the head of the Templum, to a small abbey to devote his life to prayer and Nous, their name for God. But he was unable to let go of the life of a warrior and so returned to Aeternam and won the Sword of the Archon in a tournament, in an attempt to get it out of his system.
But unbeknownst to him, these actions were simply preparing him for a journey against an enemy he could never imagine. For across immensity is an ancient enemy, Sektis Gandaw, a genius so intelligent that he has lost his mind and desires to recreate the universe in his own image. All he lacks is the power to do so, which he believes he can get from an artifact known as the Statue of Eingana.
This statue has been held in the safekeeping of Elias Wolfe, an ancient hippie who has lived for centuries due to the magic of the statue. These men and many others will be drawn into conflict in the city of Sarum, known today as Perth, that could result in the unweaving of existence. Believe me when I tell you that this doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the myriad of characters and extremely intricate storyline of Shader. Cadman's Gambit is a well written what i would term 'Hard Fantasy' book, which takes the reader through the gamut of literary experience.
It is a multi-path, multi-POV tale, starting what I think is a trilogy of books surrounding the main protagonist, Deacon Shader. I find it hard to describe the plot, as it is somewhat convoluted, bu Shader: I find it hard to describe the plot, as it is somewhat convoluted, but ultimately Shader becomes an unwilling participant in a much larger struggle of godly and other-worldly protortions which he is not aware of, even though the very core of his struggle resolves around his own demons and the consequences of his past actions.
It seems like the reader should already know the history etc, as if it were Book 2 of a series. Added to this is a writing style that, while rich and powerful, seems to throw in big words just for the sake of big words. I do this myself as a writer, and am always asking myself if I have crossed the line between too much 'flashiness' over solid, flowing text.
I guess that is where the kindle helps out! Long gone are the days of having dictionary at hand to look up unknown words. Two taps and presto! I learned quite a few new words from the author, so I guess that can't be all bad! Luckily, when the action really kicks into gear, the narrative shifts from adjective-heavy narration to good, solid prose.
The characters all mostly well fleshed out, giving them their own uniqueness and imagery in the reader's mind. The exception to me was unfortunately that of the main character, Shader. I did not empathize with him or feel like I knew him very well. Sometimes he seems like a young man, while at other times he seemed old, and the only real imagery I got of his appearance was that he wore a hat and he fought with two weapons.
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Perhaps the descriptions of him were given in parts where I surged with other descriptions and concepts, but i feel his appearance as well as character and motives could have been fleshed out a bit more. I like how certain characters had their unique personalities and quirks, everything from OCD to cowardice to senility. The concept of the story is entertaining, and the background inference to different cultures was well done and gave scope to the story.
I think I will persist with the series, and look forward to seeing how the story evolves. Oct 29, Ben rated it did not like it. I bought thi as a Kindle book. Shader, the Sword of the Archon begins well with the introduction of the title character who fights in a contest for the Sword noted in the title.
Then for the next hundred or more pages, that is it for action as the plot unfolds Furthermore, things get weird. With a nod to OZ, the great Southern Hemisphere nation, a story unfolds of some sort of death cult- or something- that gives birth of the undead yes, I know a contradiction in terms am I bought thi as a Kindle book. With a nod to OZ, the great Southern Hemisphere nation, a story unfolds of some sort of death cult- or something- that gives birth of the undead yes, I know a contradiction in terms among what appear to be Aborginal tribes.
So you have a time of a broken society years hence , forbidden to use technology beyond what existed in about A. Some people skulk around in near invisibility; others seem to exist only to drink themselves blotto and vomit. Lots of vomit- it must be the national pastime in whatever oddly- named country it is.
That is where the book lost me; I had no desire to continue to the distant finish of this book, let alone two more volumes. I admit that I prefer heroic fantasy, lots of swords and clashing battle, with a bit of magic, rather than ghouls, shape shifters and creeps ,and I prefer novels that have some noble purpose moving the plot forward, even if it is only revenge.
From the sample I received and read via Kindle, I thought that was what Shader was, so I am quite disappointed. Even so, the book might have held my interest had it not been so plodding.
But, many four and five star reviews show that my dislike is a minority viewpoint. Try it , you might like it, but I most certainly did not. Disjointed, difficult to follow and boring. Set in a post apocalyptic time, but no real history is given. I never grew to like any of the characters, some just d Disjointed, difficult to follow and boring.
I never grew to like any of the characters, some just drop out of the story for no reason and you're not sure what happened to them. I didn't like having a hint of what caused the Reckoning and then just having to take the author's word on why the world is messed up. I'm sure there is more explanation in the later books, but I have no interest in reading those because of the poor quality of the writing in this one to figure it all out. There's a very rich and original background to this story, blending and Australian Aboriginal mythology into a post-apocalyptic world that has developed it's own theological structures and built an empire on them.
The conflicts between the two - and the powers left over from the past - focus round several key artifacts: Some very well-drawn characters are drawn into an increasingly bloody conflict with the stakes being rai There's a very rich and original background to this story, blending and Australian Aboriginal mythology into a post-apocalyptic world that has developed it's own theological structures and built an empire on them. Some very well-drawn characters are drawn into an increasingly bloody conflict with the stakes being raised from personal survival to the fate of the world.
Fast paced and well put together throughout, my main criticism is that it gets too complex at times. The jumble of characters places and mythologies goes from complex to confusing at times. But it still managed to remain engrossing, and I would certainly read the next book in the series. Oct 11, David rated it it was ok Shelves: The first in D.
Prior's 'Shader' series, this is a self-published fantasy that is set upon a future Earth following a post-apocalyptic event in which magic has returned. While I'm not usually averse to a bit of fantasy every now and then, I have to say: I found this one to be hard going. Despite a promising start, I found it to become somewhat overblown and drawn out and just not that engaging: I never really connected with any of the characters or the situations they faced.
There were times, e The first in D. Cadman is arguably one of the best villains out there. The world setting is very good, very well implemented, the characters are well made, but Cadman is in a whole other level by himself, so the other characters are a bit shadowed by him. The writing is exceptional, with a very rich vocabulary rarely seen in fantasy books.
This Dark Fantasy deserves a solid 5 stars from me. I do recommend this one. Probably for adults though. Nov 16, Brett rated it did not like it. Had to give up on this as it jumped all over the place and was difficult to track. Aug 28, Snufkin rated it it was ok. Perhaps I've been over-indulging on fantasy books recently, but this didn't do it for me. The world felt a little too close to home with religions and war, Britannia, and the grim realities gave too dark a reading for me Didn't finish thus one. Feb 16, Naomi rated it it was ok. Really had to persevere with this one to finishit.
It had highs and lows unfortunately despite the written language being a delight to read in context. I won't be finding myself reading the sequel. Oct 22, Anthony rated it liked it. I found the story a little rough around the edges but overall enjoyable. Dec 13, Bill rated it really liked it. Thought the storyline a burst dis jointed. But perhaps will unfold more in the next 2 volumes. Cadman's Gambit 35 27 May 23, It should be harder to come by just like leveling and skill levels. How can he really be testing a new game world of everything is just handed to him.
This book needs a rewrite before I can recommend it. Jun 09, Rob rated it really liked it.
Solid start, not without flaws. The story before the MC enters the game or possibly a game-like alternate universe? The mechanics of the world seem simple enough, but I did get a little confused with the class system. Perhaps I just need a re-read. My biggest complaint is actually how quickly things develop. I feel like it could have been spread out a bit more. Also MC falls into convenient massive exp rewards multiple times and gains several Solid start, not without flaws.
Also MC falls into convenient massive exp rewards multiple times and gains several levels each time. All that aside MC becomes much more interesting once he embraces the game world and most of the other characters are interesting and amusing as well. Which actually makes the loss of so many at the end a real shame. Jun 26, Joseph rated it really liked it. Kobolds rule Plot and characters are very good, though it's a little unclear how he gets into this game and if it's a game at all or some alternate world thar runs on game rules.
It's also really refreshing to see kobolds, the most reviled race in any RPG world depicted as the good guys. Very original and I look forward to seeing that explored more. On the downside, the writing is not the best. At times it can be a bit clunky. However, it's the editing that really let's the writing down. This book Kobolds rule Plot and characters are very good, though it's a little unclear how he gets into this game and if it's a game at all or some alternate world thar runs on game rules.
This book really should have gone through another round of edits. Aug 13, Zylosan rated it liked it. Almost every sheets has errors relative to the text. Often on the same page. Jul 14, Jennifer Alyxendra rated it liked it. Readable but Could Be Better I browse through Litrpg titles on a monthly basis and this one popped up on recommendations so I tried it. It has a good premise and decent writing. The pacing could use some work as well as another proofreading pass or two. What was really noticeable for me was a dire need for copyeditting on the system numbers side.
All in all, I would put it at 2. Aug 22, Lyndon rated it really liked it. Not bad, Not bad at all Blew through it in a little over 3 hours. Liked the premise and MC, and kobolds Could use some editing but aside from a missing word here or there it wasn't unreadable by any means. Definitely looking forward to the next book.
Jun 03, Mike Goodman rated it it was amazing. He is a druid ranger rogue build. His starting area is a kolbold island. The story was very entertaining action packed thrill ride. Can't wait for the next book. Jul 22, Randy Thompson rated it it was amazing. Its worth the read Seriously don't even bother with this review, you know this book is good so when you see the near 80 five star reviews at the time of this review so give it a shot you won't regret it.
Aug 01, Locuus rated it really liked it. Interesting story Story gets 5 stars, writing is good, but way too many math mistakes, inconsistent stat numbers and oh so many little grammar mistakes. Overall a good read. Will definitely read book 2. May 25, Nicholas Campion rated it really liked it. Good start A great start to what I hope will be an interesting series.
Good characters and introduction of enemies and the drive behind the mc. Set up for great things if it continues in the same vein as it has started. May 29, Dark Ape rated it really liked it. This was a pretty refreshing read from the typical stories of similar nature with a bunch of different twists. The world and the dynamics of the class choices are interesting and I am looking forward to more in the development of the story and world.
Jul 04, Anthony Bock rated it it was amazing. At the same time, Taemon is looking for his father in the dungeons. The archons help him and they escape, but the Republik army pursues them across the mountains an This second book in the Psi Chronicles trilogy begins with Taemon and Amma going to the Republik to look for his da.
Hiding behind an illusory mask loathing the idea of what he has become, but unable to let go of his existence. It was the same for me with Archon by Sabrina Benulis. They have their ups and downs. When Skree game name becomes the first player to hit level in his favourite game, he is offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: Cadman is a predator who is afraid of being revealed for what he truly is. If you think you have the guts to take on this novel pick it up.
The archons help him and they escape, but the Republik army pursues them across the mountains and Gevri feels betrayed. I loved the chapter headings in this book. This is quite a spiritual trilogy, with lots of Buddhist practices. My favorites were these: Let them wash over you like cleansing waters. Do not absorb them. But remember that old friends are made from new friends. They're certainly worth my life--and likely all of ours. Just because you smell better than a skunk doesn't mean you smell good. The scarf took away a little of his fear, but that didn't mean his wasn't afraid.
Sep 27, Jenn rated it really liked it.
I received this as part of the Goodreads Giveaways. So the copy I read was an ARC, which means some parts may be different from the retail copy. I will try to be as spoiler free as possible. I also apologize if my writing is not great. As this is a YA novel I did not expect it to be at an adult level, and this book works very well for that level. This book was a really great read, in fact I finished too quickly. It had me on the edge just waiting to see what would happen next, and upset when it was I received this as part of the Goodreads Giveaways.
It had me on the edge just waiting to see what would happen next, and upset when it was over because I wanted more. I absolutely love these characters, Taemon and Amma play well off each other. You feel for them, and genuinely want them to succeed. Each bump in the road no matter how insignificant, worries you.
The fact that these characters have not yet developed romantic atttractions or has not been mentioned , is another plus for this novel. I have no issues with that type of scenario, but it needs to follow a logical path. If the characters eventually became romantically involved, it would feel natural. The plot does have a few issues here and there.
Part of how it ends is a bit predictable, and seemed out of character for the person. Even though it is a new character, it just didn't seem right. Which is why it didn't receive higher marks from me. Over all if you have read the first book and enjoyed it, you will likely feel the same about this one. Sep 12, Angie rated it liked it Shelves: Archon is the continuation of the Psi Chronicles that started in Freakling. Taemon has successfully gotten rid of psi in Deliverance and the community has fallen into chaos as people try to figure out how to live without psi and do things manually.
Taemon learns that when he asked the Heart of the Earth to get rid of psi it left everyone except him. So not only did he destroy everything he kept power for himself. Taemon also discovers that his father has been taken over the mountain into the Rep Archon is the continuation of the Psi Chronicles that started in Freakling. Taemon also discovers that his father has been taken over the mountain into the Republik.
Taemon and Amma venture over the mountain and discover the Republik is building up an army of psi warriors to invade Deliverance. Taemon's action hasten the invasion and he has to bring all the communities of Deliverance together to fight back the Republik. For some reason this book took me forever to read. I got about half way through it and then put it away for several months.
It wasn't bad, but I wasn't nearly as excited about it as I was the first book. I still like this world where people have mental abilities and thought it was interesting to see them figuring out how to live without them. I didn't think it was ever fully explained how psi existed in the Republik when it was only supposed to be a part of Deliverance, but that is a minor issue which may be resolved in the next book.
Jan 10, Owen Lee rated it it was ok. First of all, I don't recommend anyone reading this book. In fact, I do not know why I finished this book at the first place. Whoever enjoyed the first book of this trilogy, this book is not the same. The story is boring and very long for no reason, some characters are unnecessary, and most importantly, it wasn't fun. No events in this book got me excited or want me to flip to the next page. Also, there wasn't any story structure, and if it did, it was hard for me to catch it because it wasn't d First of all, I don't recommend anyone reading this book.
Also, there wasn't any story structure, and if it did, it was hard for me to catch it because it wasn't described well. It was unexplainable why the characters are doing such a thing or what were their motivation. The only good part was that they explored into the new region of the world. So in conclusion, I gave this book 2 star because it wasn't worth reading. Jun 03, Brandi Young rated it it was amazing Shelves: Rarely are second books of a series this great!
Amma and Taemon are constantly traveling to help their communities now that Taemon has asked the Heart of the Earth to remove all Psi power from the people. The people in the city Deliverance have never used their hands before so the people of the farm community are trying to help them adjust. This is when Taemon hears that his dad is on the other side of the mountain which is the military community, the Republik. He and Amma cross over to the Repub Rarely are second books of a series this great!
He and Amma cross over to the Republik only to meet the son of the general who did experiments on his own son and is doing experiments on his people. Taemon pretends to be sent by the Elder to train new students in Psi, but everything back fires on him. Will he ever find his da and make things right? Nov 23, Dana rated it really liked it. True to her style of Freakling, the author kept me invested in the characters and caught up in the story. I found myself "cheering" for characters at times, and feeling terrified for them at others.
Although this is supposed to be a "tween" or teen book, I found it fun and enjoying. I have to say I didn't like the ending of the book, however. It wasn't that the writer did a poor job with the ending; it just appears that the next book will be going in a direction that doesn't make Very good book. It wasn't that the writer did a poor job with the ending; it just appears that the next book will be going in a direction that doesn't make me as excited to read the next one.
Nov 13, Amy rated it liked it. I really liked the first book in this series and gave it 3. However, I have to say I was disappointed. I felt kind of rushed through the story, and it seemed to me that the author was doing all the "telling," rather than letting the characters do that through dialogue.
I'm giving this 3 stars because I just can't bear to give it less when the first volume was so promising. But my disappointment made this feel like something in the 2. Nov 18, Marilyn Olson rated it liked it Shelves: In a sequel to "Freakling" Taemon's guilt for causing Psi or telekinetice abilities to disappear is especially bad when he discovers he still has his abilities.
When he disovers his frail mother in a care facility, Taemon learns his father was kidnapped by the Republik.