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The Third Scroll (Hardstorm Saga #1)
by
Dana Marton (Goodreads Author)
Sold into slavery, Tera, a budding healer is thrust into the savage realm of barbarian warlords, the same realm which claimed her mother years ago. She must avoid the displeasure of her warrior lord and survive the cruelties of the concubines, even as war threatens on the horizon.
Yet a greater danger looms when she catches the eye of the most powerful lord of the land and...more
Yet a greater danger looms when she catches the eye of the most powerful lord of the land and...more
Paperback, 240 pages
Published
May 1st 2012
by Dana Marton
(first published April 23rd 2012)
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This book is an intriguing mixture of old myths, fantasy, and social conditions. In this world, two distinct (and very different) peoples inhabit the same land -- a warrior race where women have no rights unless they are lucky enough to be caged up like a beautiful bird in a lord's pleasure house, and a peaceful race of healers who refuse to do harm to even their enemies. A gifted young healer is captured as a slave and sold into a world she that is completely different from the peaceful world s...more
Fantasies of other worlds are not my usual cup of tea, but having received this free on Kindle, I decided to try it and found I really liked it. The characters and the world they live in were nicely drawn and richly complex. Tera is thrust from her gentle world of the Shahala people into that of the Kadar, a cruel and violent world of war. It is not a good place in which to be a woman. They are not respected but made either servants or concubines.. .until she meets Batumar, the battle-scarred Hi...more
I picked this book up when I found it listed as free on Amazon. I have to admit that what first made me want it was the beautiful cover, and although I have tons of other books that I have also picked up for free, I chose this one to read first. I cannot begin to express how much I LOVED this book. It had me captivated from the beginning until the end, even bringing tears to my eyes as I read the final chapter. Yes, it was THAT good. I loved the main character, a beautiful strong willed woman th...more
This book was a well written epic fantasy embodying the character of a healer. Like most in this genre, it covered a wide array of world building, plot points, and character development. Some of these things I felt were done superbly, while others I felt were less deft in their execution.
I found the characters in this book to be likeable and enduring. While some of the secondary characters seemed to be introduced into this work to be used at a later time, the characters we did interact with enou...more
I found the characters in this book to be likeable and enduring. While some of the secondary characters seemed to be introduced into this work to be used at a later time, the characters we did interact with enou...more
4.5 stars
I love love love being surprised by a book. I'd never heard of Dana Morton before she was linked up by another author for a giveaway and I discovered her by liking her Facebook page. Then I spotted a few posts about The Third Scroll, and loved the cover enough to check it out. And then I spotted it was only 77p on Amazon and the rest is history.
Now don't get me wrong, 77p self-published books don't often get my attention just because of their price, so I have no idea why I chose this on...more
I love love love being surprised by a book. I'd never heard of Dana Morton before she was linked up by another author for a giveaway and I discovered her by liking her Facebook page. Then I spotted a few posts about The Third Scroll, and loved the cover enough to check it out. And then I spotted it was only 77p on Amazon and the rest is history.
Now don't get me wrong, 77p self-published books don't often get my attention just because of their price, so I have no idea why I chose this on...more
2 likes · like · see review
The first book in the Hardstorm Saga finds Tera struggling to come to terms with herself. On the cusp of womanhood her healing powers have yet to come to her, and she fears they may not come at all.
The story starts out strong and flings you into her struggles and you can't help but become attached immediately not knowing what's going to happen to her next. Everything she's known and loved has been taken from her.
I must admit, I think I picked up the wrong book when I started to read this one....more
The story starts out strong and flings you into her struggles and you can't help but become attached immediately not knowing what's going to happen to her next. Everything she's known and loved has been taken from her.
I must admit, I think I picked up the wrong book when I started to read this one....more
Taken from her home and sold into slavery in another land far away, Tera vowed to be strong as it was the way of the Shahala race of her people. They were a peaceful race that honored the land and healed using their vast knowledge of plants and herbs. She was taken and sold to the house of a wealthy man who had a hateful woman to oversee slaves and treated them brutally. Her Only thought was to escape and return to her people before any of the warriors deflowered her and ruin her chance of getti...more
I loved the cover of this book and despite the blurb, I was surprised about the story. It is about a rite of passage for a young girl called Tera who is learning to be a healer but has not yet received her powers. She has led a sheltered life on the island where she grew up and is then sold by her father to the slave traders. From there her life takes a turn for the worst and she is brought into a household where a Kadar warrior lives and she is destined for a life of becoming a servant. If that...more
If I could, I give it 4.5 stars!
First time reading Ms. Morton. The book was a page turner. This epic fantasy novel was well written. The author painted a very vivid, captivating and believable world. She did not shy aware from crudeness either. The harsh conditions that the heroine, Tera, had to overcome kept me glued to the book. I loved the hero, Batumar. At first I didn't know what to make of him but he had a subtle gentleness that made me adored him. The only reason I gave it a 4 or 4.5 was...more
First time reading Ms. Morton. The book was a page turner. This epic fantasy novel was well written. The author painted a very vivid, captivating and believable world. She did not shy aware from crudeness either. The harsh conditions that the heroine, Tera, had to overcome kept me glued to the book. I loved the hero, Batumar. At first I didn't know what to make of him but he had a subtle gentleness that made me adored him. The only reason I gave it a 4 or 4.5 was...more
The description sounded interesting but I didn't hold out a lot of hope that a "free" book from Amazon would be enthralling. Boy was I wrong. This book is a fantastic fantasy read from start to finish for only $2.99 (regularly)! I quickly became engrossed in Tera's plight and concerned for her well being as though she were a friend I wanted to see through some kind of hardship in her life.
Despite the circumstance of her being with the Kadar people, Tera starts finding happiness after the hardshi...more
Despite the circumstance of her being with the Kadar people, Tera starts finding happiness after the hardshi...more
I have read many Dana Marton romantic suspense books. When i was offered the chance to read her new fantasy novel, The Third Scroll I didn't know what to expect. First i don't usually read any fantasy. Wasn't sure i could get into it no matter if it was well written or not because i didn't think it could be my thing. I admit i did have a hard time getting through the first 20% of it. Mostly because the first book in a series has to have some back story and more detailed info on the setting and I...more
Full Review for RT Magazine
4 Stars
An ambitious, vividly imagined epic fantasy. Marton has created a promising and immersive world that is, at the same time, darkly brutal.
Although barely a woman, Tera is a fully formed and sympathetic character from the start. Belonging to a passive people, she's thrown unwillingly into a foreign culture and situations of intense cruelty, violence, and political maneuvering. Her naivete persists at great cost to herself and those around her, bringing about stea...more
4 Stars
An ambitious, vividly imagined epic fantasy. Marton has created a promising and immersive world that is, at the same time, darkly brutal.
Although barely a woman, Tera is a fully formed and sympathetic character from the start. Belonging to a passive people, she's thrown unwillingly into a foreign culture and situations of intense cruelty, violence, and political maneuvering. Her naivete persists at great cost to herself and those around her, bringing about stea...more
Let me be honest here. Most self-published books could use a little more editing, so when I picked up The Third Scroll, even with its lovely cover, I thought I would be wincing once in a while over little grammatical mistakes and typos. I didn't. Not once. I am beyond impressed that Dana managed to get this book whistle clean in the editing department. So the reading was smooth sailing.
And it was a wonderful trip too. The plot is a bit classical prophecy fantasy, but well-played and very focused...more
And it was a wonderful trip too. The plot is a bit classical prophecy fantasy, but well-played and very focused...more
Make that 4.5 stars, please.
This is by far one of the best epic fantasy novels I've read in some time. I was immersed in Tera's world from the first chapter and compelled to click my kindle's page turner late into the night.
YUMMIES: Cliche-less awesome story telling wraps around real life characters who lack in perfection. Rarely am I surprised by character revelations and spilled secrets, but this story had quite a few I didn't see coming. I was thrilled, to say the least!
YUCKIES: Not really a...more
This is by far one of the best epic fantasy novels I've read in some time. I was immersed in Tera's world from the first chapter and compelled to click my kindle's page turner late into the night.
YUMMIES: Cliche-less awesome story telling wraps around real life characters who lack in perfection. Rarely am I surprised by character revelations and spilled secrets, but this story had quite a few I didn't see coming. I was thrilled, to say the least!
YUCKIES: Not really a...more
This was a very interesting story...I really enjoyed it up until the last third of the novel
The end came rushing like a tidal wave, something I really, really didn't like. Such care and detail was taken to building the world for most of the book that to suddenly read what felt like a quick summation really made me feel cheated.
I wished more of the scenes towards the end were longer and even though I should have known that there would be an 'end' to the story, I couldn't help but feel disappointe...more
The end came rushing like a tidal wave, something I really, really didn't like. Such care and detail was taken to building the world for most of the book that to suddenly read what felt like a quick summation really made me feel cheated.
I wished more of the scenes towards the end were longer and even though I should have known that there would be an 'end' to the story, I couldn't help but feel disappointe...more
4.5 stars, I couldn’t put it down!
This book is most definitely an epic fantasy, but what I really loved about it was the fact that it was told from the perspective of the heroine, Tera. The author did an amazing job creating Tera, I absolutely adored her and wanted only good things for her. The world created by the author is believable, and the culture development really helps the reader understand that world. While I loved Tera, I also loved one of the male characters. There were plenty of surp...more
This book is most definitely an epic fantasy, but what I really loved about it was the fact that it was told from the perspective of the heroine, Tera. The author did an amazing job creating Tera, I absolutely adored her and wanted only good things for her. The world created by the author is believable, and the culture development really helps the reader understand that world. While I loved Tera, I also loved one of the male characters. There were plenty of surp...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This 450 pg epic fantasy doesn’t disappoint by being over too soon. Ms. Marton knows how to tell a story and keep you intrigued. Tera is a young healer who's sold to another realm, ruled by dangerous warlords. She has to grow up in a hurry to survive and we get to do so with her as the story is told in first person and will keep you deeply involved. Especially when the high lord takes her as his concubine and she suddenly makes a powerful enemy. Fast-paced, well-written with interesting characte...more
Taken from her home and sold as a slave, Terra is a young girl coming to terms with her mothers death, while impatiently waiting for her healing powers to come to her. Terra is determined to stay strong in her faith and escape. This was a very well written story, I liked the character development and the way it progessed. You can tell by the way its written and the way some charecters are placed that the will feature later on in the series. The love story aspect of the book could have used a lit...more
4.5 stars. A really good book that ends too quickly, without resolution... as you discover that there will be a sequel. I wish I'd known it was the first book in a series when I started reading it, as my expectations would have been different. Without that knowledge, I'd looked forward to a satisfying conclusion and was disappointed that I did not get one. The writing is solid, the story intriguing, the characters engaging. Highly recommended, but the cover designers should make it clear that th...more
This is a powerful fantasy epic about a young female healer, sold by her father into slavery only to discover for herself that she has a far different destiny. The cultures of the different peoples with whom she interacts are fully developed, and there is a true hero for her in spite of the society's brutality. Pieces of the mystery are revealed slowly and this is clearly the first in a series. I think it is one of those stories that will stay on my mind for a long time.
I won this book from a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I really enjoyed this story.
I was very surprised to find that I would become quite attached to the main character, Tera. Throughout the book she changes greatly, always growing from each new (yet horrible) experience. In the beginning of the book she is so unsure of herself and very scared of never becoming who she thinks she should be. By the end, she is a strong, powerful woman. Her journey is pretty cool.
The imagery I got out of this bo...more
I was very surprised to find that I would become quite attached to the main character, Tera. Throughout the book she changes greatly, always growing from each new (yet horrible) experience. In the beginning of the book she is so unsure of herself and very scared of never becoming who she thinks she should be. By the end, she is a strong, powerful woman. Her journey is pretty cool.
The imagery I got out of this bo...more
I liked it, for the most part. The first few chapters were a little hard for me to push through (much like the Hunger Games), but once I got into it, I was intrigued. My biggest complaint was that the love interest seemed forced. We're introduced to the hero, but at no point did I sense an attraction to him, only respect and trust. And while there are far worse things to build a relationship on, it just seemed awkward.
This is a strong epic fantasy with a compelling romance. I really enjoyed it, but the tone is defintely more in the style of traditional fantasy work than you find in Ms. Marton's romances. If you're a lover of fantasy, I would highly recommend this, but if Tolkein is not for you, this might not work for you. I loved it, however, and definitely want to see more of this world!
Dec 14, 2012
Megan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone who reads fantasy
Recommended to Megan by:
Freebooksy
I'm not gonna lie, The cover is what got me into retrieving your book from Amazon when it hit the Free zone.
I was skeptical the first few chapters as I dislike sad stories. I kept reading as the Tera became a strong woman that I admire.
I was so happy with Tera finding love and dealing with all the change.
I love this book and I cannot wait for the next!
I was skeptical the first few chapters as I dislike sad stories. I kept reading as the Tera became a strong woman that I admire.
I was so happy with Tera finding love and dealing with all the change.
I love this book and I cannot wait for the next!
This is one of my favorites! Fascinating story, characters & setting. Tera & Batumar are two of the best characters I've read. Their relationship progresses slowly but inevitably. It was riveting throughout. Kudos to the author for her skill in creating such a great & original series. Can't wait to read her next one.
Yay for cheap kindle fantasy books! I really enjoyed it while I was reading it, but when I finished I was a little unsatisfied. I didn't really find the romance terribly believable, and the ending wasn't very satisfying. That being said it was still a unique fantasy book with an interesting theme.
I had such high hopes for this book, and the story is a pretty good one.
But there seemed to be so much excess info/detail. I loved the simple under-tale, but it was garnished by so many extraneous things that, in the end, it was difficult for me to see the forest through the trees.
But there seemed to be so much excess info/detail. I loved the simple under-tale, but it was garnished by so many extraneous things that, in the end, it was difficult for me to see the forest through the trees.
It was good. There were parts that were slow to get through, and annoying at times, BUT over all, I liked it, and will read the next one when it comes out. Kinda reminds me of the game of thrones series but seen through one point of view, and with less complicated in its inticicies
3.5 stars...
I was very surprised by this one. Good world-building and characterisation. And really good storytelling. The magic/ whatnot was well explained without it ever feeling like an info dump. Quite engaging. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series.
I was very surprised by this one. Good world-building and characterisation. And really good storytelling. The magic/ whatnot was well explained without it ever feeling like an info dump. Quite engaging. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series.
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Apr 03, 2013 01:14pm