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140th out of 221 books
—
102 voters
Shadows of the Realm
by
Dionne Lister (Goodreads Author)
Bronwyn and Blayke are two strangers being drawn into the same war. Their world is facing invasion from the Third Realm. While they move unknowingly toward each other, they are watched, hunted, and sabotaged. When the Dragon God interferes, it seems their world, Talia, will succumb to the threat. Can they learn enough of the tricks of the Realms before it’s too late, or wi...more
Kindle Edition, 1, 470 pages
Published
April 24th 2012
by Dionne Lister
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Dionne Lister's first fantasy novel introduces a new and original voice in epic fantasy, and even though the book is labeled a YA novel the story gives plenty of time to develop the adult characters, who become richer with intrigue . . . I'd say the book is successful at reaching for audiences of any age, YA or adult. Some of the adult themes and horror elements are suitably gruesome, the villains depraved in their single-minded search for sustenance. I won't talk about the plot, beyond the need...more
May 13, 2013
Kriss Morton
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
friends-suggested
Dragon's are one of those creatures of fantasy I have always had an attraction too. I drew them, collected cards with images on them and instead of reading Judy Blume at the age of 11 I was reading Anne Dragonrider series right along with my horror books. Sure, an odd duck for a preteen girl, but than again ... I also played hostel take overs with my brother's GI JOE with the Barbie collection with the occasional Jedi Mind trick of having Barbie serve GI JOE tea (again odd duck=me). I played Dun...more
Shadows Of The Realm is a beautifully written story from the multiple perspectives of a very endearing band of characters. I had my favourites, but it's hard not to love this well drawn bunch for how they work collectively. The characters are diverse - ranging in age, race and animal species. The author could focus on any of them and make a solid tale - a rich and promising way to begin a series. But it's not just the individual characters; it's the relationships - between young and old, human a...more
This book captured my attention from the very first. In my opinion, and I have read many, many fantasy and otherwise books, this new author, Dionne Lister has the potential to rise to Anne McCaffrey, Jim Butcher, and other great traditionally published authors. What makes her truly exceptional, is the fact that she is an indie author. This book will have you laughing, crying, at the edge of your seat in anger and fear. It is well worth the time to read.
Wow! Let me say again. Wow!
It is not often that you find talent stepping out of the shadows to stand beside authors such as Lewis, Tolkien, or McCaffrey. I will not be surprised to see Lister join the ranks of the great fantasy writers who have become household names.
Dionne's new book Shadows of the Realm starts with a flourish immersing the reader into action from the start and keeping pace throughout the story. Intrigue is your constant companion as you travel the long dusty roads of Talia...more
It is not often that you find talent stepping out of the shadows to stand beside authors such as Lewis, Tolkien, or McCaffrey. I will not be surprised to see Lister join the ranks of the great fantasy writers who have become household names.
Dionne's new book Shadows of the Realm starts with a flourish immersing the reader into action from the start and keeping pace throughout the story. Intrigue is your constant companion as you travel the long dusty roads of Talia...more
I unfortunately had to DNF Shadows of the Realm. I found there were large information dumps for the first several chapters that weren't even that related to what was going on with the characters. The one chapter that focused on the dragons showed them in a ridiculous light. I had images of dragon kings sitting on benches (just try picturing that in your mind and tell me you didn't chuckle), overly dramatic language mixed with very informal (the dragons apparently like to speak in "fancy" terms l...more
1 like · like · see review
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Apr 28, 2013
Eoghann Irving
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
young-adult
Dionne Lister is an independent writer and Shadows of the Realm is her first novel and at times it shows.
Shadows of the Realm is also the first book in the Circle of Talia fantasy series. It's important to know that going in because you're not going to get any resolution at the end of this book, just some major cliffhangers. The other thing to be aware of is that this is designated as a Young Adult book so that gives you an idea of the target audience the author is going for.
The basic story here...more
Shadows of the Realm is also the first book in the Circle of Talia fantasy series. It's important to know that going in because you're not going to get any resolution at the end of this book, just some major cliffhangers. The other thing to be aware of is that this is designated as a Young Adult book so that gives you an idea of the target audience the author is going for.
The basic story here...more
Feb 25, 2013
Johanna
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
youth-or-young-adult
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I think Shadows of the Realm is a very entertaining read. As I progressed through the book, I wanted to learn more about the many characters that were introduced. I think the fantasy world in which the Realm was set was different and interesting, and the interweaving of the various strands of character action made sense. I liked the fact that there were both human and otherworldly villians in the story.
While I am certainly not an ex...more
I think Shadows of the Realm is a very entertaining read. As I progressed through the book, I wanted to learn more about the many characters that were introduced. I think the fantasy world in which the Realm was set was different and interesting, and the interweaving of the various strands of character action made sense. I liked the fact that there were both human and otherworldly villians in the story.
While I am certainly not an ex...more
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Epic fantasy is not generally my genre of choice. The stories are great but I prefer something that follows a faster pace and epic fantasy seems to take longer to get to the next exciting part. I loved this book though even though it was an epic fantasy. I fell in love with the characters easily and the plot was easy to follow.
The concept of the story is a time honored tradition of there is bad out there and the good guys must jour...more
Epic fantasy is not generally my genre of choice. The stories are great but I prefer something that follows a faster pace and epic fantasy seems to take longer to get to the next exciting part. I loved this book though even though it was an epic fantasy. I fell in love with the characters easily and the plot was easy to follow.
The concept of the story is a time honored tradition of there is bad out there and the good guys must jour...more
Fantasy is trite.
I carried this opinion with me for a number of years, despite (in my youth) being a very avid reader of the genre. Something happened, as I got older, that left me soured and embittered on the genre as a whole. It was all the same. You changed the characters, you changed the themes, but as a general rule you could count on a number of things being universally true about all fantasy novels:
- All stories were about the youthful and inexperienced.
- There was always a wise old mento...more
I carried this opinion with me for a number of years, despite (in my youth) being a very avid reader of the genre. Something happened, as I got older, that left me soured and embittered on the genre as a whole. It was all the same. You changed the characters, you changed the themes, but as a general rule you could count on a number of things being universally true about all fantasy novels:
- All stories were about the youthful and inexperienced.
- There was always a wise old mento...more
3 likes · like · see review
Author Dionne Lister has created something wholly unique and unexpected in her debut novel, Shadows of the Realm. The words are as dazzling as the cover. I found her use of realms and magic, a fresh perspective in the age old struggle between good and evil. The author reimagines dragons brilliantly, making them sentient, thoughtful creatures the equal of humans in compassion and rage. But, more than that her understanding of the period (that feels long ago) draws you in and won't let go. Lister...more
To start off with, I really enjoyed this book, it was, fun, interesting and the relationship between the families reflected actual family relationships.
Positives of the book:
- I liked the way that the story was told from different characters points of view. It created a higher insight into what was going on in different parts of Talia and how they were all working towards the same thing, just from different areas.
- The characters were engaging and you could relate to some, love some and hate oth...more
Positives of the book:
- I liked the way that the story was told from different characters points of view. It created a higher insight into what was going on in different parts of Talia and how they were all working towards the same thing, just from different areas.
- The characters were engaging and you could relate to some, love some and hate oth...more
I won a copy of this book and yes, I was lucky. The story is steeped in imagination, magic and enchantment, with characters that bring it alive in the most realistic way.
The writing is superb, with wonderfully rich descriptions, creating fantastic detailed worlds. The building of characters was excellent, so that readers have no choice but to care about what happens to them...rooting for the good and hating the bad - and with the right degree of uncertainty.
I also found the story original in pa...more
The writing is superb, with wonderfully rich descriptions, creating fantastic detailed worlds. The building of characters was excellent, so that readers have no choice but to care about what happens to them...rooting for the good and hating the bad - and with the right degree of uncertainty.
I also found the story original in pa...more
"Shadows of the Realm" for me was a good book and kept me enraptured enough to not want to put it down. It's also the first novel I have read fully on my iPad which is saying something as I much prefer the feel of a book in my hand and all other novels on my iPad have remained unread.
This is author Dionne Lister's first novel and it is a good first book. It did keep me engaged and wondering what would happen next and it was fairly original which can be hard in a fantasy novel. I don't remember...more
This is author Dionne Lister's first novel and it is a good first book. It did keep me engaged and wondering what would happen next and it was fairly original which can be hard in a fantasy novel. I don't remember...more
4 likes · like · see review
This was a great read. It contained all the epic fantasy I could have asked for.
The story is told from the perspective of several groups of Realmists (the magicians who draw their power form the second realm) who are converging on the Dragon city to fight to save the world from the evil Gormons from the outer realm.
It was engaging and kept me reading when I should have put it down and gone to sleep. The author has created a cast of characters that kept my attention throughout. I found that I had...more
The story is told from the perspective of several groups of Realmists (the magicians who draw their power form the second realm) who are converging on the Dragon city to fight to save the world from the evil Gormons from the outer realm.
It was engaging and kept me reading when I should have put it down and gone to sleep. The author has created a cast of characters that kept my attention throughout. I found that I had...more
May 12, 2012
Mallory Anne-Marie Forbes
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Mallory Anne-Marie by:
Dionne Lister
Shelves:
may-2012-reads,
may-reading-challenge
This debut novel is the first of a series (The Circle of Talia) and is a smooth-reading, delightful, high fantasy. Even readers who don’t usually head for the fantasy shelves can find much to delight in here, as did I. The writing is excellent, and author Dionne Lister deserves much more than five stars for her ability with lyrical description, which makes the reading flow so well.
The characters are superbly delineated, and the action is realistic and intriguing. A good balance is achieved betwe...more
The characters are superbly delineated, and the action is realistic and intriguing. A good balance is achieved betwe...more
This book is rated YA, I think it's appropriate for adults to as I am one. At first I thought it was going to be scary and bloody, but it's so full of fantasy and adventure that you want to just jump in and live it with all it's colorful characters. The Realmist are humans who can change themselves into animals and have various magical powers. The dragons are described with such colorful descriptions, characters wise and color wise you can imagine them yourself. The dragons have their own beauti...more
Apr 17, 2013
K.A. Last
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
indie-awesomeness,
reviewed
Shadows of the Realm was an enjoyable read. I love dragons, and when I saw the cover I knew I wanted to read this book. It’s an awesome cover. I was also really excited because it’s written by a fellow Aussie and Indie author.
I wish I could have given Shadows of the Realm four, or even five stars, but there were a few things that didn’t get me past the ‘liked it’ rating to the ‘really liked it’ rating.
For a good part of the story I didn’t feel as if there was much happening. I didn’t feel the ur...more
I wish I could have given Shadows of the Realm four, or even five stars, but there were a few things that didn’t get me past the ‘liked it’ rating to the ‘really liked it’ rating.
For a good part of the story I didn’t feel as if there was much happening. I didn’t feel the ur...more
Adventure and reaching into a puddle trying to grab a frog is something I know about. Who would guess that I was a tomboy growing up? I know about thunder booming and rain falling before being able to get to shelter. One thing I am glad I don't know about is giant creatures bellowing screams like the ones that assaulted Blayke.
When Blayke is asked, "How would you feel about leaving this paradise tomorrow?" He answers, "I'll start packing."
I especially liked the journey the author takes her char...more
When Blayke is asked, "How would you feel about leaving this paradise tomorrow?" He answers, "I'll start packing."
I especially liked the journey the author takes her char...more
This is a fabulous fantasy tale. I'm so glad it's the first in a series because I really didn't want the story to end.
There is a race against time to stop the evil inhabitants of the Third Realm destroying the world of Talia.
Bronwyn and Blayke, two young realmists, have been enlisted to help The Circle in the struggle to save Talia.
The book is well constructed showing the two young realmist's journeys; Bronwyn is travelling with her aunt, Avruellen, while Blayke is travelling separately with hi...more
There is a race against time to stop the evil inhabitants of the Third Realm destroying the world of Talia.
Bronwyn and Blayke, two young realmists, have been enlisted to help The Circle in the struggle to save Talia.
The book is well constructed showing the two young realmist's journeys; Bronwyn is travelling with her aunt, Avruellen, while Blayke is travelling separately with hi...more
I picked up this book knowing a little of what to expect, dragons, adventure, good vs evil. I started reading and then could not put the book down until I had finished. I lost track of time reading it.
The book centers around a secret group called Realmists, possessed of magical powers who are sworn to protect their world, Talia, from the evil race that exists in another realm. This race once lived on Talia and were banished, but are determined to return.
The book contains a surprising variety of...more
The book centers around a secret group called Realmists, possessed of magical powers who are sworn to protect their world, Talia, from the evil race that exists in another realm. This race once lived on Talia and were banished, but are determined to return.
The book contains a surprising variety of...more
Dionne Lister's Shadows of the Realm starts out with a scene that grabs you, and does not let go, even after you've finished reading. Exceptional in the fact that it is a completely unique novel, Lister creates a new world that is so realistic, it makes the reader want to grab a ticket and head over for a nice permanent vacation. I fell in love with the characters, and was disappointed when the novel ended, and am ready for more. I will be impatiently waiting the rest of the books in the series,...more
6 likes · like · see review
Reading this took some focus and time, which is kind of surprising as I look back. The initial wording felt weak and juvenile to a point where my interest waned. It's not that I need grown-up words to form sentences but I felt it was more of "See Spot run. Spot runs far." Somewhere in the middle of the book, I wondered if I would finish the book. And I am glad I did.
The premise behind the story was sound and intriguing. A new magic system and a precious few who were trained in its nuances - real...more
The premise behind the story was sound and intriguing. A new magic system and a precious few who were trained in its nuances - real...more
Your fantasy shelf will dance with joy when you bring home this epic fantasy. Beautiful world building caused everything to seem so realistic that I was not once pulled from the story. A story that was filled with magic and dragons. If you enjoy fantasy then you will love this book. You will feel as if you've made some new friends and when you lift your head from this book you'll be surprised to find no magical beasts sitting at your feet.
A Great Fantasy Read
I'm not generally a fantasy reader, yet I really enjoyed this novel. It kicks off with suspense and takes the reader on an adventurous ride of the mythical and magical. The characters are deep and believable too. A good read.
I'm not generally a fantasy reader, yet I really enjoyed this novel. It kicks off with suspense and takes the reader on an adventurous ride of the mythical and magical. The characters are deep and believable too. A good read.
I rarely read fantasy, but I was pleasantly surprised when I read this story. There were several times I stayed up later than I should have because I had to know what was going to happen next. I enjoyed the characters and the world that the author has created. The Gormons are truly hideous and the author’s description of their physical form, abilities, and eating habits had me cringing. The inhabitants of Talia must put aside their differences to fight against the Gormons, a truly evil threat th...more
I love the world-building in this YA novel. There is intrigue, magic, dragons, good versus evil, coming-of-age issues, and so much more that really builds up the story.
Right now, the author is also having a contest that can be viewed here:
http://dionnelisterwriter.wordpress.c...
All you have to do is buy it, read it, quote on the Author's page on Facebook or Tweet it and make sure @DionneLister is in your tweet so she knows you are participating.
Hurry up! You have until December 16th to read and...more
Right now, the author is also having a contest that can be viewed here:
http://dionnelisterwriter.wordpress.c...
All you have to do is buy it, read it, quote on the Author's page on Facebook or Tweet it and make sure @DionneLister is in your tweet so she knows you are participating.
Hurry up! You have until December 16th to read and...more
This was a great book. I am new to this genre and I wasn't sure what to expect, but Dionne Lister is wonderful at drawing readers in to the fantasy. I would definitely recommend this book and I hope a sequel comes to us soon!
Not quite I expected, book is not a page turner and leaves us with more questions than answers.
**Arc provided by Smith Publicity via NetGalley for honest review**
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Books 2 Read: May 2013 Book of the Month- Fantasy | 5 | 4 | 02 mai 17:35 | |
| Books 2 Read: Dionne Lister | 3 | 10 | 09 fév. 11:58 | |
| The Sword and Laser: New fantasy novel with dragons | 11 | 168 | 14 oct. 22:22 |
I'm a fantasy and suspense author currently studying creative writing. I love writing and sharing my stories, but I wish they wouldn't keep me awake at night.
More about Dionne Lister...
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