Call of the Herald (The Dawning of Power, #1)

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Call of the Herald (The Dawning of Power #1)

by Brian Rathbone (Goodreads Author)

3.61 of 5 stars 3.61 · rating details · 696 ratings · 93 reviews

"Echoes of the ancients' power are distant memories, tattered and faded by the passage of eons, but that is about to change. A new dawn has arrived. Latent abilities, harbored in mankind's deepest fibers, wait to be unleashed. Ancient evils awaken, and old fears ignite the fires of war"--P. [4] of cover.

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Published (first published January 1st 2008)

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Jul 20, 2012 Allison rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: can-i-have-the-hours-back-please, ebook-deals, own-it-e-book

I was disappointed that this didn't live up to the reviews comparing it to the Lord of the Rings or the worlds of Shannara and Harry Potter. Instead, this book taught me to be more careful in what I buy, especially if it's self-published and free on Amazon and has under 50 reviews that are all extremely enthusiastic. I think there's something about free that affects how people judge these books. My craze of buying free books came to an end with this. I'd rather pay for something of higher qualit...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Ash rated it 3 of 5 stars

I’m giving this book three stars because it really kept my attention throughout. It was enjoyable and painted great mental pictures, which only added to the experience.

While I had no problem with the writing per se, I did have some issues with the plot and character development. Our main character, a farm girl, becomes a leader with very little in between. The transition and the shift in her personality was a major bump in an otherwise seamless story. Bumps like these make me snap out of the bo...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars

I've only recently found the self-published fantasy section of Amazon, but overall I've been impressed with the quantity of works, diversity of storyline, and the quality of the writing. I've read the Muirwood Trilogy, Blood Song, The Mageborn Trilogy, and Garden of Almhain. When I encountered mostly positive reviews for 'The Call of the Herald,' I was pleased to one-click whisper yet another book over to my Droid.

Like a cheap pair of skinny jeans, I struggled to force myself into this book befo...more I've only recently found the self-published fantasy section of Amazon, but overall I've been impressed with the quantity of works, diversity of storyline, and the quality of the writing. I've read the Muirwood Trilogy, Blood Song, The Mageborn Trilogy, and Garden of Almhain. When I encountered mostly positive reviews for 'The Call of the Herald,' I was pleased to one-click whisper yet another book over to my Droid.

Like a cheap pair of skinny jeans, I struggled to force myself into this book before admitting disappointment. There were times I went back to reread a section, confused as to how I missed a character getting from A to B. In one moment we're dealing with a farm girl of indeterminate age, and the next thing we know she's hurling knives accurately (at a hornet's nest) and unerringly shooting arrows from the deck of a moving ship at another moving target (no small feat indeed!). I understand she learned to hunt while living on the farm, but for someone who has never been on a moving ship to be so accurate? Back to her enigmatic age, I feel that while spelling out the precise number might have been overkill, I was hoping for a vague idea. She's had a first kiss, so a pre-adolescent? She's physically able to easily pull a bowstring, so older? Yet there is never any awkwardness during the camping trips with a bunch of unrelated boys (only Chase is related). I was a bit of a late bloomer, and grew up with a brother, but young teen boys and girls living together invites a blundering embarrassment or two. While traveling and living together, there's never a moment when she has to go off by herself for a bathroom break, or to bath alone? The only mention of bathing modesty is after she's proven her powers for the desert people. And how did Catrin know how strongly the desert people feel about their horses ("the bond shared by the Arghast and their horses was like mated souls, and it grieved Catrin to witness the scene.")? She's never met them before recent events, and certainly didn't appear to study their culture while in school. I don't recall her asking anyone, "so, how would you describe your relationship with your horse?"

Perhaps I quibble.

Still, the uninspiring religious concepts were nebulous at best. The half-mad prophet needs some additional information to create a more compelling character. I adore a book incorporating religion and all it entails, but this tome felt lackluster. I believe that if the author gets a good editor, or places the book on the shelf and returns to it in a few months to fix problematic areas, I think this book would be much improved. This is not the worst thing I've read (I couldn't even finish the first Twilight); this book merely needs some work. (less)

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Jun 08, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

First off, I'd like to thank Mr. Rathbone for sending me a copy of his book--I greatly enjoyed it! It seems rare to come across a synopsis that says so little about a book, but this is certainly one of those cases! To me it was a bit like Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Terry Brooks' Shannara series, and Paolini's Eragon saga rolled into one. In fact, there were two scenes that almost could have been taken from LOTR, though I don't hold that against Rathbone. This novel is actually comprised of...more First off, I'd like to thank Mr. Rathbone for sending me a copy of his book--I greatly enjoyed it! It seems rare to come across a synopsis that says so little about a book, but this is certainly one of those cases! To me it was a bit like Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Terry Brooks' Shannara series, and Paolini's Eragon saga rolled into one. In fact, there were two scenes that almost could have been taken from LOTR, though I don't hold that against Rathbone. This novel is actually comprised of three books, all of which take you to Godsland and reveal the story of Catrin Volker, revealed to be the Herald of Istra, and her companions and Guardians.

Catrin's story is truly incredible--she is a teenager when she discovers a power awakened within her and ultimately has to head on a journey to save all of Godsland. Rathbone's writing is captivating and draws you into the story immediately. At times I feel as if the characters' dialogue slips into something a bit too modern for the story and time being portrayed, but that only happens here and there. The level of detail with which Rathbone writes this epic adventure is very impressive. However, because there IS so much detail, not to mention so many places and characters, the story can be somewhat difficult to follow at times. There are multiple points of view, and at points in the chapters we would revisit some characters briefly, and occasionally I had to think hard to recall who they were and how they fit into the story.

Overall, though, I immensely enjoyed The Dawning of Power. Over the years I have become a huge Fantasy geek and this book was right up my alley. There is plenty of action with plot turns and twists to keep you driving onward to discover what happens next. I definitely became attached to many of the characters as I learned more about them and they played their part in the quest. I can't wait to read Rathbone's next book, and a part of me has to wonder if he won't continue Catrin's story at some point down the road. That door was certainly left open. I for one, would like to see that happen.(less)

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Jan 30, 2012 Scott Gray rated it 4 of 5 stars

In "Call of the Herald," Brian Rathbone undertakes a challenging -- but ultimately successful -- balancing act as he uses a straightforward narrative style to create a complex fantasy world. In doing so, he's crafted a story that should appeal to a broad age-range of readers, as a teenage girl named Catrin discovers that she is the heir to a power long thought lost -- and that she has become the singular target of an invading army that threatens her homeland in order to destroy that power. The w...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Patty Marion rated it 4 of 5 stars

I don't read fantasy often, but this one was recommended to me and I became hooked! For fantasy, I give it a 4 because it had all the fantastical elements and is extremely engaging without resorting to profanity, gratuitous "bodice ripping" or graphic violence.

Although it is fantastical in that it occurs on another planet (Godsland)and heroes and villains have supernatural powers, the characters are such ordinary people living an ordinary life until the comet Istra returns to their orbit. It's...more

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Dec 09, 2011 Ps rated it 5 of 5 stars

Catrin didn’t know it, but she was the special one. Growing up as a poor country girl, she was looked down upon, due to her position. But she took it in stride until that one day where she unknowingly destroyed her surroundings. She was no longer looked down up. Rather, she was shunned by the townsfolk and later hunted down by different country filled with religious fears. Catlin’s powers grew, but she had no control over them.

Quote: “Moans broke the eerie silence, and Catrin heard someone behi...more

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May 07, 2011 Jamie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This book was a free ebook -- and for good reason.

I didn't have high hopes for a book that's provided for free (i.e. a free one that's not a special promotion or a classic), but I have to say, this book fell short of even my low expectations.

The main problem with this book was that it was simply boring. Terribly terribly boring. The entire premise of the book could easily be summarized in one or two sentences. Here we go, I'll give it a shot..."A girl from a small village discovers that she is t...more This book was a free ebook -- and for good reason.

I didn't have high hopes for a book that's provided for free (i.e. a free one that's not a special promotion or a classic), but I have to say, this book fell short of even my low expectations.

The main problem with this book was that it was simply boring. Terribly terribly boring. The entire premise of the book could easily be summarized in one or two sentences. Here we go, I'll give it a shot..."A girl from a small village discovers that she is the "chosen one/savior" of her people as a force from another continent invades. She escapes from them with a few of her friends."

That's it. Seriously. All of the rest of the book is devoted to either the main character whining and/or trying to make a courageous stand (which ends up being a little cheesy), and the secondary characters either do nothing/say nothing or play the overdramatic "wise one" type. There is no sense of real (i.e. meaningful struggle). All of the obstacles the characters face are superficial at best where there could have been so much more. The author tends to focus his attention on the wrong kinds of things. So much time is spent talking about the details of actually washing a piece of clothing, or what the characters had for breakfast, or how we found a fish, or the blisters on my heel, etc.

There is no real depth to any struggle. This is also complicated by the fact that there is no villain. The prologue gives a "hint" of a villain, but in the actual pages of the book, the main struggle of the characters is not against a person/people, but rather more a struggle of getting from one place to the other. It's like the author's main goal in writing the book was a study in logistics. It would be just as intriguing if I detailed my hiking trip to the top of a moutain. Every good book has an antagonist. This one does not. There's no one to hate or struggle against (just a very vague notion of an invading force without a face or a meaningful motivation behind it), and that makes this novel suffer. Badly.

There's also a surprising lack of character development. Some characters just seem to disappear and they're not even mentioned later on in the book, even though they were still with the group. Others are stagnate, and still others have sudden unrealistic changes, most notably the main character who suddenly without warning turns from a whiny cry baby into the all powerful Herald. Bow down before me!

Overall, a poor effort but worth the price I paid for it :)(less)

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Apr 19, 2011 Bc rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a decent book; especially for the price ($0.99 for Kindle version).

The plot is good. The storytelling is good. The writing is good. Overall, you'll be entertained.

Some areas I would have liked to see done better:

-- Character development. It's not too bad for the main character and the primary secondary character. However, beyond them it's pretty meager. Why introduce secondary characters at all if you aren't going to develop them and make them important to the story?

-- Consistency in...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Cole rated it 1 of 5 stars

First let me say I really wanted to like this book. The author gave away the ebook free on Amazon, and I like that. Sadly, in this case you get what you pay for.

The characters in this book all act like they come out of the same person's head. They are unbelievable and flat. Character changes are forced rather than developed.

The writing style is awkward to say the least. If you did a dramatic reading of this book out loud, you would be constantly tripping over your own tongue.

And the plot! This i...more

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May 06, 2013 D.i.brooks rated it 3 of 5 stars

At first this was an enjoyable read. The ideas and concepts were interesting, and I enjoyed it. But as I read on, I began to notice something, something that would ultimately decide my choice for this book. It lacks descriptions of almost any sort. It runs through the world without considering that it has to bring the reader along. If you have a vivid imagination and can just put in any old character you know, then good for you, you can read this book. Otherwise, it's hazy and vague and all of t...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Angie ~aka Reading Machine~ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads-review-books

General Dempsy. leader of Zjhon Empire's Navy, is coming home after many months at sea and fears that the rest he was hoping for will not come to pass. General Dempsy sees preparations for war being made in Greatland and wonders what Archmaster Belegra is up to now. Archmaster Belegra believes in ancient prophecies of Istra and coming of the Herald in Godsfist. Archmaster Belegra orders General Dempsy to attack the Godsfist and return with the Herald as well. Meanwhile in Godsfist, Catrin Volker...more

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Sep 07, 2011 Noodle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Well, this was a free eBook from Kindle and the blurb had me intrigued. It has been a while since I have read a truly fantasy type novel, one involving Gods and powers and a totally different world to ours. I was excited to get started, but that excitement was soon lost, in amongst the pages of this book.

But, it was free. So, I read on. And although I was tempted to leave the book at several times, it did somehow manage to pull me back in. How, I'm not quite sure, but I read it until the end so...more

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Mar 17, 2012 Lindsay rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was another surprise for me.

Yet another free ebook that i picked up off amazon and i thoroughly enjoyed it.

First the Bad:

1. Catrin moved from a scared little farm girl to a leader just a little to quick for me.
2. I wish we could have seen Chase, Strom and Osbourne deveoped just a little bit more.
3. I thought the General could also have been developed a little, let us see just a little more inside his head.

The good

1. The story is solid, great plotline, lots of potential for future books...more

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Mar 23, 2012 Diane rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: children interested in epic fantasy

Shelves: 2012-a-z, free-or-bargain-kindle, fantasy, 2-star, epic-fantasy, juvenile, young-adult-fiction

Meh. This was horrible and it wasn't great. It was pretty run of the mill, epic fantasy story line and run of the mill epic fantasy characters. The writing was fine and there weren't any glaring errors of style. I did find it jarring that the main character (a girl) jumped from confused farm girl to somewhat fearless leader so rapidly but, having read a great deal of epic fantasy, my brain was perfectly able to skip over (and subconciously fill in) all the growth of character that usually goes i...more

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Oct 23, 2012 James rated it 3 of 5 stars

Call of the Herald is a good introduction to what is sure to be a promising fantasy series. It opens with an interesting premise--a young girl develops power she can't control, and relies on the help of her friends to figure out what to do with it. It's a familiar trope, but not a bad one, and Rathbone uses it well.
Some have commented that Rathbone's concentration on Catrin, the protagonist, leaves the secondary characters undeveloped, but I wouldn't agree; those characters are developed through...more

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Aug 14, 2011 Gerold Whittaker rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Younger readers

Shelves: fantasy, ebook

Book 1 of a trilogy:
Things are normal on Godfist where Catrin is a normal farm girl going through normal issues with her peers. One day however, her life is threatened and something happens which changes her life forever. Suddenly stories of legends, prophecies and the Herald abound, and she is central to the stories. She refuses to believe any of thes stories however, insisting that she is a normal girl. But then Zjhon soldiers invade Godfist and they have one objective: to capture the Herald....more

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Feb 27, 2012 Amanda Callender rated it 2 of 5 stars

Free Kindle Book... enough said

This book had a good idea but it was way underdeveloped. Some parts were super confusing and left me asking "wtf is going on!?!?" Other times it moved incredibly slow and borderline boring. As for the main character Cartin, I felt like she was too emotional and her "feelings" were focused on way to much. All of her thoughts were the.same throughout the whole story and I got sick of reading them. The switching of parts (to other characters) was mostly pointless and...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Crys Harris rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book has so many problems that they overburden the framework of a decent story. What was particularly frustrating is that some of the problems should have been discovered on editing and are correctable.

The Good
The story starts out well enough, with rivalry and pranks gone wrong and classism. Those are good elements of conflict and I liked how these petty squabbles are juxtaposed against the upcoming larger conflict. The main characters seems personable, if flat, and stand to be serviceable...more This book has so many problems that they overburden the framework of a decent story. What was particularly frustrating is that some of the problems should have been discovered on editing and are correctable.

The Good
The story starts out well enough, with rivalry and pranks gone wrong and classism. Those are good elements of conflict and I liked how these petty squabbles are juxtaposed against the upcoming larger conflict. The main characters seems personable, if flat, and stand to be serviceable archetypes in a road, adventure story. The father figures are believable and so do the most of the bit players. Catrin seems a bit uncertain and anxious, provincial and generically good; boring, but not terrible. The emergence of Catrin's powers start the real events in motion quite nicely.

The Bad
The the train goes off the rails. Suddenly, a girl too bored to pay attention in lessons starts thinking existential and philosophical thoughts? She doesn't talk to her dad or uncles? They keep an enormous, life changing secret from her even when it becomes clear that she will need it?! She goes from an accidental outburst of power that hurts some kids and grass to calling down lightening?!

Once we've jumped the shark, the book goes downhill quickly. There is little continuity between the characters in the early chapters and the later ones, especially the main character. Why an uncertain, provincial miss from a farm would ever say something about 'fearing her wrath' is completely beyond me. The companions do NOTHING of interest. Even the uncle, my early favorite, disappoints. Why use the Aghast? That all could have been skipped. Why not give us more about them if they are going to be important later? So frustrating.

The side plot of the evil Masters makes no sense. I can't get behind villains that are wicked, just because. It's so comic book. Why do we get nothing of the Zhjons if they are so central?

Why did I feel the need to write such a lengthy review? I have overindulged as badly as the author. Don't waste your time. (less)

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Feb 07, 2013 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

This book follows the story of a young farm girl's change from being just a farm girl to the chosen one with special powers. The plot seems normal for a fantasy hero story, but the way the author goes about it is interesting to me. Even though I loved this book and very much want to continue reading the series, it was not on the same level as Harry Potter to me as other reviews have said.

Overall, the word to describe how I feel about this book is "pleased." I found if free on my Kindle, and the...more This book follows the story of a young farm girl's change from being just a farm girl to the chosen one with special powers. The plot seems normal for a fantasy hero story, but the way the author goes about it is interesting to me. Even though I loved this book and very much want to continue reading the series, it was not on the same level as Harry Potter to me as other reviews have said.

Overall, the word to describe how I feel about this book is "pleased." I found if free on my Kindle, and the description intrigued me to try it out. It seemed like a slow read when truly it wasn't - it's just a long book (over 4,000 pages). There were times where I would think, "I've been reading that long?" or "Really? That far already?"

The author very interestingly changes between viewpoints. He even introduces new character that way as well. Some could become frustrated by that, but I found myself getting used to it and even enjoying it by the end. I found if you did not jump the gun with "Who is this" and other questions, context clues would lead you to the answers.

The chapter heading quotes were a nice touch as well.

I liked how the author took time to explain things, but his writing style kept them from being boring or monotonous. However, I was slightly disappointed towards the end when a plot device is used to change a good portion of the story quickly. (view spoiler)
(less)

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Nov 03, 2012 Férial rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm giving it 3 stars because of the good writing and because of the plot. But, honestly, I was eagerly waiting for the book to end as I got bored at some point. The heroin is a farm girl and...oh wait...all of a sudden people she has known since she was born bow to her and call her Lady. Must have missed a chapter or two ? Check. No, I haven't...Also, I read fantasy to have fantasy. Not to become a professional in horse caring or horse shoe making. The length devoted to such things was too...le...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Kara Prem rated it 4 of 5 stars

I downloaded this book for free - and was pleasantly surprised. Catrin lives with her widowed father in the country, the town kids pick on the country kids - until they've got other things to worry about, like an invasion from a large and threatening force. Catrin escapes with her cousinsome friends and a close family friend as well. She's also discovering that she has powers - tied perhaps to a strange comet in the skies. It's a typical adventure fantasy - not particularly unique, but I do like...more

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Feb 01, 2013 Lisa Cox rated it 4 of 5 stars

Don't let the prologue stop you from reading this charming book. I found the writing in the prologue to be choppy and stiff, but I'm really glad I kept going. The writing in Chapter 1 started off much better, was tighter and more flowing, and the rest of the book was very entertaining. There were actually some passages that I thought were exceptionally well written, and it's not often I catch my breath at the turn of a phrase.

The plot uses classic fantasy themes, but the characters are fresh and...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

I downloaded this first book in Brian Rathbone's The Dawning of Power trilogy as a freebie for my Kindle and I am so glad that I did! I have now read the entire trilogy and am left wanting so much more from this author. It is a nice fantasy series that is fairly light and moves along at a good pace. It isn't tied up in wordiness like books in other popular fantasy series can be and it is neither graphic nor gory in its action. I find that it strikes a great balance between description and pace....more

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Oct 03, 2011 Linda Nelson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone who love fantasy

Shelves: fantasy

If you like fantasy, you will most likely like this book. Brian has a pretty good tale going, although the beginning is a little bit dry. I did struggle past the first chapter and found myself a little bit lost at first by what he was trying to convey with his scene on the comets.
The reader will eventually find out what the comets are all about later on in the book.
It does have a pretty good hook after the second chapter and I was late getting back to work on a few occasions. I just didn’t want...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Ruth Hewitt rated it 4 of 5 stars

I often read young adult fiction because of the lack of current social events/responsibilties in the stories. I read to escape my demanding job and with many young adult writers the stories are fantastical which provides a nice mental escape from reality.

The series, Godsland Series-Dawning of Power, by Brian Rathbone was well crafted and entertaining. The characters are well-developed and very likable. The reader is drawn into the battle between dogma and faith in the unknown.

Would highly recomm...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Kitty Bullard rated it 5 of 5 stars

Being a true lover of fantasy I was a little disappointed in this book. It fell somewhat short of what I expected and I had a time getting into it. I would still recommend it to those out there that like fantasy because this is my own opinion and others should always be allowed to judge for themselves. I think the author has great ability to write well but for some reason in this particular book it just didn't make the grade for me.

Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud / http://www.greatmindsl ...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Sheilla Allen rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoy the premise and the world set up with magic, but the writing was not quite right. A few moments of good description are overshadowed by several writing errors. He's too quick to jump from one thing to another trying to build suspense, but only confusing the reader. And really, he shouldn't hade made the main character a girl. That's not how women work. It just isn't. And the switching viewpoints was very badly done... But I do really like the world. The magic is original and the backstor...more

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Jan 11, 2012 PaulineMRoss rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: price-free, genre-fantasy, 3-star, self-pub

So - there's a prophecy, and a farmboy, sorry, farmgirl, with unexpected talents, and a holy war... Stop me if any of this sounds familiar. Well, nothing wrong with the traditional storylines, if they're done well, and the author makes a reasonable show with this one. There's a prologue, which sets the scene and gives a bit of useful background, and then there's a comet, and then straight to our heroine, sweeping out the barn and away we go, with the unexpected outbreaks of power, and the hasty...more So - there's a prophecy, and a farmboy, sorry, farmgirl, with unexpected talents, and a holy war... Stop me if any of this sounds familiar. Well, nothing wrong with the traditional storylines, if they're done well, and the author makes a reasonable show with this one. There's a prologue, which sets the scene and gives a bit of useful background, and then there's a comet, and then straight to our heroine, sweeping out the barn and away we go, with the unexpected outbreaks of power, and the hasty escape from trouble.

I like to know what sort of a world the author has created for the story, and this one is in many ways fairly conventional - low technology agricultural. However, this is not the usual European medieval setting with mud-splattered peasants and castles and knights. It feels to me like a western - everyone rides horses into town, leaving them at the stables, women are called Miss so-and-so, there's a more stratified society (poorer but hardworking country folk, richer town folk with fancy clothing, nobles) and children are educated until adulthood. It takes quite a sophisticated society to value education for everyone, that is, an extensive bureaucracy that requires even ordinary workers to keep records, more usually associated with industrialisation. And how come even the poor farm kids can afford horses to ride? I'm curious, too, about what sort of society allows a teenage girl and three teenage boys to go camping together - a very trusting one, I suppose. But it's just conceivable that I'm overthinking this :-)

There doesn't seem to be anything very much to distinguish this world from our own, at some time and place. The birds, animals, plants and tools all seem very familiar, which is a little disappointing. It seems a little unambitious in a fantasy book not to throw in at least a few little touches that make the setting seem more alien, although I liked the cave which had signs of a former civilisation inside it, and the circle of very ancient trees. The magic, too, is a rather generic some-kind-of-power affair at the moment, with unknown capabilities, but the author has a whole trilogy to develop that aspect.

The characters are rather poorly defined at present. Catrin, the lead character, is quite meek to start with, and spends a great deal of time weeping over something or other, and although she is very capable, has little self-confidence (but she is only a teenager, so that's to be expected). Her sudden change to assertive I'm-taking-control mode felt a bit abrupt to me, although I suppose the signs were there. The three boys are not well-differentiated - I could have done with some clues about physical differences, or behavioural quirks, perhaps. The most interesting characters, to me, are the two older men, Benjin and Wendel, who obviously have some history behind them. But generally the characters feel believably ordinary, no wizards or kickass warriors here.

The plot is the usual thing - farmgirl revealed as a person of power, has to escape from bad guys who want to kill her. That's about it, really. So there's a lot of trudging through the scenery, interspersed with close encounters, and fraught escapes. But to be honest, most of the tension of the journey came from the natural hazards - the wild boar, the hornets' nest, the swamp, and so on. There is also a lot of detailed description of fishing and hunting expeditions, which the author is obviously quite knowledgeable about, and so will the reader be by the end of the book. For anyone who enjoys battles and hand to hand combat, this is probably not the book for you. There is a certain amount of fighting towards the end, and we are left in suspense as to the fate of several characters. However, there is never any doubt about Catrin's survival, so although the final scenes were quite dramatic, there wasn't a great deal of tension in them.

There's nothing actually wrong with this book. On the plus side, it's well thought out, the pacing is good, there are no typos. I liked that there are multiple point of view characters, even quite minor ones, and often quite brief, to keep us updated on other parts of the plot. But on the other hand, the plot is familiar and predictable, the characters are not especially interesting, and the world is nothing very special. The magic is a bit vague, but I assume more will be revealed in the rest of the series. It's just that nothing about the book really stands out. It's a workmanlike effort, and perfectly readable, but it never quite came alive for me and it's not intriguing enough to make me want to read the rest of the series. Three stars. (less)

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Sep 16, 2011 Nicki Markus rated it 3 of 5 stars

I grabbed a copy of this book when it was free on Kobo and it was certainly worth a read.

This is a fairly light fantasy piece that uses the well-worn idea of a 'saviour' rescuing their people, but gives it a fun new twist.

Catrin whined a bit at times, but overall I liked her character and felt she did develop somewhat during the story. Benjin was also an enjoyable secondary figure, though I would have liked to have seen some of the other secondary characters fleshed out more. There were also som...more

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Book Review of Call of the Herald - Godsland - Book 1	1	1	Mar 27, 2013 12:54am
Book discussion	6	7	Jan 24, 2013 04:50pm

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Genres

Fantasy

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Young Adult

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Fantasy > Epic Fantasy

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Science Fiction

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Fantasy > Magic

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Adventure

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Science Fiction Fantasy

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Epic

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Adult

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About Brian Rathbone

A former horse trainer and computer programmer, Brian Rathbone used his old world knowledge and love of fantasy fiction to create The World of Godsland fantasy series, which begins with The Dawning of Power trilogy.

The World of Godsland fantasy series includes:

Call of the Herald
Inherited Danger
Dragon Ore
Regent
Feral
Regal

More about Brian Rathbone...

Books by Brian Rathbone

Inherited Danger (The Dawning of Power, #2)

The Dawning of Power (World of Godsland #1-3) (The Dawning of Power #1-3)

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Quotes from Call of the Herald

“If you wish to find yourself, you must first admit you are lost.” — 12 people liked it

“This life is but a brief tenure, one of many perspectives a spirit must experience in the quest for eternity.” — 7 people liked it

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Call of the Herald (The Dawning of Power #1)

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