Raethwin. The Red Witch. Perhaps the greatest sorceress of her era. She sought to save her world. Instead she doomed it. The Firelord's Crown, source of her untold power. It brought about the impending disaster but Tamilin, Master Healer and Seer, believes it might also prove their salvation. There's just one problem. Raethwin's six companions fled when their homeland was destroyed and divided the Crown between them. Five made it to safety - the sixth vanished.Tamilin believes that it may lie far in the uncharted north and dispatches an expedition in search of it. Airen, lone survivor of the venture, reaches the land called Dinith, where he hopes to find the lost piece. Dinith, however, is a land in turmoil. Magic is forbidden, the glories of the past forgotten. Airen and his quest are not welcome but could Falath, the king's heir, be the ally that he desperately craves? Perhaps, but Falath, descendant of the Lost Ship, has his own secrets... The Firelord's Crown. An epic tale of magic and adventure. Harper Collins Authonomy gold medal winner. The heart of this fast-paced, enthralling fantasy story is the search for a missing piece of a legendary crown but it also explores the complex relationships between Prince Falath; Rollo, his kinsman and protector, and Airen, the outsider, bringer of mystery and magic. They each journey not only to find the segment of crown but also to discover how best to be true to their own natures.
The Firelord’s Crown by Dee Harrison is an epic fantasy about the seventeen-year-old crown prince Falath and his despairing flight from the powerful usurper of his father’s kingdom.
Treachery claims Falath’s bed-ridden father. The extent becomes clear when one of Rollo’s kinsmen, Malglint, reveals himself as a vassal to the conquering lord who has killed the king. Falath leaves his home with two companions: his cousin and sworn protector Rollo, and a foreigner-come-lately magician named Airen.
Falath and his friends are ever harried in his homeland. The hateful Malglint has a knack for trailing the prince’s party, plus has a deadly matter to settle with Rollo. Allies and double-crossers swirl into the prince’s path. The useful Airen swears to help, but harbors unsaid motivations that may jeopardize the prince.
Desperation finally convinces Falath to choose exile in Airen’s foreign land while Rollo stays behind. His cousin will kindle an uprising among the prince’s subjects who dislike the usurper’s rule. Things do not go as planned when the canny Malglint corners the three fugitives in a desperate fight at the edge of a precipice. The outcome is heartbreaking.
The Firelord’s Crown is a most satisfying start to a hero’s journey. Falath, Rollo, and Airen are likable guys who cannot catch a break. Harrison uses a masterful hand to describe the brutal winter weather and adrenalin-soaked fights. Malglint is my favorite kind of villain—despicable.
Readers who love epic fantasy and haggard flights through an unforgiving countryside would enjoy The Firelord’s Crown. Beware of the political intrigue. The story will have you all but trusting enemies and casting doubtful glances at your friends.
The Firelord’s Crown is stunning, high fantasy. I picked up this novel after reading the pitch and the first chapter, expecting something enthralling, but the scope of Harrison’s world building and the involvement I felt with her characters was beyond expectations. We begin in a kingdom frozen in the tundra, with a prince who is about to quickly, forcedly come of age. He is surrounded by a loyal kinsman, Rolo, a magelike man, Airen, and a destiny shrouded in secrets.
With a taste of both old and new, Harrison’s work reminds me of my days in Robin Hood’s Nottingham and also strikes me with a reminder of Kristen Britain’s ‘First Rider’ series. There is also an epic feel to The Firelord’s Crown, as if out of Tolkien’s mind, and yet I enjoyed The Firelord’s Crown more.
The entire work was stunning, but by far my favorite part was the final scene. Harrison does suspense extremely well.
After writing this review I’m immediately picking up my Kindle to begin the next in the series, Firelord’s Heir. Thank goodness I don’t have to wait.
Fantasy is my favorite genre and The Firelord’s Crown is an intricately woven story set in a vividly drawn fantasy world. The plot is suspenseful and the characters have been well developed. We set off with Airen on a quest and reach Dinith where the young prince Falath, the protagonist of the novel is trying to keep order in his kingdom.
The quest for a piece of a magical crown brings out hidden strength in the characters, builds and breaks relationships and is a fast paced adventure which will have you staying up all night. And when you finish, you want to reach for the next book in the series. A brilliant debut novel!
The Firelord’s Crown is a good sword and sorcery fantasy. It has two main driving factors to its plot. One is a revolution in progress, led by a character called Ormbrand. In this book, we find Ormbrand included only by reference. Much more important is Malglint, ostensibly a follower of Ormbrand, but also a member of the aristocracy currently being overthrown. He has a private agenda and his own goals. We see much more of him – almost too much.
The main characters are Falath, crown prince and later uncrowned king of Dinith – this seems to be the name of the country being overthrown – and his cousin Rollo. When we first meet Falath, he is dying of what turns out to be poison secretly being administered by the court physician. It is Airen, a healer from another country whom Rollo discovers being attacked in the woods by two rebels, who discovers the source of the problem and heals Falath. And not a moment too soon, either, because the revolution comes to the palace in almost the next breath. From then on the action happens so fast that Falath, Rollo, and Airen hardly get a chance to draw breath.
Falath and Rollo team up to lead a group of noblewomen and servants, and also Airen out of the castle and through the surrounding town, which by this time is on fire. Falath, who up until this point has had no interest in finding a wife, suddenly notices one of the women who takes his fancy.
Falath, Rollo, and Airen all have special powers, but each of them has different powers. One of Falath’s powers is that he can tell what will happen in the (near) future. Rollo’s special powers mostly involve fighting skills. Airen is primarily a healer.
They barely get clear of the town before Malglint is on their trail. He pushes them so hard that they never really have time to rest, and though they try their best to help each other, their powers are mostly depleted most of the time.
At one time Malglint catches them and almost burns Rollo at the stake. Magic is (as usual) distrusted and forbidden in their country, and even without any evidence, Rollo is presumed to be a magic user because his mother was reported to be a witch. Anyway, you can imagine what a drain on all their powers getting out of that predicament turns out to be.
Somewhere along their quest to get clear of Malglint and the other rebels, Airen tells Falath the story of the Firelord’s Crown, which he has been sent to try to reclaim the pieces of. This was his real reason for coming to Dinith. It seems Falath has one of these pieces. Furthermore, Airen thinks Falath is the right person to wield this crown once it is restored. So they set off for Airen’s homeland.
Unfortunately, Malglint attempts to pursue them even there. So, it will be into the next book or beyond before we find out whether the rest of the crown can be found, or whether Falath is the person to wield it. Or whether Rollo and Lady Maristan, the girl Rollo has found for himself, will even survive. (My guess is they will, but it doesn’t look good for either of them at this point.)
Fast paced classic fantasy, filled with amazing characters and events. Dee Harrison paints a picture with words, creating a masterpiece of a story. Highly recommended.
DNF- I just can't force myself to read it. There is potential, so two stars. Maybe I'll try again another time, but it dragged a bit too much to keep me engaged.
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I have to admit, for the first three chapters I thought I had made a mistake and that I was reading the second book first as I felt I had missed something when it came to getting to know the characters. I did eventually get them straight in my head and from there on the story flowed much better for me.
An ailing King, a prince in turmoil, a warrior kinsman and a healer. Forbidden magic, jealousy, betrayal and an enemy hell bent on their destruction. Falath, Rollo and Airen find themselves thrown together when their enemies, Malgint and Ormbrand, launch an attack on Dinith hoping to win the throne. Each of our trio have their own different reasons for undertaking the journey they embark on. Travel with them as they meet new friends and find themselves in more danger than they ever dreamed of.
I like fantasy stories but I wasn't sure I'd like this as I'm more a Vampire lover. For the first 20 minutes of reading I just felt like I couldn't get into the story. Exactly what snared my attention and kept me glued to the book, I'm not sure. I just know that hubby put our "Angels & Demons" DVD on and I totally ignored the movie in favour of this story and I really like that movie!!
What exactly did I like about this story? It has characters that develop throughout the story and by the end I really wanted to know what was gonna happen next. It's got action and even a little bit of a sweet love in there. I also liked the names of each character, they were new to me and quite unusual. I also liked their speech pattern, formal and kind of old style.
What did I dislike? The feeling that I had missed something and the fact that it took a little while to get into the story.
I did however give "The Firelord's Crown" 4 stars because it IS a good story, it made a nice change from the usual Paranormal Fiction that I love. The characters are believable and I did find myself absorbed by the end of the book. I'm looking forward to reading "Firelord's Heir" and seeing what lies in store on the next leg of their journey for Falath, Rollo and Airen.
If you are a fan of sword-and-sorcery novels then I'd recommend "The Firelord's Crown" because it's got plenty of both to go along with some pretty interesting characters and some very interesting places. Dee Harrison's novel, the first in what's meant to be a series, drops us into a dangerous world in the middle of a rebellion aimed at unseating the current rulers of a land caught in the grip of a harsh winter. It is chock full of battles, miraculous escapes from danger and there is a burgeoning love story woven nicely into its pages. It is a novel that examines in great detail the meaning of friendship and loyalty as its main characters attempt to escape from the clutches of those attempting to usurp the crown. Harrison also closely examines the trappings of power and their impact on a young prince who was never meant to rule because he was a second son. How he reacts to the fact that he may now have to rule a kingdom, assuming he lives through the rebellion, leads to some very intriguing passages in this book. She doesn't stop there, however, for she also examines the root causes that would lead a man to betray his honor and what that means when it happens. Harrison has a way of dragging the reader into the action that takes place in her book. Her main characters are appealing because they each have a purpose, whether it be for good or evil, and they are driven by it. Harrison makes us care about them, and that is the mark of a clever writer who is only going to get better as time goes by. I found "The Firelord's Crown" a great read and think you might too.
I first encountered an early version of this book about 6 years ago on Authonomy.com, so I was happy to find it (and its sequels!) available for purchase. This is a long book but rarely slow, filled with action, cultural detail, and well drawn characters. The opening expertly integrates setting with character with action, as young Prince Falath is caught in an avalanche and nearly goes over a cliff -- and almost wants to. Hints of tension in his family and the kingdom to which he is reluctant heir, as well as to the malady that is slowly killing him, hooked me and kept me turning the pages. A chance encounter with Airen, a mysterious young healer from a foreign land, solves one of Falath's problems but introduces another: sorcery is capital offense in the land of Dinith, and the royal family (including Falath) has strange abilities that must be kept secret. A coup soon has Falath on the run with his kinsman Rollo and their new friend Airen. A series of captures and escapes keeps the tension high as our heroes encounter new allies and enemies. When Falath learns that more than the fate of his own kingdom is at stake, he joins Airen's quest to return the lost piece of the Firelord's Crown to the healer's homeland, where Falath can wait the opportune moment to return and claim his throne. This first volume ends with a perhaps-literal cliffhanger, leaving the reader panting for more. Fortunately, several of the planned 5 volumes are already available, so you won't have to wait.
The Firelord’s Crown is one of those books I would like to own as a collector’s piece. With a hot cup of coffee in one hand and this book in the other, I settled in to read the opening chapters. Only I couldn’t put it down. This shows the standard of writing and an ‘edginess’ most readers really enjoy in this genre. Its winter and we meet seventeen-year-old Falath, Prince of Dinith, disguised in rags and walking beyond the city walls without an escort. Bracing himself against a storm, we wonder what has driven him to such madness. He’s an instantly likeable character and one we would enjoy getting to know. He resonates with readers yearning for escapism and a good challenge. I like the clear crisp prose and the lively pace, and there’s enough descriptive elements to get the imagination all fired up. The dialogue is correct for the era and I value the nuances of the time. Without doing a synopsis of the entire novel, I just want to say the chapters I read so far were extremely enjoyable. It's definitely a five-star read.
This story is about a quest to find all six pieces of the powerful Firelord's crown, a journey that demands crossing the deadly Marshes of Duil. The sixth and final piece, the Lost Talerii, also known as Vorien's section of the crown or the twin armrings of Chanon (the Chanon bracelets), went missing hundreds of years ago on the (sixth) Lost Ship. This story is also about relationships among rulers, friends, family, and descendants. The story takes place in the old world of Riom where lords, warriors, kings, personal bodythanes, and kinsmen live. Great detail and rich language with a renaissance style in each scene, a complex fantasy world is revealed little by little. Interesting characters such as Falath, Airen, and Lord Rollo the kinsman, as well as the quest to find the lost piece, kept me turning the pages.
Beautifully written, Dee Harrison weaves an interesting plot set in the charming old world of Riom. I look forward to reading book 2.
I am utterly impressed with this story. The author does a fantastic job drawing the readers in. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. But soon, I was so caught up in it, that I actually stayed up way past my bedtime reading it.
The characters are very well developed and I became very attached to them. I enjoyed the author’s vivid imagination and her ability to put it all so beautifully through her story. The plot was also well developed.
This story has it all. It’s full of adventure, fantasy, magic, action, the good versus evil, friendships, battles… ahh, the list goes on and on.
If you’re looking for a story to lose yourself into, I recommend this one. Looking forward to the rest of the books from this series.
The author's command of epic fantasy writing is astounding. Rich, descriptive language of scenes and characters, and in-depth usage of medieval terms largely ancient to us but vital in a fantasy novel. The grammar and style is nearly perfect.
My take on this book was that it seemed to lack a narrative at the beginning and does not set out what the end goal is. This is important for me as a reader. Also, it seemed that the descriptions, while well done, were excessive, and nearly every action, scene, or character was described in depth. After a while, it becomes tiring.
If the author could trim this book to focus more on pacing and action, and less on the description, this might be a top-notch novel for me.
The Firelord's Crown by Dee Harrison is an epic fantasy full of magic, high adventure and a brave quest. The descriptions are well-written and the characters will keep the reader glued to every page. Imagine a world devastated by misuse of magic and is now in the throes of an Ice Age. Add to this a quest for the Firelord's Crown split into six pieces which must be reunited to save the world now encrusted in ice. This epic saga has everything a fantasy enthusiast needs - high seas adventure immense battles, magic and great characters who develop throughout tis wonderful novel. So, if you’re after a classic style fantasy to take you away to faraway land then this book comes highly recommended. 5 Stars for this epic fantasy.
This is what fantasy stories are about. If you’re looking for a good fantasy story, look no more. This is it. I could easily see this story turned into a movie or even a role-play…The Firelord’s Crown is split into six pieces and the characters/players must go to a quest to find the pieces, reunite them and save the world…
I love Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings, Belgarion and a bunch of other high quality fantasy stories so The Firelord’s Crown was on top of my TBR list. Tempting, promising, waiting for the right moment, and when that moment came that I finally had the time to dive into it, boy what a magical journey it was.
This story has everything you can wish for…magic, adventure, suspense, the battles and so much more. Highly recommended!
The search for the last piece of a magical crown leads Airen to the remote land of Dinith. He finds the land in turmoil with a young prince being forced to assume the crown. Airen befriends Prince Falath, his cousin, Rollo, and Lady Maristan, daughter of a heretic lord. Prince Falath, being a descendent of the lost ship that had brought the crown to Dinith, has his own reasons for finding the crown. On their journey for the crown, this group finds adventure and surprises waiting for them. They soon learn who their friends are and which of their friends are enemies. This is a nice story for fans of fantasy and coming of age stories.
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantasy & Magic, November 30, 2014 By KAREN INGALLS Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: The Firelord's Crown (The Firelord's Legacy Book 1) (Kindle Edition) A story of fantasy, magic, good and evil, and intrigue. Since this is not a genre that I usually enjoy, I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. The characters are well described and though the names are uniquely different, I was able to "see" them and connect with them. A well written book that leaves the reader anxious to read the next book.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Firelord's Crown - an epic tale with a grand scope and memorable settings. The author does a superb job of putting the reader inside her vivid imagination as they explore the magical world of Dinith. The characters are complex and engaging - you are transported with them into their world of danger and magic.
The plot keeps you turning pages - this book was hard to put down! I'm looking forward to the next chapter of this amazing series. Highly recommended.
I just read Dee Harrison's Book 1 in The Firelord's Series. It's great. Her writing is notable for its attention to detail and strong character development. If you like fantasy and complexity, this is the series for you. The quest is on to find a missing piece of a legendary crown. From there, the author demonstrates a skill for world building and compelling descriptions of layered relationships among the characters. Read the entire series!
Review : Review : A Medieval type book with a flare. I am still not sure though if you would call it Hercules type or Knights of the round table. Very interesting tale and enjoyable.
Highly recommended
Rating: A+ I loved it! BOOKANGELS12 WAS GIVEN A COPY TO READ AND REVIEW.
This book is very well written. Kudos to author! When the sequels become available in my price range, I will be reading them with great pleasure. Thanks to the author!