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Empyreal Fate (Llathalan Annal #1)

Rachel Hunter (Goodreads Author)

3.98 · Rating details · 49 Ratings · 21 Reviews

Filled to the brim with forbidden love, an ancient evil, and a nation in disrepair, Empyreal Fate is a tale of riveting bravery and mortal corruption.

The land of Llathala lingers on the brink of war between men and elves, a dark history surrounding each race. Stirred by tensions of the land, a shadow of the past reemerges, taking precedence in reality and consuming the ve ...more

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Paperback, 264 pages

Published May 8th 2012 by Hydra Publications (first published April 2012)

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May 13, 2012 M.L. Woolley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I love to read new authors and am frequently surprised how good they write. This is another author that has an original story, twists and turns and kept my attention from page one to the end. The characters are so well written and jump off the pages as I stepped inside their world and followed them through their story. I would recommend this book to anyone- fantasy or other genres. It has something for everyone and is a real page turner. I am looking forward to the next book in the series! Very ...more

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May 27, 2012 Beth rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: making-connections-ya, ya, young-adult, elves, fairies-fae, fairies, fantasy

Empyreal Fate is a story of the land of Llathala. Llathala is a land occupied by elf and human and they have a tenuous peace treaty which is slowly unraveling. War seem eminent, corruption from within both sides wish to rend this land apart for personal gain. Darrion, human son to a farmer’s family runs across Amarya, elf princess, in the woods while hunting for food. Can Darrion and Amarya overcome the forbidden friendship, feeling of love, an evil possession and ultimately fight to save their ...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Gwen Perkins rated it it was amazing

The beauty and grandeur of times now lost to us are rediscovered in Empyreal Fate, the first of what I hope is many in this fantasy saga. Empyreal Fate is a story of young love but more importantly, it is a story of sweeping passions. Hatred, revenge, and what it means to fight for the things that you treasure are among the themes explored in this tale.

Though the main characters are compelling, I found myself sympathizing with a few of the minor characters deeply as well because of the subtletie ...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Brian rated it it was amazing

With Empyreal Fate, Rachel Hunter has proven, at an incredibly young age, that she is a fantasy writer to keep an eye on. I'm not saying that this is a good book for an author who is so young; I'm saying that Rachel Hunter is well beyond her years in her ability to craft an amazing story that is beautifully written and stands with some of the best fantasy works out there.

The story follows Darrion and his brother Drevan in a world in which the races of humans and elves have been kept separate for With Empyreal Fate, Rachel Hunter has proven, at an incredibly young age, that she is a fantasy writer to keep an eye on. I'm not saying that this is a good book for an author who is so young; I'm saying that Rachel Hunter is well beyond her years in her ability to craft an amazing story that is beautifully written and stands with some of the best fantasy works out there.

The story follows Darrion and his brother Drevan in a world in which the races of humans and elves have been kept separate for years, each side forbidden to make contact with the other(the history is well explained in the prologue). Due to the tyrannical leadership Rhothdyn, the human king, Darrion finds himself treading the border of the elven kingdom to help his family. He meets an elf named Amarya, daughter of the elven king, creating what could become a catalyst for a war between the races. From here, the story takes flight with romance, betrayal, sinister presences form the past and more.

The author's words are brilliantly woven in this introduction to an epic series. Her characters are strong and varied, each with their own personalities and motivations. Her heroes are genuinely likable without being perfect, her villains deviously crafted to give you further reason to cheer for those that oppose them.

The story has a little of everything: action, adventure, romance, mystery, and has some genuinely heart-warming moments as well as some genuinely gut-wrenching moments. You truly feel what the characters are going through. There is a definite Tolkienesque feel to the book, the story markedly influenced by his works, though with a fresh voice. This does not feel derivative by any means.

I have two small issues. First, there is a bit of a barrier to entry to Empyreal Fate. The language, though nicely crafted, is of the "grab your thesaurus" variety, which, when added to the info-dump nature of the prologue, may make getting into this book a bit intimidating for some readers. To those readers, I say, do yourself a favor and keep going. You won't be disappointed. The second is probably more of a warning than a complaint. In the ebook version, the last 25% of the book is previews of other books from this publisher. Though Empyreal Fate is fairly lengthy, I was a bit disappointed when I reached an absolutely amazing part of the story at 75% and turned the page to see it was over. However, the ending is a perfect draw for the next book.

Well done, Ms. Hunter. This is an amazing first novel as well as an amazing introduction to your series and I look forward to your future works. ...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Heather Boustead rated it really liked it

Shelves: action-adventure, ebook, fantasy, romance

Empyreal Fate
A Llathalan Annal
By Rachel Hunter

Llathala is a land full of mythical beings we know only in tales, separated by woods lives the elves and the humans who are on the verge of war. One day Darrion, the son of a poor laborer is foraging in the woods for food when he stumbles upon Amarya, one of the elven royals, forever changing his life. In the midst of the turmoil will Darrion and Amarya find a way to be together or will they be ripped apart because of where they come from?

First off ...more

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May 28, 2012 Michael rated it it was amazing

Why are you wasting time reading this review? Pick the book up, start reading, and don't stop until you reach the end. This is the first book in a series and you are already behind the rest of us.

What? You need more?

Fine....

It is a book of Fantasy. What does that mean? Well, if you think it’s a happy little fairytale, then you're dead wrong. This is an imperfect world and heroes do not always win. Corruption and hate has wormed its way through the lives of men and elves alike. Brother will be tu ...more

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Jul 18, 2012 James Eggebeen rated it it was amazing

This was a great read from start to finish. I loved the slightly archaic feel to the language. The characterization was rich and deep and drew me in. I had a hard time putting it down once I started. Rachel Hunter has done a great job bringing us into the world she has created where the elves and humans are poised on the brink of war.

Many of the things I would expect to find in a good fantasy novel were here, along with a few things I had not expected, that added to the richness of the character ...more

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May 20, 2012 Gwen Perkins rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Review to follow.

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Jan 18, 2013 Elisabeth Wheatley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure-and-magic, fantasy, indies, kindle-freebies, obtained, reviewed, progress-post, sad-endings, evil-wizards, action-fix

I’ve been meaning to read this book for about a year and when the opportunity came to download it for free came up, I couldn’t resist! Empyreal Fate is far from an easy read. Written in a complex style, it utilizes archaic language and metaphors which give it great beauty, but can be a little difficult to keep up with at times. It has romance, it has ancient evil, it has vengeful scorned suitor, it has magic, and all the ingredients of a wonderful legend. I think it’s all original, but it feels I’ve been meaning to read this book for about a year and when the opportunity came to download it for free came up, I couldn’t resist! Empyreal Fate is far from an easy read. Written in a complex style, it utilizes archaic language and metaphors which give it great beauty, but can be a little difficult to keep up with at times. It has romance, it has ancient evil, it has vengeful scorned suitor, it has magic, and all the ingredients of a wonderful legend. I think it’s all original, but it feels like a story written a century ago, which I find incredible. There is one scene in particular that deals with rape, which I more or less skipped, but from what I saw it seemed graphic to me. For that reason, I do not classify it as YA or recommend it to YA readers.

The plot:
This book is clearly meant to be the opening to a larger series. The plot takes you on a twisting, winding path, following the stories of multiple characters and switching POV quite frequently. While I could get frustrated with the swapping perspectives, I have immense respect for the time, effort, and deep philosophy that went into this story. Rachel Hunter is definitely an old soul and her story shocked me with its magnificent and epic style. I think this is a very special story that needs a special audience to appreciate it. I think the story runs around 250 pages, but it reads like a novel at least twice that length, there is so much packed into the pages.

The characters:
The characters were fascinating and mostly individualistic. Their attributes tended to be extreme as is the way of characters in epic fantasy, but I did care about and loathe all the right ones. Their relationships were complex and simple at the same time, their dialogue was a bit archaic, but that fit in with the rest of the story.
Though there are many characters whose perspectives we get to see, the main focal points are Amarya, the elf princess, and Darrion, the son of a humble farmer with a fierce protectiveness over his little sister and a warmongering brother. Their romance was breathtaking and tragic at once, as is the nature of these stories. I really, really hope their current situation changes in the future books, because I’m a huge sucker for HEA and I know that sometimes it’s about the story, but…well, like I said, I’m a sucker for HEA.
I got kind of mad at everybody, including Amarya, for keeping Amarya and Darrion apart. Her sense of duty to her people was admirable, but could come across as a “holier-than-thou” attitude at times. There was one character, Laervyen, who is an elf lord seeking to win over Amarya and I think I hated him most of all. I just wanted somebody to shoot him or knife him, just throttle him, and get it over with. He was one of the top three evil characters in this book and…yes, I’ve been reading too many stories about assassins lately and I’m kind of mean, but…if you read the book, I dare you not to want him dead, too!

Empyreal Fate is not a fluffy beach read nor a cozy cup-of-tea kind of book. It is deep, it is profound, but it is definitely worth looking into. I recommend it to fans of epic fantasy and readers who appreciate books with higher complexity levels.
...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Horton Deakins rated it it was amazing

It is said that that a picture is worth a thousand words. In Empyreal Fate, Rachel Hunter conjures up dramatic, vibrant images in your mind’s eye with far fewer words, images that will leave you breathless, angry, amused, rejoicing, tickled, and tearful. I found myself both transfixed and transformed by the story, as if I were actually living the tale, even when I paused from my reading.

Her style has been likened to that of Tolkien, and I cannot disagree, but it is a style and a chronicle all it It is said that that a picture is worth a thousand words. In Empyreal Fate, Rachel Hunter conjures up dramatic, vibrant images in your mind’s eye with far fewer words, images that will leave you breathless, angry, amused, rejoicing, tickled, and tearful. I found myself both transfixed and transformed by the story, as if I were actually living the tale, even when I paused from my reading.

Her style has been likened to that of Tolkien, and I cannot disagree, but it is a style and a chronicle all its own. Another comparison comes to mind, however. Before personal computers, before complex graphics, there existed a computer game known simply as “Cave,” sometimes called “Adventure” or “The Colossal Cave Adventure Game.” In this game, the player entered commands by typing only a few short words, and the computer then responded only with text. This required the player to have a vivid imagination, yes, but the game both fed the imagination and drew imagination out of the player; thus it pulled the player deeper and deeper into the game. After a time, the world of the game and the world of the player seemed to meld into one, and the distinction became insignificant. This is what I experienced. I stayed late at work for hours playing the game, but at home, everything I did was still “the game.” This was decades ago, and that sensation has long since been lost to me—lost until, that is, I read Empyreal Fate. Once again, the possibility of transitioning into another, magical realm has returned, enabling escape from this mundane world we mortals share.

Ms. Hunter has an unbelievable command of the English language for one so young, and if your vocabulary is not tested by her book, then by the Fates you are reading too fast. The story never relents, it spares you no mercy; it seizes your psyche and holds you firm until it has its way with you, and then it leaves you, a quivering mass upon the floor, begging for more. I scarcely can breathe in anticipation of the second volume, so I implore the author and publisher to make haste in its release before I require the attention of an herbalist.

Ms. Hunter has a long, illustrious career as a writer ahead of her, of that I am quite certain. One of such amazing talent and skill will not be made to wait long before being “discovered.” She is definitely one to watch!

Please, someone—start the screenplay. This has got to be made into a movie.
...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Mandy rated it really liked it

Shelves: first-in-series, fantasy, read-2012, read2review, rd-reviews

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and I understand my opinion will be respected by the tour organiser/hosts and the author. The book is the story of Llathala a land where humans and elves stand divided. The humans kingdom is Erandor, ruled by King Rhothdyn and the Lady Saydra. King Rhothdyn rules with cruelty and causes fear of the unknown in his people. He fears that the people will rise against him because he has not created a heir, but their fear of the elves kee
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and I understand my opinion will be respected by the tour organiser/hosts and the author. The book is the story of Llathala a land where humans and elves stand divided. The humans kingdom is Erandor, ruled by King Rhothdyn and the Lady Saydra. King Rhothdyn rules with cruelty and causes fear of the unknown in his people. He fears that the people will rise against him because he has not created a heir, but their fear of the elves keeps them at bay.
The elf kingdom of Androth is ruled by Sethran who's wife passed with the birth of his daughter and heir Amarya. He's unlike King Rhothdyn, he rules with compassion and hopes for peace between the two kingdoms.

The book focus's around the lives of Amarya and Darrion two people from different worlds who's fate is crossed. They instantly form a connection on a chance meeting each attracted to the other. Amarya has a suitor Laervyen who follows her everywhere and catches her conversations with Darrion. He also catches another mortal human in the forest and shoots him with a arrow at the time unknown that it was Darrion's older brother he had shot. Darrion returns to Erandor to learn that his brother is missing, he later finds him in the forest dying.

Darrion begs Amarya to save his brother but she' can't leave Adroth, but instead asks the fairy Nisse if she would journey into the kingdom of man and heal him. Which she agree's to do, and the pair set off for Darrions home. Only when Nisse has a chance to touch Darrion's brothers head does she see the true darkness that hovers inside. Against better judgement Nisse heals Drevan from the poison of the arrow.

I found the story entertaining, it keep me drawn in, and I couldn't put it down I had to know more about Amarya and Darrion. I find the characters are well developed you have enough to love them or hate them. It's a unique story to me because you start to connect with all the character, The creation of the world of Llathala is unlike anything I've read before, it's unique and fascinating. I'm curious to see how the next book will play out. ...more

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May 20, 2012 JennRenee rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2012

A beautifully written story, intriguing and mysterious, I absolutely loved the story.

The story of an Elf destined to bring peace to her people and a boy who’s only desire is to keep his family fed and protected. The two meet and it puts everything into motion.

The characters of this story really drew me in. Amayra is a beautiful elf who is of royal blood. Although the book never states an age I assume she in a young adult or on the brink of adulthood. She is close to her father and he has taught
A beautifully written story, intriguing and mysterious, I absolutely loved the story.

The story of an Elf destined to bring peace to her people and a boy who’s only desire is to keep his family fed and protected. The two meet and it puts everything into motion.

The characters of this story really drew me in. Amayra is a beautiful elf who is of royal blood. Although the book never states an age I assume she in a young adult or on the brink of adulthood. She is close to her father and he has taught her kind ways. I love the relationship between Amayra and her father.

Darrion is a man of action. He is loyal to his family over his King and will do what is needed to keep his family from starving. There were times I was so mad at Darrion, he is smart but at times so dumb. He cannot see evil when evil is right in front of him.

The villains of the story was so easy to hate. From the beginning I was able to see who the evil would come from but the amount of evil they had was unbelievable. The actions they take, the depths they go to, it sickened me.

I felt a real connection to both of the main characters and felt a strong need to love or hate all the characters. I think the connections really kept the story moving for me. I really wanted to know more of their story and where it was taking me. With every joy and every suffering I felt it inside. There were moments I felt love and joy, then pure hatred, then real despair. It was definite emotional roller coaster ride for me.

The story was well paced for me. The beginning was a little slow. I think that it was solely due to the writing style. It’s not one I am used to and took me a bit to get into the flow. Once I did. The story took off and I wasn’t able to put the book down. The writing style is different but it is beautiful and the world that is created was like a dream for me. Rachel Hunter did an exceptional job in creating this world and in a way that painted the pictures so clearly in my mind.

Overall I loved this book and can’t wait to see more. Even though it took just a bit to get into my reading mojo with the style, I am very happy I invested myself in this story. It was spectacular. ...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Shaheen rated it liked it · review of another edition

I am glad that I got the chance to read Empyreal Fate and was surprised that the young writer delivered such an engaging tale of forbidden love set in a politically volatile world. While the ideas presented in the book are simple, Hunter’s writing style gives it a wonderful complexity. She examines the motivations of each of her characters very well and introduces us to an interesting world that I want to know more about.

One of the best aspects of the book is the separation the author achieves b ...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Finitha Jose rated it really liked it

'Empyreal Fate' is the first book in the series of 'A Llathalan Annal' and envisages an epic story. Book fares as an introduction and the real story has just begun towards the end.
Smooth and elegant!, that will be the description I prefer though mixed feelings rise within. Language could pose a threat to some, but if you are acquainted with the style of Walter Scott novels, no need to perspire. Words are well-chosen and charming; Rachel has successfully created a medieval atmosphere.
There is s ...more

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Jun 05, 2012 Kat (Kindred Dreamheart) rated it really liked it

Shelves: e-reader

To fully appreciate such a novel, one must be well familiar in the cadence of EPIC style of writing: for it will indeed take a full page to fully acquaint a singular action. I once attempted to read an Epic style novel and I didn’t even get past the fifth page. Needless to say, I saw this novel as a challenge. At first things weren’t looking so well. Twenty pages felt like 2000 and I’d admit I have a short attention span. After forcing myself to focus I was able to appreciate the eerie band of c ...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Bri •Books and Bri• rated it really liked it

Empyreal Fate is a magical tale woven by Rachel Hunter, a teenager whose imagination knows no bounds. (Published teenager? Color me impressed!) She far surpasses others of her age by producing this beautiful and lyrical read, and this fantastical story grabbed my attention immediately and continued to hold it until the very last page.

Please pardon the following (and brief) fangirl moments! Moment #1: YAY for YA Epic Fantasy reads! There are not nearly enough out there, in my opinion. Moment #2: ...more

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May 28, 2012 James Peercy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

An epic adventure.

Step into the age of Empyreal Fate where heart's desire and man's desire clash in epic proportions. It truly is a world of forbidden, yet necessary, love for without it the world cannot be whole. Both kingdoms, man and elf, have become rotten from the inside out. Each side feels this, knows this, but no one will admit to its existence. In an effort to find a mutual connection, Darrion and Amarya start down a path which can only end one way.

The book is very intriguing, drawing o ...more

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Nov 14, 2012 William Stuart rated it really liked it

Empyreal Fate - High Fantasy Done Well

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of the book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

In Empyreal Fate, Rachel Hunter has created an entire fantasy world that simply teems with memorable characters, rich dialogue, and a plot with intriguing twists. The main human characters are brothers, who end up at odds with one another, but the role of their young sister remains a mystery; the elves battle palace intrigue, and unwanted marriage proposals. Intertwined in ...more

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May 17, 2013 Robert rated it really liked it

This book barely gets a four. It needs attention from a good editor for it to get a higher score.

The story is solid and the characters are mostly believable, but the verbiage is often necessarily and inappropriately “high-falutin” for its intended readership.

The map at the beginning of the book should be at the end. It is not needed in this volume at all. Merely the fact that the enmity between Erandor and Androth is based on their proximity is sufficient to convey the intent of the plot develop ...more

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Jan 01, 2018 D.L. Gardner rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I really love Rachel Hunter's work. She has a freshness about her stories and her characters and Empyreal Fate is another wonderful example.

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May 27, 2012 Sannie Hald rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, read2review, read-2012, could-not-finish, free

I received a copy from Rachel Hunter for an honest review

So I have to be completely honest, and I have to say this book was not for me. And it may be bold for me to say as I liked the story as far as I got. However, I really dislike the epic written form. I haven't read many epics in my life, and those I have read in English I have struggled with. Maybe it is because I am not a native english speaking person, so I find the language difficult. And I also think that the 'epic' makes it seem longe ...more

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Cody Smith rated it it was amazing
Mar 05, 2014

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Jun 10, 2012

P. Industry rated it it was ok
Aug 08, 2017

Apr 24, 2012 Rachel Hunter rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

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Jan 28, 2015

Tee rated it really liked it
Dec 16, 2012

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Making Connections: 457. EMPYREAL FATE (A Llathalan Annal) by Rachel Hunter	15	75	Aug 21, 2012 10:44PM
Rainy's Book Realm: New Release: Empyreal Fate (A Llathalan Annal)	1	4	Apr 27, 2012 10:06PM
Goodreads Authors...: (New Release): Empyreal Fate - New Epic Fantasy	1	8	Apr 25, 2012 05:13PM
Fantastic Fantasy...: Empyreal Fate - New Epic Fantasy	1	5	Apr 25, 2012 04:55PM

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About Rachel Hunter

Rachel Hunter

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Born in 1993, Rachel Hunter has always been fascinated with words and the intricate way in which they combine. Since a child, she has been an avid writer, winding vibrant tales and elaborate stanzas on folded bits of paper.

As the years passed, her love of words never died; her adoration for reading fared no equal. Always with her nose in a book, Rachel took fondly to works spanning all genres. Yet ...more

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