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Dead Stars - Part One

(Emaneska #3)

Ben Galley (Goodreads Author)

4.25 · Rating details · 332 ratings · 34 reviews

The sky is falling.
The world trembles beneath it.
Emaneska is crying out for a saviour.

Somebody is hunting down the Written mages in the wilds. Murdering and skinning them alive. Who? A mere girl. A girl who was born to rip the stars from the sky and bring them crashing down to earth. The direst enemy Emaneska has ever faced.

In the wake of the Battle of Krauslung, the ...more

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Paperback, First Edition, 482 pages

Published May 31st 2013 by BenGalley.com

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Aug 15, 2018 Damien Black rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 14, 2013 Hels rated it it was amazing

Shelves: epic-fantasy

I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of this book. Having really enjoyed The Written & Pale Kings I was looking forward to reading this one. Ben is a master story teller, his descriptive language really brings the book to life. His characters are believable & the storyline exciting, once I started I just couldn't put it down. (Most of it was read in my breaks at work on my iPhone, such was my enthusiasm to keep reading). A truly brilliant book!

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Feb 19, 2019 Connie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Fabulous, I've loved every page of this epic fantasy, though there have been times where I've wanted to reach into the page and give Farden a bloody good shake. Anyway must go got to start Dead Stars part two.

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May 26, 2013 Mieneke rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, 2013

Dead Stars is the concluding novel to Ben Galley's Emaneska series. The book is so big; Ben has released it in two volumes, the first of which I'll review today. Discussing this book will unavoidably provide spoilers for books one and two, The Written and Pale Kings respectively. If you want to remain unspoiled for the prior books, please click away or skip to the last paragraph of this review.

Ben Galley is one of the two self-pubbed authors I've reviewed on the blog and as such is somewhat of a Dead Stars is the concluding novel to Ben Galley's Emaneska series. The book is so big; Ben has released it in two volumes, the first of which I'll review today. Discussing this book will unavoidably provide spoilers for books one and two, The Written and Pale Kings respectively. If you want to remain unspoiled for the prior books, please click away or skip to the last paragraph of this review.

Ben Galley is one of the two self-pubbed authors I've reviewed on the blog and as such is somewhat of a rare breed. While I enjoyed the story of his Emaneska series so far, I had some trouble with his treatment of his female characters and some, admittedly highly personal, issues with his writing style. While Dead Stars: part one definitely continues the strong story, unfortunately Galley's female characters remain problematic and his prose still doesn't sit easy with me.

The story picks up fifteen years after the ending of Pale Kings. Arka is rebuilding under the joint leadership of Durnus and Tyrfing, but reconstructing a city and a society that have been so thoroughly shattered, is proving to be more difficult than anyone could have thought. Magick has begun to flourish, turning up in surprising places and individuals and the events in Pale Kings has caused an upwelling of new religious cults and sects. The consequences of Farden's choices haunt those in Krauslung in the form of his murdering daughter. The forbidden fruit of his union with his dead lover Cheska, she has begun to kill off mages and especially Written at an alarming rate. Meanwhile Farden has disappeared to Albion to eke out an existence which will let him forget his losses, leaving those who care for him behind. Galley intersperses this narrative with flashbacks to the creation of the Scalussen Nine, the legendary knights, parts of whose magical armour are Farden's most treasured possessions. We don't see much of the intervening years and the book only picks up the story once things are once again coming to a head. Galley builds up his narrative tension to a massive crescendo at the end of the book where we have a natural break in the action to end this first part and switch to the second. While the build-up is well done, a large section of the book remains exactly that, the build-up to the main plot of the book: Farden's need to deal with his daughter. While logical in light of this only being half the book, it still creates the illusion of a lot of pages invested and little pay off. Then again, even if there is a lot of setting the stage involved with the first third of this volume, the narrative doesn't drag anywhere; it all seemingly has a function.

At the beginning of The Written I had a hard time connecting to Farden, because he was a hard character to pin down, especially in the early parts of the book he's unlikeable and I wasn't sure whether he was the good guy or the bad guy. For much of this volume he is quite unlikeable, and in some places even unsympathetic. Taking all he's been through into account it's perhaps not a surprising development, but it was rather hard to read about Farden's retreat into darkness. As such, the way Galley starts to draw him back into human society was quite well done and makes even the slightest smile encouraging. Tyrfing, Durnus, and Modren remain much as they were before, though worn by responsibility. A new character I rather liked was Loki, one of the younger gods who is embodied and comes to Emaneska to help the Arka protect themselves against Farden's daughter. The mixture of aloof godling and curious youngster was appealing. Loki keeps tasting and sniffing things, because he doesn't know what it's like to be human and all these sense are new to him.

In general, Galley's characters are good, though not all of them well-rounded, except for his female characters. It feels as if I keep harping on this with this series, but that is because there is a lot of potential in these ladies and it's sad to see it peter out. This manifests most clearly with Elessi. What is it with Elessi? The only agency she seems to have is the desire to land herself a Written husband. In addition, her anger at or perhaps even hatred of Farden is somewhat over the top. Yes, he broke her heart, but this vindictiveness just didn't seem to fit the Elessi from the previous books. The two main antagonists in the story Samara and Lilith are just villains with no other dimensions. I felt like Samara's motivations could have been far more developed and instead we just get her desire for revenge on the people who killed her supposed father, Vice. There are two more women who have a significant part in the narrative. The first is Moirin, the abused trophy wife of one of the Albion Dukes, who seemingly is only there to provide some motivation for Farden's dislike of her husband. The second is Jeasin, an Albion whore who reminds Farden of Cheska, who is forced to betray him and who he is pressured into taking along back to Krauslung. At one point he even describes her as 'just a lump of baggage' and beyond a desire to protect her girls, she doesn't really seem to have an agenda of her own, and even that is taken away once Farden whisks her to Krauslung. And that is the extent of significant female characters. I kept wondering what had happened to Lerel and the Sirens? Hopefully they'll make an appearance in the second volume of the book, as they seem to be the only hope for a strong female character.

Galley's prose is becoming an ever lighter shade of lavender and so became easier to connect with for me. It'll be interesting to see whether this development continues. This being volume one of the book, it's not surprising that there is absolutely no resolution of the story, whatsoever. But the final chapters of the book raise the stakes and I wonder how Galley will conclude the series in the final volume. Hopefully Elessi and the other ladies will find themselves some agency and we'll see some more of the Sirens and the dragons too. Because however many flaws I point out, in the end Dead Stars: part one is a good story, one that kept me entertained and invested and one I want to see through to the end.

This book was provided for review by the author. ...more

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Sep 04, 2017 Mrs.H. rated it really liked it

Absolutely amazing series - loved it. Unusual fantasy - would highly recommend.

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Apr 08, 2013 Martin Belcher rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2013

Another brilliant book by Ben Galley the third in the very original "Emaneska" series, Dead Stars part one continues the story where Pale Kings ended. Fifteen years later the great city of Krauslung has been rebuilt after the disastrous battle. Tyrfing, Farden's uncle and the blind vampyre Durnus are the new twin Arkmages and Modren is undermage but all is not well.... Farden has disappeared and worse still someone is tracking down and killing the written one by one.. Can Farden's powerful ...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Mary Beth rated it it was amazing

Awesome follow-up to The Written and Pale Kings! I'm immediately starting Dead Stars Part 2 as I just can't wait. I have really enjoyed this series tremendously. Ben has huge talent and a brilliant future ahead of him.

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Jan 07, 2020 Victor rated it really liked it

Like a fine wine (although I don't actually drink much wine) this series is getting better and better. This book gives us an insight into the lives of many of the main characters following on from the aftermath of what happened at the end of the second book culminating in an epic final battle. I really enjoyed this instalment and look forward to moving onto the fourth and final book to see how it all ends.

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May 07, 2013 Paul Nelson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2013-books-read

After the epic conclusion of Pale kings, we initially join the story nine years later with the return of Lilleth the seer and Samara, Farden's Daughter. Lilleth was entrusted by Vice, to bring up Samara, fill her head with lies and hatred, to bring to fruition the evil plans of Vice.
Samara is nine years old and has been slowly but surely brainwashed, poisoned against those who could possibly have any feelings for her and the truth kept as far from her as possible.
They keep a low profile, After the epic conclusion of Pale kings, we initially join the story nine years later with the return of Lilleth the seer and Samara, Farden's Daughter. Lilleth was entrusted by Vice, to bring up Samara, fill her head with lies and hatred, to bring to fruition the evil plans of Vice.
Samara is nine years old and has been slowly but surely brainwashed, poisoned against those who could possibly have any feelings for her and the truth kept as far from her as possible.
They keep a low profile, travelling in the countryside, staying in small inn's as Lilleth instructs Samara in the ways of murder, brutal but with a purpose as their goal becomes written mage's and the tattooed books they possess on their bodies. Her power is developing under the seer's guidance, hatred blossoming, she is a tool under destructive guidance and she will bring devastation.
All Krauslung has searched for them for many years but none have come close and long will they continue.

We leap another six years into the future as we join the self imposed exile of Farden, fifteen years after the battle for Krauslung. Farden has changed dramatically, addicted to the drug nevermar, his magick long forgotten but still highly accomplished with a blade. He works as an assassin for the Duke of Kiltyrin in Albion, hidden from all who search for him and a solitary recluse. His employer takes an interest in the armour Farden wears, the Scalussen armour that has seen him age not a day since he started wearing it and the Duke will do anything to get it.

In Krauslung the search for Farden intensifies as events unfold, Durnus and Tyrfing are now the Arkmages and rulers of Krauslung and in collaboration with the Gods Heimdall and Loki, who they send to seek him out. Not only do the Arkmages face the impending doom of Samara but also the political back stabbing of their council some of whom would see them cast aside.

Also running in parallel to the story in Krauslung is the story of Korrin set 1568 years earlier, Korrin is the son of a farmer and he is chosen as one of the nine, an unlikely choice he is trained in the arts of warfare but the reasons are kept from him and his comrades.

There is the introduction of more major characters for the series, the most prominent being the God Loki, who faces the impossible task of bringing Farden home, Farden's stubbornness remains a distinguishing feature of his character and their interaction is a highlight of the story. Samara also develops into an interesting character, influenced heavily by the evil seer but you can't help feeling there is some way back for her even as their plans unfold.
Dead Stars part 1 sets up the events for the finale perfectly, you may not agree with the choices Farden makes but he is still a riveting character, if not as formidable as he was in the previous novels but the path he must take is obvious to all but himself and its certainly good reading as he stumbles and circumnavigates around every corner.
Luckily we don't have to wait for to long for the release of the final novel as Dead Stars parts 1 & 2 are to be released simultaneously.
...more

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Jul 03, 2013 Mitchell rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

This book continues the story of Farden, the anti-hero mage. It's actually quite a heart-wrenching book as it deals with the emotional aftermath of Farden seeing the woman he loves die and his daughter escape, potentially to fulfill the dark prophesy surrounding her birth. Farden, in this book, reminded me a lot of Don Draper from Mad Men: he is amazingly skilled when he is properly engaged, and we can't help liking him and rooting for him despite his bad choices and self-destructive tendencies. This book continues the story of Farden, the anti-hero mage. It's actually quite a heart-wrenching book as it deals with the emotional aftermath of Farden seeing the woman he loves die and his daughter escape, potentially to fulfill the dark prophesy surrounding her birth. Farden, in this book, reminded me a lot of Don Draper from Mad Men: he is amazingly skilled when he is properly engaged, and we can't help liking him and rooting for him despite his bad choices and self-destructive tendencies. You know that if he would just show a little humility or gratitude, so much would change, but he seems incapable to show the smallest dependence on anyone else.

This book is a full 15 years after the events of "The Pale Kings", and the years have not been kind to Farden. If you're expecting the same master mage that was in the last two books, you'll be disappointed. Farden has sunk into a pit of self-loathing and anger, and a lot of the book is spent trying to see if he'll be able to pull himself out of it.

Farden's armor, including the seeminly thrown-in-because-they're-cool vambraces from the first book, are finally explored in detail. It's hard to tell if this was always intended from the beginning, but Ben has really woven it into the main storyline with a lot of skill. That part of the book was really interesting and probably could have been expanded into its own book.

It has been fun to see Ben's progression as an author, and he seems to have things well in hand at this point. His books do tend to follow similar pattern, especially ending as they do with large battles. However, he has, so far, avoided the sort of shortcuts that one would expect when the main character is a wreck; no jumps in time, no sudden changes of heart. Farden has really screwed himself up and there are consequences to that that we are seeing in this book. The question is, how will that resolve itself in the last book?

These are fun books, and it's tough to stop reading them once you get going. I'm looking forward to seeing how it all ends. ...more

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May 30, 2013 James rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy

This is so much better than Galley's last two books. The difference is stunning, but it's obvious that it's still the same author. He just worked hard and improved significantly.

I was a little tired of the characters from the previous two books, but I think if the previous two had been written with the quality of this one it would not have been the case. When Galley is done with these characters and does a new story altogether, his improved writing will serve him very well. He has earned a spot ...more

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Jul 19, 2013 Bev rated it liked it

This is the third book in the series but I get the feeling that is should have been book 2 or another series altogether.

I enjoyed book 2 but the beginning of book 3 was a step back. Farden was back to being a druggy and whining and feeling sorry for himself. Time has moved on and fifteen years have passed but farden has not aged due to his Scalussen armour. The drug Nevermar has coooked his memories and he is a part time assassin. Then his half daemon daughter appears and farden is dragged back ...more

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Oct 07, 2014 CF rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

Fantastic. The best of this compelling series so far.

Set about fifteen years after the last book. A mysterious girl has appeared, and she is targeting Written all across the land, once they encounter her they don't get far. Why is this happening?

Meanwhile Farden has become surly, complacent and sold his soul to the man. However when a real threat comes along can be be convinced to help? Or is he too wrapped up in his own problems?

The characters in this are so two sided, no one is inherently ...more

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Apr 04, 2016 Lou rated it it was amazing

I discovered Ben Galley and his work around a year or so ago and was immediately impressed. I started the "Emaneska" series, but (for reasons unknown) I took a massive break before starting on "Dead Stars".

Galley's writing has always been good, but "Dead Stars - Part One" is on another level. I love Farden's development throughout this novel; he is fast becoming one of my all-time favourite characters. I also really enjoyed reading the parts about Samara and I'm interested to see where Galley ...more

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May 06, 2013 Stephen C rated it it was amazing

Like the others in this series, this book build and builds! There is such a depth to this series and here what I really loved was the change in prose throughout between the characters and the gods. IN many ways this is a journey book and set up to the final battle but this doesn't in any way mean its not a great read. The cover is fantastic as always and makes me glad that I picked this series up when I did.

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Mar 19, 2013 Abbe rated it it was amazing

I just finished reading the book, and I have to say it was terrific. Ben Galley has put a wonderfully epic story together. I am looking forward to reading book 2, feeling like I shouldn't rush to the end.

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May 14, 2013 Tricia rated it really liked it

Loved it! Great 3rd book in the Emaneska series. If you enjoyed The Written and Pale Kings, this book needs to be read. It will be released on May 31st along with Dead Stars Part 2! I couldn't stop reading the last half of Part 1, so I definitely can't wait to see how the series ends!

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Apr 05, 2013 Sue rated it really liked it

Great continuation of the Emaneska series.

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Feb 20, 2018 James Casey rated it really liked it

After reading the first two parts a few months ago, I was eager to read parts three and four, which were bought for me as a gift. The story begins fifteen years after Pale Kings left off, with Durnus and Tyrfing trying to rebuild Krauslung, a difficult task after the debacle which it had suffered. It seems that Magick is being found in places where it never was before and there is a murderous young girl ( the illicit daughter of Farden) slaying ‘Written’ indiscriminately. A group of three young ...more

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Mar 06, 2019 Paul Wandless rated it liked it · review of another edition

I'm a bit of two minds about this book. I think the story telling is still strong and Ben is an amazing world builder. The end of the book really ended well to propel you into book 4, which is really the second half of this book. His writing is certainly getting stronger and really is a master with building a rich world and bringing it to life.
What I was less happy about was what seemed to be an overly long time in building the story. It starts with a time jump of 15 years in the future and ...more

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Aug 18, 2018 Paul Williams rated it it was amazing

A great read from a great author. I would definitely recommend it.

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Aug 03, 2019 Alan Behan rated it it was amazing

Cracking read, Ben Galley's writing flow's just nicely while reading away, now for the final installment... ...more

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May 11, 2019 Denise rated it it was amazing

Another fantastic book. It's so well written, you just have to keep reading. I could not get enough of this story. I was actually glad I waited to read this, because now I could read all of it in one go. What a glorious time.

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Jun 01, 2013 Férial rated it really liked it

So much better than the 1st book and better than the 2nd. 4.5 stars.

The writing, the characters...everything has improved. Even the typos (luckily).

Farden has been to hell and back...well not exactly back (he's still fighting his demons), but one can only hope he'll be able to find peace eventually (though I cannot see how considering the task he has sworn to achieve). Well, hope springs eternal.

I have loved to read the story of the Nine (1500 years before Farden's time) through the eyes of ...more

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Nov 10, 2014 Victoria Case rated it really liked it

This book was again a bit long and overly descriptive but the action certainly picked up towards the last half of the book. It is written well (okay I caught a few typos/grammatical errors so that's not what I'm talking about) and Mr. Galley certainly can weave a nice little spell to keep the reader from getting too bored with all the description. Great world building and a fun read! Now on to the next!

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Jun 23, 2016 Jessica Baird rated it it was ok

I feel as though this book lost its way, the narrative was quite dry and lacklustre and I felt that farden lost a lot of what made him such a vulgar yet charming character, and in the wake of losing that character I found that I just did not care enough for his new persona or that of others in the book to finish it. I got through almost all of this book but near to the end I had had enough. It was a bit of a disappointment for me after this series seemed to start off so well.

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Aug 14, 2013 Jacques rated it really liked it

Much better than the first two books. It seems that Ben is getting better and better with each book he writes. I really enjoyed the magical system Ben created and the very descriptive scenery and character emotions. Only criticism I have is the amount of spelling/grammar/other errors persisting throughout the series which, although much less in this book, does detract from being able to enjoy without unnecessary distraction.

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Jun 16, 2013 Max rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, kindle-ebooks

Not much to say about this. Interesting story, much improved language over the first part, but it still did not grip me as much as I would have liked. Will read the next and final installment of the series, but overall I am not quite sure what I think about the series.

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Nov 11, 2013 Emma rated it liked it

I liked it, but not as much as the second book (Pale Kings). I felt like I was wallowing in Farden's misery with him - for the whole book - on and on. It was just too much. I have already started Part 2 and it's so much better!

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Aug 24, 2014 Robin Leysen rated it really liked it

Shelves: annemiek, e-book, reco-base

Great evolution from the previous two parts. Will have to dig into Part Two immediately! Well done.

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About Ben Galley

Ben Galley

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Ben Galley is an author of dark and epic fantasy books who currently hails from Victoria, Canada. Since publishing his debut Emaneska Series, Ben has released a range of epic and dark fantasy novels, including the award-winning weird western Bloodrush and standalone novel The Heart of Stone. He is also the author of the critically-acclaimed Chasing Graves Trilogy.

When he isn’t conjuring up strange ...more