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The Age of the Flame #1
The Sword of Sighs
Sarah Bean lives a quiet life in Okeechobee, Florida until the day she is transported from our world to the fantastic realm of Seythe. She meets a wayfaring wizard called Ossen who saves her from the dreaded black riders, servants of a being known only as the Fallen One. Together, they will have to undertake a treacherous journey to the far-away Fellhorn mountain where Sarah must find the one weapon that can save them from the black riders pursuing them.
170 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 11, 2013
66 people are currently reading
894 people want to read
About the author
Greg James
33 books34 followersGreg James is a Fantasy author based in London, England. He has been writing stories since he was a child and still maintains that his pre-adolescent adaptations of The Wizard of Oz featuring Godzilla and the Transformers have validity.
He enjoys long walks around his home city of London as well as reading, writing (of course) and thinking up new imaginary worlds to entertain readers with.
You can sign up to his mailing list to hear about new releases at:
http://eepurl.com/vfYf9
He enjoys long walks around his home city of London as well as reading, writing (of course) and thinking up new imaginary worlds to entertain readers with.
You can sign up to his mailing list to hear about new releases at:
http://eepurl.com/vfYf9
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
January 14, 2014
Oh, book. I'm glad I got you for free.
This book was a bit of a mess. One of the main characters is Gandalf. But he's not Gandalf. His name is Ossen and he only has one eye. But at one point Not-Gandalf PULLS HIMSELF UP TO HIS FULL HEIGHT AND SPEAKS IN A BOOMING VOICE AS THE AREA AROUND HIM SEEMS TO DARKEN. That's paraphrased. But it happens in the book.
There's a bad guy. He has a staff topped with a goat skull. It has curly horns. The bad guy has a hood. In the hood? A skull. Skeletor anyone?
The characters have to retrieve a sword from the top of a mountain named Fellhorn or something (Mt. Doom) and they pass through the Mountains of Mourning (The Mines of Moria). At one point the author refers to parts of the mountain realm as the DEEP FORGES. Having played Dragon Age: Origins, I'm wondering if it's a nod or an unintentional rip-off.
Ossen had one eye. The author repeatedly refers to his eyes, plural. "Someone looked in his eyes", etc. Distracting.
The biggest nut-shot of the book is Not-Gandalf's final scene. SPOILERS.
Not-Gandalf and the other characters are running through Not-The-Mines-Of-Moria and they awaken a flaming, ancient thing that wants to destroy them. It's not a Balrog. It's a clockwork Balrog. Do you see where this is going?
The characters and Not-Gandalf run onto a tiny, thin, stone bridge to escape the Not-Balrog, but Not-Gandalf stops and faces Not-Balrog. He obstinately opposes Not-Balrog by saying, "You shall go no further!" Seriously. Direct quote. Not-You shall not pass. The Not-Balrog crushes the bridge and it starts to collapse. Not-Gandalf, unsurprisingly, plummets into the abyss.
But here's the twist: Not-Gandalf produces a WHIP OF LIGHT that catches Not-Balrog around the neck and pulls it into the abyss. So it's obviously completely different than that scene in LOTR.
That all said, the writing wasn't awful and some of the imagery was well done. I kind of didn't care too much about the characters. It's obvious the author planned this as a series because there are a lot of things I wanted to see resolved that don't get resolved.
It was almost SO bad it was entertaining while being mostly well-written-(except for the author forgetting one of his characters only had one eye). Oh! At one point he describes Not-Gandalf as "scratching at his stubbled pucker" or something very similar. I know what you're thinking. But Not-Gandalf is scratching his missing eye-hole. It's just SUPER unfortunate imagery.
So yeah, despite all it's faults, I didn't hate this book. It upset me at times. You might enjoy it. Based on the acknowledgements and such, it seemed like the author was happy with it. That's good. I doubt I will actively pursue the rest of Sarah's story.
This book was a bit of a mess. One of the main characters is Gandalf. But he's not Gandalf. His name is Ossen and he only has one eye. But at one point Not-Gandalf PULLS HIMSELF UP TO HIS FULL HEIGHT AND SPEAKS IN A BOOMING VOICE AS THE AREA AROUND HIM SEEMS TO DARKEN. That's paraphrased. But it happens in the book.
There's a bad guy. He has a staff topped with a goat skull. It has curly horns. The bad guy has a hood. In the hood? A skull. Skeletor anyone?
The characters have to retrieve a sword from the top of a mountain named Fellhorn or something (Mt. Doom) and they pass through the Mountains of Mourning (The Mines of Moria). At one point the author refers to parts of the mountain realm as the DEEP FORGES. Having played Dragon Age: Origins, I'm wondering if it's a nod or an unintentional rip-off.
Ossen had one eye. The author repeatedly refers to his eyes, plural. "Someone looked in his eyes", etc. Distracting.
The biggest nut-shot of the book is Not-Gandalf's final scene. SPOILERS.
Not-Gandalf and the other characters are running through Not-The-Mines-Of-Moria and they awaken a flaming, ancient thing that wants to destroy them. It's not a Balrog. It's a clockwork Balrog. Do you see where this is going?
The characters and Not-Gandalf run onto a tiny, thin, stone bridge to escape the Not-Balrog, but Not-Gandalf stops and faces Not-Balrog. He obstinately opposes Not-Balrog by saying, "You shall go no further!" Seriously. Direct quote. Not-You shall not pass. The Not-Balrog crushes the bridge and it starts to collapse. Not-Gandalf, unsurprisingly, plummets into the abyss.
But here's the twist: Not-Gandalf produces a WHIP OF LIGHT that catches Not-Balrog around the neck and pulls it into the abyss. So it's obviously completely different than that scene in LOTR.
That all said, the writing wasn't awful and some of the imagery was well done. I kind of didn't care too much about the characters. It's obvious the author planned this as a series because there are a lot of things I wanted to see resolved that don't get resolved.
It was almost SO bad it was entertaining while being mostly well-written-(except for the author forgetting one of his characters only had one eye). Oh! At one point he describes Not-Gandalf as "scratching at his stubbled pucker" or something very similar. I know what you're thinking. But Not-Gandalf is scratching his missing eye-hole. It's just SUPER unfortunate imagery.
So yeah, despite all it's faults, I didn't hate this book. It upset me at times. You might enjoy it. Based on the acknowledgements and such, it seemed like the author was happy with it. That's good. I doubt I will actively pursue the rest of Sarah's story.
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February 24, 2020🎁 The Age of the Flame (3 book series) is FREE on Amazon today (2/24/2020)! 🎁
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January 23, 2015um i got about 30% through i couldn't finish.
Either A) i am not feeling it right now
B) its was sort of confusing to say the least because
i) i thought she was already 16 at the beginning but apparently she wasn't
ii) time passage was like no big deal - three years on a different world that was not her own and hey no big deal...yeah no that is a big deal
iii) random ass POV shift
iv) references that arent being explained
Honestly? maybe i am just not in the mood for a super fantasy right now but i was really confused and again maybe its all me, if you are looking for real hard-core fantasy sure give it a shot, the first few chapters really drew me in but then there was this moment she goes to a new, new world and three years have passed? i don't think i am okay with that... don't know why maybe its because she was just left there by the person that i think was suppose to be helping her? well i don't know because sadly i gives up....
i might come back to this later and try to finish it when i am in a more fantasy mood.
Either A) i am not feeling it right now
B) its was sort of confusing to say the least because
i) i thought she was already 16 at the beginning but apparently she wasn't
ii) time passage was like no big deal - three years on a different world that was not her own and hey no big deal...yeah no that is a big deal
iii) random ass POV shift
iv) references that arent being explained
Honestly? maybe i am just not in the mood for a super fantasy right now but i was really confused and again maybe its all me, if you are looking for real hard-core fantasy sure give it a shot, the first few chapters really drew me in but then there was this moment she goes to a new, new world and three years have passed? i don't think i am okay with that... don't know why maybe its because she was just left there by the person that i think was suppose to be helping her? well i don't know because sadly i gives up....
i might come back to this later and try to finish it when i am in a more fantasy mood.
February 22, 2013
I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of the Sword of Sighs. I have read Greg James’ other works (under the name G.R. Yeates) and I can honestly say this is my favorite book of his so far. It’s about a girl who finds herself worlds away from her Florida home. Slavery, kidnapping, death and a bit of love (thrown in for kicks) await her in this new world.
Sword of Sighs is very fast paced. Each chapter is packed with action and details that the reader could easily miss if not paying attention. At times I wish it would have slowed down so I could savor the moment. And like in all of James’ books the amount of detail goes beyond graphic into a realm that not many authors’ can reach.
I just want to throw a bit of a personal thank you out there to the author. The book ends with closure but many unanswered questions. It makes me curious as to what comes next. He did not end it with a cliff hanger like so many indy authors like to do. That is one of my biggest pet peeves and I am thrilled that he has not followed in the footsteps as many before him.
Sword of Sighs is very fast paced. Each chapter is packed with action and details that the reader could easily miss if not paying attention. At times I wish it would have slowed down so I could savor the moment. And like in all of James’ books the amount of detail goes beyond graphic into a realm that not many authors’ can reach.
I just want to throw a bit of a personal thank you out there to the author. The book ends with closure but many unanswered questions. It makes me curious as to what comes next. He did not end it with a cliff hanger like so many indy authors like to do. That is one of my biggest pet peeves and I am thrilled that he has not followed in the footsteps as many before him.
March 2, 2013
This book is wonderful. Greg does a great job of describing events and people but he also doesn't get the reader totally bogged down with useless details. When reading this book I found myself lost in my head as I followed the characters on their journey. Greg's writing style is one of my favorites. I look forward to the next adventure.
April 13, 2013
You can also find this review at http://girlinthewoodsreviews.blogspot...
Detailed Review: Like people who judge a book by its cover, I judge a book in my own ways. I judge them by their first sentence, or if it's not sufficient, their first paragraph.
This book hit my mark just nice. You can judge for yourself if you want. Here's the first paragraph of the book:
The night winds droned low and bitter around the snow-crusted flanks of the lone-standing mountain known as Fellhorn. Its forbidding heights were only slightly smoothed by the ice that had settled over its treacherous, beetling crags. Clouds clung, cancerous, to the bone-white breast of the moon, darkening the storm-wracked landscape below.
Even the description itself made me interested. I felt like an English teacher trying to look for the necessary tools needed to make a book awesome. And in one paragraph I found so many of them I knew it would be the same all the way.
Turns out I was right.
This story revolves around Sarah Bean, who holds the Flame inside her, necessary for killing the Fallen One, the Darkness That Was Not Darkness. She has her own Path to take. After being transported to the Wood Beneath the Worlds from her quiet life in Florida, she finds herself imprisoned by Yagga, a witch who lives in the Woods. In there, she finds Gorra who is actually the Woods itself trapped in a doll's body. Together, they fight against Yagga and succeed. Sarah thinks that she can go home now but instead has to face a choice she is unwilling to take.
She takes her destined Path together with Ossen the Wayfarer and with one of the Sworn, who are trained to be assassins. But what Sarah doesn't know is the real identity of figure swathed in black who always accompany them in silence.
The Sworn is Princess Jedda, the pirncess or Highmount. She was thought to be a traitor-child and was thus sentenced to death.
Along the way, they stumble across obstacles that seem difficult to overcome but together they faced them until Ossen loses his life fighting one of the Iron Gods and Jedda vanishes after being taken by the Fallen One. Sarah is now alone. But she reaches the Fell horn, which holds A'aron or the Sword of Sighs, the only weapon that can kill the Fallen One.
And then a giant AHC just decided to show up on the last page. Thanks a lot, Greg. You just ruined a day for me because I was busy wiping tears from my face. I wasn't satisfied, simply wasn't. And you know that a book's awesome if I always end up like this after reading it. I thought that I was going to have a mental breakdown.
For people who love books without romance, this book is for you.
Brief Review: Interesting and exciting, it was enough to catch my attention all the way! You'll never be able to put the book down. There is a big AHC awaiting you in the end that keeps me wanting more! CANNOT WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL!!!!!!! I am this desperate. (Funny how the books I've reviewed so far are so freaking amazing!)
Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing'
Detailed Review: Like people who judge a book by its cover, I judge a book in my own ways. I judge them by their first sentence, or if it's not sufficient, their first paragraph.
This book hit my mark just nice. You can judge for yourself if you want. Here's the first paragraph of the book:
The night winds droned low and bitter around the snow-crusted flanks of the lone-standing mountain known as Fellhorn. Its forbidding heights were only slightly smoothed by the ice that had settled over its treacherous, beetling crags. Clouds clung, cancerous, to the bone-white breast of the moon, darkening the storm-wracked landscape below.
Even the description itself made me interested. I felt like an English teacher trying to look for the necessary tools needed to make a book awesome. And in one paragraph I found so many of them I knew it would be the same all the way.
Turns out I was right.
This story revolves around Sarah Bean, who holds the Flame inside her, necessary for killing the Fallen One, the Darkness That Was Not Darkness. She has her own Path to take. After being transported to the Wood Beneath the Worlds from her quiet life in Florida, she finds herself imprisoned by Yagga, a witch who lives in the Woods. In there, she finds Gorra who is actually the Woods itself trapped in a doll's body. Together, they fight against Yagga and succeed. Sarah thinks that she can go home now but instead has to face a choice she is unwilling to take.
She takes her destined Path together with Ossen the Wayfarer and with one of the Sworn, who are trained to be assassins. But what Sarah doesn't know is the real identity of figure swathed in black who always accompany them in silence.
The Sworn is Princess Jedda, the pirncess or Highmount. She was thought to be a traitor-child and was thus sentenced to death.
Along the way, they stumble across obstacles that seem difficult to overcome but together they faced them until Ossen loses his life fighting one of the Iron Gods and Jedda vanishes after being taken by the Fallen One. Sarah is now alone. But she reaches the Fell horn, which holds A'aron or the Sword of Sighs, the only weapon that can kill the Fallen One.
And then a giant AHC just decided to show up on the last page. Thanks a lot, Greg. You just ruined a day for me because I was busy wiping tears from my face. I wasn't satisfied, simply wasn't. And you know that a book's awesome if I always end up like this after reading it. I thought that I was going to have a mental breakdown.
For people who love books without romance, this book is for you.
Brief Review: Interesting and exciting, it was enough to catch my attention all the way! You'll never be able to put the book down. There is a big AHC awaiting you in the end that keeps me wanting more! CANNOT WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL!!!!!!! I am this desperate. (Funny how the books I've reviewed so far are so freaking amazing!)
Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing'
August 16, 2017
Greg James has done it again. He's a phenomenal author who guarantees to take you on a journey. I've had the pleasure of reading his Vetala Cycle books under the pen name G.R. Yeates. His words create a poetic atmosphere that captures you and doesn't let go. He brings you in with such vivid imagery that as you read you see the world he creates playing in your mind like a movie.
The Sword of Sighs was such a book. From the cover of the book, to the synopsis, to the prologue, he grabbed a hold of me and didn't let go. Nice! The story had a Lord of the Rings feel to it in that the story was a grand and epic adventure. I've read stories before where there's action and adventure but none to the scale of what James created with The Sword of Sighs.
*Warning: May contain spoilers from here onward.*
The story revolves around Sarah Bean. She's just an ordinary girl who was chosen to be the savior of the world of Seythe. One minute she's hiding from her foes and the next, poof, she's gone. I was sad for Sarah and felt her loss and anguish as she was just taken from the world she knew into this foreign world that was alien to her in every sense of the word. It was good to know that she meets someone who takes her in and cares for her.
Friendship, love and bonds were formed through out Sarah's time in Seythe. She learns that she has to either place her trust in individuals or be alone and face the monsters in this world. And were they monsters!
As with any epic story that is told, treachery and betrayal is an integral part. Power play is being made as well as bold face lies. As I was reading, I was gasping in disbelief of what my eyes had just read. There were times where I just wanted to protect Sarah and times where I wanted to yell at her asking what the heck she was doing.
Towards the end of the book, I was on edge. My eyes couldn't read fast enough because I wanted to know whether or not Sarah would succeed in her quest. I wanted to know what would happen to her.
*End of spoiler warning.*
I am happy to know that this book is part of a series as I would like to know more about Sarah's life in our world. I would like to know how come she was the one chosen for this quest and why. I would like to know how her story continues in the world of Seythe.
I have to say that while this is a young adult fantasy, it certainly is different than any I've read. Some young adult fantasy I've read have the lead female character in love with her male counterpart. This is usually what defines her, not the fact that she has the potential to become something greater. This is certainly not the case with Sarah Bean. We see her grow as a person through out the story and start becoming who she was chosen to be.
Do I recommend this book? Heck yeah I do! If you want to dive into a fantastical and epic journey of good vs evil, then this book is for you.
www.samedinamics.blogspot.com
The Sword of Sighs was such a book. From the cover of the book, to the synopsis, to the prologue, he grabbed a hold of me and didn't let go. Nice! The story had a Lord of the Rings feel to it in that the story was a grand and epic adventure. I've read stories before where there's action and adventure but none to the scale of what James created with The Sword of Sighs.
*Warning: May contain spoilers from here onward.*
The story revolves around Sarah Bean. She's just an ordinary girl who was chosen to be the savior of the world of Seythe. One minute she's hiding from her foes and the next, poof, she's gone. I was sad for Sarah and felt her loss and anguish as she was just taken from the world she knew into this foreign world that was alien to her in every sense of the word. It was good to know that she meets someone who takes her in and cares for her.
Friendship, love and bonds were formed through out Sarah's time in Seythe. She learns that she has to either place her trust in individuals or be alone and face the monsters in this world. And were they monsters!
As with any epic story that is told, treachery and betrayal is an integral part. Power play is being made as well as bold face lies. As I was reading, I was gasping in disbelief of what my eyes had just read. There were times where I just wanted to protect Sarah and times where I wanted to yell at her asking what the heck she was doing.
Towards the end of the book, I was on edge. My eyes couldn't read fast enough because I wanted to know whether or not Sarah would succeed in her quest. I wanted to know what would happen to her.
*End of spoiler warning.*
I am happy to know that this book is part of a series as I would like to know more about Sarah's life in our world. I would like to know how come she was the one chosen for this quest and why. I would like to know how her story continues in the world of Seythe.
I have to say that while this is a young adult fantasy, it certainly is different than any I've read. Some young adult fantasy I've read have the lead female character in love with her male counterpart. This is usually what defines her, not the fact that she has the potential to become something greater. This is certainly not the case with Sarah Bean. We see her grow as a person through out the story and start becoming who she was chosen to be.
Do I recommend this book? Heck yeah I do! If you want to dive into a fantastical and epic journey of good vs evil, then this book is for you.
www.samedinamics.blogspot.com
April 25, 2013
Sarah Bean is an average teenager who is plagued by dreams of her death at the hands of magical creatures in a mythical realm. When she tries to escape from a gang of bullies by hiding in an abandoned fun fair, she finds herself transported to another world. Isolated from everyone and everything she ever knew, Sarah must come to terms with her fate if she is to accept the strange destiny that is laid out before her.
I'll get right to the point. Sword of Sighs is one of the best Young Adult fantasy novels I have ever read. Greg James brings both his locations and characters to life with wonderful, descriptive prose perfectly balanced with a pulsating, relentless plot. All of the people that occupy the novel are three dimensional, with clear motivations, hopes and doubts that really draw the reader into the tale.
The mythology and backstory in Sword of Sighs is a combination of various well travelled fantasy tropes, combined with a mixture of quite a few different mythologies, such as Celtic, Norse and Russian (to name a few). The world that James creates is drip fed to the reader, rather than it being forced down their throats in large chunks of exposition, which is refreshing in itself. If I was to have any criticism of the novel at all, it is that perhaps the parallels to Lord of the Rings are a little strong at times, with the Fallen Born being more than a little similar to Tolkien's Nazguul, and indeed, there is one scene near the end of the book that borrows rather heavily from an iconic scene in Tolkiens classic.
That is not to say that Sword of Sigh's is simply a retread of existing fantasy ground. Greg James does more than enough to make the world(s) that he has created his own, and with enough twists and turns to make even the most jaded fantasy reader sit up and take notice. I honestly can't wait for the next book in the series to be released.
I'll get right to the point. Sword of Sighs is one of the best Young Adult fantasy novels I have ever read. Greg James brings both his locations and characters to life with wonderful, descriptive prose perfectly balanced with a pulsating, relentless plot. All of the people that occupy the novel are three dimensional, with clear motivations, hopes and doubts that really draw the reader into the tale.
The mythology and backstory in Sword of Sighs is a combination of various well travelled fantasy tropes, combined with a mixture of quite a few different mythologies, such as Celtic, Norse and Russian (to name a few). The world that James creates is drip fed to the reader, rather than it being forced down their throats in large chunks of exposition, which is refreshing in itself. If I was to have any criticism of the novel at all, it is that perhaps the parallels to Lord of the Rings are a little strong at times, with the Fallen Born being more than a little similar to Tolkien's Nazguul, and indeed, there is one scene near the end of the book that borrows rather heavily from an iconic scene in Tolkiens classic.
That is not to say that Sword of Sigh's is simply a retread of existing fantasy ground. Greg James does more than enough to make the world(s) that he has created his own, and with enough twists and turns to make even the most jaded fantasy reader sit up and take notice. I honestly can't wait for the next book in the series to be released.
April 13, 2013
I am absolutely thrilled about this YA series by Greg James. I have been looking forward to reading the first book for a while, and the wait was well worth the creativity and imagination that James poured into the The Sword of Sighs for his readers. James is a master at storytelling, transferring his vivid images to his readers' minds in a beautiful, melodious style that is all his own.
In The Sword of Sighs, James begins his series by introducing Sarah, a teenager struggling through every day life, who is harassed by bullies and shadowed by sadness, finding herself magically transported to a far different dimension, where she discovers that she is destined for an important and very dangerous quest through multiple, unfamiliar worlds. Lucky for her, she journeys not alone through the unknown but with an endearing and faithful companion Ossen.
The Sword of Sighs captivated me from the beginning, and I found that I did not want to put it down. Instead, I wanted to keep turning the pages to find out what happened next, and when I did have to stop reading, my thoughts were on the story, guessing where James would take Sarah in the next chapter, until I could return to find out. Now, I'm awaiting the next book in the series, curious as to where James' fascinating adventure will lead this devoted reader next.
In The Sword of Sighs, James begins his series by introducing Sarah, a teenager struggling through every day life, who is harassed by bullies and shadowed by sadness, finding herself magically transported to a far different dimension, where she discovers that she is destined for an important and very dangerous quest through multiple, unfamiliar worlds. Lucky for her, she journeys not alone through the unknown but with an endearing and faithful companion Ossen.
The Sword of Sighs captivated me from the beginning, and I found that I did not want to put it down. Instead, I wanted to keep turning the pages to find out what happened next, and when I did have to stop reading, my thoughts were on the story, guessing where James would take Sarah in the next chapter, until I could return to find out. Now, I'm awaiting the next book in the series, curious as to where James' fascinating adventure will lead this devoted reader next.
February 22, 2013
Greg James wrote a line in THE SWORD OF SIGHS that I think encapsulates the heart of this richly woven fantasy: “Strength is not merely proved by how much blood one has spilt, how many foes defeated, or how many battles won. Sometimes, living day-to-day, hour-to-hour, and minute-to-minute is a truer sign of one’s mettle.” Sarah Bean is a bullied teen. That alone is its own nightmare and the author conveys the fear, helplessness and horror of living with that day-to-day, hour-to-hour experience so many young people experience – and can identify with – in a writing style that packs the emotional punch it should. Running from one group of bullies in her home town, she finds herself thrust into a bizarre, unfamiliar, hostile world filled with fantasy, magic, and creatures born of darkness and pain far more dangerous and isolating than the world Sarah Bean was abruptly removed from. The Sword of Sighs is the first in a fantasy adventure series about one young girl’s strength, bravery, and discovery of her own unique power as she triumphs through one nightmare battle after another. Highly recommended Young Adult Fantasy.
March 17, 2013
The Sword of Sighs is a young adult novel, which is not something I would normally read, but Greg James, who also writes horror as G.R. Yeates, is one of my favorite authors so I made an exception for this one. I am very glad that I did. The Sword of Sighs is a fantasy novel with well paced action and compelling characters. The story features Sarah, a young girl who is tormented by school bullies until she finds herself transported to another world where the bullies are much more menacing than the ones found at her school. She also learns that there is something different about her, and she is set on a course that will change her life forever.
Even though this is a young adult novel, I think adult readers will also enjoy it. One of the things I liked about it was James' use of dream sequences throughout the book. Nightmare sequences are something he uses frequently as a horror writer and the more dreamlike sequences are no less effective here. It gives the reader a unique way to see into the character's mind. This was an entertaining read and I am looking forward to the next one.
Even though this is a young adult novel, I think adult readers will also enjoy it. One of the things I liked about it was James' use of dream sequences throughout the book. Nightmare sequences are something he uses frequently as a horror writer and the more dreamlike sequences are no less effective here. It gives the reader a unique way to see into the character's mind. This was an entertaining read and I am looking forward to the next one.
July 10, 2013
This young adult fantasy novel is well . . . everything. Well-written, well-paced, well-edited, well-balanced (between dream states and reality, until you just aren't sure exactly where you are, and that's okay). At the ripe old age of 49, I don't easily follow some of the realms and names given in these types of novels, but James made it fun . . . I wondered what crazy thing was going to be around the next bend, and if it was real or imagined. It takes some special skill beyond being a good writer to pull off this kind of lovely. Recommend with both thumbs up.
January 4, 2014
Kept me reading into the night.
I was enthralled with Sarah Beans story,felt sympathy and was curious on how she would handle her new responsibility.....I hope she makes the right decision.
I was enthralled with Sarah Beans story,felt sympathy and was curious on how she would handle her new responsibility.....I hope she makes the right decision.
April 16, 2020
Well, this is a whirl. It’s short and decently written and reads easily.
Our protagonist reads very young at the beginning (reminiscences of early childhood at the fair, running away from bullies on the school bus), but from the outset there’s some imagery that is decidedly out of cheap horror movies (corpse warriors on corpse horses, a beheading, an abandoned funfair, a witch served by disembodied hands, a talking doll that needs feeding ...), so it’s a bit difficult to categorise this tale. We learn later that she was thirteen at the beginning, but still reads younger than that.
The story is very quickly told in summary form like classic children’s fairytales, and promisingly begins with many references to European folklore (the aforementioned child-abducting witch, a Green Man, a tree of worlds, a wandering knight who’s clearly of the Wild Hunt type), but clearly wants to be viewed through modern Kindle-toting eyes. So is it more Young Adult than children’s?
The protagonist suddenly jumps to age sixteen as if the author was asking himself just that question. There are irritating references back to the child protagonist with the “bang-dead” motif for bad guys, used throughout, which really clashes with the older protagonist tone.
From that point of sudden ageing, we are suddenly in very familiar Chosen One quest territory, with our protagonist become a Farm Girl of Destiny who needs the magic sword on order to channel her inner Flame (which in itself can defeat the Dark One) and short cut a lifetime of learning. At least that’s a good solid reason for a quest. All the rest is just stated up front by the Wise Mentor and accepted without question by our Chosen One.
We then have a journey confronting horror after horror, all without story relevance despite clumsy attempts to build up a cosmology. Sadly, the earlier folkloric references vanish into this morass. These encounters are just levels of a computer game: meet, defeat, move on, without any purpose. There’s a very obvious rip off of Gandalf’s fall in Moria in the process, which is disappointing.
Equally disappointing is the ease with which the Sword is acquired in the end, and the lack of boss or of any kind of actual conclusion. Supposedly, the protagonist has acquired the ability to use the sword thanks to her experiences, but other than being three years older at the end of the book than she was at the beginning, she has not really developed. The idea was nice, that her time in the portal world gave her the preparation she lacked at the time of the prologue, but the execution was poor.
Anyway, this was a free iBook and I have the rest of the trilogy in free Kindle books, so I’ll eventually read on but it’s not a priority.
Our protagonist reads very young at the beginning (reminiscences of early childhood at the fair, running away from bullies on the school bus), but from the outset there’s some imagery that is decidedly out of cheap horror movies (corpse warriors on corpse horses, a beheading, an abandoned funfair, a witch served by disembodied hands, a talking doll that needs feeding ...), so it’s a bit difficult to categorise this tale. We learn later that she was thirteen at the beginning, but still reads younger than that.
The story is very quickly told in summary form like classic children’s fairytales, and promisingly begins with many references to European folklore (the aforementioned child-abducting witch, a Green Man, a tree of worlds, a wandering knight who’s clearly of the Wild Hunt type), but clearly wants to be viewed through modern Kindle-toting eyes. So is it more Young Adult than children’s?
The protagonist suddenly jumps to age sixteen as if the author was asking himself just that question. There are irritating references back to the child protagonist with the “bang-dead” motif for bad guys, used throughout, which really clashes with the older protagonist tone.
From that point of sudden ageing, we are suddenly in very familiar Chosen One quest territory, with our protagonist become a Farm Girl of Destiny who needs the magic sword on order to channel her inner Flame (which in itself can defeat the Dark One) and short cut a lifetime of learning. At least that’s a good solid reason for a quest. All the rest is just stated up front by the Wise Mentor and accepted without question by our Chosen One.
We then have a journey confronting horror after horror, all without story relevance despite clumsy attempts to build up a cosmology. Sadly, the earlier folkloric references vanish into this morass. These encounters are just levels of a computer game: meet, defeat, move on, without any purpose. There’s a very obvious rip off of Gandalf’s fall in Moria in the process, which is disappointing.
Equally disappointing is the ease with which the Sword is acquired in the end, and the lack of boss or of any kind of actual conclusion. Supposedly, the protagonist has acquired the ability to use the sword thanks to her experiences, but other than being three years older at the end of the book than she was at the beginning, she has not really developed. The idea was nice, that her time in the portal world gave her the preparation she lacked at the time of the prologue, but the execution was poor.
Anyway, this was a free iBook and I have the rest of the trilogy in free Kindle books, so I’ll eventually read on but it’s not a priority.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2018
1 star
July 30, 2014
The Sword of Sighs is a fantasy novel that I believe is geared toward young adults. It's your typical good vs. evil, unlikely hero destined to save the world and there is nothing wrong with that.
I couldn't, I just couldn't...
I hate abandoning books and rarely do but I just couldn't finish this one. The story had some great potential but there were a number of things that just got under my skin so much I couldn't get past it.
The first thing that bothered me was the short and frequent scenes. What I mean by this is there would be a lot of stuff happening and as you got into each thing, it would be over and they would be onto the next thing. All the conflict resolution seemed overly convenient and really quick. Anytime the characters would get into any kind of peril that would make them interesting and well rounded, show their strengths and weakness, their ability to learn from their mistakes, there was some magic wave of the wand (sometimes literally) and they were out of it. This happened so often it started to get frustration. No one in these kinds of stories is that lucky!
The character development and realness just wasn't there. Their abilities and powers are pretty confusing as well. Again each time any of the characters were in danger they got themselves out of it so quickly it made them boring. There were also so many secondary characters coming and going that didn't seen to have any impact on the character development or story. The believability and confusion came from things like, a wizard who can cast a spell that will create a gollum, levitate people, enter dreams or make a ship go on auto-pilot but when said ship ends up on a sandbar the other people on the ship have to get out of the boat and push it off the sandbar. No mention of an exhajusted wizard, or waning powers or anything that would explain why he didn't assist in any way. It didn't matter anyway because it only took about a page and a half before they pushed the ship off the sandbar and continued on their merry, boring way.
This book had a number of great reviews and I can see where others may have enjoyed this book. It just really wasn't for me.
I couldn't, I just couldn't...
I hate abandoning books and rarely do but I just couldn't finish this one. The story had some great potential but there were a number of things that just got under my skin so much I couldn't get past it.
The first thing that bothered me was the short and frequent scenes. What I mean by this is there would be a lot of stuff happening and as you got into each thing, it would be over and they would be onto the next thing. All the conflict resolution seemed overly convenient and really quick. Anytime the characters would get into any kind of peril that would make them interesting and well rounded, show their strengths and weakness, their ability to learn from their mistakes, there was some magic wave of the wand (sometimes literally) and they were out of it. This happened so often it started to get frustration. No one in these kinds of stories is that lucky!
The character development and realness just wasn't there. Their abilities and powers are pretty confusing as well. Again each time any of the characters were in danger they got themselves out of it so quickly it made them boring. There were also so many secondary characters coming and going that didn't seen to have any impact on the character development or story. The believability and confusion came from things like, a wizard who can cast a spell that will create a gollum, levitate people, enter dreams or make a ship go on auto-pilot but when said ship ends up on a sandbar the other people on the ship have to get out of the boat and push it off the sandbar. No mention of an exhajusted wizard, or waning powers or anything that would explain why he didn't assist in any way. It didn't matter anyway because it only took about a page and a half before they pushed the ship off the sandbar and continued on their merry, boring way.
This book had a number of great reviews and I can see where others may have enjoyed this book. It just really wasn't for me.
March 28, 2014
I received notification of this free book through www.BookBub.com, and I’m happy I did. I think this is a nice introduction into the fantasy genre, for a mature young adult.
Sarah Bean is not the strongest character that I have met, especially in the beginning. She is a dreamer, and while not explicit, I think, a bit of a loner. All of this sets her up to be… you’ve got it… bullied.
After a specific act of aggression, from her bullies, Sarah wakes up in a different realm. And now, Sarah is going to have to become strong, or she won’t survive…
This setting of the planet or world of, Seythe, reminds me, very much, of a feudal England or France and with that in mind, I created a credible and interesting world. However, descriptions of Seythe are a bit sparse, in my opinion, opening the possibility of a teenager struggling to create this world, in their mind, especially if they are lacking in foundational history for context. Providing more detailed description, or a glossary may help a young adult tackle this book, and it never hurts to help them expand their imagination.
What I really appreciate about The Sword of Sighs, is the fact that Sarah is dealing with a very real problem. One that seems to be escalating in recent years. This makes Sarah very approachable.
I also enjoy the fact that our main character is a female being dropped into the kind of adventure that would have been written exclusively for boys, when I was younger. I was always a little bit jealous of those boys!
All in all, I think you, or your, dare I say child when they probably don’t want to hear that word anymore, will enjoy The Sword of Sighs, and if you both read it, it may open the door to some interesting conversations about our own world history, as they navigate the social hierarchy that is part of the culture os Seythe.
Enjoy!
Explore more of my reviews at www.sciencefictionandsuch.com
Sarah Bean is not the strongest character that I have met, especially in the beginning. She is a dreamer, and while not explicit, I think, a bit of a loner. All of this sets her up to be… you’ve got it… bullied.
After a specific act of aggression, from her bullies, Sarah wakes up in a different realm. And now, Sarah is going to have to become strong, or she won’t survive…
This setting of the planet or world of, Seythe, reminds me, very much, of a feudal England or France and with that in mind, I created a credible and interesting world. However, descriptions of Seythe are a bit sparse, in my opinion, opening the possibility of a teenager struggling to create this world, in their mind, especially if they are lacking in foundational history for context. Providing more detailed description, or a glossary may help a young adult tackle this book, and it never hurts to help them expand their imagination.
What I really appreciate about The Sword of Sighs, is the fact that Sarah is dealing with a very real problem. One that seems to be escalating in recent years. This makes Sarah very approachable.
I also enjoy the fact that our main character is a female being dropped into the kind of adventure that would have been written exclusively for boys, when I was younger. I was always a little bit jealous of those boys!
All in all, I think you, or your, dare I say child when they probably don’t want to hear that word anymore, will enjoy The Sword of Sighs, and if you both read it, it may open the door to some interesting conversations about our own world history, as they navigate the social hierarchy that is part of the culture os Seythe.
Enjoy!
Explore more of my reviews at www.sciencefictionandsuch.com
February 18, 2014
This "book" was hit and miss for me. Most of the story was good. Concept was fine. Writing could be nice and pretty like I enjoy but mixed with the fun fantasy action. I mean, I liked most of it but it definitely wasn't amazing.
It had all the usual self-publish issues. The arrangement was messy. The writing was clunky and felt like a lot of thesaurus work. It really needed editing. It wasn't unreadable though like some of the other free Nook books. I'm very happy it was free since it doesn't have a real ending. According to my Nook for PC, it was only 174 pages.
SPOILERS
Sure she gets the sword but now what?
Don't get me started on the LotR rip-off portion. ... Okay, I might as well get it off my mind. Another reviewer went over this much cleaner and funnier but the group has to go under and through the Mountains of Mourning (mines of Moria). They are chased by an iron giant (balrog) to the exit which is on the other side of a really narrow stone bridge over a chasm. This one has water though. The mage Ossen (wizard Gandalf) stops midway over the bridge and says, no shit, "You shall go no further!" ("You shall not pass!") The bridge starts to break. Here's the part that's changed: the mage sends a magical lasso around the fiery beast's neck (instead of the lasso catching the mage's ankle) and they fall off.
This rip-off part is glaringly noticeable. It completely overshadows any of the good in this book. PLEASE change it. It's all I can think of now that I'm finished with it.
It had all the usual self-publish issues. The arrangement was messy. The writing was clunky and felt like a lot of thesaurus work. It really needed editing. It wasn't unreadable though like some of the other free Nook books. I'm very happy it was free since it doesn't have a real ending. According to my Nook for PC, it was only 174 pages.
SPOILERS
Sure she gets the sword but now what?
Don't get me started on the LotR rip-off portion. ... Okay, I might as well get it off my mind. Another reviewer went over this much cleaner and funnier but the group has to go under and through the Mountains of Mourning (mines of Moria). They are chased by an iron giant (balrog) to the exit which is on the other side of a really narrow stone bridge over a chasm. This one has water though. The mage Ossen (wizard Gandalf) stops midway over the bridge and says, no shit, "You shall go no further!" ("You shall not pass!") The bridge starts to break. Here's the part that's changed: the mage sends a magical lasso around the fiery beast's neck (instead of the lasso catching the mage's ankle) and they fall off.
This rip-off part is glaringly noticeable. It completely overshadows any of the good in this book. PLEASE change it. It's all I can think of now that I'm finished with it.
September 8, 2015
This is a first book in the series Age of Flames.
I was very hopeful that the book, that appeared to have a strong female protagonist in a fantasy situation, would fill my every fantasy need. And while it was a very good book in that regard, there were some trouble themes that emerged to take the shine off this story.
First, a little background. This is a story of an average teenage girl that suddenly finds herself transported to another world full of fantasy creatures. The journey she takes once she gets there is interesting, and kept my attention.
She takes on some really strong allies that help in her quest.
But are all the characters good or do they have nefarious intent?
The story kept building to the end…and when it came I was so full of emotion that it left me a little shocked.
I’m not sure if I will keep reading this series because of the ending. I grew very attached to these characters and that ending made me a little mad. I might have to re-read to make another assessment of my decision.
For now: two stars.
I was very hopeful that the book, that appeared to have a strong female protagonist in a fantasy situation, would fill my every fantasy need. And while it was a very good book in that regard, there were some trouble themes that emerged to take the shine off this story.
First, a little background. This is a story of an average teenage girl that suddenly finds herself transported to another world full of fantasy creatures. The journey she takes once she gets there is interesting, and kept my attention.
She takes on some really strong allies that help in her quest.
But are all the characters good or do they have nefarious intent?
The story kept building to the end…and when it came I was so full of emotion that it left me a little shocked.
I’m not sure if I will keep reading this series because of the ending. I grew very attached to these characters and that ending made me a little mad. I might have to re-read to make another assessment of my decision.
For now: two stars.
April 27, 2020
Kinda really OK
Overall, I did enjoy the story that was told. However, getting through it proved annoying at times. The writing style switched between too much and too little detail at a time, it almost felt as if this were the abridged version and some key things were left out until later. Yet, it was easy enough to follow, and I did feel the need to finish it, rather than abandon the book out of frustration. I'm quite glad I did too.
I'd recommend this to those who enjoy fantasy and are patient in their reading. I'm sure there's lots more I could say...
Overall, I did enjoy the story that was told. However, getting through it proved annoying at times. The writing style switched between too much and too little detail at a time, it almost felt as if this were the abridged version and some key things were left out until later. Yet, it was easy enough to follow, and I did feel the need to finish it, rather than abandon the book out of frustration. I'm quite glad I did too.
I'd recommend this to those who enjoy fantasy and are patient in their reading. I'm sure there's lots more I could say...
March 14, 2015
Intriguing
If you enjoy fantasy fiction, then this is right up your alley. Greg James has formed a tempestuous world where battles, bargains, and escape greet our young heroine. The story flowed throughout as we the readers make the trek with our heroine as she is whisked away from southern Florida to below the earth then various planes of worlds until reaching the world where she must save life itself. A wonderful light book for young adults and fantasy lovers everywhere. I look forward to the next book in this series.
If you enjoy fantasy fiction, then this is right up your alley. Greg James has formed a tempestuous world where battles, bargains, and escape greet our young heroine. The story flowed throughout as we the readers make the trek with our heroine as she is whisked away from southern Florida to below the earth then various planes of worlds until reaching the world where she must save life itself. A wonderful light book for young adults and fantasy lovers everywhere. I look forward to the next book in this series.
February 20, 2015
I'm pretty sure I picked this one up for free, so the price was right. Not sure if I liked it well enough to bother getting a sequel. Plot was kind of thin. There were several points where it seemed that something was happening but it later turned out the protagonist was dreaming or having visions ... so I'm not sure if some character deaths actually happened or not. Basically at the end of the book I found myself going "what..?"
January 23, 2015
Not impressed by this story.
I got a sort of 'Lord of the Ring' vibe from it, so I was eager to keep reading. I kept comparing it to that book, its world, the stellar writing and found that The Sword of Sighs came up lacking.
Seriously.
At least for me.
I got a sort of 'Lord of the Ring' vibe from it, so I was eager to keep reading. I kept comparing it to that book, its world, the stellar writing and found that The Sword of Sighs came up lacking.
Seriously.
At least for me.
December 26, 2013
I just couldn't get in to this book! :(
Was it that didn't feel Sarah as a character? Was the narration (jumping back and forth) too confusing? Whatever it was, I didn't feel the story line. Add to that, the slow plot progress, I wasn't able to enjoy this book. Fantasy, a thought out world (actually, more than one world), and solid characters, though if you can get through it.
Was it that didn't feel Sarah as a character? Was the narration (jumping back and forth) too confusing? Whatever it was, I didn't feel the story line. Add to that, the slow plot progress, I wasn't able to enjoy this book. Fantasy, a thought out world (actually, more than one world), and solid characters, though if you can get through it.
February 18, 2014
I liked it, but it didn't excite me.
It switched from present to past frequently, to give background, and also from dream to reality. I'm not sure if it was just Kindle formatting, or poor editing, but sometimes these shifts were almost impossible to follow.
I am hoping the sequels will draw me in further.
It switched from present to past frequently, to give background, and also from dream to reality. I'm not sure if it was just Kindle formatting, or poor editing, but sometimes these shifts were almost impossible to follow.
I am hoping the sequels will draw me in further.
September 26, 2015
As this was a YA story, I thought it would be an easy read. However, I felt it lacked a lot of detail and it could have been so much better. It was also rushed in places; the ending in particular.
I have to agree with another reviewer as it was similar to Tolkiens work, but certainly on a simpler level. I do not plan to read the next in the series and would not recommend to buy.
I have to agree with another reviewer as it was similar to Tolkiens work, but certainly on a simpler level. I do not plan to read the next in the series and would not recommend to buy.
October 20, 2015
It was a little disjointed and I found myself confused, but I did keep reading until the end. I don't know that I liked it enough to get the next book; even though, that might resolve some of my confusion.
March 14, 2014
Was confusing in the beginning, but after the story got into full swing I finished it quickly. I think the story line could have been developed more. Will have to continue the series in the near future.
September 20, 2014
Definitely different
I enjoyed this book. It has a darkness that I've grown accustomed to in my books. I stayed on the edge of my seat the entire journey. If v you like noble quest you should read this book.
I enjoyed this book. It has a darkness that I've grown accustomed to in my books. I stayed on the edge of my seat the entire journey. If v you like noble quest you should read this book.
July 16, 2015
What I think would be called a good solid ya fantasy. With the usual good vs evil, a young girl trying to find her way home and discovering more about herself and what she needs to do to survive blah,blah blah. Got it for free - would I buy it - nope.
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