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The Rising
Managrail has been at peace for one hundred years, but things are about to change. After a near-fatal fall, Prince Simian and his sister, Lila, find themselves lost in an unknown land, forced to embark on a dangerous journey. Far away, another brother and sister return home, only to find their village of Dirth plundered and their family murdered. Two brother and sisters, different in every way, are brought together by tragedy. As the queen’s champion leads a search for the heirs, a colorful cast of allies joins them. Can the powers of the enchanted Light Bringers help them escape from ancient beasts that hunger for the taste of human flesh, and save their lands and people from the dark powers of an evil sorceress? Love-ambivalence-betrayal. Who will live and who is to be trusted?
Unknown Binding
First published March 6, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 7, 2015
The author, Aron Joice, did a wonderful job of portraying a mystifying journey into the fantasy of literary imagination. This playful world builds a climatic vision for a strong series. The story begins with a society that has lost its king, the queen is left alone to raise her two children, twins named Simian and Lila.
Ancient and dangerous beasts (the Furgay) have been awakened and now roam the lands in search of flesh. Lila, the stronger one of the twins, drags her brother into dangerous consequence with an adventure outside of their domain and in doing so, they get lost in the forest. The Furgay are loose out there and hunt in ravaged packs. The nights draw in and Simian and Lila are in for a journey in the midst of night prowling creatures whom will stop at nothing until they feed.
There is, of course, a lot more to this mystifying tale 'The Rising' (The Lost Children of Managrail) but I don't wont to give any spoilers away.
A sequence for entertainment galore with sorcery and the powerful forces from the stone of Managrail with mystical powers.
An extremely entertaining battle for survival in this epic introduction to the second book in this series. An enjoyable read.
Ancient and dangerous beasts (the Furgay) have been awakened and now roam the lands in search of flesh. Lila, the stronger one of the twins, drags her brother into dangerous consequence with an adventure outside of their domain and in doing so, they get lost in the forest. The Furgay are loose out there and hunt in ravaged packs. The nights draw in and Simian and Lila are in for a journey in the midst of night prowling creatures whom will stop at nothing until they feed.
There is, of course, a lot more to this mystifying tale 'The Rising' (The Lost Children of Managrail) but I don't wont to give any spoilers away.
A sequence for entertainment galore with sorcery and the powerful forces from the stone of Managrail with mystical powers.
An extremely entertaining battle for survival in this epic introduction to the second book in this series. An enjoyable read.
July 24, 2012
If you want to see more of my reviews, check out my blog @ Moosubi Reviews!
Disclaimer: The fact that I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review has not affected my rating. This review expresses my honest opinion.
Judging based off the writing style, I probably started off by thinking The Rising was more of a happy-go-lucky and carefree book, with elements of a fairy tale-ish mix of middle grade and YA fantasy. Obviously, I was wrong - The Rising is not only much a more serious, detailed, and richer book, but also deals with much darker sides, symbols, and elements.
What was most intriguing in my opinion was Lila and her behavior. In one word, her emotions were intense, and I really felt for her. Even as a princess, she had to go through a lot, including her family's losses, being kidnapped, feeling jealous over her own parent, and so much more. Her growth and sacrifices were extraordinary - I loved seeing her transformation from an ignorant, selfish girl into a more mature and experienced young woman. Her interactions with the demon were also interesting, but also conflicted, although sometimes I felt that I could understand her feelings of envy and feeling lost. I just hope that I'm the next book, Lila will finally be able to find fulfillment and happiness.
Simian was also a great character. Being forced to take his responsibilities seriously and having to protect his sister and kingdom. I also liked seeing his growth and admired his bravery, self sacrifices, and quick thinking. His thinking and willingness to sacrifice at the end (I don't want to give away too much) was also admirable, as well as his loyalty to his kins and kingdom. Altogether, the characters in The Rising were magnificent, always demonstrating loyalty and bravery.
Without rambling too much, I'll summarize by saying that pretty much all the characters were pretty well portrayed. I felt that there weren't really any unnecessary characters and that each played an important part in the story. The plot and concept of the Light Bringers were also pretty interesting. There was lots of action, a pretty rich plot, and definitely enough to keep me entertained.
Overall, The Rising is a pretty solid and adventurous fantasy, with detailed characters and rich plot and fantasy elements. I highly recommend this for fantasy fans!
Disclaimer: The fact that I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review has not affected my rating. This review expresses my honest opinion.
Judging based off the writing style, I probably started off by thinking The Rising was more of a happy-go-lucky and carefree book, with elements of a fairy tale-ish mix of middle grade and YA fantasy. Obviously, I was wrong - The Rising is not only much a more serious, detailed, and richer book, but also deals with much darker sides, symbols, and elements.
What was most intriguing in my opinion was Lila and her behavior. In one word, her emotions were intense, and I really felt for her. Even as a princess, she had to go through a lot, including her family's losses, being kidnapped, feeling jealous over her own parent, and so much more. Her growth and sacrifices were extraordinary - I loved seeing her transformation from an ignorant, selfish girl into a more mature and experienced young woman. Her interactions with the demon were also interesting, but also conflicted, although sometimes I felt that I could understand her feelings of envy and feeling lost. I just hope that I'm the next book, Lila will finally be able to find fulfillment and happiness.
Simian was also a great character. Being forced to take his responsibilities seriously and having to protect his sister and kingdom. I also liked seeing his growth and admired his bravery, self sacrifices, and quick thinking. His thinking and willingness to sacrifice at the end (I don't want to give away too much) was also admirable, as well as his loyalty to his kins and kingdom. Altogether, the characters in The Rising were magnificent, always demonstrating loyalty and bravery.
Without rambling too much, I'll summarize by saying that pretty much all the characters were pretty well portrayed. I felt that there weren't really any unnecessary characters and that each played an important part in the story. The plot and concept of the Light Bringers were also pretty interesting. There was lots of action, a pretty rich plot, and definitely enough to keep me entertained.
Overall, The Rising is a pretty solid and adventurous fantasy, with detailed characters and rich plot and fantasy elements. I highly recommend this for fantasy fans!
August 8, 2012
I enjoyed this book but not as much as I wanted too. I can't fault Joice's writing, the descriptions of the characters and the scenery were so well written that I could picture myself in the city of Managrail and I could see the characters in my minds eye however I did have a few issues with the structure of the book. I often felt confused in regards as to where I was in the story, there weren't proper breaks within the chapters or paragraphs to signify the different points in the story. The characters are often not together but this isn't made obvious in the writing, everything blends together and I often found myself re reading parts to get my bearings.
The only real problem for me was the character development or more precisely the lack of it. I was really disappointed by the end of the book when I realised I still didn't have a clue who any of them were. For starters how old are all of the characters? I don't have a clue.
The worst aspect of the story is the love interests/relationships. Lila loves Medack. Medack loves Lila's mother, Raina (which again makes me ask, how old is he?) Bramon loves Cayda, Cayda loves Bramon. Simian loves Hafina and then Lila loves Locknair. All of the relationships are completely unrealistic and unbelievable. There is no evidence of growth in the relationships between any of these people which made them seem false. It took less than a chapter for these feelings to be realised in each of the characters and honestly that's ridiculous.
It seems that Joice has fallen into a style of writing that involves telling us all aspects of the story rather than showing us the story. We are told everything that happens and expected to believe it as true rather than being shown things and forming our own opinions of the events.
This is in no way a bad story, I really like the plot but the characters let the story down. I feel that they were overlooked so that the plot could be fast paced and reach the climax quickly. Characters and character development are important to me and should be the key aspect in a story because if I can't connect with a character then I can't connect with a story.
I know I'll read the next in the series because I really did enjoy the plot and I really want to know what's in store for the children of Managrail, my only concern is that I'll be left feeling the same disappointment in regards to the characters.
July 1, 2014
The Rising, the first volume in Aron Joice's Lost Children of Managrail series, is a wonderful and exciting fantasy adventure. This book is primarily aimed towards the young adult audience, though I found it a great read as an adult in my thirties.
The main story centers around Simian and his twin sister Lila, children of the current Queen and late King of Managrail, a beautiful city that has seen peace for many years. Lila has coaxed Simian in taking a trip to the nearby cliffs, an action that sees them lost and leads to the waking of the Fergay, evil beasts of legend bent on slaughtering humanity. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Throw in a few side plots and an overall epic war ever looming in the distance, and you start to see the epic scope of what Joice intends to develop in this series.
This book is brimming with characters, each with clearly defined motivations and personalities. The world Joice has created is refreshingly imaginative, and the plot contains enough twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes. Who I thought would be the main villain turned out to be nothing compared to the threat that faces the world by the end of the book.
It speaks volumes about Joice's writing that her words bring Managrail and the surrounding world and its inhabitants to vivid life without ever burdening the reader with pages and pages of detail. She skillfully paints a picture while allowing the perfect amount of empty space for the reader to fill in the blanks. With so many fantasy books being bogged down by excessive detail, this is truly a breath of fresh air.
I do have to admit that it took me a while to get into the story, though. For the first few chapters, every couple pages sees the story switching to a new character or scenario. For me, this acted as a barrier in connecting with the characters in the beginning. I learned so little about them in the few pages they have at any given time, that it made it difficult for me to actually care about any of the characters. After those first few chapters, however, the scene/character jumping was drastically reduced, allowing me to get to know the characters enough to care what happened to them next.
Whether you're a younger or older reader, you'll find something to love about The Rising if you love fantasy. The story flows well, making this a fairly quick, enjoyable read.
The main story centers around Simian and his twin sister Lila, children of the current Queen and late King of Managrail, a beautiful city that has seen peace for many years. Lila has coaxed Simian in taking a trip to the nearby cliffs, an action that sees them lost and leads to the waking of the Fergay, evil beasts of legend bent on slaughtering humanity. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Throw in a few side plots and an overall epic war ever looming in the distance, and you start to see the epic scope of what Joice intends to develop in this series.
This book is brimming with characters, each with clearly defined motivations and personalities. The world Joice has created is refreshingly imaginative, and the plot contains enough twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes. Who I thought would be the main villain turned out to be nothing compared to the threat that faces the world by the end of the book.
It speaks volumes about Joice's writing that her words bring Managrail and the surrounding world and its inhabitants to vivid life without ever burdening the reader with pages and pages of detail. She skillfully paints a picture while allowing the perfect amount of empty space for the reader to fill in the blanks. With so many fantasy books being bogged down by excessive detail, this is truly a breath of fresh air.
I do have to admit that it took me a while to get into the story, though. For the first few chapters, every couple pages sees the story switching to a new character or scenario. For me, this acted as a barrier in connecting with the characters in the beginning. I learned so little about them in the few pages they have at any given time, that it made it difficult for me to actually care about any of the characters. After those first few chapters, however, the scene/character jumping was drastically reduced, allowing me to get to know the characters enough to care what happened to them next.
Whether you're a younger or older reader, you'll find something to love about The Rising if you love fantasy. The story flows well, making this a fairly quick, enjoyable read.
September 3, 2013
In the opening of the book, headstrong Lila drags her brother into another one of her adventures. Unfortunately for them, the heirs to the throne, they aren't ready for the world and their mother , the queen, knows this. After their fall, they get lost and the Queen sends out a team to find them. The twin siblings spend the night in the forest being stalked by the Fergay. The Fergay hunt only at night and devour anything in sight.
The Fergay are planning an attack on Managrail. The twins meet Cayda and Medack, who have lost their family and friends. They become allied to the twins to save Managrail.
Just when they think things can't get any worse, Lila is kidnapped by a dark force looking to escape the White Realm. Shantra wants the sacred magical stones of Managrail. She needs this to escape.
Simian must join force with Arilya the Queen of Lapis and all the other magical tribes, to defeat the evil sorceress Shantra. He must be prepared for the fight of his life and to kill his own beloved sister Lila, if necessary.
I found the story quite enchanting. I like the connection between the twins. I think their antics are a little laugh out loud. But, as usual, they get in over their heads when they fall from the cliff and get lost.
The pick up of the two friends helped move the story along. Before that, I did start to feel a little disconnected; like I didn't know where I was in the story. The writing was done well and how the characters and scenery are portrayed is very good. It wasn't that at all. Once Cayda and Medack were added, things began to roll more smoothly.
The story was really good and the story hook was really good. The author did a good job pulling it all together. I didn't think it was as seamless as I would have liked but that didn't take away from the story too much. I still think it was a really good book and look forward to the next one. 3 out of 5 stars.
The Fergay are planning an attack on Managrail. The twins meet Cayda and Medack, who have lost their family and friends. They become allied to the twins to save Managrail.
Just when they think things can't get any worse, Lila is kidnapped by a dark force looking to escape the White Realm. Shantra wants the sacred magical stones of Managrail. She needs this to escape.
Simian must join force with Arilya the Queen of Lapis and all the other magical tribes, to defeat the evil sorceress Shantra. He must be prepared for the fight of his life and to kill his own beloved sister Lila, if necessary.
I found the story quite enchanting. I like the connection between the twins. I think their antics are a little laugh out loud. But, as usual, they get in over their heads when they fall from the cliff and get lost.
The pick up of the two friends helped move the story along. Before that, I did start to feel a little disconnected; like I didn't know where I was in the story. The writing was done well and how the characters and scenery are portrayed is very good. It wasn't that at all. Once Cayda and Medack were added, things began to roll more smoothly.
The story was really good and the story hook was really good. The author did a good job pulling it all together. I didn't think it was as seamless as I would have liked but that didn't take away from the story too much. I still think it was a really good book and look forward to the next one. 3 out of 5 stars.
January 23, 2013
As the book opens, a wilful and headstrong Lila drags her twin brother Simian, into yet another of her adventures. The young Prince and Princess of Managrail have lived a cosseted and protected lifestyle; and are not prepared for life outside Managrail. They get lost and the Queen, when they do not return; sends her champion Bramon to find them. The twins spend a fretful night in the forest stalked by the Fergay. Who hunt at night in packs and devour any living thing in sight.
The Fergay communicate telepathically to each other and are skilled and vicious opponents from which, few escape. The twins meet Cayda and Medack, who have lost all their family and friends and become allies to save Managrail from attack from the Fergay. Just when the four friends think their lives can start again, Lila is kidnapped. A dark spirit has attached itself to Lila and Shantra a dark force is planning to use her to get the thing she desires most. Which are the sacred magical stones of Managrail. Shantra needs them, to escape the White Realm where she has been banished to many years ago.
Simian must join force with Arilya the Queen of Lapis and all the other magical tribes, to defeat the evil sorceress Shantra. He must be prepared for the fight of his life and to kill his own beloved sister Lila, if necessary. I found this author’s imagination captured me and lifted me effortlessly into another world. I could see this book as a fantasy film for children and adults alike and it was a pleasure to review it. Aron Joice, I believe, has the a skilful imagination, on a par with writers such as Lewis Carroll (Alice in Wonderland) J.K Rowling (Harry Potter)
The Fergay communicate telepathically to each other and are skilled and vicious opponents from which, few escape. The twins meet Cayda and Medack, who have lost all their family and friends and become allies to save Managrail from attack from the Fergay. Just when the four friends think their lives can start again, Lila is kidnapped. A dark spirit has attached itself to Lila and Shantra a dark force is planning to use her to get the thing she desires most. Which are the sacred magical stones of Managrail. Shantra needs them, to escape the White Realm where she has been banished to many years ago.
Simian must join force with Arilya the Queen of Lapis and all the other magical tribes, to defeat the evil sorceress Shantra. He must be prepared for the fight of his life and to kill his own beloved sister Lila, if necessary. I found this author’s imagination captured me and lifted me effortlessly into another world. I could see this book as a fantasy film for children and adults alike and it was a pleasure to review it. Aron Joice, I believe, has the a skilful imagination, on a par with writers such as Lewis Carroll (Alice in Wonderland) J.K Rowling (Harry Potter)
February 27, 2013
As the book opens, a wilful and headstrong Lila drags her twin brother Simian, into yet another of her adventures. The young Prince and Princess of Managrail have lived a cosseted and protected lifestyle; and are not prepared for life outside Managrail. They get lost and the Queen, when they do not return; sends her champion Bramon to find them. The twins spend a fretful night in the forest stalked by the Fergay. Who hunt at night in packs and devour any living thing in sight.
The Fergay communicate telepathically to each other and are skilled and vicious opponents from which, few escape. The twins meet Cayda and Medack, who have lost all their family and friends and become allies to save Managrail from attack from the Fergay. Just when the four friends think their lives can start again, Lila is kidnapped. A dark spirit has attached itself to Lila and Shantra a dark force is planning to use her to get the thing she desires most. Which are the sacred magical stones of Managrail. Shantra needs them, to escape the White Realm where she has been banished to many years ago.
Simian must join force with Arilya the Queen of Lapis and all the other magical tribes, to defeat the evil sorceress Shantra. He must be prepared for the fight of his life and to kill his own beloved sister Lila, if necessary. I found this author’s imagination captured me and lifted me effortlessly into another world. I could see this book as a fantasy film for children and adults alike and it was a pleasure to review it. Aron Joice, I believe, has the a skilful imagination, on a par with writers such as Lewis Carroll (Alice in Wonderland) J.K Rowling (Harry Potter) Well done Aron
The Fergay communicate telepathically to each other and are skilled and vicious opponents from which, few escape. The twins meet Cayda and Medack, who have lost all their family and friends and become allies to save Managrail from attack from the Fergay. Just when the four friends think their lives can start again, Lila is kidnapped. A dark spirit has attached itself to Lila and Shantra a dark force is planning to use her to get the thing she desires most. Which are the sacred magical stones of Managrail. Shantra needs them, to escape the White Realm where she has been banished to many years ago.
Simian must join force with Arilya the Queen of Lapis and all the other magical tribes, to defeat the evil sorceress Shantra. He must be prepared for the fight of his life and to kill his own beloved sister Lila, if necessary. I found this author’s imagination captured me and lifted me effortlessly into another world. I could see this book as a fantasy film for children and adults alike and it was a pleasure to review it. Aron Joice, I believe, has the a skilful imagination, on a par with writers such as Lewis Carroll (Alice in Wonderland) J.K Rowling (Harry Potter) Well done Aron
August 30, 2012
Aside from the continuous sequence of exciting adventures that The Rising offers, there is a very interesting portrayal of the relationship and differences between men and women. Do no expect any stereotypes or you are likely to be disappointed. Following the lives of two sets of siblings this fantasy novel will not only uncover hidden secrets about the world that they live in, but it will also reveal truths about the real nature of men and women, and how that nature can change with the influence of others.
While it does contain a little romance and the odd touch of sexual politics, this novel is all about action. No one is afraid to get their hands dirty and it can even get quite gruesome at times. As you live through adventure after adventure, following Prince Simian trying to clean up the mess his sister makes, don’t be surprised if real life seems a little dull when you finish the book.
Reviewed by Elizabeth Wright on behalf of BestChickLit.com
While it does contain a little romance and the odd touch of sexual politics, this novel is all about action. No one is afraid to get their hands dirty and it can even get quite gruesome at times. As you live through adventure after adventure, following Prince Simian trying to clean up the mess his sister makes, don’t be surprised if real life seems a little dull when you finish the book.
Reviewed by Elizabeth Wright on behalf of BestChickLit.com
February 1, 2014
This is book was great. 4 stars!
This book is about two siblings from another world found themselves facing another two siblings that look like them from an unknown land. And their fate is decided when their landed on the unknown land which is village of Dirth. Where their parents was murder and have to fight to protect their people and their lives.
This book is like a matter of life and death and protecting their love ones. Pretty interesting. And who is their enemy or friends they could trust.
Its highly recommend if you're interested into reading these types of books. I like it so I hope you readers out there would give The Rising a try too.
This book is about two siblings from another world found themselves facing another two siblings that look like them from an unknown land. And their fate is decided when their landed on the unknown land which is village of Dirth. Where their parents was murder and have to fight to protect their people and their lives.
This book is like a matter of life and death and protecting their love ones. Pretty interesting. And who is their enemy or friends they could trust.
Its highly recommend if you're interested into reading these types of books. I like it so I hope you readers out there would give The Rising a try too.
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