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Fate's Forsaken #1
Harbinger
Seventeen years ago, a long and bloody rebellion wracked the six united regions of the Kingdom. Now the new King wields the vast and unvanquished army of Midlan with his right hand, and with his left has granted a small group of thugs — the nobles he calls his Sovereign Five — unbridled rule over the other regions. As if this weren’t bad enough, the King has also outlawed the practice of whispering — which is a problem for Kael.
It’s not like he asked to be born a whisperer: he didn’t ask for his strange healing powers anymore than he asked to be the village runt. And when he rescues a wounded girl from the perils of the Unforgivable Mountains, his luck only gets worse. She couldn’t have been just any girl: she had to be Kyleigh —the sword-wielding renegade knight with all of Midlan on her trail. Then one miserable, snowy evening, things go from bad to worse, and Kael is left with no choice but to follow Kyleigh down the mountains and into the tumultuous lowlands. She leads him on one mad quest after the next — eventually pulling off an act of such mischievous proportions that it threatens to change the Kingdom as they know it.
It’s not like he asked to be born a whisperer: he didn’t ask for his strange healing powers anymore than he asked to be the village runt. And when he rescues a wounded girl from the perils of the Unforgivable Mountains, his luck only gets worse. She couldn’t have been just any girl: she had to be Kyleigh —the sword-wielding renegade knight with all of Midlan on her trail. Then one miserable, snowy evening, things go from bad to worse, and Kael is left with no choice but to follow Kyleigh down the mountains and into the tumultuous lowlands. She leads him on one mad quest after the next — eventually pulling off an act of such mischievous proportions that it threatens to change the Kingdom as they know it.
458 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 30, 2012
About the author
Shae Ford
10 books209 followersShae Ford is a USA Today bestselling author from a not-so-small town outside of Ft. Worth, Texas.
Her debut series, "Fate's Forsaken," follows the story of a young man who is gifted with extraordinary powers, but plagued by rotten bad luck. Having the chance to share his many (mis)adventures with readers all over the world has been the opportunity of a lifetime, and a journey she'll never forget.
To learn more about Shae's books, contact the author, or sign up for her newsletter, please visit www.ShaeFord.com.
Fate's Forsaken Series:
Book 1: Harbinger
Book 2: Slight and Shadow
Book 3: Dragonsbane
Book 4: Daybreak
Fate's Forsaken rating FAQs (taken from the official website):
Fate’s Forsaken was written with the Young Adult audience in mind, and contains no graphic nudity, sex scenes, or cussing. Though the characters must often overcome hardships, and their stories touch upon difficult themes, Shae’s purpose in writing the series was to provide her readers with an uplifting adventure, the means to escape the troubles of the “real world” — and perhaps even make a few friends along the way.
Anomaly Series:
Book 1: Charlie the Anomaly
This post-apocalyptic gunslinger series is set in ruins of north Texas. Taking place about 400 years in the future, readers will get to see what the world looks like after civilization is destroyed-- and read about how it all ended. Tag along with Charlie while she sets fires and wreaks havoc on the villains of the Nothing!
R-rated for violence, PG-13 for language, No nudity or sexual situations
Her debut series, "Fate's Forsaken," follows the story of a young man who is gifted with extraordinary powers, but plagued by rotten bad luck. Having the chance to share his many (mis)adventures with readers all over the world has been the opportunity of a lifetime, and a journey she'll never forget.
To learn more about Shae's books, contact the author, or sign up for her newsletter, please visit www.ShaeFord.com.
Fate's Forsaken Series:
Book 1: Harbinger
Book 2: Slight and Shadow
Book 3: Dragonsbane
Book 4: Daybreak
Fate's Forsaken rating FAQs (taken from the official website):
Fate’s Forsaken was written with the Young Adult audience in mind, and contains no graphic nudity, sex scenes, or cussing. Though the characters must often overcome hardships, and their stories touch upon difficult themes, Shae’s purpose in writing the series was to provide her readers with an uplifting adventure, the means to escape the troubles of the “real world” — and perhaps even make a few friends along the way.
Anomaly Series:
Book 1: Charlie the Anomaly
This post-apocalyptic gunslinger series is set in ruins of north Texas. Taking place about 400 years in the future, readers will get to see what the world looks like after civilization is destroyed-- and read about how it all ended. Tag along with Charlie while she sets fires and wreaks havoc on the villains of the Nothing!
R-rated for violence, PG-13 for language, No nudity or sexual situations
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
September 15, 2017
3.5 bumped up to 4 for an excellent audiobook narration by Derek Perkins. I enjoyed this book and loved the two main characters (but some of the secondary characters are silly). Some scenes are grim, horrible, and sad, but this is ultimately a heartwarming fantasy series with romantic elements. This fantasy is set in an imaginary earth with kings, nobles, and serving classes. There are mages, whisperers, giants, human-animal shape shifters (wolf, dragon, hawk, etc.).
Much of this first book focused on developing allies, friendships, skills and knowledge to defeat evil King Cravan and his host of goons. In that sense, it's a solid series opener. However, my favorite in the series is book 3, Dragonsbane
Good relationship development between Kyleigh (a shape-shifter captured in the prologue) and Kael, a young man raised in the Unforgivable Mountains. He was born on the single day of the year when Fate isn't watching, so he's invisible to Fate, and beyond her control. He is forsaken by Fate, hence the title. The villagers fear him for that. Plus, he wasn't born in the village, so he's prey to bigots and bullies, especially Marc and Laomoth.
Secondary characters are many, including Amos, Roland, Aerelyn, Lysander, Morris, Jonathan, Jake, Blood Fang, etc. The villainous King Crevan is suitably evil, but he's not quite a one-dimensional prop. Same goes for his Archmage Ulrich, his warlord Titus, etc.
The magical system: "Whisperers" are rare, and are born with one of three magical skills (healer, craftsman, or warrior). The Wright is a master whisperer, gifted in all three abilities. Whisperers are born gifted but they must learn how to wield their area of skill. Wizards, in contrast, must learn sorcery, but they have no limits -- they can do all kinds of magic. Thus, one would think a mage trumps a whisperer, but a whisperer is naturally immune to mage-spells. So there's a somewhat balanced competition between the wizards and the whisperers. There's another magical element: It took longer for me to figure out the role played by Fate and her brother Death. I didn't catch that till the end, book 4, Daybreak
The writing style: The story is told in 3rd person from several perspectives. The book seems to be aimed at YA -adult. The genre is fantasy-with-light-romance, I'd say. It's fairly light in tone, with feel-good scenes of camaraderie and conviviality, interspersed with a few heartbreaking grim-dark scenes (murder, butchery, slavery, starvation). A good pace was set, but not the kind of frenetic pace that's filled with nonstop action. There are relationship-building scenes between the battles and adventures. The action scenes are excellent (especially the chapter called "The Tempest"). The writing style flows nicely via transitions and is easy to follow. The plot is fairly simple. This is not a brain-taxing fantasy. There's a sprinkling of light humor throughout. I smiled and chuckled a few times. The main romantic relationship (Kael and Kyleigh) is fairly credible and well paced.
Quibbles: No major quibbles, but the story felt slow at first, and occasionally later. Also, too many couples fell in love by the end of the series (6 couples). Also, by including romance, the author struggled to maintain the darker tones she was driving for at times. The secondary characters vacillate from serious to almost silly.
Contents: Innocuous. No cussing, no sex, not too much bloody violence.
Much of this first book focused on developing allies, friendships, skills and knowledge to defeat evil King Cravan and his host of goons. In that sense, it's a solid series opener. However, my favorite in the series is book 3, Dragonsbane
Good relationship development between Kyleigh (a shape-shifter captured in the prologue) and Kael, a young man raised in the Unforgivable Mountains. He was born on the single day of the year when Fate isn't watching, so he's invisible to Fate, and beyond her control. He is forsaken by Fate, hence the title. The villagers fear him for that. Plus, he wasn't born in the village, so he's prey to bigots and bullies, especially Marc and Laomoth.
Secondary characters are many, including Amos, Roland, Aerelyn, Lysander, Morris, Jonathan, Jake, Blood Fang, etc. The villainous King Crevan is suitably evil, but he's not quite a one-dimensional prop. Same goes for his Archmage Ulrich, his warlord Titus, etc.
The magical system: "Whisperers" are rare, and are born with one of three magical skills (healer, craftsman, or warrior). The Wright is a master whisperer, gifted in all three abilities. Whisperers are born gifted but they must learn how to wield their area of skill. Wizards, in contrast, must learn sorcery, but they have no limits -- they can do all kinds of magic. Thus, one would think a mage trumps a whisperer, but a whisperer is naturally immune to mage-spells. So there's a somewhat balanced competition between the wizards and the whisperers. There's another magical element: It took longer for me to figure out the role played by Fate and her brother Death. I didn't catch that till the end, book 4, Daybreak
The writing style: The story is told in 3rd person from several perspectives. The book seems to be aimed at YA -adult. The genre is fantasy-with-light-romance, I'd say. It's fairly light in tone, with feel-good scenes of camaraderie and conviviality, interspersed with a few heartbreaking grim-dark scenes (murder, butchery, slavery, starvation). A good pace was set, but not the kind of frenetic pace that's filled with nonstop action. There are relationship-building scenes between the battles and adventures. The action scenes are excellent (especially the chapter called "The Tempest"). The writing style flows nicely via transitions and is easy to follow. The plot is fairly simple. This is not a brain-taxing fantasy. There's a sprinkling of light humor throughout. I smiled and chuckled a few times. The main romantic relationship (Kael and Kyleigh) is fairly credible and well paced.
Quibbles: No major quibbles, but the story felt slow at first, and occasionally later. Also, too many couples fell in love by the end of the series (6 couples). Also, by including romance, the author struggled to maintain the darker tones she was driving for at times. The secondary characters vacillate from serious to almost silly.
Contents: Innocuous. No cussing, no sex, not too much bloody violence.
December 11, 2014
Actual Rating: 2.5 stars
Meh. Harbinger was better than I expected, but I'm also not all that impressed. I'm also really sick of the words "rump" and "gut."
Pluses:
Dragon
Pirates
Two badass heroines
Decent narration
Minuses:
Incredibly boring hero
Only two female characters, one of which
Hero magically good at everything, except realizing a girl is into him
Meh. Harbinger was better than I expected, but I'm also not all that impressed. I'm also really sick of the words "rump" and "gut."
Pluses:
Dragon
Pirates
Two badass heroines
Decent narration
Minuses:
Incredibly boring hero
Only two female characters, one of which
Hero magically good at everything, except realizing a girl is into him
December 12, 2016
3 ½ stars. I enjoyed this. No major problems.
It’s a fantasy/adventure story. Creatures include mages, shape shifters (dragons and wolves), and whisperers. Whisperers do things with their minds like telekinesis. Kael is in his late teens (I think). When the story starts he doesn’t know that he is a whisperer, but he soon learns he is. When he shoots an arrow it goes where he wants it to go. When he sets an animal trap the animal he wants comes to the trap. He can heal by picturing body parts coming together.
This is a four book series. There are five evil governor types and an evil king. Kael and his friends travel and plan to kill or stop the evil leaders. During the story Kael makes friends with various types who accompany him on these quests. In book 1 Kyleigh (a dragon shifter) has a major role.
There is a happy ending for book 1 with good guys winning against an evil ruler, but there are more evil rulers out there to be dealt with in future books.
THE SERIES:
This is book #1 in the four book series Fates Forsaken. I read the first two books and part of the 3rd book. I lost interest - partly due to other things going on in my life. One of my friends rated books 3 and 4 the best. Give it a try if you’re in the mood for this genre.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Derek Perkins did an excellent job.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 15 hrs and 28 mins. Swearing language: none. Sexual content: none. Setting: unknown location in a time before guns. Book copyright: 2012. Genre: fantasy, young adult.
It’s a fantasy/adventure story. Creatures include mages, shape shifters (dragons and wolves), and whisperers. Whisperers do things with their minds like telekinesis. Kael is in his late teens (I think). When the story starts he doesn’t know that he is a whisperer, but he soon learns he is. When he shoots an arrow it goes where he wants it to go. When he sets an animal trap the animal he wants comes to the trap. He can heal by picturing body parts coming together.
This is a four book series. There are five evil governor types and an evil king. Kael and his friends travel and plan to kill or stop the evil leaders. During the story Kael makes friends with various types who accompany him on these quests. In book 1 Kyleigh (a dragon shifter) has a major role.
There is a happy ending for book 1 with good guys winning against an evil ruler, but there are more evil rulers out there to be dealt with in future books.
THE SERIES:
This is book #1 in the four book series Fates Forsaken. I read the first two books and part of the 3rd book. I lost interest - partly due to other things going on in my life. One of my friends rated books 3 and 4 the best. Give it a try if you’re in the mood for this genre.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Derek Perkins did an excellent job.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 15 hrs and 28 mins. Swearing language: none. Sexual content: none. Setting: unknown location in a time before guns. Book copyright: 2012. Genre: fantasy, young adult.
July 26, 2016
A decent read. Perhaps if I were ten years younger I would think of it as a good or even a great read but Harbinger is definitely a screamingly YA fantasy. It was slightly better then I expected but I've never held my breath for a YA book to knock me of my feet.
In this book we follow the orphan-ish boy, Kale as he discovers just how awesome he is as he is forced from his small, mountain village with a badass half dragon whom he's too scared to tongue punch.
There were many interesting elements in this book which propelled the decent story line. The characters weren't especially interesting and by the end of the book I barely cared what happened to the whole lot of them despite much of the book being unnecessarily dedicated to the main and side characters bonding and other nonsense.
Sometimes things seemed to happen too easily and I feel the action and actual plot elements were condensed to focus on the the characters becoming friends. Too much teen angst, not enough teen action.
Criticism aside, I rarely like the first book in a series and unless I flat out hate it, I will continue on to book two and see what's up.
Recommendation : Undecided.
In this book we follow the orphan-ish boy, Kale as he discovers just how awesome he is as he is forced from his small, mountain village with a badass half dragon whom he's too scared to tongue punch.
There were many interesting elements in this book which propelled the decent story line. The characters weren't especially interesting and by the end of the book I barely cared what happened to the whole lot of them despite much of the book being unnecessarily dedicated to the main and side characters bonding and other nonsense.
Sometimes things seemed to happen too easily and I feel the action and actual plot elements were condensed to focus on the the characters becoming friends. Too much teen angst, not enough teen action.
Criticism aside, I rarely like the first book in a series and unless I flat out hate it, I will continue on to book two and see what's up.
Recommendation : Undecided.
January 26, 2016
This was an awesome epic adventure, and I loved it! People that like R.A. Salvatore or Christopher Paolini should give this a try. This type of writing is what is lacking in the YA genre. Please we need more of it. I am looking forward to the next book.
I like the main characters and their interaction with the common folk around them. I will admit that the story starts off a little rocky, but soon turns into a strong plot.
I like the main characters and their interaction with the common folk around them. I will admit that the story starts off a little rocky, but soon turns into a strong plot.
May 2, 2016
No. Just absolutely NO. This book started okay, not great. Then it just got worse.
I feel like every fantasy, mythical creature/human were forced into a book. We have dragons, whisperers, mages, witches, "beast" wolves, wrights, pirates, mystery swords and it just goes on and on. Not very good "magic" system. Just a lot of nonsense forced into a story.
There is also plenty of similarities to other books. Not much originality.
I feel like every fantasy, mythical creature/human were forced into a book. We have dragons, whisperers, mages, witches, "beast" wolves, wrights, pirates, mystery swords and it just goes on and on. Not very good "magic" system. Just a lot of nonsense forced into a story.
There is also plenty of similarities to other books. Not much originality.
October 7, 2013
Well, obviously, I thought it was terrific! My only disappointment is that the author hasn't written more in this series (there is a book 2, I'll get to that later) and I've been really pressed to find another book that grabbed my imagination the way this one did.
The characters are well developed; however, it's obvious she left some stuff alone that would mke another book by itself. The book started VERY slowly - for me anyway,and, I have to admit, I put it down the 1st time I started reading; and only came back because I had read everything else in my Kindle at least twice, so I started from the beginning determined to read at least a few chapters; I ended up staying up all night long and reading the entire book. The character's are people you could relate to, even the hero/protagonist (not Hiro Protagonist for you Neil Stephenson fans!) have their own self doubts; these made them all the more readable, and by the time you finish this one, you'll feel like you wished you had a friend like Kael, or Johnathan, and especially Dragongirl (secret knight name, real name Kyleigh - who wouldn't love to have a friend like that at their backs?
Now, my biggest problem (since I read the sequel, (Though she could easily write at least 4 more books with these characters) is waiting for book number 3, and finding another author I whose work I enjoy as much as Shae Ford. (Apparently there will be more to come - I just noticed the second half of the title here, "Fate's forsaken #1 - and since their is already a book #2, "Slight and Shadow", I'm hoping for books #3, 4, 5 and six!
Great book, great story, hero's with real flaws and doubts, magic, pirates, shapeshifters - who could ask for more? (!)
The characters are well developed; however, it's obvious she left some stuff alone that would mke another book by itself. The book started VERY slowly - for me anyway,and, I have to admit, I put it down the 1st time I started reading; and only came back because I had read everything else in my Kindle at least twice, so I started from the beginning determined to read at least a few chapters; I ended up staying up all night long and reading the entire book. The character's are people you could relate to, even the hero/protagonist (not Hiro Protagonist for you Neil Stephenson fans!) have their own self doubts; these made them all the more readable, and by the time you finish this one, you'll feel like you wished you had a friend like Kael, or Johnathan, and especially Dragongirl (secret knight name, real name Kyleigh - who wouldn't love to have a friend like that at their backs?
Now, my biggest problem (since I read the sequel, (Though she could easily write at least 4 more books with these characters) is waiting for book number 3, and finding another author I whose work I enjoy as much as Shae Ford. (Apparently there will be more to come - I just noticed the second half of the title here, "Fate's forsaken #1 - and since their is already a book #2, "Slight and Shadow", I'm hoping for books #3, 4, 5 and six!
Great book, great story, hero's with real flaws and doubts, magic, pirates, shapeshifters - who could ask for more? (!)
October 6, 2014
A little too YA for me, but creative concept
I'd rate this a 2.5 star book. This was one of those reads that I almost discontinued on numerous occasions. I just felt myself growing bored throughout. I think this would probably be a good fit for a younger reader. I just found myself wanting a bit more. I never really felt a connection to the characters. While the heroine was strong and brave, I found myself thinking of the hero as weak and needy. It was still ok, just not a series I will personally continue.
I'd rate this a 2.5 star book. This was one of those reads that I almost discontinued on numerous occasions. I just felt myself growing bored throughout. I think this would probably be a good fit for a younger reader. I just found myself wanting a bit more. I never really felt a connection to the characters. While the heroine was strong and brave, I found myself thinking of the hero as weak and needy. It was still ok, just not a series I will personally continue.
October 1, 2013
I am very surprised at this books rating, being quite a tolerant reader I tend to blast through any book, even if they are less than average. But I did struggle to finnish reading this.
All in all this read was exceedingly cringeworthy, frustratingly facepalm to say the least.
All in all this read was exceedingly cringeworthy, frustratingly facepalm to say the least.
August 27, 2016
I think I'll lend this book to my 10 y/o niece. She might like it (provided she doesn't look too closely at the numerous absurd situations occuring during the hero's journey).
June 29, 2018
kael and kyleigh are my heroes.
April 4, 2019
It was absolutely brilliant! I don't think I have come across ,a female protagonist like Kylie( I think I misspelled her again) , in the novels I have read so far. Since I tried the audio book, I suggest everyone do the same as well, the voiceover artist did an incredible job of giving every character their own distinct voices and manner of speaking. The action is pretty good as well. One of my favs. Loved it!
October 29, 2015
This was a fun read with some interesting ideas and good characters. Kael is a bit whiny though with some reason he's very downtrodden. His abilities seem almost too powerful but there do seem to be some limits to balance that if they are not really gone into.
It has some fairly kick arse heroines Kyleigh is just generally awesome and even the merchant girl (Ayrlin?) who starts as a sort of template girly girl turns out to have some depth. I also liked Jake the battle mage who keeps screwing up spells if they're not death and destruction based.
The story is fairly light some nice twists to the normal theme with the whisperers sort of anti mages with their own special abilties. A few shapeshifters who are humans bonded with animals to form one being.
Not very deep and sometimes the characters reactions seem simplistic and aimed at moving the plot forward but generally a fun read.
The author really does like the word rump it keeps showing up again and again. Perhaps some other words they could use for variety behind, butt, bottom, arse, buttocks, bum, rear end, or even posterior to name but a few options.
It has some fairly kick arse heroines Kyleigh is just generally awesome and even the merchant girl (Ayrlin?) who starts as a sort of template girly girl turns out to have some depth. I also liked Jake the battle mage who keeps screwing up spells if they're not death and destruction based.
The story is fairly light some nice twists to the normal theme with the whisperers sort of anti mages with their own special abilties. A few shapeshifters who are humans bonded with animals to form one being.
Not very deep and sometimes the characters reactions seem simplistic and aimed at moving the plot forward but generally a fun read.
The author really does like the word rump it keeps showing up again and again. Perhaps some other words they could use for variety behind, butt, bottom, arse, buttocks, bum, rear end, or even posterior to name but a few options.
September 13, 2013
I'm a bit surprised by the high rating of this book. It's pretty average all in all. Readable but not really anything to rave about.
Characters are not very complicated, and not very developed, somewhat stereotypical for the most part. There is a certain lack of depth, that's disappointing.
Plot is OK, despite some sparsely motivated events it's was not ridiculous, just a bit bland, not much edginess there.
Writing style is...well average, while entertaining and engaging for the most part, it was straightforward storytelling with no literary embellishments. Didn't allow for much character perspective when changing POVs, especially for male characters.
Worldbuilding I would argue some definite lack of knowledge about real world economics, but it didn't make the plot ridiculously implausible so it was fine.
While readable you really have to be quite the undiscriminating reader to give the book more than 3 star rating.
Characters are not very complicated, and not very developed, somewhat stereotypical for the most part. There is a certain lack of depth, that's disappointing.
Plot is OK, despite some sparsely motivated events it's was not ridiculous, just a bit bland, not much edginess there.
Writing style is...well average, while entertaining and engaging for the most part, it was straightforward storytelling with no literary embellishments. Didn't allow for much character perspective when changing POVs, especially for male characters.
Worldbuilding I would argue some definite lack of knowledge about real world economics, but it didn't make the plot ridiculously implausible so it was fine.
While readable you really have to be quite the undiscriminating reader to give the book more than 3 star rating.
September 24, 2014
Great starting I.e. Opening was great but the story quickly denigrated into a formulaic story
September 15, 2015
Really enjoyed this book, it has an interesting magic system and even better characters with fantastic dialogue and interactions.
September 16, 2017
Listened to this. Loved this new series. It is so different and keeps you entertained. Love the characters. Also is clean.
August 4, 2018
Great read!!!
Harbinger brought together excellent character development and a unique story that keeps you engaged. This is a great read.
Thanks
Harbinger brought together excellent character development and a unique story that keeps you engaged. This is a great read.
Thanks
October 29, 2018
I listened to the audio book for this and it was spectacular. The narration by Derek Perkins is what makes this story come to life. It is a fantastic story with a unique imagination and twist.
February 8, 2017
I listen to the audiobook of this one and it’s my first time to listen to one. I expected to be dreadfully bored with the audiobook but I didn’t. Derek Perkins was so good and I can easily picture out the places and characters.
The books is a fantasy adventure story. It has mages, shape shifters (specifically dragons and wolves), and whisperers. Whisperers has power with their minds like telekinesis. Kael is in his 17th year, if I am right with the dates in the book and meet this girl named Kyleigh who is knight. Yes she is a knight
What I like about this book is that-well I was sold with the Dragon Girl here. In the first few chapters in the book I find Kael quite similar to a character made up by my friend and she hasn’t even read this book until I recommend it to her. It is quite a refreshing book since it has been a long time for me to read a fantasy and adventure book. Quite long!
Anyway it was a good book. The magic system is interesting and the character development is on point. I find it glad the even the relationship of the characters are not rushed. This type of writing is what lacking in the Young Adult genre. People who like Paolini’s works will surely enjoy this like I enjoyed listening to the audiobook. Might buy my own copy in the near future.
Since this is a series, I will continue on book 2. I wanna see my KaelxKyleigh ship. Kael is such a cinnamon roll but can actual kill you if you deserve it though
The books is a fantasy adventure story. It has mages, shape shifters (specifically dragons and wolves), and whisperers. Whisperers has power with their minds like telekinesis. Kael is in his 17th year, if I am right with the dates in the book and meet this girl named Kyleigh who is knight. Yes she is a knight
What I like about this book is that-well I was sold with the Dragon Girl here. In the first few chapters in the book I find Kael quite similar to a character made up by my friend and she hasn’t even read this book until I recommend it to her. It is quite a refreshing book since it has been a long time for me to read a fantasy and adventure book. Quite long!
Anyway it was a good book. The magic system is interesting and the character development is on point. I find it glad the even the relationship of the characters are not rushed. This type of writing is what lacking in the Young Adult genre. People who like Paolini’s works will surely enjoy this like I enjoyed listening to the audiobook. Might buy my own copy in the near future.
Since this is a series, I will continue on book 2. I wanna see my KaelxKyleigh ship. Kael is such a cinnamon roll but can actual kill you if you deserve it though
December 24, 2016
So after reading the short Prequel to "Fate's Forsaken" series now I really get into the meat by reading "Harbinger". This book has a lot of cool things in it. Hmm ok a lot of stuff fantasy readers might look for in a book. Among them are Dragons, Wizard, Witches, Shape-Shifters and Pirates. Yes, a little here and there sprinkled for all. But what really surprises is how fast you get to feel comfortable with this universe.
The two main characters are Kael a teenage man just coming to age raised in the unforgivable mountains. Kaleigh is the second a mysterious girl who is nicknamed "the Dragon Girl" (no affiliation or signs of having a tattoo). After escaping the mountains they join a caravan and we meet more members of the gang. This book has a lot of action and when it has a break its introducing characters to my delight. Its a fun adventure I feel if I have to introduce the rest of the characters I might run afoul of spoilers, so I won't. But you will definitely like the Pirate. As well as the rest of the main gang.
Things that stand out, of course the Whisperers. They will be interesting from the start so watch out for them.
The two main characters are Kael a teenage man just coming to age raised in the unforgivable mountains. Kaleigh is the second a mysterious girl who is nicknamed "the Dragon Girl" (no affiliation or signs of having a tattoo). After escaping the mountains they join a caravan and we meet more members of the gang. This book has a lot of action and when it has a break its introducing characters to my delight. Its a fun adventure I feel if I have to introduce the rest of the characters I might run afoul of spoilers, so I won't. But you will definitely like the Pirate. As well as the rest of the main gang.
Things that stand out, of course the Whisperers. They will be interesting from the start so watch out for them.
June 5, 2019
There's a fine line between innocence and stupidity, and it is usually there where great authors fall. From the cover I was under the impression that the dragon girl was the protagonist, but 2 sentences in I find out that it's actually the impoverished kid. When the 2 of them finally set the stage I find that the majority of the elements are there, setting;plot;action;romance and even a few others. But the most important part was left out as the plot rolls on, the characters. The backstories are vague, and the characters themselves are unintelligent. I know I'm asking too much, but a dud is a dud.
May 6, 2020
This series of 4 books begins with a boy in a rugged mountainous region of a kingdom ruled by evil. He very soon meets him dragon girl companion that will help him become the strong "Right" person to change things. This first adventure takes us on the sea with pirates and fights with shape shifters, witches and mages.
The series is simple in formula but has the special touches of humor, character building, escalation of scenes, geography, magic, love, and tension that every good fantasy tale should have. What makes it stand is that it is just as appropriate and enjoyable for a child as it is for an adult.
The series is simple in formula but has the special touches of humor, character building, escalation of scenes, geography, magic, love, and tension that every good fantasy tale should have. What makes it stand is that it is just as appropriate and enjoyable for a child as it is for an adult.
January 21, 2023
In essence - Eragon or Sevenfold Sword without the surprises.
This is a decent book, very "by the numbers". There aren't any twists and every single character they meet is as kind and guilless as would be enjoyed by a tale for an eight-year-old. This clashes with the more mature content in terms of violence. The big reveal in the end about Kayleigh was about as surprising as water being wet. The story itself is fun, pirates, shapeshifters, magic, yay. And the concept of two types of magic users having animosity in one direction is fun.
This is a decent book, very "by the numbers". There aren't any twists and every single character they meet is as kind and guilless as would be enjoyed by a tale for an eight-year-old. This clashes with the more mature content in terms of violence. The big reveal in the end about Kayleigh was about as surprising as water being wet. The story itself is fun, pirates, shapeshifters, magic, yay. And the concept of two types of magic users having animosity in one direction is fun.
October 13, 2019
Eventually decided to give it 90%
An enjoyable story with a good mix of action, funny parts, and somber introspective from Kael.
There are some parts of the magic system that are not completely explained but I hope more will be shown in the sequels as Kael learns his abilities.
If you like shifters, realm-in-trouble scenarios, and an MC that starts from nowhere to the point he looks like the child of misfortune, this might be a book you'd like.
An enjoyable story with a good mix of action, funny parts, and somber introspective from Kael.
There are some parts of the magic system that are not completely explained but I hope more will be shown in the sequels as Kael learns his abilities.
If you like shifters, realm-in-trouble scenarios, and an MC that starts from nowhere to the point he looks like the child of misfortune, this might be a book you'd like.
December 30, 2021
Surprisingly good and now I have to read the next one!
I bought this series for my sons based on the recommendation of a friend. I decided I should read it first. The second quarter of the story was hard for me to get through but the second half and end captured me. Now I have to read the next one. Plus, it's an easy sell to my sons. Dragons, knights, magic, shapechangers, all the things boys love!
I bought this series for my sons based on the recommendation of a friend. I decided I should read it first. The second quarter of the story was hard for me to get through but the second half and end captured me. Now I have to read the next one. Plus, it's an easy sell to my sons. Dragons, knights, magic, shapechangers, all the things boys love!
December 28, 2018
I love this series and have read and listened to the audio-books several times. Enjoy Shae Ford's writing style. There are multiple well developed characters. The series is fun, moves fast enough to keep the easily distracted captivated. If you enjoy Michael J. Sullivan's Riyria Chronicles then this series may be a good fit for you too.
March 15, 2019
Very entertaining! Our hero starts off as a bumbling, awkward child who can't even hunt properly, and gets led into a rebellion and a journey from one trouble to the next. There is a good bit of gentle humor, too. By the end of the book, Kael is a capable young man with many willing followers. A bad decision (in my opinion) and a cliff hanger ending.... Glad I have the next book to dive into.
November 1, 2021
This book was so enchanting to listen to. I thoughly enjoyed it. It was different than I expected, much lighter and very witty. I definitely had a few laugh out loud moments.
The narraration was great and went perfectly with the book.
I will be enjoying more from this author and absolutely recommend this book. You will have no regrets whether you read or listen to it.
The narraration was great and went perfectly with the book.
I will be enjoying more from this author and absolutely recommend this book. You will have no regrets whether you read or listen to it.
November 23, 2017
I had really high hopes for this book, and I love the idea of it! Unfortunately, the language and I do not agree. Had the writing been better, this might have been my favourite book of the year. As it is... well, I mourn what could have been
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