Alinor's Shard

by Brian Beam

Yalis was once a peaceful world, one of endless beauty and splendor. Alinor, the Creator, so loved this world of His own creation that He chose to live amongst those who populated its beauteous lands. Sheltered by His love, the people of Yalis experienced centuries of untold prosperity . . .

Until Renoris, the Dark God, descended upon Yalis with vengeful fury, forever changing everything.

Ever since that fateful day, Fillon, once a simple artist, has slaved under the Dark God’s oppressive reign for the promise of his family’s protection. However, an unexpected attack against the Dark God’s forces reveals the deceit behind that promise, rending Fillon’s life asunder.

The sole purpose of his existence lost, Fillon joins in the rebellion against the Dark God in hopes of confronting the evil deity with humanity’s last hope for reclaiming their world—Alinor’s Shard.

Will Yalis once again be bathed in the loving warmth of the Creator’s light, or will it forever be entombed within the malicious desolation of the Dark God’s shadow?

Genres: Fantasy

60 pages, Paperback

First published December 27, 2013

About the author

Brian Beam was born and raised in Kentucky and is a proud husband and father. He holds degrees in marketing and nursing, following his passion for writing in his free time. He has way too many cats and likes video games a little too much.

His writing has been influenced and inspired by some of his favorite authors including Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan, Jim Butcher, Patrick Rothfuss, and Terry Goodkind.

He currently resides in North Carolina.


www.facebook.com/brianbeamauthor
http://www.brian-beam.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/brianbeam2
bbeams32@gmail.com

Reviews

[The Chapter Conundrum (Stacey) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found a copy of this at my local used bookstore and decided to pick it up not knowing anything about it since I liked the cover and knew it was adult fantasy!

As it turns out, Alinor's Shard is a quick novellette that is perfect for a one sitting read! :)

I thought the worldbuilding and action scenes were quite interesting and I enjoyed the lore in here! There were just a couple of tropes/things included that weren't to my (very picky) tastes that lowered my enjoyment a bit (specifically: a dream & woman in refrigerator trope).

I do also wish that the main character's motivations for certain things were explored a little more and were more nuanced, that there was a bit more foreshadowing woven in and that a bit more consideration was given to the logic behind the story since I had trouble suspending my disbelief for certain aspects of it. Here are just a few of my questions that I can mention without spoiling the story: How can everyone see and function the way they do in a world that has been taken over by the darkness? Why is the shard such a force when the light god didn't seem to be one when it counted? Why does a general have time for side conversations right before a planned invasion?

[Jake Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking for a quick Saturday morning read, and at 60 pages, "Alinor's Shard" seemed perfect. The story reaches its climax quickly and retains that high throughout most of its length. I was expecting the usual tropes of heroic fantasy fiction, so when the end came I was shocked. (Just realized, a day after writing this, that the book is clearly listed under Horror -->Dark Fantasy. Duh. Had I noticed its categorization, I wouldn't have been shocked by the ending. Whatever the case, I enjoyed the story!).

[Justin Dockins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, visceral, emotional, brutal, and with an unexpected ending. This is the first of Brian Beam's work that I have read. In the very first page, I was already emotionally invested in the main character and the story, which is rather rare I think. I was pleased with the amount of adept description packed into the short story, especially in the battle scenes. The ending was genuinely unexpected, and wonderfully atypical.
I will read more from this author.

[S. Arthur Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alinor's Shard is a surprisingly dark tale, and Mr. Beam has managed to wrap a deep story, excellent world building, and a complex protagonist around a plot that begs to be read cover-to-cover in one sitting. The book also contains simple yet evocative artwork, with a final piece providing a poignant denouement that really sticks with you. Bravo!