Child of Tulathne

by Lila Samson

Aleksander Wythane has no qualms with his identity as the reincarnated Sword of Ages. It brought him a life of comfort as a member of the royal family, and comprehensive training to make him the best swordsman on the continent. The looming knowledge of his duties remain far off on the horizon, the kingdom of Zekhar is at peace with its neighbors and itself, and a lavish Summer Solstice festival is approaching.

But when creatures cobbled from corpses and dark magic tear their way into the celebration and upend one of the most joyous nights of the year, the entire kingdom is faced with their greatest fear since Aleksander’s birth—the reason he was born in the first place.

After ten years of preparation, Aleksander is thrust into his calling earlier than expected, but not alone. Accompanied by seeress and princess, Carissa, and a mercenary older than the country itself, their quest is gather allies, information, and find the monster Aleksander is destined to kill; whoever they may be in this life. Along the way, Aleksander faces trials, losses, and realizations that cause him to doubt not only his ability, but his identity. Was it possible the goddess made the wrong choice?

Or was he never the Sword to begin with?

366 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 27, 2024

Reviews

[Lila Samson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi! I'm the author! I really enjoyed writing this and I am very excited to share it with you all come August <3

[emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

everything about this is stunning: the world building, the characters— every page you learn more about the world just as aleksander does, and then you remember that he's literally just a fifteen year old boy, why does the fate of the world have to be on his shoulders?? every character has stunning depth, and you want to root for them the moment aleksander meets them. even the minor characters like the carriage driver LITERALLY made me bawl my eyes out. dare i say that the dzera gives suriel vibes?? this lays the framework for an incredible fantasy that leaves you with a literal book hangover. demir and elspeth are simply my everythings, if they have no fans i am DEAD in the GROUND!!!

everyone needs to read this because everyone will relate to at least one, if not MULTIPLE characters (demir girlies sound off) and you deserve to be seen and heard in a stunning fantasy novel :,)))

child of tulathne i LOVE YOU!!!!!!

[Lisa Schwab · Rating 5 out of 5]

This YA fantasy is:
A can’t put down -must read now to find out more about…everything and everyone kind of a story.

Let me qualify that statement…..I NORMALLY don’t like, prefer or understand these kinds of books. For real. YET…

Child Of Tulathne I found engaging, intriguing and wanting to know more. I could visualize everyone and everything happening along with the fabulous descriptives of the different personalities and mannerisms of each person. It was like I was there watching this all unfold before me.
I can hardly wait for the next one!

[Seth Scourfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging and addictive to read, I loved getting to know the characters and world that Lila Samson brought to life in “Child of Tulathne.” Every other page is embellished with vivid descriptions just as easily imagined on a screen as on paper, making the story impossible to put down once the action ramped up. Samson’s writing shines most in balancing immersive world-building, unique characters, and the compelling relationships between them, especially when differences in the story’s fictional cultures emphasized their distinct views on magic and religion. While the plot was steadily paced, even predictable at times, there were plenty of captivating sequences that breathed life into the story and its characters.
My biggest complaint is that I believe Samson could have taken more risks with the choices she made for the plot, especially towards the end of the story. Specifically, I think her choice in addressing the implied death the prophecy sets up earlier in the book could have been executed differently, in a way that was less “convenient” for the assembled characters, challenging Aleksander’s development as the “hero” others want him to be. After all, the magical worldbuilding and the book’s setup creates so much potential for interesting commentary on the “chosen one” narrative and the future of the series.
That said, as someone who was in a longstanding reading slump prior to this book, I couldn’t get enough of it! If certain aspects of the plot had ended differently, it likely would have been considered an absolute favorite of mine. I’m very glad to have stumbled upon this soon-to-be trilogy, and I cannot wait to read more of what’s to come!

[Sydney Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Child of Tulathne is the start of a trilogy I already know will be stunning (I'm prophesying it actually). The worldbuilding is done with incredible love and care, richly woven with colorful, fascinating imagery describing settings, clothing, religious practices, constellations, architecture, and more. I LOVE a book that is careful in describing how things look and how the world operates outside of the obvious things. I want to know how characters take their tea, what they're wearing and why, what the room they're in looks like...etc. Samson's characters are also very carefully crafted, with backstories just barely peeking through, not too much and not too little. I loved the dynamics between characters, particularly Aleksander and Varek, and Aleksander and Elspeth (CANNOT WAIT for the insane love story I know is coming). In addition to our main characters, Samson includes creatures and entities that are spooky, otherworldly, enchanting, or all three. During woodland scenes, I felt a similar sense of magic/forest sentience as in The Chronicles of Narnia, and during training/banter moments, I was delightfully reminded of Gregor the Overlander, one of my all time favorite series. I can't wait to see what the rest of the trilogy has in store for Aleksander (also scared though, he's such a sweetheart) and always fascinated to read about religious indoctrination and its effects. Definitely pick this one up if you love classic/epic fantasy, quests, grumpy mentors, seers, and gorgeous worldbuilding!

How many letters in Tulathne??? (ATE)

[Jessica Salina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This character-driven YA fantasy offers a thought-provoking spin on the Chosen One trope. The world building in Child of Tulathne was quite unique, and the characters feel very fleshed out and connected to that world. Protagonist Aleksander is relatable, experiencing doubts over his sense of self that I think many teens and young adults will connect with, especially if you’ve gone through some religious trauma/gone down the “devout to existential” pipeline. The plot itself moves at a slower pace in the first half, but keeps the intrigue with some haunting, ominous visions from seer Carissa. As her visions grew more frequent as they went on, it kept me on the edge of my seat.

[Sydney Koetterhagen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Child of Tulathne is the perfect, cozy read for fans of Lord of the Rings. The magic system is intricately threaded throughout the novel and its many characters, and the religions created by Samson are completely immersive, reflecting many worldly beliefs today. Aleksander Wythane, the sheltered child of Tulathne come again, embarks on a journey of personal growth with a "fellowship" of his own, and as the book goes on, it's impossible to not adore him. He's a relatable comfort character, and his story is one that I can't wait to see the conclusion of.

[Zainab G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the writing style: the sentence structure, the plot, and oh, the vocabularies! It’s been a while since I last read a book with my dictionary beside me🤭

As to the plot, ever since I was at the beginning I smelled a plot twist coming. I was sure I’d be shocked at least once while reading this novel. I was right: who would have thought that the sorcerer was….

[Anneliese Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great adventure fantasy and a good debut for Samson!

Some of the pros and sentences confused me and I ended up not liking the majority of the characters for the longest time.. however, I think Tolkien would be proud of this Fellowship and the magic system! I look forward to reading more from Samson!

[Lauren Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

OKAY first off…this is classic adventure fantasy. And damn did Lila do a great job at capturing that essence. So proud of you love❤️yall dont walk run!

[mara - hyrulevalkyrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! This was SO good. The Zelda vibes are immaculate and I cannot wait for book two!! 🙏🏻🫶🏻

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Aleksander, my Shayla! Forced to go on a dangerous expedition to save the kingdom when he's so young and full of doubt. His new crew is so likable I need everyone to be okay in book two!

[Cameron Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me COT is a story about growth, encompassing the beauty and ugliness of expanding your world and how doing so makes you question what you've grown up with. To read it is to walk with Aleksander as the distant future he's always theoretically been preparing for becomes a reality, and he's faced with difficult and lasting choices for the first time- a coming of age that feels real and relatable despite the fantastic circumstances.