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Keepers of Runes and the Tower of Shadows
This book is no longer available for publication.
Haunted by his sordid past, Corinth emerges from his solitude within the eternal forest around Enzlintine. Eager to serve, he is sent away under the ruse of a mercenary to quell the troubled region plagued by Khalid, the Lord of Conquest. Unsure of his companions, he discovers a world unlike the one imparted by his vain race. The trail of deadly contracts leads them to a mysterious tower inhabited by an unforeseen evil. It forces them into greater dangers to retrieve an unknown object, under the escort a young girl it claims as his ward. Offering her assistance to flee in exchange for her safety, her charm and peculiar lineage forces the noble soldier of fortune to question his precious ideals while seeking refuge. They race towards a frigid wasteland to find the bane of the evil that stalks them, while battling assassins, ominous creatures, and the forces of Khalid.
Haunted by his sordid past, Corinth emerges from his solitude within the eternal forest around Enzlintine. Eager to serve, he is sent away under the ruse of a mercenary to quell the troubled region plagued by Khalid, the Lord of Conquest. Unsure of his companions, he discovers a world unlike the one imparted by his vain race. The trail of deadly contracts leads them to a mysterious tower inhabited by an unforeseen evil. It forces them into greater dangers to retrieve an unknown object, under the escort a young girl it claims as his ward. Offering her assistance to flee in exchange for her safety, her charm and peculiar lineage forces the noble soldier of fortune to question his precious ideals while seeking refuge. They race towards a frigid wasteland to find the bane of the evil that stalks them, while battling assassins, ominous creatures, and the forces of Khalid.
- GenresFantasy
286 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2014
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476 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 26, 2014
Recently knighted to the Sage Guards, Enzlintine elf Corinth is full of pride, impulsive, stubborn, and eager to prove his worthiness. His teacher and Master Tessius decides that the best way to temper the young knight’s baser emotions is to send him on a quest to find the cause of a number of mounting disappearances. Part of Corinth’s mission to hire himself out as a mercenary and mix with the human locals- something he is not looking forward to, believing in the superiority of elves.
Early in the journey Corinth is forced to change his preconceived notions of the world, and the various companions is picks up along the way each challenge the young knight in ways he never could have imagined. When their adventures lead the crew to a young girl who warns of terrible danger- Corinth and his band come up against an ancient and deadly evil that is moving to take over the world.
Together, the mercenaries are wrapped up in a dark and dangerous quest that will test their bodies, minds, and hearts. If they can overcome their weaknesses and find common ground, they may be able to save their world.
Keepers of Runes and the Tower of Shadows is a fairly tradition “quest” fantasy, inhabited by elves, mages, dwarves and the like. Detailed and descriptive, sometimes the narrative gets away from the author which skews the pacing. For me the the story shines in the invention of the various critters (some familiar and some totally new) that populate the kingdom and the various religions and beliefs woven throughout the story.
Keeper of Runes has a basic plot and is fairly predictable but well written. Some changes in perspective in chapter with no real demarcation can confuse the reader a bit. Characters are definitely archetypal with simplistic development. Their relationships with one another start out in a natural place but as the story evolves, there is some confusion to how everyone is relating. It is a case of telling and not showing…some clarity in this area would help the overall narrative. Rieka is the most empathetic character and the villains are all appropriately scary, but the other characters are less compelling. Corinth’s emotional journey is the centerpiece of the tale but also suffers from the lack of character development.
Many of these issues get better after the first half of the book and Corinth and Co. are well into the quest. Once there is a solid plot line, it focuses the mechanics of the story and makes for a much smoother read. The ramp up to the conclusion, approximately in the last third of the story is exciting and really pulls together all the elements of the story. The ending does leave something to be desired, as there is a fairly large cliffhanger. However, I will say that I want to read the next installment!
While simple, Keeper of Runes is fun and would make a good story for readers just starting to dip their toes into the rich realm of fantasy. Readers with more experience in the genre will still enjoy Keeper of Runes as a lighter alternative to what is popular on the current market.
Originally reviewed on Bitten by Books see the review here: http://bittenbybooks.com/keepers-of-r...
Andrew D. Cratsley
Early in the journey Corinth is forced to change his preconceived notions of the world, and the various companions is picks up along the way each challenge the young knight in ways he never could have imagined. When their adventures lead the crew to a young girl who warns of terrible danger- Corinth and his band come up against an ancient and deadly evil that is moving to take over the world.
Together, the mercenaries are wrapped up in a dark and dangerous quest that will test their bodies, minds, and hearts. If they can overcome their weaknesses and find common ground, they may be able to save their world.
Keepers of Runes and the Tower of Shadows is a fairly tradition “quest” fantasy, inhabited by elves, mages, dwarves and the like. Detailed and descriptive, sometimes the narrative gets away from the author which skews the pacing. For me the the story shines in the invention of the various critters (some familiar and some totally new) that populate the kingdom and the various religions and beliefs woven throughout the story.
Keeper of Runes has a basic plot and is fairly predictable but well written. Some changes in perspective in chapter with no real demarcation can confuse the reader a bit. Characters are definitely archetypal with simplistic development. Their relationships with one another start out in a natural place but as the story evolves, there is some confusion to how everyone is relating. It is a case of telling and not showing…some clarity in this area would help the overall narrative. Rieka is the most empathetic character and the villains are all appropriately scary, but the other characters are less compelling. Corinth’s emotional journey is the centerpiece of the tale but also suffers from the lack of character development.
Many of these issues get better after the first half of the book and Corinth and Co. are well into the quest. Once there is a solid plot line, it focuses the mechanics of the story and makes for a much smoother read. The ramp up to the conclusion, approximately in the last third of the story is exciting and really pulls together all the elements of the story. The ending does leave something to be desired, as there is a fairly large cliffhanger. However, I will say that I want to read the next installment!
While simple, Keeper of Runes is fun and would make a good story for readers just starting to dip their toes into the rich realm of fantasy. Readers with more experience in the genre will still enjoy Keeper of Runes as a lighter alternative to what is popular on the current market.
Originally reviewed on Bitten by Books see the review here: http://bittenbybooks.com/keepers-of-r...
Andrew D. Cratsley
September 29, 2014
I think there is a lot of potential. However, the characters seem to only function with extreme emotions, and the same adjectives are used over and over throughout the book. I think I read that the characters were "ravaged with hunger" about every other chapter. I also read that the snow wolves had "ravenous fangs" and "ravenous eyes."
The main characters come across as immature. They either seemed to be yelling at each other, laughing at each other, or crying. There was never a calm conversation written out. It was hinted at, but you never saw the characters in moments of light heartedness.
There is a lot of action that happens, but the flow of movement is not always clear. There are sword fights where characters end up prone on the ground but the next moment seem to be in a stand or sitting position. Or as they traveled, one moment they're getting into their wagon and the next half of the characters are on horseback. Transitions were not there between moments of action (fleeing, battles, etc.). The author needs to make time for characters to move. Its easy enough if you simply put in "character 1 and 2 mounted their horses as the other two hopped into the wagon." Its just a slightly longer sentence but helps readers visualize where everyone is at specific moments of action. Readers cannot visualize as easily as the author can, and being very mindful of scene development is key to creating a smooth-flowing story. I'm sure as the author's stories develop, this will be easier for him.
I think the character of Rieka is very interesting. She makes me loosely think of Uni-Kitty from the Lego Movie where one moment she's sweet and innocent and the next she's violently throwing down a whooping. She has a lot of potential being torn between her necromancy father and brother and being a "day walker." However, she needs to be more than a developing love interest. I think it would have been interesting to focus on her as the main character. Her character has a lot more development happening as she ventures into the outside world for the first time, tries to control her rage when she is threatened, sorts through her feelings for her companions, grief regarding people who her father killed to find her, etc. The other female in this book is mostly annoying. What she says and how she acts are incongruous to each other. She does not feel essential to the story development, except when she bumbles around and trips over something causing an army of zombies to come to life and attack. SO really, she only seems to be present to do something stupid. I would have preferred the dwarf tag along instead. Better yet, a female dwarf! Now that's something different!
The main characters come across as immature. They either seemed to be yelling at each other, laughing at each other, or crying. There was never a calm conversation written out. It was hinted at, but you never saw the characters in moments of light heartedness.
There is a lot of action that happens, but the flow of movement is not always clear. There are sword fights where characters end up prone on the ground but the next moment seem to be in a stand or sitting position. Or as they traveled, one moment they're getting into their wagon and the next half of the characters are on horseback. Transitions were not there between moments of action (fleeing, battles, etc.). The author needs to make time for characters to move. Its easy enough if you simply put in "character 1 and 2 mounted their horses as the other two hopped into the wagon." Its just a slightly longer sentence but helps readers visualize where everyone is at specific moments of action. Readers cannot visualize as easily as the author can, and being very mindful of scene development is key to creating a smooth-flowing story. I'm sure as the author's stories develop, this will be easier for him.
I think the character of Rieka is very interesting. She makes me loosely think of Uni-Kitty from the Lego Movie where one moment she's sweet and innocent and the next she's violently throwing down a whooping. She has a lot of potential being torn between her necromancy father and brother and being a "day walker." However, she needs to be more than a developing love interest. I think it would have been interesting to focus on her as the main character. Her character has a lot more development happening as she ventures into the outside world for the first time, tries to control her rage when she is threatened, sorts through her feelings for her companions, grief regarding people who her father killed to find her, etc. The other female in this book is mostly annoying. What she says and how she acts are incongruous to each other. She does not feel essential to the story development, except when she bumbles around and trips over something causing an army of zombies to come to life and attack. SO really, she only seems to be present to do something stupid. I would have preferred the dwarf tag along instead. Better yet, a female dwarf! Now that's something different!
February 17, 2015
I received this book as a result of a FirstRead giveaway.
My apologies to the author, as life got in the way of my favorite past time of reading the last few weeks, meaning a late review.
I had a love/hate relationship with this book. While the book had an enjoyable storyline, the editing was not the best.
The plot, while simple, made the story easy to follow. I did find at first that the jumping back and forth between chapters that followed one character and then the next a bit confusing until they all blended together and I got a grasp of who was who.
The climax seemed to come in the last few pages for me and I LOVED it! There is nothing like being blindsided when reading a book. (No peeking!)
The characters were well thought out and solid. Corinth, the main character almost seemed too perfect in my eyes, meaning that I preferred the supporting characters better.
The editing. Sigh. I can only report on the book that I received and can tell you that a lot of my grief from this book came from the editing. Twice while reading the book I stumbled upon sentences that did not make sense. I would have to stop to reread it several times and then try to figure out what was meant. I believe that words were possibly changed or even omitted from the book. This was frustrating as often a chapter would go by and I was still focused on if I had figured out if what I interpreted the sentence to be was correct or not.
If you can get past the editing, it is a solid 4/5. For someone like me, it will remain a 3/5 until it is fixed. The flow of a book shouldn't be interrupted but instead be a smooth, uninterrupted ride resulting in only what your impression of the story is.
My apologies to the author, as life got in the way of my favorite past time of reading the last few weeks, meaning a late review.
I had a love/hate relationship with this book. While the book had an enjoyable storyline, the editing was not the best.
The plot, while simple, made the story easy to follow. I did find at first that the jumping back and forth between chapters that followed one character and then the next a bit confusing until they all blended together and I got a grasp of who was who.
The climax seemed to come in the last few pages for me and I LOVED it! There is nothing like being blindsided when reading a book. (No peeking!)
The characters were well thought out and solid. Corinth, the main character almost seemed too perfect in my eyes, meaning that I preferred the supporting characters better.
The editing. Sigh. I can only report on the book that I received and can tell you that a lot of my grief from this book came from the editing. Twice while reading the book I stumbled upon sentences that did not make sense. I would have to stop to reread it several times and then try to figure out what was meant. I believe that words were possibly changed or even omitted from the book. This was frustrating as often a chapter would go by and I was still focused on if I had figured out if what I interpreted the sentence to be was correct or not.
If you can get past the editing, it is a solid 4/5. For someone like me, it will remain a 3/5 until it is fixed. The flow of a book shouldn't be interrupted but instead be a smooth, uninterrupted ride resulting in only what your impression of the story is.
December 10, 2014
This book was horrible... I received a copy as an ARC a long time ago and was extremely excited to read it! I cracked the book open the moment I got it out of the packaging and began reading. The beginning was boring beyond compare and I just kept thinking to myself, "This will get better, no worries, some books start out really slow/dull." I then put down the book for a long time (a few months, honestly) then decided to pick it up again two days ago. After two days of hard work (which I interspersed with amazing books that I really enjoyed reading) I finished.
My assessment: The book lacked depth, the characters had no development and I was EXTREMELY bored throughout the whole book. It was a job to finish reading it. Finally, I only recommend this book if you are an extreme fan of Elves and/or can somehow get hooked within the first few chapters.
My assessment: The book lacked depth, the characters had no development and I was EXTREMELY bored throughout the whole book. It was a job to finish reading it. Finally, I only recommend this book if you are an extreme fan of Elves and/or can somehow get hooked within the first few chapters.
April 28, 2015
I won a copy of this book as a part of Goodreads 'First Reads'.
(Review in progress)
There is something whimsical, something truly magical, about this book. The writing is beautifully posed and I was enthralled from the first paragraph. This story truly forms a world of its own, one that is immersive and leaves the reader (well, me at least) wanting more.
(Review in progress)
There is something whimsical, something truly magical, about this book. The writing is beautifully posed and I was enthralled from the first paragraph. This story truly forms a world of its own, one that is immersive and leaves the reader (well, me at least) wanting more.
September 20, 2014
I was hooked on this book. The story is really well written and has enough twists and turns that you never know what's coming next. I am anxiously awaiting the next book. If you like fantasy at all, you have to read this book!
December 7, 2014
got this book as a first reads book. it was entertaining and fun. recommend it
September 30, 2014
another book won on the goodreads contest. I kept thinking that I had missed something every once in a while. Overall it was pretty good. I would like to see more by this author.
November 7, 2014
I will post a review soon!
September 23, 2014
A little slow in the beginning, but overall it wasn't a bad read.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews