Guardians of Magessa

The Birthright Chronicles #1

by Peter Last

What would you fight for? What would you die for?

Though trained in the arts of war, these questions had never occurred to Senndra, an orphan following in her father's footsteps, or Josiah, the ideal military cadet. When the two meet during an event meant to foster a solid relationship between their academies, they find themselves forced into battle with a forgotten evil. The combined elf, ogre, orc, and human armies could meet this invasion on fair terms, but strained relations between the races have made this possibility uncertain.

For now Senndra, Josiah, and their comrades are all that stand between a massive army and total annihilation of their country, Magessa. Facing horrific odds, the young cadets have no hope of defeating the invading horde. It will be all that they can do to simply stave off the inevitable slaughter, but personal conflict, physical challenge, and internal struggle gets in the way. "How could God allow this to happen?" is the question running through their minds; a question made more poignant by the taunting of the enemy. Will Senndra, Josiah, and their friends be able to maintain their faith, overcome their trials, and find the strength to finally realize themselves as the Guardians of Magessa?

*Synopsis: The story follows a group of cadets that find themselves thrown into battle against the dwarf army of evil Molkekk. Their skill and their faith in Elohim are tested as they face overwhelming odds and circumstances.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction

378 pages, Paperback

First published June 14, 2014

About the author

Peter Last was nearly born in an elevator and has continued to be unconventional ever since. His books include stories about dragons, assassins, and warlocks, often with allegory from his Christian upbringing. Besides writing, Peter’s passion is to provide practical tips to new writers, which is why he coaches aspiring authors and critiques other fantasy & science fiction novels on his website, www.peterlast.com.

Peter got an early start to writing thanks to his lack of social life while being homeschooled. After successfully entering the real world, he graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering, received his commission in the Air Force, and got married, all in 3 weeks. His Wisconsonian accent does not earn him any points in his adopted home state of Alabama. When Peter is not drafting neighborhood drainage surveys, training with the Tennessee Air National Guard, sketching out the character arc of a goblin, or building F-5 tornado-proof duck houses for his wife’s farm animal rescue, he is hopefully sleeping.

Peter is prepping In the "Service of the King," the final book in his "Shadow for Hire" trilogy, for release in spring of 2026. He is also a contributor to "Father: Short Stories," an anthology of gritty, father-centric tales.

Reviews

[Agnė · Rating 2 out of 5]

DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of "Guardians of Magessa" by Peter Last through a LibraryThing Member Giveaways Program in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

"Guardians of Magessa" by Peter Last is the first installment in the epic fantasy series "The Birthright Chronicles." Magessa is an imaginary land inhabited by humans, elves, ogres and orcs who worship God Elohim, the creator of the world. The ever declining faith in God and strained relations between the races in Magessa made the land a vulnerable target of Molkekk, an evil sorcerer, who has been waiting for a chance to destroy Elohim's followers. Once a city on Magessa's border is attacked by Molkekk's allies, the faith, courage and skills of Magessa's military cadets are put to the test.

THUMBS UP:

1) Cover.
I absolutely love the cover. It is a great artwork and it captures the spirit of the book so accurately! To be honest, the cover was the main reason I decided to read this book.

2) Author's expertise in old-fashioned weapons, battles and military strategies.
I don't know much about swords, axes, crossbows or any other kinds of weapons or armor used in the old days, but the author surely does. In addition to very descriptive sword fights, this book covers the battle between Magessa and its enemies in such a detail that you actually feel like you are in the battlefield fighting for your life. And the battle is not a simple one, as ridiculously outnumbered defenders have to be creative in order to stay alive and protect their country.

3) End of Volume I.
The ending of this first book is a golden mean: although the whole story is far from over and I am interested to know what's going to happen next, the main events of this book were all sorted out, sparing the reader from a sleepless night.

COULD BE BETTER:

1) Action.
"Guardians of Magessa" is packed with action but it's mostly one kind of action: fighting. For example, in the first third of the book there wasn't much going on except for quite a few sword fights. Unfortunately, the author over-described these fights making them sound way too long and quite boring. Later on the plot did get more thrilling but the bulk of the action was still based on fighting. To be honest, my favorite part of the book was a prologue as I found it way more adventurous.

2) The Bible in disguise?
Don't get me wrong, I liked the emphasis on faith throughout the book and found most ideas quite relevant to the every day life. However, I was quite disappointed with one particular part of the book - the origins of Magessa. I could clearly see the stories taken straight from the Old Testament with few slight changes and new names. Not very original, is it?

VERDICT: 2 out of 5

If you are a fan of fights and old-fashioned battles, it is very likely that you will enjoy ”Guardians of Magessa" much more than I did.

[Hannah Broyles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading Guardians of Magessa by Peter Last. It was awesome! I’m not going to lie, when I heard that Peter was writing a book I was stunned, but I was even more stunned after I finished reading it. I actually liked it; in fact, I loved it! All throughout the book I would be reading and then go, “Wow, this is so weird, this came out of Peter’s head and it doesn’t even suck!” (You have to understand. I have known Peter Last for years. He is like my annoying older brother.)
Guardians of Magessa is very exciting and interesting. It leaves you with the need to know what’s going to happen next. One out of the many things I loved about this book was that it has a very strong Christian worldview, but it’s not like the normal cliché ones that are ill written and sometimes quit boring. The debates were well communicated and very thought out. Over all it’s a great book! I would recommend it to a friend (which I have done several times already). I am looking forward to owning my own copy of Guardians of Magessa when it comes out!

[Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guardians of Magessa, which is the first book of The Birth Right Chronicles series was a thrill-ride. The author, Peter M. Last, created a fantasy world that is on the verge of war. The story focuses on young warriors being pushed to their limits, which challenges their belief in their God, Elohim. Mr. Last did an amazing job of keeping the adrenaline rush of the story while asking hard philosophical questions about the Problem of Evil and the existence of God. It is even more amazing to me that Mr. Last accomplished this and the story is still easy and so enjoyable to read.

This book has a similar feel to Ted Dekker's Circle Trilogy and J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. I highly recommend it.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great fantasy book. It makes you think about your beliefs. I look forward to book 2 of the series.

[Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from Goodreads as part of their First Reads program. It was also signed by the author and included a brief message, which was very nice of him.

This is Last's first book, which he apparently started when he was only 11. That, coupled with what I'm sure is the very difficult process of writing a novel, is very impressive by itself. You have to hand it to him for having a vision of the book and pursuing it.

That said, you can certainly tell that it was Last's first book. It wasn't bad at all, but it wasn't great either. And that's ok! First book! If I had been his editor, however, I may have pointed out a few things. This book focuses mainly on a small group of students/cadets at two different military schools in the country of Magessa. While there aren't any "children of prophesy" as yet, all of the POV characters are exceptional in one area or another. One school is devoted to the raising of dragon riders, and the other seems a little more straight-forward. A number of the dragon-rider school cadets visit the other school as part of an annual trip and adventurous derring-dos commence.

First of all, I thought the many action sequences were pretty good. Last really seems, to me, to excel in describing one on one sword combat, which dominates a lot of the book. Larger conflict strategy was ok, but there was a few times where I was left pondering if what he described could be actually pulled off in reality. Also, in particular, I was left wondering where the dragons were a number of times. Your nation relies on and works with the dragons, but you don't have any good way to communicate with them??

The magic system is not fleshed out at all. It seems to require input of energy from the caster, but there doesn't seem to be much else defining its power or constraints other than the faith of the magic user (kind cleric-y). The background and world building is fairly derivative, in particular the history of the nation of Magessa being taking, almost word for word, from the history of the Israelite people as described in Exodus. In fact, if it were taken from any other book than from the Bible, it would be considered blatant plagiarism. Indeed, there are strong religious overtones throughout the book. This book, which seems to be the start of a trilogy, is setting up a situation played out many times in the Book of Judges. Israel, as a nation begins to fall away from the worship of their God into following idols; they are brought low by outside powers; a Judge rises up to defeat the invading nation and remind the people their duty to their God. The God in this book? Elohim (Hebrew name for God). The bad guys play the role of the Philistines or Babylonians or Assyrians or any of the many nations. The Dragons are very much like the angels sent to save Elisha in the Old Testament. Now, I'm a religious Christian guy, so I'm not opposed to religious themes at all. I just felt they were a little over the top. Further, taking the story of Exodus just seems a little lazy. If you want to read a fantasy story that includes the restoration of the world's true religion after years of apostasy, you don't have to look further than The Dragonlance Chronicles to see how it's done.

This book also seemed much more like an Act 2, or book 2 in a trilogy. There just isn't enough character development to get me to care about the characters before they are thrust into epic battles. What character developement there is seemed rather perfunctory. Character has doubts, character talks to someone or has an epiphany, character doesn't have doubts. Even some of the dialogue, at times, felt a little out of place in the setting of the book. The prologue was interesting, but it never really fit well into the rest of the book. Perhaps it will be explained more later.

Maybe this is just me. The book seems to be getting pretty good reviews, and, again, I have nothing but respect for this guy putting out this book. I imagine that some of these issues will be ironed out as Last gains more experience as a writer. I'm certainly willing to try the next book of the series.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic story by a guy who is sure to become a best seller!
The action is fast-paced, the characters are likeable (and kick some serious butt), and the plot is intriguing. It's an epic battle between good and evil that's chock-full of dragons, ogres, elves, and dwarves. There's sword fights, dragon riding, and battles. Friendships are formed and strengthened, secrets are revealed, and there's a tinge of romance in the air. I couldn't put this book down until I finished, and I can't wait for the next installment!

[Alea Voorhees · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book! It is very well written! It follows various characters throughout the story as they fight to defend their nation of Magessa from an attacking army. All the characters are extremely likable and the storyline is very intriguing. It is a book full of magic, mythical creatures, and sword fighting. Anyone who is a fan of "Lord of the Rings" would enjoy this book!

[Tina T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guardians of Magessa delivers a compelling blend of epic fantasy, moral struggle, and faith under fire. Peter Last builds a tense, high stakes world where young cadets are forced to confront not only an overwhelming enemy, but their own doubts, loyalties, and beliefs. Senndra and Josiah’s journey stands out for its emotional weight this is not just a battle for a kingdom, but a test of purpose, courage, and faith in the face of darkness. Thought provoking, action driven, and reflective, this story resonates beyond the battlefield.

[Volpot · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars. Couldn't finish. Almost 25% of the book is an almost verbatim retelling of the Old Testament, the remainder is a poorly written and unrealistic account of "cadets" forced to battle against overwhelming odds

[Ronin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me open with saying a portion of this book has information from Scripture where the names have been changed throughout. Parts have also been rewritten and added to. The name of God, Elohim is a focus of worship throughout the book, and situations that occur are alluded to be caused by the nation of Magessa turning from Elohim. In some ways, the society of Magessa mirrors our own present day Earth. It's from the Old Testament stories, and the Magessa we enter is a land that has fallen away from God, allowing their evil enemy room to attack them. Political and military decision makers are found lacking, but the people's apathy also reminds me of today's world.

I don't believe it in any way takes away from the story, but as it is a central theme, I thought it best to inform the reader up front. The action moves at a great pace, with the characters descriptions and beliefs holding center stage. I enjoyed the fight scenes, the detail of warfare strategies was well thought out. The story draws you in, and backstory explanation is often revealed at just the right time.

If you like fantasy and discovering new worlds, you will enjoy this book. It does not break any new ground as to the supernatural abilities of dwarfs, elves, dragons, etc, which is often the case with stories in this genre, hence I gave it 4 stars as I could not choose 4.5. I would have given it 5 STARS, if I found out something new that those creatures could do, they pretty much followed form not pulling in multiple abilities that they easily do better than humans. It's hard not to think of dragons multi-layered abilities as they are prominently featured in other books in this genre to do more than blow fire. I wanted the envelope for the paranormal creatures pushed further.

The ending leaves questions that you may want to read more about in Book 2. Magessa is a new land well worth exploring.

[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book with religious themes and a lot of fighting

There are both good and bad things about this book, but overall, I was a little disappointed in the story. It was hard for me to keep reading through some parts of it, so I'll try to explain what in particular you should look for.

This book is about cadets training in military exercises that suddenly find themselves having to defend their land from a huge attack. There are about a handful of people that the book mentions a lot, with everyone else just in the background.

Good:
The book remains fairly focused on this battle. I didn't care to necessarily read that much about fighting, but if you like books (fiction) involving strategies in battle, then you might find this book interesting.

I felt like the author adequately explained the background of the characters; it wasn't too long or short.

Bad:
From the description, it sounds like Senndra and Josiah would interact more. However, it seemed as if you were reading two separate stories where they interact once, and then it focuses on all the characters instead of staying with those two.

I am fine with reading books with religious themes, but I don't care for reading stories from the Bible with names changed. It just seems like you should either write the story as is from the Bible or come up with something entirely different.

With all of this being said though, I feel like the author has potential. The book goes into great detail on a lot of things, so if you don't have the knowledge or background of the topic, you still understand what's going on.

I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway and wanted to leave a review.

[Paul Allard · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first part of a trilogy, this fantasy novel has elves, goblins, magicians, dragons and reads a bit as if it derives from D&D novels of thirty years ago. It also has root, I imagine, in role-playing games.
Some of it is also derivative: there is a whole section explaining the religion of the protagonists which is a direct copy of the story of Moses and the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt. There is a strong Christian influence in this book: lots of references to Elohim, a lot of prayer, even a bit of creationism: the general message is Christian propaganda.

150 pages are devoted to one battle before the next one begins.

The writing is too detailed in places as the reader does not need to know every movement of every character i.e. he walked down the stairs, he grabbed the door knob, he opened the door etc..

The English suffers in places: “counsel” for “council”, sentences ending in prepositions, “got beat” instead of “got beaten” and so on. In a fantasy story, addressing one’s colleagues as “Guys” seems out of place as is the expression “blowing my mind”. Putting a Red Cross outside of a makeshift hospital seems incongruous in this context.

My wife started to read this – and she reads more fantasy than I do – and gave up a quarter way through. Having just read the latest by Robin Hobb, I found this book far less engaging. The author states that he started this when he was 11 years old and sometimes it shows.

Disappointing and not recommended.

[Dana Burkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me this book was a high action roller coaster of battle scenes and interesting characters! I do not often read books with this much fighting and battles, but it was well written and easy to follow, so I could keep up with the action quite easily. The characters in the book were well developed and made me want to know even more about them. Senndra was a fierce worrier that kept me guessing and wanting even more; I look forward to learning more about her in the books to come! I liked where the book left off, and can't wait to see where the series goes from here!

[WithaK · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodreads Firstreads giveaway.

I would recommend this book for a Christian book lover that also enjoys fiction/fantasy. The story was well written and I enjoyed the story right away! Then the main character was no longer the main character and the book became religious, which unfortunately for me, isn't what I prefer to read. Had the story been less Elohim centered, and had stayed the story of Jothnial, I probably would've loved it as the first chapter was really the one I preferred.

[Chrisynthia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really enjoy this book and I had high hopes for it. It seemed to be strung together using very simple word combinations that just did not keep my attention. I did like the story line and will probably try a future book of Peter Last if there is one.