What do you think?
Rate this book
Creed of Kings Saga #1
Blood and Soul
The bastard prince Ledarrin is caught in the shadows of a dynasty as his brother goes on a murderous rampage to secure his birthright, overthrowing the realm. Ledarrin’s world is shattered. As he goes from the palace to the dungeon, hope for the survival of the realm seems lost. He escapes, only to be hunted by a legendary assassin. Meanwhile, demonic hordes, trapped for ages by a curse in the Underworld, await their release upon the sacrifice of the king—with plans for revenge on humanity. And so begins a heart-pounding adventure into a deadly future: a journey of loss, seduction, and betrayal. Ledarrin is joined by aging warriors and unlikely allies as they race to find the Creed of Kings, the ancient scrolls that can thwart the demons, but when Ledarrin’s true identity is revealed, he must choose between a destiny of blood—or soul.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2014
10 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
Allen G. Bagby
2 books31 followersAllen G. Bagby is an American author of fantasy fiction and an experienced blogger. Blood & Soul is the first book in the Creed of Kings Saga. It hit #1 several times and stayed for five and a half months on Amazon's Top 100 in various related genres. It can be read alone. He independently published Blood & Soul in mid-2014. His favorite and most influential authors are David Gemmell, J. R. R. Tolkien, Bernard Cornwell, Terry Goodkind, and C. S. Lewis. He is also influenced by movies such as Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Gladiator, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He's currently writing the next book in the Creed of Kings Saga. The working title is Out of Oblivion. Website: https://substack.com/@allenbagby Twitter: @aspeakinghuman
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Read
August 11, 2014I LIKED IT
This is an odd one for me. There’s nothing I loved and there was nothing I hated. It was just a read. I have no passion either way... matter of fact, I have no passion at all. I have hardly anything to say. I guess I was just indifferent.
It seemed to take me forever to read this book. Every time I checked my progress, I was surprised I wasn’t further along. I guess that says a bit. I wasn’t so engaged with the story that I was oblivious to the fact I was reading. The characters were interesting and the story good, but nothing unique. There were some typos I noticed, and a few times where we ran into a reuse of words within a couple sentences. It also felt a little abrupt at times. Time seemed to jump oddly, or perhaps I just never felt grounded enough to keep track.
Wow... thinking back, I really can’t think of what else to say. There were no crazy creatures that I was interested in, no characters that I can rave or rant about, no fantastical places they visited, and everything felt very ordinary. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it makes writing a review a little difficult. Nothing stood out.
I can’t think of anything helpful. Damn, this is really a bad review. All I can say is that if the story sounds interesting to you, check out a sample. If you're into it, you'll probably enjoy this book.
You can see this review and others on my website: http://booksbylkevans.com
This is an odd one for me. There’s nothing I loved and there was nothing I hated. It was just a read. I have no passion either way... matter of fact, I have no passion at all. I have hardly anything to say. I guess I was just indifferent.
It seemed to take me forever to read this book. Every time I checked my progress, I was surprised I wasn’t further along. I guess that says a bit. I wasn’t so engaged with the story that I was oblivious to the fact I was reading. The characters were interesting and the story good, but nothing unique. There were some typos I noticed, and a few times where we ran into a reuse of words within a couple sentences. It also felt a little abrupt at times. Time seemed to jump oddly, or perhaps I just never felt grounded enough to keep track.
Wow... thinking back, I really can’t think of what else to say. There were no crazy creatures that I was interested in, no characters that I can rave or rant about, no fantastical places they visited, and everything felt very ordinary. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it makes writing a review a little difficult. Nothing stood out.
I can’t think of anything helpful. Damn, this is really a bad review. All I can say is that if the story sounds interesting to you, check out a sample. If you're into it, you'll probably enjoy this book.
You can see this review and others on my website: http://booksbylkevans.com
November 13, 2015
This book was definitely worth my time and I am glad to have read it! Not that I’m a big reader of the fantasy fiction genre—even though perhaps Blood and Soul transcends its genre and seeks to understand the basis of human existence, and that’s also why I enjoyed the read so much, and once started reading I couldn’t put it down. Fascinating and complex characters, sparkling dialog, and intriguing plots combine to create a powerful and mesmerizing story that I highly recommend to all lovers of fantasy and high adventure.
Set in a world similar to our Middle Ages, in a land called Agontica (a full-color map is available for download from the Author’s web-site), the story is a Hero’s Journey—a physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual one—with all the archetypal, symbolic elements: the Hero (the bastard Prince Ledarrin), the Antagonist (Mathagel), the Mentor, etc.
Simply put, the story has all the ingredients of a blockbuster epic: loyalty, intrigue, betrayal, war, survival, magic… At the same time, though, it is more than that: in this book you will also find history, theology, ethics, and politics. Which is something that adds a lot of value to the book and encourages the reader to think differently about life and the issues we deal with.
Set in a world similar to our Middle Ages, in a land called Agontica (a full-color map is available for download from the Author’s web-site), the story is a Hero’s Journey—a physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual one—with all the archetypal, symbolic elements: the Hero (the bastard Prince Ledarrin), the Antagonist (Mathagel), the Mentor, etc.
Simply put, the story has all the ingredients of a blockbuster epic: loyalty, intrigue, betrayal, war, survival, magic… At the same time, though, it is more than that: in this book you will also find history, theology, ethics, and politics. Which is something that adds a lot of value to the book and encourages the reader to think differently about life and the issues we deal with.
July 11, 2014
This truly epic fantasy begins with action and never lets up. From humble, unassuming human emotions through world-changing, apocalyptic struggles, the heroes in this novel take a licking and keep on ticking. This story is a roller-coaster of strife and solutions, with insurmountable odds being toppled by perseverance and ingenuity.
Fans of the genre will love the fantastic world Bagby has created. The writing transcends genre fiction, facing issues relevant (and important) to all human experience. Masterfully unveiling the plot one revelation at a time, this author could keep anyone entertained for hours on end—a true storyteller.
I fell in love with the world and the writing. A thoroughly-considered setting goes a long way, and Bagby's contains history, geography, politics, religions, commerce and culture—all diverse.
Once you start reading this book, you won't be able to put it down. the next book in this series can't come fast enough.
Fans of the genre will love the fantastic world Bagby has created. The writing transcends genre fiction, facing issues relevant (and important) to all human experience. Masterfully unveiling the plot one revelation at a time, this author could keep anyone entertained for hours on end—a true storyteller.
I fell in love with the world and the writing. A thoroughly-considered setting goes a long way, and Bagby's contains history, geography, politics, religions, commerce and culture—all diverse.
Once you start reading this book, you won't be able to put it down. the next book in this series can't come fast enough.
December 14, 2014
Blood And Soul is the first in a series Bagby has called the "Creed of KingsSaga." Because I knew this, I was setting the bar pretty high. When writing a series, the first work needs to be the gold standard for the rest of the works.
Blood And Soul doesn't disappoint.
An indicator of good writing is character development. An indicator of great writing is effectively changing a character.
The story's hero, the bastard Prince Ledarrin, initially seems quite capable of occasionally fulfilling the perjorative definition of his birth condition. The simple writer would draw the hero's "redeemed" condition at the first challenge.
Bagby, instead, allows those first challenges to reveal Ledarrin's deeper flaws. He is never an evil prince, nor is he inherently princely. Rather, without divulging details, there appears to be something about Ledarrin that is at odds with himself. The manner in which this comes to resolution in Blood And Soul is at the heart of its success.
Blood And Soul is an epic. I use that term in the sense of volume rather than quality. Regardless of how the millenial generation minimizes it, I remain with it's literal sense.
As such, Bagby takes on an epic scope. The fantasy fiction genre seems to lend itself to such. It is, however, easy for writers in said style to trip over their own tales. Instead of blending necessity with color, many fantasy writers use the epic the way Jackson Pollock used a canvas, with the results being parallel.
There is a consistently deep element to Blood And Soul that, while not necessary to its enjoyment, magnifies it. This is not a simple piece of fiction. Great writing occurs in layers (apologies to Shrek). Bagby, in Blood And Soul, has woven history, morality, theology and politics into a novel that illustrates the human condition as well or better than the daily news.
Bagby meshes these varied elements perfectly with violent action and blood passion. This is a task not easily accomplished by any but the notables of fantasy fiction. Bagby brings George R. Martin into the Eagle And Child pub with Lewis and Tolkien.
Much like early Christianity, Bagby seeks to portray women as a lynchpin of a culture. For his world, the hand that rocks the cradle (or chooses not to) defines a culture. His portrayal of change in the reformed temple concubine, Maylee, is at least as effective, if not more so, than his development of Ledarrin. And she is but one of several female characters that the author uses to reveal humanity in its fullness.
It is with this fullness of humanity that the antagonists to the kingdom of Roxin seem to take umbrage. And they, too, are developed expertly. So expertly, in fact that when a few of them make their committments against Ledarrin and his royal father, Athorigan, one may feel a twinge of disappointment.
Blood And Soul is not, however, a perfect work.
Fantasy fiction relies on bringing the reader into a world and keeping them there. From time to time, Bagby let's his charcter's period voice slip. These lapses are made the more jarring by his consistency in writing, yet they exist nonetheless.
The editing of the story itself seems exemplary. But the technical element of editing seems to have missed the mark. Multiple typographical errors and periodic spelling errors ("part take"?) hint at a rush to meet a publisher's date. I've been assured this and other corrections have been made in more recent editions than my own.
Perhaps it was this urgency which also drives what feels like a rapid climax and conclusion to Blood And Soul.
These criticisms aside, one cannot escape the desire for the next volume in the Creed of Kings Saga while wrapping up Blood And Soul. Concluding it is like standing at the gates of a city as your friends leave; we look forward to their return while being anxious for the events of the next journey we take with them.
Blood And Soul doesn't disappoint.
An indicator of good writing is character development. An indicator of great writing is effectively changing a character.
The story's hero, the bastard Prince Ledarrin, initially seems quite capable of occasionally fulfilling the perjorative definition of his birth condition. The simple writer would draw the hero's "redeemed" condition at the first challenge.
Bagby, instead, allows those first challenges to reveal Ledarrin's deeper flaws. He is never an evil prince, nor is he inherently princely. Rather, without divulging details, there appears to be something about Ledarrin that is at odds with himself. The manner in which this comes to resolution in Blood And Soul is at the heart of its success.
Blood And Soul is an epic. I use that term in the sense of volume rather than quality. Regardless of how the millenial generation minimizes it, I remain with it's literal sense.
As such, Bagby takes on an epic scope. The fantasy fiction genre seems to lend itself to such. It is, however, easy for writers in said style to trip over their own tales. Instead of blending necessity with color, many fantasy writers use the epic the way Jackson Pollock used a canvas, with the results being parallel.
There is a consistently deep element to Blood And Soul that, while not necessary to its enjoyment, magnifies it. This is not a simple piece of fiction. Great writing occurs in layers (apologies to Shrek). Bagby, in Blood And Soul, has woven history, morality, theology and politics into a novel that illustrates the human condition as well or better than the daily news.
Bagby meshes these varied elements perfectly with violent action and blood passion. This is a task not easily accomplished by any but the notables of fantasy fiction. Bagby brings George R. Martin into the Eagle And Child pub with Lewis and Tolkien.
Much like early Christianity, Bagby seeks to portray women as a lynchpin of a culture. For his world, the hand that rocks the cradle (or chooses not to) defines a culture. His portrayal of change in the reformed temple concubine, Maylee, is at least as effective, if not more so, than his development of Ledarrin. And she is but one of several female characters that the author uses to reveal humanity in its fullness.
It is with this fullness of humanity that the antagonists to the kingdom of Roxin seem to take umbrage. And they, too, are developed expertly. So expertly, in fact that when a few of them make their committments against Ledarrin and his royal father, Athorigan, one may feel a twinge of disappointment.
Blood And Soul is not, however, a perfect work.
Fantasy fiction relies on bringing the reader into a world and keeping them there. From time to time, Bagby let's his charcter's period voice slip. These lapses are made the more jarring by his consistency in writing, yet they exist nonetheless.
The editing of the story itself seems exemplary. But the technical element of editing seems to have missed the mark. Multiple typographical errors and periodic spelling errors ("part take"?) hint at a rush to meet a publisher's date. I've been assured this and other corrections have been made in more recent editions than my own.
Perhaps it was this urgency which also drives what feels like a rapid climax and conclusion to Blood And Soul.
These criticisms aside, one cannot escape the desire for the next volume in the Creed of Kings Saga while wrapping up Blood And Soul. Concluding it is like standing at the gates of a city as your friends leave; we look forward to their return while being anxious for the events of the next journey we take with them.
August 9, 2014
I wrote my comments in another review on GoodReads, but I can't find it. Here goes another try.
Just for the record, I am mentioned in the credits to this book. Allen and I were co-workers for a while when he mentioned that he was writing a book. He described the book and I offered to "edit" it for him. I am, basically, a grammar-spelling cop and I think I am good at it--I was an administrative technician in the Air Force for many years and also a curriculum developer. While I can spot illogical writing as well, I am not a creative writer. I struggled with creative writing classes in college at UCLA and OKSU. That said, you might get a better understanding of where I am coming from as I review the book. I will conclude with the fact that I only edited a few of the "original" chapters before agreeing with Allen about the need for a different type of editing. He tells the rest of the story in the credits.
I stated that I prefer non-fiction to fiction, but I very occasionally read fiction. As with each fiction work I start, it took me a few tries to get into "Blood and Soul" and then I realized that I was a third of the way through the book. I had been caught up looking for elements of the story I knew and realized that Allen had pretty much rewritten it. So, I started over.
To say that the story was exciting, spellbinding with the unexpected twists and turns seems quite trite. I was caught up in the developing plot and trying to figure out what would come next when it seemed we hit the proverbial wall. The character development flows smoothly with the plot elements. The 'complicated naiveté' of the Alyndrean seer that only sees the past, Maylee, develops into one of a strong and courageous woman that desires to at least share the love of Ledarrin with another until ... well, that is for you to find out. Then, some characters develop less fully and leave us begging for more--Jedin, the almost reluctant aide to the priest, and Nemix, the one who killed Ledarrin's older and "more worthy(?)" brother. When Book 1 ends, you know you will have to wait for the next one.
BTW, that leaves one big question: When will Book 2 be ready?
Just for the record, I am mentioned in the credits to this book. Allen and I were co-workers for a while when he mentioned that he was writing a book. He described the book and I offered to "edit" it for him. I am, basically, a grammar-spelling cop and I think I am good at it--I was an administrative technician in the Air Force for many years and also a curriculum developer. While I can spot illogical writing as well, I am not a creative writer. I struggled with creative writing classes in college at UCLA and OKSU. That said, you might get a better understanding of where I am coming from as I review the book. I will conclude with the fact that I only edited a few of the "original" chapters before agreeing with Allen about the need for a different type of editing. He tells the rest of the story in the credits.
I stated that I prefer non-fiction to fiction, but I very occasionally read fiction. As with each fiction work I start, it took me a few tries to get into "Blood and Soul" and then I realized that I was a third of the way through the book. I had been caught up looking for elements of the story I knew and realized that Allen had pretty much rewritten it. So, I started over.
To say that the story was exciting, spellbinding with the unexpected twists and turns seems quite trite. I was caught up in the developing plot and trying to figure out what would come next when it seemed we hit the proverbial wall. The character development flows smoothly with the plot elements. The 'complicated naiveté' of the Alyndrean seer that only sees the past, Maylee, develops into one of a strong and courageous woman that desires to at least share the love of Ledarrin with another until ... well, that is for you to find out. Then, some characters develop less fully and leave us begging for more--Jedin, the almost reluctant aide to the priest, and Nemix, the one who killed Ledarrin's older and "more worthy(?)" brother. When Book 1 ends, you know you will have to wait for the next one.
BTW, that leaves one big question: When will Book 2 be ready?
March 11, 2020
Blood and Soul was a thoroughly enjoyable read that brought back many memories of ancient history books I have read. Yet its underlying messages of truth in the face of relativism reminded me of today's struggles with modern culture and the assault against reason. There are so many times that the characters answered in response to the nonsense espoused by another character in exactly the same manner I would have. I believe that when truth is the hero in a story line, you always have something to relate to when you are a Christian. Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life- no one comes to the Father except through me," and the whole epic struggle of Blood and Soul reflects the journey of creation making its way to Truth.
Note- This book is not suitable for children. It has several adult situations.
Note- This book is not suitable for children. It has several adult situations.
July 5, 2014
Interesting and enthalling start to a new Saga
Blood & Soul is advertised as the first book in the "Creed of Kings" Saga. It was great book, simply great. Highly recommended. Sparkling dialog and memorable characters. It's a wonderful story, plenty of action and plenty of heart - I teared up in several places because of the burdens/heartbreak of the characters. The author made the characters very human and I really developed a bond with several of them - you want to cheer them on when they make the right decision, and you get angry with them when they do something dumb. And they all grow and change through the process.
The action takes place in a world similar to our Earth before gunpowder. The land, Agontica, is believable and detailed (you can download a full-color map from the Author’s web-site). The primary physical difference between it and “our” world is the addition of a few different animals. While there is not “magic” in the sense of typical “Sword and Sorcery", there is a deep spiritual presence which achieves the same result.
The book is a “hero’s journey” and there are plenty of recognizable archetypes - the hero, the mentor, the overwhelming evil, the challenge, the tests, the trials, the adventure, the journey (physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual), and the great cast of supporting characters. I enjoyed the journey, the twists & turns. I really love the pace of the book… Just when you think the good guys are going to get a break, a new, bigger, more threatening menace appears. As with all good stories, the final resolution is climactic, memorable, and unforeseen. And yet it is not “they all live happily ever after” because the enemy is not ultimately defeated, but has just retreated for a little while… Plenty of background for more books in this series, which I am already looking forward to being able to read…
Blood & Soul is advertised as the first book in the "Creed of Kings" Saga. It was great book, simply great. Highly recommended. Sparkling dialog and memorable characters. It's a wonderful story, plenty of action and plenty of heart - I teared up in several places because of the burdens/heartbreak of the characters. The author made the characters very human and I really developed a bond with several of them - you want to cheer them on when they make the right decision, and you get angry with them when they do something dumb. And they all grow and change through the process.
The action takes place in a world similar to our Earth before gunpowder. The land, Agontica, is believable and detailed (you can download a full-color map from the Author’s web-site). The primary physical difference between it and “our” world is the addition of a few different animals. While there is not “magic” in the sense of typical “Sword and Sorcery", there is a deep spiritual presence which achieves the same result.
The book is a “hero’s journey” and there are plenty of recognizable archetypes - the hero, the mentor, the overwhelming evil, the challenge, the tests, the trials, the adventure, the journey (physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual), and the great cast of supporting characters. I enjoyed the journey, the twists & turns. I really love the pace of the book… Just when you think the good guys are going to get a break, a new, bigger, more threatening menace appears. As with all good stories, the final resolution is climactic, memorable, and unforeseen. And yet it is not “they all live happily ever after” because the enemy is not ultimately defeated, but has just retreated for a little while… Plenty of background for more books in this series, which I am already looking forward to being able to read…
January 15, 2015
Blood & Soul: Creed of Kings, Book I, by Allen G. Bagby
Allen G. Bagby's "Blood & Soul: Creed of Kings, Book I," is a remarkable and complex work of high epic fantasy. Very highly recommended.
Allen G. Bagby's "Blood & Soul: Creed of Kings, Book I," is a remarkable and complex work of high epic fantasy. Very highly recommended.
April 5, 2015
I loved this story. I want to read it again and again.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews