Talwan's Vengeance

Turn of the Tides #1

by Christy Newman, Sarah Newman

Eighteen-year-old Loslin Kelser has had to grow up fast and has gone from being a slave to a feared master pirate. His ship, the Talwan, takes him, his brother West, sidekick Tarana, and a ship full of ex-slave teens, on the adventure of their lives. In their quest to uncover the truth about a mysterious scroll linked to the Kelser family, the crew of the Talwan encounters perils and discovers secrets hidden for years.

This book is clean YA Fantasy.

Genres: Fantasy

298 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 2014

About the author

Christy Newman is an award-winning author, homeschool graduate, and shameless coffee and cat lover with a passion for Christian fantasy. Armed with an active imagination and love for adventure, Newman weaves stories of truth, faith, and courage with the message that, even in the deepest darkness, God's love shines as a light to offer hope. She has been penning stories since the age of eight and resides in the high desert of New Mexico. Christy Joined the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) in 2016.

Reviews

[Loren Lockner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice blend of magical fantasy and sci-fi. 18 year-old Loslin has had to grow up fast and has gone from being a slave to a feared master pirate. His ship, the Talwan, takes him on many adventures on the planet Atho. With his brother West, (who now stutters from all the abuse he has endured as a slave), sidekick Tarana, and a ship full of ex-slave children, they embark on the adventure of their lives. In their quest to uncover the truth about a scroll linked to the boy’s family, the crew of the Talwan encounter secrets they never knew existed. This novel is a promising start to an interesting series for young adults; but grown-ups will like it too, as it holds its own in the sci fi/epic fantasy genre. If fantasy is your passion, go no further. Recommended.

[Ann Majors · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting! Couldn't put it down to do my housework. I stayed up until I finished it and just loved it! The characters are interesting, funny, and complete characters. I felt like I was right there with them. I have a crush on Loslin. Nice looking hunk with lots of powers! My great grandson read it and LOVED it (he likes ships and pirates). I recommend this book for anyone over 10 years old to 110 years old. (There is some violence, but it is not graphic.)

[Steven Thompson]

Great beginning to a promising series. The adventure of two pirate brothers, former slaves, seeking vengeance on those who have wronged them. Until they learn of a greater mystery through a magical map, and their voyage of simple revenge becomes a journey of much greater importance. The Newman sisters write well together and did their homework. I'm also pleased to see a nice, clean book that parents will be comfortable letting their young teens read. No gratuity here, thank you. Just good clean fun with lessons on the importance of family and trust.
I plan to get this book for my own daughters, and I suspect they will want the whole series. Bravo!

[James Penn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story set in an imaginative world where a few people possess magic, and an evil government allows children from orphanages to be sold as slaves. The world is set up largely through a series of flashbacks that interrupt the narrative, but not necessarily in a bad way. The writing style is good, especially considering the authors' ages. I saw only very few typographical or grammatical errors, so no need to worry about those distracting from the flow. You get a good idea of the characters' motivations, and there are a couple good plot twists to keep you guessing. These are exciting young authors worth a read in this project and any other they undertake.

[Sam Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talwan's Vengeance is a great read. I was hooked from the start and ended up skipping dinner because I was too engrossed in it. The story (a very unique blend of fantasy, adventure and sci-fi) is original, well-told and full of unexpected twists.

The character development is excellent. Most fast-paced novels tend to portray one-dimensional characters, but this book is the exception to the norm. The authors have created a cast of multi-layered characters that evolve with the story and the reader will find it impossible not to bond with them on some level.

I have already bought the second book in the series and I am looking forward to Captain Loslin's next adventure. Highly recommended to pirate lovers of any age.

[Jack Cannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was able to buy a signed copy directly from the author and I LOVE it! The main character, Loslin, is my favorite. He has a good heart, but has a dangerous edge to him and has some amazing powers. I couldn't put the book down and stayed up past midnight to finish it. I have read it twice and still found surprises (probably because I was too tired the first time through. LOL) It has kind of a 1700's to 1800's feel to it. It has suspense, humor, strong love between two brothers who were separated and then found each other again, pirates, characters with accents (I especially enjoyed this), rescues, and even random acts of kindness. I don't want to run it by giving too much detail, but it ends on a positive note.

[Steven Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Potential, But Frustrating

Talwan’s Vengeance is the story of two brothers (told in a main narrative and frequent flashbacks) who are sold into slavery in a world where magic is possible. At eighteen, the older brother wields his magic to captain a flying pirate ship with a crew of freed teenage slaves in a quest to find and rescue his brother. The story idea is very good, though it could have been told in half the length.

I understand the authors are young, and it shows as both a plus and a minus. Clearly, they understand the motivations of teenagers and do a good job fleshing out believable young characters. Unfortunately, the writing is so repetitive and wordy that it frustrated me. There were many overly obvious observations, unbelievable situations, and practical errors. Taken all together, these things challenged my ability to get swept up in the story. What I thought was the main mystery of the book turned out to be the setup for the next.

Still, Talwan’s Vengeance has a richness and inventiveness that speaks to greater things to come from these authors as they mature.

[Cathy Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Talwan's Vengeance is a very imaginative tale, filled with many qualities that I look for in a book. I love the fantasy aspect and the thread of loyalty and honor that show up during the interactions between characters. The strength of the relationship between the brothers is wonderful to see and the secondary characters are well-developed and interesting.

The plot itself was complicated, sometimes I thought there was too much jumping around, but managed to follow along anyway. I did consider giving a 4 star review, but went with the 3 star because I think the writing needs to be tightened up and punctuation and grammar need some attention. Many of the 'he said', 'she said', became repetitive and could be deleted with no harm coming to the story.

Overall, it's was a good read and I enjoyed it enough that I would buy the 2nd book in the series, if only to see how the author(s) writing develops over time.

[Kimberly Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was drawn into the book in the first paragraph and didn't want to put it down. It's pace is just right for me. I enjoyed the characters and the intermittent humor. It is refreshingly clear of foul language and sex. I enjoyed it all the way to the end and I have already read the next book in the series.

[Christy Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah Newman and I decided to cowrite a young adult fantasy series. Talwan's Vengeance is book 1 of the Turn of the Tides series. We enjoyed writing together and had a great deal of fun with it.

Since many will not read this, we just wanted to give away a little secret. Watch for words and names spelled backwards throughout the series just for fun.