The Lineage

by Dale Martin

Wes Aettian never wanted, nor expected, to be King of Cassia. Not once in his nineteen years had he even thought about it; that duty always fell to the firstborn son. Or so he thought. Of course, he also never expected his country to be invaded, his family to be forced into hiding for a year, or his father to die before he could explain all the secrets he had kept from his son – plans for resistance made even before the war began, the origin of his family’s bloodline, and the role it plays in the universal battle between good and evil. The only thing his father left him was a simple metal ring too large for his thumb: a constant reminder of how big were the shoes he had to fill and how small it made him feel.

Cassia’s conquerors – the Naborn – are a people who have been tempted and swayed countless times throughout history by various promises of power, always leading to their own ruin. But this time they are led by Kyrit Sha’ad, a man possessing powers Wes never even imagined possible. Inhuman powers. Even worse, unlike any who came before him, Sha’ad knows the source of Aettian blood and he will gladly kill everyone on the planet as long as it meant the end of that bloodline.

In the end, The Lineage is a story about the enlightening power of unreserved faith when faced with even the blackest of darkness. With stakes as high as the fate of an entire planet in the balance with consequences that could reach across galaxies, Wes must quickly grow into the man he’s not ready to be. Because King he is, unprepared, unsure, and suddenly in command of a web of resistance cells and thousands of soldiers looking to him to lead the way back to freedom.

If only he knew how.

ebook

First published September 6, 2014

About the author

Dale Martin is a copywriter by trade and has owned his own creative advertising agency since 1989. After 30+ years of writing thousands of brochures, print ads, and radio and TV commercials, Dale has turned to his true passion -- writing and telling stories. His goal now is to approach the business of novel writing with the same enthusiasm that led him to start his own agency at the wise-old age of just 27. He wants to tell stories that entertain people, excite them along the way, make them think, and hopefully -- in the end -- inspire them, if even just a little.

Dale currently lives in a suburb of St. Louis, MO with his wife.

Reviews

[N.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Nichole Moser for Readers' Favorite

Dale Martin tells the story of Wes Aettian, a young man ordinary in every way except for two things: he is to be king, and he is part of ancient and sacred bloodline. In Martin’s The Lineage, we follow Wes in his journey of becoming king and fulfilling a prophecy. The Aettians, the royal family of Cassia, are in hiding from the invading Naborn. Upon his father’s death, Wes discovers that, although he is the middle-born son, he is the Chosen Heir. Eventually he discovers that he is the heir to more than the Cassian throne. The Lineage is a beautiful story – reminiscent in many ways to the Bible – that allows us to watch Wes grow from a young man into a king and a man firm in his faith in God, the Creator, and one true King.

The Lineage is a wonderfully thrilling book. The writing is spot-on, from the dripping of snow melt, to the scent of death, to the ever-present love of God. Dale Martin has done a fantastic job of bringing you into a world similar to Earth, but unique in so many ways. The twists and turns were perfectly timed and most were unseen, which is a first for me. Martin’s ability to create a novel set in a different world while using the Bible, God, and Christ’s sacrifice as its centre is impressive. The faith and belief of each character was believable, including the conversion of one of the characters, to which I can personally relate. If there’s ever a book to read that speaks of God’s love, sacrifice, life as a believer, and our goal to trust in God, this is it.