Chosen

Rune Gate Cycle #2

by Mark E. Cooper

Alexandra Yorke, witch and clairvoyant is in a lot of trouble.

Together with her friends, she has managed to track down the man killing people in her county, but when Douglas tries to capture him, things go wrong and Alex finds herself forced through the rune gate.

Marooned on the magical world of Othala with Douglas and their friends, Alex journeys toward the capital of Inari to warn the queen of treachery, but the goddess has her own plans for Alex, and sends one of her chosen to intercept her.

Aprox 75,000 words.

Author's Note:
"If you want to read a psychic romance story about a woman on the edge of sanity, trying to use her gifts for good while battling her own demons, try this one. Chosen is a fantasy story you will love."

Reading Order:
Rune Gate
Chosen

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Supernatural, Witches, Paranormal

313 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 14, 2014

About the author

Incursion: Merkiaari Wars 5 is out now (11/11/2016) http://www.impulsebooks.co.uk/incursion/

Mark E. Cooper lives alone in a small town in the south of England, where he writes most mornings and evenings. His background is in mechanical engineering where he spent over thirty years working for Ford. He loves reading about strong female characters and can often be found laughing to himself as he listens to a book on his iPod.

His hobbies include driving his cobra--a V12 monster he built with his best friend--reading fantasy and sci-fi, and maintaining his blog at http://www.impulsebooks.co.uk/markcoo...

He is now the author of more than eight titles in the genres he loves to read.

Reviews

[Janie Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

After I finished Rune Gate I knew I was going to have to read Chosen, book 2 in the Rune Gate Cycle. And I am so glad I did. This has been a great duology and loved them both.

In this installment Alex and her friends track down Shadow Man, but everything seems to go wrong. And they find themselves forced through the Gate and end up in a whole new magical world called Othala.

Wow the world building in this one was great, loved this world that the characters found themselves a part of. Great imagery again and chock full of magic. I really liked how the author took us from mystery to fantasy so easily without a lot of confusion. I don't read much fantasy but this one was wrote in a way that I could follow and enjoy.

Again the characters are brilliant and we get to meet several new and interesting characters. And again I really loved Douglas character. He is like a Knight in Shining Armor, there to help who he can. Everything he does is for the greater good, and he does not realize how wonderful he is. The rest of the characters also develop well coming into this story from the last and I love what each of them become and what they must overcome to get there. There is a 'light' love triangle in this book that was slowly developed in the first book. It was not the focus of the story which makes me really happy. I also liked the antagonists in this story as their true forms come more to life. I would have liked to have seen more of them in the story though. I don't feel like they had a big enough presence in this one.

There was only one real issue that I had in this book and I am not sure why, but it seemed like anyone could do magic if they trained and that kind of bothered me. I am not sure why because Harry Potter was much the same way. It just does not seem likely for this book that people of our world could go to Othala and be able to train to do magic. It just seems to take away from the story a bit, makes the magic less of a big deal and less important for those who are born into it. Because of this I give the book 4 stars and not 4.5 like the first one. Other than that I really enjoyed the story and I think it wrapped up nicely.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy and witches and magic. There is plenty of magic in this book for everyone to enjoy. I am pretty sure the series stops here and I think that is good as well. I am not sure where the author would take the story if it should continue.

[Bookwyrm Speaks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this book by the author free of charge in return for an honest, unbiased review through audiobookblast dot com. ok, legalese over, on to the review. This is the second book in this series, and it continues right after when book one went off, when the main character was kidnapped through a Rune Gate from our World to a world where magic works. She manages to escape, and has a series of adventures in the fantasy realm. She is bonded to a battlecat, basically an intelligent saber tooth tiger, she find a place where her witch powers are appreciated and respected, and she finds love, all while helping to defeat the forces of evil. Sounds pretty easy, but it is actually much more complicated than that. This is a well rounded book, with some fun, well thought out characters. The magic realm is interesting, and has a lot of potential if the author decides to make sequels. Mikael Naramore's narration if top notch as always, really bringing the characters to life. I would recommend this book to any fans of Patricia Briggs, Faith hunter and Carrie Vaughn.

[Barbara Dunbar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chosen

Tons of action, magic, betrayal and a battle cat! What's not to like and a bit of star-crossed romance. Enjoy!

[Kai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chosen is the second book to the Rune Gate Cycle. After Alex and her friends have been forced into the Rune Gate to Orthala by the serial killer who is from this world, they have no way of getting back to Earth. Douglas has destroyed the talisman. Alex and her friends have to rely on Douglas' help to locate another talisman to get home.

Douglas who is from Orthala, needs to warn the Queen of a treacherous plot. He also feels responsible for Alex and her friends being forced to go to his world. When Alex bounded with Shieri, a sabre-tooth tiger, Douglas thought his chance with Alex was gone. Alex would be obligated to join the sisterhood of witches on Orthala.

I just love the part where Shieri and Alex acknowledged that they belong to each other and Shieri being acknowledged by the citizens of Orthala as "Battle Cat." It reminds of me of He-man and She-ra.

What I like about this audiobook is that the narrator, Mikael Naramore is back. There are more characters that Mikael has to distinguished so the listeners know who is who.

There are some things that the listeners will want to know from the story. Alex may or may not return to Earth. Who will win Alex's hand: Douglas or Thomas. Is there another talisman to open the portal to Earth? Will there be a third book to the Rune Gate Cycle?

This story does not disappoint.

I was given this audiobook by the author via Audiobook Blast to write an honest review. I was not compensated or influence in any way for writing this review.

[BookLoversLife · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would you consider the audio edition of Chosen to be better than the print version?
Yes. Mikael Naramore adds that something special to the story and brings it to life.

What other book might you compare Chosen to and why?
I don't compare books to other books because every book is different.

Have you listened to any of Mikael Naramore’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Yes I have and he does an amazing job on Chosen just like his other books. His voice is very crisp and concise and really easy to listen to. He changes his tone to match the situation and has a melee of different accents.

Any additional comments?
Once again Mark E Cooper delivers a great read. In this edition of the Rune Gate Cycle the guys are stranded in Douglas world and need to adapt to survive. There is magic, mayhem, action, adventure, fights, deception and more than enough of everything to keep you reading. Chosen for me was the best book in the series yet and it was made even better by the audio book.

I could feel the tension and it was like I was apart of the story while listening to the book. I loved that there are more characters and I loved Alexs' Chosen. That cat was awesome!!

I can not wait to read more in this awesome series and would highly recommend the audio edition.

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book better than the first! We are now in the land of Othala, where Douglas is from. This land is like traveling back in time, where swords are the main weapon used in battles and Kings and Queens rule the lands. I loved how Mark described this magical world, I almost felt like I was there! They capture the same guy they were looking for in the first book only to have someone set him free. This book is filled with magic, action, adventure, and deception. Excellent second book in the series!!

Mikael did another wonderful job narrating this book! The voices were the same from the characters in the first book to the second and the new characters all had different voices as well. Awesome job!!

[Angela(demonsangel) Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really found this story a musical adventure. Author Mark E. Cooper did a great job with detail and the story grabbed my attention from start to finish. I liked the majority of the characters as well and would love to learn more about that world.
I thought the narrator Mikael Naramore did a great job with the performance of this story. I loved each and every accent the characters were given, especially the cat. I thought she had a lot of sass with her attitude. Overall, a great story and written and performed perfectly.

[Nancy Phy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book

I read book 1 and couldn't put down. The story grabs you from the first chapter and the characters come to life. But when I got to the ending I felt I had been left wanting more, so I downloaded the second book. I laughed, cried, worried and cheered. I felt like I was part of the group of characters. I look forward to reading more of Mark E. Cooper's books. I would highly recommend this set of books to anyone who likes fantasy or science fiction.

[Gillean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent

Excellent story, writing and characterisation. I thought the ending could have been a bit more drawn out. The sudden defeat of the antagonist felt a bit rushed. Overall very enjoyable.

[katrina davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous book

What to say? Even more gripping then the first book. Can not wait to get into the next one. Such a brilliant author

[Dana Faulkner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read

This book continues Alex's story as she finds herself in Inari. We follow her story as well as Douglas, Lloyd and Tom. Very enjoyable.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story picks up with the characters marooned in the land where Douglas came from. Lloyd's character is probably fleshed out more than any of the others. We already had a pretty good handle on Alex, Douglas and Tomas. Michael, Sandy and Alison don't add much to the storyline.

Tomas is still mooning after Alex. I can't remember how long ago it was that they separated but enough time has passed that a mature individual really should grasp the reality. Alex certainly has moved on. In spite of the attraction he feels to Alex, Douglas is still dreaming about his deceased wife. I'm not sure if he is truly ready for another commitment but the author seems to pretty much dismiss that aspect of his personality. We also never find out how his children react to the idea of a new mother.

Alex acquires a familiar - evidently a saber-toothed tiger aka Battle Cat named Shieri - because she is the Chosen. The cat exhibits more personality than most of the humans.

Our protagonists are finally reunited and pool their resources to defeat the evil Karel. We never find out if the Queen had been plotting with him and her brother.

The story is pretty much wrapped up at the end although there could conceivably be further adventures for Alex. Personally, I found the characters pretty shallow and don't really care about their futures. I much preferred the first book.

[Lars · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

The story was brought to full conclusion which was a nice and somewhat unexpected.
I think I enjoyed the first book more as this one did not seem to develop the characters as much or maybe it was just not as new of a concept.
Over all a simple read with limited complexity. This would be a great read for 10-14 year old readers as engaging but not taxing. I would have loved this book in middle school.

[Lori Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story

I liked the first book and went straight to book two, however I felt this second book was rather weak and dragged the plot out longer than needed. The action was almost non existent. Too much repetition of the story line. I feel the entire story could have been told in one book

[Brenda Mcallister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this book as soon as I finished the first.
Liked the characters and storyline was good. Only a two book series so very fast entertaining read. Plenty of action and it was good that in this world magic had a price. Alex finds her place and so do her friends. The transition between events wasn't the smoothest but it didn't break up the story. Intend to read more from this author.

[Brenda Mcallister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this book as soon as I finished the first. Liked the characters and the world' created. Good storyline , a kidnapped group from earth and how they adapted to this new world where magic was more powerful but also had a price. Nothing new but well written as at no time did I want to stop reading. Not a stand-alone book.

[Gil Herman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great adventure and fantasy

The two books together tell quite a story - or should I say, two stories. They could each stand on their own, but the full-circle connection added to the suspense.

[crystal smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

Loved this series wish there was more. Awesome magic and a great read for teenagers. Can't wait too see if my daughter likes it.

[Deborah Aucoin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay but not great.

Meh. It was a good plot but felt more for young adult. It kind of ended on a question like a sequel was coming.

[Searcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

See book one for review

(Re-read and review to come)

[Becki Fordman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good follow up

The book follows the story and timeline very smoothly. Would almost like to see a 3rd book to follow life in Inari...

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enchanting!!

Unable to put this book down. Really enjoyable story and high energy throughout. Loved it! Hoping there's another one soon.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 1, Rune Gate, left us with a bit of a cliff hanger, wondering who was forced through (or chose to go through) the rune gate, a gate between our Earth and the world of Othala. Our heroine, Alex Yorke, is one of those who was forced through the gate. Douglas, who is from Othala, manages to get through, along with some of the folks from the Silver Mist coven. We also have a few bad guys who make it through too. Now, the Earthlings have to learn the rules of Othala, as well as the language. There’s plenty of hidden trouble for them to get into.

I really, really enjoyed Book 1. It had this great mix of the paranormal and detective work. In Book 2, we totally lose the detective work. At first, I was a bit sad to see this gone, as Alex is trained in police work, so we no longer have that aspect to her character. My second issue with this book was that women were second class citizens. This made me sad. All the ladies who came through the gate aren’t taken seriously in Othala, by the Othala men nor by the Earth men who came through the gate. They get to cook, constantly need protecting, are given little belt daggers that are for show. Douglas (and later other men) give the Earth men lessons in sword fighting. Yet no lessons in any kind of self defense are given to the ladies. And they are all OK with that – the Othala men, the ladies, and the Earth men! Ugh!

This bothered me for two reasons: 1) It’s inherently ridiculous for women, who generally make up half the population, to not be armed and trained. This is fiction, so the rules of gender equality can be bent any way the author sees fit. 2) The Earthlings are fighters, even the ladies. So it really seemed to be against their personalities to accept this change in status without a roll of the eyes or a huff over crossed arms on breasts. 3) And why wouldn’t the Earth men speak up and insist the ladies get some training in? Again, another break in character.

As the story unfolds, there are more instances of gender inequality. Men can fight and do magic, but women are stuck with laundry and magic. Squared off, one on one, a male magic user will always be stronger than a female magic user. Sigh…..You get the picture.

So, how was the rest of the book? It was OK. There’s some politics going on that Douglas was entwined in before he left, and he gets re-entwined in upon his return. I found these interesting. Douglas also has to figure out how he feels about Alex and what he will do about her. Meanwhile, Thomas the sheriff from back home and Alex’s past lover is trying to find his niche in this new world. He is use to being in charge. Now he isn’t and he’s a novice with the sword. I really enjoyed his character arc.

And there’s betrayal and redemption (hopefully)! This was the most engaging plot line for me. It was unexpected to have one of Alex’s party commit betrayal. But this individual quickly decides an error was made and works towards redemption. This character’s growth was excellent to watch.

Alex herself does some growing as a character. First, in Othala there are folks who can teach her about her powers. Second, her powers are strong here. In this world, magic users are sometimes gifted by the Goddess with a companion that helps to keep them grounded, their Chosen. By the cover art, I am sure you can guess what form Alex’s Chosen takes. I really enjoyed the dynamic between these two and the surly remarks often made by the Chosen.

So, over all the plot and individual characters were entertaining and engaging. However, the Earth characters’ lack of comment or action concerning the gender inequality on Othala felt like a huge break in character for most of them. I really wanted them to comment or, for the more opinionated characters (Alex, Thomas), to rail against the social norms of Othala. Yet they didn’t and this seemed to go against their characters. Also, do we need yet one more fantasy novel that places women in ‘traditional’ roles? It made some of the plot and some of the choices faced by our heroes predictable. On the other hand, the ending was very well done and satisfying.

Narration: Mikael Naramore gave another good performance. Some of his bad guy voices were a little over done. Other than that, he had a lovely voice for Alex, and a wonderful accent for Douglas. I liked his big surly cat voice too.

[DebbieReadsBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

AUDIO REVIEW

Thank you to Mark E Cooper for my audio copy, in exchange for a review.

Chosen follows on immediately from Rune Gate. I mean IMMEDIATELY. They are falling through the Gate at the end of Rune Gate and the beginning of here. You really SHOULD read/listen to that first, for you to get the full benefit from this one.

Alex, Thomas, Doug and the others all land in Othala, Doug's homeworld. They immediately secure the one who has been killing on Earth, binding his hands, mouth and fingers to ensure he can't cast any runes. Things have a way of going awry when plans are made, and he is aided in his escape, ALex and Doug are seperated, and Alex finds herself bound to a familiar, a massive battlecat. The Goddess has plans for Alex and her cat. Finding out the plans to assassinate the young Prince mean that Alex and the others must rush to the palace to save him.

I din't quite enjoy this one, as much as Rune Gate and having slept on it, and am writing the review this is why.

1. we didnt get much world building on Othala. I would like there to have been more.
2. (using Mr Cooper's words) its a little too questy for me. This is the first I have LISTENED to as such,. I love READING about quests, but maybe listening to them is not for me.
3. I woudl also have liked to know more about ALex's reaction to Othala and the Daughters of the Mothers. And her place in that world.

All in all though, a very good, highly recommended read. And I should like to catch up with ALex an Doug some time soon :-)

Mikael Naramore narrates again. I found that, listening using the Audible app on my phone, you can adjust the speed! It made for a much better listen, and I take back what I said about Mikael reading slowly ( in my Rune Gate Review) It wasnt him, it was the app! Beautifully narrated again,a very pleasing voice to wile away 9 hours.

Thank you, again, to Mark for my copy.

[Llaph · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had got the first book in this series as a freebie and liked it okay. This book was up as a freebie a while ago and instead of just getting the kindle version I spent the extra ($1.99!) to get the audio version also.
I liked the narrator's voice and his accents and the voices he used for other characters were entertaining to listen to. The only problem I had is when a character, or an event, happened that was more or less something that would have a "!" tacked onto it he would startle me because he really emphasized it. lol I would be listening intently, wrapped up in the story, and then all of the sudden it was almost like he yelled. It didn't take away from the story that is just something that got me. It certainly made the story more exciting to listen to.
With the way things were going in the story I was hoping there would be another book to expound on the new things the characters were learning about the world they had been thrust into, but I guess this is the last book of that series. I'm thinking (or hoping) there is another series also set in the same world. The idea of familiars and chosen were intriguing, especially Alex’s battle cat. I would like to read more about how they interact with their human counterparts.
My only issues were that it appeared that things were wrapped up too neatly at the end. The bad guy ... well it was like everything was built up about how bad he was then ... taking care of him looked like a cakewalk. The other thing was the strong parallels I could draw between magic users and their society with the same things from Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. A lot of things reminded me of that series, but I will admit that I have read the books many, many times over the past, like, 15 years, so it could just be me. I admit that I didn’t read the other reviews for the book however.

Despite any issues I liked the book, it didn’t super excite me like other books, but I still enjoyed reading it.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've got to admit; I wasn't overly impressed with the way things played out in the end. Much of what transpired was rather pointless with seemingly no real purpose in mind. It was kind of disappointing. I really enjoy Othala however!

Othala was a pretty neat world (at least at first). The animals were larger, there were 3 moons in the sky, and of course the powerful connection to magic was unique from what was felt on earth. After the initial interest, though, I found myself forgetting that the characters were indeed on a totally different planet. It came off to me as merely being a lapse in time, going back to the 1800s in earth's own setting. That was also disappointing.

I think the real treasure in this book was Shieri (Alex's Chosen) and I believe she would say so too. Shieri is a "sabre-tooth-tiger" of a sort (that's about what I could glean from the descriptions, but it was never really told outright what she was. Everyone just referred to her as "battle cat.") She was sassy and totally full of her own awesomeness which amused me to no end. She was such an absolute joy to behold!

I coveted the bond Shieri and Alex had with each other, and too be honest, it seemed to be much more tangible a bond than that supposedly between Alex and Doug. Sorry but I just wasn't buying that whole "love-at-first-sight" thing they seemed to have going on. I just couldn't really see them as being more than really good friends. Oh well. It didn't really bug me the way things turned out with them. All's well that ends well, I suppose.

Anyhoo, I did enjoy this duloagy, for the most part. They were both incredibly short reads and, best of all, there's only two of them! So if you're not sure about the book(s) they'll be over before you know it, so fear not. Overall, can't really complain. I recommend it to those of you who enjoy a bit of mystery in your lives.

[Lilmissmolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the Audible version of Chosen: Rune Gate Cycle, Book 2. It is another enjoyable story in the new urban fantasy series by Mark Cooper. In the first book we are introduced to Alexandra Yorke who is a clairvoyant witch working with the local police on a murder case. With the help of her friends, Alex locates the murder and discovers he is from another realm. When attempting to capture the murder, Alex and company travel through the rune gate to the other dimension.

Chosen takes off where Rune Gate ended. Alex and friends are now in the magical world of Othala. The group head off to the capital to warn the queen about the plot against the kingdom, all the while looking out for the murderer from the first book. They finally capture the murderer only to have him set free again. Also there is a side plot involving the queen and her hidden agenda involving Alex.

Like with the first book, Mikael Naramore's narrated. He had differing voices for male and female characters, and expressed frustration and urgency when appropriate. I thoroughly enjoyed his interpretation.

[Jack Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chosen's the second book to the Rune Gate Cycle. After Alexandria York,along with her friends, have been forced into the Rune Gate to Orthala by Karel, the serial killer who's from this world, they have no way of getting back to Earth. Douglas has destroyed the talisman. Alex and her friends have to rely on Douglas' help to locate another talisman to get home.

Douglas, a Duke from Orthala, needs to warn the Queen of a treacherous plot. He also feels responsible for Alex and her friends being forced to go to his world. When Alex bonds with Shieri, a sabre-tooth tiger (Battle cat) , Douglas thought his chance with Alex was gone. Alex would be obligated to join the sisterhood of witches on Orthala and Witches can't marry (or can they?)

I enjoyed both books in the Rune in the Rune Gate Cycle. I enjoyed the character developement not only for Alex and Douglas but for the other characters in the story.I'd certainly have to say that this story does not disappoint.

Jack Murphy

[Deedra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sequel to 'Rune Gate'.It starts immediately where the other left off.I believe it would have been better had it just been added to the first book,or maybe I should have listened to it right away.Alex and her friends have fallen thru the Rune Gate into the world of Othala.Now she needs to learn the ways of this world.I had a hard time following a lot of this one.There seems to be TOO much going on.
Mikael Naramore is wonderful,as always ,as narrator.
"I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com"

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex and her friends are now trapped in Douglas' world after trying to help him stop a man killing people. So now they are all traveling to the capital city in hopes there is still a way back to their own world, and to warn the queen of the man killing innocent people to cross between the worlds, but the queen has her own plans.

This is another action packed, wonderful book in the Rune Gate Cycle series. This book is just as fast paced and suspenseful as the first book. Mikael Naramore is also back narrating this book showing off his wonderful voice talent as he brings this book to life through his awesome narration.