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Age of Valor #1
Heritage
A threat of total elimination hangs over the heads of all who inhabit the Celtique Isles, and only young Ashlynn, soon to be crowned High Queen of one of the most powerful nations among the Isles, can bring them together to overcome years of petty differences and stand united against the growing threat to their lands and their lives.Set in a land of magic and mystery, this is a tale of pride and devotion. Ashlynn has a deep love for her kingdom and her homelands, and risks her own life to try and spare her people the pain of war. She is a ruler unlike any other, one who has inherited the heavy burden of not only a crown but the duty of an Elemental, one who has the ability to shift their form into that of a dragon and have special kinship with others of her kind.When the High King of Caedia, a nation once a part of the Isles, decides to bring war to the Elementals, to try and rid the earth of them in his quest for ultimate power, Ashlynn must grow up in a hurry and learn to fight, as well as find the rest of her kindred who have been scattered across the globe for generations. Little does she know that the man she prepares to fight is only a pawn in a much bigger war, and that the real face of terror has been hiding in plain sight all along.
- GenresFantasy
278 pages, Paperback
First published December 19, 2014
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54 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 22, 2017
I enjoyed this epic tale of a well-described otherworldly place and its mystical beings from dragons to unicorns. The heroine, a young Ashlynn, starts off hunted and far from home. An unlikely group forms to not only get Ashlynn home, but befriends her and aids her in time of war. This story of adventure, coming-of-age, love and loss was well written and imaginative. I look forward to reading more in book two.
August 15, 2017
This is a beautifully and elegantly written fantasy rooted with interesting and well-drawn characters.
June 21, 2016
It is hard to believe this is Morris’ first novel. From the details of the intricate world she created, to her creative take on favorite mythical creatures, this novel is simply brilliant! Morris is an extremely gifted realm builder whose writing immerses readers into an action packed story from the very first chapter. The multifaceted characters are extremely compelling. As a reader I found myself contemplating the reasons I would go to war, what I would sacrifice my life for, what I would do if I was in the situations presented to the characters. I look forward to learning more about the history of the Elementals and the fates of the main characters in future novels. A king has been assassinated. I implore you to open this exquisite novel to find out why. You won't be disappointed.
July 12, 2017
What an impressively engrossing story! A great start to what will hopefully be a long series. Really wonderful, fully drawn characters, impeccable story and great actions. Quite moving as well. Can be a little heavy on the religious aspects for my personal taste, but seriously a GREAT read for fantasy fans!
January 29, 2018
This book was first reviewed on Kurt's Fronter.
Synopsis:
Ashlynn is the newly crowned High Queen of Siness and an elemental dragon of earth. Welcome to the universe of the Age of Valor. The kingdom of Caedia was once part of the Celtique Isles. However, the high king of Caedia allied himself with powers that would see the end of the Elementals in a quest for ultimate power. Ashlynn must gather the other islands together, bringing together elves, dwarves, dragons, and other fantastic creatures to defend their homes. Most importantly, she must gather the other elemental dragons from across the world. Unknown to her and her allies, the high king of Caedia is little more than a pawn to darker powers.
Review:
Heritage is the first of the Age of Valor series. This is a land of many fantastic creatures that share the world with humanity. The religion of the land worships the Giver and his son the Deliverer, similar to Christianity. The Giver created the first elementals. These are dragons that share a special kinship with each other. They are nearly immortal. When one is killed, their eldest child takes on the mantel of their parents. They are human but can change shape and have an affinity with the certain elements. Ashlynn inherited the element of Earth from her mother and the burden of being an elemental dragon.
Diana Morris has proven to be a gifted story teller. Her one weak spot is dealing with the back story. She made use of flashbacks, which is always fraught. The result was a bit confusing at the beginning. Never the less, Heritage is an epic high fantasy and the first of a series. I look forward to the second book.
Synopsis:
Ashlynn is the newly crowned High Queen of Siness and an elemental dragon of earth. Welcome to the universe of the Age of Valor. The kingdom of Caedia was once part of the Celtique Isles. However, the high king of Caedia allied himself with powers that would see the end of the Elementals in a quest for ultimate power. Ashlynn must gather the other islands together, bringing together elves, dwarves, dragons, and other fantastic creatures to defend their homes. Most importantly, she must gather the other elemental dragons from across the world. Unknown to her and her allies, the high king of Caedia is little more than a pawn to darker powers.
Review:
Heritage is the first of the Age of Valor series. This is a land of many fantastic creatures that share the world with humanity. The religion of the land worships the Giver and his son the Deliverer, similar to Christianity. The Giver created the first elementals. These are dragons that share a special kinship with each other. They are nearly immortal. When one is killed, their eldest child takes on the mantel of their parents. They are human but can change shape and have an affinity with the certain elements. Ashlynn inherited the element of Earth from her mother and the burden of being an elemental dragon.
Diana Morris has proven to be a gifted story teller. Her one weak spot is dealing with the back story. She made use of flashbacks, which is always fraught. The result was a bit confusing at the beginning. Never the less, Heritage is an epic high fantasy and the first of a series. I look forward to the second book.
April 10, 2018
Fans of shifters, dragons, unicorns, elves, magical powers, conflict between good and evil, and suspenseful tales in which things are not what they seem, will find Age of Valor: Heritage by D. E. Morris an enticing read. This first novel in the Age of Valor Christian fantasy series introduces a temperamental, emotionally complex but always courageous heroine in young Ashlynn, future High Queen of Altaine in Siness. Orphaned as a child, it’s not surprising that she determines to take revenge against the wicked king who killed her father, even though a terrible war could follow if her role in the assassination is discovered. Almost everything else about her comes as a surprise, and not just to the reader, as the riveting plot unfolds, and the true source of evil is revealed.
Set in Morris’ signature fantasy world, bolstered by an amazingly varied cast of characters, told in highly descriptive and engaging prose, and underpinned by Christian allegory, Age of Valor: Heritage reminded me of a roller-coaster ride in the dark. Yes, you start out slow. Yes, there are places where you pause briefly on a summit. Yet, you can’t wait for the next exciting headlong plunge and the emotions it will stir within you. Morris reveals the story at a steady pace, moving between one parallel subplot and another, and taking enough time with dialog and description to cast key characters in three dimensions with a full range of emotions: love, hate, jealousy, trust, faith, courage, and fear abound. Warning: reading this book will leave you wanting more. Belt in and enjoy the ride.
Set in Morris’ signature fantasy world, bolstered by an amazingly varied cast of characters, told in highly descriptive and engaging prose, and underpinned by Christian allegory, Age of Valor: Heritage reminded me of a roller-coaster ride in the dark. Yes, you start out slow. Yes, there are places where you pause briefly on a summit. Yet, you can’t wait for the next exciting headlong plunge and the emotions it will stir within you. Morris reveals the story at a steady pace, moving between one parallel subplot and another, and taking enough time with dialog and description to cast key characters in three dimensions with a full range of emotions: love, hate, jealousy, trust, faith, courage, and fear abound. Warning: reading this book will leave you wanting more. Belt in and enjoy the ride.
June 7, 2023
Excellent read. I found this author by accident at a Renaissance faire and boy am I glad I did. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.
January 24, 2015
Age of Valor: Heritage is the fabulous first novel by D. E. Morris. It opens with the murder of the High King of Caedia, a kingdom known for waging war. The future High Queen of the Celtique Isles is his killer, hoping to bring an end to the violence which has bathed his reign. Together with her sister and one other, she has stolen into the kingdom and done the unspeakable. Now the children of the High King must come to a decision. One, his son, chooses to become his father’s true heir by once more bringing war just as his father had done and would have done again. The other, his daughter, chooses to side with High Queen Ashlynn and the legendary Elemental dragons against her brother and the kingdom she once called home.
When Prince Laidley is crowned High King, it becomes a race against time to bring together the elemental dragons before he can bring the full force of Caedia’s military and the horrors brought out of the darkness by Merrick, the Prince’s right hand man. Ashlynn, blessed to be the dragon of Earth, is only one of perhaps 12. Luella, Laidley’s sister and daughter of the High King of Caedia, is the dragon of Darkness. Together with the Dragon of Light, the three of them must gather the others together to avoid what might well be a wholesale slaughter.
I found the characters compelling and the description beautiful. Though there were a few moments where the novel became a little preachy, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole book. I was intrigued by the interaction between the dragons and the powers they were given. I think my favorite character however was the young water dragon, Elas. He shows what happens when things in this universe go wrong. He is left permanently scarred and even caught between his dragon and human form by an attack of wolves while he was changing. He has the scars on his body and on his heart from being turned away from his family and those he called kin.
Those who enjoy Fantasy fiction would do well to give this book and its sequels a good look. D. E. Morris is injecting a new vision into the genre even while she continues to use some of the well worn staples.
When Prince Laidley is crowned High King, it becomes a race against time to bring together the elemental dragons before he can bring the full force of Caedia’s military and the horrors brought out of the darkness by Merrick, the Prince’s right hand man. Ashlynn, blessed to be the dragon of Earth, is only one of perhaps 12. Luella, Laidley’s sister and daughter of the High King of Caedia, is the dragon of Darkness. Together with the Dragon of Light, the three of them must gather the others together to avoid what might well be a wholesale slaughter.
I found the characters compelling and the description beautiful. Though there were a few moments where the novel became a little preachy, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole book. I was intrigued by the interaction between the dragons and the powers they were given. I think my favorite character however was the young water dragon, Elas. He shows what happens when things in this universe go wrong. He is left permanently scarred and even caught between his dragon and human form by an attack of wolves while he was changing. He has the scars on his body and on his heart from being turned away from his family and those he called kin.
Those who enjoy Fantasy fiction would do well to give this book and its sequels a good look. D. E. Morris is injecting a new vision into the genre even while she continues to use some of the well worn staples.
January 29, 2018
This review was first published on Kurt's Frontier.
Synopsis:
Ashlynn is the newly crowned High Queen of Siness and an elemental dragon of earth. Welcome to the universe of the Age of Valor. The kingdom of Caedia was once part of the Celtique Isles. However, the high king of Caedia allied himself with powers that would see the end of the Elementals in a quest for ultimate power. Ashlynn must gather the other islands together, bringing together elves, dwarves, dragons, and other fantastic creatures to defend their homes. Most importantly, she must gather the other elemental dragons from across the world. Unknown to her and her allies, the high king of Caedia is little more than a pawn to darker powers.
Review:
Heritage is the first of the Age of Valor series. This is a land of many fantastic creatures that share the world with humanity. The religion of the land worships the Giver and his son the Deliverer, similar to Christianity. The Giver created the first elementals. These are dragons that share a special kinship with each other. They are nearly immortal. When one is killed, their eldest child takes on the mantel of their parents. They are human but can change shape and have an affinity with the certain elements. Ashlynn inherited the element of Earth from her mother and the burden of being an elemental dragon.
Diana Morris has proven to be a gifted story teller. Her one weak spot is dealing with the back story. She made use of flashbacks, which is always fraught. The result was a bit confusing at the beginning. Never the less, Heritage is an epic high fantasy and the first of a series. I look forward to the second book.
Synopsis:
Ashlynn is the newly crowned High Queen of Siness and an elemental dragon of earth. Welcome to the universe of the Age of Valor. The kingdom of Caedia was once part of the Celtique Isles. However, the high king of Caedia allied himself with powers that would see the end of the Elementals in a quest for ultimate power. Ashlynn must gather the other islands together, bringing together elves, dwarves, dragons, and other fantastic creatures to defend their homes. Most importantly, she must gather the other elemental dragons from across the world. Unknown to her and her allies, the high king of Caedia is little more than a pawn to darker powers.
Review:
Heritage is the first of the Age of Valor series. This is a land of many fantastic creatures that share the world with humanity. The religion of the land worships the Giver and his son the Deliverer, similar to Christianity. The Giver created the first elementals. These are dragons that share a special kinship with each other. They are nearly immortal. When one is killed, their eldest child takes on the mantel of their parents. They are human but can change shape and have an affinity with the certain elements. Ashlynn inherited the element of Earth from her mother and the burden of being an elemental dragon.
Diana Morris has proven to be a gifted story teller. Her one weak spot is dealing with the back story. She made use of flashbacks, which is always fraught. The result was a bit confusing at the beginning. Never the less, Heritage is an epic high fantasy and the first of a series. I look forward to the second book.
May 8, 2016
Awesome!
From the very first page the characters and the action grabbed me and I held on for a great ride! I love a book where the author writes characters so perfectly that they become family and I care what happens to them. This story is written with such color and imagination. There were times I was reading as fast as I could to see what was going to happen. I was able to lose myself in this book-to the point I didn't notice my phone ringing. I was there experiencing all of it. I really enjoyed this book. I have one tiny complaint. I could not find anything on the book cover or in the "information" pages telling me this was part of a set and although the ending was satisfying enough, I hate being left with unanswered questions in an attempt to force me to buy the next book. This wasn't actually a cliff hanger so I've managed but I do wish authors would warn you and try to make books stand alone on their own merits so a reader wants to buy more of that authors works. It was still a 5 * book and I recommend it to anyone. :)
HIGHLY RECOMMEND. :)
From the very first page the characters and the action grabbed me and I held on for a great ride! I love a book where the author writes characters so perfectly that they become family and I care what happens to them. This story is written with such color and imagination. There were times I was reading as fast as I could to see what was going to happen. I was able to lose myself in this book-to the point I didn't notice my phone ringing. I was there experiencing all of it. I really enjoyed this book. I have one tiny complaint. I could not find anything on the book cover or in the "information" pages telling me this was part of a set and although the ending was satisfying enough, I hate being left with unanswered questions in an attempt to force me to buy the next book. This wasn't actually a cliff hanger so I've managed but I do wish authors would warn you and try to make books stand alone on their own merits so a reader wants to buy more of that authors works. It was still a 5 * book and I recommend it to anyone. :)
HIGHLY RECOMMEND. :)
January 2, 2017
In just over 250 pages the author not only introduces a world, a mythology, and several different races but a conflict as well, with hints at more to come. In addition we learn and have the opportunity to connect with several characters, to feel what they must be feeling. There are moments of struggle on both sides of the conflict and moments of triumph. Even though it marks the beginning of a series it stands on it's own beautifully and packs so much of a punch that I can only wish I had read it sooner.
June 25, 2016
great characters
It took me a little while to get into this book, but once I figured out the story I couldn't put it down. I really fell in love with the characters. Their relationships and interactions with each other were beautifully developed.
It took me a little while to get into this book, but once I figured out the story I couldn't put it down. I really fell in love with the characters. Their relationships and interactions with each other were beautifully developed.
July 26, 2016
Good bones but the execution is sloppy.
April 3, 2017
Turbulent Flight - Elemental Fun
Turbulence isn't necessarily bad when you're soaring on dragon's wings, often it can be downright fun. There were many moments in the clouds! There were other times where I painfully crashed. Age of Valor took me flying, that's what's important! A great first endeavor by Morris. This left me interested to see how the story unfolds! I pray our black and white vision of law is washed away in cascading colors of Grace. The Giver gives good gifts! So I'm joining him in giving this 5 stars. :) Be blessed!
Turbulence isn't necessarily bad when you're soaring on dragon's wings, often it can be downright fun. There were many moments in the clouds! There were other times where I painfully crashed. Age of Valor took me flying, that's what's important! A great first endeavor by Morris. This left me interested to see how the story unfolds! I pray our black and white vision of law is washed away in cascading colors of Grace. The Giver gives good gifts! So I'm joining him in giving this 5 stars. :) Be blessed!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews