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Gol

(The Legends of Ansu #1)

J.W. Webb (Goodreads Author)

4.01 · Rating details · 266 ratings · 58 reviews

Lissane Barola hates her baron father's choice of husband Valentin. With Erun, her secret lover in a nearby village, she plans escape. But the net is closing, and the gods have marked them.

'a huge rent had opened inside the mountain. a vast cavern containing the essence of Ashmali, a demon so terrible the gods themselves had entombed him lest his wanton flames destroy the

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Kindle Edition, 504 pages

Published March 18th 2015 by J.W.Webb

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· 266 ratings · 58 reviews

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Sep 16, 2015 Dianne rated it really liked it

Shelves: own, 1-in-series, epic-fantasy, author-requested-review

Do you like epic fantasy sagas? The kind that slowly encase you in a new world, a different time and a place like you have never known? The Legends of Ansu, a new series will bring sorcery to life, place you in the midst of battle, put you at the mercy of treachery by man, uncaring gods and civil war. Gol by J.W. Webb tells of an island and its people, and the wrath of the Sea God. Political machinations tear two young lovers apart, as Lissane is to wed an enemy baron’s vile son and Erun is left ...more

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Nov 09, 2015 Rosie Amber rated it liked it

Gol is a high end fantasy epic. It is three books within one and you get a lot of book for your money. There is a huge cast of characters, mystical Gods, tricky elementals and fantasy lands to get your head around.

The book opens in castle Barola in the land of Gol, where we meet Baron Eon Barola, his three sons and daughter. The Baron is forever scheming and plotting about ways to increase his power, he has a marriage planned for his daughter which will form an alliance. But first he must see of Gol is a high end fantasy epic. It is three books within one and you get a lot of book for your money. There is a huge cast of characters, mystical Gods, tricky elementals and fantasy lands to get your head around.

The book opens in castle Barola in the land of Gol, where we meet Baron Eon Barola, his three sons and daughter. The Baron is forever scheming and plotting about ways to increase his power, he has a marriage planned for his daughter which will form an alliance. But first he must see off her current lover, a weak poet lad called Erun Cade.

When his sons fumble the beating, Erun is rescued by a hermit known as Irulan and taken under his tutelage to train for times to come.

In a far off land a huge earthquake erupts and a dark sorcerer called Ozmandeus captures the fire elemental called Ashmali who has been magically trapped for centuries. This evil wizard uses Ashmali to crush and burn all in his wake as he feeds the hunger of the fire element with the souls of all those he burns.

With Erun Cade's training under way he is then sent on his first quest to reach a magical land and seek out one known as Scaffa, upon his travels he rescues Red Torrig a rebel who will become his friend, amongst many others. After three years of training with Scaffa on the island of Laras Lassladden, Erun is ready to take on quests set by the giantess herself. He must travel far and wide to capture the elementals of wind, earth and water, so they may work together against the increasing power of their brother fire.

Alongside the storyline of the elementals and Erun Cade, is the continued struggle for power from many of the nations and their peoples. Marriages, murders, corruption, and an annual games tournament are all written with a bawdy style, dripping with base sexual encounters and language which may appeal to a limited audience. Erun Cade is the main link between the two.

The fantasy lands, the different nations, the mystical creatures and the quests are all great elements of the high end epic fantasy and the author has created an ideal setting on paper. The huge quantity of material can mean a lot of back and forth and catching up with sub-storylines, which can be a challenge to keep track of, readers should note this book is written as a book 1 of the Legends of Ansu.

My favourite character was Red Torrig because he was funny, light-hearted and shone out from the other characters. For me there was too much doom and gloom in dismissive character speech, opinions of others, asides and mannerisms. Add to this an overuse of the terms "fool and Idiot" and I failed to engage with the characters.

Most readers want to escape into a book and shut out their own lives which are often already full of doom and gloom. I felt this was because the style of writing tried too hard to "tell" me as the reader how I should view everyone rather than letting me form my own opinions through more "Showing". ...more

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Jun 13, 2018 C.M. Rutherford rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was a very entertaining story. The characters and plot of the story we well crafted and engaging. The story moved at a fast pace and had plenty of action. I highly recommend this book to fans of the Fantasy genre.

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Apr 17, 2018 Christa marked it as unread-freebies · review of another edition

Shelves: freebie

4/17/18 - note to self, why did I buy this book?
Epic fantasy, star crossed lovers, high reviews on Goodreads and Amazon, and free today.

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Aug 25, 2018 Rosemary rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: epic-adventure-thriller, fantasy, overcoming-the-odds

Gol - a review by Rosemary Kenny

An epic story worthy of JRR Tolkien, tells of the eponymous Gol - a mythical kingdom on Scaffa's Island, the legend of which will fascinate anyone who ventures into its world of imagination by the fine author J W Webb.
The first of four books in The Legends of Ansu series, Gol sets the scene with great detail, after its King has been violently and treacherously removed from the throne by his vassal barons. They have caused an impending bloody civil war, with their ...more

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Dec 31, 2017 Lana rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A spectacular very long and detailed book, an epic saga of the fantasy genre which i would rate next to the Game of Thrones. A book about the world of Ansu and the country of Gol, divided into various factions all headed by the families of the greedy barons who rival one another and war against each other because of their greed for power. The book is full of political intrigue, plots and counter plots and a lot of backstabbing literally and figuratively which of course leads to a lot of blood an ...more

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Jun 19, 2016 Olivia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I loved how the story was told from various viewpoints and from different places. The story begins from Eon Barola’s point of view before switching to Lissane Barola. As the story progresses, the setting widens to include other faraway kingdoms in the Great Continent where another story was set in motion. Although there were many characters involved, I did not find it hard to keep up due to the unique names given to them. It certainly made things easier especially with the quirky and crazy perso I loved how the story was told from various viewpoints and from different places. The story begins from Eon Barola’s point of view before switching to Lissane Barola. As the story progresses, the setting widens to include other faraway kingdoms in the Great Continent where another story was set in motion. Although there were many characters involved, I did not find it hard to keep up due to the unique names given to them. It certainly made things easier especially with the quirky and crazy personalities of different characters.

The setting of Gol was also intricately described; the author presented the natural surroundings of the different provinces in great detail and in such a way that the reader is pulled into the story. One of the many reasons I enjoyed this book was the medieval setting of the story and because it was a high fantasy. It was fun reading about the many wars between the different provinces and about the different plans and treaties made and destroyed between the provinces. If that wasn’t enough to get my attention, outside from Gol, another different terror was fast approaching from a distant continent and Gol was fast sinking into the seas again.

Erun Cade was the most dynamic character, as the story progresses, he was completely changed from the weak poet that he was into a warrior that is trained in every aspect. But his emotions remained the same. Although he was separated from Lissane for a length of a number of years, his love towards her remained the same. I really respected that part of him. What both Erun and Lissane have in common is their resilient spirits that is able to withstand any adversity. They both focused on their goals and I think that was partly the reason why they held on to their lives with all their might.

Lissane Barola was another interesting character. She was strong-headed and strong-willed, and filled with hatred for her father and her brothers. It was only with her personality she was able to survive in Galania for so long. It was saddening to see how she was treated in Galania, though. Although she was a daughter of a ruler, she was treated badly in Galania. Lissane was nothing but a pawn to her father but it was certainly a good thing that she had no intention at all of obeying her father. She took her life in her own hands the moment she exited Barola.

Of all the characters in Gol, I liked Red Torrig the most. He was mad, that was for certain but at the same time, he was loyal and trustworthy though he had few friends. Although he did not have a handsome appearance nor did he act like the noble he was, he actually had substance and having him as an ally would prove to be of great worth. Torrig probably the craziest character in the whole of the book, but then again, a story such as this would only be completed with such a character. ...more

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Dec 10, 2017 Taylor Leasure (McCoy) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Webb’s book gives off these dazzling vibes of Christopher Paolini and Ursula Le Guin. His descriptions render you one with the page, and you find yourself wondering if you’ve accidentally put your eyes on an old classic. As the book progresses, darkness and torment frothing to uncontrollable levels all over Ansu, I feel that Webb lost his handle on precision and distanced the reader from the characters and the action.

Characters are the most important thing to me when reading a book after composi Webb’s book gives off these dazzling vibes of Christopher Paolini and Ursula Le Guin. His descriptions render you one with the page, and you find yourself wondering if you’ve accidentally put your eyes on an old classic. As the book progresses, darkness and torment frothing to uncontrollable levels all over Ansu, I feel that Webb lost his handle on precision and distanced the reader from the characters and the action.

Characters are the most important thing to me when reading a book after composition of the book itself: the skill in writing it being the chief draw. I was so impressed with his character creations and his expert dialogue, and I created hopes for a dual set of badass characters that weave magnificent futures.

Though I was disappointed by the ending, the violence, the death of many main characters, I can forgive these because of the epic scope of the book. It does read like the Iliad or Odysseus might, unforgiving gods and fate doing their worst on the unfortunate characters of the tale. It was a very well-written book on the whole, and I will be reading more by Webb, especially in hopes that his female characters don’t disappoint me like Lissane did.

***[SPOILERS]***

Erun Cade fulfilled all the author’s promises of badassery. He starts off as a jaunty, ignorant, soulful character who wants to travel to another land and “make it” as a poet. The loss of his father (in one of the best Dad rescue scenes I’ve ever read) and the mentoring of a God disguised propelled him into the identity of a warrior, hardened traveler, lustful collector of dangerous elementals. He not only gains an interesting scar, he is molded anew in his drive for revenge and his new companions.

Erun Cade got his transformation, and I’m disappointed that the character with perhaps the most potential, seemingly promised a powerful future, did not.

Lissane was a character to speak to most women’s hearts. She was oppressed, but she had a spark, a will to live, a will to thrive, a will to avenge. Lissane is a descendent of the sea god who calls to her just as he called to her mother. She longs to be like Slinsi Garron, a self-sufficient, butt-kicking female warrior that deals damage better than most men. (And by the way, it was over the line to give Slinsi a death that didn’t even merit a battle scene and explanation. We had come to love and admire her, and she deserved more.)

Continuing. Lissane is told that her children will rule in the next powerful empire of sorts, their children being a combination of gods’ blood from herself and Erun Cade, but we get this sneaky little clue that she will be instrumental in the freedom of one of the gods, so we begin to stir up hope that Lissane, too, will get her grand adventure, her self-sufficiency, her freedom from patriarchal suffocation and abuse.

Lissane spends most of the book being a prideful but loving, generous spirit. It seems sudden and uncalled for the hate and rage that call her to forget her compassion long enough to die, never having fully resolved her relationship with Erun (after telling him that she would never love him like she loved Estorien), never getting the adventure (adventure that isn’t dependent on the rescue and whisking away of a man) and warrior training that she desired. Lissane dies from a poisonous arrow, saving her warrior husband, which I suppose is at least better than Slinsi got, but I’m still frustrated at the ruined potential of a character like Lissane.

These may seem like petty complaints, but I did really enjoy reading the book. Webb is a wonderful writer, very talented, and I will trust him with more of my time.

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Apr 27, 2020 Christina Morley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Gol is the story that happens before the events in the Legends of Ansu. There is a lot of world building with many characters whose lives you come to be invested in. They are living through a time of great change, namely the Fall of Gol. It is tragic, brutal, and emotive. It's epic high fantasy set during an apocalyptic event. Thankfully, the author uses plenty of dry humor to lighten the mood.

As the story unfolds, we meet Lissane Barola, the only child of Baron Barola who isn’t cruel and selfis ...more

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Dec 26, 2017 Tony Duxbury rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is an epic fantasy that packs a lot of action into it. After a rebellion to take down a mad king the island of Gol is ruled by six barons. Unfortunately, the rebellion didn't bring peace and harmony. The barons distrust each other and there is continual conflict and intrigue. The baron Barola is determined to rule over all and his first step is to marry off his daughter Lissane, to another Baron's son. Lissane has fallen in love with Erun, the blacksmith's son and knows their love is doomed ...more

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Jan 10, 2018 Erin Kelch Zerby rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Intricately woven tale of war

Gol is unlike anything I've ever read in the best way possible. While I normally tear through books in an afternoon/day, this I found myself purposefully setting aside so that I could absorb the story and savour it. Devided into 2 books, Gol covers separate storylines that come together following our hero through uncertain times. I found myself thrown through a gauntlet of emotions as these characters developed. I loved and loathed my way through this book. Every tim ...more

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Mar 18, 2018 Zac N rated it liked it · review of another edition

It's a start...

Being a fan of Epic fantasy I dug into this book with enthusiasm. It's a little darker than what I'd normally read but I was able to finish it. Personally I think there was too much time spent on harrassing the protagonists and not enough time developing them. The idea of trying to get your characters recognized, enjoyed, maybe even liked and then killed off all within one book? Not my favorite, I also spent a lot of time skipping over detailed surroundings, and under-detailed cha ...more

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May 17, 2018 krugz rated it liked it · review of another edition

Good plot, needs editing

The story itself was interesting, worth a read if you get it free. The book needs editing very badly. It seems like the author used a thesaurus without always understanding the real meaning of the word he chose. For example, I don’t think the word “redundant” was used correctly a single time, and it appeared at least 4 times. One of its uses was to describe a “redundant blanket” that got put on an otherwise naked person... which means it want redundant. Hire an editor!! B ...more

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Jun 07, 2018 Gardavson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A

A very long, but good read. At times some of the descriptive got a bit pedantic, but one could read our browse it as one wished without distorting the story. The characters were all fun and real, as if they were part of a true history. I was unable to see how the hero would transform into something even likeable, let alone story hero, but transform he did, until all that was left was his naive love of his childhood sweetheart. Lissanne was such a main character, yet she had such little impact o ...more

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May 27, 2016 Ankita rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Behold the fans of Game of Thrones, here comes the adventure, action, violence, sorcery, and God filled series of GOL. GOL by J.W.Webb is a book of provinces, politics, and wild ambitions of their rulers. GOL continent was ruled by a king named Flaminius. As expected, many were not satisfied by being an underdog; therefore, they plotted against him, murdered him, divided the continent into six provinces, and distributed each province among themselves. Today, the continent has six rulers — one fo Behold the fans of Game of Thrones, here comes the adventure, action, violence, sorcery, and God filled series of GOL. GOL by J.W.Webb is a book of provinces, politics, and wild ambitions of their rulers. GOL continent was ruled by a king named Flaminius. As expected, many were not satisfied by being an underdog; therefore, they plotted against him, murdered him, divided the continent into six provinces, and distributed each province among themselves. Today, the continent has six rulers — one for each province. These rulers of these provinces (Rodrutha, Treggara, Galania, Barola, Dovesi, Sarenia) are, however, not satisfied by their own share and are constantly at war with one another. Baron Eon Barola, lord of the Barola province) is forcing his daughter, Lissane, to marry the prince of Galania, Varentin. His motive is simple and predictable; a marriage between two provinces would move him closer to his dream of ruling the whole continent. However, Lissane’s heart belongs to a smith’s son, Erun Cade. Erun is, by no means, a worthy contender in the eyes of the lord of Barola. Therefore, he provides his vicious sons, Rosco, Aldo, and Paolo, with an ordinary task of threatening Erun. Soon, he realizes that there is nothing ordinary about his task. In another continent, a sorcerer, Ozmandeus, is busy releasing a fire demon. If this demon, Ashmali, is released, a mayhem is sure to follow. With a rise in the evil forces, Gods and Goddesses have started building their own forces. The collision of these events results into an eruption of violence, confusion, and uncertainty.

GOL is not just a book, it is an experience. The politics of over-ambitious and arrogant rulers prove to be a hazard for their people. There is nothing worse than an arrogance driven ruler, who turns his back on the people and focuses on his own petty agenda. Eon Barola is a character that proves this theory. He is the man who is ready to sacrifice his own children to claim a throne. The dialogues of the author are very clever in presenting the real nature of each character. The lack of visuals in books, as opposed to the movies, can only be compensated by skillfully writing the dialogues, actions, and thoughts of the characters. J.W. Webb has been victorious in this area. The author’s intelligent usage of prophecies and dreams has proved quite useful in increasing the anticipation and intrigue of the readers. Each prophecy forced me to imagine what could be the future of this continent.

The characters — both mortals and immortals — have been sketched with perfection. Each character, no matter how short they last, has a personality. This trick of the author leaves the readers guessing whether a particular character would get to play an important role in the book or not. The events, though connected, remained unpredictable. Various elements of surprise managed to keep me on my toes. The witchcraft introduced more thrill than I could have guessed while accepting the book for review. Gods and their mind games have been quite entertaining. Erun Cade’s anger towards Gods for considering mortals a play thing would resonate with many readers. The century-long question of why would God hurt his own children is thought-provoking and resides in the hearts of many humans — believers and non-believers both included. The fact that J.W.Webb raised this question by using a character is another example of his profound talent.

The immense pain of a heartbreak is drawn skillfully by the character of Lissane. The daughter of a ruler feels trapped inside the huge castle of his father; this is not an uncommon occurrence. Many books have been written on the same theory. However, her determination to stand tall even in the most unfortunate circumstances is a fresh approach. I would have liked for her character to exhibit more physical strength. In my opinion, she remained a damsel in distress, with an exception of her strong drive to survive.

The pages are filled with violent and sexual content; however the narration of the story never seemed overwhelming. With at least three stories running in parallel at all time, the plot never seemed monotonous. If monotonicity dared appear its head, the author has cleverly diverted the attention of the reader by writing something gross, like a mention of nose-picking or farting. The dialogues are very entertaining and realistic. The conversations never seemed boring and always managed to answer the possible questions of the readers. By the time, I finished the book, all my questions were answered by either the conversation or the thoughts of the characters.

I would advise readers to either mark or note down the name of the characters while reading because there are a lot of characters. The author has gracefully mentioned the credits in the glossary section of the book; however, I find writing down the names more effective.

The writing style of the author is descriptive. The readers can visualize everything, from castles to the roads; thanks to the narration of the author. The prominent mood of the book is dark; however, many events are written to lighten the mood. Overall, the plot remains quite intriguing and full of surprises. As a reader, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

I would recommend this book to the readers who like reading about kingdoms and the politics of the rulers. If you have a stomach for violence, you have no reason to hold back from a plot that has the potential of reminding one of Game of Thrones.

P.S. I have received this book from Book Bear in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Dec 28, 2019 Myla Aguilar rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Epic

Wow I love this! Mr. Webb took the time to write a well written lengthy novel instead of some 300 pages or less book and in doing so wrote an epic fantastic tale with a unique world, well written characters who have you feeling their emotions, twisted plots that keep you wanting to know what is next, epic action and war, some brutality, loyalty and love. I definitely will read the next book in this series . I am truly impressed!

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Nov 25, 2016 Jackie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Lissanne has ideas of escape but her father the Baron has different ideas. He wants her to marry Valentin, but she dislikes him. She already has someone, Erun and they plan on escaping, but it doesn't look good for them. An amazing book that combines three stories in one. Something that you can't put down, keeps you reading until the end and then you want more

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May 25, 2018 Tara Martin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Yes, I liked it, as convoluted, twisted, back and forth, tortuous reading as it was I didn't open another book until I finished the ENTIRE series. hard to classify, Lord of the Rings? nope ummmm, the entire Belgariad cycle, sort of, one truly MAJOR nasty but so many other nasty villains. many baddies got their's but oh dear, our poor good folk.

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Jul 06, 2017 Kerry Dillenburg rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Epic. Should become a classic.

I couldn't stop reading until I simply had no choice. A truly wonderful world with all of man's foibles and traits that barely keep us redeemable for another generation. You cannot help but become engrossed in the creativity of J.W. Webb!

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Aug 11, 2017 Doug rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Solid read.

At no point was I ever lost in the book but the writing was solid. There was quite a bit of redundancy (saying the same thing in often the same way in subsequent sentences and paragraphs). I did not mind the small number of typos. A good read.

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Oct 24, 2017 Brian Anderson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Excellent book. I really enjoyed reading the book and will get the next one. It was long, but kept me interested all the time. I highly recommend the book. I will definitely read the next in the series. His writting is exceptional.

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Feb 02, 2018 gerald morson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Wow

What a find ,a fantastic book ,full of great characters jumping from one to another ,and the story line gripping ,recommend it to everyone ,what a fantastic read thank you JW Webb

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Apr 17, 2018 Teray Harris rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Couldn't finish it

I only got to page 30. The main hero was such an awful and frivolous bore that the idea that he would amount to anything was laughable. Teenage angst at it's worst.

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May 06, 2018 Dan Mibourn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Wonderful read

Fiction, fantasy, dream, wish, any of then or all of them, call this story what you will it was entertaining, a read worth the time necessary to complete. Congratulations on a labor well done.

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Jun 27, 2018 Wendy Fread rated it liked it · review of another edition

Underdeveloped but a good story.

An original slant on a timeless saga, but the story was underdeveloped at the most crucial times. The story read more like an outline in too many scenes.

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Jul 08, 2018 Tom Davidson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

An interesting saga

This is the story of people in a land doomed by the Gods and what becomes of them. Interesting to follow the good as well as the bad. At times a bit confusing but all becomes clear for a good read

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Dec 06, 2018 Francis rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

How true is to never judge a book by it's cover. Literally.

I absolutely loved this book. Everything in it is wonderfully written and developed throughout the book.

A Must Read!!!!

Again!!!

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Jan 03, 2019 Sylvie Parris rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I really enjoyed the complex weaving of characters, where the heroes have flaws and the enemies have some redeeming characters. It's also a tragic tale of loss, the folly of the quest for power and how such a quest can ultimately destroy everything.

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Apr 08, 2019 Michele rated it really liked it · review of another edition

At times I was lost but I think that it was more from the names and which country they belong to. The beginning to each part moved slowly due to all the set up of the events to come. I found that the book and people drew me in and I was invested in the stories and characters.

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Dec 14, 2019 Barbara Ann Mabutho rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Wow!

This book kept me captivated right until the very end. A long story, true, but I wouldn't have minded more of it. Made me shed a few tears here and there. Definitely movie material!

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About J.W. Webb

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Lost In The Woods
I was born near Doncaster England in the early sixties but later moved south to Sussex, where I lived for many years. One of my (several schools) was at Battle, a small town named after that historic conflict in 1066. You know the one, it culminated with poor Harold getting that arrow in his eye and those rude Normans invading our green and pleasant land. Growing up so close to th

Lost In The Woods
I was born near Doncaster England in the early sixties but later moved south to Sussex, where I lived for many years. One of my (several schools) was at Battle, a small town named after that historic conflict in 1066. You know the one, it culminated with poor Harold getting that arrow in his eye and those rude Normans invading our green and pleasant land. Growing up so close to that scene of ancient carnage awarded me a fascination for all things Dark Age. I'd fallen victim to a weird and random imagination, resulting in a love of epic stories and epic story telling. This affliction prompted me to delve deep into the worlds of Tolkien, Peake, Eddison and Moorcock. Also about this time I commenced drawing imaginary maps and inventing stories about wonderfully nasty folk, doing wonderfully nasty things, whilst pent up in gloomy unpleasant places.

Then at 18 years daft, I found myself thrust deep into the Queen's Household Cavalry. How I arrived there I cannot quite recall. The result was a sharp dose of reality. But not a cure – the affliction ran deep. I left the regiment, and for a time wandered hazy through life hitting nails with hammers, sailing brigantines through southern waters, drinking venomous concoctions with venomous companions, and yes, reading lots more ghastly fantasy books. At 27 years I became to a degree sensible. I married my beloved Rae, a watercolour artist and passionate Celt, and got a sensible career hauling trucks around the British countryside. The trouble with hauling trucks around the British countryside is that it lets the mind ramble willy nilly, when not being tortured by local radio. The result of that rambling was more stories flittering around inside this errant trucker's dizzy head.

Then, during one dark winter night back in 1993, whilst parked forlorn outside a dreary inn, something profound happened. I stumbled into Corin an Fol: a moody, rather difficult individual, mooching about in a deep tangled wood (my imagination). That wood grew into a world (not as hard as it sounds when you write fantasy stuff). The world became Ansu, home to all manner of mismatched mortals and grumpy gods. Late 2001 a plot appeared through the murky trees. It found Corin lost and wandering and introduced him to some other unruly types, resulting in The Shattered Crown. This epic debut was scrawled out with biro ink on paper and still lurks somewhere close. I'm too scared to read it. But The Shattered Crown couldn't contain its characters. These were (and still are) a very rough lot. They demanded a sequel. Instead (just to show who the boss was,) I focussed on a prequel, Fall of Gol being the result. But still the characters would not leave me alone. And so started The Legends of Ansu a forthcoming series of otherworldly tales, mostly involving Corin and his friends.

In late 2012 Rae lost her battle with cancer. I had always promised her a Cornish ghost story based on one of her evocative paintings. And so was born a novella called The Haven. A spooky yarn blending mystery and suspense with past and present. I hope that she likes it. We both loved Cornwall where we lived for many years. During our time there I met with Roger Garland the Tolkien Illustrator, who kindly consented to creating some fabulous images and illustrations for my work. And also designing this superb website! During 2013 I left the world of big wheels behind and focussed instead on writing full time. I moved to Georgia, married my gorgeous former shipmate Joanne, who I've known for 30 years. Since then I have rewritten Fall of Gol shortening it's title to Gol and finally (with substantial assistance from my erudite and excellent editor, Catherine Romano) re-shaped The Shattered Crown into a rivetingly nasty read. Now after twenty-one years in the woods, I am more than ready to unleash these first two offerings in the Ansu series along with The Haven. The third legend: The Lost Prince will be available later ...more