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Calasade: Blood Isle

Mark Stone (Goodreads Author),

Cinta García de la Rosa (Goodreads Author) (Editor)

4.37 · Rating details · 19 ratings · 12 reviews

This edition is now out-of-print. Please see the new edition at:

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Paperback, 248 pages

Published April 28th 2015 by ReaderAuthor

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May 15, 2015 Heather Hakins rated it really liked it

I did give a review on amazon for this book. it is something I do not normally read but enjoyed. the plot the twists the ending. I cant give away to much but it did keep my interest. I will be reading more from this author in the future.

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May 04, 2015 ѦѺ™ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs

"Si vis pacem, para bellum." (if you want peace, prepare for war)
"Facilis descensus Averni." (the descent into hell is easy)

Caderyn, in need of much coin, agrees to be hired by proconsul Lepidus . he must find Indrasena who was snatched from her bedroom in the middle of the night. Caderyn, together with his motley crew, embarks on a journey to look for the people responsible for the deed and rescue the girl before time runs out.

readers who are familiar with Mark Stone's previous works will welco "Si vis pacem, para bellum." (if you want peace, prepare for war)
"Facilis descensus Averni." (the descent into hell is easy)

Caderyn, in need of much coin, agrees to be hired by proconsul Lepidus . he must find Indrasena who was snatched from her bedroom in the middle of the night. Caderyn, together with his motley crew, embarks on a journey to look for the people responsible for the deed and rescue the girl before time runs out.

readers who are familiar with Mark Stone's previous works will welcome this latest Calasade book as the continent of Calasade bursts to life once more with all its excesses, intrigues, savagery, magic, bloodlust, greed, wealth and poverty.

Mark Stone's characters in this book are not exactly endearing ones but they are well-developed. each has a story to tell or a role to play in the world they inhabit - be it for good or evil.

for example, Caderyn, the main protagonist, is hardly the sort one would admire after what he has become due to alcohol abuse and guilt over his wife's death. his portrayal is so realistic. though he comes across as pathetic and hopeless, one could not help but feel sorry for him at times. without realizing it at first, Caderyn's quest for the missing Indrasena will be more than that - it is also a quest for personal healing and salvation as he wages a battle within himself and against the ghosts of his past.

later, we find out that Jana and Lepidus have secrets that will impact Caderyn's fate. Jacob, on the other hand, appears to be the most level-headed among the players.

while there is darkness and blood in the storyline, there is also romance squeezed in.

i have to admire as well the distinct language the author has developed for Calasade and its denizens. it is not an easy task to come up with. although, it may be challenging to read at times, it gets its message to the reader. the all too familiar smattering of Latin phrases may upset new readers but they can be understood well enough from the context of the dialogs and descriptions. of course, the ubiquitous illustrations are as good as ever.

all in all, another satisfying read that made me forget about the real world for a while.

lector caveat: do not be dissuaded from reaching the end. it may not be the ending you would expect but something happened and was being conveyed there. for me, it worked.

Disclosure of Material Connection: i received a copy for review. i did not receive any payment in exchange for this review nor was i obligated to write a positive one. all opinions expressed here are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. this disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. ...more

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Apr 19, 2015 Irene rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I was given an ARC copy of this book in exchange of an honest review and I’m only sorry that it took me so long to read it (stupid life!).

The first adjective that comes to my mind thinking about this book is different. I am passionate about novels in general and fantasy in particular and I have read many many books, but I’ve never met something like this. This novel is set in Calasade, a Greco Roman Fantasy world. As the author, Mark Stone, says, it has enough in common with Ancient Rome to sou I was given an ARC copy of this book in exchange of an honest review and I’m only sorry that it took me so long to read it (stupid life!).

The first adjective that comes to my mind thinking about this book is different. I am passionate about novels in general and fantasy in particular and I have read many many books, but I’ve never met something like this. This novel is set in Calasade, a Greco Roman Fantasy world. As the author, Mark Stone, says, it has enough in common with Ancient Rome to sound familiar, but it’s also original and unique in its own way. Blood Isle is one episode of many that take place in Calasade world, but it can be read as a stand alone story.

Blood Isle has everything you may want in a novel.

There’s action, right from the beginning, and it’s something that grabs the readers attention from the first page. There are mistery and investigation, and the tension is always high. There’s a touch of magic. There are struggles, both inner and outer. And there’s love.

As a reader, I learnt to expect certain things from a fantasy novel: a great danger for the world and its order, a villain who seeks some form of power and a hero who, willingly or unwillingly, undertakes the voyage to defeat the enemy. Well, this time the danger and the enemy are not clear from the beginning, the reader explores this new world without really knowing who is the bad guy and what he wants and this make you read the entire novel with a different perspective. Moreover the hero, Caderyn, is one of the most unwilling and troubled heroes I’ve ever read about. This adds another layer to the story, because along the way he has to fight his own demons (which are strong and dangerous enough).

The pace of the narration is good, not so fast that you get lost and not so slow that you get bored by details. The main issue that slowed my reading a little was language (but it’s my problem because English is not my mother language). The mixture of English, Latin and Latin-like words adapted to sound more familiar to English-speaking persons is sometimes a little difficult for me, but it’s just a matter of getting used to it (which happens after a couple of chapters).

Then the epilogue… what to say about the epilogue? Really, I didn’t expect nothing like that! (NOSPOILERSNOSPOILERS)

Plus: this book has beautiful illustrations which add an incredible value.

On the whole this novel is interesting and innovative, moreover introduces the reader in a world he can find in other novels such as Wayward (you can read it for free!), Foolish Endeavors and Strife. ...more

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Nov 04, 2015 L.K. Evans rated it liked it · review of another edition

To boil down the plot, it’s about an ex-soldier who is hired to find a kidnapped girl.

The world isn’t anything new nor is it explored. You’ve got a decent enough feel for it, but those craving detailed worlds might find this lacking. For me, it did just fine. I got the system and community enough that I felt grounded.

The story read very quick. There was enough going on that I didn’t have a problem finding the curiosity to continue reading or picking it up again. That’s always a bonus. I wouldn’ ...more

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Dec 12, 2015 Laura Ruetz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I really enjoyed his book. I was not sure what to expect, and was very pleased with this book. This is a fantasy, about a man on the road for redemption, while being haunted by the mistakes of the past. At first, it took a little to get into, with the language but after the first chapter, I was hooked.

Mark Stone's Greco-Roman fantasy is a very well crafted story with complex characters and a plot that is engaging. The language at times is unfamiliar, but it fits into the story and the overall fe ...more

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Apr 30, 2015 Kim rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The drink ruins lives: Calasade: Blood Isle by Mark Stone
"Spoiler Alert"
I was given this ARC in exchange for a honest review, I've read from this author before, this was no hardship for me.
Set in the Greco-Roman time, a fantasy with barbarians, swords & sorcery: Caderyn lost his wife to his stupidity of the drink and gambling, he had it all, titles, a great job and a fine place to live with his wife Elianne. Now he was battling demons, always being tested with them and life. Will he win his bat ...more

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Oct 17, 2015 Ionut rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Sanguinem Isle is a fantasy novel set in a greco-roman like universe. The novel is a bit graphic at turns (sexual content) yet the fast pace of the story compensates if a reader doesn't enjoy that sort of thing. Because of the setting, the author mixes latin words at points, a bit heavy in the first part of the book and moderately after. It was easier for me to understand most of the latin words as I speak a romance language natively. However, english speakers might find the first part of the bo ...more

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Jan 25, 2016 Majanka rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews-january-2016, book-tours, fantasy

Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/book-tou...

Caderyn Fortis used to be a soldier, but now he’s a gambling addict and an alcoholic, a man haunted by his wife’s murder and his own failings in life. Then an opportunity arrives that might give his self-worth back, that might help him make up for the mistakes he has made. He has to rescue a young woman who got kidnapped, but things aren’t as simply as they seem.

With deep roots in the Greek-Roman societies of old, the ...more

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Mar 03, 2016 C.p. Bialois rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was an unexpected treat. I’ve often thought of a Mystery and Epic Fantasy mix, and this is the first one I’ve come across. The flow of the story is smooth and engaging as we’re moved along at a good pace. It was a cool experience in not only experiencing a new world, but also to see the process of detection Caderyn uses to locate the girl while battling his own demons.

The only issue I had, and this is more of getting used to a new story than not, was the different terms for various items, p ...more

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Apr 26, 2015 Peter Germany rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I received an ARC copy of this book to read and although it's not in a genre that I normally read I found that I enjoyed this one quite a lot. The little bit of a mystery that the protagonist, Caderyn, is hired to solve by Jana. A woman who is mysterious.

The story kicks along at a decent pace, and Caderyn's personal demons really add to the building of the character and the world he is living in.
The story is told pretty much entirely from Caderyn's point of view, but there is a voyage across a ...more

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Feb 12, 2016 Diane rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

I received this through the Goodreads Giveaway Program. It will be the first book I've read by Mark Stone. I'm impressed with all of the highly rated books he's written.

As I flipped through the book before beginning to read, I was immediately impressed with the illustrations! They definitely peaked my interest.

I just finished this book! It had a plot that was captivating and enthralling. You were pulled into a world you were glad you didn't have to live in! Cruelty and love entwined in horribl ...more

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May 23, 2015 Norma rated it it was amazing

I was surprised at how easily I fell into the world of Calasade. The main character, though fighting his own demons and being damaged, grabs your heart and your loyalty from the beginning. I found the other characters just as real and capable of stirring an array of emotions in the reader. The story was easy to follow and definitely entertaining. At the end of Blood Isle I was left wanting for more!

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Goodreads Librari...: Sanguinem Isle Update Cover	4	14	Nov 17, 2015 04:59AM
Advanced Copies f...: Giveaway for Illustrated Greco-Roman Fantasy Novel	1	17	Sep 30, 2015 09:29AM
We PROMOTE Fantas...: GIVEAWAY - SIGNED COPY OF BLOOD ISLE	1	5	Apr 30, 2015 06:50PM
Sci-Fi, fantasy a...: GIVEAWAY - SIGNED COPY OF BLOOD ISLE	1	6	Apr 30, 2015 06:49PM
Indie Authors Mon...: GIVEAWAY - SIGNED COPY OF BLOOD ISLE	1	6	Apr 30, 2015 06:47PM
Indie Authors Mon...: ARC - Blood Isle	1	10	Apr 23, 2015 03:16PM
Sci-Fi, fantasy a...: Calasade: Blood Isle Advanced Reader Copies Available	1	6	Apr 08, 2015 05:45PM