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Champion Standing #0.5
Nala's Story
We all know Nala is the associate of the Champion Standing, Shui, but why is she always at Shui’s side? How does a Nubian end up so revered in the Han Dynasty?
Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2015
1 person is currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Mark Gardner
20 books53 followersMark Gardner is a US Navy veteran, author and broadcast professional living in Prescott, Arizona. His grandfather introduced him to the alternate history writings of Harry Turtledove at a young age. That started a life-long love affair with speculative fiction. in 2011, he began to write his own stories. His books are favorites among fans of Sin City, The Martian, The Punisher, and Firefly. His work is a fast paced, no-nonsense, thrill ride into many genres, including science fiction, superhero, dystopian, murder mystery, and historical fiction. His works are available in six languages.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 19, 2018
I sort of stumbled upon this book while looking around at the Kboards forum and the striking cover drew my interest enough to read the plot description on Amazon. Lest to say, I purchased the book immediately and I was not in the least disappointed.
Nala and her bubbly and overly optimistic older sister Hazina were kidnapped from a conquered village in Egypt and sold into slavery. Shackled to a group of another 14 young women and forced to take turns pushing a cart while walking in China's desertic wastelands with blisters forming on her bare feet, Nala has been left daunted by the horrors of mankind and probably hates herself even more than the slave trader that merely sees her as a passing commodity and the men that want to buy her.
A part of her wishes she could find the courage to commit suicide, but she fears for her sister's fate who tries to remain upbeat that at least they are still together. Angered at herself that she is jealous of her sister's beauty and cheerful demeanor, she would do anything to break free and revenge the corrupt Han society for what they did to her.
After kicking a potential client that tried to fondle Hazina, Nala is saved from a brutal beating from the slave trader by a strange man that covered his face and whose piercing amber eyes stroke Nala's interest immediately. Much to her surprise, the man decides to purchase all 15 women at the same time and they end up in a luxurious estate enjoying the perks of adequate food and silk clothing.
Without knowing the identity of the man and the reasons why he purchased them, one day his servants begin requesting the women to leave their safe room in order to meet him in person. They never return the following day. The women start getting nervous that they might have been purchased by a renowned gladiator that is rumored to routinely murder his sex slaves.
When it was Hazina's turn to leave, Nala offers to take her place and hiding a dagger beneath her dress, she greets the strange man by attempting to kill him. Shocked by her hatred and drive, the man gives her a strange offer: he will allow her to attempt to murder him once every night and if she misses the chance, she is obliged to talk a little bit about her home and persona or else he will murder the other hostages.
Can Nala outwit this strange man that is argued to be the best fighter in the land and discover his true intentions before it is too late?
Majestically written with a poetic yet very fluid prose, you get into Nala's troubled head while she fights between two conflicting thoughts of hating and at the same time starting to harbor true feelings for the mysterious man that purchased her. Hazina only makes fleeting appearances in the story but you truly feel Nala's suffering as a slave, the painful bruises on her shackled limbs, the immobility and the emptiness of being unable to choose her fate. The pacing of the story keeps things moving yet granting you a chance to get to know the cast and overall it was a really pleasing short story to read.
I'm definitely going to be keeping my eyes open for this author that shows great promise and hope his other fantasy themed books are just as thrilling to read.
Nala and her bubbly and overly optimistic older sister Hazina were kidnapped from a conquered village in Egypt and sold into slavery. Shackled to a group of another 14 young women and forced to take turns pushing a cart while walking in China's desertic wastelands with blisters forming on her bare feet, Nala has been left daunted by the horrors of mankind and probably hates herself even more than the slave trader that merely sees her as a passing commodity and the men that want to buy her.
A part of her wishes she could find the courage to commit suicide, but she fears for her sister's fate who tries to remain upbeat that at least they are still together. Angered at herself that she is jealous of her sister's beauty and cheerful demeanor, she would do anything to break free and revenge the corrupt Han society for what they did to her.
After kicking a potential client that tried to fondle Hazina, Nala is saved from a brutal beating from the slave trader by a strange man that covered his face and whose piercing amber eyes stroke Nala's interest immediately. Much to her surprise, the man decides to purchase all 15 women at the same time and they end up in a luxurious estate enjoying the perks of adequate food and silk clothing.
Without knowing the identity of the man and the reasons why he purchased them, one day his servants begin requesting the women to leave their safe room in order to meet him in person. They never return the following day. The women start getting nervous that they might have been purchased by a renowned gladiator that is rumored to routinely murder his sex slaves.
When it was Hazina's turn to leave, Nala offers to take her place and hiding a dagger beneath her dress, she greets the strange man by attempting to kill him. Shocked by her hatred and drive, the man gives her a strange offer: he will allow her to attempt to murder him once every night and if she misses the chance, she is obliged to talk a little bit about her home and persona or else he will murder the other hostages.
Can Nala outwit this strange man that is argued to be the best fighter in the land and discover his true intentions before it is too late?
Majestically written with a poetic yet very fluid prose, you get into Nala's troubled head while she fights between two conflicting thoughts of hating and at the same time starting to harbor true feelings for the mysterious man that purchased her. Hazina only makes fleeting appearances in the story but you truly feel Nala's suffering as a slave, the painful bruises on her shackled limbs, the immobility and the emptiness of being unable to choose her fate. The pacing of the story keeps things moving yet granting you a chance to get to know the cast and overall it was a really pleasing short story to read.
I'm definitely going to be keeping my eyes open for this author that shows great promise and hope his other fantasy themed books are just as thrilling to read.
August 21, 2015
Nala's Story reminded me of the parables I grew up reading (yeah, I'm that old). It started out in a way that had me guessing as to what it would ultimately be about but the story played through quite nicely with the exotic backdrop of ancient civilizations that are rarely touched in historical fiction (kudos to the author for this).
The few action scenes were well-written, and I found myself able to follow along with them without the urge to skim. Nala, though I wished we got some more development with her--since I ultimately disliked her--was the classic fearless, femme fatale, that we've all seen in just about every show, book, or movie, and I wanted to get another dimension out of her besides the stabbing, the death-before-dishonor attitude, and the "I'm cold until you get to know me" attitude that comes with these types.
The Champion on the other hand was the character that really shone for me. The few interactions we get with him whets the appetite for more, and really urges us to get into the series to see this man in action as well as deal with his situation. Nala's sister was spectacular and I would have loved to see such a vulnerable, human, girl like her be the one to shine. Part of my reason is slavery. If a slave is broken there is a reason, and Nala made me wonder who in their right mind would put shackles on her, unbroken? May as well try to enslave a rattlesnake. Nala's sister on the other hand was ultimately more likable and believable in her position, but this is all my opinion so I'll shut up now.
All my gripes about femme fatale Nala aside, Nala's Story is a great start to the Champion's story. Check it out.
The few action scenes were well-written, and I found myself able to follow along with them without the urge to skim. Nala, though I wished we got some more development with her--since I ultimately disliked her--was the classic fearless, femme fatale, that we've all seen in just about every show, book, or movie, and I wanted to get another dimension out of her besides the stabbing, the death-before-dishonor attitude, and the "I'm cold until you get to know me" attitude that comes with these types.
The Champion on the other hand was the character that really shone for me. The few interactions we get with him whets the appetite for more, and really urges us to get into the series to see this man in action as well as deal with his situation. Nala's sister was spectacular and I would have loved to see such a vulnerable, human, girl like her be the one to shine. Part of my reason is slavery. If a slave is broken there is a reason, and Nala made me wonder who in their right mind would put shackles on her, unbroken? May as well try to enslave a rattlesnake. Nala's sister on the other hand was ultimately more likable and believable in her position, but this is all my opinion so I'll shut up now.
All my gripes about femme fatale Nala aside, Nala's Story is a great start to the Champion's story. Check it out.
June 8, 2016
Nala is a slave girl, the younger sister of Hazina. Culturally, Hazina should be the protector, but due to personality factors, Nala seems better at this role. Forced into a harem, realizing her ultimate fate (at least according to the other harem girls) Nala decides she has to kill her owner. Caught in a situation similar to 1001 Arabian Nights Nala bides her time until she can find a time when she will be able to carry out an assassination of the arrogant owner who is using her. But, using her for what? On this point turns a possibly surprise ending.
This is a short novella (the author’s description) set in Asia; there are several references to Egypt. Language students will like the exposure to Arabic or other Asian terms that cannot be found in the kindle app dictionary. It is a valuable skill for language learners to be able to deduce meaning from context, so this is a story I would use in a pre-intermediate English language class. There are cultural things to be learned, such as life in a harem and the indirect nature of struggles for power. There are moral lessons emphasized, such as the idea of self-sacrifice and family loyalty. The writing proceeds at a pleasant pace. Aside from foreign language words, there is not a pretentiousness to the vocabulary choice, nor is the vocabulary needlessly overly simplified. The short length of the story will enable a foreign language learner to maintain an attention span sufficient to read the story through to its end.
This is a short novella (the author’s description) set in Asia; there are several references to Egypt. Language students will like the exposure to Arabic or other Asian terms that cannot be found in the kindle app dictionary. It is a valuable skill for language learners to be able to deduce meaning from context, so this is a story I would use in a pre-intermediate English language class. There are cultural things to be learned, such as life in a harem and the indirect nature of struggles for power. There are moral lessons emphasized, such as the idea of self-sacrifice and family loyalty. The writing proceeds at a pleasant pace. Aside from foreign language words, there is not a pretentiousness to the vocabulary choice, nor is the vocabulary needlessly overly simplified. The short length of the story will enable a foreign language learner to maintain an attention span sufficient to read the story through to its end.
June 27, 2016
Standing On Its Own
Nala's Story is the stand alone book zero to the Champion Standing series. It's an easy read that can be done in a single hour or so, but that doesn't mean it's a simple story.
This is not my first delve into Marks work, but the idea behind it is one of his best. I'm not normally one to read something historical for fun, but I loved it. Nala was a great character that you root for against odds more common than history would care to admit.
My only issue was the formatting. For some reason, each new part started over halfway down the page. It was just odd for me as I haven't seen that issue before in an ebook.
A five star short story that is hard to put down for sure. If you've read Mark's work before, are a fan of historical fiction, or are just looking for a fun, quick read, this is a great place to start for the Champion Standing series.
Nala's Story is the stand alone book zero to the Champion Standing series. It's an easy read that can be done in a single hour or so, but that doesn't mean it's a simple story.
This is not my first delve into Marks work, but the idea behind it is one of his best. I'm not normally one to read something historical for fun, but I loved it. Nala was a great character that you root for against odds more common than history would care to admit.
My only issue was the formatting. For some reason, each new part started over halfway down the page. It was just odd for me as I haven't seen that issue before in an ebook.
A five star short story that is hard to put down for sure. If you've read Mark's work before, are a fan of historical fiction, or are just looking for a fun, quick read, this is a great place to start for the Champion Standing series.
May 23, 2016
Life is hard. A slave's life can be unbearably hard. This story shows two very different ways of surviving and carries the reader through a world of legend and intrigue. I found myself thinking about the story over the days after I finished it and discovering ideas that weren't obvious at first. It will probably stay with me for a long time. It is well worth the short time it takes to read it.
The Lady T'Kaat of Kaat's Keep
The Lady T'Kaat of Kaat's Keep
August 5, 2015
Absolutely brilliant tale of a slave girl who will do anything to save her sister, even kill. But is the evil that puts Nala and her sister at risk the monster he is rumoured to be, or worse? Read this story with a shocking twist to find out!
July 31, 2018
Another wonderful and thought provoking historical fiction book. I enjoyed reading it as it covered cultures I'm not very familiar with and included a look at slavery in another part of the world. Nala's a really strong character in using her wits to rise about her slavery to save both herself and her sister. We have so many of our own issues and history, it's interesting to read about a similar situation in another culture and their take on it.
I'd say 6th grade up due to subject matter.
I received a Kindle ARC in exchange from netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
I'd say 6th grade up due to subject matter.
I received a Kindle ARC in exchange from netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews