The Rise of Nazil

The Rise of Nazil #1

by Aaron-Michael Hall

It was the 75th year of Alberoth when the AsZar summoned the Guardians. There was an imbalance in the lands of Faélondul. The Zaxson, Draizeyn Vereux covered the lands in a pall of darkness. There was a plan to exterminate the infestation in Nazil and beyond, a plan to eradicate the humans.

Led by the priestly cast called the Cha, the Xenophobic Nazilians dominating Faélondul justified their brutalities against the humans. But when the First Chosen of the elite guard of Nazil discovers Brahanu Ravenot lost near the gates of the city, not only his life but also his entire system of beliefs is forever changed. With all the darkness covering the lands, can love--forbidden, yet eternal--save both humans and Nazilians?

The Rise of Nazil is an adult fantasy novel that takes your breath away. Intricate plotting, intense passion, exciting battles, and complex, challenging characters pull the reader into the mythical world of Faélondul, where powerful ethereal beings wrestle for domination against the brutal Nazilian rulers.

“Aaron-Michael Hall has the uncanny power to weave even the most delicate tapestry of conflict—both within and without—into a deeply moving narrative. A dazzling read, ‘The Rise of Nazil’ is a story that will leave you gripping the edge of your seats. It is an unforgettable tale of love, self-sacrifice and acceptance that will haunt you days after reading it. Begin your journey through the land of Faélondul—and witness how love can transcend race, belief, and deadly prejudice—and lifts away darkness from the lands.”

THIS TITLE CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT. IT IS INTENDED FOR MATURE READERS DUE TO GRAPHIC SCENES AND ADULT SITUATIONS.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Ebooks, Contemporary, Book Club

ebook

Published August 27, 2015

About the author

aaronmichaelhall.com

Aaron-Michael Hall is an award-winning author who enjoys writing epic fantasy, high fantasy, and science fantasy romance. Her debut novel, The Rise of Nazil is a Readers’ Favorite epic fantasy award winner (2017), and a #1 Bestseller in epic fantasy and myths and legends.

Now, when she’s not enjoying her favorite authors (Octavia Butler, Michael Moorcock, Robert Jordan, NK Jemisin, RA Salvatore, Brandon Sanderson, etc.), attending conventions, wrangling stampeding miniature dachshunds, or managing her 9 to 5, she’s interweaving genres, creating languages, and adding just the right edge to keep you turning pages.

Reviews

[Reese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 1 is good, but books 2 & 3 are fantastically epic!

I got the first book at a convention. It took a minute to get to it, but once I started, I had to grab the other two.

This is a phenomenal and diverse series. Not only are the characters, plot, and worldbuilding amazing, but the lyrical styled prose and descriptions too. I fell in love with Itai, Symeon, and Dani. There’s so much going on with so many characters, I couldn’t stop reading. Don’t even get me started writing about super-bad Thalassa and the awesome battles.

Are there dragons? No. The dessu beasts and giants more than make up for that. I only wish there was more of them and their origins in the 1st book. After meeting Arinak and Zandi, I wanted them to do some serious damage to a few people.

The Nazillians turned out differently than I originally thought. They rule Falondul and even enslave some of the human population. But when you get into it, you see most of them are fairly good people, but the leaders would put Ramsey Bolton to shame. Yeah, they like flaying, too.

One thing I really liked was the magic, or lack of too much magic. I hate reading fantasy when magic gets people out of everything. It gets boring. The nazil books have magic, but the real magic lies in the characters and the struggles they go through to overcome or try to overcome some serious situations.

Naturally, it can’t be all good. I thought book 1 dragged in the beginning. I get that you have to set things up, but it took several chapters to get there. Maybe it was worse because Brahanu got on my nerves with her conflicting inner thoughts and behavior. I’m team Itai all the way. Pentanimir is great, but Itai is my man!

It's hard to sum up this trilogy in a review. So many things happen that you can't focus on just one event or character. It's a unique work with elements reminiscent of The Game of Thrones, The Wheel of Time, Lord of the Rings, and even Shakespeare. This isn't just epic fantasy. The Nazil series encompasses several genres, blending the best of each into a magnificent story.

The characters are unforgettable, and there's even a language created for the books. The author touches on every aspect - epic battles, cool beasts, political intrigue, new deities, diverse fighting styles & weapons, magic, romance, betrayal, treachery - you name it and it's in there. I haven't read a book in years with this kind of depth in every facet.

If you enjoy unique and intense epic fantasy, this would be a great series for you to try. It's not light fantasy you can speed-read through. Each chapter builds the story and the characters connect. There are a lot of twists and surprises too.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a truly fantastic book! I received this book through Goodreads Giveaways, and I must say it is my favorite out of any I've received and read thus far. It is reminiscent of Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, though definitely not in a copycat way. Also, as an avid Dungeons and Dragons player I felt there were many elements of that as well. Admittedly there were a few scenes that were a bit difficult to read, however they were so necessary to the book that it really couldn't have done without them.

The world building was just phenomenal. Each scene and character contributes to the reader's knowledge and overall image of the world itself. Everything described beautifully, with enough detail that you are never grasping for imagery without completely eschewing the creative freedom of one's imagination. Anything that isn't described in particularly clear detail can be found on the cover and/or the back of the book, so all the bases are covered. Even the fictional language used periodically is translated at the end of each scene where it appears.

The characters are rich and multi-faceted and each one is different from the next, even the villains and the minor characters. Each one is described well, mentally and physically, and a good many will surprise you. The reader is given an intimate look into the thoughts and feelings of each character, why they make the choices they do, and what they do or don't learn from them.

The story itself is a grand fantasy adventure that tackles some hard issues that are true of the world today, more or less depending on the people and/or the area of the world in question, in a unique way. Inside of that is a tale of adventure, joy, hardships, difficult choices, and the resiliency of the human (or Nazilian) spirit.

All of this comes together to form an awesome book that is truly an epic fantasy. I would recommend this for a mature audience (seriously, don't give this to your kid or teenager) who enjoys fantasy of any kind, plays or played D&D, and/or enjoys intelligent fiction. I'd give it more stars if I could and I will most certainly be reading the next one.

(P.S. This took me longer than it should have to read between the holidays and buying a house. It won't take everyone so long. Even though it is a rather large book you really won't want to put it down.)

[Faranae]

I read this for work, so I'm withholding star rating and review, but I feel it is my ethical duty to note that this book requires a CW for rape, repeatedly.

[Mike L · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I have to ask myself an obvious question after reading “The Rise of Nazil” by Aaron Michael Hall: Why did I like it so much? I usually ask myself that question after really enjoying a book or movie. As an engineer and manager, I spend a lot of time in the real world, so when I’m especially taken with a work of fiction it often provides an insight to examine it to better understand how and why it grabbed me. So, as an engineer, I'm going to briefly break down this adventure fantasy by a relatively unknown author and try to understand what just happened. For me, anyway, the most useful method is to examine plot, characters, and dialogue, and try to see why they work (or not) and how they work together.

So, starting with the plot, it kind of fits into the boy-meets-girl thing, but it gets past that right away. After a short prologue involving a group of divine beings called the Guardians discussing past events in the land of Faelondul, we meet a beautiful human woman named Brahanu who is lost in a storm, injured, and horrified to find herself near Nazil. Nazil is the capital city of a cruel and arrogantly xenophobic race whose ruler, the Zaxson, is a particularly unpleasant fellow who extracts tribute from the human villages in the land while enslaving and abusing the humans. The Nazilian culture views the humans as savages and any humans captured near the city are tortured horribly. Brahanu has the very good fortune of being discovered by Pentanimir. He is First Chosen, the leader and champion of the elite palace guards of Nazil, whose motto is “Honor Above All.” Pentanimir is smitten by Brahanu's beauty. Torn between duty and love, he makes the difficult choice to escort the injured girl to safety to a mysterious secret village rather than taking her prisoner. As he prepares for the journey, we meet his younger brother Danimore, who is also a member of the guard. The plot moves from Brahanu's flight to scenes inside the citadel of the city, where we encounter some of the human slaves, including Hushar and Zeta and start to learn of the cruel ways of the Nazilian slave-masters. The plot continues to advance between Brahanu and Pentanimir's adventures – and some epic love-making along the way – and developments in the city and in Cazaal, Brahanu's village. The author deftly introduces a number of new and intriguing characters through the unpredictable plot turns: the evil uncle Oxilon, the sadistic Zaxson with his son and daughter, and Brahanu's family in Cazaal and her betrothed, Itai. As Pentanimir and Brahanu journey together, he begins to experience doubts regarding Nazil and what he has taken for granted about humans and Nazilians. The human and the Nazilian warrior fall deeply in love and although they reach the mysterious village of Bandari and meet even more fascinating and inter-related characters, they find they must make the difficult choice to separate in order to … well; I don't want to spoil it for other readers. By the time I got this far in the story I was hooked. The plot pulled me rapidly through a very exciting battle with the Guardians and Nazilians, and a final climactic attack on the citadel itself. There were places in the story where I literally had to stop for a moment and catch my breath. So, in short, the plot has at least a little of just about everything that makes for a good story: love, courage, adventure, betrayal, battles, and struggles with honor and duty and virtue. It's all tied together with unpredictable twists and turns that really kept me turning pages.

Okay, characters. Aaron Michael Hall has written a story that almost compares to some of Charles Dickens' novels in terms of the number of characters and the extent to which they are inter-related. In this sense, the plot and characters work together very well: the plot's twists and turns reveal not only the characters themselves but bring out surprising connections among them. In addition, just as in the best of Tolkien, some of the characters are not human at all. We meet warrior giants in exile, and have to rejoice with them when one of the humans from Bandari helps them overcome their ancient failures in serving the Guardians. In a flashback, we meet Pentanimir's father Manifir and learn more about Nazil and its gods and culture as well as a greater understanding of what motivates the First Chosen. We experience the selfless, heroic love of Itai for Brahanu. In all, the characters are revealed as very human and believable, all with failings and weaknesses, most with virtue and interesting personalities. I found myself connecting with almost all of the good guys at different times in the story, and getting downright angry at some of the more evil ones.
It took me a little while to get used to the dialogue. Hall uses some unusual constructions and speaking styles to set Faelondul apart from our world. For example, there are not contractions in the dialogue. Once I accepted this as being consistent with the fantasy world the author was creating, I found it very natural and enjoyable. The way the characters speak often provides very good insights into their natures. Hall often employs a very unique usage which I found fascinating and delightful.

To summarize, the major elements of the story – plot, characters, and dialogue – all worked very well together to establish a very believable and compelling adventure. I found myself cheering for the heroes and righteously indignant with the villains. The author has a powerful style of writing and the story was consistent and well-edited throughout. It was a fast, fun read and I'm looking forward to more installments from Aaron Michael Hall.”

[N.W. Moors · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a lot of fantasy books, but the author of The Rise of Nazil has created a world that had hooked me right away. The land of Faélondul is ruled by the Nazil, a race of men called 'ghosts' because of their white hair and pale skins. Pentanimir is First Chosen, the leader of their military forces and guards to the ruler. When he comes across Brahanu, a beautiful human lost and hurt in the woods, he is torn between duty and desire. For the Nazil are xenophobic, taking humans as slaves and generally treating them horrifically. The scenes here are graphic both in violence and sexually, but are necessary to explain the history and behavior of these people. The author does give warnings.
The story travels at a good pace among different parts of the country of Faelondul and there is a vast cast of characters. But they are all so interesting that I kept reading to find out what happens next. The world building is detailed, including some new language, and varied, fitting well in the context of the story.
The writing style is slightly archaic which fits very nicely with the fantasy style. You get used to it quickly and I quite enjoyed it.
This is going to be a series of books and I can not wait to read more. I highly recommend this book to lovers of fantasy (ages 18+). Aaron-Michael Hall is a great new author and I am very happy that I found him.

[Morgan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a world of the Nazil, power and violence seem to be the only response, and the hatred of other races whose values are bound up in their community seems to permeate everything they do. But not everyone or everything is as it seems, and both sides of the conflict are struggling against fate. The world is well-realized and detailed, with a strong mythos and interesting social characterizations.

The Rise of the Nazil is a complex work, combining the cadence and richness of “old school” fantasy with the violence, intricate treacheries and modern sensibilities of The Game of Thrones. If Michael Moorcock were writing for today’s audience, he might well have written this kind of work. And if you read those novels with enjoyment, you will want to read this book, too.

[Ian Yarington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of the Wheel of Time, Game of Thrones, R.A. Salvatore, and pretty much all the different fantasy books out there... that being said I feel like this book stands up with those fantasy classics... I'm not one to ramble on about the plot and pick apart someones writing but I can say that the world building is really fun and Michael Hall has a clear vision of the book and series in his head... basically if you like fantasy this book is great and I was lucky enough to win it in the giveaways so I had the pleasure of getting it for free... I would buy it and actually might get the set after the series is done, but for now just waiting for the second one to come! :)

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, but very explicit in parts. The plot is well thought out and delivered in a unique manner. His style of writing is different from anything I have encountered thus far. For a first novel, this is excellent.

There is a lot of dialogue, but once I reached the last seven chapters, I was happy I hadn’t skipped a syllable.

Kudos to him for not splitting one book into two or three parts to fill his pockets. The book is large and well worth the time. Instant fan

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rise of Nazil was a surprisingly great read. The book needs some editing, but those errors weren’t too distracting. Overall, it’s an interesting story, great plot, numerous surprises, and fascinating creatures. Some of the scenes are disturbing and descriptive, but there weren’t too many. Think of some of the more gruesome scenes in GOT and you’ll know what I mean. With a bit more seasoning, he could become one of my favorite authors. I’ll definitely read the next book.

[Danni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure escapism is the order of play here and it’s a strong debut which begins at a blistering pace and continues throughout as Aaron-Michael Hall builds a convincing and beguiling world which is both evocative and easy to imagine. Breathing originality into the genre this has to be one of my favourite Fantasy reads in a long while.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's getting harder and harder to separate the wheat from the chaff in this genre but thankfully The Rise Of Nazil stands head and shoulders above much of the competition. From plot to characters it is a vibrant fantasy that really captures the imagination from start to end.

[Dionysos · Rating 5 out of 5]

When reading and enjoying Fantasy Fiction it’s easy to make comparisons to the likes of Tolkein, Martin, and Salvatore, and to be honest I also felt strong similarities at times when reading Rise of the Nazil, but I also feel that Hall has a unique voice and depth of talent that deserves credit in her own right.

The plot line is strong and compelling from early on, not something that can always be said for Fantasy Fiction as many authors expect you to invest a whole weekend just to catch up on the backstory, but ROTN does a great job at hooking right from the off.

A compelling voice in an overcrowded genre. Highly recommended.

[S.C. Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rise of Nazil is a wonderful and breathtaking story and not something I would have picked up from my own accord. That said, I would have regretted not reading it. The story follows many characters, though not in a way that becomes too complex to understand. The story starts with a quick introduction into the world of Faelondal and follows the love torn Brahanu - a human, and Pentanimir - a Nazillian in a much more complex Beauty and the Beast situation. Definitely not a story for children there are some moments of severe torture that are not for the faint of heart, and highly sexual scenes that are both as endearing as the are graphic - and several that are not(!) but they add to the depth of the storytelling. They say all is fair in love and war, don't they?
Ever since the Nazillians took over the world the humans have been taught from birth to avoid the Nazillians, so when love arises from a chance meeting, young Brahanu's world is thrown upside down!
In trying to save Brahanu's life, Pentanamir the Nazillian's eyes are opened further to the state of the world because of his race. But there is no way his people would accept a human as nothing more than a slave in their eyes. From the most important Zaxon, to the lowliest peasant, we see how the star-crossed lover's relationships affect the entirity of the land. Can a Nazilian ever really love a human?

And what is this talk of giants and winged beasts?

I give four out of five due to the slow build up of the story. I feel that the story took more time to begin than necessary and while I enjoyed the length of it, there is no doubt in my mind that it could have been told with less words. However, read it for yourself before taking my word for it. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an indepth fantasy that does not wander the predictable route of elves, dragons and dwarves.

[Beatrice T · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Outstanding!
I ‘m not usually one to read fantasy. I like to watch movies, but it is not a genre I ordinarily read. Therefore, when I received a digital copy of this book, it took me a while to start reading. I’m glad I did! From the very beginning, I was intrigued. Then after the prologue, chapter 1 pulled me into a completely different world. It was fantasy, but so much more. The characters themselves were not typical of the usual fantasy creations. That alone made me sit taller and concentrate a little harder as not to miss one word.

The pace was a bit slower than I would have liked after the prologue, but it was well worth it! The characters and world are well developed. You feel for each of them and the struggles they endure. Some you can’t help but hate while others make you want to cry. There are numerous characters and many are important to the story. In addition, there are many little innuendos and hints of things to come. This author does not coddle the reader. You must keep up or miss some of the depth and actualities taking place in Faelondul past and present.

I would recommend this book 100%. There are so many twists toward the end and well-written battle scenes. The 18+ warning is earned due to some torture and graphic scenes. Even those were well-written and brought tears to my eyes. Some characters you want to hate, but he makes you care for them instead. I look forward to the next book in this series. He has left me wanting more!”

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leave reality behind and enter the land of Faélondul!

Author Aaron-Michael Hall is an extraordinary talent. She tackles an epic fantasy like a pro – and indeed her output of successfully published and award winning books THE RITES OF HEIRDON diptych, THE RISE OF NAZIL trilogy, KURINTOR NYUSI, and TAMESA among them, proves that she is now considered one of our more significant epic fantasy authors.

Creating a world of fantasy that is not only intriguing but also magnetizingly entertaining requires a vivid imagination, both for plot concept and for providing a space and characters who will transport the reader to another time and place. Hall does this with polished skill – creating the fantastical lands of Faélondul, magical characters about whom we care and can visualize, a fresh language - the Mehlonii language – and names for the characters that grow into reality. Adding adult romantic conduits enhances the reading experience.

The prose is eloquent, as the opening paragraphs of the series reveal: ’Brahanu awake disoriented on the freezing ground. Her hands trembled, reaching out into the darkness that surrounded her. Her vision was as obfuscated as her mind, the dizzying dots causing her to nearly sway back to the ground. Pelting rain stung her face as she clenched her eyes shut, crying out in the darkness. Brahanu had traveled far beyond the borders of Cazaal in an effort to replenish the diminishing supplies. Now she wished she hadn’t. Her father didn’t want her to leave the safety of their village, but she’d convinced him otherwise. She assisted the lakaar, and persuaded her father to allow her to leave. But she wasn’t supposed to travel this far, or be gone this long….’

The book is lengthy but so well developed plot wise that the provided synopsis suggests the scope well: ‘Haunted by his past. Trapped by his heritage. Led by his heart. Faélondul is destined for war. A world ruled by Nazilians and their indomitable Chosen Guard, led by Pentanimir Benoist: a battle-seasoned warrior driven by honor and devoted to his people. When his ruler, Draizeyn Vereux, plots to exterminate the humans, Pentanimir’s life is thrust into a vortex of unspeakable conflict. Haunted by ghosts of his past, Pentanimir struggles to honor his vows while retaining his soul. His forbidden love for Brahanu, a human, is the catalyst for this war. Betrayed by his allies, bound by his honor, and led by his heart, Pentanimir leads a battle for the whole of Faélondul: a battle that resurrects an ancient threat that can consume both Nazilian and human. What victory can you claim when the enemy you must defeat lies within you?’

This RISE OF NAZIL series pleads to be a cinematic experience. The story is so involving and addictive that making it visual and audible is warranted. This is very fine adult fiction fantasy by a gifted author. Recommended.

[Myla L A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

What an epic series and hope there is more since the ending made it seem so, in fact I could slap Zeta at the ending. Well made characters, good world building, excellent story that has you hooked. There is some gruesome violence so be warned but does not deter from the story.

[Alon Lankri · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF 5%
The prose style is wordy and reminiscent of books from the sixties to eighties. Choosing to bounce between two POV so early in the book where all they do almost is interact with each other is tiring, and neither of the characters is particularly interesting.

[steve evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good trilogy

Very interesting trilogy with some great characters and excellent storyline .
Would have preferred more battles but definitely worth reading .

[Nickvlad · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little too gritty for me. The story was pretty good, but I felt the graphic violence and torture depictions were over the top and unnecessary and detracted from the story.

[Ginny B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complex

This is one of the most in-depth and complex fantasy books I’ve read. I found the jumping around to be irritating at first, but it served the story well. I’m disappointed I can’t find the next two books to read.

[Susana789 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Neviem, začalo to sľubne, ale potom som sa v tých kvetnatých elfích menách zasekla a tak to odsúvam ako nedočítané. Možno sa raz ku knihe vrátim, ale momentálne je mimo mňa.

[Antoinette Houston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

It took me only one chapter to really get into this book. Afterward I couldn't wait to read more. I'm looking forward to reading the next book (s)!