The EmberEarth Chronicles

by Matthew Bunch

His mother dying, young but brilliant William Tate will do anything to save her. His relentless search for answers leads him down ever more esoteric paths until he finds himself in the rare manuscripts room at the second greatest library on Earth, where deciphering a fantastic book hurls him to a strange new world, EmberEarth, where he fights to return to the mother who needs him, even as he slowly learns to love this new place and his new friends.

EmberEarth slumbers. Almost a millennium has passed since titanic magical forces rocked this world, snuffing out nearly all magic and virtually destroying the globe. Billy finds himself drawn into events which threaten to set those forces free again.

The path forward is complex.

Dragons, long asleep, awaken to the call of a child who will lead them. Bloodletters, dark mages who fuel their magic with pain and suffering and have cultivated their power for centuries hidden behind a veil of fear, begin to move across the world. Even the dead themselves stir to answer a new summons. Billy and his friends must face them all and find a way to victory.

542 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 2, 2021

About the author

Matthew Bunch was born in a small town outside San Diego, California. The fourth of four children, Matt learned to read from an early age. Often found with his nose in a book, he’d resist when called to dinner and after hurriedly gulping the last bite, would quickly return to his books.
He spent much of his youth at the library and the local librarians knew him by name, allowing him to check-out the same number of books as adults.
He wrote his first short story when he was twelve.
In high school an English teacher discovered his passion and pulled him away from the other students to pursue a syllabus designed specifically for him, reading one book after another and generating written reports of each.

Matthew’s imagination is boundless, creating multiple worlds for his friends to explore and hundreds of characters for them to meet. His interests range from Epic Fantasy to Science Fiction to the Supernatural, including Dark Fantasy like H.P. Lovecraft.

The EmberEarth Chronicles is Matthew’s first full-length Epic Fantasy novel, weighing in at five-hundred pages and covering much of EmberEarth.

The Witch Named Heretic is the second book in the series, with many more to follow.

The Boy Named Warlock is Book Three of the EmberEarth Chronicles.

Reviews

[Rodin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matthew has written a marvellous book.
Great plot.
Great complications throughout.
Fantastic characters on Earth and on EmberEarth.
Billy leads us throughout most of the tale but others thicken a great plot.
Bast, Bin, Gohge, Raga and a host of characters mean Matthew weaves a fantasy tale of dark mystery. A superb setting and a great story.
If you enjoyed The Wheel Of Time saga this is a story you will love.
Five stars for the creativity and imagination to dream this magnificent tale.

[Claire Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Young William is instantly likeable, his love and dedication to his mother admirable. I did wonder on occasion just what child services thought they were doing. His journey into the other realm is expected as the synopsis is quite clear and he gathers friends that have powers that are predictably useful if he can only get them home to help his mother. The first stages of the journey take a long time, weeks, and it's a bit of a stretch to think this small boy (no matter how strong-willed and intelligent) would be holding it together with the thought of his mom dying without him at any moment. That being said, he does have his thrilling adventures along the way. Things obviously ramp up nicely once the magic starts and he's released from worrying about his mom. The more I read the more I enjoyed this book.
I can't see that it says this is YA fantasy (read it as an eBook) but a story about children with magical powers, dragons and few harrowing scenes even when there are murders and battles, I'd say it's very much in that realm. I'd encourage bunch to make it even more 'kid-friendly', especially the cover and market it in that genre. I can see this as a movie one day.

[Debra Schwitzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished the EmberEarth Chronicles and I was so happy that I got this book. It was so good, detailed, great characters, just really good. A small group of kids meet and grow up and do great magical things in between. I know this sounds vague but you want to read the book for yourself, right? I was impressed at the detail and I absolutely loved the descriptions of the dragons! I honestly did not expect this would be a five star book but I really liked it that much.

[Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bunch's first effort is very satisfying with the promise of more to come; Vaguely like YA fiction but with a serious edge; A cross between Tolkien and Moorcock with some old-school "Dungeon Master" mixed in. Interseting characters, creative world building and fun (and disturbing) depiction of what "magic" might look like. A very worth read.

[Judy Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was immediately drawn in by this engaging tale of adventure and magic. In his first novel, author Matthew Bunch has created a world that will capture your imagination and characters that will capture your heart. If you enjoy fantasy you MUST read this book. I can't wait to read book two!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable

It's not often you can find a book that you can share with children that is not only enjoyable and not have to censor

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable story.