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Darklight Universe #1
The Summoner and the Seer
He murdered her family, she sentenced him to eternal torture. Now they have to work together to save the world from the coming darkness.
Radcliff was widely known as the most ruthless wizard of all time. Nicknamed Destroyer, his brutal actions forced even the most recalcitrant kingdoms to surrender. When the west defied him, he immolated their entire city and thousands died. But this action was the last straw for many. Betrayed by his lover, stripped of power and memory by his mentor, he was locked up and tortured for one thousand years.
Amira’s seer talent has always been unpredictable but accurate. So when it shows her the wizard responsible for slaughtering her friends and family is the key to saving the world, she has no choice but to rescue him. But Radcliff is no longer who he was and certainly not what she expected. It isn’t long before she regrets her part in his sentencing.
Radcliff doesn’t know he’s the most reviled person in history. In fact, he doesn’t know anything because when he wakes up each morning, he forgets his past. A journal lets him relearn basic spells, but it can’t help him build a relationship, and he’d really like one with his beautiful traveling companion.
Together, they must evade their enemies and restore Radcliff’s memory before the world is consumed in darkness. But bringing back the Destroyer may not be wise. It may also break Amira’s heart.
This is a standalone fantasy novel set in the Darklight universe.
Radcliff was widely known as the most ruthless wizard of all time. Nicknamed Destroyer, his brutal actions forced even the most recalcitrant kingdoms to surrender. When the west defied him, he immolated their entire city and thousands died. But this action was the last straw for many. Betrayed by his lover, stripped of power and memory by his mentor, he was locked up and tortured for one thousand years.
Amira’s seer talent has always been unpredictable but accurate. So when it shows her the wizard responsible for slaughtering her friends and family is the key to saving the world, she has no choice but to rescue him. But Radcliff is no longer who he was and certainly not what she expected. It isn’t long before she regrets her part in his sentencing.
Radcliff doesn’t know he’s the most reviled person in history. In fact, he doesn’t know anything because when he wakes up each morning, he forgets his past. A journal lets him relearn basic spells, but it can’t help him build a relationship, and he’d really like one with his beautiful traveling companion.
Together, they must evade their enemies and restore Radcliff’s memory before the world is consumed in darkness. But bringing back the Destroyer may not be wise. It may also break Amira’s heart.
This is a standalone fantasy novel set in the Darklight universe.
- GenresFantasy
398 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2017
28 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
C. Gold
8 books21 followersC. Gold is an avid World of Warcraft gamer and book reading junkie. She enjoys reading a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, urban fantasy, paranormal, and a variety of romance combinations.
Her worlds are influenced by her background in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Computer Science and Math. After a long career in software testing, she began writing the stories that kept clamoring to be told.
Right now she's writing fantasy in the Darklight Universe and science fiction in a series based on technomages, like the ones that appeared in Babylon 5, who use technology to simulate magical effects.
Click here to find her on Facebook
Her worlds are influenced by her background in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Computer Science and Math. After a long career in software testing, she began writing the stories that kept clamoring to be told.
Right now she's writing fantasy in the Darklight Universe and science fiction in a series based on technomages, like the ones that appeared in Babylon 5, who use technology to simulate magical effects.
Click here to find her on Facebook
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August 28, 2018Disclaimer: I reviewed this as one of the BookNest judges for the first round of SPFBO (Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off) 2018 hosted by Mark Lawrence. You can read more for SPFBO here!
He murdered her family. She sentenced him to eternal torture.
Now they have to work together to save the world from the coming darkness.
Radcliff Durnhast, the Destroyer, the most powerful Summoner and the Mage Commander of the Caladon army, was found guilty of terrible war crimes. His sentence would be death. Should have been death. But the Seer from Westpire, Amira, had other plans. Led by a vision foretelling that this cruel man would ultimately save the world, she pled for another sentence. And so Radcliff's memory was erased, morning after morning. Centuries of torture came and passed, until an abominable Evil started swallowing life and magic, and Amira came to his rescue in order to help him fulfill his destiny. But the potential savior with memory loss, loathed by the very people he's supposed to save, is a burden and a blessing Amira never expected. In a race against time, with the help of unlikely allies and non-consistent visions, Amira and Radcliff set on a perilous journey that will determine the fate of life itself.
The Summoner and the Seer is a sword & sorcery novel focused on the inner turmoil of the main characters. Amira and Radcliff are wonderfully fleshed out; the war raging in Radcliff's mind, the frustration, hurt and anger arising out of his predicament, as well as the struggles of memory loss are particularly well depicted. At first I was afraid that the story would become repetitive, that with Radcliff being introduced to the same people again and again, but the execution regarding this department was solid and successful. Amira was also an interesting character, facing the conflict deriving from co-operating with the man that murdered her family and later falling for him, while the clock was ticking and the very essence of life was endangered. Speaking of which, I admired the way Evil was portrayed; its foul nature, its miasma, they gave you goosebumps and made your stomach clench with disgust and fear. The sense of urgency and danger, the need to move on, to do something to defeat it, especially towards the end, and the occassional hopelessness that took over the heroes, they were infectious and a powerful incentive to finish the story and read its conlcusion.
While The Summoner and the Seerwas a decent novel (without grammatical errors, and generally well-written, which is fundamental on my agenda), there were some things that prevented me from truly connecting with it. The first was the lack of worldbuilding ; I wanted more insight into the land of Caladon, its magic system, its history, its tribes (the Shae were a great opportunity to do so, but they never reached the peak of their potential). The author chose to reveal only the information that was absolutely necessary and vital for the story to move on, and even then there were gaps in my understanding of this world. Moreover, during the first half of the book, the characters were wandering without a specific purpose; there was, of course, the abstract target to defeat an unknown force, but the focus was on the interactions between them and the details of their journey. Plotwise, some incidents and concepts were fairly convenient or irrelevant, e.g. the fact that most of the secondary characters had the same lifespan with the protagonists (more than a thousand years), thus enabling the author to show the hatred towards Radcliff as if it were fresh. In the end, the entire experience felt like a recipe that got the ingredients right, but it was missing salt, pepper, and all those spices that would stimulate the taste; like a body that had its organs intact, but it needed to be infused with spirit.
If you want your fantasy character driven, interwined with romance and a quest to save the world, you will likely enjoy this book. I wish C. Gold all the best in the competition and her future endeavors.
He murdered her family. She sentenced him to eternal torture.
Now they have to work together to save the world from the coming darkness.
Radcliff Durnhast, the Destroyer, the most powerful Summoner and the Mage Commander of the Caladon army, was found guilty of terrible war crimes. His sentence would be death. Should have been death. But the Seer from Westpire, Amira, had other plans. Led by a vision foretelling that this cruel man would ultimately save the world, she pled for another sentence. And so Radcliff's memory was erased, morning after morning. Centuries of torture came and passed, until an abominable Evil started swallowing life and magic, and Amira came to his rescue in order to help him fulfill his destiny. But the potential savior with memory loss, loathed by the very people he's supposed to save, is a burden and a blessing Amira never expected. In a race against time, with the help of unlikely allies and non-consistent visions, Amira and Radcliff set on a perilous journey that will determine the fate of life itself.
The Summoner and the Seer is a sword & sorcery novel focused on the inner turmoil of the main characters. Amira and Radcliff are wonderfully fleshed out; the war raging in Radcliff's mind, the frustration, hurt and anger arising out of his predicament, as well as the struggles of memory loss are particularly well depicted. At first I was afraid that the story would become repetitive, that with Radcliff being introduced to the same people again and again, but the execution regarding this department was solid and successful. Amira was also an interesting character, facing the conflict deriving from co-operating with the man that murdered her family and later falling for him, while the clock was ticking and the very essence of life was endangered. Speaking of which, I admired the way Evil was portrayed; its foul nature, its miasma, they gave you goosebumps and made your stomach clench with disgust and fear. The sense of urgency and danger, the need to move on, to do something to defeat it, especially towards the end, and the occassional hopelessness that took over the heroes, they were infectious and a powerful incentive to finish the story and read its conlcusion.
While The Summoner and the Seerwas a decent novel (without grammatical errors, and generally well-written, which is fundamental on my agenda), there were some things that prevented me from truly connecting with it. The first was the lack of worldbuilding ; I wanted more insight into the land of Caladon, its magic system, its history, its tribes (the Shae were a great opportunity to do so, but they never reached the peak of their potential). The author chose to reveal only the information that was absolutely necessary and vital for the story to move on, and even then there were gaps in my understanding of this world. Moreover, during the first half of the book, the characters were wandering without a specific purpose; there was, of course, the abstract target to defeat an unknown force, but the focus was on the interactions between them and the details of their journey. Plotwise, some incidents and concepts were fairly convenient or irrelevant, e.g. the fact that most of the secondary characters had the same lifespan with the protagonists (more than a thousand years), thus enabling the author to show the hatred towards Radcliff as if it were fresh. In the end, the entire experience felt like a recipe that got the ingredients right, but it was missing salt, pepper, and all those spices that would stimulate the taste; like a body that had its organs intact, but it needed to be infused with spirit.
If you want your fantasy character driven, interwined with romance and a quest to save the world, you will likely enjoy this book. I wish C. Gold all the best in the competition and her future endeavors.
August 28, 2018
What I want to know is, did I read the same book as everyone else? I was pretty skeptical about reading this, but it had such high reviews that I thought, "It must be pretty good then, right?"
So wrong. So so so wrong. This was not a fantasy. This was a romance dressed up to make you think it was a fantasy. There was world building that I didn't really understand (or perhaps it was a lack there of that left me scratching my head), nor was it explained. Characters that lived for over a thousand years, which based on the "world building" still didn't seem plausible to me.
The characters were also very vanilla that lacked the depth I was expecting. We have a few characters here and there that seem interesting, but we aren't given enough facetime with them to truly decide. I am still trying to figure out what and who the villain in this story is, was it just this big black thing called Evil that had a creepy voice and eyes? Why was evil, well...evil, and what did he actually want? All the power? Power to do what? Destroy the whole planet? SEE? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!
Maybe this just wasn't a book for me, and maybe that is why I am feeling so disappointed with it. I think that the concept was interesting and perhaps with better editing and more flushed out characters(and world building) this could have been better.
So wrong. So so so wrong. This was not a fantasy. This was a romance dressed up to make you think it was a fantasy. There was world building that I didn't really understand (or perhaps it was a lack there of that left me scratching my head), nor was it explained. Characters that lived for over a thousand years, which based on the "world building" still didn't seem plausible to me.
The characters were also very vanilla that lacked the depth I was expecting. We have a few characters here and there that seem interesting, but we aren't given enough facetime with them to truly decide. I am still trying to figure out what and who the villain in this story is, was it just this big black thing called Evil that had a creepy voice and eyes? Why was evil, well...evil, and what did he actually want? All the power? Power to do what? Destroy the whole planet? SEE? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!
Maybe this just wasn't a book for me, and maybe that is why I am feeling so disappointed with it. I think that the concept was interesting and perhaps with better editing and more flushed out characters(and world building) this could have been better.
April 10, 2019
Unique!
I am extremely impressed with this book. I have literally read thousands of books and this is one of the few that I can honestly say is one of a kind. In no way does it copy any of the general storylines that is normally seen. This was a true treat! Congratulations C. Gold for creating a story so fresh, new and unique!!!!
I am extremely impressed with this book. I have literally read thousands of books and this is one of the few that I can honestly say is one of a kind. In no way does it copy any of the general storylines that is normally seen. This was a true treat! Congratulations C. Gold for creating a story so fresh, new and unique!!!!
November 19, 2019
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request, and have voluntarily left this review. I found it very entertaining. What do you do when the one man that killed everyone you loved is the same man that will save the world. Amira made her choice and saved him from execution and be punished instead. A thousand years later she saves his life and sets him on a new destiny which teaches both them about their past choices and themselves. Well written characters with a fast paced and suspenseful plot that not only keeps you listening, but will make you chuckle occasionally. Well worth the listen and will be looking into the rest of the series.
January 5, 2020
I greatly enjoyed the beginning and ending of this book, but the middle dragged a bit too much. As a result, I'd have to rate this 3.75 stars rounded up to 4.
The beginning of this audiobook really grabbed me and drew me in. I couldn't wait to find more time to sneak in a listen. I loved the complications that Radcliff's and Amira's past connections brought, how Radcliff had to relearn each day, how Amira dealt with managing that and her own role in Radcliff's torture. I especially loved the byplay between Radcliff and Amira. Radcliff, despite losing his memory every day, is flirty and smooth, often ruffling Amira’s feathers. As for Amira, she was a strong character tasked with teaming up with someone who committed such a grave wrong against her family and thousands of other people. I couldn’t imagine how hard that must be, especially when she clearly liked who Radcliff was despite what he’s done.
Though the beginning and ending were both strong (the scene escaping the cave was horribly awesome!), by the time Amira and Radcliff got to the Shay settlement and stayed there for at least two weeks, I got bogged down. I didn’t understand the pacing or why the stay was completely needed. There was such a rush for Amira to get Radcliff to the Mountain to fix his memory and then they just ... hang out for a while. There was really no progression or even much interaction between Amira and Radcliff. It all made zero sense.
One (small) issue I had was that Radcliff was supposed to come off as this big baddie, but I guess I was expecting a bigger, badder baddie in the prologue. His atrocities, though awful, didn't make him seem to be the most terrible sorcerer to have ever existed, just simply a person with powerful abilities doing the bidding of the person who was actually in charge. I was thinking baddie along the lines of Lothaire from Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series. It just didn't quite reach that horrible level for me and I wanted to see that change (though we did see a good comparison of it at the end of the book).
A bigger issue I had was time. Radcliff supposedly was trapped in his tower for 1,000 years, but it seemed as if everyone had some kind of magical ability in order to extend their life span. Therefore, they (mostly) know of him as The Destroyer. So what was the point of 1,000 years passing, especially when it seemed like nothing changed? As a matter of fact, Radcliff could summon a potion from the emperor's stores 1,000 years later, the potion having not moved/crumbled/evaporated/been used in a millennium. There was huge potential here and I feel as if it was squandered.
As for the audio part of this book, the tone of the narrator was really enjoyable, though I don't know that he quite had the voices down. Ulf Bjorklund sounded great for Radcliff, excellent for Spider, and the overall story, but I think he could improve upon his female characters. He did soften his tone a bit for Amira's perspective, though it's hard to tell sometimes when he was narrating the story from her POV and when she is actually speaking. Overall, though, I'd easily give him 4 stars for his narration.
I received a free review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The beginning of this audiobook really grabbed me and drew me in. I couldn't wait to find more time to sneak in a listen. I loved the complications that Radcliff's and Amira's past connections brought, how Radcliff had to relearn each day, how Amira dealt with managing that and her own role in Radcliff's torture. I especially loved the byplay between Radcliff and Amira. Radcliff, despite losing his memory every day, is flirty and smooth, often ruffling Amira’s feathers. As for Amira, she was a strong character tasked with teaming up with someone who committed such a grave wrong against her family and thousands of other people. I couldn’t imagine how hard that must be, especially when she clearly liked who Radcliff was despite what he’s done.
Though the beginning and ending were both strong (the scene escaping the cave was horribly awesome!), by the time Amira and Radcliff got to the Shay settlement and stayed there for at least two weeks, I got bogged down. I didn’t understand the pacing or why the stay was completely needed. There was such a rush for Amira to get Radcliff to the Mountain to fix his memory and then they just ... hang out for a while. There was really no progression or even much interaction between Amira and Radcliff. It all made zero sense.
One (small) issue I had was that Radcliff was supposed to come off as this big baddie, but I guess I was expecting a bigger, badder baddie in the prologue. His atrocities, though awful, didn't make him seem to be the most terrible sorcerer to have ever existed, just simply a person with powerful abilities doing the bidding of the person who was actually in charge. I was thinking baddie along the lines of Lothaire from Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series. It just didn't quite reach that horrible level for me and I wanted to see that change (though we did see a good comparison of it at the end of the book).
A bigger issue I had was time. Radcliff supposedly was trapped in his tower for 1,000 years, but it seemed as if everyone had some kind of magical ability in order to extend their life span. Therefore, they (mostly) know of him as The Destroyer. So what was the point of 1,000 years passing, especially when it seemed like nothing changed? As a matter of fact, Radcliff could summon a potion from the emperor's stores 1,000 years later, the potion having not moved/crumbled/evaporated/been used in a millennium. There was huge potential here and I feel as if it was squandered.
As for the audio part of this book, the tone of the narrator was really enjoyable, though I don't know that he quite had the voices down. Ulf Bjorklund sounded great for Radcliff, excellent for Spider, and the overall story, but I think he could improve upon his female characters. He did soften his tone a bit for Amira's perspective, though it's hard to tell sometimes when he was narrating the story from her POV and when she is actually speaking. Overall, though, I'd easily give him 4 stars for his narration.
I received a free review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 24, 2019
Audio book review
This fantasy story is my first from both the author and narrator . The author wrote a story that it looks like she thought out very well. It has it all Action , mystery . It’s an full story .
Hero is Radcliff. Heroine is Amira’s.
Radcliffe is a wizard that was wicked and evil. He had no feelings about destroying a whole country or village . Radcliff is punished for a thousand years . His mentor can’t take any more , so he does something to Radcliffe he takes away Radcliffe memory .
Amira is the seer . When the world is threatened, she sees that it will be destroyed, there is only one way to save earth , she doesn’t want to team up with Radcliffe since he killed her parents but what choice does she have.
Does Amira and Radcliffe team up , do they save earth , does Radcliffe regret anything
First time I listened to Ulf. He has a very smooth voice , his tome for the characters were great. His voice is strong
This fantasy story is my first from both the author and narrator . The author wrote a story that it looks like she thought out very well. It has it all Action , mystery . It’s an full story .
Hero is Radcliff. Heroine is Amira’s.
Radcliffe is a wizard that was wicked and evil. He had no feelings about destroying a whole country or village . Radcliff is punished for a thousand years . His mentor can’t take any more , so he does something to Radcliffe he takes away Radcliffe memory .
Amira is the seer . When the world is threatened, she sees that it will be destroyed, there is only one way to save earth , she doesn’t want to team up with Radcliffe since he killed her parents but what choice does she have.
Does Amira and Radcliffe team up , do they save earth , does Radcliffe regret anything
First time I listened to Ulf. He has a very smooth voice , his tome for the characters were great. His voice is strong
September 17, 2018
I thought it was a fantasy with action from the synopsis, but it's really a 'bad boy' romance with some fantasy thrown in. I didn't see anything impressive in the main characters. The second half becomes a sort of cheerleader teen girl romance with the bad boy dressed up as a fantasy character. That might interest teen girls who are looking for a fantasy romance, so I see the appeal. It's just not what I want as the main theme in a fantasy book and not what the synopsis implied. Also, so many things in the story were left unexplained or unresolved.
June 5, 2021
Captivating!
I got the first few chapters through BookFunnel and was sucked in.
The characters in this story are compelling. I guess it’s high fantasy since this is very character driven. The evil is terrifying.
I often get “distracted” from the book between 30% and 60%. And sometimes I never get back to it. Or. It takes me a long time. But this book… I read till 5 am one morning and only stopped because I needed to get *some* sleep.
But. I had to finish. And I’m so glad I did.
Very good story. Thank you, C. Gold for telling this tale.
I got the first few chapters through BookFunnel and was sucked in.
The characters in this story are compelling. I guess it’s high fantasy since this is very character driven. The evil is terrifying.
I often get “distracted” from the book between 30% and 60%. And sometimes I never get back to it. Or. It takes me a long time. But this book… I read till 5 am one morning and only stopped because I needed to get *some* sleep.
But. I had to finish. And I’m so glad I did.
Very good story. Thank you, C. Gold for telling this tale.
July 19, 2020
Grand Prix
Wonderful adventure with more twists and turns than a grand prix face circuit.
It also has a proper end to the story whilst still leaving the door wide open for follow ups.
This makes a wonderful change from the usual modern system of just cutting off in the middle of nowhere and calling it book one to try forcing future sales.
Very well done
Wonderful adventure with more twists and turns than a grand prix face circuit.
It also has a proper end to the story whilst still leaving the door wide open for follow ups.
This makes a wonderful change from the usual modern system of just cutting off in the middle of nowhere and calling it book one to try forcing future sales.
Very well done
June 29, 2023
I enjoyed the story of The Summoner and the Seer, but I felt like the book had an ending that satisfied my curiosity about the story. It felt final and I'm not sure I wish to read the rest of the books in the series. There are multiple grammatical errors throughout the book that do not take away much from the story and did not affect my review.
February 3, 2018
Enthralling
I had so much trouble putting this down. The characters are completely fleshed out and you feel every bit of their emotions and turmoil. The book is action packed from page one and the world is original but easy to relate to. Can't wait for number 2!
I had so much trouble putting this down. The characters are completely fleshed out and you feel every bit of their emotions and turmoil. The book is action packed from page one and the world is original but easy to relate to. Can't wait for number 2!
April 8, 2018
A True Romance Story
A real British style romance story made for science fiction. Oh, it's A very good story from start to finish I couldn't put it down there's A lot going on but the author tells his story with action and love!!
A real British style romance story made for science fiction. Oh, it's A very good story from start to finish I couldn't put it down there's A lot going on but the author tells his story with action and love!!
December 2, 2018
GREAT READ!
This is a really GOOD book! It is not your typical coming of age read where the young unknown is suddenly a hero and saves the day. It is a refreshing change to normal fantasy.
This is a really GOOD book! It is not your typical coming of age read where the young unknown is suddenly a hero and saves the day. It is a refreshing change to normal fantasy.
July 21, 2019
I usually don't care for straight up "my sword is bigger than your sword" fantasy. This book goes way beyond, that, though. I really got a kick out of it. The female lead doesn't need rescued every five minutes. I like books with heroes you didn't see coming. This one has them.
February 11, 2020
Badly written.
Overly dramatized to build tension while lacking consistency. Statements about plot that go nowhere or make no sense as they are immediately ignored. The thousand year gap with an all immortal cast, that part is just nonsense. Poor idea poorly written.
Overly dramatized to build tension while lacking consistency. Statements about plot that go nowhere or make no sense as they are immediately ignored. The thousand year gap with an all immortal cast, that part is just nonsense. Poor idea poorly written.
March 28, 2018
I love this & I can't wait for more.
I will be also leaving a review on Goodreads @ Amazon.
And letting everyone know about it.
So i gave it a 5 Stars.
I will be also leaving a review on Goodreads @ Amazon.
And letting everyone know about it.
So i gave it a 5 Stars.
November 23, 2019
Brilliant
This is an intriguing and unusual epic fantasy. It is brilliantly written with mesmerising characters that take you on an emotional and exciting journey.
This is an intriguing and unusual epic fantasy. It is brilliantly written with mesmerising characters that take you on an emotional and exciting journey.
January 13, 2020
Enjoyable
Interesting world, characters you can identify with and, overall, a page turner. Glad I took a chance and got it.
Interesting world, characters you can identify with and, overall, a page turner. Glad I took a chance and got it.
January 20, 2020
I had fun writing this book and still enjoy reading passages when I have to look stuff up for book 2. That's a good sign! I put in the five stars for my own personal use since I hate having unstarred books in my GoodReads list.
If you've read my book, thanks and hope you enjoyed it! I'd super appreciate any reviews, especially on Amazon since they are going through a 'delete the review' phase. Someday I want to achieve double digits!
If you've read my book, thanks and hope you enjoyed it! I'd super appreciate any reviews, especially on Amazon since they are going through a 'delete the review' phase. Someday I want to achieve double digits!
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September 22, 2018DNF at 9%
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