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Stories from the Vale
The Path of the Dragonfly
Generations ago, ships full of refugees from a vast war accidentally blew into a narrow, sheltered harbor between the cliffs of two mountain ranges. The people called the vast and fertile valley beyond the harbor the Vale and settled there. The Vale was also home to wild animals, dragons, and magical creatures called elves...and magic.As the years passed, humans with no actual magical talent came to be born with a Gift--a single ability. Among the Gifted, only healers are widely accepted, but for others fear and distrust has led to prejudice, persecution, and even murder. Although elves, humans and dragons essentially live in peace together, the nearly immortal elves are intent on preserving the Vale's isolation from the rest of the world. At any cost.
Shak is anything but a simple soldier with a clear-cut mission in life. He's consumed with the relentless need for revenge against a man who was once his best friend. But that obsession is far from his only. Shak can't forget he'd abandoned two helpless children during a battle. Though the deed that he can't forgive himself for happened in the past, far from changing, he can't get past it...until his grandmother, a witch, offers him the chance to redeem the dishonorable act.
Those same children he'd left to their fate are in dire straits. To rescue them, he must travel to the mysterious and treacherous Crystal Valley and then find a way to get them back where they belong. Further complicating his life, the Crystal Valley holds a secret that threatens two armies, and Shak alone can save them. With an unequivocal mission staring him in the face, he discovers his enemy is close by--actually following him--and vengeance could at last be his.
At a crossroads, he has no choice but to determine which task he'll undertake... and which to give up forevermore.
Shak is anything but a simple soldier with a clear-cut mission in life. He's consumed with the relentless need for revenge against a man who was once his best friend. But that obsession is far from his only. Shak can't forget he'd abandoned two helpless children during a battle. Though the deed that he can't forgive himself for happened in the past, far from changing, he can't get past it...until his grandmother, a witch, offers him the chance to redeem the dishonorable act.
Those same children he'd left to their fate are in dire straits. To rescue them, he must travel to the mysterious and treacherous Crystal Valley and then find a way to get them back where they belong. Further complicating his life, the Crystal Valley holds a secret that threatens two armies, and Shak alone can save them. With an unequivocal mission staring him in the face, he discovers his enemy is close by--actually following him--and vengeance could at last be his.
At a crossroads, he has no choice but to determine which task he'll undertake... and which to give up forevermore.
526 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 21, 2018
3 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Kathy Ann Trueman
5 books16 followersI’ve been writing stories for more than 50 years, but finally decided to stop doing it for my own enjoyment and start publishing. My short story "The Sow’s Ear", was published in Sword and Sorceress XI, an anthology edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I also have a short story anthology, Greenspell, which includes "The Sow's Ear". The first in my series of "Stories from the Vale", Path of the Dragonfly, has recently been released.
I’m 60+ years old, blissfully retired, comfortably fat, and a pretty typical Sagittarian. I am a natural blonde, with Irish blue eyes.
I’ve never been married or had children - by choice, and I still think it was a wise choice for me. I have lots of animals to love, though.
I was raised an Army brat, and by the age of 16 I’d lived in five states and two foreign countries. But for many years now I have made my home in rural Texas with an old friend and our critters. We live in a home built in 1905, on 3+ acres. We have a horse, 3 dogs, 2 cats, and 3 birds.
I graduated with a BA in English, and I’m a grammar nerd. I do "Grammar b*tch" posts on Facebook. Seriously.
I was first introduced to science fiction and fantasy ‘way back in 1966, while on a ship crossing the north Atlantic between New York and Hamburg. I was (and still am) a voracious reader, and I went through the ship’s entire library in less than a week. It was a small library, and since it had no books of the sort I liked at that age (13), I read whatever it had. Among the books were some sci-fi, mostly Heinlein and de Camp/Pratt, and once I tried them, I was hooked. A few years later, a high school friend talked me into reading The Hobbit.. Then I had a new favorite author, and my Muse began begging for stories with dragons and swords and cloaks and magic and people venturing out to save the world from evil.
I also write Regency romance fiction (another kind of fantasy) under my other name, which you can see at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show....
I’m 60+ years old, blissfully retired, comfortably fat, and a pretty typical Sagittarian. I am a natural blonde, with Irish blue eyes.
I’ve never been married or had children - by choice, and I still think it was a wise choice for me. I have lots of animals to love, though.
I was raised an Army brat, and by the age of 16 I’d lived in five states and two foreign countries. But for many years now I have made my home in rural Texas with an old friend and our critters. We live in a home built in 1905, on 3+ acres. We have a horse, 3 dogs, 2 cats, and 3 birds.
I graduated with a BA in English, and I’m a grammar nerd. I do "Grammar b*tch" posts on Facebook. Seriously.
I was first introduced to science fiction and fantasy ‘way back in 1966, while on a ship crossing the north Atlantic between New York and Hamburg. I was (and still am) a voracious reader, and I went through the ship’s entire library in less than a week. It was a small library, and since it had no books of the sort I liked at that age (13), I read whatever it had. Among the books were some sci-fi, mostly Heinlein and de Camp/Pratt, and once I tried them, I was hooked. A few years later, a high school friend talked me into reading The Hobbit.. Then I had a new favorite author, and my Muse began begging for stories with dragons and swords and cloaks and magic and people venturing out to save the world from evil.
I also write Regency romance fiction (another kind of fantasy) under my other name, which you can see at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show....
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 8, 2019
Full disclosure: The author is a friend of mine and I've been thoroughly enjoying her writing for many years.
I enjoyed this story so much! I'm in awe of the fact that someone I know created such a complete WORLD with lore that is wholly original, or at least unlike anything I've encountered before in the many volumes of fantasy that I've read. I mean, obviously authors do this all the time, but when you don't know the person behind the writing, it all seems a little abstract. The characters are interesting and memorable - I could clearly hear and see them in my mind's eye without the writing ever getting bogged down in pages of description. There was just the right amount to get your imagination flowing to fill in the rest. One of my tests of my interest in a story is if I can remember characters' names after the fact and each of these people (and creatures!) spring fondly back to mind.
I thought the elves in particular were fascinating because, like most people, I have a very set idea of what an elf is (Hello, Legolas!), so it was interesting to see an elf be something else entirely. Something creepy, alien and off-putting instead of beautiful and graceful. It's a bold choice and I thought it made for an unique "other" type of antagonist.
What this book most reminded me of, and this is really one of the highest compliments I can give, is one of those great 80s fantasy movies that so many of us were raised on. There's action, humor, heroes, villians, witches, dragons, orphans, lords and ladies... and a happy ending, of course - all the things that make for a proper high fantasy adventure. If you loved the likes of "Ladyhawke", "Legend" or "Willow", this story will be just your cup of tea.
Bravo, my friend! This novel is a great accomplishment and I'm looking forward to the next installment in the series.
I enjoyed this story so much! I'm in awe of the fact that someone I know created such a complete WORLD with lore that is wholly original, or at least unlike anything I've encountered before in the many volumes of fantasy that I've read. I mean, obviously authors do this all the time, but when you don't know the person behind the writing, it all seems a little abstract. The characters are interesting and memorable - I could clearly hear and see them in my mind's eye without the writing ever getting bogged down in pages of description. There was just the right amount to get your imagination flowing to fill in the rest. One of my tests of my interest in a story is if I can remember characters' names after the fact and each of these people (and creatures!) spring fondly back to mind.
I thought the elves in particular were fascinating because, like most people, I have a very set idea of what an elf is (Hello, Legolas!), so it was interesting to see an elf be something else entirely. Something creepy, alien and off-putting instead of beautiful and graceful. It's a bold choice and I thought it made for an unique "other" type of antagonist.
What this book most reminded me of, and this is really one of the highest compliments I can give, is one of those great 80s fantasy movies that so many of us were raised on. There's action, humor, heroes, villians, witches, dragons, orphans, lords and ladies... and a happy ending, of course - all the things that make for a proper high fantasy adventure. If you loved the likes of "Ladyhawke", "Legend" or "Willow", this story will be just your cup of tea.
Bravo, my friend! This novel is a great accomplishment and I'm looking forward to the next installment in the series.
February 18, 2019
Dragons and elves and soldiers and magic...this story was epic! The characters are funny and memorable and the fast moving plot makes it hard to put down. I highly recommend “Stories from the Vale.” I’ll be reading it again, for sure!
May 9, 2019
I've been recommending this book to people constantly.
I could hardly put it down and actually felt emotional when I finished it. I spend the whole next day thinking about it.
If you love action, fantasy and swords, you'll love this book.
Even with no pictures, I found myself watching the characters in my head while I was reading.
I could hardly put it down and actually felt emotional when I finished it. I spend the whole next day thinking about it.
If you love action, fantasy and swords, you'll love this book.
Even with no pictures, I found myself watching the characters in my head while I was reading.
November 5, 2018
Former soldier and revenge enthusiast Shak gets released from jail by the Lord he wants to murder. He gets interrupted from plotting his next attempt when he’s summoned by his grandmother, a witch who was given a vision from the past by Dragonflies. Seven years prior to present day, Shak rescued then abandoned two children in a temple. He assumed the local priest would have dealt with them, but she reveals there was an elf present, who took the children. She tells him the kids need to be found and returned to their respective families.
All but kicking and screaming, Shak bemoans about how this is getting in the way of his sweet, sweet revenge but he’s smart enough to know not to mess with mystical entities or sassy magical grandmothers.
Shak sets out, first rescuing the lost boy sold to bandits, and then the girl who was kept by the elves. Both children had their minds wiped by the elves when they were taken, and don’t recall who they were or their families. Shak is at first annoyed that babysitting is cutting into his Murder Time, but grows to care for the children beyond obligation. The pair are well-written and fun young teens, Falin being a resourceful and brave thief and Celia, raised among a people who don’t understand sarcasm excels at pragmatism and obliterating what could have been a buddy comedy if it was just Falin and Shak taking turns being the irresponsible one. Journeying without knowing exactly where these two need to be, the three of them discover a plot that threatens the people of the valley and potentially the entirety of The Vale.
At first, the setting seems familiar to those of us who like traditional high fantasy, but the novel soon takes seemingly familiar tropes and makes them its own. Magic isn’t super common and grounded with rules that seem to make sense and not be used to convenience the heroes. Elves are treated as amoral dangerous forces, who more or less tolerate humanity’s existence. Several characters befriend a dragon who is treated like a sentient, capable creature as opposed to a tool to move the plot along. The more the world is developed, the more I liked it. I had questions at first, and the novel did take some time to develop. Overall it was a highly enjoyable novel and I would happily recommend it to fantasy readers.
There were ultimately two issues I had. A runner up is that Shak and his target Sefal really do come across like irrational man-children, but really only when it comes to each other as they’re relatively capable otherwise. Shak is less Inigo Montoya and more the guy who peaked in high school, and has to deal with things in life not going the way he intended. Sefal isn’t much better, as he’s happy to keep releasing Shak after his attempts at murder because he has relatively few kicks in life and enjoys watching Buddy suffer. This gets a pass because hey, character development.
My first complaint is that Sefal find his long lost son, who was lost after sneaking out during a battle and has been missing for years. Not only is this someone who is prone to pettiness as opposed to smooth logical reason able to compose himself and not rush to him, I thought recognizing him came a little easy. Also, Shak knew what Sefal looked like at that age, how come he didn’t notice a resemblance?
The second is that Shak and friends save the people of the valley. Spoiler to follow, skip if you would prefer. In a nutshell, the elves regard humanity as an obnoxious pest at worst and a useful pet at best, and there’s too many people for their liking. This is an emotionless, easily offended species and their reaction is to confer with their frenemy elves from different areas on how best to keep the human numbers in order. After decades of beaurocratic arguments, they decide to cast a major spell and kill every living thing save plants and bugs. Shak thwarts them, but it felt like “And.... what’s to stop them from trying again?” Granted, these are slow-moving nigh immortal beings, so they are likely having a decades-long discussion about whose fault it was, but it’s still an overall issue looming over humanity’s head.
Other than my nitpickiness, Path of the Dragonfly is an extremely enjoyable novel. There’s another book in the works that looks like it involves a different cast, and I’m hoping to see more of this world.
All but kicking and screaming, Shak bemoans about how this is getting in the way of his sweet, sweet revenge but he’s smart enough to know not to mess with mystical entities or sassy magical grandmothers.
Shak sets out, first rescuing the lost boy sold to bandits, and then the girl who was kept by the elves. Both children had their minds wiped by the elves when they were taken, and don’t recall who they were or their families. Shak is at first annoyed that babysitting is cutting into his Murder Time, but grows to care for the children beyond obligation. The pair are well-written and fun young teens, Falin being a resourceful and brave thief and Celia, raised among a people who don’t understand sarcasm excels at pragmatism and obliterating what could have been a buddy comedy if it was just Falin and Shak taking turns being the irresponsible one. Journeying without knowing exactly where these two need to be, the three of them discover a plot that threatens the people of the valley and potentially the entirety of The Vale.
At first, the setting seems familiar to those of us who like traditional high fantasy, but the novel soon takes seemingly familiar tropes and makes them its own. Magic isn’t super common and grounded with rules that seem to make sense and not be used to convenience the heroes. Elves are treated as amoral dangerous forces, who more or less tolerate humanity’s existence. Several characters befriend a dragon who is treated like a sentient, capable creature as opposed to a tool to move the plot along. The more the world is developed, the more I liked it. I had questions at first, and the novel did take some time to develop. Overall it was a highly enjoyable novel and I would happily recommend it to fantasy readers.
There were ultimately two issues I had. A runner up is that Shak and his target Sefal really do come across like irrational man-children, but really only when it comes to each other as they’re relatively capable otherwise. Shak is less Inigo Montoya and more the guy who peaked in high school, and has to deal with things in life not going the way he intended. Sefal isn’t much better, as he’s happy to keep releasing Shak after his attempts at murder because he has relatively few kicks in life and enjoys watching Buddy suffer. This gets a pass because hey, character development.
My first complaint is that Sefal find his long lost son, who was lost after sneaking out during a battle and has been missing for years. Not only is this someone who is prone to pettiness as opposed to smooth logical reason able to compose himself and not rush to him, I thought recognizing him came a little easy. Also, Shak knew what Sefal looked like at that age, how come he didn’t notice a resemblance?
The second is that Shak and friends save the people of the valley. Spoiler to follow, skip if you would prefer. In a nutshell, the elves regard humanity as an obnoxious pest at worst and a useful pet at best, and there’s too many people for their liking. This is an emotionless, easily offended species and their reaction is to confer with their frenemy elves from different areas on how best to keep the human numbers in order. After decades of beaurocratic arguments, they decide to cast a major spell and kill every living thing save plants and bugs. Shak thwarts them, but it felt like “And.... what’s to stop them from trying again?” Granted, these are slow-moving nigh immortal beings, so they are likely having a decades-long discussion about whose fault it was, but it’s still an overall issue looming over humanity’s head.
Other than my nitpickiness, Path of the Dragonfly is an extremely enjoyable novel. There’s another book in the works that looks like it involves a different cast, and I’m hoping to see more of this world.
July 24, 2020
Fantasy is not usually my genre
I rarely write reviews, because I am afraid I will give too much away. But this is a special case. When we were in high school, the author and I were good friends. She would entertain me with stories woven from our teenage fantasies, and more.. I enjoyed those tales she wove, a n d wished my own imagination was as good as my friend's. When I learned, years later, that my friend was a published author, I was pleased for her, but not too surprised. Fantasy is not a genre I've explored much, other than Tolkien or Rowling. But my friend wrote this, so I was happy to purchase it. And I'm so glad I did. The characters were like people you might meet every day: unsure if you liked them, at first glance, but then the longer you knew them, the more you liked them, until they became your friends. The fantasy world my friend created is one I felt I could live in. Well done! Looking forward to more from my friend!
I rarely write reviews, because I am afraid I will give too much away. But this is a special case. When we were in high school, the author and I were good friends. She would entertain me with stories woven from our teenage fantasies, and more.. I enjoyed those tales she wove, a n d wished my own imagination was as good as my friend's. When I learned, years later, that my friend was a published author, I was pleased for her, but not too surprised. Fantasy is not a genre I've explored much, other than Tolkien or Rowling. But my friend wrote this, so I was happy to purchase it. And I'm so glad I did. The characters were like people you might meet every day: unsure if you liked them, at first glance, but then the longer you knew them, the more you liked them, until they became your friends. The fantasy world my friend created is one I felt I could live in. Well done! Looking forward to more from my friend!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews