Hy Brasil: Island of Eternity

by Robert E. Kearns

A highly advanced society, Hy Brasil is faced with pending catastrophe and Olan is determined to live on. Archaeological discoveries throw light on a civilization previously confined to legend with grave consequences for a young couple caught up in this extraordinarily dynamic enigma.

Set in ancient and present times, this is a tale for readers who adore adventure, history and extraordinary epics. It embraces influences of the Gothic, Dickensian; so too, Literary, and then bonds them into a story which delivers a thrilling read that will captivate audiences from the start.

With its colorful descriptions, complex characters and a plot line as well as prose complete with symbolism and imagery, Hy Brasil is certain to entertain, spellbind and mesmerize the book lover for Eternity.

317 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 2019

About the author

Robert E. Kearns was born in Dublin, Ireland

His debut, Hy Brasil: Island of Eternity was awarded a First Place in the 2019 Pencraft Awards and Five Stars from Readers' Favorite:

Robert has since penned the novels, Lost and Found, Carnivore, Crabb , Freedom is For the Few Ossuary, Embers and A Donnybrook Affair, as well as the novellas, A Sporting Life and The Reclusive Life of Rita Reilly.

In addition, he's composed:

The Book of Mostly Gibberish (With Some Good Stuff Too), a collection of short stories, poems and sketches.

Poems & Short Stories Vol.1 and Vol.2

Kindle Short Stories and Novellas:

Bleeding Brown, A Second Bite, Fourth of July, Jeremiah Kildare and The Wolf of the same County, The Pastor of Rush Springs, A Retrospective Trip down Tourniquet Lane, A Midnight Call to Monto, The Two Faces of Killer Kilbride, The Cries of Manor Lannigan, A Place of Rest, Spitz, A Sporting Life, The Feathers Flew, Thou Shalt Not Covet, U.S.S. Tenacity, An Alternate Romance, A Trophy Life, No Snakes in Hell, Tell Tale Tattler, Let No Man Tear Asunder, Middle Third, The Lodger, Hammer 26, Unto Dust, The Factory, The Walker, Slax, Seed, Up for Debate, Scampy's Merry Christmas, Tristan's Christmas Concert and Mason's Magical Christmas.

Some titles available in Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook, and Hardcover editions. Check Amazon for details.

Robert is a member of The International Thriller Writers Organization (ITW).

He lives and writes in Dublin.

Reviews

[Laura West · Rating 5 out of 5]

With an homage to old classic literature, a delicate attention to word choice and poetic literary prose, Kearns has crafted a tale that is meant for the intelligent reader. This is not something you could find on the shelves from modern-day writers, and is a rarity at best. He values the beauty of each word “betwixt" his sentences. Together, they formulate a descriptive time capsule with a flair to an era that is long-gone. I am still in the process of reading his novel, but I had to pop in and recommend this book to readers that enjoy the English word - and, particularly, have a love of classic descriptive literature. Kearns most definitely enjoys the English language and, in turn, makes me smile at one beautifully crafted sentence after another..

[Caleb Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are books great for reading and enjoyment and then there are books vast in education. This book is both. It brought me through a grand adventure while displaying the superb form of a lost art. The writing itself is an experience alone and then there is the story. Both are grand in epic proportions. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a higher experience in the art of literary excellence.

[Elle Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege to read Hy Brasil prior to its release. This is a beautifully written novel. Author Robert E. Kearns has crafted a rhythmically timed prose. Kearns weaves a rich tale, his style flowing with poetic grace. It's writing that reminds me of the classics. Of older times when the written word was celebrated and cherished. Bronte. Henry David Thoreau. Shakespeare. It is a book that you will find yourself immersed in, a story that combines the old with the new, full of intricate detail. Highly recommended.

[Josef Alton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Kearns' Hy Brasil is as intelligent as the prose are unique, the story daring as it is exciting, and honestly, an all-over mind-melting read. You're going to want this novel—a perfect winter page turner.

[Deanna King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hy Brasil - a fantasy of growth and evolution-as if Atlantis merged with Galapagos- ever evolving into something new with each page read. The Celtic tone suggestive somewhat of author Edward John Morton- known as Lord Dunsany- who wrote fantasies, building worlds and universes; injecting romance, magic and anachronistic with an intelligent writing style.

[Maria Byrne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wouldn't normally be the genre or style of book that I'd read in general but I came across it and thought, sure why not, I'll give it a go. I'm actually very pleased that I put aside my status quo apprehensions and delved in. The style of language was a shock to me because it drew me in, and as someone who only reads non-fiction and rarely reads fiction or fantasy, I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I embraced the book more than I expected and it really challenged me. It was lyrical, surprising and overall, a genuine thrill to me hoe was much I enjoyed it. I highly recommend it both as an entry into the genre and style and of course to those who are familiar.

[Robert Kearns · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Five Star Pick from K.C. Finn of Readers' Favorite:

'Author Robert E. Kearns has created an effortless read that was easy to breeze through and escape into, thanks to his highly vivid descriptions, beautiful narrative voice, and dark, mysterious Gothic styling.'

'Overall, Hy Brasil is a highly recommended read for fans of historical and mythical literary works.'

[Tina O'Hailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I'd sit down and gobble this up over a lunch break but found that one must sit down and contemplate this book of prose. The phrasing is one to be savored, perhaps with a snifter of brandy, by a fire.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel poorly about giving this book three stars, but that rating may be temporary. I've tried to get into the story, but presently I am taking a journalism degree which emphasises a particular style of writing, "reporting the unadorned facts" and maybe after I've finished these few years I'll be better able to appreciate Hy Brazil. I am glad the tale starts in Ireland of relatively modern day, and looks at the legendary Atlantis-style island. We meet a boy who spends a lot of time telling us about his uneventful life - reported conversations are minimal - and one night he encounters a strange light which bathes him in radiance. I am guessing this caused changes, which is why he recounts everything with the aid of a bulky thesaurus.

All praise to Kearns for producing a literary fantasy, and I will return to finish it later, when I expect I will better enjoy the huge amount of work that has gone into writing this book. Some readers, though, will find it a huge amount of work to read, like Iain Banks's Feersum Enjin, so I do think the author needs to ask for whom he is writing - this epic will find a limited market.

The author kindly sent me an e-ARC to read in my own time. I chose to read and to write a review. This is an unbiased review.

[Mark Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hy Brasil: Island of Eternity by Robert E. Kearns is an entirely unique read in that it manages to combine a love of poetry with contemporary literature successfully. Reading this book is like entering another world, a world where the characters speak like those from a Brontë or Dickens novel. The necessity of this unique narrative style becomes apparent later in the novel and is deftly achieved, in this reviewer’s opinion.

This work brings the reader on an enchanting journey to the mystic island, Hy Brasil, some one hundred years before the birth of Christ. The story follows two main protagonists; ‘Irish’ (as he comes to be nicknamed) and Olan. First, we are introduced to the Heights in Waterford, the present-day home of ‘Irish’, where a mysterious metamorphosis leaves him greatly transformed in more ways than one. The symbolic nature of this transformation is subtly weaved throughout the first act. We, as readers, are left with the undeniable impression that our young hero has prematurely become a man, for better or for worse, and we are left wondering what the implications of this enormous transformation might be.

Next, we are brought to Water Ford, the home of Neelak and her husband, Olan, an early scientist, philosopher and general bon viveur. Here, Kearns explores the concept of love and what it means for a man to not only love and respect his wife, but also himself. The examination of the precarious nature of human society was particularly enlightening and left this reviewer questioning his own mortality. The literary ties to the first act are distinctly recognisable and leave the reader with an understanding of ageless continuance and the idea that perhaps life is one vast Ferris wheel, carelessly spinning into eternity.

The third act of Kearns’ debut brings us back to the life of an older ‘Irish’ and his experiences while working at a Dublin-based museum. The love affair between this young man and his beloved Tiffanie is a welcome change to the intellectual world of Olan and Hy Brasil. The life-altering nature of love is subtly mirrored here through a rare archaeological find and a curious professor. The interplay in the latter half of this third act between love and great loss is heart-wrenching yet remarkably inspiring.

If I was to pick two major themes for this novel, they would have to be continuance and remembrance. Overall, I found this work to be inspiring through its distinctive take on human nature, as well as past and present societies. Hy Brasil: Island of Eternity is unlike anything I have read in recent years in that it gives preference to lilting, poetic language. This book should almost be in a genre of its own. Hy Brasil is a must-read for the poetry-lovers out there seeking an adventure through the lands of ago.

Favourite Quote: “It kept on as a reminder if I ever sought one that life persists in transformation, with permanence an illusion. What we judge today as either the inception or finale is none of these. It goes on simply as a cogwheel in the eternity of revision, with the continual brushed over afresh on the canvas of flux.”

[Maegan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did receive a free e-copy of this book from LibraryThing Giveaways.

I tried to read this book but the writing is thick with unnecessary words and thoughts that make it incredibly dry and confusing to read. Originally, I thought it would just be the first chapter but I skipped ahead to random pages and the writing style continues to the very end.

Here is the first paragraph as an example (written exactly as it is in the book), "With a resolution favoured to launch this account, I at once faced the difficulty how I ought to define the child I one time prevailed; or broader yet, the child and teenager I assumed in earlier years. I dwell not far out of those times; thus, I persist in hesitancy about whether I should submit to that era of blossomed spring as ages of childhood. When embodied in this tail end to an unsolicited eclipse of life, there remains the few who might in eagerness whisper it as such. With this in mind, I invite an amount of leeway in my self-portrayal, as the uncertainty stands inherent to a generous extent."

By reading the reviews I can tell people like this "intelligent" writing style, but I for one did not, and I wanted to warn those who are like me.

I could not stand more than a page of this writing so I will not be continuing this story.