The Forsaken Continent

The Myridian Constellation #3

by Wayne Thomas Batson, Laura G. Johnson (Editor), Hannah Rebekah Falk (Editor)

Fleeing the kingdom he once ruled, Lochlan Stormgarden leads the survivors of The Bloody Red Night across Myriad on a desperate quest for safety. With tyrannical High King Morlan's legions and the lethal Bone Ministers constantly dogging his steps, Lochlan discovers that the only refuge might be a legendary contagion-cursed fortress deep in heart of the Gorrack Nation. Meanwhile, Abbagael Coldhollow is six months pregnant and sets off on a fool's errand into the Felhaunt to prove that her beloved husband Alastair is still alive. Little does she know that Cythraul, the seemingly immortal assassin, is also hunting in that forest of horrors. Hunting for her. Morlan's noose is tightening on all, for he has lit the first candle of the Flame Clock. As each candle flares to life, Myriad slides inexorably closer to a cataclysmic fate. Telwyn Coldhollow alone stands to hinder the coming devastation, for upon the shores of the Forsaken Continent, Telwyn will face the very Heart of Evil.

Genres: Fantasy

564 pages, Paperback

Published March 15, 2019

About the author

Wayne Thomas Batson was born in Seabrook, MD in 1968. He had an adventurous childhood and adolescence that included: building forts in the woods, crabbing and crayfishing in bays, ponds, and bayous, playing lead guitar in a heavy metal band, and teaching tennis lessons at the local recreation center. He attended Gabriel DuVal Senior High School where he wrote for the school’s newspaper and literary magazine. He was voted “Most Talented” in his senior year, and wrote this for his Yearbook Senior Goal: “To become a published author.” Little did he know that God had even greater plans.

Wayne Thomas Batson has spent the last thirty years teaching Reading and English to Maryland middle school students. Wayne Thomas Batson lives in Eldersburg with his extraordinary wife of 26 years. His four adult children intermittently live at home whenever their unexpected adventures lead them.

Batson’s writing career began in 2005 with the publication of fantasy epic, The Door Within. Since then, The Door Within, The Final Storm, Isle of Swords, and Isle of Fire have all appeared on the CBA Young Adult Bestseller List, including #2 for The Final Storm Fall 2007. To date, Batson has penned or coauthored seventeen novels and has sold well over half a million copies.

Wayne Thomas Batson gives thanks to God for the abundant life he’s been given. He continues to write for the people he cares so deeply about because he believes that, on a deep level, we all long for another world and yearn to do something important.

Reviews

[Joseph Brink]

A great book. The allegory here in this series is probably my favorite part, and it really came out in this book... possibly a little too blatantly at points, but I didn't really mind. It seemed well-done.

Overall, I don't have much to say that's different from what I said in my review for book 2 (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...).

The ending was very cool but didn't seem to tie that well into the rest of the story. It almost seemed like he just tacked on that ending so that the book would have a climax, as it didn't really seem to affect the overall plot of the series or anything... which would make sense, since this was originally the first half of the third book, which he decided to divide into two due to length.

So it definitely could have been more well-done. Still, I'm excited to read the rest of this series, if it ever comes out!

[Yakira Goldsberry]

I laughed, I cried, and I screamed in frustration. There's so much I want to say, but can't, because it would not only ruin the book, it would ruin the entire series. The Forsaken Continent was worth every tear, every shout of anger, and every flabergasted gasp. This one is a masterpiece in a series of masterpieces. And I love epic fantasy with multiple POVs, so there's that...
But, really, you will fall in love with these characters, from High King Lochlan, to Telwyn Coldhollow, to Matron Tess, to Fred the sword. You'll even love to hate the baddies like Morlan Stormgarden and Cythraul, a.k.a the-creep-that-you-want-to-die-but-he-can't-because-he's-immortal.
I could go on and on all day about this book, but I'll keep the review brief. If you haven't read The Myridian Constellation, stop what you're doing and buy the books now! You will soon discover your new favorite series.

[Daniel H]

Fun to jump back into what I remembered to be a pretty cool take on typical fantasy stuff in the first two books many years ago.
Better, more mature writing than most of Batson's other works. The storyline was good, although I would prefer a more nuanced integration of biblical themes and less of a super obvious allegory, but that's just me.
Would have been four stars, but there were a handful of typos and obvious technical mistakes that weren't caught during the self publishing process.

[Kara Rohlman]

IWARNING: HUGE SPOILERS!


Oh, boy. This book…I LOVED IT! It captivated me in only the first few chapters! I loved the introduction of the Bone Ministers, they’re so interesting! Born and raised on the Forsaken Continent, being taught to endure pain and literally having armor merged onto their bodies! WHAT!? And Abbagael and Jak heading off in search for Alastair, that had me keep coming back for more! But so many good characters died in this book! But, hey, at least ONE death was hilariously humiliating! All in all, absolutely adore this book and the series in general! Can't wait for the next one!


Edit: Let me just say...Lochlan is a damn idiot! Like, I know he's pissed at Morlan and all, but Telwyn told (if not, asked) Lochlan to not attack Morlan until he got back. And Lochlan just does the exact opposite! At this point, I'm hoping Lochlan gets smacked!

[Brie Donning]

I don't know how Mr. Batson handles all his storylines so well, but he's made me care about them all. (except the villains, those chapters are a bit gruesome for my liking)

This book has one of the best Messiah type figures I've ever read. It's a tricky thing to right, but the balance of humanity, humility, wisdom, and enigmatic godlike-ness is perfect. I care about Telwyn as a character. He's not some unapproachable figure. He takes joy in simple things. He loves the people. He's perfect, yet still a young man burdened with much.
Speaking of burdens, Lochlan is a fascinating character. Flawed, good hearted, broken hearted. I want something good to happen for him, but I fear there's a lot more trials vi L before peace can come.
I'm awaiting the next book with great anticipation.

[R.M. Lutz]

Mr. Batson never fails to disappoint! The third installment in this Christian fantasy series left me hanging onto every word. The action, rich world building, and lovable characters kept me coming back for more every time I left. I can hardly wait to read the next installment.

[Rose]

I am on p 470 of theis fast paced breathtaking book. Wow! Can't wait for Book #4.
Finished! What a thriller. Action packed. Covers are nice but not nice enough to delay printing. Can't wait for Mirror of Souls!!!!

[Randy Green]

Outstanding! All I can say is ............ Outstanding

One of the best series I've ever read up to this point. So much so , that when I saw that the next book was released, I re-read the entire series just to be fresh when I start again.

[Glenn]

Wow, this for me was the best book in the series... So much happening, but that ending.... Wow, not much else to say, but Thank you Mr Batson for an incredible story... bring on book 4.

[Kiara Paz]

Yeah!

It's a great continuation of book 2, a bit dark in places but good always wins. I can't wait for book 4

[Jessica Evans]

Fabulously upredictable

What a wonderful time i had reading this book. Baston is a story crafter. His art pulses through each chapter.

[Liza Lehman]

The conclusion of this series gave me nightmares on 2 different occasions. It is a powerful reminder of the evil we are up against.

[Joshua Henandez]

The Forsaken Continent is the third book in the Myridian Constellation series, and it continues the story of myriad — the vast world Batson has created — in a powerful, engaging way. Reeling from some terrible events that left readers slack-jawed in book two, a handful of prominent characters continue their journey back to restoration. One thing to note is the vast array of simultaneous events in these books, which can be difficult to follow. Lochlan, Telwyn, Abbagel, and a host of others are all seeking to make sense of the calamity they have recently gone through. Picking up the terribly broken pieces of a devastating, life-altering event can be difficult. Despite the seemingly insurmountable situations before them, each character faces the obstacles with tenacity, spirit, determination, and faith in the First One.

Many of the characters deal with love, loss, pain, guilt, anger, and a host of other real-world emotions that we must face on the daily. The story handles these elements along with a myriad of other fantastical notions in a way that keeps the reader engaged without questioning.

With that said, my only struggle in reading these books is the vast amount of lore and simultaneous happenings. Although the lore is added where needed and in small, manageable bites, I found myself needing to slow down or reread to give the various concepts time to weave themselves together in my mind.

As a Christian, I have found this series to contain very strong themes that could be identified as Biblical--actionable love, humility, service, faith, faithfulness, sacrifice, and a host of others. Though it is deeply woven into the story/plot, it is not written in a way that detracts. It feels just right. If you have not yet read this series and you enjoy fantasy with deep lore, fantastical elements, and all manner of illustrious kinds, pick it up and take a journey through Myriad. I am sure you will be glad you did.

[Amy]

I’ve read several of this author’s books, and I was disappointed with this one. For starters, there are SO many characters doing different things all over the world. At least there was a map in the front to help me keep straight where the places were. By the end, most the characters were still doing different things in different places. Hopefully in the next book he’ll tie everything together.

My second complaint (and biggest disappointment) was that he repeatedly used (10 times, maybe more) one particular profanity (that means illegitimate). In most cases, he could’ve used a different word and had the same effect because he was just cursing someone (or he could’ve just stated that the person cursed). It was annoying to run into that word in a Christian allegory.

Lastly, this series is very dark, and this book is no exception. Some of the deaths were gruesome, and some of the characters are just creepy.

With all of that said, the book is full of action and most of the characters are relatable. I will read the next one in the series just to see what happens to everyone.

[Petra Faith]

Few books end with me yelling the author's name. (A good thing, I promise.)

I kept thinking of this world as a video game for some reason. The complexity of the plot and multiple pov is intriguing although overwhelming at some times. The scenery, and character details depicted throughout the book are amazing.

I cried and smirked at certain parts. I can't wait to read Mirror of Souls. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Bess Brinn]

A fantastic book that reminded me a lot of LotR!
My one complaint was that Batson had too many story lines going. Whenever a chapter ended on a cliffhanger (As they inevitably did most of the time) you had to go through five chapters just to get back to the one you care about. And because there were so many, I felt like very little happened in each story line.