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Lands of the Abyss #1
The Battle For Metagore
The death of the beloved Lord of Metagore, followed by the crowning of a successor, stirs discontent among the grand dukes. They decide to deviate from the kingdom, and each assumes lordship over their own realms. The new lord, angered by the rebellion, declares war on the renegade dukes, now claiming to be lords.
Unexpected twists and obstacles surface as the battle for the crown ensues.
Who will prevail in the battle for Metagore?
Pick a side, and see how long they will survive the armies of their foes, the dangerous wildlife lurking around every corner, and the sometimes-fatal climates.
Unexpected twists and obstacles surface as the battle for the crown ensues.
Who will prevail in the battle for Metagore?
Pick a side, and see how long they will survive the armies of their foes, the dangerous wildlife lurking around every corner, and the sometimes-fatal climates.
510 pages, Paperback
Published May 21, 2019
8 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 28, 2019
The Battle for Metagore is the first book in D.L. Stewart’s Lands of the Abyss series, and it’s a book that has me curious for more. There is so much to learn about this world, many things I wish to see come together, and I’m excited to see how everything will play out throughout the series.
The Battle for Metagore introduces us to an interesting world, one filled with creatures that will appeal to all fantasy fans. It’s more than just your standard cast of creatures, as this one covers a much larger scope and actually deals with such creatures rather than simply referencing them. This makes for a large cast of characters, which is a bit daunting at first, but as the story progresses these things come together well and it’s great to watch how everything links together.
Once things are coming together, the book is extremely difficult to put down. You’re curious about so many different elements, and happy to turn the pages to get your answers. There are plenty of characters and storylines, and you’ll find yourself with favourites you’re wanting to come back to.
Although I enjoyed this one, it wasn’t quite what I had expected. The title had me expecting a lot more violence and action than I was given. There was certainly a big battle throughout, but the story focused more on the society and the political aspects. There is nothing wrong with this, it was certainly interesting, but I had been expecting a wee bit more in terms of battle scenes. Of course, this is a personal preference of mine as I’m a big fan of long action scenes.
Overall, The Battle for Metagore was a great first book in the series that leaves us with the promise of much more.
The Battle for Metagore introduces us to an interesting world, one filled with creatures that will appeal to all fantasy fans. It’s more than just your standard cast of creatures, as this one covers a much larger scope and actually deals with such creatures rather than simply referencing them. This makes for a large cast of characters, which is a bit daunting at first, but as the story progresses these things come together well and it’s great to watch how everything links together.
Once things are coming together, the book is extremely difficult to put down. You’re curious about so many different elements, and happy to turn the pages to get your answers. There are plenty of characters and storylines, and you’ll find yourself with favourites you’re wanting to come back to.
Although I enjoyed this one, it wasn’t quite what I had expected. The title had me expecting a lot more violence and action than I was given. There was certainly a big battle throughout, but the story focused more on the society and the political aspects. There is nothing wrong with this, it was certainly interesting, but I had been expecting a wee bit more in terms of battle scenes. Of course, this is a personal preference of mine as I’m a big fan of long action scenes.
Overall, The Battle for Metagore was a great first book in the series that leaves us with the promise of much more.
April 6, 2019
This is a fantastic adult fantasy novel. It is extremely hard to believe it is a debut novel for this talented new author. The realm of Metagore is vividly described from the flora and fauna to the "human" inhabitants. You feel like you are there with the attention to detail provided in this epic story.
If you enjoy a well-written book with plenty of twists and turns, a huge cast of well-defined characters, plenty of "realistic" fantasy elements, and a plot that will keep you turning the pages as fast as possible, then I highly recommend this book. You will never become complacent as the action and surprises never stop.
If you enjoy a well-written book with plenty of twists and turns, a huge cast of well-defined characters, plenty of "realistic" fantasy elements, and a plot that will keep you turning the pages as fast as possible, then I highly recommend this book. You will never become complacent as the action and surprises never stop.
August 19, 2019
While this was a pretty average fantasy read for me, that's not to say it's not worth the read. I enjoyed it and definitely recommend picking it up and giving it a chance, especially if you enjoy shorter reads!
Overall, I enjoyed the story and the characters, but there were so many people thrown at me so quickly that I was very confused on who was who. It wasn't until pretty much the end of the book that I began to keep everyone straight. The reason I think I had such a hard time with this can be lumped into my only real complaint with the whole book... not enough exploring/explaining! Usually, I'm upset because there's TOO much backstory and TOO much description. But in Battle for Metagore, I found myself wishing for more.
The world-building here is amazing and I'd love to have been able to take my time and explore it more with the characters. I'll be following this series in the future!
Overall, I enjoyed the story and the characters, but there were so many people thrown at me so quickly that I was very confused on who was who. It wasn't until pretty much the end of the book that I began to keep everyone straight. The reason I think I had such a hard time with this can be lumped into my only real complaint with the whole book... not enough exploring/explaining! Usually, I'm upset because there's TOO much backstory and TOO much description. But in Battle for Metagore, I found myself wishing for more.
The world-building here is amazing and I'd love to have been able to take my time and explore it more with the characters. I'll be following this series in the future!
February 9, 2020
It has been sometime since I've read a fantasy epic tale, and the author delivered a great layered story to be sure. I must say there's a good amount of characters in this novel but I rather like that aspect. One thing that surprised me was the multitude of races in this tale; it has it all! The author delivers great fantasy writing, that was refreshing yet classical. It's a long read but that's what you expect of a fantasy novel in most cases.
The Cover: I love the art style of the cover, and it tells you from the start that you should be ready for a blood bath!
The Story: is about the Battle for Metagore, so you have political figures fighting for control. There's betrayal, brutal deaths and more. I felt bad for the one character (I won't call him the main because this story is more layered than a one character perspective) for what he had to deal with, and I thought he was not treated fairly by those around him, but that was only the beginning...
I don't plan to give anything away, because you need to experience this novel for yourself, I'm happy I read this novel, I don't read many books by new author's in the fantasy genre, but I'm happy I gave this novel a chance. Pick up a copy you won't be disappointed 😊
The Cover: I love the art style of the cover, and it tells you from the start that you should be ready for a blood bath!
The Story: is about the Battle for Metagore, so you have political figures fighting for control. There's betrayal, brutal deaths and more. I felt bad for the one character (I won't call him the main because this story is more layered than a one character perspective) for what he had to deal with, and I thought he was not treated fairly by those around him, but that was only the beginning...
I don't plan to give anything away, because you need to experience this novel for yourself, I'm happy I read this novel, I don't read many books by new author's in the fantasy genre, but I'm happy I gave this novel a chance. Pick up a copy you won't be disappointed 😊
May 20, 2019
Action, adventure and heartbreak combine, in this brutal new fantasy. Metagore is filled with a colorful cast of characters. Within this story you’ll find demons, elves, dwarves and many other fantastic beings living throughout.
A fight for the kingdom of BrightHelm leads to chaos in the realms. You’re brought over land and sea to experience this epic battle. The villains are deliciously disagreeable. They revel in their villainy even when it’s morally justified. Damn it, Darius is a demon that gets things done. The society and political intrigue was complex and well developed; sometimes a little too complex, perhaps. The scope of the cast and creatures was at first daunting, but once I got into it, everything fell into place. The writing was enjoyable, with enough descriptive to fully encompass the action.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it just got better as I read to the blood splattered end. I am very much looking forward to the second book!
A fight for the kingdom of BrightHelm leads to chaos in the realms. You’re brought over land and sea to experience this epic battle. The villains are deliciously disagreeable. They revel in their villainy even when it’s morally justified. Damn it, Darius is a demon that gets things done. The society and political intrigue was complex and well developed; sometimes a little too complex, perhaps. The scope of the cast and creatures was at first daunting, but once I got into it, everything fell into place. The writing was enjoyable, with enough descriptive to fully encompass the action.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it just got better as I read to the blood splattered end. I am very much looking forward to the second book!
October 21, 2019
I was given a ecopy of this book by the author in exchange for review.
I was really craving a high fantasy with heavy lore and I got that in spades with this book. There were multiple kingdoms and dozens of different species around. I expected to struggle with the world building at the beginning, as that's standard for high fantasy. And in theory, each of the kingdoms had a general idea. But with so many kingdoms and so many rulers, trying to remember who came from where was a constant issue throughout the whole book. At one point, I had the beginning open on another device (where there is general exposition) to keep as reference.
I appreciated the depth of the war and the different machinations of the fight. But at times, it felt like the story was rushing through them. Entire... platoons, I guess?... would be killed off at once and entire cities taken in remarkably short time, just to take them out of the equation and move on to the next. If you like your plot to be quick, then this will definitely be your style.
As for the characters, it has a Game of Thrones-esque style where no one's really all that moral. The few characters that you could argue as being totally upstanding are killed off fairly quickly or portrayed as weak/naive. And with such a gigantic cast, it's hard to connect with many of them. There were a few I liked (Ky and Tera were particular favorites) I appreciated the inclusion of a queer character as a major player in some of the battles.
If you like a ton of world building and a break-neck plot pace, then this is the book for you.
I was really craving a high fantasy with heavy lore and I got that in spades with this book. There were multiple kingdoms and dozens of different species around. I expected to struggle with the world building at the beginning, as that's standard for high fantasy. And in theory, each of the kingdoms had a general idea. But with so many kingdoms and so many rulers, trying to remember who came from where was a constant issue throughout the whole book. At one point, I had the beginning open on another device (where there is general exposition) to keep as reference.
I appreciated the depth of the war and the different machinations of the fight. But at times, it felt like the story was rushing through them. Entire... platoons, I guess?... would be killed off at once and entire cities taken in remarkably short time, just to take them out of the equation and move on to the next. If you like your plot to be quick, then this will definitely be your style.
As for the characters, it has a Game of Thrones-esque style where no one's really all that moral. The few characters that you could argue as being totally upstanding are killed off fairly quickly or portrayed as weak/naive. And with such a gigantic cast, it's hard to connect with many of them. There were a few I liked (Ky and Tera were particular favorites) I appreciated the inclusion of a queer character as a major player in some of the battles.
If you like a ton of world building and a break-neck plot pace, then this is the book for you.
December 30, 2020
I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. It has been awhile since I have read adult epic fancy, but I have to say this book surprised me. The details and the descriptions made me believe I was right there with the multitude of characters and races. It was wonderful foundation for this series. It is an epic battle of a crown and an adventure that will keep you reading to the last page and still wanting more. I know it is only the first book in a series, but I am excited for the adventure to continue.
September 12, 2025
A fun action-packed read with a large cast of characters. Demons, gods, goddesses, djinn, megalodons and more. Darius was definitely my favourite along with Lord Brighton and his wife. Great for high fantasy lovers.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews