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The Daybreak Saga #1
The Lost Dawn
The Lost Dawn is the first book in an epic fantasy adventure series, The Daybreak Saga.It all begins here, in the world of Alea.Magic is everywhere, for better or worse.The Atlos family has served the immortal King Symon Del Gaddeaux for generations. Only three siblings remain of the once-prestigious Carter, the eldest, a ranger for the king; Lady Aliya, the second-oldest, a knight reputed for her mind magic; and then there's Keia.Keia Atlos was once a magical prodigy, but a traumatic incident cut her off from Gaea--the source of all magic. The loss leaves Keia heartbroken. Though she now survives as a thief in the slums beneath the king's capital of Genievon, she longs to unlock her magical potential. Given the right opportunity, she'd risk everything for a chance to be a mage.Dark times are coming to Gaddeaux. Keia's ex-employer, a violent outlaw with a fearsome reputation, is on the loose, and he's planning something big; the wild king gathers power north of the kingdom; and ancient whispers speak of a rising Dark Lord.Whether or not Keia knows it, she's at the center of all of it. If she hopes to survive, she'll need her magic back. Time is short. To regain what was lost, Keia must face her greatest fears, armed only with courage and faith that she'll rise to the challenge.The Lost Dawn is Dan Neil's debut as an author. He hopes you enjoy reading and appreciates honest ratings and reviews.The story of The Daybreak Saga will continue in The Dark Disciple, coming soon.Have a wonderful day!
- GenresFantasy
427 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 6, 2020
75 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
Dan Neil
3 books9 followersDan Neil is the author of The Daybreak Saga, an epic fantasy series bursting with magic and adventure. The first two novels, The Lost Dawn and The Dark Disciple, are available on Amazon.
Dan is an avid fan of the Arizona Cardinals. He lives in Arizona with his fiancee, two beautiful dogs, and five troublesome cats. Dan loves nothing more than interacting with fans.
As always, enjoy reading!
Dan is an avid fan of the Arizona Cardinals. He lives in Arizona with his fiancee, two beautiful dogs, and five troublesome cats. Dan loves nothing more than interacting with fans.
As always, enjoy reading!
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 17, 2020
3.5/5
An enjoyable fantasy. Longer review to come.
An enjoyable fantasy. Longer review to come.
January 27, 2020
I enjoyed the book immensely - the characters felt genuine, the world seems like a lived-in place, and the magic system is really intriguing with all the different types of magical weapons and spells.
I very much look forward to the continuation of Keia's adventure, and to finding out about all the mysteries that were set up in this part of it.
I very much look forward to the continuation of Keia's adventure, and to finding out about all the mysteries that were set up in this part of it.
January 27, 2020
Very Good!
I picked this book up because of a Reddit post by the author. This is my first foray into reading debut books and the price at the time(free) sealed the deal for me! I was a bit skeptical at first, usually I stick to more established authors or wait for more reviews to come out before reading a debut. Luckily, I was quickly sucked into the book. The action starts right off the bat and for the most part doesn't let up. The shifting POV works nicely to progress the story throughout and the storylines coming together at the end are very nice. Do not worry though, there are still many questions left unanswered and even more raised at the end of The Lost Dawn. I eagerly await the next installment in The Daybreak Saga!
I picked this book up because of a Reddit post by the author. This is my first foray into reading debut books and the price at the time(free) sealed the deal for me! I was a bit skeptical at first, usually I stick to more established authors or wait for more reviews to come out before reading a debut. Luckily, I was quickly sucked into the book. The action starts right off the bat and for the most part doesn't let up. The shifting POV works nicely to progress the story throughout and the storylines coming together at the end are very nice. Do not worry though, there are still many questions left unanswered and even more raised at the end of The Lost Dawn. I eagerly await the next installment in The Daybreak Saga!
February 13, 2021
A wonderfull book with highly entertaining content and story from beginning to end. I really enjoyed the magic system and how it was used to contribute to the depth of the story. In short: an amazing debute book! I am already eager to read the next book in the saga!
February 5, 2020
“Why do you think I kept you around all this time?” he asked. “Seriously, why? Your name? You know I never cared about that. Because of your skill? Oh, Keia. You can barely cast a simple spell. You’re useless to Arcane Veil. You’d be useless as a soldier. It’s not your fault, you’re just…a cripple. So then, why?”
I really enjoyed this book! It kept me hooked and reading even though I had exams, which tend to have a negative effect on my reading. The plot was interesting and it felt like there was always something happening or some mystery to uncover, though I was struggling to understand the magic system at first, which pulled me a bit from the story.
At first, I was expecting the characters (especially the ones who acted as narrators) to be alike, but they turned out to be very distinguishable and they made for a very dynamic plot. It was nice to have a weak MC for a change, though I feel like Keia will be able to expand her magic in the next book(s). Her and Devin made a great duo, it was awesome to see them working and fighting side by side. I also feel like I spent 95% of the story absolutely hating Jisaazu and the last 5% falling in love with her :)
Also, maybe it's a controversial opinion, but I didn't hate Axel. The scene where we learn his background was really good because it gave a meaning for his actions, and it was easy to understand and empathize with him.
September 14, 2020
This series has a lot of promise - I really liked the magic system and how the military and magic interact. There are also potentially interesting plot points - a money-hungry revolutionary, hints at unrest against a king who has ruled for over 100 years, a nightmarish dark force, and hints at an upcoming invasion by a strong and intimidating army.
I was hoping these ideas to be more fully realized by the end of the book and ended up a little underwhelmed by the ending. Since this is a series, I might have been more satisfied if the story was continued in a single book. I'm used to reading 700+ page fantasy novels, so if I consider this just the first part of a tale, I'm more satisfied than considering this a stand-alone book.
I was hoping these ideas to be more fully realized by the end of the book and ended up a little underwhelmed by the ending. Since this is a series, I might have been more satisfied if the story was continued in a single book. I'm used to reading 700+ page fantasy novels, so if I consider this just the first part of a tale, I'm more satisfied than considering this a stand-alone book.
February 11, 2020
I’m bad at reviews but this book is good.
I read a lot of kindle books and it’s hard to sort through the mass of quickly written poorly thought through worlds and good books. This is a good book. Characters are flushed out, the plot moves quickly but with detail, the world is through through. The plot builds and comes to a conclusion while still leaving questions open and relationships to develop.
After the book ended I instantly went to to read the sequel but was sad it was not out yet, I look forward to seeing the series continue.
I read a lot of kindle books and it’s hard to sort through the mass of quickly written poorly thought through worlds and good books. This is a good book. Characters are flushed out, the plot moves quickly but with detail, the world is through through. The plot builds and comes to a conclusion while still leaving questions open and relationships to develop.
After the book ended I instantly went to to read the sequel but was sad it was not out yet, I look forward to seeing the series continue.
May 11, 2020
This book had an interesting story and world. However, there were a few things that pulled me out of the story.
First, the hair twirling. There was way too much of it.
I found some of the dialogue awkwardly worded. It didn't always sound like things someone would actually say.
I did notice several inconsistencies with both situations and character behaviour or reactions. This sometimes made it difficult to understand a character's personality.
Overall not bad for a debut novel, which could be further improved with writing practice and content editing.
First, the hair twirling. There was way too much of it.
I found some of the dialogue awkwardly worded. It didn't always sound like things someone would actually say.
I did notice several inconsistencies with both situations and character behaviour or reactions. This sometimes made it difficult to understand a character's personality.
Overall not bad for a debut novel, which could be further improved with writing practice and content editing.
did-not-finish
March 21, 2020DNF @ 16%
I'm just not feeling this one. The magic system doesn't make sense to me, the plot drags with too much play-by-play ("Then she did this. Then she did this"), the dialogue and thoughts/internal monologues read awkwardly, and I can't get a grasp on any of the characters beyond a basic archetype and motive.
None of which is to totally dismiss this as poorly written, per se. But it isn't working for me.
I'm just not feeling this one. The magic system doesn't make sense to me, the plot drags with too much play-by-play ("Then she did this. Then she did this"), the dialogue and thoughts/internal monologues read awkwardly, and I can't get a grasp on any of the characters beyond a basic archetype and motive.
None of which is to totally dismiss this as poorly written, per se. But it isn't working for me.
April 23, 2022
A little unpolished. The story generally was intriguing but power levels were confusing. Keia is in her head a thousand times about how few spells she can cast quickly and yet survives a full out duel slinging spells like her highly trained paladin sister. Also Keia's lack of belief in herself to overcome her challenges and her distrust of people seemed a contrived way to move a plot.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews