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Cold From The North

D.W. Ross (Goodreads Author)

4.17 · Rating details · 18 ratings · 6 reviews

Driven by the promise of an ancient prophecy which will bring the dark ways of an old god back to power and prominence, an army of invaders swarms Ogulf Harlsbane’s homeland slaughtering all those who oppose them.

Along with his people, Ogulf must seek refuge from this savage force. In his search of sanctuary, he is tasked with finding the one person who can put a stop to t ...more

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Paperback, 1, 471 pages

Published November 14th 2020 by Self Published (first published November 13th 2020)

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Dec 15, 2020 Dean Osborne rated it it was amazing

Cold from the North is a great start to what is shaping up to be a promising series from a debut author. Often we take a chance when picking up a self-published novel but Cold from the North is definitely worth a read.

Cold from the North is without doubt an epic adventure. We get to travel far and wide with our protagonists and we get to see a lot of the world. Ross has built a brilliant world with plenty of history which slowly unravels throughout the book and I hope we continue to get more his Cold from the North is a great start to what is shaping up to be a promising series from a debut author. Often we take a chance when picking up a self-published novel but Cold from the North is definitely worth a read.

Cold from the North is without doubt an epic adventure. We get to travel far and wide with our protagonists and we get to see a lot of the world. Ross has built a brilliant world with plenty of history which slowly unravels throughout the book and I hope we continue to get more history lessons of Gelenea in the rest of the series. In fact I would even say that there is enough history in Gelenea to create a further storyline following other events that have transpired. I for one would love to learn more about the Summer of Rebellion in Broadheim. It is mentioned a few times in the book, enough to peak my interest. Ross has also created a good magic system which has firm foundations and substance. One that is believable. I know a lot of readers really get involved with magic systems and I think they will be plenty happy with what is on offer here.

Map? Where is the map?? I’m sorry to say that one down side for me is that this book lacks a map which is a shame as throughout the story we get to travel alongside two of our protagonists, Ogulf and Melcun, through a beautiful world and I would have loved to have followed along using a map. This of course is not a major problem for many and not even a major problem for myself. I just think it would have been so much more immersive for me if there was a map of this intriguing world.

Another little downfall is that I felt the story needed a little more action. After all we are in the midst of a nation being invaded which so happens to be happening right alongside another nation’s civil war. There is so many opportunities to add more fight scenes in. I will say however that when we do get to the action it is well crafted and flows very well. I found myself lost in amongst the axe swings and battered skulls. For a debut book Ross has certainly hit a fine note with fight scenes. The tension, adrenaline and fear were all present and we get a good feel for those characters involved.

Okay, now that being said I want to mention the characters we have in Cold form the North. We get a pretty good line up of interesting characters. They are all well-crafted and clearly a lot of thought has gone into creating a nice diverse cast. We have strong females, we have males that are not afraid to show emotion and I want to point out that this book does a good job of building people up instead of tearing them apart for their failures. There is one moment in particular that is a shining example of this but for fear of spoilers I cannot mention it. Sorry folks but you will have to pick up a copy to find out what I mean. I will also mention that character development is right where it should be in the first book of a series. We get little glimpses into what some characters will become and what they are capable of. I look forward to seeing what happens in the next instalment.

Cold from the North has wet my appetite and left me wanting more from The Onyxborn Chronicle in all the right ways. I want to see more of Gelenea and I need to know what becomes of a certain character. Again I don’t want to say too much here for fear of spoilers.

I would highly recommend Cold from the North to those that love a good epic fantasy adventure. Grab yourself a copy, sit back in your favourite armchair with a *coffee in hand and let Ross sweep you away to a world full of adventure and ripe for exploring.

*A good whisky also works very well. Trust me. ...more

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Dec 31, 2020 Traveling Cloak rated it really liked it

Cold from the North is author D.W. Ross’ debut novel, and I was really impressed with it. The plot was was multifaceted and really intriguing, and I enjoyed the Nordic-style setting.

Cold from the North is a very plot-driven book, and there is a lot to like about the narrative. There are secret orders and dark secrets, a prophecy that promises to bring dark magic back to the world, magical weapons, a war on two fronts, and loads of family issues. This book certainly enough tension-creating elemen Cold from the North is author D.W. Ross’ debut novel, and I was really impressed with it. The plot was was multifaceted and really intriguing, and I enjoyed the Nordic-style setting.

Cold from the North is a very plot-driven book, and there is a lot to like about the narrative. There are secret orders and dark secrets, a prophecy that promises to bring dark magic back to the world, magical weapons, a war on two fronts, and loads of family issues. This book certainly enough tension-creating elements to keep the storyline intriguing. The way all of the elements fit together made for a really well-rounded book to me, and it worked out really well in the end, too. The ending was perfect, as it did two things really well: it satisfied some of the points conflict while creating new one to look forward to in the next book. Overall, it was a really well-written plot all the way through.

Another great aspect of Cold from the North is its Nordic-style setting. I was originally attracted to this book by the cool-looking double-sided axe on the cover. From the names of people and cities, to the way the villages and clans are set up, the weapons, everything screams “Viking” to me, and that has always been a culture with which I have been enthralled. To me, the Norse aspect of the book added a layer of coolness to what was already a really interesting story.

I do want to note that, while I did enjoy the plot and how it was written, in my opinion the story could have used a little more ebb and flow. The pace felt plateaued at times, and that could have been helped by building on the already-intriguing storyline with a few more climactic events along the way. I also think there was room for a little more character development, which would have added some depth.

Overall, I really enjoyed Cold from the North. If I did not know this was Ross’ debut novel I would not have guessed by how well-written it is. The plot is the driving force of the story, and the author did a great job of building tension around a very interesting setting. Needless to say, this book gets my recommendation for fantasy readers, and I am very much looking forward to book 2 in the series which is tentatively scheduled for publication in Summer 2021. ...more

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Jan 07, 2021 Jessica Padden rated it it was amazing

Having never read a fantasy novel in my life i wasn’t expecting to enjoy this as much as I did.
Fantastic plot, great characters, basically everything you want in a book.
Would highly recommend and I’m absolutely buzzin for the next one!

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Jan 23, 2021 Terry Rudge rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is a phenomenal debut book. Writing reviews is not my craft, and I almost certainly can not do this book justice with my words. What I can say is I read A LOT. And this is in the top 3 debut books I have ever read. I challenge myself this year to read as many debut and self published books as I can. I will be surprised if I come across a better one than this. I dont even want to describe the book, because I feel people need to read and experience it first hand. What I can say, is the author ...more

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Jan 19, 2021 Wilson Davidson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

Cold From The North is the first book I've picked up in a very long time, and I couldn't have picked a better book to pick up. D.W. Ross has managed to create a story that is both compelling and intricate. Following Ogulf and Melcun through their adventures is an absolute pleasure and I implore any fans of the fantasy genre, in any capacity, to consider picking Cold From The North up. ...more

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Jan 11, 2021 Belinda Richee rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Very Good!

Good story, fast paced. The characters are great, its full of fighting, magic, suspense, betrayals and everything else that makes for a good read. Looking forward to number 2.

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