What do you think?
Rate this book
They Came By Night
Mix together magic, wizards, a farm boy, a robot, a flying boat, several massive battles and a hint of dragon and you have the recipe for an epic fantasy.
1500 years after the fall of the ancients with their science, humanity now lives with medieval technology and with a magic provided by an artifact of the ancients called icor. Sam, a malnourished peasant farm boy is marshalled into a militia to fight against the northern barbarians led by their latest chief, the wizard Unmind. A mighty clash of wizards and their armies is inevitable.
1500 years after the fall of the ancients with their science, humanity now lives with medieval technology and with a magic provided by an artifact of the ancients called icor. Sam, a malnourished peasant farm boy is marshalled into a militia to fight against the northern barbarians led by their latest chief, the wizard Unmind. A mighty clash of wizards and their armies is inevitable.
381 pages, ebook
Published April 30, 2021
46 people are currently reading
2426 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 18, 2022
Excellent world building and very interesting characters
The time frame was set after a time where the 'ancients' have fallen and with it their science is also gone. But the land of the Ceniac islands has magic in it.
The North and the South have been at war for eons and a war is in progress.
The story starts with Sam, one of the little peasant boys, who at thirteen years does not get what he should from his father. He is sad and even willing to join the militia. But better sense prevails and he works for his father. I specially should mention Red, because that was one of the most interesting characters that I have read about.
Captain Aravand started off as the perfect warrior who still wonders about the point of the creation of the Goddess and the uselessness of war, but his character has a dark streak in it, which develops well in the story.
Princess Rose is forced into a marriage as a political connection and that is when Laumas comes into the picture. He seemed to be more interested in his books than the real world.
Unmind was a truly frightening character and his ideologies and the way he encouraged his own people to demonise the enemy and mercilessly kill them was captured very well in the story.
The story moves to Sam who learns about wizards, the icor and how to summon it. But then there are more than enough misfortunes around him, starting from the failure of the harvest to his own powers, which he is unable to use or comprehend.
On top of that the effects of the war are gruesome and Sam, Violet have to deal with its after effects and even try to encourage the people to fight back against Unmind.
The author has brought in many other aspects too - treachery in politics, where each character (Morefield) has their own plans and they care about nothing else, slavery is also topic in the story, the dragon robots was a unique line.
The battle in the end, bringing every single side added to the excitement about how it could all go.
Overall, good fantasy world building in an apocalyptic future with magic and fantasy thrown in. Very good read.
The time frame was set after a time where the 'ancients' have fallen and with it their science is also gone. But the land of the Ceniac islands has magic in it.
The North and the South have been at war for eons and a war is in progress.
The story starts with Sam, one of the little peasant boys, who at thirteen years does not get what he should from his father. He is sad and even willing to join the militia. But better sense prevails and he works for his father. I specially should mention Red, because that was one of the most interesting characters that I have read about.
Captain Aravand started off as the perfect warrior who still wonders about the point of the creation of the Goddess and the uselessness of war, but his character has a dark streak in it, which develops well in the story.
Princess Rose is forced into a marriage as a political connection and that is when Laumas comes into the picture. He seemed to be more interested in his books than the real world.
Unmind was a truly frightening character and his ideologies and the way he encouraged his own people to demonise the enemy and mercilessly kill them was captured very well in the story.
The story moves to Sam who learns about wizards, the icor and how to summon it. But then there are more than enough misfortunes around him, starting from the failure of the harvest to his own powers, which he is unable to use or comprehend.
On top of that the effects of the war are gruesome and Sam, Violet have to deal with its after effects and even try to encourage the people to fight back against Unmind.
The author has brought in many other aspects too - treachery in politics, where each character (Morefield) has their own plans and they care about nothing else, slavery is also topic in the story, the dragon robots was a unique line.
The battle in the end, bringing every single side added to the excitement about how it could all go.
Overall, good fantasy world building in an apocalyptic future with magic and fantasy thrown in. Very good read.
June 1, 2021
The book ‘They came by night’ by Andrew Bathgate fantasy book full of magic. The book is approx. 388 pages long which is a great read. The book bounds you as a reader. The story is not about clans or tribes. The story is somewhere related to humanity. You can feel the magic in the book, at the same time, you will find great warriors. The story starts with small Sam you just turn thirteen. He is enthusiastic, determined, intelligent, and soft at the core.
I rated this book 4/5 because I love the book and interested in reading the next. But I couldn’t catch up with the time period of the book. I couldn’t decide whether the book belongs to the modern society that we live in or it belongs to the ancient period, where we use bow and spare to kill our enemy.
I love the combination of science and magic, which is the best fit for a fiction book like this one. The story could have been more engraved on pages if had a long timeline.
There are some characters with whom you will fall in love and they start twisting your thoughts. Personally, I felt a great attachment with Red from the beginning of the book, Captain Tar was also one of the strongest characters you will ever encounter.
I recommend this book to all those, who are willing to go on a hypothetical voyage with lots of ups and downs. But I can guarantee, you will build an empty stomach towards reading once this book is in your hand.
I rated this book 4/5 because I love the book and interested in reading the next. But I couldn’t catch up with the time period of the book. I couldn’t decide whether the book belongs to the modern society that we live in or it belongs to the ancient period, where we use bow and spare to kill our enemy.
I love the combination of science and magic, which is the best fit for a fiction book like this one. The story could have been more engraved on pages if had a long timeline.
There are some characters with whom you will fall in love and they start twisting your thoughts. Personally, I felt a great attachment with Red from the beginning of the book, Captain Tar was also one of the strongest characters you will ever encounter.
I recommend this book to all those, who are willing to go on a hypothetical voyage with lots of ups and downs. But I can guarantee, you will build an empty stomach towards reading once this book is in your hand.
April 24, 2021
You May Not Know it, but Heroes Come in All Shapes and Sizes
What makes a man or woman a hero? Some might say it's that individual's weapons, money, size, prowess, or magic (if he or she has any), or possibly the combined power and might of his/her forces or those of his/her allies. But I'm sure we all know or have heard of people who succeeded in spite of insurmountable odds, who had nothing or were knocked down time and time again, but still got up and kept trying.
This book took me by surprise when I began it, capturing my attention and not letting go. I read about characters who seemed unlikely to last hours, much less days or weeks, and I rooted for them nonetheless. And, I admired more than one underdog who turned out to be much, much more than that.
A person's appearance or background can be misleading. These factors don't and can't tell you everything, certainly not what's in his or her heart.
Andrew, I'm looking forward to reading your next book.
What makes a man or woman a hero? Some might say it's that individual's weapons, money, size, prowess, or magic (if he or she has any), or possibly the combined power and might of his/her forces or those of his/her allies. But I'm sure we all know or have heard of people who succeeded in spite of insurmountable odds, who had nothing or were knocked down time and time again, but still got up and kept trying.
This book took me by surprise when I began it, capturing my attention and not letting go. I read about characters who seemed unlikely to last hours, much less days or weeks, and I rooted for them nonetheless. And, I admired more than one underdog who turned out to be much, much more than that.
A person's appearance or background can be misleading. These factors don't and can't tell you everything, certainly not what's in his or her heart.
Andrew, I'm looking forward to reading your next book.
April 29, 2021
I really enjoyed this book, so much so that I read it over 2 days. It has characters that I was rooting for and against and I very much look forward to book two.
I wanted to give it 5 stars but there were a lot of mistakes throughout. There were typos, grammatical errors, words missing and even the wrong character's name being used during an important scene. It became a very distracting and frustrating read, mainly because I enjoyed the story and the writing style so much.
All that being said, I would still very much recommend this book but just be prepared for the above mentioned errors and try not to let it spoil your enjoyment.
I wanted to give it 5 stars but there were a lot of mistakes throughout. There were typos, grammatical errors, words missing and even the wrong character's name being used during an important scene. It became a very distracting and frustrating read, mainly because I enjoyed the story and the writing style so much.
All that being said, I would still very much recommend this book but just be prepared for the above mentioned errors and try not to let it spoil your enjoyment.
June 18, 2021
The world of this novel was very interesting. Not only did I find the history compelling, but also how the world worked, the magic system and the conflicts that are at the core of the story. I wasn't expecting the world to be what it was based on the blurb, but it was a good surprise in this case. The author did a very good job when it came to character development. While not the plot of the book, the main character Sam goes through a coming-of-age story as he tries to figure out his place in the world and it was interesting to see how his character and opinions changed as he progressed in his journey.
While I liked the world, aspects of it weren't always explained very well. Some of that was intentional, for plot purposes, but in other cases, the world-building just didn't quite work. I felt like there wasn't much tension for most of the book. The book's plot centers around a war, but it didn't really feel like much was really at stake at any point. Lastly, some passages were a little confusing. The narrative would mention something that hadn't been mentioned previously, but read like the reader was supposed to know what it was or why it was important.
While I liked the world, aspects of it weren't always explained very well. Some of that was intentional, for plot purposes, but in other cases, the world-building just didn't quite work. I felt like there wasn't much tension for most of the book. The book's plot centers around a war, but it didn't really feel like much was really at stake at any point. Lastly, some passages were a little confusing. The narrative would mention something that hadn't been mentioned previously, but read like the reader was supposed to know what it was or why it was important.
September 10, 2021
Fantastic action packed read!
Story follows young Sam who was summond to fight in a war against a colossal Northern army in place of his disabled father. He was barely 13, and an inexperienced farm boy but was sharp, fast and knew how to shoot a bow. The enemy, amassed by Unwind, threw down the black flags, showing no mercy, kill or peel everyone, such action breding fear which ultimately brought power. But who will stop them? Battle plans, strategic moves and wizardry prove to be paramount to success.
A fantastic and creative story that gripped me from the start. The plot gathers pace with each chapter, and the graphic details keeps your imagination working with ease. I love some of the guips in the story which adds a great touch of humour to this ferocious storyline. Well written, easy to follow and a great mixture of characters you either love or detest, this is a story of beating the odds with sheer blood sweat and tears. Great read.
Story follows young Sam who was summond to fight in a war against a colossal Northern army in place of his disabled father. He was barely 13, and an inexperienced farm boy but was sharp, fast and knew how to shoot a bow. The enemy, amassed by Unwind, threw down the black flags, showing no mercy, kill or peel everyone, such action breding fear which ultimately brought power. But who will stop them? Battle plans, strategic moves and wizardry prove to be paramount to success.
A fantastic and creative story that gripped me from the start. The plot gathers pace with each chapter, and the graphic details keeps your imagination working with ease. I love some of the guips in the story which adds a great touch of humour to this ferocious storyline. Well written, easy to follow and a great mixture of characters you either love or detest, this is a story of beating the odds with sheer blood sweat and tears. Great read.
December 14, 2021
Reviews helped me to find this gem.
I am not normally a fan of blending Science Fiction with Fantasy (Although they my two favourite genres.) They Came By Night Is a gripping read, with well crafted related characters. It has a strong climb from early adventure that draws you to be immersed into medieval warfare like no other. The strong scenes and strategies of war really dive deep and hooked me immensely. For fantasy and science fiction lovers who often wondered if the two worlds could ever meet? Look no further. It is naturally and beautifully implemented, and brought about it a powerful ending with lots of closure. And since I read the first instalment I had the pleasure of providing feedback personally and Andrew really is pulling out all the stops when it comes to listening to his fans!
Great Author! Great Standard for modern fantasy and science fiction in one! It brings about it new unique concepts while strongly keeping what we love about the best in both genres!
I am not normally a fan of blending Science Fiction with Fantasy (Although they my two favourite genres.) They Came By Night Is a gripping read, with well crafted related characters. It has a strong climb from early adventure that draws you to be immersed into medieval warfare like no other. The strong scenes and strategies of war really dive deep and hooked me immensely. For fantasy and science fiction lovers who often wondered if the two worlds could ever meet? Look no further. It is naturally and beautifully implemented, and brought about it a powerful ending with lots of closure. And since I read the first instalment I had the pleasure of providing feedback personally and Andrew really is pulling out all the stops when it comes to listening to his fans!
Great Author! Great Standard for modern fantasy and science fiction in one! It brings about it new unique concepts while strongly keeping what we love about the best in both genres!
February 21, 2022
I got this ebook in a "Giveaway" - I do not remember entering - in exchange for a posted review (I'm assuming written by me).
First Impression: Young adults only; otherwise, two stars.
The seasoned Sci-Fi reader would find this morality tale highly derivative and the allegories as subtle as Putin whistling and rolling his eyes as he nonchalantly strolled along the Ukrainian border.
Out of time more later, maybe.…
First Impression: Young adults only; otherwise, two stars.
The seasoned Sci-Fi reader would find this morality tale highly derivative and the allegories as subtle as Putin whistling and rolling his eyes as he nonchalantly strolled along the Ukrainian border.
Out of time more later, maybe.…
April 29, 2021
Rousing tale
I enjoyed this as a straight story. The political commentary overtones made a little more thought provoking. A pleasure to not have gratuitous profanity & sex detracting from the story. But very bloody.
I enjoyed this as a straight story. The political commentary overtones made a little more thought provoking. A pleasure to not have gratuitous profanity & sex detracting from the story. But very bloody.
March 10, 2022
Magic?
Good and evil? Depends on how you define it. More like blind rage seeking revenge and while on that path forcing changes to take place. New world coming of age although with old world interference
Good and evil? Depends on how you define it. More like blind rage seeking revenge and while on that path forcing changes to take place. New world coming of age although with old world interference
July 8, 2022
medieval themed with a twist
Medieval battles and wizardry are building, and then you learn more about a mysterious land called The Sickening and this is where your interest is hooked. Follow the different armies, and units within armies to see who will come out victorious
Medieval battles and wizardry are building, and then you learn more about a mysterious land called The Sickening and this is where your interest is hooked. Follow the different armies, and units within armies to see who will come out victorious
May 19, 2021
War, greed, hatred, ambition, tradition, culture, bravery, cowardice, honesty, treachery, empathy, sympathy, apathy, slavery, maturity, freaking robots, magic all coming together in an epic fantasy drama with characters you will care about no matter what.
Spoiler Alert: UNMIND DID NOTHING WRONG!
Spoiler Alert: UNMIND DID NOTHING WRONG!
February 28, 2022
Way too much bloodshed and battle, it went on and on. The human element was just not there.
March 12, 2022
In spite of showing very crude battle scenes, if you focus on the story you enjoy both the storyline and the characters with a fair message in the end.
April 29, 2021
An immensely and incredible work of epic fantasy written by a talented author. A brilliantly written, and enchanting read that is handsomely and completely captivating. “They Came by Night” is a must-read for every fantasy fan. Riveting characters and mesmerizing scenic scenery. A true delight!
April 29, 2021
You have to read this! The opening of an inspiring series, It has everything a dark fantasy fan desires; wizardry, love and honour, trust, battle, friendship, a fictitious Ceniac Island as well as the equipotent right to recommend it!
April 17, 2021
If book one is this good, I can't imagine what book two would be like. It had all the intrigues needed to place it on a par with the best fantasy stories, starting from war to magic to wizardry to romance and love for country. From the first page I was hooked, and I loved to see how Sam progressed from being a simple farm boy to being at the center of it all. This is one of the best fantasies I have ever read. Kudos to the writer.
April 7, 2021
What a very well-done book! The cover of the book had me interested! It such an intriguing fantasy novel that had me interested from the beginning until the end of the story. It had a mix of Game of Thrones making it more interesting for sure! The battle scenes in the story had me at the edge of my seat, and it was very descriptive. It was never boring. What a bravo, and very well done fantasy. I hope to read more from this author. Helps people understand more about what magic is all about.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews