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The Quickborn Odyssey
In the twilight years of a diminishing Earth, humanity’s survival rests on the shoulders of a twelve-year-old boy. Not because he’s special, or royal, or gifted, but because he’s unwanted. And thus, the terrible burden became his. Tullus awakes each day with a to save a child or save the world. He has made the smart decision—the easy decision—too many times. But on this day, he makes the other choice. Tullus escapes with a quickborn child, one marked for destruction by the Sorcerer Chaustus.
And the Odyssey begins.
Tullus is now in a race to reach the one place where a quickborn will be safe. But in a world where the ridiculous and the mundane are in constant struggle, he will need to dodge sand pirates, outsmart an ogre army, cross an animate jungle, enter the city of the blind, and face many more dangers. But will Tullus, his band of outcasts, and the quickborn escape, or are they all just pawns in a more sinister game?
And the Odyssey begins.
Tullus is now in a race to reach the one place where a quickborn will be safe. But in a world where the ridiculous and the mundane are in constant struggle, he will need to dodge sand pirates, outsmart an ogre army, cross an animate jungle, enter the city of the blind, and face many more dangers. But will Tullus, his band of outcasts, and the quickborn escape, or are they all just pawns in a more sinister game?
334 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 13, 2022
5 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Phil Coleman
5 books4 followersAuthor of middle grade, young adult, fantasy, adventure, and science fiction.
Phil Coleman lives at the end of the road in the side of a mountain. Having grown up with hobbits, tesseracts, and spaceships, he is a lover of stories that take us to other worlds to teach us about our own.
He is the author of five books for both middle grade and young adult readers, has a creative writing MFA specializing in genre fiction from Western Colorado University, and has been a writer in residence with the Crested Butte Center for the Arts.
His stories are about grounded characters taking a stand despite incredible odds, with themes of family, friendship, and the environment.
Phil Coleman lives at the end of the road in the side of a mountain. Having grown up with hobbits, tesseracts, and spaceships, he is a lover of stories that take us to other worlds to teach us about our own.
He is the author of five books for both middle grade and young adult readers, has a creative writing MFA specializing in genre fiction from Western Colorado University, and has been a writer in residence with the Crested Butte Center for the Arts.
His stories are about grounded characters taking a stand despite incredible odds, with themes of family, friendship, and the environment.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 13, 2022
My children (13,11, and 7) devour books at a rapid pace, so I am always on the lookout for new titles I think they will enjoy. This is, without a doubt, a title that I am adding to their must-read list. Even as an adult reader, once I was a few chapters in, I couldn’t put this story down.
Set in a world where a precarious balance of energy is the only thing keeping untamed magic from consuming the natural world, The Quickborn Odyssey is wild and entertaining ride from beginning to end. The story begins when the main character, Tullus, finds himself in a place where he must make a difficult decision, but in trying to do what is right he inadvertently sets a world altering chain of events in motion.
Packed full of whimsical and imaginative characters, entertaining plot twists, and settings that can literally come to life, you never know what is coming around the next corner. With every new encounter, the stakes continue to rise, and it becomes apparent that things are not necessarily what they first seem.
This book offers plenty of action, tension, and conflict without crossing that line of being too intense or stressful for middle grade readers. Its content is engaging yet appropriate, the language is advanced but accessible, and the characters are both dynamic and endearing. Thematically, this story offers readers the opportunity to consider difficult questions without crossing that line of being too dark. As a parent of young readers this combination of attributes is refreshing to encounter in a story as I know from experience that is a difficult balance to find.
I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Quickborn Odyssey. It is a delightful fall down the rabbit hole, one you don’t want to miss!
Set in a world where a precarious balance of energy is the only thing keeping untamed magic from consuming the natural world, The Quickborn Odyssey is wild and entertaining ride from beginning to end. The story begins when the main character, Tullus, finds himself in a place where he must make a difficult decision, but in trying to do what is right he inadvertently sets a world altering chain of events in motion.
Packed full of whimsical and imaginative characters, entertaining plot twists, and settings that can literally come to life, you never know what is coming around the next corner. With every new encounter, the stakes continue to rise, and it becomes apparent that things are not necessarily what they first seem.
This book offers plenty of action, tension, and conflict without crossing that line of being too intense or stressful for middle grade readers. Its content is engaging yet appropriate, the language is advanced but accessible, and the characters are both dynamic and endearing. Thematically, this story offers readers the opportunity to consider difficult questions without crossing that line of being too dark. As a parent of young readers this combination of attributes is refreshing to encounter in a story as I know from experience that is a difficult balance to find.
I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Quickborn Odyssey. It is a delightful fall down the rabbit hole, one you don’t want to miss!
January 11, 2022
An Entertaining Read!
I had the opportunity to to read an advanced copy of the Quickborn Odyssey, by Phil Coleman. The book tells the story of a twelve-year-old boy, Tullus, who is charged with the duty of delivering unwanted children to their destruction. Innocent children that tip the balance of an ever shrinking world to either the Quicklands, or to the Everlands. After years of doing his duty, one day, Tullus makes a different choice. In choosing to save a child, Tullus sets a chain of events in motion and launches himself into a journey across the lands where he encounters friend and foe alike.
I found this to be a highly imaginative, action packed, never a dull moment, full of twists and turns, kind of book. The face-paced plot weaves together a rich tapestry of memorable characters and settings, laced with bits of humor and intrigue. The author creates a vivid landscape easily imagined by the reader. The characters are varied and engaging, each in their own way. The plot takes the reader on a tour of discovery through the entire known world from one end to the other. The book delivers an ending that does not disappoint, and leaves the reader with plenty to chew on, as well as a question to answer.
A true fantasy adventure, complete with a map, riddles, folk songs, and enchanted books. This story evokes a fairytale flavor, reminiscent of Hansel and Gretel, Narnia, Peter Pan, and The Wizard of Oz.
I feel this book would appeal to young adult readers, however, I would recommend it to anyone, as it is a very enjoyable read. Looking forward to more from this author.
I had the opportunity to to read an advanced copy of the Quickborn Odyssey, by Phil Coleman. The book tells the story of a twelve-year-old boy, Tullus, who is charged with the duty of delivering unwanted children to their destruction. Innocent children that tip the balance of an ever shrinking world to either the Quicklands, or to the Everlands. After years of doing his duty, one day, Tullus makes a different choice. In choosing to save a child, Tullus sets a chain of events in motion and launches himself into a journey across the lands where he encounters friend and foe alike.
I found this to be a highly imaginative, action packed, never a dull moment, full of twists and turns, kind of book. The face-paced plot weaves together a rich tapestry of memorable characters and settings, laced with bits of humor and intrigue. The author creates a vivid landscape easily imagined by the reader. The characters are varied and engaging, each in their own way. The plot takes the reader on a tour of discovery through the entire known world from one end to the other. The book delivers an ending that does not disappoint, and leaves the reader with plenty to chew on, as well as a question to answer.
A true fantasy adventure, complete with a map, riddles, folk songs, and enchanted books. This story evokes a fairytale flavor, reminiscent of Hansel and Gretel, Narnia, Peter Pan, and The Wizard of Oz.
I feel this book would appeal to young adult readers, however, I would recommend it to anyone, as it is a very enjoyable read. Looking forward to more from this author.
January 14, 2022
I've been looking for a great adventure/hero's journey story for a long time and Coleman's book fits the bill!
The Quickborn Odyssey draws on a long tradition of books/movies such as The Giver, Wizard of Oz and Miyazaki movies. Coleman has a vast knowledge of literature and legends. He uses this to create an expansive world full of excitement and adventure.
The Plot:
In a post-apocalyptic world filled with magic, a young boy, named Tullus, has been tasked to "maintain the balance" with the human population. By doing so, he keeps the remaining habitable land from being engulfed by magic. However, his choice to save a young child throws the world into turmoil.
This leads Tullus on a quest to not only save the child but to find a new way to live. Along the way he encounters pirates, wizards, strange monsters and sorceresses. This all leads to an exciting and surprising finale.
I would recommend this book for reading as a family or for advanced readers in upper elementary. Check it out!
The Quickborn Odyssey draws on a long tradition of books/movies such as The Giver, Wizard of Oz and Miyazaki movies. Coleman has a vast knowledge of literature and legends. He uses this to create an expansive world full of excitement and adventure.
The Plot:
In a post-apocalyptic world filled with magic, a young boy, named Tullus, has been tasked to "maintain the balance" with the human population. By doing so, he keeps the remaining habitable land from being engulfed by magic. However, his choice to save a young child throws the world into turmoil.
This leads Tullus on a quest to not only save the child but to find a new way to live. Along the way he encounters pirates, wizards, strange monsters and sorceresses. This all leads to an exciting and surprising finale.
I would recommend this book for reading as a family or for advanced readers in upper elementary. Check it out!
February 5, 2022
I was immediately swept up into this journey, rooting for the protagonist while simultaneously marveling at the creativity that was clearly poured into the story. This is not my typical genre, but now I’m counting the days until I can read the story with my first grader.
January 28, 2022
I'm so impressed by the creativity and the storytelling. Would highly reccommend.
July 22, 2022
Good character building and lots of interesting and exciting action from chapter to chapter.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews