Inherited Danger

The Dawning of Power #2

by Brian Rathbone

Alternate Cover Edition for ASIN B003ZUYQE8

Catrin leaves her homeland behind as she goes in search of knowledge and peace, unaware that she will face the greatest evil her world has ever known.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult, Ebooks, Adventure, Amazon, Audiobook

278 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

A former horse trainer and computer programmer, Brian Rathbone used his old world knowledge and love of fantasy fiction to create The World of Godsland fantasy series, which begins with The Dawning of Power trilogy.

The World of Godsland fantasy series includes:

Call of the Herald
Inherited Danger
Dragon Ore
Regent
Feral
Regal
The Fifth Magic
Dragonhold
The Seventh Magic

Reviews

[Milica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I expected to encounter a middle-book syndrome here, but I was pleasantly surprised.
It was quite a journey and the only thing that kinda annoyed me was Catrin's too-sudden character growth. I mean, one would argue that it is justifiable considering the circumstances, but I just wasn't buying it. I'm usually very good at suspending my disbelief, but it was just too quick for my taste.
All in all, one terrific sequel.

[Mikaela Robertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second book in the Dawning of Power series. It was an adventurous, interesting read. There were many more interesting characters in this one, which made it enjoyable. As far as fantasy books go, it’s fairly average and you won’t be disappointed with it. I read it quickly but not urgently, and as with the first book, there were many times I had to just ignore that voice in my head saying “what the?” and “as if,” and “you’ve got to be kidding me”. As with the first book, if you’re looking for an easy read in a genre you like, these are pretty standard and will give you a good read. If you liked the first book, well I think this one gets better in some ways, so you’ll probably really like this one.

Official review over. Rant begins now. Here is a selection of the things which frustrated me with this book.

* The main character has no goal. She's not working towards anything. She doesn't know what she's doing. I tried to explain to someone while I was reading it what the 'big save the world story line' was, and honestly, the main character has no idea, so why would I? She doesn't know what she's doing, or what she wants to do, or anything.

* People seem to die for no reason. It wouldn't affect the plot either way, so why kill them? Why bring them this far if that's all you were going to do? (i.e. horseman and mother monk, and also, now that I think about it, her father)

* There is one scene with the bad guy in it, and he barely gets a mention. Not the big showdown I was expecting. Pretty pathetic bad guy for someone so apparently evil. Why didn't she (or the others) just kill him and be done with it? Why was she more scared of her fiance than the evil guy?

* The logic of 'let's hide where they won't look for us' didn't really work. The enemy knew that's where they were heading, so why did they continue on that path - that was the only reason they were going there. Would have been easier to destroy all the enemy and stay right where you are. As I said, there's nothing driving the plot forward except that they just keep moving.

* Benjin - really - with all his super amazing skills, he didn't think to hide his giant bag full of gold coins? He didn't think to protect them from bad guys? He didn't notice they were robbing him? And then why worry about the coins in the story line anyway, if they weren't going to need any and it made no difference whether or not they were robbed?

* Catrin knew she wasn't going to get married because she was planning on destroying the statue halfway through...so why was she going on about her wedding day like it was real?

* Catrin’s grandmother changed personality so damn quickly. That was weird. Also, Catrin was ‘teasing’ the scary guard and tripping him? Seriously? That’s wasn’t realistic either. And where did he disappear to anyway?

* How the heck did the enemy (Zjhon) all of a sudden know where they were hiding?

* Why didn't Benjin mention he knew the woman at the monk, and why didn't they go for that one in the first place? Kept that a secret until the right time, for no reason at all...it just seemed to pop up out as a coincidence.

* What did revealing Benjin’s story on the ship achieve? Why trap him into revealing it when it really didn’t tell anyone anything helpful?

* When Catrin asks for herbs to help Chase. Um, you’re not the herb healer, Benjin is.

* Catrin’s a teenage girl and she never has thoughts about boys, even when she gets kissed.

* All of a sudden Strom, Osbourne and Chase have made it their life goals to protect Catrin. WTF, why? Why do they care about her so much, even more than each other and themselves? I mean, Chase, ok, he’s family. But I just don’t believe these teenage guys are all so obsessed with making their lives about protecting her.

* It’s frustrating that Catrin ‘never knows what she’s going to do’. Well she obviously did have some idea, because she knew what to do straight away. Why doesn’t she even try to think of a plan? Why didn’t she ask anyone how they destroyed the statues in the old days? If the rest of the books are going to be like this (i.e. no plan, I’ll just show up and think of something in a split second under pressure) then I don’t know if I could keep reading.


* “A motherly looking woman” – WTF. What’s a motherly looking woman look like? How does a captain of the hugest ship they’ve ever seen, a pirate and rebel, only get described as motherly looking?

* Every time a serious, information-revealing conversation begins, it gets interrupted and they all forget to continue it. AS IF THAT WOULD HAPPEN IN REAL LIFE. Oh yeah, we’ll just continue this in a few weeks, when I suddenly care about finding out everything I need to know again.

* I was wondering the whole time why they were going to get help from the monks when the monks are part of the enemy land and they all hate and are terrified of the prophecied herald. Only like 3/4 through did they bother to explain that the monks are neutral and don't take sides. Probably should have mentioned that a long time ago.

* The book doesn't finish with an ending. Every book is supposed to have an ending in and of itself, which contributes to the overall series. Cliffhangers at the end of books just make me feel cheated. The only reason I was reading was to find out what happens. Well you shouldn't set up a mini plot and not finish it. Not happy. I won't pay for more books when I know every book ends like this.

* Ok so I'm STILL confused as to why Catrin's own country doesn't like her, when she's said to be their saviour. What.the.heck.

* What is the point of showing us Nat's visions? I don't get it. And frankly, I don't care about his visions. They don't add anything to the story.

* Too many perfect quotes. It's like every line is perfectly wise and philosophical and should be made into a poster.

* And, lastly, a quote right out of the Lord of the Rings (where Gandalf pretends his staff is a walking stick to avoid it being taken by the guards). COME ON.

Ok now to be nice.

Having said all that, it was a pretty good book, it's a bit unique to other fantasy books I've read. Here are some examples of good bits: The main character is seen as a bad guy by everyone except her family and no one wants her magic. There are some cool places in the books which I'd love to know more about, and the descriptions are great. It's got lots of little philosophical quotes and though I find it annoying, maybe others think that it's cool. The magic is based off energy from the comets, there's a fair bit of thought put into how it works. There are lots of points of view in the book so it feels like lots is happening and you get a pretty well-rounded view of all the different things going on. (Having said that, if we just focused on Catrin the whole time, her story might be a bit better.)

I did like the book, I'm just fairly critical, but I still read the first two in only a couple days and I'd probably read more (if I didn't have a huge pile/list of books and other ebooks to get through). I'll save it for a rainy day when I'm just looking for something to sit down and enjoy.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

Inherited Danger by Brian Rathbone, book two in the Dawning of Power Series. . This is a traditional fantasy with a coming of age story at its center. Like book one, the writing and the world building made this book a real page turner and the short length did not hurt either. I enjoyed this book as it fits right into my personal taste.

This second book is an overall fun read, but it could have been so much more. The unfortunate thing about this book is that nothing happens for more than a third of the book. Thankfully, the writing makes it so it doesn't plod along.

I am a lover of fantasy so my review is biased but this a solid and fun main stream fantasy. I recommend it to all ages of fans of the genre.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The journey

Catrin, the Herald of Istra, travels with her guardians to the land of her mother's birthplace to learn to control her powers. During this book, she grows from a girl to a woman, makes hard decisions, watches people she loves fall to the enemy, and is called to make the ultimate sacrifice. The story is well told and I'm looking forward to the next book.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book draw me in so completely that I started the third one immediately upon the conclusion of this one. If you are a fan of the fantasy genre, you will enjoy this series. There is plenty of action without pure gore, magic without preachiness and an overall sense of the good of humanity contained within.

[Volpot · Rating 3 out of 5]

I previously reviewed the first book in this trilogy: Call of the Herald. Everything I said in that review basically stands for this book and the next as well. Understandably so, since it's apparent that all 3 books were likely written at the same time as a single book and split for convenience.

Now books 2 and 3 being the same as book 1 has good and bad points. The good is that the story is still interesting and the main character is still engaging.

However, the deficiencies become increasingly distracting. We still have secondary characters who have no apparent reason for existing, minor story-lines that contribute little to the overall narrative, and a main character whose erratic swings between helpless/juvenile/incompetent behavior and Wonder Woman are sometimes annoying.

Having said all that...I read book 2 and then bought book 3 and read it too. Go figure.

Just make this a book to read on an airplane or during or between some other light activity. It's generally interesting and enjoyable and a good bargain on Kindle. I'm not sorry I bought the books.

[CJ Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty familiar storyline, where a young farmperson from a secluded unremarkable place becomes The Chosen One and they use their newfound powers to save the kingdom/galaxy.
I am torn on this book. I find the author's voice and the main character grating for a reason I cannot nail down, I'm annoyed by how often characters seem to just psychically 'know' things, but I'm interested in the story and finding out where it goes. I picked up the second book, hoping to resolve this conflict, and found little changing in my opinion. So I'm going to call it quits after that.

[Avid · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the short free teaser offered introducing many of these characters and boy does everything click in both books so much better. As a standalone I am giving it a 3-star rating, but if the two were to be considered together... I would put it close to 4+. I look forward to the next book. This is definitely a series which builds. However, it is worth it even if it takes time getting off the ground at the start.

Recommended 👍

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous!

I've just finished the 2nd book after a straight-through reading of the 1st and I have to say that these books are a tremendous read!

It took me a long time to decide to start them, but once I started I couldn't stop. Start to finish, you just can't put them down. Can't wait for the next one!

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inherited Danger
This is a well written series that any SiFi reader will enjoy. Book two is very well done. It involves the finding of her family's past, making new allies, and developing the skill that will be needed to continue the fight against evil. The characters continue to develop their own life mission. 2019

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think overall this one was better written than the Call of the Herald, but I still feel like the writing is missing something. I think part of the issue is that a lot of the events seem to be forced, and things are being pushed through too quickly without any hiccups aside from the bigger ones. I find it enjoyable and interesting enough to move to the next book regardless.

[Sjoerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice sequel to a nice book. A well-written story continues with the same characters and introduces some new characters with their own POV. This was confusing at times, but I'm sure it sets up for a great third, concluding book.

[Gayle Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book and book one, free, so I read them. I really liked them.

The characters are well written. I could see each in my minds eye. Everything was easy to follow and understand.

[Gary Deveau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo

The epic fantasy continues to bring countless hours of enjoyed reading! I MUST continue to the next book to see how the journey progresses and yet I don't want it to end. Such a problem only found in great look series. It is worth the journey though!

[Susan Zoch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book of a fantasy coming of age book. The writing is very detailed so at times you feel like you are making the journey with the characters. Although at times it is slow. i enjoyed the journey and it was a complete story. Going on to the third book.

[Gen Giggles · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is an interesting expansion on the first book. A young woman's attempts to stay alive because she is being hunted for existing makes for a compelling story.

[Belinda Earl Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of danger

The book is fraught with one danger for Catrin and her guardians after another. One wants to read more to see what happens next.

[Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice continuation

An intriguing sequel. Keeping things moving Catrin meets the challenges, meets new people. Well written and developed. Good young adult book.

[Becky Christensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Heroine

Loved the building of relationships in this novel. This would be a great series for middle grade fantasy readers. Another world for readers to be drawn into.

[Brenda . · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. I enjoyed the adventures of Caitlin. Can't wait to read the next one.

[Kathy Brickert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic

A great tale that continues on! Such a great story of so many characters! It's hard to see where the journey will go from here, but it keeps you reading! Great read!

[Ed Underfinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a world in danger, opposing factions of magic, and even a hint of dragons, this is classic fantasy.

[Suzie Quint]

Included in Dark Matter & Dragons

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a great book to read

[Dwayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoy the story telling that brings the books together!

[Jen Christopherson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect story to follow the first one! The characters and plot are magnificent and the pacing was fantastic!

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book was a bit uneven, there were parts that were excellent and the ending was well done. I have ordered book 3 and look forward to reading it.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good YA read. I will read the next one.

[Greta G. Hambsch · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK-I've satisfied my goal of reading 1 fantasy book a year. Fast read. Didn't miss much by going to book 2 first. I won't bother with any other books in the series.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It says something about a book when it takes longer than a couple days to read it. I average a book every 2 or 3 days and for this book it took me 9 days to finish.