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Northreach Saga #1
The Curse of Troius
When a fantasy world is overrun with a mob of ravenous zombies, there are no guns to stop them. No tanks. No airstrikes. Just a man with a shovel. Book In the last of the Arcane Academies, the actions of a powerful and corrupted wizard sets into motion the events that will turn the mundane world against the practicioners of magic and mark the end of the Dreaming Tower. Shunned and cast out by his fellow mages, Troius curses them all and dedicates himself to creating a scourge that will sweep the world and earn him well-deserved vengeance. North of the bustling port city of Anticus lies a tranquil backwater, populated by independent-minded rural folk making a living among the foothills of the Kronspine Mountains. In the centuries since the fall of the Dreaming Tower, these farmers and townsfolk are unaware of a lonely, isolated tower standing alone at the foot of a forgotten mountain. When the tower is breached by power-hungry outsiders, the final curse of the wizard Troius is unleashed on a land unprepared for the stalking horror of undeath, one that grows with every bite of its shuffling horde. THE CURSE OF TROIUS is a zombie novel set in a unique fantasy world. Combining strong horror elements and a low-magic fantasy setting, it tells the story of the villages that get in the way of a zombie invasion and the ill-prepared people who can only hope to survive the onslaught.
274 pages, Paperback
First published April 14, 2010
18 people want to read
About the author
Alan Edwards
23 books37 followersAlan Edwards majored in English at the University of Florida for approximately four weeks, until the endless daily grind of non-stop investigations into whether every single mention of a long straight object was nothing more than a phallic symbol made him quickly realize that he would never make it through to actually get a less-than-useful English degree. He determinedly became a drunkard and dropout afterwards.
Later, he learned the fine art of bookkeeping, decided he enjoyed it, and eventually went back to school, this time for an Accounting degree, which he was able to complete while working full-time and attending night classes for the simple reason that there was no discussion of phallic symbols.
Becoming a stalwart and valiant accountant, he set the world afire with the speed of his T-accounts, the precision of his reconciliations, and uncanny way of balancing debits and credits. By night, he dazzled and amazed all and sundry by reading, playing computer and console games as well as tabletop role-playing games, watching TV, and playing with his dogs.
Nearly all of his time is spent with his lovely wife and companion Lisa, whose patience and love quite seriously carries him through the tribulations of life.
The Curse of Troius is his first novel.
Later, he learned the fine art of bookkeeping, decided he enjoyed it, and eventually went back to school, this time for an Accounting degree, which he was able to complete while working full-time and attending night classes for the simple reason that there was no discussion of phallic symbols.
Becoming a stalwart and valiant accountant, he set the world afire with the speed of his T-accounts, the precision of his reconciliations, and uncanny way of balancing debits and credits. By night, he dazzled and amazed all and sundry by reading, playing computer and console games as well as tabletop role-playing games, watching TV, and playing with his dogs.
Nearly all of his time is spent with his lovely wife and companion Lisa, whose patience and love quite seriously carries him through the tribulations of life.
The Curse of Troius is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 1, 2011
I stumbled upon Alan's excellent "Curse of Troius" a few months back, when I first started reading works from Indie authors. I'm a fairly picky reader who gravitates towards epic and dark fantasy and some horror. I'm also a sucker for a good zombie novel.
Prior to "Curse", the last zombie novel I'd read was "Death Troopers" by Joe Schrieber, which I thought was excellent. "Curse" shined in many of the same ways as "Death Troopers" did. Both are quality, old-fashioned zombie apocalypse stories told in a unique setting (for those who don't know, "Death Troopers" is a zombie story in the Star Wars universe, while "Curse of Troius" is a zombie story in a high fantasy setting). And while "Death Troopers" is lean and mean, "Curse of Troius" carefully develops a number of worthy protagonists for us to root for and be sad for if (and, for most of the characters, when) they die.
Like any good zombie tale, the plot is pretty straightforward: an unsuspecting, sleepy town populated by a variety of characters is assaulted by a horde of ravenous zombies. The characters desperately try to escape. One thing Alan does is to provide us with a clear explanation of what causes the zombie uprising, which in this case is the dark magic of the mad mage Troius.
Throw in an innkeeper with a mysterious past (the revelation of his back story is one of my favorite aspects of the novel), a long-winded storyteller, a group of obviously dark-hearted treasure hunters, a greedy merchant, a scared nobleman, some innocent townspeople and a blacksmith with a very big hammer and you've got yourself a zombie fest for the ages.
"Trouis" is lifted above the average horror story by Alan's wry sense of humor, his vivid and visceral descriptions, and a number of scenes that linger in the memory. (My favorites are a ranger's last stand as he tries to pick off a horde of zombies via longbow from the top of a rock, a man's discovery that his mother has become a meal, and a showdown in a burning church. Great stuff.)
This is a must for zombie fans. Read it. And be glad you don't live in Daneswall.
Prior to "Curse", the last zombie novel I'd read was "Death Troopers" by Joe Schrieber, which I thought was excellent. "Curse" shined in many of the same ways as "Death Troopers" did. Both are quality, old-fashioned zombie apocalypse stories told in a unique setting (for those who don't know, "Death Troopers" is a zombie story in the Star Wars universe, while "Curse of Troius" is a zombie story in a high fantasy setting). And while "Death Troopers" is lean and mean, "Curse of Troius" carefully develops a number of worthy protagonists for us to root for and be sad for if (and, for most of the characters, when) they die.
Like any good zombie tale, the plot is pretty straightforward: an unsuspecting, sleepy town populated by a variety of characters is assaulted by a horde of ravenous zombies. The characters desperately try to escape. One thing Alan does is to provide us with a clear explanation of what causes the zombie uprising, which in this case is the dark magic of the mad mage Troius.
Throw in an innkeeper with a mysterious past (the revelation of his back story is one of my favorite aspects of the novel), a long-winded storyteller, a group of obviously dark-hearted treasure hunters, a greedy merchant, a scared nobleman, some innocent townspeople and a blacksmith with a very big hammer and you've got yourself a zombie fest for the ages.
"Trouis" is lifted above the average horror story by Alan's wry sense of humor, his vivid and visceral descriptions, and a number of scenes that linger in the memory. (My favorites are a ranger's last stand as he tries to pick off a horde of zombies via longbow from the top of a rock, a man's discovery that his mother has become a meal, and a showdown in a burning church. Great stuff.)
This is a must for zombie fans. Read it. And be glad you don't live in Daneswall.
December 2, 2012
Full review originally at Fantasy Book Critic
OVERALL RATING = 3 & 1/2 stars
ANALYSIS: Alan Edwards’ debut attracted my attention for a couple of reasons; primarily because Alan’s debut featured zombies and a small village that was unprepared to face the zombie threat, I was excited to see how this debutante would utilize zombies in a fantasy setting. Secondly it came with Steven Montano’s glowing recommendation, I always keep an eye out for his recommendations as I've found that his views match mine to a certain extent.
The story has multiple plot threads and begins with various characters; the first one is about the banishment of the wizard Troius for his heinous and malevolent acts against simple folk. Then we get a POV from a wizard who is in training and then further events occur that form the back story of this book. The story has a lengthy prologue and we get to meet one of the main protagonists in the first chapter, who remains nameless for quite a while in the book. We are then slowly and surely introduced to all major characters of the village and thus the author further diversifies the POV structure. The story then is propelled forward by having certain events to take place that cause the zombie outbreak to occur and then the author gives us a very visceral and close eye view of the events that unfurl.
The author then completely unleashes the myriad action and gore-filled sequences as various parties are stricken by the undead horde while a few others manage to make a stand and try to save their skin. The book has some constant plot switches as well changes in POV narratives thereby keeping the readers on their toes but also at the same having the effect of a bit of narrative vertigo. I don’t know whether the author did this purposefully but often the narrative switches to a completely new character that might not make it till the end of the plot thread. There’s this unpredictability factor that makes the read that much more of a page-turning kind.
The story also has a large character cast however not all of them get to be on stage for long and several of them meet quite some gruesome ends. The story however has quite a lot of pace to it, the events are quickly set up and the author wastes no time to get into the main happenings. This will be helpful to the reader, as they will be racing along with the story to see what happens next. The biggest drawback of the story is also one of its unique features namely the multivariate POV cast and the constant switches. It makes the story appeared more hurried than it is, it also it doesn't give the reader much time to form connections with any of the characters as they are unsure whether they might make it through along with with changes as well.
This overall story felt like the Dawn of the Dead crossed with the Relic, featuring zombies that are chasing their prey in a closeted environment of sorts, has been done to death but surprisingly not in the fantasy field. Alan Edwards exploits this wonderful idea and give us a harrowing read wherein the reader gets an omniscient view into some horrific events. One of the main characters bears a close resemblance to agent Pendergast of the Relic-Reliquary duology and his entry into the story is very similar to that of Pendergast’s, mysterious and alluring. Another drawback to this tale is the fact that it often feels like a lengthy prologue to the story that is yet to come. The story also ends on an abrupt note of sorts and of course this means that the reader will be very curious to read the next book. (or atleast that’s what I think the authorial intent was)
I as a reader couldn't shake that feeling and I think a few others might share the same thoughts. The author however does his best to however keep the reader entertained while shining a light on various nooks and corners of his world and its backstory. I think this move was done so that those very things will come into play in the future volumes. The prose standard is good however it is not something that will have critics dancing with glee. Lastly the author lays the seeds for the future stories and it will be up to the reader to catch them and think upon what the future holds for our survivors.
CONCLUSION: Mixing zombies and fantasy, Alan Edwards decides to turn a few tropes on their heads while giving his readers an interesting story and the first volume of the Northreach saga. The Curse Of Troius is an entertaining read and it veritably heralds an author who’s not afraid to meld genres and tropes and force the readers to let go of their pre-conceived notions. Alan Edwards has given us a very good story, read this debut if you are tired of the usual zombie or fantasy fare.
June 16, 2011
*This review is C&P from my blog and was reviewed by, Malryk~
Enhanced zombies, Prime medieval setting, Insidious magic, and a Catastrophic shovel - all the makings of the word EPIC!
This book was recommended to me by a good friend of mine, and I freely say that I was excited. One just needs to look at the title of the review. When we start out with the,"Curse of Troius," we get a glimpse of not so much magical nature as the last days *of* magic. When this happened, I was more than a little sad of what we would be missing - especially after the tavern scene (you'll know it when you see it ;) ). However, this did not seem to impede nor take away from the progression and style of the story. We're thrown into a variety of folk, some who have experienced horrible scenarios, some with mysterious pasts, and some who have yet to show that they're worth anything more than the ale they have on the table. The story is compelling, the characters range from mildly-amusing to enigmatic (think "first encounter of "Stranger").
As the story progresses, we feel the slow building up of the release that we know is the zombie apocalypse. There-is-no-hope, that warm fuzzy feeling we get when the end of the world is neigh. Characters you may have hoped to have had a happy ending may or may not be gone - characters you may want to die in horrible way may or may not survive. It's up to you guys to read the book and see for yourselves the awesomeness that is the walking dead. A forewarning - there is not immediate carnage. If you want a book that gives you blood and guts from start to finish, go play Halo or re-watch Dawn of the Dead. If you want something with zombies and an actual story, read this book.
Hope all who read it enjoy it!
Oh, and a note to the author:
"If I don't see a sequel within the next two years, a zombie-pox upon you :)"
Enhanced zombies, Prime medieval setting, Insidious magic, and a Catastrophic shovel - all the makings of the word EPIC!
This book was recommended to me by a good friend of mine, and I freely say that I was excited. One just needs to look at the title of the review. When we start out with the,"Curse of Troius," we get a glimpse of not so much magical nature as the last days *of* magic. When this happened, I was more than a little sad of what we would be missing - especially after the tavern scene (you'll know it when you see it ;) ). However, this did not seem to impede nor take away from the progression and style of the story. We're thrown into a variety of folk, some who have experienced horrible scenarios, some with mysterious pasts, and some who have yet to show that they're worth anything more than the ale they have on the table. The story is compelling, the characters range from mildly-amusing to enigmatic (think "first encounter of "Stranger").
As the story progresses, we feel the slow building up of the release that we know is the zombie apocalypse. There-is-no-hope, that warm fuzzy feeling we get when the end of the world is neigh. Characters you may have hoped to have had a happy ending may or may not be gone - characters you may want to die in horrible way may or may not survive. It's up to you guys to read the book and see for yourselves the awesomeness that is the walking dead. A forewarning - there is not immediate carnage. If you want a book that gives you blood and guts from start to finish, go play Halo or re-watch Dawn of the Dead. If you want something with zombies and an actual story, read this book.
Hope all who read it enjoy it!
Oh, and a note to the author:
"If I don't see a sequel within the next two years, a zombie-pox upon you :)"
September 4, 2013
Two Thirds of the Northreach Saga: This review is for both the Curse of Troius and The Storm of Northreach - the first two thirds of the Northreach Saga.
Firstly, let me say I found both to be a truly fun ride through the perils of this totally original fantasy kingdom! In structure, I would compare them to the first Star Wars and its sequel, The Empire Strikes Back. The first book/movie are a snowball ride from the opening through the fast-paced action to the exciting conclusion. The second book/movie involves a step back to a much broader view of the 'world' in which the trials and tribulations of the protagonists unravel before us. We meet many new citizens, view the central crisis from many perspectives, and become involved in the lives of people everywhere trying to simply survive the curse of the undead horde (Northreach) or, that of the rapidly expanding Empire (Star Wars)!
The creator of Northreach gives us a plethora of three-dimensional characters we can love or hate, cheer for or despise in the first book. These folk were at the site of the beginning of the 'Curse'. As if those were not enough, the expansion of our world view affords Alan Edwards a chance to show us more towns and settlements and introduce many more characters we get to know just before the troubles catch up with them. This character-driven writing style touched me and I cringed in pain at the suffering, laughed at the brief moments of humor, and hoped for the survival and future of those I came to love.
I am now anxious for the third supplement in this Saga! Except for some editorial snags here and there in the second novel, I found the storytelling smooth and clear, colorful and exciting, and designed to suck me into each and every scene. I have more favorite characters in these two books than I have had in MANY previous book series. To say that I recommend these books highly to fans of medieval fantasy and/or zombie tales, is a gross understatement. Both are available in print copies and e-book editions through Amazon.
Turn your imagination over to the author and let him play therein and bring you to know Northreach and the saga of its greatest challenge!
Firstly, let me say I found both to be a truly fun ride through the perils of this totally original fantasy kingdom! In structure, I would compare them to the first Star Wars and its sequel, The Empire Strikes Back. The first book/movie are a snowball ride from the opening through the fast-paced action to the exciting conclusion. The second book/movie involves a step back to a much broader view of the 'world' in which the trials and tribulations of the protagonists unravel before us. We meet many new citizens, view the central crisis from many perspectives, and become involved in the lives of people everywhere trying to simply survive the curse of the undead horde (Northreach) or, that of the rapidly expanding Empire (Star Wars)!
The creator of Northreach gives us a plethora of three-dimensional characters we can love or hate, cheer for or despise in the first book. These folk were at the site of the beginning of the 'Curse'. As if those were not enough, the expansion of our world view affords Alan Edwards a chance to show us more towns and settlements and introduce many more characters we get to know just before the troubles catch up with them. This character-driven writing style touched me and I cringed in pain at the suffering, laughed at the brief moments of humor, and hoped for the survival and future of those I came to love.
I am now anxious for the third supplement in this Saga! Except for some editorial snags here and there in the second novel, I found the storytelling smooth and clear, colorful and exciting, and designed to suck me into each and every scene. I have more favorite characters in these two books than I have had in MANY previous book series. To say that I recommend these books highly to fans of medieval fantasy and/or zombie tales, is a gross understatement. Both are available in print copies and e-book editions through Amazon.
Turn your imagination over to the author and let him play therein and bring you to know Northreach and the saga of its greatest challenge!
May 23, 2011
I'll admit it; this was my first zombie book. I was intrigued because of the fantasy aspect of the book. Edwards did not disappoint me. The way he created the zombies and incorporated them into a fantasy setting was amazing. His transitions between scenes and characters were flawless. Everything about the book, every word spoken moved the plot towards its fantastic (though gory) end. The way he described the zombies and the way they moved and moaned will have me up the next night the wind blows a little hard. This is a great read, one that should not be missed. A GREAT start to the saga. I can not wait for the next installment!
August 15, 2011
This is likely the best period zombie piece I've ever read, although not for the squeamish or faint of heart. The characters are varied, well-developed, and the plot full of surprises, twists and turns you won't see coming.
A must-read for anyone who love's zombies, and the author is planning a sequel, which I certainly will pick up when available.
Note: the only reason it took me so long to read was because I got distracted by other projects. This book is very fast paced an engaging. When I came back to it, I had no issues jumping right back into where I'd left off.
A must-read for anyone who love's zombies, and the author is planning a sequel, which I certainly will pick up when available.
Note: the only reason it took me so long to read was because I got distracted by other projects. This book is very fast paced an engaging. When I came back to it, I had no issues jumping right back into where I'd left off.
March 30, 2011
A fun read, made more fun by recognizing real life friends "in-disguise" in the cast of characters. Great work, Alan. Looking forward to Book 2. :)
March 30, 2011
A fun read, made more fun by recognizing real life friends "in-disguise" in the cast of characters. Great work, Alan. Looking forward to Book 2. :)
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews