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Markan Empire Trilogy #1
Markan Throne
The man who won the right to it in battle, the man who demanded it through hate, and the sylph who didn't want it.
Two rival claimants to the vacant Markan throne meet in battle. When Marcus defeats his cousin Branad, it seems the matter is settled. But Marcus is implicated in a murder and all claims to the throne are suspended.
Zenepha, an intelligent and literate sylph, is plunged into the depths of Markan politics when he is thrust unwillingly onto the throne.
A third claimant, Hingast, is traveling to Marka, determined to press his claim and prepared to use force to get his way.
Marcus and Kelanus must prove their innocence before it is too late and the throne again falls into abeyance or, worse, to Hingast.
*
A novel of 180 thousand words
Two rival claimants to the vacant Markan throne meet in battle. When Marcus defeats his cousin Branad, it seems the matter is settled. But Marcus is implicated in a murder and all claims to the throne are suspended.
Zenepha, an intelligent and literate sylph, is plunged into the depths of Markan politics when he is thrust unwillingly onto the throne.
A third claimant, Hingast, is traveling to Marka, determined to press his claim and prepared to use force to get his way.
Marcus and Kelanus must prove their innocence before it is too late and the throne again falls into abeyance or, worse, to Hingast.
*
A novel of 180 thousand words
541 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 4, 2011
2 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas A. Rose
7 books23 followersNicholas A. Rose was born and lives in North Wales. Loves anything to do with the sea, the outdoors, mountains, photography and, of course, writing.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 7, 2012
After going through a few of the downloaded ebooks in my queue on my ereader, I decided to start on this first novel I downloaded during Smashwords's Read an Ebook Week promotion. This tells the story of the contenders to an imperial throne that has sat unoccupied for more than a century and all the intrigues behind those who would stake a claim to it, or ensure that it remains empty.
I've read some very good amateur/independent/self-published fiction in my time, but it isn't necessarily common, and I'll admit I wasn't expecting much from this book when I began reading it. In that regard, I was pleasantly disappointed. A strong world was built right from the start, one that showed a clear understanding of how medieval society and politics worked. At the same time, the fantasy element was ever-present and skillfully woven into the historical basis of this world, in a way that made it seem very natural in a way I have rarely seen in fantasy. The result was a rich, unique, and engaging world that did not merely draw from existing mythology but created its own and made it real.
It was a slower book than most I've read, with few moments of actual action and much of the novel devoted to politics and scheming, but far from it to say it wasn't good or interesting. It's not what I would call a casual read, as it took my full attention to keep track of all the characters and the various elements of the story. I did find some climactic events lost a bit of their impact due to much information being revealed beforehand; while said information was revealed sensibly, it did undermine the surprise of what could have been a much more dramatic event.
Still, I found this a very enjoyable and recommended read, and I am certainly interested in seeing where the story goes in the second book of the trilogy. The precedent set in this book seems to be building towards quite an epic conclusion.
I've read some very good amateur/independent/self-published fiction in my time, but it isn't necessarily common, and I'll admit I wasn't expecting much from this book when I began reading it. In that regard, I was pleasantly disappointed. A strong world was built right from the start, one that showed a clear understanding of how medieval society and politics worked. At the same time, the fantasy element was ever-present and skillfully woven into the historical basis of this world, in a way that made it seem very natural in a way I have rarely seen in fantasy. The result was a rich, unique, and engaging world that did not merely draw from existing mythology but created its own and made it real.
It was a slower book than most I've read, with few moments of actual action and much of the novel devoted to politics and scheming, but far from it to say it wasn't good or interesting. It's not what I would call a casual read, as it took my full attention to keep track of all the characters and the various elements of the story. I did find some climactic events lost a bit of their impact due to much information being revealed beforehand; while said information was revealed sensibly, it did undermine the surprise of what could have been a much more dramatic event.
Still, I found this a very enjoyable and recommended read, and I am certainly interested in seeing where the story goes in the second book of the trilogy. The precedent set in this book seems to be building towards quite an epic conclusion.
Displaying 1 of 1 review