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The Broken World #1
Children of Another God
When a young peasant girl is injured while hunting, she meets a strange, magical man who is a member of a despised race – Mujar. Truemen scorn the shape-shifting unmen for their odd, humble ways, and envy their power over the elements. Mujar do not use their powers for good or evil, they simply exist, immortal and apparently purposeless.
Now a scourge is sweeping the land, armies of mounted warriors who cannot be defeated are wiping out Truemankind without mercy. They are known as the Black Riders, but no one knows where they come from or why they seem bent on exterminating every man, woman and child. Talsy traps the Mujar with gold, which has an odd effect on them, to make him help her, but her father intends to throw him in a Pit, from which he will be unable to escape.
Talsy does not believe the Mujar deserves such a fate, so she frees him and begs him to take her with him on his journey. He agrees, and they set off across Shamarese, continuing his quest to find an old hermit’s lost son. There is far more at stake than Talsy realises, however, and she has innocently stumbled upon the last free Mujar, who has the power to decide the fate of her race…
Now a scourge is sweeping the land, armies of mounted warriors who cannot be defeated are wiping out Truemankind without mercy. They are known as the Black Riders, but no one knows where they come from or why they seem bent on exterminating every man, woman and child. Talsy traps the Mujar with gold, which has an odd effect on them, to make him help her, but her father intends to throw him in a Pit, from which he will be unable to escape.
Talsy does not believe the Mujar deserves such a fate, so she frees him and begs him to take her with him on his journey. He agrees, and they set off across Shamarese, continuing his quest to find an old hermit’s lost son. There is far more at stake than Talsy realises, however, and she has innocently stumbled upon the last free Mujar, who has the power to decide the fate of her race…
259 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 19, 2010
36 people are currently reading
337 people want to read
About the author
T.C. Southwell
37 books156 followersT. C. Southwell was born in Sri Lanka and moved to the Seychelles when she was a baby. She spent her formative years exploring the islands – mostly alone. Naturally, her imagination flourished and she developed a keen love of other worlds. The family travelled through Europe and Africa and, after the death of her father, settled in South Africa.
T. C. Southwell has written over thirty novels, ranging from fantasy and science fiction to romance and adventure, as well as five screenplays. Her hobbies include motorcycling, horse riding and art, and she earns a living in the IT industry.
T. C. Southwell has written over thirty novels, ranging from fantasy and science fiction to romance and adventure, as well as five screenplays. Her hobbies include motorcycling, horse riding and art, and she earns a living in the IT industry.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 23, 2012
This was one I picked up for free in my early days of Kindle enthusiasm, and, as always with free books, there's no knowing quite what you'll find when you open it up. This one has a fascinating premise - the Mujar, a race of demi-god-like people with vast powers, who have an uneasy and unfriendly relationship with the resident humans of their world. The humans despise them because they won't use their powers for good, and seem oblivious to the usual human emotions, although they sometimes form loose clan bonds with them, providing the 'comforts' the Mujar crave (although they don't need them) in exchange for work and occasional protection. They can't be killed, but humans trap them in pits from which they can't escape.
Talsy, an eighteen year old, forms a bond with one of the last free Mujar, Chanter, and uses him to escape from her dull life. They form a kind of clan bond, and travel through the landscape getting into and out of trouble, while Chanter attempts to fulfill a commitment acquired from an earlier encounter. And, as far as the plot goes, that's about it. There are two forms of plot device in use: Talsy wanders off by herself, some bloke attempts to rape her; and Chanter tries to rescue her, gets captured and the evil humans (which is almost all of them) try to inflict as much damage on him as they can. This gets tedious pretty quickly. It's a shame that the author's imagination can think of no better plot device than violence and (for women) sexual violence. Are humans really so devoid of any semblance of civilisation that violence is the first and last resort?
This book exemplifies everything that's good about self-published books, and at the same time a great deal that's less good. On the good side of the equation, the story is brimming with creativity. The concept of the Mujar is brilliant, and the author captures the 'otherness' of Chanter perfectly; not just by description, but by his actions and the way he speaks. There are some delightful interludes when he goes off to be his wild self for a while, changing form into a bird or a wolf or a dolphin, as the mood takes him. The living death of his captivity, trapped by accident or design, is very moving. The mysterious Black Riders, while having the world's least original name, are also intriguing, and the backstory, the history of this world, is touched on here and there, and there's obviously a detailed mythology behind the fairly simple upper levels. The scenario also raises some quite interesting questions about the nature of humanity.
But the negative is that the author doesn't quite seem to know what to do with these great ideas. The world-building is perfunctory, to put it mildly. There are vast expanses of nothing very much, and here and there the occasional city, depicted as a seething pit of corruption, violence and general nastiness. And Chanter and Talsy simply wander around, without much obvious purpose, and, quite frankly, without using any intelligence whatsoever. When they come to a city, Talsy decides to get fresh supplies. Well, that's fine. But why then walk right through the city, dangerous for both of them? There must be other ways to cross the river that divides it. There must also be other, safer ways of obtaining supplies - towns or villages or trading posts, for instance, or simply finding a farm and offering to work for a day or two. And Talsy is irritatingly helpless, swooning or falling over or getting lost or putting herself at the mercy of lecherous men at the most inconvenient moments. Chanter isn't exactly the best protector, either, since he always seems to disappear at crucial moments, leaving Talsy in peril and setting up another dramatic rescue.
Apart from the mysterious Chanter, none of the characters filling the landscape are at all compelling. Mostly they are cartoonish in their simplicity - brutish, ignorant louts, hell-bent on mindless destruction, and this goes for both the peasants and the more educated members of society. Very occasionally there will be an act of random kindness, but it seems to be more a matter of plot contrivance than anything else. None of the characters felt truly rounded or believable, they were all simply ciphers for good or evil behaviour. Talsy ought to be more realistic, but her behaviour is mostly irrational and her function is either to reveal information by asking naive questions, or to get herself into trouble and create a dramatic incident.
It never made sense to me that the local population was so united in its hatred of the Mujar. Given that the Mujar never harm them, and could, if treated well, bestow 'wishes' on them, it would seem more sensible to try to exploit that facility. And everyone, peasant and ruler alike, knew all about them and hated them equally; more likely, surely, that the uneducated would fear them, and have only a rudimentary idea of their powers, while the more educated would understand them better. But no, everyone hates them, to the point of mindless resentment even when Chanter uses his powers for their benefit. I found this really unbelievable, and unfortunately much of the tension at various dramatic moments hinges on this factor - oh no, Chanter's been captured again, the evil humans are going to beat him senseless and throw him in a pit, just because he's a Mujar. Can he escape? Can the helpless Talsy rescue him?
I found this a frustrating read. In many ways, it's an interesting story, filled with original ideas, but the author seems to be more interested in the mythology of the Mujar and admiring Chanter's beautiful body than in developing a coherent and absorbing story, or compelling characters. The plot is driven by the sheer stupidity of some characters, a ludicrous division into good and evil (the good are the 'chosen', everyone else is 'unworthy'), combined with the Mujar's largely unexplained rules which prohibit any kind of sensible relationship with the humans. There were moments of poetic mysticism, which then lurched into quite unbelievable contrivances, and occasionally became a simplistic lecture on environmentalism (let's all live in harmony with nature, people, and not kill anything or build machines or use oil or - heaven forfend - cut down trees). There was also a rather too heavy romantic element, which is clearly going to get more complicated in later books in the series. On the plus side, the writing is fine, and thankfully free of typos or clunkiness. For those who like this sort of thing, the author has written many more books in several different series, and the first of each is permanently free, so at least you can try it out. Unfortunately it's not for me. Two stars.
Talsy, an eighteen year old, forms a bond with one of the last free Mujar, Chanter, and uses him to escape from her dull life. They form a kind of clan bond, and travel through the landscape getting into and out of trouble, while Chanter attempts to fulfill a commitment acquired from an earlier encounter. And, as far as the plot goes, that's about it. There are two forms of plot device in use: Talsy wanders off by herself, some bloke attempts to rape her; and Chanter tries to rescue her, gets captured and the evil humans (which is almost all of them) try to inflict as much damage on him as they can. This gets tedious pretty quickly. It's a shame that the author's imagination can think of no better plot device than violence and (for women) sexual violence. Are humans really so devoid of any semblance of civilisation that violence is the first and last resort?
This book exemplifies everything that's good about self-published books, and at the same time a great deal that's less good. On the good side of the equation, the story is brimming with creativity. The concept of the Mujar is brilliant, and the author captures the 'otherness' of Chanter perfectly; not just by description, but by his actions and the way he speaks. There are some delightful interludes when he goes off to be his wild self for a while, changing form into a bird or a wolf or a dolphin, as the mood takes him. The living death of his captivity, trapped by accident or design, is very moving. The mysterious Black Riders, while having the world's least original name, are also intriguing, and the backstory, the history of this world, is touched on here and there, and there's obviously a detailed mythology behind the fairly simple upper levels. The scenario also raises some quite interesting questions about the nature of humanity.
But the negative is that the author doesn't quite seem to know what to do with these great ideas. The world-building is perfunctory, to put it mildly. There are vast expanses of nothing very much, and here and there the occasional city, depicted as a seething pit of corruption, violence and general nastiness. And Chanter and Talsy simply wander around, without much obvious purpose, and, quite frankly, without using any intelligence whatsoever. When they come to a city, Talsy decides to get fresh supplies. Well, that's fine. But why then walk right through the city, dangerous for both of them? There must be other ways to cross the river that divides it. There must also be other, safer ways of obtaining supplies - towns or villages or trading posts, for instance, or simply finding a farm and offering to work for a day or two. And Talsy is irritatingly helpless, swooning or falling over or getting lost or putting herself at the mercy of lecherous men at the most inconvenient moments. Chanter isn't exactly the best protector, either, since he always seems to disappear at crucial moments, leaving Talsy in peril and setting up another dramatic rescue.
Apart from the mysterious Chanter, none of the characters filling the landscape are at all compelling. Mostly they are cartoonish in their simplicity - brutish, ignorant louts, hell-bent on mindless destruction, and this goes for both the peasants and the more educated members of society. Very occasionally there will be an act of random kindness, but it seems to be more a matter of plot contrivance than anything else. None of the characters felt truly rounded or believable, they were all simply ciphers for good or evil behaviour. Talsy ought to be more realistic, but her behaviour is mostly irrational and her function is either to reveal information by asking naive questions, or to get herself into trouble and create a dramatic incident.
It never made sense to me that the local population was so united in its hatred of the Mujar. Given that the Mujar never harm them, and could, if treated well, bestow 'wishes' on them, it would seem more sensible to try to exploit that facility. And everyone, peasant and ruler alike, knew all about them and hated them equally; more likely, surely, that the uneducated would fear them, and have only a rudimentary idea of their powers, while the more educated would understand them better. But no, everyone hates them, to the point of mindless resentment even when Chanter uses his powers for their benefit. I found this really unbelievable, and unfortunately much of the tension at various dramatic moments hinges on this factor - oh no, Chanter's been captured again, the evil humans are going to beat him senseless and throw him in a pit, just because he's a Mujar. Can he escape? Can the helpless Talsy rescue him?
I found this a frustrating read. In many ways, it's an interesting story, filled with original ideas, but the author seems to be more interested in the mythology of the Mujar and admiring Chanter's beautiful body than in developing a coherent and absorbing story, or compelling characters. The plot is driven by the sheer stupidity of some characters, a ludicrous division into good and evil (the good are the 'chosen', everyone else is 'unworthy'), combined with the Mujar's largely unexplained rules which prohibit any kind of sensible relationship with the humans. There were moments of poetic mysticism, which then lurched into quite unbelievable contrivances, and occasionally became a simplistic lecture on environmentalism (let's all live in harmony with nature, people, and not kill anything or build machines or use oil or - heaven forfend - cut down trees). There was also a rather too heavy romantic element, which is clearly going to get more complicated in later books in the series. On the plus side, the writing is fine, and thankfully free of typos or clunkiness. For those who like this sort of thing, the author has written many more books in several different series, and the first of each is permanently free, so at least you can try it out. Unfortunately it's not for me. Two stars.
June 18, 2011
This was a great, fairly slow-paced book. It's the first of this genre that I've read so I was a little uncertain was to expect from it, but I am very pleased I took the plunge and tried something new.
It's written in such a descriptive way that you can picture yourself there; part of every scene.
There will be no spoilers here so I won't mention specific scenes or go into great detail, but thinking back, I can't remember an awful lot happening in this story, it ends and the story is still very much in it's infancy (I hope!), but this is in no way a negative point. I could read another ten books following the characters and story if they were to carry on in this one's vain.
All of the characters that are introduced, you immediately build a rapport with. And that's the first, most important battle that this author won for me - without a care for the characters, I really struggle to fully envelop myself in the fantasy. But here, I found myself willing the main character's on, hoping they would make it through the latest obstacle(s) in their path.
I can't stress enough that you should add this to your shelves, to the must-read, to-read, thinking about reading and whatever other names you give them.
This is a fantastic read and you will not regret taking it on and will soon enough be encouraging your friends to do the same.
Needless to say, I am eagerly anticipating the next installment - and so should you be after reading this.
It's written in such a descriptive way that you can picture yourself there; part of every scene.
There will be no spoilers here so I won't mention specific scenes or go into great detail, but thinking back, I can't remember an awful lot happening in this story, it ends and the story is still very much in it's infancy (I hope!), but this is in no way a negative point. I could read another ten books following the characters and story if they were to carry on in this one's vain.
All of the characters that are introduced, you immediately build a rapport with. And that's the first, most important battle that this author won for me - without a care for the characters, I really struggle to fully envelop myself in the fantasy. But here, I found myself willing the main character's on, hoping they would make it through the latest obstacle(s) in their path.
I can't stress enough that you should add this to your shelves, to the must-read, to-read, thinking about reading and whatever other names you give them.
This is a fantastic read and you will not regret taking it on and will soon enough be encouraging your friends to do the same.
Needless to say, I am eagerly anticipating the next installment - and so should you be after reading this.
March 16, 2011
Loved this book. Definitely look forward to reading the next installment.
January 1, 2018
Against all human tradition, Talsy throws her lot in with the despised Mujar, a shape-shifting people towards whom humans have no tolerance or understanding. That conflict is the heart of this novel, in the context of a world where the Mujar are indigenous and the humans are aggressive colonisers.
Talsy is drawn to a particular Mujar man and although she finds a way to have clan bond with him, she doesn't really understand who he is and what motivates him. She travels with him, despised for her association with him but willing to learn and respect difference where other humans are not. She fights against the enmity of humans towards the Mujar in spite of every evidence that he intends them no harm.
The writing is lovely and the world of the Mujar, gradually revealed, is intriguing. The relationship between Talsy and the Mujar is fascinating but there's not a lot of character development in the girl. The climax is surprising, quite other-worldly, but how it plays out is left for the next book, making it slightly unsatisfying. But overall it's an enjoyable read, well-crafted and vividly imagined.
Talsy is drawn to a particular Mujar man and although she finds a way to have clan bond with him, she doesn't really understand who he is and what motivates him. She travels with him, despised for her association with him but willing to learn and respect difference where other humans are not. She fights against the enmity of humans towards the Mujar in spite of every evidence that he intends them no harm.
The writing is lovely and the world of the Mujar, gradually revealed, is intriguing. The relationship between Talsy and the Mujar is fascinating but there's not a lot of character development in the girl. The climax is surprising, quite other-worldly, but how it plays out is left for the next book, making it slightly unsatisfying. But overall it's an enjoyable read, well-crafted and vividly imagined.
July 14, 2017
I went into this book having read the Queen's Blade series written by the same author. For a book that I had hopes for, it did not disappoint me completely but some aspects were a little icky. For example, (spoiler)-->
Why was she the chosen when there was that guy, Kieran who also had a Mujar in his care? Apparently his Mujar was also too careless by telling him about the mark, which Chanter never told Talsy about before she got it. I think Talsy's character also comes off a little shallow and predictable. She was so keen on blaming humans once she got to know Chanter. When the Gods were testing her and she was taken to the King who lost his son, why was what she did the right choice? I mean Gods are Gods, but Talsy, as a human, should know what it feels like to lose someone (most of the time Chanter, in this case, I mean how many times did she lose him, jeez).
The good things about this book was that it was very original, I personally enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the world through Chanter's eyes. I enjoyed their journey together as well.
Why was she the chosen when there was that guy, Kieran who also had a Mujar in his care? Apparently his Mujar was also too careless by telling him about the mark, which Chanter never told Talsy about before she got it. I think Talsy's character also comes off a little shallow and predictable. She was so keen on blaming humans once she got to know Chanter. When the Gods were testing her and she was taken to the King who lost his son, why was what she did the right choice? I mean Gods are Gods, but Talsy, as a human, should know what it feels like to lose someone (most of the time Chanter, in this case, I mean how many times did she lose him, jeez).
The good things about this book was that it was very original, I personally enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the world through Chanter's eyes. I enjoyed their journey together as well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2017
This is an unexpected and pleasurable read. I have read T.C. Southwell before and knew this would be good, and yet it surprised me. Such imagination! And also, sadly, some pertinent insights into how wrong humankind can be sometimes. Definitely worth grabbing a copy!
April 19, 2025
I liked it.
January 28, 2013
I started out reading this book because it was free, my WiFi was down, and I had run out of everything else already downloaded onto my Nook. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the story. The concept of the Mujar was creative. I think it bares mentioning that there was not a whole lot of actual plot to this story- but I believe that it is setting the scene for a stronger plot in the later books.
The female heroine leaves a little to be desired, but I believe we will see her grow and change as the story progresses. Chanter's character is endearing and unique.
Overall, I give four stars. I enjoyed the read, I am looking forward to starting the second book - but it was not the best plot I've ever read. There were also some mistakes here and there, but it was not distracting in my opinion.
May 24, 2013
This is another stab in the dark free kindle read but I'm very glad that I took the chance. This book starts with two races - The Trueman (or Lowman) and the Mujar. The Mujar has a certain amount of control over the elements and the Trueman resent them for it as they don't. The first part of the book tells you about how these two races interact, or not as the case may be. The book then continues with them both going on Chanter's quest to fulfill a Wish. A lot happens with great descriptions, but at the same time, not a lot changes. I know that doesn't make sense but you will just have to read it to understand.
The thing with this book is there is no middle ground. Most of the characters are either good or evil. This book is an epic, with fantastic descriptions of peoples, places and beings. And it is only just starting. This is book 1 out of 4.
Recommended.
The thing with this book is there is no middle ground. Most of the characters are either good or evil. This book is an epic, with fantastic descriptions of peoples, places and beings. And it is only just starting. This is book 1 out of 4.
Recommended.
July 22, 2016
c2010: What a strange little story. It was a real roller coaster ride from a one star to a 4 star and I finally settled on a 3 star comment. I do think that a good content editor would have made this into a really good book but some parts of the plot seemed to have come from the left field eg all of a sudden Chanter mentions "You came in a wingless silver bird that fell from the sky, and my gods remade you and your beasts." Sometimes Chanter is erudite and at times he uses language that is more like a child than anything else. Other things seem to clash as well. Also, an editor may have picked up that flowers have pistils not pistols ...even in a steam punk way! There are also some really horrible scenes - so much so that it wasn't very pleasant to read at all.
January 10, 2012
I had high hopes for this book when I downloaded it to my new Kindle.
The story began with promise, but it fell apart, at least for me, when the characters began a seemingly purposeless wandering through a world where everyone was either completely good or totally evil, mostly evil. It wasn't until the black riders appeared that the story began to regain my interest, but it wasn't enough to salvage the story. This book would have benefited from a good content editor.
I struggled to give this book three stars, but Southwell is a good writer and the story concept is fine.
The story began with promise, but it fell apart, at least for me, when the characters began a seemingly purposeless wandering through a world where everyone was either completely good or totally evil, mostly evil. It wasn't until the black riders appeared that the story began to regain my interest, but it wasn't enough to salvage the story. This book would have benefited from a good content editor.
I struggled to give this book three stars, but Southwell is a good writer and the story concept is fine.
March 21, 2012
Good vs evil, right vs wrong, fantasy/medieval story but I found the plot and character stories to be very refreshing and different. It didn't take long at all for me to become completely invested in Chanter's journey and craved to understand what was going on and who he was. There is so much depth to the meanings and struggles of these characters that I plowed through, completely entranced from book one through the end of the fourth, I am not even sure anymore which book ended where and where the next began.
July 31, 2013
Mujar are immortal beings, that don't help people for nothing. In order to get a wish truemnan have to free them from golden rope or golden arrow. Talsy hits him with a golden arrow and then frees him from her dad. She then goes off and adventure with the Mujar. Mujar do not kill anything at all.
Children of Another God is a really interesting and kind of extraordinary book. It is really strange the world is different from most books. I really enjoy T.C. Southwell's writing I always fall in love with the world I am really interested to see how the story goes on in the rest of the books go.
Children of Another God is a really interesting and kind of extraordinary book. It is really strange the world is different from most books. I really enjoy T.C. Southwell's writing I always fall in love with the world I am really interested to see how the story goes on in the rest of the books go.
July 10, 2015
I can't find the words to describe this. It's a clash of cultures: Humanity, lording over nature on a strange world, despises a race of powerful beings who have a completely different set of ethical principles. It's the first book in this set of "First of a Series" books that really makes me want to go out and buy the rest.
January 1, 2013
An interesting little book that keeps you guessing right up til the end, and then leaves you with a killer of a cliff hanger. I still feel like there's so much that I need to learn and understand about the wonderful world that T. C. Southwell has created, and I can't wait to do so!
March 2, 2014
Was pleasantly surprised by this book. It has undertones of racial hate and the attitude of a minority to overcome the differences and to question the hate of the majority. Talsy is brave in her continued belief that the mujar are misunderstood and stands against her own kind.
January 25, 2012
Loved this story very much. Very different
February 7, 2012
Super fascinating story.
February 20, 2012
Really enjoyed this one. Can't wait to read part 2.
July 17, 2015
The story is fundamentally sound, but I felt the pacing was sloooooow.
March 1, 2015
Such a wonderful and imaginative story!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews