Reign of the Nightmare Prince

by Mike Phillips

Rakam's world is under attack by an ancient adversary that has plagued his people for generations - or so it would seem. All around him, these new Shaitani - supernatural beasts with mythical powers - murder the innocent and burn any evidence a village even existed. Through his gift of True Sight, that allows him to look into the greater world, Rakam sees the devastation of his native lands, and the danger his people now face.

The True Sight abandons him however, after he is visited by an evil spirit, on a journey through the desert. But there is still much to do. The loss doesn't stop Rakam and his great-grandfather Mabetu from leading their people in a fight to save the world they love. The quest ultimately unites the remaining villages under a common goal, the fight for survival.

The crusade against the invaders leads to battles against not only the mystic and evil terrors native to Rakam's world, but also with the alien powers that wish to destroy everything. Survival means defeating an enemy with superior weapons and a thirst for blood. Although it seems like a fight he's destined to lose, Rakam is willing to die to save his world from certain annihilation.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction

260 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Mike Phillips grew up on a small farm in West Michigan, living much the way people did at the turn of the century. Whether it was growing fruits and vegetables or raising livestock, Mike learned the value of hard work and responsibility at a young age.

While his friends spent their summers watching reruns of bad sitcoms, Mike’s father gave him a very special gift. He turned off the television. With what was affectionately referred to as “the idiot box” no longer a distraction, Mike was left to discover the fantastic worlds that only exist in books. When not tending sheep, gardening, building furniture, chopping wood, or just goofing off, Mike spent his time reading.

With all that hard work at home, Mike was always eager to go to school. He excelled as a student and went on to pursue a career in the sciences. Working as a Safety Engineer in the Insurance Industry, Mike soon became bored with the corporate grind. Writing engaged him like nothing else. After a few novels and numerous short stories, he thought getting published would be a pretty neat idea. And so, here it goes…

Reviews

[Cassie McCown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reign of the Nightmare Prince
By: Mike Phillips
ISBN: 9781936564118
Published July 8, 2011 by JournalStone
Available Format: Paperback, ebook

My Rating: ★★★★☆

Supernatural beings with powers of destruction are invading and destroying Rakam’s world. Rakam and his great-grandfather, Mabetu, must lead their people in a fight for survival. Survival means defeating an enemy with superior weapons and a thirst for blood. Although it seems like a fight he’s destined to lose, Rakam is willing to die to save his world from certain annihilation.

I received an advanced copy of ,i>Reign of the Nightmare Prince from the publisher for proofing and review.

When I began reading this manuscript, I have to say I was a bit unsure about where it was taking me. At times, I was a bit distracted because it was jumping from one scene to another. I was having a difficult time imagining the characters and setting for a while. I was immediately reminded of the European settler’s invasion which eventually drove out the American Indians, but I knew that wasn’t quite right either. Finally, it is obvious the “Europeans” are far more advanced than I was visualizing, and they are indeed form a future Earth. I think a few illustrations within this story would go a long way in tying some of the elements together for the reader.

Rakam is an extremely likable and well-rounded character. You can tell from the very beginning he has a kind soul, and he will be able to accomplish great things. Of course, I absolutely adore Betu (given my fondness for animals in literature). The way Rakam takes Betu in and the bond they share just further demonstrates his true character. My favorite character is Mabetu for his humor and downright spunkiness! One of my favorite quotes of the story is by Mabetu:

“You had better be delusional,” said Mabetu gruffly. “Or does your wife feel like a hairy old man?”

I think Mike does a great job developing his characters. I love how the Shaitani are both barbaric and destructive, yet they still possess some redeeming qualities. It makes it more difficult sometimes to decide whose side you should be more supportive of, because, essentially, we would be the Shaitani if anything were to happen to our world. How exactly would we behave in a desperate situation? How have we behaved in our past? (I’m pretty sure we know the answer to that).

I understand that some may find this book a little difficult to get into, and if you aren’t much of a sci-fi/fantasy sort of person, you may not have the patience to stick with it. Those of you who do, I believe, will easily be able to find something to love and/or relate to in the story.

Mike Phillips will be interviewed on JournalStone’s Blog Talk Radio show, JournalJabber (http://www.journalstone.com/journalja...), co-hosted by yours truly, on Tuesday, August 9 at 8PM CST. Tune in to learn more about Mike and Reign of the Nightmare Prince (like where exactly did that title come from?)—and who knows what else!

This review can also be found at Gathering Leaves and JournalStone.

[Damien Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a long tradition among Western writers of lionising ancient ways of life, as if there’s something better about giving up all the trappings of modernity and wallowing about in the pain and dirt. The myth of the noble savage is responsible for such idiotic beliefs as the power of alternative medicine and the idea that anything that refutes the scientific process is necessarily true. Worst of all, it gave us Avatar – a movie that makes Smurfs 3D look like Citizen Kane.[return][return]Reign of the Nightmare Prince is just like Avatar – noble savages in tune with nature are attacked by evil technologists who want to take their resources – but differs in one respect; you care what happens. The story’s told from the point of view of one of the alien natives who’s returning from their version of Walkabout to find out monsters are killing off the rest of his people, and follows his attempts to muster a defence in the face of impossible odds.[return][return]Although it’s an entertaining and fun read, it’s not explained why the aboriginal population of an alien planet feels so human and a lot of the non-native attackers are almost as one-dimensional as Jake “I see you” Sully. Also, the end was so abrupt it felt like a sixth grader who’s suddenly reached the word limit on an English essay but don’t let that put you off.[return][return]If you’ve got some downtime while you’re committing genocide on an alien planet you could do worse than Mike Phillips’ début.[return][return]http://bit.ly/oWvXqJ

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed Reign of the Nightmare Prince, a thought provoking, clever, new, science fiction novel. There is a mystery for the reader to solve, just as the novel's native inhabitants must determine who these new "Mashaitani" (if I am not mistaken, I believe the author has used a middle-eastern word "Shaitan", which means Satan or the Devil and added an "i" to indicate that these invaders are "from the Devil", and then inferring from the use of "Ma" as a prefix before the proper names for other various groups of people in the novella, I believe the "Ma" means that they are "people of, or from, Satan, or the Devil" - I hope I have deciphered this terminology correctly) are, so they can defeat them, or they will be wiped from their own planet. The pacing is great; I never lost interest and was compelled to keep reading.

It is organized without a primary narrator. Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of several main characters (and once from someone minor, with the purpose of giving the reader a better understanding of what is happening in this world as a whole). Apparently, several other readers found it too jarring or difficult to understand when the author changed the viewpoint -- primarily back and forth between someone from the native population and then sometimes the following chapter would be devoted to the viewpoint of one of the invaders. Personally, I was completely able to follow the various story lines and was intrigued as to the mystery of the invaders. I was pleased to have been able to figure out their true purpose on the planet very early. This was possible because the story is well written. Phillips discloses the situation in a slow but steady manner, keeping the mystery going, in an effort I think, to force people to wonder if this is a situation that is happening here in our world called Earth (there is so much about this story that makes a reader think about the way Africa was colonized by the Europeans, and is still being raped by the West today) rather than the far off planet with two moons (although the invaders very well might be from Earth). Ultimately, all the mysteries are resolved by the end. However, he has left two very small threads only partially resolved; perhaps Phillips did this with the intention that they be used to develop conflicts and drama in a new book or two as sequels.

---------------------WARNING---------------------
Reading further will divulge too much about this book, and is for those who enjoy literary analysis.

-- EXCEPT for the FINAL PARAGRAPH --

That section would still be a very useful review and will not give anything away.
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One thread involves the remaining Mashaitani (whose numbers are decimated after the final assault), and their backup plan if everything went wrong in the battle. Prior to the final assault, the leader Crenshaw had told Smitty to bring any of the remaining trustworthy survivors -- killing the ones he cannot trust -- and lead them to a prearranged location disclosed by Crenshaw to Smitty. The survivors were to gather together and follow the instructions to travel to the plains over the mountains, where they were to wait for the imminent arrival of the colonists' ships and to try and hook up with the coming colonists and their space ships. They would pretend to be marooned scientists from an earlier expedition, with the ultimate hope that Crenshaw, Smitty and the few others would be able to take the next transport home within 5 years. They would have to keep the true nature of their mission from the colonists. It had been Crenshaw's secret mission to wipe the Natives from the planet by not only killing them and then cremating their remains, but also by eliminating any signs that they had ever existed. This is why they had destroyed the holy places, including any written marks on various stones and trees, as well as their huts and villages. They were being paid a big bonus by "the company" to produce an empty planet, all ready for the coming colonists to inhabit, without a humanoid native population with whom to fight or compete. Had all gone as planned, it had been Crenshaw's secret desire to take, with his men, the capitol city and the neighboring mines and rule all as its governor.

The other thread would be Rakam returning to help free Timbo, who is under the evil influence of a Jinn, and his army, lost in the haunted forest with the souls of the Choklotan, who are all at the mercy of the Muklak. In this book he has promised to return to help free the souls of the Choklotan from the Muklak, as well as Timbo and his people, but only after he defeats the invaders. The book ends with him having accomplished this goal and we assume that once he has recovered from his injuries from that final showdown with the invaders, he will honor his promise and return to the haunted forest to help them all.

The Characters are well developed and likeable. All have recognizable voices, differing sufficiently from one another so that at the beginning of each chapter, the reader quickly knows which person is currently the focus and narrator. They are not stiff or stereotypes. Even the antagonists have some redeeming qualities readers can identify and appreciate; perhaps some readers can even like them. All of this is to Phillips' credit. It even reminds me of the descriptive style of Frank Herbert (my favorite Sci-Fi writer); he also had each chapter devoted to one perspective from a variety of numerous characters in his books (sometimes one of the main characters, sometimes one of the planet's ordinary subjects - a lowly soldier or even a humble servant). Another aspect that reminds me of Frank Herbert is the interconnection of all the living things of this planet with the two moons...Phillips even has the rocks and rivers having influential life force energy as well as plants and animals - this was especially notable in Mabetu's spirit journey to save Rakam. Frank Herbert was almost obsessed with the importance of ecology and the energy of a living planet, even giving sentient consciousness to ecosystems or insect hives. Herbert did all this I believe in an effort to use science fiction to explore the problems of exploiting our planet, with the hopes of enlightening readers to the current problems facing our planet.

The very best Sci-Fi uses an alien setting to expose and examine problems in our own real world. I thoroughly enjoyed Phillips' clever use of the tragedies of the colonization of the African continent by Europeans (which is an ongoing situation under the guise of the global economy) as well as Americans and other Westernized nationals, including the emerging Chinese. I have read about and seen news focusing on how villages occupying lands discovered to have oil have been surgically attacked by mercenaries - it is burned to the ground, the people with the village. The mercenaries are supposed to burn away any remnant of the village, so that no one can prove it had ever been there. Sadly, these things are done with the consent of the government because they have been paid a great deal of money to look the other way by the oil company. Sometimes, the mercenaries are members of that country's own military. Some people have managed to escape with their lives and are speaking out about this horror. Africa is still a continent rich with natural resources attracting foreigners attempting to take what they want by any means. One has only to look at how the middle class (necessary to any republic or democratic country for the continuing growth, economic health and welfare of all its country's citizenry) disappears and the people become impoverished, while a few leaders of that country become wealthy (and the countryside becomes polluted - where the rivers are no longer fit to drink and the fish have died off, so that there are no fish to feed the people, and the waters are poisonous to the plants in the fields, thus they are barren and the people stave, or they are poisoned by the few plants that do grow because they have sucked up the poisons through their root systems from the highly polluted water) whenever oil is discovered in a particular country or area. In Africa, it is actually not in the best interests of the people as a whole, for the West to discover some natural resource it desires. It always ends with the people, as well as the land, losing out.

I wish to mention two other aspects of the novel which pleased me. Rakam's life is saved by an otter, who he names Betu. She brings him fish when he was nearly dying. She not only saved his life, she represents the Almighty gifting him with divine help (a reference is made later in the book that otters are messengers from the Almighty). Perhaps the Almighty (in Rakam's universe) has sent him Betu because Rakam is going to be the instrument to save his people and planet, but also as a reward for having survived the temptation from the Jinn. Mike Phillips may not be aware of this but in the early Christian mythos in Ireland, otters were believed to bring fish to aesthetic monks isolated on rocky islands. The fish not only represented physical sustenance, but also symbolized spiritual nourishment since the fish was a symbol for Christ (this also is a symbol for the eating of the Eucharist). I personally believe that this tradition of otters saving man's body and spirit with gifts of fish predates Christianity. I am sure it was unintentional on Phillip's part, but the coincidence might be serendipitous. In any case, the relationship between Rakam and Betu is a sweet and gentle one and brings joy and happiness to situations within the story that might otherwise be too sad.

The other aspect that pleased me was the romance that develops between Rakam and the princess. The writing allows the reader to feel the relationship blossom without any coarse sexual descriptions. Even the killings lack gory descriptions, yet the crime of genocide is still comprehended. It is refreshing to find an author who can convey both horror and romance without explicitness. This novel is enjoyable for adults and also can be read safely by youngsters.
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-----DISCLOSURE------

I received this book through a LibraryThing's early review give away in exchange for an honest review after finishing the book. I do not know Mike Phillips, his agent or anyone from his publisher. There is nothing that could have biased my review.

[Maxine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished reading this book and I liked it a lot. However, I did have a couple of problems with it - one small, one not so small.

First, the small problem:

The title. It didn't seem to have any relation to the book. There is no prince, nightmare or otherwise. A king, yep, a jinn, uh huh, a witch, a vicious beast, and even a few really nasty bad guys, but no prince. So, unless this title is a metaphor for something (in which case, I missed it), I don't understand its significance and, frankly, I just don't get it unless this is the first book in a series and all will be revealed in future volumes.

Second, my larger problem:

Questions. It seemed like there was a lot of things which happened in the book but, then, were just dropped. For example, what happened to the children who were poisoned by the blue flowers and, for that matter, why did the captain of the invading force recover this poisoning while the natives of the planet didn't? There was a couple of references to colonizers having arrived (or going to arrive) from another planet so what happened to them? And what happened to Tombo and his followers? And where was Negera during the fighting? I know, this seems like nit picking and I know that loose ends are not unusual in science fiction and fantasy but a little closure on some of these questions would have been nice.

Anyway, putting these problems aside, there's a lot to like in this book. It is well-written and the characters are, for the most part, three-dimensional. Even some of the invaders have redeeming qualities. This book also raises some interesting issues like prejudice and our tendency to view other, less technologically advanced, cultures as inferior, and does might always make right, all very important questions considering the state of the world we live in today.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

When others come and start destroying villages and killing the residents, what are the priests and warriors supposed to do?

When Rakkam goes on his spiritual journey, one gift given to him by the Almighty, the True Sight, was taken from him through a bite from a serpent. Also on this journey he meets the enemy that no one thought would be back.

Will these strangers completely destroy the native population, or can the Kassisi and the Warriors overcome what the people fear about the strangers and protect their very lives?

This book has many layers. We have Rakkam wondering about the loss of his most powerful gift, and about the receiving of a new gift. We see the family dynamics and jealousy throughout the cousins in some having more gifts than others, and some riding on the shirt-tails of their father's gifts. We have the grandfather nurturing his family and their gifts, while helping his great-grandson, Rakkam, understand what he is going through. With the strangers, we see them as they try to navigate this new land, and try to clear it for the corporation. We also see the dynamics within the group as the Colonel and his 3 captains try to motivate their army, and one of the captains is bent on satisfying his own ends.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story and it was a great easy read.

I received this book as a LibraryThing Early Reader, for an honest review.

[Teresa Petrovics · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this e-book from LibraryThing in exchange for doing an honest review.

I enjoyed this e-book immensely. It took a bit for me to get into the book at the beginning but that may have been do to the genre of the book I read before this one. Once I was able to get into it, I had a hard time stopping, even at night when I was supposed to be sleeping.

The characters are well written and that helps to make them more real.

I think the ending leaves it open for a sequel book but that is just me.

All in all, a great book!

Thanks for sharing it.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written book!!! I recommend this book and gave it all 5 stars!!!! I won this book on Goodreads.com.

[Gary Butler · Rating 1 out of 5]

67th book read in 2014.

Number 372 out of 410 on my all time book list.

Follow the link below to see my video review:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXIzD...

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this through the Early Reviewers program at Library Thing. This book was difficult to read, but not because it was a heavy subject. It was difficult because it was very confusing. There were four or five different points of view in the first six chapters of the book, and the reader is thrust into each, without getting any of the background on some of the major themes that run through out the book. While I normally feel like I generally pick up easily the major points and settings of the books I read, in this one I felt I didn't get the basic background of one of the main groups until I was about three-quarters of the way through the book. While the main storyline would have been interesting enough if flushed out more, it was disjointed by what seemed unnecessary point of view changes, or information that didn't seem to pan out in the end of the book. I still am not certain how or who the title pertains to.

Additionally, the e-book was formated poorly. There were no chapters in the contents section, so if you wanted to go back to something, you had to go all the way back to the table of contents page and use the links on it. But it also refused to show the bookmarks I had placed, so you had to keep track of that if you backtracked for something. Chapters seemed to start whenever on a page, and not on a new one. And there were a few pages that had from 1-5 lines on it only, but it wasn't an end of the chapter. The formating just added to the overall frustration withe the book.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed most of the book, I did get lost and confused at times. Probably just me. I was thinking in ways its like when explores came to south america. Natives where killed and robbed of thier gold and jewels. Sacred places ruined. I saw in someone review they thought of Africa. Its amazing how same book hits different people different.
Rakam is on a journey traveling and learning about different groups trying to find what his path will be. He has the gift of sight. Those who have gifts train and then go on like a vision quest. He goes to see different animals that this one village use, but as he comes to it, it is completly destroyed. Even the rocks surrounding their fire pits is gone. He sees what happened in a vision. He heads for home to warn his people and finds village after village destroyed even their sacred places.
Rakam is bit by snake and he almost dies a riverdog saves him and brings him fish while he heals. After he realizes that his visions are gone but a new power has imerged.
He warns his people and shows them the armor they where that their arrows cant hurt. They flee to the marsh king to let others know of these enemys that kill and destroy everything and hope by joining can stop them somehow.
It is interesting story of natives having to fight for thier lands and beliefs. Different groups having their traditions. Choosing good over evil. What fight is worth dying for.

I was given this ebook in exchange for honest review.

[Christopher Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rakam’s world is under attack by an ancient adversary that has plagued his people for generations – or at least, that’s the way it seems. All around him, these new Shaitani – supernatural beasts with mythical powers for destruction – murder the innocent and burn any evidence a village even existed. Through his True Sight, a gift for clairvoyance given by the Almighty, Rakam sees the devastation perpetrated throughout his native lands.

The True Sight abandons him, however, after he is bitten by a snake and visited by a Jinn, an evil spirit, on a journey through the desert. But, this loss doesn’t stop Rakam and his great-grandfather Mabetu from leading their people in a fight to save both their way of life and the world they love. The quest ulitimately unites the remaining villages under a common goal, the fight for survival.

The crusade against the invaders leads to battles with not only the mystic and evil terrors native to Rakam’s world, but also to confrontations with powers that are alien. Survival means defeating an enemy with superior weapons and a thirst for blood. Although it seems like a fight he’s destined to lose, Rakam is willing to die to save his world from certain annihilation.

[Yvensong · Rating 3 out of 5]

In compliance with FTC guidelines, I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

2 1/2 Stars

This took me a while to get into. There were sections that weren't neatly tied into the story, making it confusing as to why they were there. Also, most of the first half felt more like historical fiction -- like the invasion of some primitive land by the more technologically advanced -- and, admittedly, I was expecting more fantasy elements.

The second half of the novel was much more interesting and intriguing to follow.

The characters are developed enough to have no problems following each of them through the second half of the book.

The world is well-developed, making it easy to envision environment the characters move through.

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the first book I won from Goodreads. When I first joined the site, I signed up for every giveaway regardless of the book. I guess I didn't think I had much chance of winning. However, after I won this book and another in the sci-fi/fantasy genre, I realized I need to be more careful about what I try to win. This genre just doesn't interest me, so it was hard for me to finish this book. I found it confusing how it jumped around. Again, not being a big fan of the genre, I just wasn't willing to commit to the book to see if it would make more sense or be worth it in the end.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I graciously received this book for free through first reads giveaway.

I found the first half of the book a little hard to get through, it just couldn't keep my attention. The second half was better and actually kept me entertained. Will pass this book on, but wouldn't go out of my way to recommend.

[Francine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think if you are a true science fiction fan than maybe you would enjoy this book. However I am more into fantasy and found the book just plain confusing. I truly wanted to like the book and as I said I am sure true science fiction fans will....but that is not me. Keep of the writing and maybe give those of us who are confused Clifts Notes next time.

[Nadyne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great book for lovers of the genre... Unfortunately not for me!