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Mars #1
Gaulthorn
Alan is a single father, living in poverty with his daughter in one of the wealthiest cities in the Kingdom of Willowrun. When he stumbles upon a murder, his life is turned upside down.
Now his daughter has been kidnapped, and the killer seems to be the only one willing to help him get her back...
But only if he can help her find a secret organization that's been around for centuries.
Now his daughter has been kidnapped, and the killer seems to be the only one willing to help him get her back...
But only if he can help her find a secret organization that's been around for centuries.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 21, 2023
12 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
About the author
A.L. Brown
5 books21 followersI am A. L. Brown, but most people call me Ame. I enjoy writing about fantasy adventures and paranormal genres. I was raised mostly in the state of Georgia, have a wonderful husband and an amazing son. My main project is a pentalogy called 'The Mars Series' which I have been working on since 2011.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 7, 2025
I love a good fantasy adventure. The first book of this series delivered plenty of action, worldbuilding, and banter.
The story begins with high stakes for our characters, before the plot unveils even greater threats. One of our central characters is Alan, a father living in poverty and trying his best for his child. The kidnapping of Alan's daughter and his training arc draws the reader in and allows them to learn beside the devastated father figure. The magic system was super interesting, with hard rules that didn't feel as if they limited the potential evolution of a character's abilities or each individual type of magic. I really enjoyed how one of our younger MCs, Gears, used engineering and a bit of science combined with the magic.
My favorite trope is found family and that was definitely found in Gaulthorn. The relationships between characters felt like they developed naturally, with moments of distrust, openness, misunderstandings, and apologies. None of them are perfect people, all of them carrying their own unique traumas, and those burdens are reflected in their behaviors and how they lean on one another.
It is impossible to pick a favorite character. I expected our sarcastic assassin Mars to be the easy winner, but each person had their strong moments. I'm very interested to see how all of the character arcs will develop, particularly Gears and Laura. Their changes throughout this book were written very well, their childlike moments balanced with the maturity such difficult situations required. By the end of the book, there was a marked difference in the people they had become.
There are many mysteries and plot elements introduced in this book that lead into the next installments, but those do not make this book feel incomplete. I was impressed at how well the story arc of Gaulthorn concluded while still leading easily into the next book. (At the time of this review, Books 2 and 3 are published.)
I'm looking forward to reading the next book and more of this author's work.
The story begins with high stakes for our characters, before the plot unveils even greater threats. One of our central characters is Alan, a father living in poverty and trying his best for his child. The kidnapping of Alan's daughter and his training arc draws the reader in and allows them to learn beside the devastated father figure. The magic system was super interesting, with hard rules that didn't feel as if they limited the potential evolution of a character's abilities or each individual type of magic. I really enjoyed how one of our younger MCs, Gears, used engineering and a bit of science combined with the magic.
My favorite trope is found family and that was definitely found in Gaulthorn. The relationships between characters felt like they developed naturally, with moments of distrust, openness, misunderstandings, and apologies. None of them are perfect people, all of them carrying their own unique traumas, and those burdens are reflected in their behaviors and how they lean on one another.
It is impossible to pick a favorite character. I expected our sarcastic assassin Mars to be the easy winner, but each person had their strong moments. I'm very interested to see how all of the character arcs will develop, particularly Gears and Laura. Their changes throughout this book were written very well, their childlike moments balanced with the maturity such difficult situations required. By the end of the book, there was a marked difference in the people they had become.
There are many mysteries and plot elements introduced in this book that lead into the next installments, but those do not make this book feel incomplete. I was impressed at how well the story arc of Gaulthorn concluded while still leading easily into the next book. (At the time of this review, Books 2 and 3 are published.)
I'm looking forward to reading the next book and more of this author's work.
December 15, 2023
This review is going to be biased. Not only is the author a dear friend of mine but I have also had the pleasure of reading the very first draft of this book. It was exciting to see how much has changed and improved since that draft. I believe this is a great debut book and i cannot wait to see how the story and its characters will evolve over the next books!
You should pick this book up if you are a fan of fantasy. It has interesting multidimensional characters and magic, it is quite dark at times but will remind you how hope preservers when you stick together.
You should pick this book up if you are a fan of fantasy. It has interesting multidimensional characters and magic, it is quite dark at times but will remind you how hope preservers when you stick together.
August 8, 2025
Mars: Gaulthorn is everything I want in a first book of a fantasy series—rich world-building, layered characters, and a story that steadily builds into a gripping adventure. A. L. Brown draws you into Esela’s kingdoms with vivid detail, weaving together action, mystery, and moments of real emotional weight.
The cast feels authentic, each with their own strengths, flaws, and motivations that make you care about what happens to them. The stakes rise naturally, and by the final chapters, it’s impossible not to be invested. It’s a dark yet hopeful tale about resilience, loyalty, and the bonds that hold people together even in the face of impossible odds. A fantastic debut that sets the stage for an epic journey ahead.
The cast feels authentic, each with their own strengths, flaws, and motivations that make you care about what happens to them. The stakes rise naturally, and by the final chapters, it’s impossible not to be invested. It’s a dark yet hopeful tale about resilience, loyalty, and the bonds that hold people together even in the face of impossible odds. A fantastic debut that sets the stage for an epic journey ahead.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews