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Jaludin's Road
Can you ever go home? After wandering the deserts of the Lands of Endless Summer for five years, Jaludin the thief wants to do exactly that. Having left as a boy, he returns as a young man, intent to leave his adventures in the desert and settle down with the girl whose eyes have haunted his dreams since he left. His homecoming is not the joyous occasion Jaludin imagined. He finds the town under some strange curse. As he rushes to solve this mystery, Jaludin wonders if some enemy from his wandering followed him home, or is this some new threat altogether. No matter what power is behind the curse, Jaludin must find a way to end it before the town succumbs to thirst, the desert's most ruthless killer. "Jaludin's Road" is a fast-paced novella set in the same world as the Tears of Rage novels. This ebook also contains excerpts from the First Chosen, Halloween Jack and the Devil's Gate, "The Dragon Bone Flute, and DEAD The Tombs.
- GenresFantasy
64 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 12, 2011
1 person is currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
M. Todd Gallowglas
62 books176 followersM Todd Gallowglas has been a professional storyteller at Renaissance Faires and Medieval Festivals for over twenty years. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University in 2009, he used his storytelling show as a platform to launch his fiction career. He is the author of the Tears of Rage and Halloween Jack series, which have spent time on various bestseller lists. He was a fiction contributor for Fantasy Flight Games and developed creative content for the reboot of the children's classic Reading Rainbow. Now he spends most of his time trying to find the perfect balance between family, writing, airsoft (because it's not as messy as paintball), and gaming while he's not off somewhere telling stories.
M Todd Gallowglas is a proud member of the Genre Underground.
M Todd Gallowglas is a proud member of the Genre Underground.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 9, 2014
The author gave me the link to this book on Smashwords where I downloaded it for free, and I was glad that I did! It's a short story with a kind of Arabian Nights feel to it, where we follow Jaludin as he returns home after 5 years away, only to find his entire village beset by a wasting curse.
There is sword and sorcery, minstrels and magical items, and the author stayed true and consistent to the setting, culture, rituals and superstitions of the world he envisioned. I was only sad to see it over so soon and hope that the author will return to Jaludin someday.
There is sword and sorcery, minstrels and magical items, and the author stayed true and consistent to the setting, culture, rituals and superstitions of the world he envisioned. I was only sad to see it over so soon and hope that the author will return to Jaludin someday.
January 7, 2013
This is a novella set in the same world as the 'Tears of Rage' series. And a very interesting world at that, or so it would appear by the little snippets we see of it in this story.
I found Jaludin's Road to be a very charming story. There certainly can be no doubt that this man knows how to write. The only thing that bothered me about the story was that it seemed to be too short in comparison to its potential. I felt like the action had only just begun before it was all over.
The main character, Jaludin, comes home to his village, after having been away for many years, with the intention of staying there. The only problem is that the village has been cursed. He will have to do something about it. And so, (without spoiling any of the details of the hows and whos,) he confronts the wizard responsible for the curse.
Up unto this part the story is right after my head. But then that confrontation with the wizard ruined it a bit for me. It is still very well written and packed with interesting details, but it just somehow seems a bit rushed. I was expecting something really epic and nerve-wrecking, but none of that came. They beat the wizard a little too easily and discovers something unexpected, which I thought was a nice touch, but which could have been executed a little more believably. And then it is over. Quite anticlimatically.
Another thing is that it raises more questions than it answers. For example, Jaludin is named the Ghost Between the Shadows - it is in his past now, but it still sounds way too interesting to not hear more about it! I don't know, though, if this is because it is better explained in the 'Tears of Rage' books. It could be. It better be, because if I were to read those books and not get my thirst on this matter quenched, then I would be disappointed.
M Todd Gallowglas has told me there will be a sequel to this story, though, so there is always hope that we might find out more there.
In the end I give this story three stars; it is really good, but it had the potential to be better yet.
See more reviews by Hypervorean on Numinous Publication, a blog dedicated to the high fantasy genre: http://hypervorean.blogspot.dk/
I found Jaludin's Road to be a very charming story. There certainly can be no doubt that this man knows how to write. The only thing that bothered me about the story was that it seemed to be too short in comparison to its potential. I felt like the action had only just begun before it was all over.
The main character, Jaludin, comes home to his village, after having been away for many years, with the intention of staying there. The only problem is that the village has been cursed. He will have to do something about it. And so, (without spoiling any of the details of the hows and whos,) he confronts the wizard responsible for the curse.
Up unto this part the story is right after my head. But then that confrontation with the wizard ruined it a bit for me. It is still very well written and packed with interesting details, but it just somehow seems a bit rushed. I was expecting something really epic and nerve-wrecking, but none of that came. They beat the wizard a little too easily and discovers something unexpected, which I thought was a nice touch, but which could have been executed a little more believably. And then it is over. Quite anticlimatically.
Another thing is that it raises more questions than it answers. For example, Jaludin is named the Ghost Between the Shadows - it is in his past now, but it still sounds way too interesting to not hear more about it! I don't know, though, if this is because it is better explained in the 'Tears of Rage' books. It could be. It better be, because if I were to read those books and not get my thirst on this matter quenched, then I would be disappointed.
M Todd Gallowglas has told me there will be a sequel to this story, though, so there is always hope that we might find out more there.
In the end I give this story three stars; it is really good, but it had the potential to be better yet.
See more reviews by Hypervorean on Numinous Publication, a blog dedicated to the high fantasy genre: http://hypervorean.blogspot.dk/
April 1, 2014
Jaludin's road has the dubious honour of being the first book I have ever reviewed. You can tell immediately from the cover that the setting is going to be hot and sandy, but the author doesn't dwell on that to the point of distraction.
Instead we get a real sense of culture from the various well-crafted conversations that take place in this world, giving it a sense of wonder and intrigue that many more modern fantasies have lost.
The various comparisons to Jack Vance are not unwarranted. The prose is lyrical and while there are some dark themes explored, Gallowglas never takes glee in describing them overtly. Instead the focus is upon Jaludin, his interactions with the characters of his home town and how the world around him firms his resolve against the eventual antagonist.
The high point of this short novella is a well-written piece of action that showcases the skill of the writer outside of dialogue and world-building.
Clearly the work is an advertisement for M. Todd Gallowglas's Tears of Rage series, but the narrative arc of this work is self-contained and never pushes the reader to purchase additional works.
While the novella is too short and sweet to award five stars, it was a pleasant surprise for being completely free. I urge anyone with a remote interest in fantasy to download it and give it a try.
With its distinctly eastern flavour and well-crafted theism, had Jaludin's road been released in the golden era of pulp fiction we would be hailing it as a classic today.
- J.R.
Instead we get a real sense of culture from the various well-crafted conversations that take place in this world, giving it a sense of wonder and intrigue that many more modern fantasies have lost.
The various comparisons to Jack Vance are not unwarranted. The prose is lyrical and while there are some dark themes explored, Gallowglas never takes glee in describing them overtly. Instead the focus is upon Jaludin, his interactions with the characters of his home town and how the world around him firms his resolve against the eventual antagonist.
The high point of this short novella is a well-written piece of action that showcases the skill of the writer outside of dialogue and world-building.
Clearly the work is an advertisement for M. Todd Gallowglas's Tears of Rage series, but the narrative arc of this work is self-contained and never pushes the reader to purchase additional works.
While the novella is too short and sweet to award five stars, it was a pleasant surprise for being completely free. I urge anyone with a remote interest in fantasy to download it and give it a try.
With its distinctly eastern flavour and well-crafted theism, had Jaludin's road been released in the golden era of pulp fiction we would be hailing it as a classic today.
- J.R.
July 7, 2013
GREAT STORY!! Such a compelling read. It took a while for me to read it because I didn't have a block of time to devote to it, and every time I started to read it, it gripped me and I didn't want to put it down. Finally, I had a free day to just read it all the way through. Awesome mystery and so well written!
April 21, 2013
A nice short novella, It could have been one of the tales from Arabian nights. Action and magic, love and thieves. A nice evenings reading.
By Jeremy Poole Author of George and Dewi, Brân and other Celtic Legends.
By Jeremy Poole Author of George and Dewi, Brân and other Celtic Legends.
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June 28, 2012Enter a world of golden sands, living myth, and treacherous sorcery. M. Todd Gallowglas has done his research to immerse you in a believable world steeped in tradition, legend, and magic.
This novella features a young man returning home to find that his village has been cursed by sleep. Unable to tend to themselves, people are dying in their beds of thirst. The young man seeks their cure with the help of a woman transformed into a mouse and a bard who is as good at swordplay as song.
Speaking of blades, the author revels in battles of spinning steel and bursts of magic. If you like your spark showers, you'll love this story. The dialog was also fun, and I appreciated the misunderstanding later in the story at the protagonist's expense. There's nothing that's more human than miscommunication.
The protagonist is a bit of a legend himself. At nineteen, he has become known as the Ghost Between the Shadows, a master thief who has accumulated so many enchanted items that he's like a walking magic shop.
This novella is a taste of Mr. Gallowlglas' other works, and the first chapter of a novel set in the same world follows the story.
This novella features a young man returning home to find that his village has been cursed by sleep. Unable to tend to themselves, people are dying in their beds of thirst. The young man seeks their cure with the help of a woman transformed into a mouse and a bard who is as good at swordplay as song.
Speaking of blades, the author revels in battles of spinning steel and bursts of magic. If you like your spark showers, you'll love this story. The dialog was also fun, and I appreciated the misunderstanding later in the story at the protagonist's expense. There's nothing that's more human than miscommunication.
The protagonist is a bit of a legend himself. At nineteen, he has become known as the Ghost Between the Shadows, a master thief who has accumulated so many enchanted items that he's like a walking magic shop.
This novella is a taste of Mr. Gallowlglas' other works, and the first chapter of a novel set in the same world follows the story.
April 20, 2016
A great short story that has plenty of mystery, suspense, and action. The world is interesting. There is enough explanation for the means of the story, but plenty of mystery for the story to grow. The story itself is a bit fantasy cliche with Arabian night and fairy tale themes mixed in. The protagonist is interesting, while the supporting characters need to be fleshed out more, but for a short story the author does a good job. The writing is really well done and the story leaves you wanting more.
October 12, 2015
This was really good. There's a lot of backstory that's left unexplained, with the result of a sense of mystery and depth that is disproportionate to the length of the story. The best description of this that I can give (and pretty high praise as well) is that this would fit seamlessly into an anthology of Jack Vance's Dying Earth stories.
April 18, 2016
Awesome book
Great read and author is good yarn spinner
Story is gripping and keeps you wanting to read more of his work
Great read and author is good yarn spinner
Story is gripping and keeps you wanting to read more of his work
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews