What do you think?
Rate this book
EarthDawn novels #11
Liferock
Dive into the mysterious world of Obsidimen. Born fully formed from their Liferock, they live for a thousand years before they are reabsorbed to share their souls with their brotherhood. Young Pabl Evr returns home for his Naming, only to find his liferock threatened by a mining crew and in peril from an apocalyptic remnant of the Scourge that threatens to destroy the Liferock, kill the whole community, and erase the entirety of their ancestral memories.
310 pages, Paperback
First published November 4, 2003
19 people want to read
About the author
Jak Koke
13 books19 followersJak Koke writes and edits from Seattle, where he lives with his partner, Karawynn Long. Jak has authored seven published novels and many short stories under his own name. He has also ghost-written novels and edited manuscripts by other authors. He is currently the Managing Editor of an award-winning small press — Per Aspera Press.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 8, 2013
This is one of Jak's earliest books. And having read one of his later works I can see the progress in his style as well as some similarity.
This is an interesting story. The setting will be more familiar to people versed in the gameverse the story is set in. For me, it was new. I had the familiar presence of dwarves and elf, but the obsidiman was a new thing to me. There were parts that unfolded as predicted, but many surprises as well.
CHARACTERS: this is probably the weakest part of the book. I don't feel like characters were illuminated the way I like them to be. We have some idea of who they all are, but it could have been better.
PLOT: it's a good story. This aspect was a strength for me. I try to write spoiler free reviews so I won't go into detail, but it was a worthwhile story to tell.
WRITING: Jak's writing style is pretty tight. He doesn't try to wax eloquent where it isn't wanted or needed. Mostly he tells the story. He uses about the right amount of dialogue and only goes inside the mind of a few characters. Altering of viewpoints could be a challenge, but I found it done pretty well.
RECOMMENDED: to readers of solid fantasy. Those involved in the game world or who've read other works in that world would enjoy this. There's even a sense of mystery to it, so people into that should enjoy. It reads to me as adult fiction but think a teen audience would enjoy it as well.
My 4 star rating is a little generous, but a 3 star would have been robbery. So we average up.
This is an interesting story. The setting will be more familiar to people versed in the gameverse the story is set in. For me, it was new. I had the familiar presence of dwarves and elf, but the obsidiman was a new thing to me. There were parts that unfolded as predicted, but many surprises as well.
CHARACTERS: this is probably the weakest part of the book. I don't feel like characters were illuminated the way I like them to be. We have some idea of who they all are, but it could have been better.
PLOT: it's a good story. This aspect was a strength for me. I try to write spoiler free reviews so I won't go into detail, but it was a worthwhile story to tell.
WRITING: Jak's writing style is pretty tight. He doesn't try to wax eloquent where it isn't wanted or needed. Mostly he tells the story. He uses about the right amount of dialogue and only goes inside the mind of a few characters. Altering of viewpoints could be a challenge, but I found it done pretty well.
RECOMMENDED: to readers of solid fantasy. Those involved in the game world or who've read other works in that world would enjoy this. There's even a sense of mystery to it, so people into that should enjoy. It reads to me as adult fiction but think a teen audience would enjoy it as well.
My 4 star rating is a little generous, but a 3 star would have been robbery. So we average up.
May 3, 2017
One of the better Earthdawn novels. it really develops the culture of the obsidimen.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews