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For generations, the Gods have been at war. Two rival pantheons, the Old Gods and the New Order, have been vying for the faith of the mortal realm. Bound by the covenants between mortals and themselves, the Old Gods have all but vanished from the land. Now Malik, the God of War and Peace, has devised a plan to champion the war and win back the faithful they have lost. He has created nine swords, each a godslayer in its own right, designed to be given unto the faithful, with the mission to seek out and slay the Gods of the New Order! However, even the best laid plans of a God can go awry, and the swords were cast into the mortal realm, ensorceled in a prophecy that has bound the Gods to a new set of rules, a set that requires their creating a mortal agent in the world to seek out the swords and assure their purpose be carried out.
Nathaniel Goodsmith becomes the selected agent of the Old Gods, a reluctant Avatar required by the Gods to seek out their weapons before they can fall into the hands of the New Order. However, though his mother was a devoted druidess, Nathaniel owes no allegiance to the Gods. The last thing he wishes to do is to abandon his family and home and travel across the countryside at the bequest of Gods long-since thought dead. But the machinations of the Old Gods have not left Nathaniel able to easily walk away from his destiny, and in the end, it may take a loss greater than he can bear to compel him to aid the Gods in their foolish war.
"One" is the first in an ambitious nine book cycle, containing within itself a trilogy of trilogies. The nine swords of the Old Gods are waking and once their existence becomes known, forces from across the world will be vying for the swords powerful enough to slay Gods. If Nathaniel does not rise to his destiny, it could be the end of the world – or at the very least, a world at war!
* All proceeds from the book are being donated to GameHearts.org. Please visit their site for more information about their safe and sober recreations program for adults, and to learn more about how you can support their program.
Nathaniel Goodsmith becomes the selected agent of the Old Gods, a reluctant Avatar required by the Gods to seek out their weapons before they can fall into the hands of the New Order. However, though his mother was a devoted druidess, Nathaniel owes no allegiance to the Gods. The last thing he wishes to do is to abandon his family and home and travel across the countryside at the bequest of Gods long-since thought dead. But the machinations of the Old Gods have not left Nathaniel able to easily walk away from his destiny, and in the end, it may take a loss greater than he can bear to compel him to aid the Gods in their foolish war.
"One" is the first in an ambitious nine book cycle, containing within itself a trilogy of trilogies. The nine swords of the Old Gods are waking and once their existence becomes known, forces from across the world will be vying for the swords powerful enough to slay Gods. If Nathaniel does not rise to his destiny, it could be the end of the world – or at the very least, a world at war!
* All proceeds from the book are being donated to GameHearts.org. Please visit their site for more information about their safe and sober recreations program for adults, and to learn more about how you can support their program.
488 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2011
2 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
About the author
Ron Glick
114 books33 followers Ron Glick (born January 20, 1969) is a community activist, and presently operates a nonprofit adult sobriety program, GameHearts (http://GameHearts.org). He was born in Plainville, KS. After living in various states, he currently lives in Kalispell, MT. His poetry has been published in several publications through the years, and he is presently working on the second novel of the Chaos Rising series, A Stranger's Silence, and working on periodic releases in his Ron El's Comic Book Trivia series.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 4, 2013
I was given this book to review by the author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes, it was lengthy, but that only heightened the wonderful development of the story through fabulous writing.
The characters were rich and three dimensional, building gradually, as did the fantastical world - very, very good.
Themes such as magic, power, greed, selfishness, loneliness, selfishness and love spur on the tale and hooked me throughout. Old gods, new gods, humans, dwarfs...so many similarities to what they want out of their worlds...
I don't give spoilers but will say that this story is rich in the telling and well worth reading.
And yes, I do want to find out what happens to these amazing characters.
The characters were rich and three dimensional, building gradually, as did the fantastical world - very, very good.
Themes such as magic, power, greed, selfishness, loneliness, selfishness and love spur on the tale and hooked me throughout. Old gods, new gods, humans, dwarfs...so many similarities to what they want out of their worlds...
I don't give spoilers but will say that this story is rich in the telling and well worth reading.
And yes, I do want to find out what happens to these amazing characters.
September 5, 2013
One (The Godslayer Cycle Volume 1) Ron Glick
The Gods are at war. The Old Gods and the New Gods. Malik, the God of War wants to win back the faith and trust of his people. There are none swords that have been created to give to Godslayers, to eliminate the New Gods. Nathaniel Goodsmith, an Avatar for the Old Gods is ordered to find the swords before the New Gods get them. Nathaniel is reluctant to carry out this task, but he does what he must.
A complex story with many characters, and back stories. A great story line, for the serious reader. Each character has their own history and Mr. Glick goes into great detail about their past. An action packed fantasy/thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. I would like to read the second in the series.
The Gods are at war. The Old Gods and the New Gods. Malik, the God of War wants to win back the faith and trust of his people. There are none swords that have been created to give to Godslayers, to eliminate the New Gods. Nathaniel Goodsmith, an Avatar for the Old Gods is ordered to find the swords before the New Gods get them. Nathaniel is reluctant to carry out this task, but he does what he must.
A complex story with many characters, and back stories. A great story line, for the serious reader. Each character has their own history and Mr. Glick goes into great detail about their past. An action packed fantasy/thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. I would like to read the second in the series.
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January 13, 2016But it is the way of corrupt men to protect other corrupt men.
To boil down this plot, it’s about a man deciding if he will help the old gods kill off some new gods (or rather, the New Order), and another guy who picks up a sword meant for the chosen guy and then thinks he’s a god because of the sword’s power. And then there’s a priestess of the New Order who learns her god was not all she had thought.
If this book was half the length, I would have loved it. As it was, it just felt entirely too long, drawn out, redundant, and slow. Shame, cause I really did enjoy the basic story.
The world was focused on religion instead of government, but what we learned was good enough for me to be satisfied with the world building. Others might find it slightly lacking, as we really are focused purely on the religion aspect.The New Order has come to the world and taken over the worshippers of the old gods, thus making them pretty much powerless. Magic is explored, how gods receive their power is explored, and our characters’ struggles to decide what to do is definitely explored. All in detail. For me, too much exposition and not enough story movement. Like I said, if all this exploration would have been cut in half, I might have really enjoyed this. As it was, I skimmed. A lot.
The characters were explored enough. I felt I knew what motivated them, their struggles, their reasoning. However, if I look back, they felt a tiny bit flat. Through all the pages of dialog, I never felt a personality really shine. Of course, this could be simply because I did skim, or because it all felt long and my mind wasn’t in it 100%. Shame, because as I said, the story idea, while not completely original, was still fun and interesting. Also, the dwarf’s dialog was a pain to read. The accent used was fun at first, but when you get into pages of conversations, it isn’t fun anymore.
The other thing that threw me off was the head hopping. There was a lot. Paragraph to paragraph sometimes. I can’t remember ever loving a book that head hopped, except for the Dragonlance books. Those will always get a pass. For me, I just can’t sink myself into a story if I’m moving from character to character so abruptly.
Again, the story idea was great. Mortals caught in the middle a power struggle between two sets of gods. A few men and women chosen to be their vessels to gain dominance and kill off the losing gods. A beaten down outcast coming into power and how he handles it. All great potential, all interesting and fun. It just didn’t get there fast enough for me.
Overall, this is a great story idea that took too long to unravel and move. It’s not a short 200 page book that you can blow through. It’s over 400 pages. However, it’s got a great average rating on Goodreads.
You can see this and other reviews on my website: http://booksbylkevans.com
To boil down this plot, it’s about a man deciding if he will help the old gods kill off some new gods (or rather, the New Order), and another guy who picks up a sword meant for the chosen guy and then thinks he’s a god because of the sword’s power. And then there’s a priestess of the New Order who learns her god was not all she had thought.
If this book was half the length, I would have loved it. As it was, it just felt entirely too long, drawn out, redundant, and slow. Shame, cause I really did enjoy the basic story.
The world was focused on religion instead of government, but what we learned was good enough for me to be satisfied with the world building. Others might find it slightly lacking, as we really are focused purely on the religion aspect.The New Order has come to the world and taken over the worshippers of the old gods, thus making them pretty much powerless. Magic is explored, how gods receive their power is explored, and our characters’ struggles to decide what to do is definitely explored. All in detail. For me, too much exposition and not enough story movement. Like I said, if all this exploration would have been cut in half, I might have really enjoyed this. As it was, I skimmed. A lot.
The characters were explored enough. I felt I knew what motivated them, their struggles, their reasoning. However, if I look back, they felt a tiny bit flat. Through all the pages of dialog, I never felt a personality really shine. Of course, this could be simply because I did skim, or because it all felt long and my mind wasn’t in it 100%. Shame, because as I said, the story idea, while not completely original, was still fun and interesting. Also, the dwarf’s dialog was a pain to read. The accent used was fun at first, but when you get into pages of conversations, it isn’t fun anymore.
The other thing that threw me off was the head hopping. There was a lot. Paragraph to paragraph sometimes. I can’t remember ever loving a book that head hopped, except for the Dragonlance books. Those will always get a pass. For me, I just can’t sink myself into a story if I’m moving from character to character so abruptly.
Again, the story idea was great. Mortals caught in the middle a power struggle between two sets of gods. A few men and women chosen to be their vessels to gain dominance and kill off the losing gods. A beaten down outcast coming into power and how he handles it. All great potential, all interesting and fun. It just didn’t get there fast enough for me.
Overall, this is a great story idea that took too long to unravel and move. It’s not a short 200 page book that you can blow through. It’s over 400 pages. However, it’s got a great average rating on Goodreads.
You can see this and other reviews on my website: http://booksbylkevans.com
December 23, 2012
One is the first book of an epic nine book series on gods and god slayers.
Ron Glick has created a very rich world, one that involves multiple religions, magic, and complicated relationships between the main characters. This first book revolves mostly around Nathanial Goodsmith, a man born to fulfill a prophecy to help what are known as the old gods.
But there are many other characters, including a priestess for the new gods named Lady Brea, a dwarf known as Bracken, and some of the old and new gods. Each character has an intricate backstory, which at times felt a bit long when explained and sucked me out of the main story, but overall was intriguing.
One did hook me right away, and I admire anyone who can create such rich, vivid worlds. Every character has a motive, which means they are all very layered, so things are rarely black and white.
Ron has also managed to weave in a complicated love story, though I won’t get in to too much detail because that might otherwise be a spoiler. I suspect things will get more heated in the upcoming books, but will have to wait and see.
One small qualm I have with the story is the prologue and epilogue didn’t feel like it quite fit in with the rest of the story. But since this is only book one of nine, I think the character in the prologue and epilogue will make an appearance, and probably play a big role, at some point in the series.
The ending also felt a bit abrupt, though I realize that it’s good to end a book in a series on a cliffhanger. But, based on other series I’ve read, it felt like there should be some sort of small wrap-up that could also lead into the second book.
Really though, I did not want to stop reading. I have a preference for fantasy books, and this one was overall done really well. Aside from having strong characters, I liked the idea of showing different gods using mortals to play games against each other. And it’s interesting to see the mortals fighting back.
One is a clever book, with a great plot and interesting twists. Anyone looking for a good fantasy series should really start The Godslayer Cycle. I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of the story turns out.
Ron Glick has created a very rich world, one that involves multiple religions, magic, and complicated relationships between the main characters. This first book revolves mostly around Nathanial Goodsmith, a man born to fulfill a prophecy to help what are known as the old gods.
But there are many other characters, including a priestess for the new gods named Lady Brea, a dwarf known as Bracken, and some of the old and new gods. Each character has an intricate backstory, which at times felt a bit long when explained and sucked me out of the main story, but overall was intriguing.
One did hook me right away, and I admire anyone who can create such rich, vivid worlds. Every character has a motive, which means they are all very layered, so things are rarely black and white.
Ron has also managed to weave in a complicated love story, though I won’t get in to too much detail because that might otherwise be a spoiler. I suspect things will get more heated in the upcoming books, but will have to wait and see.
One small qualm I have with the story is the prologue and epilogue didn’t feel like it quite fit in with the rest of the story. But since this is only book one of nine, I think the character in the prologue and epilogue will make an appearance, and probably play a big role, at some point in the series.
The ending also felt a bit abrupt, though I realize that it’s good to end a book in a series on a cliffhanger. But, based on other series I’ve read, it felt like there should be some sort of small wrap-up that could also lead into the second book.
Really though, I did not want to stop reading. I have a preference for fantasy books, and this one was overall done really well. Aside from having strong characters, I liked the idea of showing different gods using mortals to play games against each other. And it’s interesting to see the mortals fighting back.
One is a clever book, with a great plot and interesting twists. Anyone looking for a good fantasy series should really start The Godslayer Cycle. I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of the story turns out.
September 6, 2013
One is the first installment in Ron Glick’s Godslayer Saga where we’re introduced to the Old Gods as their centuries old plan to take back their power from the New Gods begins. The crux of their plan relies on an Avatar named Nathaniel Goodsmith, who is unwilling to follow his destiny until Fate intervenes.
There are nine swords crafted with the ability to kill a God scattered across the world. As each one awakes, Nathaniel feels it through his newfound abilities, but nothing it that simple. Not only is Nathaniel unwilling to follow the wishes of the Old Gods, but a vengeful outcast finds One when it awakens.
With the ability to become invisible, a heretic known as Avery intends to wreak vengeance on the people of a town he was recently chased out of. What he didn’t count on was thwarting a pending rape of a bar maid by the corrupt officials and proclaiming himself the God of Vengeance.
The plot lines are intricate and well written as they weave together in a way similar to the old style fantasy stories of Tolkien and the ancient Greeks. His character developments and interactions are done wonderfully as you feel their anger and love for one another grow and change.
Of all the characters, my favorite was Bracken, a dwarf and friend of Nathaniel. Seriously, there’s something about a cantankerous dwarf that brings life to any story for me. Add into the mix Bracken’s knack for dead honesty and you have the perfect character.
If you’re a fan of Epic Fantasy, then you’ll want to check out this series. It has the makings of a great one.
There are nine swords crafted with the ability to kill a God scattered across the world. As each one awakes, Nathaniel feels it through his newfound abilities, but nothing it that simple. Not only is Nathaniel unwilling to follow the wishes of the Old Gods, but a vengeful outcast finds One when it awakens.
With the ability to become invisible, a heretic known as Avery intends to wreak vengeance on the people of a town he was recently chased out of. What he didn’t count on was thwarting a pending rape of a bar maid by the corrupt officials and proclaiming himself the God of Vengeance.
The plot lines are intricate and well written as they weave together in a way similar to the old style fantasy stories of Tolkien and the ancient Greeks. His character developments and interactions are done wonderfully as you feel their anger and love for one another grow and change.
Of all the characters, my favorite was Bracken, a dwarf and friend of Nathaniel. Seriously, there’s something about a cantankerous dwarf that brings life to any story for me. Add into the mix Bracken’s knack for dead honesty and you have the perfect character.
If you’re a fan of Epic Fantasy, then you’ll want to check out this series. It has the makings of a great one.
September 8, 2015
I honestly did not have any feelings about this book when I first started to read it. The author, Ron Glick, gave me a free copy of this book to write a review. I am not very long winded when it comes to rating books, but I shall try to give you as much information as you need to make an educated decision about reading this book.
First, if you are interested in a book that has some magic, gods and swords, this book will be for you. There is a lot going on within this book. The first few chapters, on their own, seemed to drag on a bit. However, after reading the entire book I can say that those chapters were needed.
Second, the main character can be a tad whiny at times. His life has not been the best, blah blah blah. But he does grow on you and his life experiences direct his life somewhat. He does getter better throughout the entire series (I have now read the first three books).
Third, the series is not complete as of September 8, 2015. If you are looking for a completed series, turn back and wait. It is a great series thus far, but I do not know how many books are expected within the entire series.
Fourth, the first book was a little confusing at times. There were some things taking place that did not make a lot of sense to me, as a reader. I don't know if I just read too into some things or what. I cannot go into too much detail here because I do not want to spoil it for anyone else.
Overall, this is a great beginning series to read for fantasy lovers.
First, if you are interested in a book that has some magic, gods and swords, this book will be for you. There is a lot going on within this book. The first few chapters, on their own, seemed to drag on a bit. However, after reading the entire book I can say that those chapters were needed.
Second, the main character can be a tad whiny at times. His life has not been the best, blah blah blah. But he does grow on you and his life experiences direct his life somewhat. He does getter better throughout the entire series (I have now read the first three books).
Third, the series is not complete as of September 8, 2015. If you are looking for a completed series, turn back and wait. It is a great series thus far, but I do not know how many books are expected within the entire series.
Fourth, the first book was a little confusing at times. There were some things taking place that did not make a lot of sense to me, as a reader. I don't know if I just read too into some things or what. I cannot go into too much detail here because I do not want to spoil it for anyone else.
Overall, this is a great beginning series to read for fantasy lovers.
November 3, 2015
In an effort to turn the tide in a generations-old war between the old and new gods, Malik the god of war and peace has fashioned nine swords that are capable of slaying gods. They can only be wielded by a specially chosen Avatar. Nathaniel Goodsmith, whose mother was slain at the behest of a priest of the new gods, has no use for old or new, but he’s chosen to be Avatar. The problem is, Nathaniel’s existence must be hidden from the new gods if he is to succeed, but he has come to the attention of one of their priestesses—who is herself suffering a crisis of faith.
One (The Godslayer Cycle Book 1) by Ron Glick is the first in an ambitious series of nine fantasy novels that follows the path of each of the godslayer swords. This is sword and sorcery at its best, with heroes and heroines, villains, and magic aplenty. You’ll laugh and weep with Nathaniel as he comes to terms with his special talents, confronts the warped desires of the gods, and copes with the loss of everything familiar in his life—exulting in his every victory, regardless how small.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review.
One (The Godslayer Cycle Book 1) by Ron Glick is the first in an ambitious series of nine fantasy novels that follows the path of each of the godslayer swords. This is sword and sorcery at its best, with heroes and heroines, villains, and magic aplenty. You’ll laugh and weep with Nathaniel as he comes to terms with his special talents, confronts the warped desires of the gods, and copes with the loss of everything familiar in his life—exulting in his every victory, regardless how small.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review.
September 27, 2014
Nathaniel Goodwin has effectively raised himself since the age of nine with a little help from a mysterious dwarf named Bracken. Nate’s mother was stoned to death by would be followers of a person claiming to represent a new god.
He doesn't realize that he is a critical component of a plan created by the old gods to give mankind the freedom of choice. The old gods created swords that can slay a god and set in motion events to breed the right genes into certain humans to make them avatars. The plan has been hundreds of years in the making and now Nathaniel is the focus.
Grown up, married and a father, Nathaniel must wrestle with the choices that will shatter his existence once again. The story and writing style remind me of some ‘Big 5’ authors I have read like Brandon Sanderson. I liked it and I give four out of five satisfaction units.
http://www.amazon.com/One-Godslayer-C...
He doesn't realize that he is a critical component of a plan created by the old gods to give mankind the freedom of choice. The old gods created swords that can slay a god and set in motion events to breed the right genes into certain humans to make them avatars. The plan has been hundreds of years in the making and now Nathaniel is the focus.
Grown up, married and a father, Nathaniel must wrestle with the choices that will shatter his existence once again. The story and writing style remind me of some ‘Big 5’ authors I have read like Brandon Sanderson. I liked it and I give four out of five satisfaction units.
http://www.amazon.com/One-Godslayer-C...
April 4, 2013
This is the first book in a series. The Gods have been at war for generations. The old Gods and the New Order, have been competeing for the faith of the mortal realms Bound by Convenants between the Mortals and the Gods. The old Gods have all but vanished from the land. Malik the God of War and Peace has devised a plan to win the war and win back all the faithful they have lost.He created nine swords each a God slayer in its own right, designed to be given to the unfaithful, with the mission to slay the Gods of the New Order. This is an ambitious nine book cycle. The first book revolves around Nathaniel Goodsmith, His job is to fulfill a prophecy to help the old Gods. There are many other characters including Lady Brea a Priestess for the New Gods, Bracken a dwarf , and some other old and new gods. Each character has there own story.A very well written book i look forward to next book in the series.
August 8, 2013
'One' is the first book in an epic fantasy series about a war amongst gods. Nathaniel's destiny as an agent of the old gods is about to be uncovered and he doesn't even know it.
The world building was brilliant, the characters were well developed and the story was very well plotted out. I sympathised with Nathaniel and felt uneasy about Brea and her off-kilter attraction to him. Nathaniel goes through a lot and his story is heart-wrenching. I'm anxious to find out what happens next.
I will admit I am used to faster paced books so I found this book a bit slow in a few places but overall the story was very engaging and unique enough to keep my attention. Bracken the dwarf was an interesting character but I found his dialogue made me switch off a bit the couple of times he was involved in lengthy conversations.
All in all I found this an engaging, enjoyable read with some intriguing ideas. Recommended for fans of epic fantasy!
The world building was brilliant, the characters were well developed and the story was very well plotted out. I sympathised with Nathaniel and felt uneasy about Brea and her off-kilter attraction to him. Nathaniel goes through a lot and his story is heart-wrenching. I'm anxious to find out what happens next.
I will admit I am used to faster paced books so I found this book a bit slow in a few places but overall the story was very engaging and unique enough to keep my attention. Bracken the dwarf was an interesting character but I found his dialogue made me switch off a bit the couple of times he was involved in lengthy conversations.
All in all I found this an engaging, enjoyable read with some intriguing ideas. Recommended for fans of epic fantasy!
December 15, 2013
A great world has been created by Ron Glick.
Characters are very likeable, well that is except for the Gods. I sort of expect Gods to behave beyond human pettiness, but these Gods behave just like humans ie stabbing each other in the back plus getting annoyed with us puny humans.
This is an exciting story and trots along at a good pace. My favorite character has to be the dwarf, though not sure if he's got an Irish or Scottish accent or none of those.
A few teeny editing glitches but they most certainly do not retract from a super story.
Recommend to any magic fantasy fans.
Characters are very likeable, well that is except for the Gods. I sort of expect Gods to behave beyond human pettiness, but these Gods behave just like humans ie stabbing each other in the back plus getting annoyed with us puny humans.
This is an exciting story and trots along at a good pace. My favorite character has to be the dwarf, though not sure if he's got an Irish or Scottish accent or none of those.
A few teeny editing glitches but they most certainly do not retract from a super story.
Recommend to any magic fantasy fans.
October 6, 2015
I was given this book to right and honest review. The beginning of the book was very slow, but after the first few chapters it became interesting.
This is a book about Old and New Gods, religion and magic and the freedom to choose. But as you will see not everyone had that choice.
I felt it could have ended differently, but it also give you an idea what the next book will be about. A lot of words could have been left out to make the book shorter. But overall I gave it 4 stars.
This is a book about Old and New Gods, religion and magic and the freedom to choose. But as you will see not everyone had that choice.
I felt it could have ended differently, but it also give you an idea what the next book will be about. A lot of words could have been left out to make the book shorter. But overall I gave it 4 stars.
February 23, 2015
Highly engaging and engrossing, with interesting and believable characters, One is an excellent fantasy epic from start to finish. I stayed up well past my usual bedtime in order to reach the end and I'm looking forward to the next installment in the series. If you enjoy stories of petty gods and reluctant heroes, you should definitely check this one out.
August 20, 2015
Interesting and Fresh
Love this new fantasy concept. It is well-written and engaging. My only complaint is that with so many gods and other main characters it it's sometimes difficult to keep them all straight. Would definitely recommend to fantasy lovers looking for something fun and a little different.
Love this new fantasy concept. It is well-written and engaging. My only complaint is that with so many gods and other main characters it it's sometimes difficult to keep them all straight. Would definitely recommend to fantasy lovers looking for something fun and a little different.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews