What do you think?
Rate this book
Eskkar Saga #0.5
Eskkar & Trella - The Beginning
In Dawn of Empire, Eskkar the warrior and Trella the keen-witted slave girl come together in a mighty struggle to survive a barbarian invasion and build mankind’s first walled city. But Eskkar’s story began many years earlier, when his family was brutally murdered in a blood feud. His name and heritage obliterated, young Eskkar flees his clan and the only life he knows. Condemned as an outcast, he learns to survive, hunted by his own kind, and hated and feared by all others.
For fifteen years, Eskkar wanders the Land Between The Rivers, home of his hereditary enemies, fighting to stay alive and to reach manhood. All the while he is learning the skills that will one day make him not only a true warrior, but a leader of men on and off the battlefield.
Trella, too, witnesses her family destroyed in a single night of vengeance, and her life of ease and privilege lost. Captured and sold to a slave trader, she must use her keen mind, extraordinary perception, and perfect memory to regain control of her life. While appearing to serve her masters, Trella learns to manipulate the powerful men who now own her body. Soon she becomes the unseen influence whose knowledge and training guide the way to the founding of an empire.
Eskkar and Trella join together and form a unique bond that enables them to overcome the limits their world has placed upon them. These are the stories of their journeys toward one another and to their shared destiny – an enduring love that changes civilization forever.
For fifteen years, Eskkar wanders the Land Between The Rivers, home of his hereditary enemies, fighting to stay alive and to reach manhood. All the while he is learning the skills that will one day make him not only a true warrior, but a leader of men on and off the battlefield.
Trella, too, witnesses her family destroyed in a single night of vengeance, and her life of ease and privilege lost. Captured and sold to a slave trader, she must use her keen mind, extraordinary perception, and perfect memory to regain control of her life. While appearing to serve her masters, Trella learns to manipulate the powerful men who now own her body. Soon she becomes the unseen influence whose knowledge and training guide the way to the founding of an empire.
Eskkar and Trella join together and form a unique bond that enables them to overcome the limits their world has placed upon them. These are the stories of their journeys toward one another and to their shared destiny – an enduring love that changes civilization forever.
631 pages, Paperback
First published February 23, 2012
28 people are currently reading
368 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 23, 2021
I read the first two parts of the ’Eskarr Saga’ a few years ago and ever since have want to read the prelude which is ‘Eskarr and Trella - The Beginning’. I couldn’t find the book in shops and the prices on Amazon were outrageous, as if it was a collectors item, in my ignorance I didn’t consider Kindle until just recently while I was scrolling through and looking for something else I stumbled across it and I bought it for just £3.99. I was so pleased, because it is an exceptional story.
Sam Barone proved to me that he is a brilliant novelist with his first two books and this one added to that belief.
Eskarr while on the verge of becoming a man and a warrior learns that his father has been betrayed and murdered and in fear for his life his mother tells him to flee from the village or the same fate will happen to him. The 14 year old obeys his mother’s wishes and so becomes an outcast from the Barbarian people. He spends fifteen years growing up the hard way, travelling different lands meeting different peoples, finding work so as to feed himself, fighting for his life to survive but always keeping in mind his fathers morals and ethics but always (which was sometimes annoying) cursing his bad luck. He finds himself in many a scrape when coming to the aid of others in danger but always learning how to make the best of a situation, how to beat his adversaries, how to plan first and how to lead. In his day and age (3,000 yrs BC) death is always close at hand and on one occasion more than close.
The last quarter of the book tells of Trella’s younger life. Her family came to a similar fate as Eskarr’s but she escapes death and is sold into slavery and though she faces a life of misery, her inner strength prepares her to stand up to whatever life holds in store.
We know what Eskarr and Trella’s destiny is but it was really intriguing to find out how they actually got there.
I will now read the last part of the saga ‘Conflict Of Empires’ and look forward to it with relish. To me this is worth another 5/5.
Sam Barone proved to me that he is a brilliant novelist with his first two books and this one added to that belief.
Eskarr while on the verge of becoming a man and a warrior learns that his father has been betrayed and murdered and in fear for his life his mother tells him to flee from the village or the same fate will happen to him. The 14 year old obeys his mother’s wishes and so becomes an outcast from the Barbarian people. He spends fifteen years growing up the hard way, travelling different lands meeting different peoples, finding work so as to feed himself, fighting for his life to survive but always keeping in mind his fathers morals and ethics but always (which was sometimes annoying) cursing his bad luck. He finds himself in many a scrape when coming to the aid of others in danger but always learning how to make the best of a situation, how to beat his adversaries, how to plan first and how to lead. In his day and age (3,000 yrs BC) death is always close at hand and on one occasion more than close.
The last quarter of the book tells of Trella’s younger life. Her family came to a similar fate as Eskarr’s but she escapes death and is sold into slavery and though she faces a life of misery, her inner strength prepares her to stand up to whatever life holds in store.
We know what Eskarr and Trella’s destiny is but it was really intriguing to find out how they actually got there.
I will now read the last part of the saga ‘Conflict Of Empires’ and look forward to it with relish. To me this is worth another 5/5.
February 15, 2023
Bronze Age Stories
This is a book of many criss-crossing story lines. It gives the early history of Eskkar and Trella. But also covers back and end stories of some of the other characters they encounter.
I enjoyed it a lot, it fills in some gaps and fleshed out the characters and their motivations.
This is a book of many criss-crossing story lines. It gives the early history of Eskkar and Trella. But also covers back and end stories of some of the other characters they encounter.
I enjoyed it a lot, it fills in some gaps and fleshed out the characters and their motivations.
October 25, 2023
I liked this story as it is set in the bronze age in the area around the tigris and euphrates rivers (modern day Middle East - Iran, Turkey, Syria, Iraq). Although it a template for every saga i.e. small boy who's family is killed, runs aways, survives, fights etc. this was a set of short stories to get to know the 2 main characters in the saga this is coming. Fun read.
February 26, 2019
Very well written
This one shows that the author has matured in his writing with time. I could not give five star though as I felt he made some of the fighting scenes unnecessarily long.
This one shows that the author has matured in his writing with time. I could not give five star though as I felt he made some of the fighting scenes unnecessarily long.
November 6, 2018
very entertaining read. highly recommend
June 14, 2025
This was good, but I would have appreciated a little more time with Trella and I was sad for that one friend who died after realizing it would be good to have a family.
July 8, 2012
The world of more than 3000 BC. People try to make a living off the land. A barbarian tribe sweeps across the land destroying everything in its path. Young Eskkar belongs to the tribe, but in a sudden change of events he becomes an outcast, and has to learn to survive amongst the people who fear him because of his barbarian looks.
Eskkar wanders from place to place, making the story seem like a bunch of short stories all strung together.
It's a good book. The beginning is a little tough going, but stick with it. Trella doesn't show up until the very end. I'm not sure why she wasn't in the book sooner.
Eskkar wanders from place to place, making the story seem like a bunch of short stories all strung together.
It's a good book. The beginning is a little tough going, but stick with it. Trella doesn't show up until the very end. I'm not sure why she wasn't in the book sooner.
March 7, 2015
Although this book introduces the main characters, recommend that it be read after reading the main Eskkar saga because this book is a collection of stories about Eskkar and Trella and a first time reader may not connect readily to the main story line of the saga. Although an enjoyable read within the chapters, the disconnection between the chapters is a mood killer.
however a San Barone Fan and a reader who have gone through the highs of the saga will not be able to resist reading it.
however a San Barone Fan and a reader who have gone through the highs of the saga will not be able to resist reading it.
April 11, 2014
Very exciting read about the story of Eskkar. The Trella part was added on as an afterthought, I feel like it was someone else who wrote it, not as many details, and kind of rushed. The author could have shortened Eskkar's story by a few chases we could have learned more about Trella. Also, the character Eskkar cursed his luck way too many times. If I had a dollar every time he cursed his luck...
January 7, 2013
Really the first (prequel) in the sage, but I read it 4th (published order) and I really, really liked it a lot. Sam Barone is a great writer and his novels are filled with action, adventure and heroic, believable characters. I can’t wait to get my hands on the fifth in this series, Battle for Empire.
July 29, 2016
I love that the author wrote this prequel to the series. It takes place around 3,100 b.c. and involves the survival of Eskkar who is forced to leave his tribe as a young man and survives by his wits. There is plenty of sword fighting and interaction with the people in the region of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Trella's part in this prequel is small but her adventure is intense.
January 1, 2013
It is ok but if I hadn't read the other books first I would have been very disappointed with it
I found the fact that he finished each short story without a description of what happened next and what happened to the characters really irritating
I found the fact that he finished each short story without a description of what happened next and what happened to the characters really irritating
November 22, 2012
I love this prequel to the series. It's nice to read more about Eskkar's and Trella's background. The characters were well written and I loved the little story throughout their journeys. Makes me want to go back and re-read the series.
September 30, 2012
Sam Barone's Eskkar series is one of the finest that I have read. This collection of short stories is an excellent starter for the series which is 5* all the way.
July 18, 2013
A nice prequel for the Empire series set at the beginnings of civilization.
Read the Kindle edition.
Read the Kindle edition.
August 17, 2016
A bit of a disappointment. Reads like a hasty add on to the series. Could have done with a lot more detail. Purchased the kindle edition on Amazon
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews