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The Dark God #1
Servant: The Dark God Book 1: Volume 1 by John D. Brown
A spirited blacksmith’s daughter accused of using the dark and terrifying sleth magic.The young man who hunts her. And the ferocious monster who only wants to be free. Trapped in a web of lies and ancient secrets, of right becoming wrong, the three must struggle not only against each other, but also a being of irresistible powers, a creature who is gathering her servants to usher in the impending human harvest. If the three succeed, they will save those they love the most. If they fail, the clans of the land fall with them. Thus begins the towering fantasy series that introduces an elaborate new world, a multifaceted system of magic, and a cast of compelling characters and creatures.
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First published December 19, 2013
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About the author
John D. Brown
20 books117 followersJOHN D. BROWN writes action-packed thrillers and epic fantasies with characters you want to cheer for. He lives with his wife and four daughters in the hinterlands of Utah where one encounters much fresh air, many good-hearted ranchers, and the occasional wolf. If you want to be notified when he releases his next book, sign up at his website johndbrown.com
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 4, 2015
This book is a solid 4 1/2 stars (with the obvious nudge upward in this rating system). There were parts of it that beg for five stars, but there are other parts that bring it down. Nevertheless, it gets top marks from me, despite the fact it's the first in a series.
The plot is a good one. There is a ruling class of men called Divines who hold sway over all the clans, who are either at war or an uneasy peace with each other. When a member of one of the less-regarded clans is accused of being a sleth (using a form of magic that is the right of the Divines), it sets in motion a series of events that pits the secret members of the Order against the Divines for the right to rule their own lives. But when a third factor comes into play, using a beast of dirt and stone and wood to gather up members of the Order, it becomes apparent that there is more to this struggle for survival than the Order knows. And their knowledge of lore is proving inadequate against event he Divines, who themselves bow to others.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters and plot were believable (in the world in which it occurs, obviously), the good guys were good even with their flaws, and the bad guys were bad. And in the end, it was satisfying all around. Even the people that died did not do so just for the sake of getting rid of characters. There were only two issues I had. First, parts of the book just dragged. It's obvious they were needed to move things along, but in a book that is this long, it makes you put it down far more than you should. Second, there was a character introduced near the end of the book who served as the "deus ex machina" to bring things together who was, of all the characters, two-dimensional. This character reminded me of the tough good guy character in movies who says the pithy, brash lines of text, then dies heroically although you don't really care. Thankfully, this character doesn't appear until about the last 20% of the book, so it's a tad irritating but not too distracting.
Again, I thoroughly enjoyed this book despite its flaws. If you have a taste for struggle against cruel tyranny and hidden masters, combined with magic, sacrifice, and heroism, then you should enjoy this book as well. I even have the second book already! :-)
The plot is a good one. There is a ruling class of men called Divines who hold sway over all the clans, who are either at war or an uneasy peace with each other. When a member of one of the less-regarded clans is accused of being a sleth (using a form of magic that is the right of the Divines), it sets in motion a series of events that pits the secret members of the Order against the Divines for the right to rule their own lives. But when a third factor comes into play, using a beast of dirt and stone and wood to gather up members of the Order, it becomes apparent that there is more to this struggle for survival than the Order knows. And their knowledge of lore is proving inadequate against event he Divines, who themselves bow to others.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters and plot were believable (in the world in which it occurs, obviously), the good guys were good even with their flaws, and the bad guys were bad. And in the end, it was satisfying all around. Even the people that died did not do so just for the sake of getting rid of characters. There were only two issues I had. First, parts of the book just dragged. It's obvious they were needed to move things along, but in a book that is this long, it makes you put it down far more than you should. Second, there was a character introduced near the end of the book who served as the "deus ex machina" to bring things together who was, of all the characters, two-dimensional. This character reminded me of the tough good guy character in movies who says the pithy, brash lines of text, then dies heroically although you don't really care. Thankfully, this character doesn't appear until about the last 20% of the book, so it's a tad irritating but not too distracting.
Again, I thoroughly enjoyed this book despite its flaws. If you have a taste for struggle against cruel tyranny and hidden masters, combined with magic, sacrifice, and heroism, then you should enjoy this book as well. I even have the second book already! :-)
February 28, 2017
There was a lot to like about this book. There were some scenes in the beginning that were great fun. The characters and the world building were interesting and different from other books I'd read. But overall, I'm discovering that a lot of these epic fantasies just move too slow for me. This was another of those. I skimmed through the slow parts and slowed down for the more exciting parts.
November 23, 2015
I love stories that surprise me, stories where I can't see the ending before it hits. In this truly unique novel, John Brown masterfully doles out secrets just a hint at a time and leaves you wondering what will happen next. Fantastic!
July 27, 2017
I enjoyed this book by the time I finished it.
The beginning was really rough, a lot of the setting was flung around like a tornado and I had to read some of it a couple of times to get a sense of where this was headed.
Once over that hurdle the story progressed in an enjoyable fashion, the characters were believable, and the way Fire worked really hooked my attention.
The ending was satisfying, most of the story threads were tied off with, what Im assuming, will be a clean start for the second book a season later.
The beginning was really rough, a lot of the setting was flung around like a tornado and I had to read some of it a couple of times to get a sense of where this was headed.
Once over that hurdle the story progressed in an enjoyable fashion, the characters were believable, and the way Fire worked really hooked my attention.
The ending was satisfying, most of the story threads were tied off with, what Im assuming, will be a clean start for the second book a season later.
September 24, 2014
Wow, what a roller coaster. I just read all 3 books start-to-finish. I had to. The story would not let me go. Incredible pacing (remember to breathe) and an incredibly vivid world. John does an amazing job creating a new world that is beautiful and frightening.
Due to the violence and some suggestive content, I would recommend these books for mid-teen to adult.
Due to the violence and some suggestive content, I would recommend these books for mid-teen to adult.
December 28, 2016
Wasn't even able to get all the way through it. The story turned again and again on uninteresting plot points and I felt like the book got bogged down
November 26, 2018
This is an enthralling debut goes with distinctive and very smart story of breakneck pace.
December 22, 2020
A good bit of world-building in this first book of a series. By the middle of the book the story narrows and proceeds at a comfortable pace.
March 5, 2017
Great book with crystal clear prose
This book has some unique magic in it. The prose is clear and to the point. If you're looking for poetry, don't look here. If you're looking for epic fantasy where crazy stuff happens, this is the right place.
This book has some unique magic in it. The prose is clear and to the point. If you're looking for poetry, don't look here. If you're looking for epic fantasy where crazy stuff happens, this is the right place.
May 13, 2015
I owned the previous version (before John bought back the rights and reworked it).
It has been some time since I read the first version, but I had more difficulty this time around. Many things were better explained and I think the initial chapter ordering was better.
But I often felt like too much needed to be explained, and some of the most important things still seemed unclear. There are things that are clearly hinted at that never ended up making sense. In some ways, this feels like it wanted to be a slow-rolling epic fantasy given the depth of the world, but was cut back into a quicker more action-based story. This helps in terms of pace, but left me feeling a little confused at points.
Overall it is an excellent setting, with a quirky sense of humor and character. The story arc, while filled with lots of exciting passages, felt somewhat haphazard,
I look forward to continuing the series.
It has been some time since I read the first version, but I had more difficulty this time around. Many things were better explained and I think the initial chapter ordering was better.
But I often felt like too much needed to be explained, and some of the most important things still seemed unclear. There are things that are clearly hinted at that never ended up making sense. In some ways, this feels like it wanted to be a slow-rolling epic fantasy given the depth of the world, but was cut back into a quicker more action-based story. This helps in terms of pace, but left me feeling a little confused at points.
Overall it is an excellent setting, with a quirky sense of humor and character. The story arc, while filled with lots of exciting passages, felt somewhat haphazard,
I look forward to continuing the series.
September 15, 2014
I checked this out based on Larry Correia's recommendation. It started out slow and kind of threw you into the middle of a brand new world, but as things cleared up and I got my bearings, it ended up being quite enjoyable.
The "magic" system is comprised of dividing each individual into three parts: body, soul, and "fire", which is kind of like life, vitality, or years remaining. A person can multiply their strength, speed, senses, etc by burning up some of their fire, thus sacrificing some of their lifespan.
If there is a disappointment, it is that this ability wasn't really explored much in the first book. I trust that will be remedied in the second and third. This book was very clean, reading something like a YA novel in many places, with the main protagonists being young men and women, taught by their parents.
The "magic" system is comprised of dividing each individual into three parts: body, soul, and "fire", which is kind of like life, vitality, or years remaining. A person can multiply their strength, speed, senses, etc by burning up some of their fire, thus sacrificing some of their lifespan.
If there is a disappointment, it is that this ability wasn't really explored much in the first book. I trust that will be remedied in the second and third. This book was very clean, reading something like a YA novel in many places, with the main protagonists being young men and women, taught by their parents.
March 26, 2016
Edge of my seat the whole time!!
Thus was almost more suspense than I can handle! I find I almost hated the book a couple of times..but it was so good it kept me going. I am wimpy when it comes to bad things happening to the heroes, and though I longed for the hero to prevail all the time, I know that, just as in real life, that can't always happen. The ending was very satisfying.. Although I will be starting the next one asap. This is a clean book...but too scary and suspenseful for preteens...almost too much for me!! . .but I love it!
Thus was almost more suspense than I can handle! I find I almost hated the book a couple of times..but it was so good it kept me going. I am wimpy when it comes to bad things happening to the heroes, and though I longed for the hero to prevail all the time, I know that, just as in real life, that can't always happen. The ending was very satisfying.. Although I will be starting the next one asap. This is a clean book...but too scary and suspenseful for preteens...almost too much for me!! . .but I love it!
July 29, 2014
This was an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to more from this author. I really like books to have compelling tension and interesting characters and this one had me pulled it from the start. The tension continued to ratchet up as the characters and their problems grew more difficult. It's a breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre. I especially liked that it was clean, the magic system was very interesting, and the characters were enjoyable and often quite funny. Give us more, Mr Brown!
May 14, 2015
This was a bit of a slow book, but worth sticking with to the end.
Interesting characters (but quite a lot turning up at once, plus they all seem to use nicknames as well as real names, so it gets confusing sometimes).
The main character, Talen, just comes across as a whiny brat for most of the book but redeems himself in the last third.
The opposing factions seem to be done well, and you are soon rooting for the underdogs.
Interesting characters (but quite a lot turning up at once, plus they all seem to use nicknames as well as real names, so it gets confusing sometimes).
The main character, Talen, just comes across as a whiny brat for most of the book but redeems himself in the last third.
The opposing factions seem to be done well, and you are soon rooting for the underdogs.
August 14, 2016
I was so glad when I finally finished this book. Just about every fantasy story has elements of horror, but this author over-did that aspect of his story. His bad guys were truly sickening, and had the upper hand through most of the plot. It's still possible that a romance may develop as the series unfolds (there are young men and women characters), but so far there isn't any hint of it. I'll never know, since I won't be reading any more in the series.
December 8, 2014
Ah enjoyable novel with likeable characters and a unique world. It's a bit difficult to get into as it thrusts the reader into a whole new terminology with little explanation. As that settles, however, the book is quite enjoyable. There are a few sections that did not feel necessary, but I suspect that they may be further explored in the sequels.
December 4, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. I tore through it in a matter of days because the characters were engaging, the plot was gripping, and the world was full of wonder and mystery. Now I'm going to go purchase the sequels.
And I want a pet skir. Like Shegom.
And Ruboloth was a really cool secondary villain.
And I want a pet skir. Like Shegom.
And Ruboloth was a really cool secondary villain.
January 30, 2015
An interesting first book of the trilogy. It took me a while to get into it, but once the action finally started, it was pretty good. I'm looking forward to reading the other 2 books.
January 21, 2015
Took me a long time to get through the book because it was aggressively mediocre in my mind. It didn't really stand out as good or bad in really any way, it was just there.
August 8, 2016
Good writing but... didn't really get into the story.
March 3, 2017
Really good book! I'm on a roll with finding some gems.
This was an entertaining book for sure. Great plot, interesting characters, lots of magic and all that good stuff. The main character was awesome. Loved the bits of humor as well.
Can't wait for those audible credits to roll around for the next.
Also, I really, really, really like Alex Wyndham as a narrator. That is how I found this book. I actually searched his name to see what he had narrated. Good call on choosing him.
This was an entertaining book for sure. Great plot, interesting characters, lots of magic and all that good stuff. The main character was awesome. Loved the bits of humor as well.
Can't wait for those audible credits to roll around for the next.
Also, I really, really, really like Alex Wyndham as a narrator. That is how I found this book. I actually searched his name to see what he had narrated. Good call on choosing him.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews