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Kaltor Stratagar, assassin-in-training, accidentally releases a demon from the abyss into the world. As the casualties mount and the demon sets her sights on the nearest city, Kaltor and his friends must put everything on the line to halt its path of destruction.
- GenresFantasy
404 pages, Paperback
First published September 2, 2011
About the author
S.B. Sebrick
30 books15 followersI spent most of my childhood and teen years living in Vancouver, Washington (No that’s not the capital and no, I’m not Canadian) but I have also lived in Utah, New York and Argentina. I have a fascination with Epic Fantasy and have alot of books in mind for this genre before I move on to other ones. I’ve spent years writing as a hobby and am taking my first steps towards a writing career by self-publishing “Decoy” as an E-Book.
Some of my favorite works to read are Robert Jordan’s’ “Wheel of Time” Series and Brandon Sanderson’s “Mistborn Trilogy”. I love the opportunity to create a completely different world and magic structure that I’ve only found fully explorable through writing fantasy.
Some of my favorite works to read are Robert Jordan’s’ “Wheel of Time” Series and Brandon Sanderson’s “Mistborn Trilogy”. I love the opportunity to create a completely different world and magic structure that I’ve only found fully explorable through writing fantasy.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 23, 2012
This book is rated 3.5 out of 5
S.B Sebrick makes a very promising start – no introductions needed, the reader is sent smash bang into the thick of the action without so much as a by-your-leave. All in one great swoop we are plunged into a world with things like ‘Varadours’, ‘Stunts’ ‘Skin Vision’ and ‘Viper Hounds’. In fact, the author trusts his reader with a lot but risks alienating us by introducing so much so quickly.
There’s a lot going on. The hero must hide his true identity, his true powers, deal with parental relationships, friendships, and a major evil (as well as his guilt for his part in releasing this evil) – not to mention his life’s quest to find his brother. This variety helps keep the action going, and there’s certainly plenty of that. Indeed, one of the author’s skills is in describing battle scenes, which are frequent and satisfying.
On the downside, with so much going on it’s hard to feel emotionally invested in any of it. We don’t really get to know the hero, Kaltor, very well through his actions and decisions, let alone the other characters in the book. His relationships, even with his parents, feel stiff and superficial, though the author does better with Kaltor’s friends, with whom there’s an easy camaraderie and banter.
My usual complaint stands: the manuscript could have really done with a good strong edit to iron out such problems as ‘He couldn’t understand why Crevan was still impossible to find, despite such blatant circumstances’ and ‘the second part was a lie of course, and the truth only partly so’. There’s also the occasional use of really bad English ‘“If you had not of eaten that recipe you could have been Viper Hound food long before you even got the chance to miss being with the girls.” If I could get my hands on this manuscript, I’d also want to edit out some pretty flimsy clichés (“You have a good heart. Don’t ever let them take that from you” would be the first to get the sack).
Despite having a lot of the elements required for exciting, interesting fiction, the novel never quite ignites. We never really get to know about the things that matter; the hero, his loved ones, and the world he’s fighting to protect are all held at arm’s length, which is a disappointment.
If the author could learn the trick of placing his reader in the action, allowing his characters to change and grow according to decisions they must make, if he could get us to understand what’s really at stake in this fascinating world that he’s created – if he could marry all this with better dialogue and his skill with pace and world-building, we would really have something here.
Even still, there’s a lot to like from this promising author. His innovation, imagination and ability to describe action and move a story forward are excellent building blocks, and I have high hopes that more will come.
Review by SCD Goff
S.B Sebrick makes a very promising start – no introductions needed, the reader is sent smash bang into the thick of the action without so much as a by-your-leave. All in one great swoop we are plunged into a world with things like ‘Varadours’, ‘Stunts’ ‘Skin Vision’ and ‘Viper Hounds’. In fact, the author trusts his reader with a lot but risks alienating us by introducing so much so quickly.
There’s a lot going on. The hero must hide his true identity, his true powers, deal with parental relationships, friendships, and a major evil (as well as his guilt for his part in releasing this evil) – not to mention his life’s quest to find his brother. This variety helps keep the action going, and there’s certainly plenty of that. Indeed, one of the author’s skills is in describing battle scenes, which are frequent and satisfying.
On the downside, with so much going on it’s hard to feel emotionally invested in any of it. We don’t really get to know the hero, Kaltor, very well through his actions and decisions, let alone the other characters in the book. His relationships, even with his parents, feel stiff and superficial, though the author does better with Kaltor’s friends, with whom there’s an easy camaraderie and banter.
My usual complaint stands: the manuscript could have really done with a good strong edit to iron out such problems as ‘He couldn’t understand why Crevan was still impossible to find, despite such blatant circumstances’ and ‘the second part was a lie of course, and the truth only partly so’. There’s also the occasional use of really bad English ‘“If you had not of eaten that recipe you could have been Viper Hound food long before you even got the chance to miss being with the girls.” If I could get my hands on this manuscript, I’d also want to edit out some pretty flimsy clichés (“You have a good heart. Don’t ever let them take that from you” would be the first to get the sack).
Despite having a lot of the elements required for exciting, interesting fiction, the novel never quite ignites. We never really get to know about the things that matter; the hero, his loved ones, and the world he’s fighting to protect are all held at arm’s length, which is a disappointment.
If the author could learn the trick of placing his reader in the action, allowing his characters to change and grow according to decisions they must make, if he could get us to understand what’s really at stake in this fascinating world that he’s created – if he could marry all this with better dialogue and his skill with pace and world-building, we would really have something here.
Even still, there’s a lot to like from this promising author. His innovation, imagination and ability to describe action and move a story forward are excellent building blocks, and I have high hopes that more will come.
Review by SCD Goff
June 2, 2025
"Decoy (Assassin's Rising Book 1)" by S. B. Sebrick was a solid and engaging start to what promises to be an epic fantasy series! I found myself drawn into the world of Shaylis and the struggles of Kaltor Stratagar right from the beginning.
The core premise, involving an ancient evil stirring and Kaltor's unwitting involvement in its release, immediately piqued my interest. Sebrick does a great job of building the tension and showcasing the widespread impact of this encroaching darkness. I particularly enjoyed following Kaltor's journey as he navigates the escalating chaos, trying to protect those around him while battling both external threats and internal doubts.
The pacing was generally good, with a decent mix of action, intrigue, and character development that kept me turning pages. There are some clever twists and turns that keep you on your toes, and I appreciated how the stakes continually escalated. While I felt there were moments where the world-building could have been slightly more fleshed out, and perhaps a bit more clarity in the initial stages, it never detracted significantly from the overall enjoyment.
If you're looking for a new fantasy series with a compelling hero, ancient magic, and a battle against overwhelming odds, "Decoy" is definitely worth picking up. It sets the stage well for future installments, and I'm keen to see where Kaltor's journey takes him next in the "Assassin's Rising" series.
The core premise, involving an ancient evil stirring and Kaltor's unwitting involvement in its release, immediately piqued my interest. Sebrick does a great job of building the tension and showcasing the widespread impact of this encroaching darkness. I particularly enjoyed following Kaltor's journey as he navigates the escalating chaos, trying to protect those around him while battling both external threats and internal doubts.
The pacing was generally good, with a decent mix of action, intrigue, and character development that kept me turning pages. There are some clever twists and turns that keep you on your toes, and I appreciated how the stakes continually escalated. While I felt there were moments where the world-building could have been slightly more fleshed out, and perhaps a bit more clarity in the initial stages, it never detracted significantly from the overall enjoyment.
If you're looking for a new fantasy series with a compelling hero, ancient magic, and a battle against overwhelming odds, "Decoy" is definitely worth picking up. It sets the stage well for future installments, and I'm keen to see where Kaltor's journey takes him next in the "Assassin's Rising" series.
July 31, 2013
To see my full review:
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
Welcome to the fantastical world of Varadours, Sight Seekers, and humans, a world unlike any other. When an amulet in an archeological dig sends prince Melshek over the edge, taking over people’s will, destroying families, and turning them into black veined humans controlled by webbed mouth women, Kaltor and the Varadour assassins must act to save the kingdom before Melshek’s presence spreads throughout the world, though this valor comes at a great cost to all.
Kaltor is a great young male lead, a Battle Born Varadour assassin in training, and a hero at heart. The Varadour assassins have many different powers that range from the ability to promote healing, to blending in with their surroundings, and even to being able to see things that are happening behind their backs. Kaltor has many powers, but even more that reach far beyond those of his companions, a fact he’s had to keep hidden for years. Now, fighting for all that is right against a world that doesn’t truly understand his powers, Kaltor will have to make the ultimate sacrifice if he plans to save those he holds dear.
With the advent of an ancient evil taking over the region, Kaltor steps up to the challenge of defending his people, and the epic fights that ensue will have any fantasy lover enthralled. The creation of the black veined people and webbed mouth controllers was extremely intense, and the battle scenes and stealth against the hoards of black veined assailants held me captive as a siege against the crown rages on throughout the novel. Although I found Kaltor’s thoughts to be a bit repetitive at times, I enjoyed his inner monologue as he tried time and time again to overcome the evil around him and convince the remaining people of the kingdom that he and the Varadour’s had their best interests at heart.
The Sight Seekers, with their vivid blue eyes and skills in stealth, create another intense barrier that Kaltor must overcome if he has hopes to save the people, and the many aspects of the world building that Sebrick adds to this novel were extremely well written and thought out. While I’m not always a fantasy buff, Sebrick did a great job holding my attention and generating interest and feelings on my behalf towards the characters, and I highly suggest lovers of fantasy, world building, and epic war pick this one up.
I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
Welcome to the fantastical world of Varadours, Sight Seekers, and humans, a world unlike any other. When an amulet in an archeological dig sends prince Melshek over the edge, taking over people’s will, destroying families, and turning them into black veined humans controlled by webbed mouth women, Kaltor and the Varadour assassins must act to save the kingdom before Melshek’s presence spreads throughout the world, though this valor comes at a great cost to all.
Kaltor is a great young male lead, a Battle Born Varadour assassin in training, and a hero at heart. The Varadour assassins have many different powers that range from the ability to promote healing, to blending in with their surroundings, and even to being able to see things that are happening behind their backs. Kaltor has many powers, but even more that reach far beyond those of his companions, a fact he’s had to keep hidden for years. Now, fighting for all that is right against a world that doesn’t truly understand his powers, Kaltor will have to make the ultimate sacrifice if he plans to save those he holds dear.
With the advent of an ancient evil taking over the region, Kaltor steps up to the challenge of defending his people, and the epic fights that ensue will have any fantasy lover enthralled. The creation of the black veined people and webbed mouth controllers was extremely intense, and the battle scenes and stealth against the hoards of black veined assailants held me captive as a siege against the crown rages on throughout the novel. Although I found Kaltor’s thoughts to be a bit repetitive at times, I enjoyed his inner monologue as he tried time and time again to overcome the evil around him and convince the remaining people of the kingdom that he and the Varadour’s had their best interests at heart.
The Sight Seekers, with their vivid blue eyes and skills in stealth, create another intense barrier that Kaltor must overcome if he has hopes to save the people, and the many aspects of the world building that Sebrick adds to this novel were extremely well written and thought out. While I’m not always a fantasy buff, Sebrick did a great job holding my attention and generating interest and feelings on my behalf towards the characters, and I highly suggest lovers of fantasy, world building, and epic war pick this one up.
I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.
September 17, 2012
If you like books that start off slow and try to keep you drawn in page after page without having you stop to do anything like housework or take after the kids then this is the book for you. When I first started reading it. It started off really slow and they kept rambling on about certain things that went on for pages and pages. I was wondering when they were going to get to the point. I had to put the book down a couple of times and get back to it to see if it can get better.. The author made the main character a really bad ass that could kick anybodies butts at any time. But the thing in this book if he helps the village that was attacked and people noticed his powers and what he can do then they will know his true identity. He doesn't want that to happen because his life and the fate of everybody's lives around him will be affected..
I would recommend this book for somebody that likes action novels that involves characters that have secret identities and that like to face battle in their lives. I am the type of person that loves romance, mystery and life novels. I don't mind action novels if they have a romantic story intertwined in the center. I know I must be a romantic at heart. But when you read so many romantic novels you want your life to be like one. In the end I recommend anybody to read this novel and his sequel to this book...
I would recommend this book for somebody that likes action novels that involves characters that have secret identities and that like to face battle in their lives. I am the type of person that loves romance, mystery and life novels. I don't mind action novels if they have a romantic story intertwined in the center. I know I must be a romantic at heart. But when you read so many romantic novels you want your life to be like one. In the end I recommend anybody to read this novel and his sequel to this book...
January 15, 2012
When I first read the synopsis of Decoy I thought, Assassin? Badass! I can't wait to start this one! And I'm not even going to lie, the beginning had me a little worried that it wasn't going to be this crazy-badass adventure I was so stoked for. But let me tell you, I was quickly reassured once it got warmed up. It then double kicked into major badass mode and the rest was nothing but a rush! <-- the good kind! The action was so amazing I couldn't pull myself away from this book. Kaltor has so much to deal with, he's training to be an assassin, searching for his brother and hiding the fact that he's a Remnant. Then to make matters worse Blood Break is looming near and a demon is on the prowl to find her king to overtake the world that shes been scheming to control for the last thousand years. And once she sets her teeth into people, they turn into these black-veined zombie-like forms of themselves. -- love it! Kaltor is facing probably one of the biggest battles of his life, he has a lot to protect and a lot at stake and I didn't know if he would be up for the task. But by the end I was blown away by him and all that he stood for that he left me kinda crushin' on him :) Decoy was a great beginning with some pretty great characters and I can't wait to continue this thrill ride.
October 27, 2012
What's not to love in a fantasy book about assassins? I read the blurb and was very excited to check this one out and extremely psyched to see there were several books in the series available so if I liked it I could go straight through.
The main character, Kaltor, starts off in mortal danger and Sebrick uses it to introduce some of the special abilities that the assassins harness. It is also revealed that Kaltor must hide his true abilities from all of the others in the area or give away a major secret.
There were some parts that I wish I had a little bit more info about certain aspects of this book, but as the story unfolds more and more questions get answered. The story unfolds well with some interesting enemies coming to the front and a way for the special skills of assassins to be especially useful in the combat. There were also some fairly strong secondary characters in Kaltor's friends and family.
This is a series that I am interested in following to see what Sebrick will bring out next.
Review copy provided by the author.
The main character, Kaltor, starts off in mortal danger and Sebrick uses it to introduce some of the special abilities that the assassins harness. It is also revealed that Kaltor must hide his true abilities from all of the others in the area or give away a major secret.
There were some parts that I wish I had a little bit more info about certain aspects of this book, but as the story unfolds more and more questions get answered. The story unfolds well with some interesting enemies coming to the front and a way for the special skills of assassins to be especially useful in the combat. There were also some fairly strong secondary characters in Kaltor's friends and family.
This is a series that I am interested in following to see what Sebrick will bring out next.
Review copy provided by the author.
April 16, 2012
Decoy has a slow start, but this is because of the deceptively intricate character- and world-building the author is doing in the beginning…it is well worth the wait to get to the action! Once the foundation was built, Decoy shot ahead full steam. Not only was there a ton of action, but the characters came to be ones you cared about. The villains were wickedly evil and assassins are a subject you don’t always read about often in novels – and root for! The family dynamics were spot on between Kaltor and his parents and I can see their relationship paralleling a lot of real life situations children and adults find themselves in. The system of magic the author created in Decoy is phenomenal and detailed. I hope we see a lot more of Kaltor and his adventures in the future!
Assassin's Rising series: Decoy (1), Deluge (2)
Assassin's Rising series: Decoy (1), Deluge (2)
October 13, 2011
I read half of this book back in March, finding it a little slow going and finding myself in a completely different reading mood, I decided to put it aside for a bit.
Fast forward to November and I picked it back up. So I had to regain my bearings but the last half was much more interesting, not that the first half wasn't just as I said, a little slow. The final battle and the ending however... wow. This is a pretty epic story. And on top of that, wraps up well while leaving me desperate for more.
Review to come.
Fast forward to November and I picked it back up. So I had to regain my bearings but the last half was much more interesting, not that the first half wasn't just as I said, a little slow. The final battle and the ending however... wow. This is a pretty epic story. And on top of that, wraps up well while leaving me desperate for more.
Review to come.
March 11, 2013
I enjoyed the story, but I felt there were several unresolved plot points (yes, I realize this is a series, but it still felt incomplete) and the version I received contained countless grammatical and spelling errors. I'd still recommend for young adults who enjoy the fantasy genre. This has the makings of a very interesting series.
January 10, 2012
Review Coming Soon!
February 2, 2016
Actual Rating 3.5 Stars.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews