What do you think?
Rate this book
Akynd Chronicles #1
The Hero's Recusants
In the world of Eribeth, magic is learned by wizards, or a few lucky sorcerers are born with the gift naturally. Those were the only paths to magic, until the creation of the Akynd. These unique man-made hybrids allow the natural talent and mastery of a sorcerer, with all the versatility and adaptability of a wizard.
Keldon was the first Akynd. Being transformed against his will by a disapproving father soured him against the selfishness and evil in the world. With his newfound power, he seeks to eliminate such darkness. To do so, he gathers three allies, granting them access to his unique abilities, turning them into Akynd.
But that kind of power can lead one down some dark paths, even with the best of intentions. Each of the four keeps a close eye on the others, ensuring that they remain on a path of righteousness and avoid the corruptible influence of their power.
If Keldon is successful, the world will know a peace that is more than just a lack of war, Eribeth could become a paradise. If not, the vile selfishness will spread through all the realm, until evil is all that remains.
Keldon was the first Akynd. Being transformed against his will by a disapproving father soured him against the selfishness and evil in the world. With his newfound power, he seeks to eliminate such darkness. To do so, he gathers three allies, granting them access to his unique abilities, turning them into Akynd.
But that kind of power can lead one down some dark paths, even with the best of intentions. Each of the four keeps a close eye on the others, ensuring that they remain on a path of righteousness and avoid the corruptible influence of their power.
If Keldon is successful, the world will know a peace that is more than just a lack of war, Eribeth could become a paradise. If not, the vile selfishness will spread through all the realm, until evil is all that remains.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 2, 2023
5 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Lehman
3 books2 followersHello everyone, thanks for clicking to learn a little more about me. Unfortunately, I never know quite what to put here, so I just ramble on and give far too much information. In an attempt to avoid that, I'll paraphrase as best I can, but this may mean some missed information. If there is something specific you want to know, I'm easily reached in the Akynd Chronicles subreddit at www.reddit.com/r/AkyndChronicles. Otherwise, here are the basics!
1.) Proud husband to a wonderful wife, and proud father to two wonderful children. These three are first on my list because they are first in my life, and putting them anywhere else just wouldn't be right.
2.) Jobs - I've worked a variety of them. Food service, sales, insurance, construction, programming, tutoring, the U.S. Navy, and probably some I'm forgetting.
3.) How long I've been writing - I wrote my first creative piece in third grade for a creative writing assignment. We were supposed to submit at least a paragraph. I turned in thirty-six pages of a story detailing a janitor's mop bucket that had been used to clean up radioactive waste, and had come to life in the process. I like to think my writing skills have improved a bit over the years, but crippling imposter syndrome is quick to suggest otherwise.
4.) Who I love to read - My favorite author was, is, and always will be R.A. Salvatore. I also enjoy Sanderson, Butcher, Tolkien (obviously), Bishop, and even an occasional Nora Roberts book. I also love a series from my youth that I will never outgrow: the Animorphs by K.A. Applegate.
5.) What else are you nerdy about - Dungeons and Dragons, many video games (Divinity Original Sin franchise, Zelda franchise, Borderlands, Pokemon, Skylanders, Neverwinter Nights, etc), obvious things as required by Nerd Law (Star Wars, the Matrix, etc).
6.) What do you think defines a successful author - A fanbase. A lot of people probably consider success a monetary thing, a direct relation to number of books sold. Of course, it would be nice to be able to climb out from under my American Debt (tm) but the thing that would make me feel like a success as an author is finding a community of people who enjoyed my work so much they couldn't help but form to discuss, share ideas, etc. So long as the community isn't as toxic as some of the Star Wars fanbase, then I'll believe I've done a good thing and succeeded.
7.) Any added notes - I was determined to be autistic in my thirties, and it opened my eyes to why it was so difficult to write like a neurotypical person-because I simply wasn't one. I like to rest my fingers on the keyboard, watch the movie taking place in my head, and do my best to relay the movie to readers. I know the world, as I spent years building it. I know the characters, as I've played each and every one of them as characters in an RPG to better get to know them, so all that's left is to translate my head movie into books that you'll hopefully enjoy.
8.) Politics - It may seem an odd choice to include this section, but anyone who wants to know can find the information easily enough, and I'd rather be up front about who I am, instead of convincing an entire group of people I am on their side with my work only to turn out disappointing (cough cough, Rowling). So let me say first that I support and love the LGBTQ+ community, some very important people in my life are members, and even if they were not, I've always been fond of the saying "And it harm none, so mote it be." As far as other aspects of a political nature, there are too many to list, but essentially, I think almost every aspect of life would be better if the government kept their hands off of it. There is no reason for any government to be passing legislation regarding things like what people do to their own body, that's ridiculous. If you want clarification on a specific aspect of my political stances, the aforementioned subreddit is a great place to ask. I'll lump my summary
1.) Proud husband to a wonderful wife, and proud father to two wonderful children. These three are first on my list because they are first in my life, and putting them anywhere else just wouldn't be right.
2.) Jobs - I've worked a variety of them. Food service, sales, insurance, construction, programming, tutoring, the U.S. Navy, and probably some I'm forgetting.
3.) How long I've been writing - I wrote my first creative piece in third grade for a creative writing assignment. We were supposed to submit at least a paragraph. I turned in thirty-six pages of a story detailing a janitor's mop bucket that had been used to clean up radioactive waste, and had come to life in the process. I like to think my writing skills have improved a bit over the years, but crippling imposter syndrome is quick to suggest otherwise.
4.) Who I love to read - My favorite author was, is, and always will be R.A. Salvatore. I also enjoy Sanderson, Butcher, Tolkien (obviously), Bishop, and even an occasional Nora Roberts book. I also love a series from my youth that I will never outgrow: the Animorphs by K.A. Applegate.
5.) What else are you nerdy about - Dungeons and Dragons, many video games (Divinity Original Sin franchise, Zelda franchise, Borderlands, Pokemon, Skylanders, Neverwinter Nights, etc), obvious things as required by Nerd Law (Star Wars, the Matrix, etc).
6.) What do you think defines a successful author - A fanbase. A lot of people probably consider success a monetary thing, a direct relation to number of books sold. Of course, it would be nice to be able to climb out from under my American Debt (tm) but the thing that would make me feel like a success as an author is finding a community of people who enjoyed my work so much they couldn't help but form to discuss, share ideas, etc. So long as the community isn't as toxic as some of the Star Wars fanbase, then I'll believe I've done a good thing and succeeded.
7.) Any added notes - I was determined to be autistic in my thirties, and it opened my eyes to why it was so difficult to write like a neurotypical person-because I simply wasn't one. I like to rest my fingers on the keyboard, watch the movie taking place in my head, and do my best to relay the movie to readers. I know the world, as I spent years building it. I know the characters, as I've played each and every one of them as characters in an RPG to better get to know them, so all that's left is to translate my head movie into books that you'll hopefully enjoy.
8.) Politics - It may seem an odd choice to include this section, but anyone who wants to know can find the information easily enough, and I'd rather be up front about who I am, instead of convincing an entire group of people I am on their side with my work only to turn out disappointing (cough cough, Rowling). So let me say first that I support and love the LGBTQ+ community, some very important people in my life are members, and even if they were not, I've always been fond of the saying "And it harm none, so mote it be." As far as other aspects of a political nature, there are too many to list, but essentially, I think almost every aspect of life would be better if the government kept their hands off of it. There is no reason for any government to be passing legislation regarding things like what people do to their own body, that's ridiculous. If you want clarification on a specific aspect of my political stances, the aforementioned subreddit is a great place to ask. I'll lump my summary
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 20, 2023
I would place this rating as a 3.5-4.
I am reviewing this in exchange for a free copy of the book.
Minor spoilers, but mostly spoiler-free.
The characters were, I think, the strength of this book. They were clearly defined and interacted together well. The magic was mostly explained well, e.g. the bucket system.
The language was okay; not as dense or flowery as some books, but very accessible and, with the exception of a couple of minor grammar issues, was a good standard.
The plot seemed a bit strange at first and I don't feel we ever really got around to understanding the true motivations of the main character. Then, when all the characters are established, we had a situation which seemed to be put there to limit what was otherwise a set of overpowered people.
The ending ... I can only say I do want to find out what happens next, because it seems to be a real step change that I didn't see coming. I hope the story continues to develop, and the plot evolves over the next book, as there is definite potential.
I am reviewing this in exchange for a free copy of the book.
Minor spoilers, but mostly spoiler-free.
The characters were, I think, the strength of this book. They were clearly defined and interacted together well. The magic was mostly explained well, e.g. the bucket system.
The language was okay; not as dense or flowery as some books, but very accessible and, with the exception of a couple of minor grammar issues, was a good standard.
The plot seemed a bit strange at first and I don't feel we ever really got around to understanding the true motivations of the main character. Then, when all the characters are established, we had a situation which seemed to be put there to limit what was otherwise a set of overpowered people.
The ending ... I can only say I do want to find out what happens next, because it seems to be a real step change that I didn't see coming. I hope the story continues to develop, and the plot evolves over the next book, as there is definite potential.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Currently reading
March 26, 2025Placeholder - review in progress
Read the first book of Daniel Lehman's Sea of Trolls Trilogy for Reddit Fantasy's 2024 Bingo Square Self-Published OR Indie Publisher. This book qualifies for hard mode as at the time of reading, this self-published only has 9 ratings on Goodreads, much fewer than 100 ratings threshold.
[image error]
[image error]
[image error]
Read the first book of Daniel Lehman's Sea of Trolls Trilogy for Reddit Fantasy's 2024 Bingo Square Self-Published OR Indie Publisher. This book qualifies for hard mode as at the time of reading, this self-published only has 9 ratings on Goodreads, much fewer than 100 ratings threshold.
[image error]
[image error]
[image error]
May 11, 2023
Fast-paced exciting book that is dripping with adventure! Immersive world building and enigmatic characters keep you wanting more! Cannot wait to read the rest of the series
June 5, 2023
With the first book of the Akynd Chronicles, Daniel begins an excellent fantasy adventure. His characters are great, his world feels alive, and the action keeps everything moving along at a great pace. Additionally the magic system set up here is fantastic and he handles descriptions of incredible feats of combat in a way that is clear to understand and fun to imagine. The back of the book includes a sort of guide about the world, showing great attention to detail and providing additional lore for those who want more detail. Overall great book, and I can't wait to see where the future of the series goes.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews