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Legends of Marithia #1
Prophecies Awakening
When her sorceress mother and vampire king father are brutally murdered, Kassina makes a pact with Shindar, the Demon of Darkness. In exchange for her soul, Kassina obtains power to become the most feared sorceress in all the lands; she could make the people pay dearly for the deaths of her parents. Granted eternal life, Kassina and her evil are never far away. For years, Marithia, a mystical world inhabited by humans and elves, has lived in an age of peace. But that peace is shattered when King Arman is slain by his own son, a pawn of the vampire sorceress Kassina. Arman's murder sparks the most brutal and bloody war ever seen between the Forces of Darkness and the peaceful Marithians.
Vartan, a young knight who was wrongfully banished from King Arman's court, reluctantly discovers he is the subject of a prophecy to activate the legendary weapon, Talonsphere. He forms an alliance with the mythical dragons and has the opportunity to rid the world of the oppressors forever and experience eternal peace.
Vartan, a young knight who was wrongfully banished from King Arman's court, reluctantly discovers he is the subject of a prophecy to activate the legendary weapon, Talonsphere. He forms an alliance with the mythical dragons and has the opportunity to rid the world of the oppressors forever and experience eternal peace.
277 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 24, 2009
16 people are currently reading
2562 people want to read
About the author
Peter Koevari
9 books197 followersPeter Koevari is the co-founder, screenwriter, producer, and casting director of GP2 Entertainment, an up-an-coming Australian indie film production company, based in Brisbane, Queensland.
Peter is known for his literature, with a well-received fantasy series, Legends of Marithia, which has over 250 reader and critic reviews. It is being adapted to concept episodes by GP2 Entertainment with Little Dog Productions in Brisbane. His short stories also feature in Endless Worlds anthologies
Peter sets GP2's sights on Hollywood, streamers, and studios, producing many concept production titles. He focuses on the most popular genres of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, Action, Supernatural, and Drama.
Peter is known for his literature, with a well-received fantasy series, Legends of Marithia, which has over 250 reader and critic reviews. It is being adapted to concept episodes by GP2 Entertainment with Little Dog Productions in Brisbane. His short stories also feature in Endless Worlds anthologies
Peter sets GP2's sights on Hollywood, streamers, and studios, producing many concept production titles. He focuses on the most popular genres of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, Action, Supernatural, and Drama.
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May 14, 2013Legends of Marithia: prophecies awakening is my debut novel in the Legends of Marithia series. I want to take this opportunity to give all readers some insights that they may not be aware of, and some fair warning of the content inside the book.
Let me start with the most important point for anyone wanting to read my books, the "controversial" content:
*Content Warning* Legends of Marithia is a different fantasy series, which is written for an adult audience, and contains scenes and themes which some readers *may* find confronting and difficult to handle. I wrote my books with a realistic mind, as I am sick of happy fairy tale fantasy stories that are all predictable and made for children.
This is based on my uncut and extended edition of prophecies awakening, and there is a bit of a story as to why there is a new edition... But I will spare you those details (look on my blog if you want to know more). I first wrote legends of Marithia : prophecies awakening and published it in 2009. Back then, I had some proofreaders and an editor, one of the bunch was prudish and convinced me to cut scenes from the book, and subsequently, I did not write many scenes for fear that people may feel that I am delving into erotica and may spoil the novel.
I later realized, that I couldn't have made a bigger mistake. I regretted cutting all of that out in my first edition and restored those scenes, wrote in the ones I intended on writing, and the book felt more complete as a result.
The focus for me is around telling the story, and as a fantasy series... These scenes are integral to the telling of the story and revealing the darker sides of these characters. If you want a happy-go-lucky fantasy book which hides all of that, my books are not for you.
This book is a fiery and blistering introduction into the world, and the war of prophecy. I will not spoil anything for readers, but I can tell you this:
* All is not what it seems, and what may appear to be simple... Is anything but. I have many books to write in this series, and when you read legends of Marithia 2 (cover below), you will discover the many, carefully wrapped, surprises in store for you.
* You will not get all of the answers in the first installment, and I expect every reader to be asking many. Some things will be revealed, some characters that appear to be honorable... May not be, and vice-versa. Lies may be hidden within truths, and if you want to know what happens... You need to read the books. I do enjoy surprising people with twists that they did not see coming, and not spelling it all out for them.
Enjoy the intense journey of Prophecies Awakening... And be prepared for a ride that will not give you much time to breathe... When you exhale, the different journey of Darkness Rising awaits you.
Peter Koevari
Let me start with the most important point for anyone wanting to read my books, the "controversial" content:
*Content Warning* Legends of Marithia is a different fantasy series, which is written for an adult audience, and contains scenes and themes which some readers *may* find confronting and difficult to handle. I wrote my books with a realistic mind, as I am sick of happy fairy tale fantasy stories that are all predictable and made for children.
This is based on my uncut and extended edition of prophecies awakening, and there is a bit of a story as to why there is a new edition... But I will spare you those details (look on my blog if you want to know more). I first wrote legends of Marithia : prophecies awakening and published it in 2009. Back then, I had some proofreaders and an editor, one of the bunch was prudish and convinced me to cut scenes from the book, and subsequently, I did not write many scenes for fear that people may feel that I am delving into erotica and may spoil the novel.
I later realized, that I couldn't have made a bigger mistake. I regretted cutting all of that out in my first edition and restored those scenes, wrote in the ones I intended on writing, and the book felt more complete as a result.
The focus for me is around telling the story, and as a fantasy series... These scenes are integral to the telling of the story and revealing the darker sides of these characters. If you want a happy-go-lucky fantasy book which hides all of that, my books are not for you.
This book is a fiery and blistering introduction into the world, and the war of prophecy. I will not spoil anything for readers, but I can tell you this:
* All is not what it seems, and what may appear to be simple... Is anything but. I have many books to write in this series, and when you read legends of Marithia 2 (cover below), you will discover the many, carefully wrapped, surprises in store for you.
* You will not get all of the answers in the first installment, and I expect every reader to be asking many. Some things will be revealed, some characters that appear to be honorable... May not be, and vice-versa. Lies may be hidden within truths, and if you want to know what happens... You need to read the books. I do enjoy surprising people with twists that they did not see coming, and not spelling it all out for them.
Enjoy the intense journey of Prophecies Awakening... And be prepared for a ride that will not give you much time to breathe... When you exhale, the different journey of Darkness Rising awaits you.
Peter Koevari
August 24, 2017
This book had a bunch of amazing elements; dragons, elves, sorceress, vampires, golems, aliens, demons and squeleton soldiers. It also had reincarnation, mysterious prophecies and a sarcastic truth pendant. It had everything a fantasy reader could want. The plot was entertaining with a lot action and high stake missions. The twisted adult in me loved the amount of darkness and the good versus evil fight. I enjoyed the different points of view but the narration style didnt depict enough of the characters emotions. Dont get me wrong I still felt plenty of emotions but I wasnt always sure what the characters were feeling.
The antagonist Kassina was well done and the prologue really helped flesh her out as a realistic character. I would have loved getting more of her background story. It took me a little longer to connect with the main character Vartan but I really enjoyed the Princess Helenia character and her mother the Elf Queen. I had so many feels when the guards chanted Long Live the Queen! I actually got shivers. The more I got to read about Vartans relationship with Helenia and his back story the more I was able to connect with him. I was shipping quite a few people. I also thought the Dragons made interesting characters. I loved the addition of the character images throughout the book even if it wasnt how I had imagined them.
I loved the intricate world, especially since the descriptions werent overbearing. The descriptions never felt like they were added as page filler. The different settings were so enchanting and memorable that I really felt like I was witnessing it for myself. Some of my favorite settings were the Trade City where people can trade with Beings from different worlds, and the Elf village where the houses are shaped out of magically grown trees. I really love Dragons and I enjoyed visiting the dragon island even though it was only for a couple pages. The war scene was intense and I even had an awesome dream about it. The world and the villains reminded me of some of my favorite fantasy series.
I found a few minor grammatical errors but maybe the errors were just in my review copy. I didnt understand how Kassinas army got to the elven city so quickly when Vartan had just said it would take them a few days. At first my mind kept wandering and I had a hard time getting invested but maybe it was just the narration style or my mood because the prologue really captivated me and once I got about a third of the way through the story had my full attention. I couldnt focus on reading anything else. Im excited to start the sequel and I dont know why this series is so underrated. I would recommend it to any adult fantasy lovers.
* Received Copy in Exchange For An Honest Review*
The antagonist Kassina was well done and the prologue really helped flesh her out as a realistic character. I would have loved getting more of her background story. It took me a little longer to connect with the main character Vartan but I really enjoyed the Princess Helenia character and her mother the Elf Queen. I had so many feels when the guards chanted Long Live the Queen! I actually got shivers. The more I got to read about Vartans relationship with Helenia and his back story the more I was able to connect with him. I was shipping quite a few people. I also thought the Dragons made interesting characters. I loved the addition of the character images throughout the book even if it wasnt how I had imagined them.
I loved the intricate world, especially since the descriptions werent overbearing. The descriptions never felt like they were added as page filler. The different settings were so enchanting and memorable that I really felt like I was witnessing it for myself. Some of my favorite settings were the Trade City where people can trade with Beings from different worlds, and the Elf village where the houses are shaped out of magically grown trees. I really love Dragons and I enjoyed visiting the dragon island even though it was only for a couple pages. The war scene was intense and I even had an awesome dream about it. The world and the villains reminded me of some of my favorite fantasy series.
I found a few minor grammatical errors but maybe the errors were just in my review copy. I didnt understand how Kassinas army got to the elven city so quickly when Vartan had just said it would take them a few days. At first my mind kept wandering and I had a hard time getting invested but maybe it was just the narration style or my mood because the prologue really captivated me and once I got about a third of the way through the story had my full attention. I couldnt focus on reading anything else. Im excited to start the sequel and I dont know why this series is so underrated. I would recommend it to any adult fantasy lovers.
* Received Copy in Exchange For An Honest Review*
July 27, 2012
Legends of Marithia is a vividly depicted tale of the ultimate battle of good vs. evil. Very entertaining and hits all the mark making it any fantasy reader's dream. It had vampires, demons, unicorns, golem, elves, humans, aliens (other worldly creatures) and dragons. The world built by Peter Koevari is fabulous and pulls you right into the story. I did wish there was a little more development between some of the character’s relationships. Legends of Marithia is also not for the young reader, some of the scenes in this book are explicit... as an adult fantasy, Legends of Marithia is truly fantastic tale that I enjoyed immensely!
This copy of Prophecies Awakening was given to me by Peter Koevari in exchange for an honest review.
This copy of Prophecies Awakening was given to me by Peter Koevari in exchange for an honest review.
July 26, 2012
A book well written with a solid plot structure. Peter utilizes very vivid details and descriptions to support his characters and surroundings. Adequate language use appropriate to this particular genre. A few twist and turns to keep the readers engaged and a nice rise and fall in the climax of this piece.
Thank you Peter for the reccommendation
Thank you Peter for the reccommendation
December 5, 2013
I received a free ARC copy of this book in return for an honest review.
When Kassina’s family is murdered before her eyes, she sells her soul to the God of the Underworld, Shindar, in order to exact her revenge. Many years later, a knight named Vartan is exiled... and after he leaves Greenhaven, a royal betrayal leads the city to being dominated by Kassina, who has chosen this moment to make Marithia pay. Prophecies are in the air, and Vartan stumbles head-first into a quest to save the world he knows and loves—with the help of dragons, elves, and magical artifacts—from an army of vampires, monsters, and an evil sorceress.
I read the recent-most edition without looking back at my former comments, in order that my experience be as close to a fresh reader’s as possible. I must say, there is a marked improvement in the writing from the previous edition. The plot holds together more strongly, and I was better grounded in Marithia as well as better connected emotionally to the characters. To remark on some of my other comments from the previous edition: I no longer find the prophecies cheesy, and the point-of-view jumps were less disorienting.
Koevari teases us, ending scenes in suspenseful moments that keep you turning the pages. I sped through my copy in three days (actually, I read about 2/3 of it in one night), and we’re left with a semi-cliffhanger at the end to tease us. I’m not usually a fan of cliffhangers, but I liked this one. Again, the artwork and maps are a nice touch.
There is still room for improvement, stylistically: the writing tends to be adjective- and adverb-heavy, making it a bit... much sometimes (like adding too much sugar to one’s coffee). There is some telling of emotions and a series of infodump at the beginning (related to the telling, too), but as before I enjoyed the enactment of Kassina’s choice to serve Shindar—that’s a spot of action in a recounting of Marithia’s history from that period to the present. “She was now his most important and cherished possession.” — Such a characterizing line!
I quite enjoyed the She'Ma'Ryn, the inter-world market. Having since been to Amsterdam and visited its (in)famous Red Light District, I can envision the District of Pleasure better, which is cool. However, I didn’t see any “sly” traders (who overcharge, since not all people know how to haggle), and so I wonder if they are screened out from being permitted to trade.
Overall, a most enjoyable read. 4.5 stars
==========
REVIEW OF PREVIOUS EDITION:
What do you get when you add magic, dragons, treason, prophecies, and (surprisingly) vampires? A enjoyable and fresh fantasy world. The dragon lore and world-building was well-done, although sometimes the jumps to different scenes (flashbacks, visions/"spying", etc.) was a bit disorienting, and I found the prophecies a touch on the cheesy/obvious side. I like my prophecies cryptic, with multiple meanings, so that I can look back at them later and go, "Oh! Damn, that was clever" and be hypothesizing throughout the story.
Still, the book earned a solid 4 stars. Kassina (our vampire villainess) is deliciously wicked (and with a healthy sexual appetite, hehe!), and Vartan is an easy-to-like character whose POV I enjoyed following. .
The artwork in the book was a nice treat. Kudos to all the artists for the gorgeous images.
When Kassina’s family is murdered before her eyes, she sells her soul to the God of the Underworld, Shindar, in order to exact her revenge. Many years later, a knight named Vartan is exiled... and after he leaves Greenhaven, a royal betrayal leads the city to being dominated by Kassina, who has chosen this moment to make Marithia pay. Prophecies are in the air, and Vartan stumbles head-first into a quest to save the world he knows and loves—with the help of dragons, elves, and magical artifacts—from an army of vampires, monsters, and an evil sorceress.
I read the recent-most edition without looking back at my former comments, in order that my experience be as close to a fresh reader’s as possible. I must say, there is a marked improvement in the writing from the previous edition. The plot holds together more strongly, and I was better grounded in Marithia as well as better connected emotionally to the characters. To remark on some of my other comments from the previous edition: I no longer find the prophecies cheesy, and the point-of-view jumps were less disorienting.
Koevari teases us, ending scenes in suspenseful moments that keep you turning the pages. I sped through my copy in three days (actually, I read about 2/3 of it in one night), and we’re left with a semi-cliffhanger at the end to tease us. I’m not usually a fan of cliffhangers, but I liked this one. Again, the artwork and maps are a nice touch.
There is still room for improvement, stylistically: the writing tends to be adjective- and adverb-heavy, making it a bit... much sometimes (like adding too much sugar to one’s coffee). There is some telling of emotions and a series of infodump at the beginning (related to the telling, too), but as before I enjoyed the enactment of Kassina’s choice to serve Shindar—that’s a spot of action in a recounting of Marithia’s history from that period to the present. “She was now his most important and cherished possession.” — Such a characterizing line!
I quite enjoyed the She'Ma'Ryn, the inter-world market. Having since been to Amsterdam and visited its (in)famous Red Light District, I can envision the District of Pleasure better, which is cool. However, I didn’t see any “sly” traders (who overcharge, since not all people know how to haggle), and so I wonder if they are screened out from being permitted to trade.
Overall, a most enjoyable read. 4.5 stars
==========
REVIEW OF PREVIOUS EDITION:
What do you get when you add magic, dragons, treason, prophecies, and (surprisingly) vampires? A enjoyable and fresh fantasy world. The dragon lore and world-building was well-done, although sometimes the jumps to different scenes (flashbacks, visions/"spying", etc.) was a bit disorienting, and I found the prophecies a touch on the cheesy/obvious side. I like my prophecies cryptic, with multiple meanings, so that I can look back at them later and go, "Oh! Damn, that was clever" and be hypothesizing throughout the story.
Still, the book earned a solid 4 stars. Kassina (our vampire villainess) is deliciously wicked (and with a healthy sexual appetite, hehe!), and Vartan is an easy-to-like character whose POV I enjoyed following. .
The artwork in the book was a nice treat. Kudos to all the artists for the gorgeous images.
February 22, 2017
I was given a free copy of the book by the author himself, in exchange for an honest review. And an honest review you’ll get! I landed on 3.5 stars, with the benefit of the doubt, rounding it up to 4.
This is a classical good vs. evil fantasy book with an abundance of magical creatures. Dragons, elves, vampires and knights in shining armor – you’ve got them all. Though I have to admit I found the presence of vampires a bit disturbing. Guess it’s because to me they’re more connected to the more “modern” fantasy stories.
There is a lot to be said about this book. First of all: the story itself is great, starting off with a brilliant, vividly depicted prologue that set my expectations really high. Unfortunately, except the description of She’Ma’Ryn, this is the only part of the book where I really felt the wow-factor kicking in.
The book is made up of short action-packed chapters starting off with a quote from various characters in the book (I really love the quotes). However: There’s a lot of action, and not much of anything else. Every opportunity of character/world building is skipped in favor of another fast-paced action-filled event. To me this book is more like a draft than a finished book. It has great potential, and I would love to see it re-written in the future (again), but this time doubling the number of pages with the character and world descriptions the author occasionally shows he’s capable of.
As of now there are too many logical flaws and gaps in the timeline that were close to driving me nuts while reading the book.
I feel bad for criticizing so harshly, because it is a good book. It’s just that it’s so easy to see the unexploited potential of what could have been one of the best classical fantasy books ever (and I’ve read my fair share)! Would I recommend reading this book? Yes, as long as you can live with the longing for what is not told. Will I read any sequels? Yes, definitely. This was (as far as I know) the author’s first book. And with this promising start, it’s bound to get better. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that this guy has the skills to write amazing books. Give him some time and experience (and the patience to not only write the action-scenes!) and he’ll probably rise and shine.:)
This is a classical good vs. evil fantasy book with an abundance of magical creatures. Dragons, elves, vampires and knights in shining armor – you’ve got them all. Though I have to admit I found the presence of vampires a bit disturbing. Guess it’s because to me they’re more connected to the more “modern” fantasy stories.
There is a lot to be said about this book. First of all: the story itself is great, starting off with a brilliant, vividly depicted prologue that set my expectations really high. Unfortunately, except the description of She’Ma’Ryn, this is the only part of the book where I really felt the wow-factor kicking in.
The book is made up of short action-packed chapters starting off with a quote from various characters in the book (I really love the quotes). However: There’s a lot of action, and not much of anything else. Every opportunity of character/world building is skipped in favor of another fast-paced action-filled event. To me this book is more like a draft than a finished book. It has great potential, and I would love to see it re-written in the future (again), but this time doubling the number of pages with the character and world descriptions the author occasionally shows he’s capable of.
As of now there are too many logical flaws and gaps in the timeline that were close to driving me nuts while reading the book.
I feel bad for criticizing so harshly, because it is a good book. It’s just that it’s so easy to see the unexploited potential of what could have been one of the best classical fantasy books ever (and I’ve read my fair share)! Would I recommend reading this book? Yes, as long as you can live with the longing for what is not told. Will I read any sequels? Yes, definitely. This was (as far as I know) the author’s first book. And with this promising start, it’s bound to get better. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that this guy has the skills to write amazing books. Give him some time and experience (and the patience to not only write the action-scenes!) and he’ll probably rise and shine.:)
February 3, 2014
I want to thank the generous author, Peter Koevari, for giving me two eBook copies. Thank you for introducing me to your book.
Dragons, prophecies, magic, sorcerers, Elves, Underworld, Demons, magical market, etcetera, etcetera. What more could you ask for? This book has it and the ending is a brutal cliffhanger that will leave you wanting more. It’s like the fantasy world have converged in this single novel (in a really good way). It exceeded my expectations in every way and I haven’t read a fantasy book as good as this for the longest time. I’ve been craving for a fantasy book that was not overshadowed by the romantic aspect of the book and I got what I wanted in this novel.
The romance between the knight, Vartan, and the courageous princess, Helenia, is not overdone. It’s sweet without being overly sappy. I really want a happy ending for this lovely couple.
It’s wonderful how the women in this novel are so strong that they can fight alongside the men. One of my favorite thing in this novel is that the Queen
I have a soft spot for every antagonist in every novel that I've read and Kassina and Shindar is no exception. Kassina and Shindar are my favorites in this story. I cannot believe that any man capable of love could truly succumb to darkness. I believe that the more hate a person can hold inside him the catharsis (if ever it becomes available for the two of them) will affect them even bigger. I can’t help but pity Shindar because of this line: “Why do the gods take everything that is dear to me.” There’s something that Shindar is hiding and it intrigued me.
I’m already looking for the hardcover copies of the books here (not yet successful but I’m nothing but stubborn so I'm sure I'm going to have my copy soon) and am looking forward to reading Koevari’s works in the future :).
Dragons, prophecies, magic, sorcerers, Elves, Underworld, Demons, magical market, etcetera, etcetera. What more could you ask for? This book has it and the ending is a brutal cliffhanger that will leave you wanting more. It’s like the fantasy world have converged in this single novel (in a really good way). It exceeded my expectations in every way and I haven’t read a fantasy book as good as this for the longest time. I’ve been craving for a fantasy book that was not overshadowed by the romantic aspect of the book and I got what I wanted in this novel.
The romance between the knight, Vartan, and the courageous princess, Helenia, is not overdone. It’s sweet without being overly sappy. I really want a happy ending for this lovely couple.
It’s wonderful how the women in this novel are so strong that they can fight alongside the men. One of my favorite thing in this novel is that the Queen
I have a soft spot for every antagonist in every novel that I've read and Kassina and Shindar is no exception. Kassina and Shindar are my favorites in this story. I cannot believe that any man capable of love could truly succumb to darkness. I believe that the more hate a person can hold inside him the catharsis (if ever it becomes available for the two of them) will affect them even bigger. I can’t help but pity Shindar because of this line: “Why do the gods take everything that is dear to me.” There’s something that Shindar is hiding and it intrigued me.
I’m already looking for the hardcover copies of the books here (not yet successful but I’m nothing but stubborn so I'm sure I'm going to have my copy soon) and am looking forward to reading Koevari’s works in the future :).
November 21, 2015
~I would really like to thank the author for providing me an e-copy of his book in exchange of an honest review. This did not affect my review in any way.~
Sweet holy crap. Mother of all crappiness. I really, really need to recover now.
I really, really loved this book. It was awesome.
This book was so epic, it practically stole my heart.
The plot was absolutely amazing, the book was quick-paced and I would feel myself being transported into the magical and marvellous world of Marithia.
I really appreciated the prologue because it gave us an insight on how Kassina became who she is now, and even though I really felt bad for her, I did kind of hated her afterwards because, aside from being the villain, she was plain hatable (does that even exist?) and I was just so, so happy .
I'm also very thankful for the author because he was kind enough not to kill many of his characters because I just can't go through that again, especially with my recent reads. .
This book should be more known because it's so amazing, the writing style is so cool, and the idea behind the story is so marvellous.
It was an awesome read, and I recommend it to everyone. Can't wait to get my hands on the second one!
Sweet holy crap. Mother of all crappiness. I really, really need to recover now.
I really, really loved this book. It was awesome.
This book was so epic, it practically stole my heart.
The plot was absolutely amazing, the book was quick-paced and I would feel myself being transported into the magical and marvellous world of Marithia.
I really appreciated the prologue because it gave us an insight on how Kassina became who she is now, and even though I really felt bad for her, I did kind of hated her afterwards because, aside from being the villain, she was plain hatable (does that even exist?) and I was just so, so happy .
I'm also very thankful for the author because he was kind enough not to kill many of his characters because I just can't go through that again, especially with my recent reads. .
This book should be more known because it's so amazing, the writing style is so cool, and the idea behind the story is so marvellous.
It was an awesome read, and I recommend it to everyone. Can't wait to get my hands on the second one!
June 22, 2016
I loved it! Its dark and original. Full with magic, but not for kids. I like it because is brutal and original. I never read something like this and i read a lot books about magic and witches. I loved dragons!
Kassina my favorite character definitely!
Kassina my favorite character definitely!
September 4, 2012
English review, followed by the Romanian translation of the review (Recenzie în engleză, urmată de traducerea în română a recenziei)
Firstly, I would like to thank Peter Koevari, who has given me an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
From the moment I read the description of the book, I knew I would like it, but I had no idea I was going to fall in love the way I did with Marithia and the wonderful creature that inhabit it. I must confess that it hooked me from the very first pages.
Everything starts when Kassina, a forbidden child of a vampire and a sorceress, makes a pact with Shindar, the demon of Darkness, after her parents are killed because of their physical union, in an attempt to avenge their deaths and also save her own life. Years later, after a "proper training" she becomes the most powerful sorceress in Marithia, draining innocent victims of blood and sending their souls to Shindar.
When King Arman is killed by his own son, who is thirsty for power and also a pawn of Kassina, the war is inevitable. Dragons reveal their hidden existence, and an alliance is formed between dragons, elves and humans. Marithia's hope against darkness is Vartan, a brave knight, who will discover what he truly is once he learns that he is the subject of a prophecy and that he is destined to restore peace in the land.
The battle between good and evil is fierce, dotted with lots of unexpected turns of events that will leave you agape. You never know what will happen next, and I couldn't help but read for hours, unaware of the passing of time.
"How do you defeat an army that regenerates? For every demon you kill, one of your fallen gives birth to a replacement. Almost instantaneously, shadow demons rise from the corpses to reinforce the Dark Army. Still we fight on - and fight we must, or all is for nothing."
You have humans, dragons, elves and sorcerers on one side, and the Forces of Darkness - vampires, shadow demons - on the other. Not to mention there are other worlds besides Marithia... of which we will hopefully find out more in the next books.
I, for one, like to know as many aspects of a story as possible, so I was thrilled to "taste" the action from the perspective of both good and "bad guys". Kassina is a character that especially intrigued me and whose story I would have liked to know better, but I am sure that I will get to learn more about her in the sequels.
"Some consider me as a bad influence, but I prefer to see myself as indifferent. To define an act as good or evil is solely to see an action from one perspective or another. A mortal who kills another in the act of vengeance is branded a murderer, but a mortal who kills another in the heat of the battle is celebrated as a hero."
Another thing that I enjoyed about the way the book is written is the existence of little pieces of different characters' thoughts, feelings, desires and worries at the start of each chapter.
"To die in a battle is often referred to as a heroic act, but I will never understand that. What glory is there in bleeding to death in agony on the battlefield? I have no intention of dying at the hands of my enemy."
However, the death of certain characters left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. I would have loved them to remain for a bit longer in the story, so that's why I can't give the book more than four vanilla flowers.
______________________________________________
În primul rând, aş vrea să-i mulţumesc lui Peter Koevari, care mi-a dat o copie în format electronic a acestei cărţi, în schimbul unei recenzii sincere.
Din momentul în care am citit descrierea cărţii, am ştiut că îmi va plăcea, dar nu aveam idee că mă voi îndrăgosti aşa cum am făcut-o de Marithia şi creaturile minunate care o locuiesc. Trebie să mărturisesc că m-a captivat chiar de la primele pagini.
Totul începe când Kassina, copilul interzis dintre un vampir şi o vrăjitoare, încheie un pact cu Shindar, demonul Întunericului, după ce părinţii ei sunt ucişi din cauza uniunii lor fizice, în încercarea de a le răzbuna morţile şi de a-şi salva propria viaţă. Ani mai târziu, după un “antrenament corespunzător”, ea devine cea mai puternică vrăjitoare din Marithia, golind de sânge victime nevinovate şi trimiţându-le sufletele lui Shindar.
Când regele Arman e ucis de propriul fiu, care e însetat de putere şi e un pion al Kassinei, războiul e inevitabil. Dragonii îşi dezvăluie existenţa ascunsă şi se formează o alianţă între dragoni, elfi şi oameni. Speranţa Marithiei împotriva întunericului e Vartan, un cavaler neînfricat, care va descoperi cine e cu adevărat când va afla că e subiectul unei profeţii şi că îi e destinat să readucă pacea în ţinut.
Bătălia dintre bine şi rău e aprigă, presărată cu multe întorsături neaşteptate de evenimente cae vă vor lăsa cu gura căscată. Nu veţi şti niciodată ce urmează să se întâmple, iar eu nu m-am putut abţine şi am citit ore în şir, ignorând trecerea timpului.
“Cum învingi o armată care se regenerează? Cu fiecare demon pe care-l ucizi, unul din cei căzuţi de-ai tăi dă naştere unui înlocuitor. Aproape instantaneu, demoni-umbră se ridică din cadavre, întârind Armata Întunericului. Şi încă luptăm – şi trebuie să luptăm, sau toate astea au fost degeaba.”
Avem oameni, dragoni, elfi şi vrăjitori de o parte, şi Forţele Întunericului – vampiri, demoni-umbră – de alta. Ca să nu mai menţionez că există şi alte lumi în afara Marithiei… de care sper că vom afla mai multe în următoarele volume.
Mie, uneia, îmi place să ştiu cât mai multe aspecte ale unei poveşti, aşa că am fost entuziasmată să “gust” acţiunea atât din perspectiva binelui, cât şi din cea a “tipilor răi”. Kassina e un personaj care m-a intrigat în mod special şi despre a cărei poveste aş fi vrut să o ştiu mai bine, dar sunt sigură că voi afla mai multe în volumele următoare.
“Unii mă consideră o inflenţă negativă, dar eu prefer să mă văd indiferentă. Să numeşti un act ca fiind bun sau rău înseamnă doar să vezi o acţiune dintr-o perspectivă sau alta. Un muritor care ucide pe cineva din răzbunare e numit ucigaş, dar un muritor care ucide pe altul în focul bătăliei e sărbătorit ca fiind un erou.”
Alt lucru care mi-a plăcut la felul în care cartea e scrisă e existenţa unor frânturi din gândurile, sentimentele, dorinţele şi grijile diferitelor personaje la începutul fiecărui capitol.
“Moartea în bătălie e adesea văzută ca un act eroic, dar eu nu voi înţelege niciodată asta. Ce glorie există în sângerarea până la moarte, în agonie, pe câmpul de luptă? Nu intenţionez să mor de mâna duşmanului.”
Totuşi, moartea anumitor personaje mi-a lăsat un gust amar. Mi-ar fi plăcut ca ele să rămână mai mult în poveste, şi de aceea nu-i pot da cărţii mai mult de patru flori de vanilie.
October 10, 2015
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
Opinião em português no blog Pepita Mágica: http://pepitamagica.blogspot.pt/2015/...
I received a digital arc directly from the author in exchange for an honest review.
First of all, the author sent me an ebook version of "Prophecies Awakening" in exchange for an honest review. So, thank you very much, Peter! You’re incredibly nice and it was a pleasure to meet you, I mean, talk to you.
I’m a huge fan of fantasy books. I’m not picky, I don’t care if it’s about vampires, zombies, demons, etc; I just want a good fantasy-not-from-this-world kind of book. So, when I read the synopsis I got intrigued, because there’s tons of fantasy books right now. There is a boom of any type of fantasy books. As I was saying, when I read the synopsis I got intrigued, it sounded dark, and mysterious and while ago when the author reached to me offering an ebook in exchange for an honest review, I said yes, obviously!
It took me exactly a month to read this book, but don’t take it wrong. It was far from boring or difficult to read, I just had a lot to do and it was always something big happening in this story that I needed to read it carefully.
“Prophecies Awakening” is the first instalment of “Legends of Marithia” trilogy. This is one of those books that doesn’t stop for a second. It jumps right into the action from the very first page until the last. In the beginning, we met Kassina and what happened to her parents and then we jump thousands of years into the future, when our story happens. There are two prophecies: Blood Red Moon and another one about the Man born from two dragons, and it will change everything.
I will not develop more about the story than that – you really need to read it! As I said, in every paragraph, something big is happening. If you lose your concentration, you will lose a lot of what is going on.
Peter Koevari has an incredibly good writing. I saw and felt every word I read. Everything was so vivid, so real and so.. fantastic. It kept hooked to its story since the very first page. Every character was so well-written and developed; they had interesting backgrounds; everything they did makes sense, taking into account their past and their personalities. This is so well written that most of the time I didn’t know exactly who I wanted to win the war. I didn’t know if I was cheering for the Dark Army or the Elven army. Koevari created an incredible world with a lot of different creatures: we have dragons, humans, elves, faeries and so much more. One thing I think is lacking is a little description of every specie and race of the creatures: who and how they are, what can they do and not do, and so on. But, besides that, I think the author put a lot of thinking in this book, creating a really good story – a story that is “the ending of anything, but the beginning of everything”, quoting Queen Andrielle.
“Prophecies Awakening” is an awesome way to start a trilogy. It’s heavy; it has a lot of going on; it’s really well written and it has awesome and bad-ass characters; and its end… OMG! I NEED TO READ THE NEXT BOOK!
Opinião em português no blog Pepita Mágica: http://pepitamagica.blogspot.pt/2015/...
I received a digital arc directly from the author in exchange for an honest review.
First of all, the author sent me an ebook version of "Prophecies Awakening" in exchange for an honest review. So, thank you very much, Peter! You’re incredibly nice and it was a pleasure to meet you, I mean, talk to you.
I’m a huge fan of fantasy books. I’m not picky, I don’t care if it’s about vampires, zombies, demons, etc; I just want a good fantasy-not-from-this-world kind of book. So, when I read the synopsis I got intrigued, because there’s tons of fantasy books right now. There is a boom of any type of fantasy books. As I was saying, when I read the synopsis I got intrigued, it sounded dark, and mysterious and while ago when the author reached to me offering an ebook in exchange for an honest review, I said yes, obviously!
It took me exactly a month to read this book, but don’t take it wrong. It was far from boring or difficult to read, I just had a lot to do and it was always something big happening in this story that I needed to read it carefully.
“Prophecies Awakening” is the first instalment of “Legends of Marithia” trilogy. This is one of those books that doesn’t stop for a second. It jumps right into the action from the very first page until the last. In the beginning, we met Kassina and what happened to her parents and then we jump thousands of years into the future, when our story happens. There are two prophecies: Blood Red Moon and another one about the Man born from two dragons, and it will change everything.
I will not develop more about the story than that – you really need to read it! As I said, in every paragraph, something big is happening. If you lose your concentration, you will lose a lot of what is going on.
Peter Koevari has an incredibly good writing. I saw and felt every word I read. Everything was so vivid, so real and so.. fantastic. It kept hooked to its story since the very first page. Every character was so well-written and developed; they had interesting backgrounds; everything they did makes sense, taking into account their past and their personalities. This is so well written that most of the time I didn’t know exactly who I wanted to win the war. I didn’t know if I was cheering for the Dark Army or the Elven army. Koevari created an incredible world with a lot of different creatures: we have dragons, humans, elves, faeries and so much more. One thing I think is lacking is a little description of every specie and race of the creatures: who and how they are, what can they do and not do, and so on. But, besides that, I think the author put a lot of thinking in this book, creating a really good story – a story that is “the ending of anything, but the beginning of everything”, quoting Queen Andrielle.
“Prophecies Awakening” is an awesome way to start a trilogy. It’s heavy; it has a lot of going on; it’s really well written and it has awesome and bad-ass characters; and its end… OMG! I NEED TO READ THE NEXT BOOK!
April 12, 2023
Also published in "Ner & Her Bookshelves"
I received a copy of this book for free from the author, Peter Koevari, in exchange for an honest review.
I have to say that this was the very first time an author sent me a copy of his book to review. I was so overwhelmed when I saw Peter Koevari's message I almost wrote the reply in Portuguese.
So Prophecies Awakening is the first part of Legends of Marithia and this book has everything I love: raw fantasy. There are dragons, elves, demons, vampires, warriors, unicorns, fairies and even aliens (not as ET but as people from other galaxies).
The story starts badly… not bad in hateful writing but with bad winning over good. And since this book is all about the fight between good and evil, the beginning immediately caught my attention and had me hooked. You can feel Kassina’s hatred toward humans and her hunger for revenge. At first, I thought she was just a victim of Shindar and that her character was going to turn out to be a source of good but all those feelings I had, soon vanished with the development of the story.
Vartan, the main character in the whole plot, and the only one whose fate might save Marithia are then introduced to us. First, we meet him while he’s being banished from Greenhaven by the king and then we get to know his past life. I admit that I wanted to read more from his childhood before coming back to the “present” but I appreciated what Koevari did with the writing.
Despite sometimes losing myself in the changes of perspective – remembering myself I received an uncut and expanded edition – I found myself linked to almost every single character in the story. I had a strong connection with Andrielle and Helenia (who I wished had more chapters from her perspective) and even Tusdar’s death had me weep.
I hated Kassina, she scared the hell out of me. She was pure evilness, with not a single drop of goodness within her. I sighed in relief when Trissa killed her, or so I think she did. Of course, there’s still Shindar and from Finn’s vision, he’s even worst than Kassina.
There were certain chapters and characters I wished were a little bit more developed. But too much information would, perhaps, spoil the story.
Overall, I really liked the story and the writing and I thank Peter a lot for the chance to read the book and review it.
I received a copy of this book for free from the author, Peter Koevari, in exchange for an honest review.
I have to say that this was the very first time an author sent me a copy of his book to review. I was so overwhelmed when I saw Peter Koevari's message I almost wrote the reply in Portuguese.
So Prophecies Awakening is the first part of Legends of Marithia and this book has everything I love: raw fantasy. There are dragons, elves, demons, vampires, warriors, unicorns, fairies and even aliens (not as ET but as people from other galaxies).
The story starts badly… not bad in hateful writing but with bad winning over good. And since this book is all about the fight between good and evil, the beginning immediately caught my attention and had me hooked. You can feel Kassina’s hatred toward humans and her hunger for revenge. At first, I thought she was just a victim of Shindar and that her character was going to turn out to be a source of good but all those feelings I had, soon vanished with the development of the story.
Vartan, the main character in the whole plot, and the only one whose fate might save Marithia are then introduced to us. First, we meet him while he’s being banished from Greenhaven by the king and then we get to know his past life. I admit that I wanted to read more from his childhood before coming back to the “present” but I appreciated what Koevari did with the writing.
Despite sometimes losing myself in the changes of perspective – remembering myself I received an uncut and expanded edition – I found myself linked to almost every single character in the story. I had a strong connection with Andrielle and Helenia (who I wished had more chapters from her perspective) and even Tusdar’s death had me weep.
I hated Kassina, she scared the hell out of me. She was pure evilness, with not a single drop of goodness within her. I sighed in relief when Trissa killed her, or so I think she did. Of course, there’s still Shindar and from Finn’s vision, he’s even worst than Kassina.
There were certain chapters and characters I wished were a little bit more developed. But too much information would, perhaps, spoil the story.
Overall, I really liked the story and the writing and I thank Peter a lot for the chance to read the book and review it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2012
I received Legends of Marithia: Book 1 - Prophecies Awakening: Uncut and Extended Second Edition by Peter Koevari for free in exchange for an honest review.
First off this book from the start really catches your attention and starts off with a BANG. If a book is ever going to catch your attention from the first page, it definitely would be this book. Though the prologue of this book threw me off, I was expecting this book to be following Kassina as the main character, the Prologue really makes you feel for Kassina and want to know what happened to her while she was with Shindar. Though these feelings I developed for Kassina in the prologue soon disappeared once she appears in the story. She is a character that is really hard to feel sympathy for.
Second, the only thing going through my head for the majority of this book, was something from The Princess Bride by William Goldman. In the beginning of the Princess Bride, the Grandfather is going through a laundry list of things that are in the story. That part really reminded me of this book, because I really felt that this story had everything in it, something for everyone. I mean, this story has vampires, dragons, magic, fairies, sword fights and love. There really isn't much else this book could have fit in there.
Another thing I really liked about this story was the integration of different fantasy creatures into one. Many books focus in on one creature for example a vampire and they might bring in werewolves, or they might just focus in on fairies. This book looks at the "magical world" as a whole and how they all fit together. A book where humans, elves, dragons and fairies are working together and fighting alongside is a really cool concept.
I personally suggest this book if you are into fantasy books and are really sick of reading the same old stories told the same way over and over again just with different names. This book is one of those books you really cannot put down and want to know what's going to happen next. It is wonderfully told full of detail and very well written. I highly suggest this book. I personally thought it was an amazing tale that I have never read anything similar to it in the past, totally original and creative.
First off this book from the start really catches your attention and starts off with a BANG. If a book is ever going to catch your attention from the first page, it definitely would be this book. Though the prologue of this book threw me off, I was expecting this book to be following Kassina as the main character, the Prologue really makes you feel for Kassina and want to know what happened to her while she was with Shindar. Though these feelings I developed for Kassina in the prologue soon disappeared once she appears in the story. She is a character that is really hard to feel sympathy for.
Second, the only thing going through my head for the majority of this book, was something from The Princess Bride by William Goldman. In the beginning of the Princess Bride, the Grandfather is going through a laundry list of things that are in the story. That part really reminded me of this book, because I really felt that this story had everything in it, something for everyone. I mean, this story has vampires, dragons, magic, fairies, sword fights and love. There really isn't much else this book could have fit in there.
Another thing I really liked about this story was the integration of different fantasy creatures into one. Many books focus in on one creature for example a vampire and they might bring in werewolves, or they might just focus in on fairies. This book looks at the "magical world" as a whole and how they all fit together. A book where humans, elves, dragons and fairies are working together and fighting alongside is a really cool concept.
I personally suggest this book if you are into fantasy books and are really sick of reading the same old stories told the same way over and over again just with different names. This book is one of those books you really cannot put down and want to know what's going to happen next. It is wonderfully told full of detail and very well written. I highly suggest this book. I personally thought it was an amazing tale that I have never read anything similar to it in the past, totally original and creative.
December 30, 2014
2.5/5
The book really starts with a bang and dives straight into the story, while giving you a history of Marithia and how it became to be in its current predicament. I never felt out of the loop, even with the numerous characters and species, as the author gave a useful list at the beginning with the characters and their roles. This is the first book I've read that incorporated almost every mystical/fantastical creature there is. I enjoyed that, and think the relationships and interactions between the different 'species' were well executed. However, there were aspects I found weren't well executed.
Firstly, for me there wasn't enough character development. I felt almost all the characters were 2D in the fact that they were either 'good' or 'evil'. I wasn't shocked by anything, I wasn't engrossed by any of them, for quite a few of them I couldn't pick out discerning characteristics that made them stand out. I also felt the dialogue in the book was lacking. I couldn't recognise any distinct voice for each character, and this may be because most of the time the characters were only talking about vengeance, taking revenge and/or killing the dark forces. I wanted them to have more heart felt conversations so you could really see their personalities and personal histories. However, this was partially remedied by the paragraph (like a soliloquy) at the beginning of chapters, which were spoken by different characters. That gave me more of an insight into their views, and I would've liked to have seen more of that in the book. I also felt that some of the dialogue wasn't plausible with the characters' ages.
There were illustrations in the book which I didn't feel were necessary; with enough description I prefer to imagine the characters myself.
I liked the fast-paced nature of this book, and the action sequences were well described, without going on too long and making me lose interest. I do feel however that the fast pace may have resulted in less character development.
I kept on reading because I wanted to find out what will happen to Marithia! I liked the ending, as it actually surprised me, and is a good segue to the second instalment.
The book really starts with a bang and dives straight into the story, while giving you a history of Marithia and how it became to be in its current predicament. I never felt out of the loop, even with the numerous characters and species, as the author gave a useful list at the beginning with the characters and their roles. This is the first book I've read that incorporated almost every mystical/fantastical creature there is. I enjoyed that, and think the relationships and interactions between the different 'species' were well executed. However, there were aspects I found weren't well executed.
Firstly, for me there wasn't enough character development. I felt almost all the characters were 2D in the fact that they were either 'good' or 'evil'. I wasn't shocked by anything, I wasn't engrossed by any of them, for quite a few of them I couldn't pick out discerning characteristics that made them stand out. I also felt the dialogue in the book was lacking. I couldn't recognise any distinct voice for each character, and this may be because most of the time the characters were only talking about vengeance, taking revenge and/or killing the dark forces. I wanted them to have more heart felt conversations so you could really see their personalities and personal histories. However, this was partially remedied by the paragraph (like a soliloquy) at the beginning of chapters, which were spoken by different characters. That gave me more of an insight into their views, and I would've liked to have seen more of that in the book. I also felt that some of the dialogue wasn't plausible with the characters' ages.
There were illustrations in the book which I didn't feel were necessary; with enough description I prefer to imagine the characters myself.
I liked the fast-paced nature of this book, and the action sequences were well described, without going on too long and making me lose interest. I do feel however that the fast pace may have resulted in less character development.
I kept on reading because I wanted to find out what will happen to Marithia! I liked the ending, as it actually surprised me, and is a good segue to the second instalment.
September 19, 2012
Usually, I am not that much into fantasy books, which I understand to contain dragons, fairies, elves, sword-fighting and so on. But as this work also contains my all-time favorite of characters (read: vampires), I definitely had to give it a try.
At first, I had difficulties to understand what was going on and who is who. Fortunately, this changed with every page, which unfolded and explained the world of Marithia and its inhabitants. Each chapter starts with personal thoughts of one main character in relation to the current events, which sometimes confused me, but helped get to know the character's intentions and feelings better.
Regarding the writing, the author's strength definitely lies with the description of events and action, whereas the dialogue sequences had their weak moments. Some comments where too simple and the language didn't feel right for a fantasy novel, where I expect to find more ancient speaking.
For me, the story was very original, as I am not used to fantasy stories. The book provides some unexpected plot twists and several loose ends to be tied up. The complex world building and variety of characters provides material for many sequels in which to explore Marithia.
I admire the author's rich imagination and this first installment already shows the high potential for great books to come.
(I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review)
At first, I had difficulties to understand what was going on and who is who. Fortunately, this changed with every page, which unfolded and explained the world of Marithia and its inhabitants. Each chapter starts with personal thoughts of one main character in relation to the current events, which sometimes confused me, but helped get to know the character's intentions and feelings better.
Regarding the writing, the author's strength definitely lies with the description of events and action, whereas the dialogue sequences had their weak moments. Some comments where too simple and the language didn't feel right for a fantasy novel, where I expect to find more ancient speaking.
For me, the story was very original, as I am not used to fantasy stories. The book provides some unexpected plot twists and several loose ends to be tied up. The complex world building and variety of characters provides material for many sequels in which to explore Marithia.
I admire the author's rich imagination and this first installment already shows the high potential for great books to come.
(I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review)
September 10, 2012
I was sent a free copy of the book by the author himself, in exchange for an honest review.
This book revolves around using traditional fantasy elements such as Elves, Dragons, prophecies, magic... You name it. The author used from traditional elements with regards to this world while adding a bit of his own creativity in the mix. I would have loved to see more character depth and development as I thought that were a bit black/white cardboard cut outs to me. I wanted to go into the characters minds and more into their emotions but there's very little of that. Though I must say Nymira's Last scene touched my heart; she is the character that had the impact on me the most
Great action sequences towards the end of the book, very intense and gripping
Rating: 3/5
This book revolves around using traditional fantasy elements such as Elves, Dragons, prophecies, magic... You name it. The author used from traditional elements with regards to this world while adding a bit of his own creativity in the mix. I would have loved to see more character depth and development as I thought that were a bit black/white cardboard cut outs to me. I wanted to go into the characters minds and more into their emotions but there's very little of that. Though I must say Nymira's Last scene touched my heart; she is the character that had the impact on me the most
Great action sequences towards the end of the book, very intense and gripping
Rating: 3/5
July 10, 2019
I absolutely loved this book. It flows very nicely and is a well thought out plot. The characters were well developed and I was a bit sad that I didn’t get more of 2 of them. The details were great and you could picture everything without being too bogged down in the descriptions.
I’m not a fan of using an e-reader, but this story kept me on it. I was so mad that I didn’t get to finish it when my youngest broke my tablet. Thankfully, I was finally able to get the app onto my phone and able to log in and retrieve the book right where I had left off. I couldn’t put it down!
I would recommend this for a nice beach read this summer, a park read, or whatever your into, but make it a must read.
A huge thank you to the author for giving me a chance to read this book and I apologize for taking as long as I did.
I’m not a fan of using an e-reader, but this story kept me on it. I was so mad that I didn’t get to finish it when my youngest broke my tablet. Thankfully, I was finally able to get the app onto my phone and able to log in and retrieve the book right where I had left off. I couldn’t put it down!
I would recommend this for a nice beach read this summer, a park read, or whatever your into, but make it a must read.
A huge thank you to the author for giving me a chance to read this book and I apologize for taking as long as I did.
August 3, 2016
The author kindly provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
2,5 stars to be honest.
This book reminds me of The Lord of the Rings. There's a feeling in it that goes all the way back to Tolkien. Please, be aware that I got stuck on page 320 of the Italian edition of Tolkien's masterpiece. Anyway, there is something in the way the novel is written... While I was reading, I tried to come up with an adjective that could describe the style and all I could think of was hieratic (Soobie ate dictionaries for breakfast when she was a kid). I remember these paintings from my history of art classes where there were these formal and authoritarian human figures. Yeah, hieratic is the perfect word. At the same time, Koevari's style can that plunges you directly in Marithia. And that's very positive. I liked the trade city where Vartan goes to buy weapons and his three special objects.
I also really liked the openings of each chapter, in which a character would say something about what was going on. It was like they were being interviewed by a journalist and they would describe their inner fears and hopes.
You know, everyone has their idiosyncrasies. For instance, I personally dislike fairies and dragons. Well, I was shocked when I first found out that fairies weren't all Tinkerbell-like creatures but vicious critters ready to make your life hell. On the other hand, I don't know why I dislike dragons so much. Does Eragon have something to do with it? Not sure, really. Probably. I actually liked the first one: I read it on a trip to Auckland back in 2005. I needed a long book for a long travel, ^__^. But when I started the second one... I don't know. I didn't remember anything about the first one and... I kept my distance from dragons since then.
But Hic sunt dracones. And I didn't hate them as much as I feared I would. They do play an important role throughout the book but they don't overshadow the other characters. They are not deus ex machina who solve all problems just by flapping their wings. I appreciated that.
On the other hand, I completely dislike the villain, Kassina. She was unnecessary cruel, in my opinion. Even the first chapter - in which the author explains her backstory - doesn't help the reader to empathized with her. She's just bloodthirsty and even the details of her doings... well, they didn't bother me but I fell they were a bit gratuitous. I read the author's comment in which he said that he had wanted to write a realistic tale and I understand that. Still those scenes didn't contribute anything to Kassina's personality in my opinion.
On the side. Sometimes the links your mind makes with a character's name are quite funny. When I first read about Kassina, I started to imagine when the name could have come from. And because of my "Italiannness" I came up with two possible sources. First one, is Igor Cassina who used to be an Italian gymnast who won gold in the men's horizontal bar at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Second possibility, Monte Cassino abbey and the 1944 battle.
Vartan as a main character is a good one. Well, the name kind of reminds me of Michael Vartan (The guy from Alias) but apart from that I really like him. He's strong and he's ready to do everything to protect the ones he loves.
While reading, I had the feeling that the author wasn't that good at describing female characters. Apart from Kassina, Helenia and her mother seemed to be a little short on personality. They were just figures being polite. Fortunately they do change towards the end of the book and they take their place on the front line.
Let me say something about Aidan. Sorry for this but I was really rooting for him.
At the moment I'm not sure I'll actually read the second one. I'm curious about Vartan and the third object he has in his bag but I really struggled to read the chapters about the final battle. But I'm honest here, when I read them I was dead-tired and I just wanted to rush to the ending.
Thanks again to Peter Koevari for giving me a free copy of his book.
2,5 stars to be honest.
This book reminds me of The Lord of the Rings. There's a feeling in it that goes all the way back to Tolkien. Please, be aware that I got stuck on page 320 of the Italian edition of Tolkien's masterpiece. Anyway, there is something in the way the novel is written... While I was reading, I tried to come up with an adjective that could describe the style and all I could think of was hieratic (Soobie ate dictionaries for breakfast when she was a kid). I remember these paintings from my history of art classes where there were these formal and authoritarian human figures. Yeah, hieratic is the perfect word. At the same time, Koevari's style can that plunges you directly in Marithia. And that's very positive. I liked the trade city where Vartan goes to buy weapons and his three special objects.
I also really liked the openings of each chapter, in which a character would say something about what was going on. It was like they were being interviewed by a journalist and they would describe their inner fears and hopes.
You know, everyone has their idiosyncrasies. For instance, I personally dislike fairies and dragons. Well, I was shocked when I first found out that fairies weren't all Tinkerbell-like creatures but vicious critters ready to make your life hell. On the other hand, I don't know why I dislike dragons so much. Does Eragon have something to do with it? Not sure, really. Probably. I actually liked the first one: I read it on a trip to Auckland back in 2005. I needed a long book for a long travel, ^__^. But when I started the second one... I don't know. I didn't remember anything about the first one and... I kept my distance from dragons since then.
But Hic sunt dracones. And I didn't hate them as much as I feared I would. They do play an important role throughout the book but they don't overshadow the other characters. They are not deus ex machina who solve all problems just by flapping their wings. I appreciated that.
On the other hand, I completely dislike the villain, Kassina. She was unnecessary cruel, in my opinion. Even the first chapter - in which the author explains her backstory - doesn't help the reader to empathized with her. She's just bloodthirsty and even the details of her doings... well, they didn't bother me but I fell they were a bit gratuitous. I read the author's comment in which he said that he had wanted to write a realistic tale and I understand that. Still those scenes didn't contribute anything to Kassina's personality in my opinion.
On the side. Sometimes the links your mind makes with a character's name are quite funny. When I first read about Kassina, I started to imagine when the name could have come from. And because of my "Italiannness" I came up with two possible sources. First one, is Igor Cassina who used to be an Italian gymnast who won gold in the men's horizontal bar at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Second possibility, Monte Cassino abbey and the 1944 battle.
Vartan as a main character is a good one. Well, the name kind of reminds me of Michael Vartan (The guy from Alias) but apart from that I really like him. He's strong and he's ready to do everything to protect the ones he loves.
While reading, I had the feeling that the author wasn't that good at describing female characters. Apart from Kassina, Helenia and her mother seemed to be a little short on personality. They were just figures being polite. Fortunately they do change towards the end of the book and they take their place on the front line.
Let me say something about Aidan. Sorry for this but I was really rooting for him.
At the moment I'm not sure I'll actually read the second one. I'm curious about Vartan and the third object he has in his bag but I really struggled to read the chapters about the final battle. But I'm honest here, when I read them I was dead-tired and I just wanted to rush to the ending.
Thanks again to Peter Koevari for giving me a free copy of his book.
December 16, 2015
This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon . Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.
The prophesy is arising, and the dark witch is on the loose. Two opposing prophesies are at odds, and it is not yet clear whether the balance will tip in favour of the light or the darkness.
Although I was reading on a Kobo, and it's purely black and white, I really enjoyed the pictures of the various characters that were interspersed in the text. It's nice to get a view of how I should be imagining the characters in my mind, and it adds more reality to the read.
Dragons! It's been far too long since I read a book with dragons in it. This novel has dragons. Several of them. In fact, they are invisible dragons most of the time, but they are still there! I think this is another story point that could have been made more of, coupled with more details on Varten's training, and a bit more of Kassina's history. Although the prologue covers that, I couldn't really understand why Kassina had gone bad so quickly. I can understand how seeing her parents killed like that was traumatic, but not so bad that she feels the need to laugh manically at every human ideal and set fire to things after draining the blood of innocents.
This novel reminds me a fair bit of Mercedes Lackey's Obsidian Mountain trilogy. The elves and their forest, the dark demons who feed from the living, and the man who must save them all against the odds. The notion of the special device is different though, and I wouldn't say the styles of writing were at all the same.
This novel does sentences/paragraphs at the start of the novel in the right way. They add something to the story that you wouldn't otherwise realise from the point of view. Often they highlight a character's perspective that you don't actually get in the rest of the text.
Ah! There was one point where I was sure they were about to be uncovered, and then bam! It was something else! Koevari really sprung it on me, and I was really unable to put the book down in anticipation. he does this cliff-hanger technique in such a sneaky way lots of times, and it really gets things going.
Sadly, I wasn't at all convinced by the dialogue or scenery in this novel. The dialogue again felt a bit stilted to me (although I know that getting dialogue right is really very difficult) and I felt like occasionally the characters were having monologues. The scenery was often described in similes, and it was just too much detail. For example, the elven forest is guarded by faeries and special elven guards. And this is stated basically like that, with a bit more detail. I feel that a better way of doing it would have been to have the queen and her daughter enter the forest and come across each of these things. Perhaps it would have used up some more words, but I feel like it would have been really valuable. Another thing was the epithet of 'hot spurting blood', it just came up so many times!
I found it interesting to read, and I certainly wouldn't say no if I won the second book in this series from Goodreads this time around. I likely wouldn't buy it for myself though, simply because I don't think it's a reread, and also because I have so many other novels on my to-read list.
I'd recommend this novel for adults only due to the erotic mixed with horror content of Kassina's rituals - a particular episode with a virgin still sticks in my mind uncomfortably. A decent read, quite compelling towards the end. I only had those minor complaints, and it certainly wasn't a trial to read the novel - I enjoyed it. Probably three stars from me.
I received this ebook free after missing out on a hard copy through Goodreads: First Reads. This did not influence my opinion in any way.
The prophesy is arising, and the dark witch is on the loose. Two opposing prophesies are at odds, and it is not yet clear whether the balance will tip in favour of the light or the darkness.
Although I was reading on a Kobo, and it's purely black and white, I really enjoyed the pictures of the various characters that were interspersed in the text. It's nice to get a view of how I should be imagining the characters in my mind, and it adds more reality to the read.
Dragons! It's been far too long since I read a book with dragons in it. This novel has dragons. Several of them. In fact, they are invisible dragons most of the time, but they are still there! I think this is another story point that could have been made more of, coupled with more details on Varten's training, and a bit more of Kassina's history. Although the prologue covers that, I couldn't really understand why Kassina had gone bad so quickly. I can understand how seeing her parents killed like that was traumatic, but not so bad that she feels the need to laugh manically at every human ideal and set fire to things after draining the blood of innocents.
This novel reminds me a fair bit of Mercedes Lackey's Obsidian Mountain trilogy. The elves and their forest, the dark demons who feed from the living, and the man who must save them all against the odds. The notion of the special device is different though, and I wouldn't say the styles of writing were at all the same.
This novel does sentences/paragraphs at the start of the novel in the right way. They add something to the story that you wouldn't otherwise realise from the point of view. Often they highlight a character's perspective that you don't actually get in the rest of the text.
Ah! There was one point where I was sure they were about to be uncovered, and then bam! It was something else! Koevari really sprung it on me, and I was really unable to put the book down in anticipation. he does this cliff-hanger technique in such a sneaky way lots of times, and it really gets things going.
Sadly, I wasn't at all convinced by the dialogue or scenery in this novel. The dialogue again felt a bit stilted to me (although I know that getting dialogue right is really very difficult) and I felt like occasionally the characters were having monologues. The scenery was often described in similes, and it was just too much detail. For example, the elven forest is guarded by faeries and special elven guards. And this is stated basically like that, with a bit more detail. I feel that a better way of doing it would have been to have the queen and her daughter enter the forest and come across each of these things. Perhaps it would have used up some more words, but I feel like it would have been really valuable. Another thing was the epithet of 'hot spurting blood', it just came up so many times!
I found it interesting to read, and I certainly wouldn't say no if I won the second book in this series from Goodreads this time around. I likely wouldn't buy it for myself though, simply because I don't think it's a reread, and also because I have so many other novels on my to-read list.
I'd recommend this novel for adults only due to the erotic mixed with horror content of Kassina's rituals - a particular episode with a virgin still sticks in my mind uncomfortably. A decent read, quite compelling towards the end. I only had those minor complaints, and it certainly wasn't a trial to read the novel - I enjoyed it. Probably three stars from me.
I received this ebook free after missing out on a hard copy through Goodreads: First Reads. This did not influence my opinion in any way.
September 26, 2012
I have to admit that I have only read a limited number of books that are purely fantasy and not mainly paranormal romance, so I was both excited and nervous to read the book.
Don't get me wrong, I love reading about battles with magical creatures and heroes that can make you faint in battle, but swoon outside of it, but usually in order to endure harsh realms and long descriptions of perilous journeys, I need me some romance to hold on to(unless I'm reading a thriller or a horror novel in which case romance is irrelevant)! lol
Prophecies Awakening started quite aggressively with the king of Marithia sentencing to a cruel death a whole "family" because the woman dared to fall in love with a vampire descendant of the past vampire king and bear his child, which they call an abomination. This abomination is Kassina, daughter of a witch and a vampire and her only sin as far as we know as the novel starts is the mere fact that she was born. This family are not being condemned because they hurt someone or killed someone, but simply because their relationship is deemed treason.
In order to save herself, Kassina is somehow coerced into promising her soul to Shindar, the lord of darkness, who corrupts her and twists everything she ever believed in into evil and malice. It wasn't that hard since she was only a little girl when he got her.
Fast forward a few centuries and Kassina as a vampire is still out there, intent on revenge against all descendants of those who hurt her family and bent on destroying Marithia, the city in which now humans and elves co-reside.
It seems though that Kassina has a person inside. The king's son who wants his throne a little prematurely and is willing to sacrifice his sister for it. After killing the king in order to organize some kind of resistance and taking over the city with Kassina, Helenia - the princess- and her mother flee to the Elves, while a (disgraced due to the king's son) knight, Vartan tries to save them all.
I have to say that even though it is not a very distinctively descriptive novel, the characters are quite defined, and even though the author doesn't spend a lot of time describing how they look or how they feel, their actions speak for themselves and there's a lot of action.
In reality, the whole book is a rollercoaster of action and it really takes you by surprise, not only because there are twists and turns, but also because just when you are about to truly care for a character...he or she might turn up dead in a matter of a paragraph or two.
I really loved how Kassina was so evil and manipulative, that every time she did something I really got mad and wished her dead. :P
I also found very interesting the whole mythology and idea behind dragons, i.e. how they can be invisible and that there's a limit to their magic and strength, that they are not these endless creatures of evil and fire.
Overall I immensely enjoyed the story and the idea and I'm truly looking forward to reading the second installment!!
P.S.: And even though the start to every chapter with a paragraph of inner thoughts of some character, irked me a bit and sounded cheesy (like the interviews they do for reality shows lol), as the novel progresses I was really anxious to read about what each person thought. I thought it was a nice addition.
Don't get me wrong, I love reading about battles with magical creatures and heroes that can make you faint in battle, but swoon outside of it, but usually in order to endure harsh realms and long descriptions of perilous journeys, I need me some romance to hold on to(unless I'm reading a thriller or a horror novel in which case romance is irrelevant)! lol
Prophecies Awakening started quite aggressively with the king of Marithia sentencing to a cruel death a whole "family" because the woman dared to fall in love with a vampire descendant of the past vampire king and bear his child, which they call an abomination. This abomination is Kassina, daughter of a witch and a vampire and her only sin as far as we know as the novel starts is the mere fact that she was born. This family are not being condemned because they hurt someone or killed someone, but simply because their relationship is deemed treason.
In order to save herself, Kassina is somehow coerced into promising her soul to Shindar, the lord of darkness, who corrupts her and twists everything she ever believed in into evil and malice. It wasn't that hard since she was only a little girl when he got her.
Fast forward a few centuries and Kassina as a vampire is still out there, intent on revenge against all descendants of those who hurt her family and bent on destroying Marithia, the city in which now humans and elves co-reside.
It seems though that Kassina has a person inside. The king's son who wants his throne a little prematurely and is willing to sacrifice his sister for it. After killing the king in order to organize some kind of resistance and taking over the city with Kassina, Helenia - the princess- and her mother flee to the Elves, while a (disgraced due to the king's son) knight, Vartan tries to save them all.
I have to say that even though it is not a very distinctively descriptive novel, the characters are quite defined, and even though the author doesn't spend a lot of time describing how they look or how they feel, their actions speak for themselves and there's a lot of action.
In reality, the whole book is a rollercoaster of action and it really takes you by surprise, not only because there are twists and turns, but also because just when you are about to truly care for a character...he or she might turn up dead in a matter of a paragraph or two.
I really loved how Kassina was so evil and manipulative, that every time she did something I really got mad and wished her dead. :P
I also found very interesting the whole mythology and idea behind dragons, i.e. how they can be invisible and that there's a limit to their magic and strength, that they are not these endless creatures of evil and fire.
Overall I immensely enjoyed the story and the idea and I'm truly looking forward to reading the second installment!!
P.S.: And even though the start to every chapter with a paragraph of inner thoughts of some character, irked me a bit and sounded cheesy (like the interviews they do for reality shows lol), as the novel progresses I was really anxious to read about what each person thought. I thought it was a nice addition.
September 15, 2012
I did not enjoy this book. The first few chapters started off good. They really sucked me in. They gave the story so much potential, and started developing the main characters very well. But then the story became very disjointed. Each chapter made huge jumps in time with little to no explanation. I felt like huge sections of the story that would have helped with the characters development was lost. Then there were things such as the Queen Andrielle being elvish but being married to a human and having kids that did not seem human or elf. The dragons started off a cool concept but then just turned dorky. They were neither powerful or wise, but instead idiotic children with retard strength that let their emotions rule them. Then the magic just made me shake my head. The characters just seemed to learn new spells at the drop of a hat. There was no intermediate between not knowing magic to suddenly being a semi powerful sorcerer. Then on top of it Koevari is using poor Latin phrases for the spells. In my opinion he should have used another language from something like Tolkiens elvish or orcish language that he made up. If you are going to make up a whole new world then don't use the generic earth language for all things magical like a cop-out, get creative. Then, Vartan going to the giant city to buy weapons was a complete waste of time. He could have bought any kind of weapons in the universe and the best he can come up with are just more plain old swords and shields? Even magical weapons would have been better. I was really hoping for something more creative on that too. The dialog of the story was probably the hardest part to get through. Many of the interactions were just so lame. The conversations were something I would see a bunch of D&D or LARP dorks saying. There was nothing at all in there that was remotely witty. And these prophecies were practically non-existent. The two prophecies that were prominent in the story were so plain it was painful. They were in such straight forward language that there was no room for interpretation or questioning. And it seemed that everyone and their mothers new exactly who was needed to fulfill the prophecies. Over all this story was just poorly written. The start of the story was good but just fell apart quickly and permanently. Peter Koevari, I think you need to do a serious rewrite of this story. It had the potential of being a great book but you rushed it and did not put enough thought into it. This book is like if Frank Herbert put out his first draft of Dune (that is in "The Road to Dune") instead of sitting on it and doing a total re-haul of the story and putting out what became one of the most successful sci-fi series ever.
April 13, 2010
Legends of Marithia
Book 1 — Prophecies Awakening
Peter Koevari
A review for ReadersFavorite.com
No cover
This is a very interesting and fast paced tale about good versus evil. The writing is fluid and keeps you going.
The story is that of a young girl that had to witness the horrible death of her parents at the hands of the king. The mother was a trusted sorcerer in the king’s court and the father a vampire. The king wants to kill the girl, too, but a powerful demon saved her life in exchange for her services.
Many centuries later the girl is now a powerful dark sorceress charged with finding a contraption that could ruin the dark lord’s chance to return from the depths of darkness if she doesn’t destroy it.
To oppose them, there is a handful of knights loyal to the elfin queen, dragons, and a mixed array of mankind, fairies and elfs.
Above them all is a man born from the blood of dragons. He is the only one who can activate the contraption and banish the dark lord forever. Yet, it will cost him dearly.
But what choice do you have against the undead and how else can you defeat such a powerful dark sorceress?
It is an entertaining tale that leaves you wanting the second book. If you like the Eragon series, you will love this book.
Merged review:
No cover
This is a very interesting and fast paced tale about good versus evil. The writing is fluid and keeps you going.
The story is that of a young girl that had to witness the horrible death of her parents at the hands of the king. The mother was a trusted sorcerer in the king’s court and the father a vampire. The king wants to kill the girl, too, but a powerful demon saved her life in exchange for her services.
Many centuries later the girl is now a powerful dark sorceress charged with finding a contraption that could ruin the dark lord’s chance to return from the depths of darkness if she doesn’t destroy it.
To oppose them, there is a handful of knights loyal to the elfin queen, dragons, and a mixed array of mankind, fairies and elfs.
Above them all is a man born from the blood of dragons. He is the only one who can activate the contraption and banish the dark lord forever. Yet, it will cost him dearly.
But what choice do you have against the undead and how else can you defeat such a powerful dark sorceress?
It is an entertaining tale that leaves you wanting the second book. If you like the Eragon series, you will like this book.
Book 1 — Prophecies Awakening
Peter Koevari
A review for ReadersFavorite.com
No cover
This is a very interesting and fast paced tale about good versus evil. The writing is fluid and keeps you going.
The story is that of a young girl that had to witness the horrible death of her parents at the hands of the king. The mother was a trusted sorcerer in the king’s court and the father a vampire. The king wants to kill the girl, too, but a powerful demon saved her life in exchange for her services.
Many centuries later the girl is now a powerful dark sorceress charged with finding a contraption that could ruin the dark lord’s chance to return from the depths of darkness if she doesn’t destroy it.
To oppose them, there is a handful of knights loyal to the elfin queen, dragons, and a mixed array of mankind, fairies and elfs.
Above them all is a man born from the blood of dragons. He is the only one who can activate the contraption and banish the dark lord forever. Yet, it will cost him dearly.
But what choice do you have against the undead and how else can you defeat such a powerful dark sorceress?
It is an entertaining tale that leaves you wanting the second book. If you like the Eragon series, you will love this book.
Merged review:
No cover
This is a very interesting and fast paced tale about good versus evil. The writing is fluid and keeps you going.
The story is that of a young girl that had to witness the horrible death of her parents at the hands of the king. The mother was a trusted sorcerer in the king’s court and the father a vampire. The king wants to kill the girl, too, but a powerful demon saved her life in exchange for her services.
Many centuries later the girl is now a powerful dark sorceress charged with finding a contraption that could ruin the dark lord’s chance to return from the depths of darkness if she doesn’t destroy it.
To oppose them, there is a handful of knights loyal to the elfin queen, dragons, and a mixed array of mankind, fairies and elfs.
Above them all is a man born from the blood of dragons. He is the only one who can activate the contraption and banish the dark lord forever. Yet, it will cost him dearly.
But what choice do you have against the undead and how else can you defeat such a powerful dark sorceress?
It is an entertaining tale that leaves you wanting the second book. If you like the Eragon series, you will like this book.
August 23, 2012
Growing up I loved fantasy movies like Willow, Kull, Conan the Barbarian, Labyrinth, Dragonslayer, Beastmaster and many others.Some were better than others but I loved them all.One thing they all had in common was that the good guys were good and the bad guys were evil.No gray hats in the bunch.
They all also shared a dose of cheesy when you thought about them.Don't get me wrong, that isn't an insult.It is just when the sides are so clearly divided and bigger than life, it can get a little cheesy when seen out of context.(Try reading the backs of most books aloud and they sound cheesy to be honest.)
Another favorite pasttime from my youth was Dungeons and Dragons.It was like being in those fantasy movies and books that I loved.The best part was getting to use my imagination to come up with new worlds and characters.
Legemds of Maritha reminded me so much of those old movies, books and games.Some people might think it a little old-fashioned but I loved that aspect.I loved that you have clear cut good guys fighting truly evil bad guys.The setting is imaginative and well developed.The trading city is awesome.I really wished I was still role-playing so I could steal it for my campaign.The story is fairly straightforward but has enough originality to stand out from other books like it.
This is Peter Koevari's first novel.For a first novel, it is very good.It isn't as polished as some books by authors who have put out dozens of books.It does show a lot of promise and is an enjoyable read.I do believe Mr. Koevari will continue to grow as he continues writing.One thing that bothered me was the long quotes at the beginning of each chapter.I felt they hurt the flow of the narrative.
This is just the first part of the story.In fact it is a cliff-hanger so go ahead and grab book 2 so you don't have to wait.
They all also shared a dose of cheesy when you thought about them.Don't get me wrong, that isn't an insult.It is just when the sides are so clearly divided and bigger than life, it can get a little cheesy when seen out of context.(Try reading the backs of most books aloud and they sound cheesy to be honest.)
Another favorite pasttime from my youth was Dungeons and Dragons.It was like being in those fantasy movies and books that I loved.The best part was getting to use my imagination to come up with new worlds and characters.
Legemds of Maritha reminded me so much of those old movies, books and games.Some people might think it a little old-fashioned but I loved that aspect.I loved that you have clear cut good guys fighting truly evil bad guys.The setting is imaginative and well developed.The trading city is awesome.I really wished I was still role-playing so I could steal it for my campaign.The story is fairly straightforward but has enough originality to stand out from other books like it.
This is Peter Koevari's first novel.For a first novel, it is very good.It isn't as polished as some books by authors who have put out dozens of books.It does show a lot of promise and is an enjoyable read.I do believe Mr. Koevari will continue to grow as he continues writing.One thing that bothered me was the long quotes at the beginning of each chapter.I felt they hurt the flow of the narrative.
This is just the first part of the story.In fact it is a cliff-hanger so go ahead and grab book 2 so you don't have to wait.
May 7, 2013
I have to say WOW!
I really liked it. Well maybe not the killing the wrong people, but it's a part of the story. I guess not everyone can survive. It actually makes the story more believable. After all we have a war here. It's somewhat strange when we have apocalyptic-like situation and everyone who actually meant something in books survives. Don't expect that in here.
But I should probably start from the beginning. I received this book from the author in exchange for honest review (Thank You sooo very much!). It was fascinating from the very beginning when we're being introduced to the evil guys and the prophecy that's supposed to release all hell to the world. I have to admit that I kind of understand why Kassina became as she was, but it still won't make me like her after all she'd done
When you'll already storm through this first action there come introduction to the world. Not a very peaceful too, but if you expect a nice and slow-paced read - look for other books. And the world you'll read about is amazing. It has all the best (dragons, elves, whole lots of magic) some really nasty things and some off-wordly almost SF elements (well, at least aliens and strange weapons)
With every moment of some good story there usually come the dark side of it. Each time when you're starting to think "this time they're going to make it" think again - something not-so-very-good has to happen. It keeps reader's attention. You won't be able to stop reading because each sentence might bring some more hope or doom and you'll never know which.
So one more time... This book is great! I enjoyed every piece of luck heroes had and even almost cried few times (but with this amount of action there was no time for that :P)
I really liked it. Well maybe not the killing the wrong people, but it's a part of the story. I guess not everyone can survive. It actually makes the story more believable. After all we have a war here. It's somewhat strange when we have apocalyptic-like situation and everyone who actually meant something in books survives. Don't expect that in here.
But I should probably start from the beginning. I received this book from the author in exchange for honest review (Thank You sooo very much!). It was fascinating from the very beginning when we're being introduced to the evil guys and the prophecy that's supposed to release all hell to the world. I have to admit that I kind of understand why Kassina became as she was, but it still won't make me like her after all she'd done
When you'll already storm through this first action there come introduction to the world. Not a very peaceful too, but if you expect a nice and slow-paced read - look for other books. And the world you'll read about is amazing. It has all the best (dragons, elves, whole lots of magic) some really nasty things and some off-wordly almost SF elements (well, at least aliens and strange weapons)
With every moment of some good story there usually come the dark side of it. Each time when you're starting to think "this time they're going to make it" think again - something not-so-very-good has to happen. It keeps reader's attention. You won't be able to stop reading because each sentence might bring some more hope or doom and you'll never know which.
So one more time... This book is great! I enjoyed every piece of luck heroes had and even almost cried few times (but with this amount of action there was no time for that :P)
August 25, 2012
3.5 stars but rounded up to 4stars. :)
First of all, this book was given to me by the author, himself, in exchange for an honest review. So, Peter, thank you for letting me read this book. :)
This is not the typical type of book I read. I mean, I don't usually read books that has a setting of ages ago. I don't really read dragons book since the last time I read one, I didn't even finish it cause of the English that was used. Thank God that the English used here is not the Old English. >_< I decided to read it cause it's new to my eyes. Meaning, this book have Dragons, Sorceress, Elvens, Faeries and, vampires.
I was hooked from the first page cause I was intrigued by the story. In the first few pages, Koevari gave a brief background how did Kassina, the sorceress, became twisted like that. And yes, I understand her. She wanted revenge for the murder of her parents. That's why she made a pact with Shindar, the Demon of Darkness.
And I like how Vartan is. Though I wished that the world building and the character building would be more elaborate cause it doesn't say much about Marithia and the characters. It's mostly action packed. Yes, I like it when it is action-packed but still, it should be balanced. :) And I want to see more how Vartan spend his time in the island of the Dragons. And I was kinda astonished that he accepted it (his true lineage and the prophecy) just like that.
But over-all, I like it and I enjoyed reading it. Like the sarcastic comments of some character like Keturah.
First of all, this book was given to me by the author, himself, in exchange for an honest review. So, Peter, thank you for letting me read this book. :)
This is not the typical type of book I read. I mean, I don't usually read books that has a setting of ages ago. I don't really read dragons book since the last time I read one, I didn't even finish it cause of the English that was used. Thank God that the English used here is not the Old English. >_< I decided to read it cause it's new to my eyes. Meaning, this book have Dragons, Sorceress, Elvens, Faeries and, vampires.
I was hooked from the first page cause I was intrigued by the story. In the first few pages, Koevari gave a brief background how did Kassina, the sorceress, became twisted like that. And yes, I understand her. She wanted revenge for the murder of her parents. That's why she made a pact with Shindar, the Demon of Darkness.
And I like how Vartan is. Though I wished that the world building and the character building would be more elaborate cause it doesn't say much about Marithia and the characters. It's mostly action packed. Yes, I like it when it is action-packed but still, it should be balanced. :) And I want to see more how Vartan spend his time in the island of the Dragons. And I was kinda astonished that he accepted it (his true lineage and the prophecy) just like that.
But over-all, I like it and I enjoyed reading it. Like the sarcastic comments of some character like Keturah.
December 6, 2012
When I first attacked this book, I was a little worried when it appeared quite short as the fantasy books I generally read are quite long (Wheel of Time, Song of Fire and Ice, Etc.). Happily, I found that the character development is not lacking, there is a rich and vibrant history constructed and the world of Marithia comes alive within the pages. I was very impressed at the ability of the author to draw you into the story and provide insight into the background into the 'lore' of Marithia, without resorting to pages of unnecessary prologues and footnotes, which let’s face it, many people simply skip over anyway.
As an first effort from a new author, the story telling shows excellent promise and I would recommend this to someone looking to begin a new journey into a fantastic fantasy realm. The next in the series promises to be an exciting continuation of the characters and their stories. While this was a relatively short book, it drew me in and left me looking forward to reading more. The story is mature, obviously written for adults as there are some graphic images included, which brings the tone of the story to a dark point in places. The twists are unpredictable and something that you might not expect when reading your average fantasy novel.
I found Marithia to be a wonderful world and this book to be an excellent read. A great story with mature and interesting characters, that make you care about what happens to them next, this is well worth the time it will take to read. You will find yourself looking forward to the next instalment and hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I did.
As an first effort from a new author, the story telling shows excellent promise and I would recommend this to someone looking to begin a new journey into a fantastic fantasy realm. The next in the series promises to be an exciting continuation of the characters and their stories. While this was a relatively short book, it drew me in and left me looking forward to reading more. The story is mature, obviously written for adults as there are some graphic images included, which brings the tone of the story to a dark point in places. The twists are unpredictable and something that you might not expect when reading your average fantasy novel.
I found Marithia to be a wonderful world and this book to be an excellent read. A great story with mature and interesting characters, that make you care about what happens to them next, this is well worth the time it will take to read. You will find yourself looking forward to the next instalment and hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I did.
July 13, 2014
I've received an uncut & extended copy of the first from Mr Peter Koevari in exchange for an honest review. This is also my first time writing a book review so pardon me if I'm just going to keep this short & simple.
The book reminds me a lot of other fantasy books that I've read before. It looks like it's taken most of the cool things out of the those other worlds & cramming it up into this world of Marithia. And all my expectations for this book before I read it were well surpassed.
It is very well written & easy to read. The first chapters lets the readers engage with the characters & what's driving them to do their respective actions that drives them to their fates. They're very well fleshed out though I would like to see a more development to Vartan's character & Helenia's too. I also liked that the female characters were not only gentle & beautiful but were formidable fighters, leaders & heroes too.
The pacing is also fast, getting rid of unnecessary details that plagues most of fantasy books even on it's uncut edition. The climactic showdown was also excellently played. Most of the books that I've read recently failed so spectacularly in that area so it's a welcome for me to read again a climax like this. And the epilogue... well, it kept me wanting for more which is a good sign for book serials.
So that's about it. Thank you once again to Mr Peter Koevari for letting me read his cool book.
The book reminds me a lot of other fantasy books that I've read before. It looks like it's taken most of the cool things out of the those other worlds & cramming it up into this world of Marithia. And all my expectations for this book before I read it were well surpassed.
It is very well written & easy to read. The first chapters lets the readers engage with the characters & what's driving them to do their respective actions that drives them to their fates. They're very well fleshed out though I would like to see a more development to Vartan's character & Helenia's too. I also liked that the female characters were not only gentle & beautiful but were formidable fighters, leaders & heroes too.
The pacing is also fast, getting rid of unnecessary details that plagues most of fantasy books even on it's uncut edition. The climactic showdown was also excellently played. Most of the books that I've read recently failed so spectacularly in that area so it's a welcome for me to read again a climax like this. And the epilogue... well, it kept me wanting for more which is a good sign for book serials.
So that's about it. Thank you once again to Mr Peter Koevari for letting me read his cool book.
May 25, 2012
As with Book 2 in the awesome LOM series I was lucky enough to be a part of the review team for this extended and uncut edition of the story that began it all. If you liked the original, you'll love this one. Also, you'll need to read it. Just because you've read the original, doesn't mean you won't find gems in this latest edition.
The original was Peter's first novel, and as with any first novel there were some feelings of missing elements and possible depth (from some critics). The uncut and extended edition addresses those feelings. Great detail has been provided for many important scenes and I found myself visualising the story in a different (and better) way. I was able to apply more detail to those visions and relive the adventure in a new way.
Having read the LOM series in the following order - Book 1, Book 2, Book 1.0 (this book) - I was able to enjoy this so much more. Not suggesting other readers follow that order, but it worked for me.
Another noteworthy mention is the new cover art. It's awesome! Almost identical matches for how I had pictured these characters.
Now to start hounding Peter for Book 3!
The original was Peter's first novel, and as with any first novel there were some feelings of missing elements and possible depth (from some critics). The uncut and extended edition addresses those feelings. Great detail has been provided for many important scenes and I found myself visualising the story in a different (and better) way. I was able to apply more detail to those visions and relive the adventure in a new way.
Having read the LOM series in the following order - Book 1, Book 2, Book 1.0 (this book) - I was able to enjoy this so much more. Not suggesting other readers follow that order, but it worked for me.
Another noteworthy mention is the new cover art. It's awesome! Almost identical matches for how I had pictured these characters.
Now to start hounding Peter for Book 3!
November 20, 2012
I really liked this book. It started with a bang and had me hooked in the first couple of paragraphs. The story continued on a rollercoaster of action to the very end. Peter takes you on a ride where you don’t know what’s going to happen next, it twists and turns at such a pace you don’t know who’s the hero and who’s not, and just as you start to like a character there is a possibly that they may turn up dead further into the story.
This is a book of Good versus Evil, and Peter has delivered a book that has a fantastic and well thought out story line. Peter has a way of writing that pulls you into the storyline, so that you are travelling along with the characters. He is also able to flawlessly merge the different characters and races together so that story flows.
This is an adult fantasy book and I have no hesitation in recommending it, to anyone who want to read an original story.
I would like to wish Peter all the best for the future and I really look forward to reading all of his future books. :)
P.S The graphic's in the book are in my opinion a work of art :)
Disclaimer: This book was kindly given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This is a book of Good versus Evil, and Peter has delivered a book that has a fantastic and well thought out story line. Peter has a way of writing that pulls you into the storyline, so that you are travelling along with the characters. He is also able to flawlessly merge the different characters and races together so that story flows.
This is an adult fantasy book and I have no hesitation in recommending it, to anyone who want to read an original story.
I would like to wish Peter all the best for the future and I really look forward to reading all of his future books. :)
P.S The graphic's in the book are in my opinion a work of art :)
Disclaimer: This book was kindly given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
March 12, 2014
I received a copy of the Uncut and Extended Second Edition version from a Goodreads Giveaway.
This was my first exposure to Peter Koevari and Legends of Marithia. After finishing the book and seeing why it is uncut and an extended second edition I am glad that he released this version. I felt that no scene was pushed and while a couple of scenes were on the dark/adult side, something that is even warned, nothing felt out of place and I enjoyed reading Prophecies Awakening.
Legends of Marithia has everything you would expect in an epic fantasy book and while it looks like a thinner book when you think epic, this book will surprise you because it earns that title. The one difference about this book to quite a few other in this genre is how the women are not fragile and are on both sides of the war as part of the main characters.
This series has a lot going for it with how much emotion the writing makes you feel. The epic story, the characters, the history and fleshed out world. If this first book is any sign of things to come then I can't wait to read the second book and be ready for the third when it is released.
This was my first exposure to Peter Koevari and Legends of Marithia. After finishing the book and seeing why it is uncut and an extended second edition I am glad that he released this version. I felt that no scene was pushed and while a couple of scenes were on the dark/adult side, something that is even warned, nothing felt out of place and I enjoyed reading Prophecies Awakening.
Legends of Marithia has everything you would expect in an epic fantasy book and while it looks like a thinner book when you think epic, this book will surprise you because it earns that title. The one difference about this book to quite a few other in this genre is how the women are not fragile and are on both sides of the war as part of the main characters.
This series has a lot going for it with how much emotion the writing makes you feel. The epic story, the characters, the history and fleshed out world. If this first book is any sign of things to come then I can't wait to read the second book and be ready for the third when it is released.
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