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The Legend of Kimberly #1
Inheritance
Alternate Cover Edition for ISBN 9781465813558
When Kimberly finds a magic sword, she is taken away from Earth and her abusive father to a world called Auviarra, a place she thought her grandfather had invented. Striving to become the kind of hero she has always read about, Kimberly soon discovers a growing darkness inside, a darkness that is being cultivated by the evil creatures she is hunting. Will she stay human, or succumb to the magic?
When Kimberly finds a magic sword, she is taken away from Earth and her abusive father to a world called Auviarra, a place she thought her grandfather had invented. Striving to become the kind of hero she has always read about, Kimberly soon discovers a growing darkness inside, a darkness that is being cultivated by the evil creatures she is hunting. Will she stay human, or succumb to the magic?
- GenresFantasyYoung Adult
ebook
First published October 22, 2011
11 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
J.R. Leckman
9 books13 followersThe morning I was born, my father had just finished working the graveyard shift at a cemetery on Halloween night. He was still in his zombie makeup. That was my introduction to horror.
My name is J.R. Leckman. Growing up, I found a ceaseless fascination with the written word. One of my prized possessions is a trophy my parents got for me in kindergarten for "Excellence in Reading." At that time, it was the Hardy Boys who captivated my attention. It was tough explaining to the other five and six year olds why my books had no pictures.
I wrote my first book in Kindergarten. It was a picture book with drawings of my favorite dinosaurs, their names typed out at the bottom. With the mental prowess of a child, I included a blank page with the text "No more dinosaurs." It was far funnier then.
My first dream job was to be a paleontologist. Then I wanted to be a fighter pilot. When I was a little older, I asked my father a very strange question.
"Who writes my books?" It had occurred to me at some point that the words that brought me such joy were not simply placed their by the school, God, or the government. Books were not some mechanical thing, created when you turned a crank. Rather, with my introduction to different genres, it occurred to me that the stories had to come from somewhere.
"Authors." That is the short version of my father's answer. On this day, I learned that people just like me had to come up with these stories in the first place. By the third grade, I was stealing titles from my father's bookshelf, disappointed in the lack of depth that my school's library provided. It was this year that I found a book on his shelf that intrigued me. On the cover, a man lay against a tree, obviously the worse for wear. A beautiful woman sat over his slumped figure, her face lined in concern. It was "The Druid of Shannara" by Terry Brooks. It was my first fantasy novel, and it was amazing.
I hungered for more. Over the years, I devoured fantasy, sci-fi, thrillers, and everything else I can find. But I remember that Terry Brooks was the first author I saw as a human being, a man who sat down one night and imagined the characters and places in his book. I envied him.
That was the first time I dreamed of being an author. When it came time to write stories for class, I decided that horror would be my first stop. Using a scene from "The Creature from the Black Lagoon," I murdered my heroine three pages in. Of course, I had learned by then that the devil was in the details, so I made sure to categorize the daft location and condition of every piece of her anatomy.
This resulted in a brief conference involving my parents and a couple of school professionals.
Understanding that I wasn't developing into a young sociopath, they suggested I avoid graphic detail in my stories from then on. The few classes I had since then that involved creative writing were among my favorites, and my teachers often groaned when my thirty page stack of handwritten story doubled their workload. I can also assume they experienced delight when I asked them every few hours if they had read my stories yet.
I did very little writing starting in middle school. Life wasn't necessarily kind to me, but it wasn't bad enough for a made for tv movie. High school was a blur of laziness and apathy, one of the sole highlights being that I met the woman I would someday marry. Several years later, I found myself working a mind numbing job with plenty of time to think.
The stories were coming back.
I had friends and coworkers read excerpts from them. What little criticism I received was enough to encourage me. As time passed, I quit my job to return to school. As I learned how to manipulate the universe around me with numbers, the universes inside me began screaming for release.
Now, here I am. I am almost done with a physics degree. I live in a nice house with a beautiful wife. I want to write horror, fantasy, and science fiction. I want to w
My name is J.R. Leckman. Growing up, I found a ceaseless fascination with the written word. One of my prized possessions is a trophy my parents got for me in kindergarten for "Excellence in Reading." At that time, it was the Hardy Boys who captivated my attention. It was tough explaining to the other five and six year olds why my books had no pictures.
I wrote my first book in Kindergarten. It was a picture book with drawings of my favorite dinosaurs, their names typed out at the bottom. With the mental prowess of a child, I included a blank page with the text "No more dinosaurs." It was far funnier then.
My first dream job was to be a paleontologist. Then I wanted to be a fighter pilot. When I was a little older, I asked my father a very strange question.
"Who writes my books?" It had occurred to me at some point that the words that brought me such joy were not simply placed their by the school, God, or the government. Books were not some mechanical thing, created when you turned a crank. Rather, with my introduction to different genres, it occurred to me that the stories had to come from somewhere.
"Authors." That is the short version of my father's answer. On this day, I learned that people just like me had to come up with these stories in the first place. By the third grade, I was stealing titles from my father's bookshelf, disappointed in the lack of depth that my school's library provided. It was this year that I found a book on his shelf that intrigued me. On the cover, a man lay against a tree, obviously the worse for wear. A beautiful woman sat over his slumped figure, her face lined in concern. It was "The Druid of Shannara" by Terry Brooks. It was my first fantasy novel, and it was amazing.
I hungered for more. Over the years, I devoured fantasy, sci-fi, thrillers, and everything else I can find. But I remember that Terry Brooks was the first author I saw as a human being, a man who sat down one night and imagined the characters and places in his book. I envied him.
That was the first time I dreamed of being an author. When it came time to write stories for class, I decided that horror would be my first stop. Using a scene from "The Creature from the Black Lagoon," I murdered my heroine three pages in. Of course, I had learned by then that the devil was in the details, so I made sure to categorize the daft location and condition of every piece of her anatomy.
This resulted in a brief conference involving my parents and a couple of school professionals.
Understanding that I wasn't developing into a young sociopath, they suggested I avoid graphic detail in my stories from then on. The few classes I had since then that involved creative writing were among my favorites, and my teachers often groaned when my thirty page stack of handwritten story doubled their workload. I can also assume they experienced delight when I asked them every few hours if they had read my stories yet.
I did very little writing starting in middle school. Life wasn't necessarily kind to me, but it wasn't bad enough for a made for tv movie. High school was a blur of laziness and apathy, one of the sole highlights being that I met the woman I would someday marry. Several years later, I found myself working a mind numbing job with plenty of time to think.
The stories were coming back.
I had friends and coworkers read excerpts from them. What little criticism I received was enough to encourage me. As time passed, I quit my job to return to school. As I learned how to manipulate the universe around me with numbers, the universes inside me began screaming for release.
Now, here I am. I am almost done with a physics degree. I live in a nice house with a beautiful wife. I want to write horror, fantasy, and science fiction. I want to w
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 18, 2013
I can't say it was the best thing I ever read. I can't say it was the worst. But I can say...I think I was a bit too old for it.
"Inheritance" plays as the ultimate fantasy of every bullied child - to be whisked away to a magical land where, with the help of loyal companions and a trusty sword, one can confront one's tormentors and find new strength. Delicate sensibilities might take offense at the child abuse detailed in the earlier chapters, in its brutal and inventive forms. However, "Inheritance" seems meant to be a YA novel, and thus the more violent sequences are relegated to two-sentence remembrances. For older, more mature audiences (and especially audiences with experience regarding any form of abuse), the depictions may lack emotional impact; but for a typical audience of pre- to mid-teens, the sequences walk a line that is decidedly PG-13 in all but the simple idea. Its use is a brave one, and despite the sequences' shortcomings, it gives a legitimate fuel for Kimberly's quest and keeps this book from becoming another magical-girl tale about a quest she would have no reason to undertake.
That being said, make no mistake: this IS a magical-girl story. Scrawny teenager gets drawn into a magical world by her animal familiar (the adorable Ip), who acts as her guide and guardian through much of the tale, and joins up with a group of like-minded companions to battle a sinister foe. It's just not one driven by romance or, in the worst cases, absolutely nothing. Still, those who had no patience for "Sailor Moon," "Star Wars," or "Lord of the Rings" need not apply.
(Yes, "Star Wars" is a magical-girl story. The fact that Luke Skywalker is a boy makes no difference.)
The actual writing quality is...decent. Some of the action is glossed over too quickly for my taste, and I could have done with some much more intensive character development in the early chapters. While Kimberly experiences highs and lows, we don't seem to ride the ride with her until the last third of the book, and her life with her family seems to be a mundane muddle punctuated by what masquerades as emotion. Perhaps appropriate, given her family life, but a slow and rather gummy start that belies its early incarnation.
Kimberly's companions in Auviarra smack soundly of a "Dungeons & Dragons" team - a ragtag band of warriors and half-breeds who carouse through the kingdom in search of fortune. (Although if anyone has seen the attempts Hollywood has made at the D&D franchise, one will understand that it's hard for any author to do any worse.) Even with this in mind, there is a reasonable amount of character development within the group for a first installment - a delightful twist as to the identity of one, and lingering unanswered questions about the past of another.
And the ending. If the book sneaks up on you as it did for me and wraps its vines and tendrils around your hands at the halfway point, you will find yourself very grateful that "Pursuit" is already available for immediate consumption, because the sudden surprise leaves you demanding answers and cursing yourself for obligations like work. Or sleep. Or personal hygiene.
On a purely subjective note referring to the paperback edition: those who spent most of first through third grades having Capitalization, Usage, Punctuation, and Spelling (CUPS) beaten into their brains might have a hard time with last two-thirds of the book. Capitalization errors abound, gremlins sneak in to pilfer the periods from the last sentences of many paragraphs, and one character is found wielding a "silvery bade." (I spent far too long trying to figure out what sort of new magical weapon that was.) Nothing that a few more passes through a proofreader (or in some cases, the spelling and grammar check on MS Word) couldn't fix, and for many readers they wouldn't inhibit comprehension, but such blatant errors tend to result in a book's sudden collision with my drywall. Except that I would have bent the covers in that case.
All that said, it's a compilation of good ideas and (at least once we get to Auviarra) snarky dialogue, and well worth a lazy afternoon or two.
"Inheritance" plays as the ultimate fantasy of every bullied child - to be whisked away to a magical land where, with the help of loyal companions and a trusty sword, one can confront one's tormentors and find new strength. Delicate sensibilities might take offense at the child abuse detailed in the earlier chapters, in its brutal and inventive forms. However, "Inheritance" seems meant to be a YA novel, and thus the more violent sequences are relegated to two-sentence remembrances. For older, more mature audiences (and especially audiences with experience regarding any form of abuse), the depictions may lack emotional impact; but for a typical audience of pre- to mid-teens, the sequences walk a line that is decidedly PG-13 in all but the simple idea. Its use is a brave one, and despite the sequences' shortcomings, it gives a legitimate fuel for Kimberly's quest and keeps this book from becoming another magical-girl tale about a quest she would have no reason to undertake.
That being said, make no mistake: this IS a magical-girl story. Scrawny teenager gets drawn into a magical world by her animal familiar (the adorable Ip), who acts as her guide and guardian through much of the tale, and joins up with a group of like-minded companions to battle a sinister foe. It's just not one driven by romance or, in the worst cases, absolutely nothing. Still, those who had no patience for "Sailor Moon," "Star Wars," or "Lord of the Rings" need not apply.
(Yes, "Star Wars" is a magical-girl story. The fact that Luke Skywalker is a boy makes no difference.)
The actual writing quality is...decent. Some of the action is glossed over too quickly for my taste, and I could have done with some much more intensive character development in the early chapters. While Kimberly experiences highs and lows, we don't seem to ride the ride with her until the last third of the book, and her life with her family seems to be a mundane muddle punctuated by what masquerades as emotion. Perhaps appropriate, given her family life, but a slow and rather gummy start that belies its early incarnation.
Kimberly's companions in Auviarra smack soundly of a "Dungeons & Dragons" team - a ragtag band of warriors and half-breeds who carouse through the kingdom in search of fortune. (Although if anyone has seen the attempts Hollywood has made at the D&D franchise, one will understand that it's hard for any author to do any worse.) Even with this in mind, there is a reasonable amount of character development within the group for a first installment - a delightful twist as to the identity of one, and lingering unanswered questions about the past of another.
And the ending. If the book sneaks up on you as it did for me and wraps its vines and tendrils around your hands at the halfway point, you will find yourself very grateful that "Pursuit" is already available for immediate consumption, because the sudden surprise leaves you demanding answers and cursing yourself for obligations like work. Or sleep. Or personal hygiene.
On a purely subjective note referring to the paperback edition: those who spent most of first through third grades having Capitalization, Usage, Punctuation, and Spelling (CUPS) beaten into their brains might have a hard time with last two-thirds of the book. Capitalization errors abound, gremlins sneak in to pilfer the periods from the last sentences of many paragraphs, and one character is found wielding a "silvery bade." (I spent far too long trying to figure out what sort of new magical weapon that was.) Nothing that a few more passes through a proofreader (or in some cases, the spelling and grammar check on MS Word) couldn't fix, and for many readers they wouldn't inhibit comprehension, but such blatant errors tend to result in a book's sudden collision with my drywall. Except that I would have bent the covers in that case.
All that said, it's a compilation of good ideas and (at least once we get to Auviarra) snarky dialogue, and well worth a lazy afternoon or two.
December 18, 2015
This book was an incredible surprise. I was hoping for something decent, what i got instead was something absolutely amazing, almost like the true meaning of a book in-fact.
except im looking for the quote that says something about jumping into the pages and enjoying a new world.
Its hard to explain why i found this book so amazing, maybe it was because to Kimberley the books her grandfather wrote about a magical world where her fantasy, her escape from life's harshness. Something she dreamed and hoped was real millions of times, and the worst thing that could happen to Kim happens she finds out that this incredible, amazing, magical world is real but not quite cracked up to what she expected though she'll never leave anyways. Her dreams that started from a book finally came true.
This in part is what i found so wonderful about the book, The other part's would definitely have to be not only the characters themselves but the world and its crazy unique critters.
All the characters where fantastic, even the bad ones. they all had so much depth and story behind them. Kimberley while grown up in body still had child-like moments and it was fantastic, you felt her grief, awe, shock, happiness at the world along with her. how her family took her under their wing and showed her the way of life in this crazy new world. she'd her what it was like to be loved and accepted for who she was. also the switching between characters was flawless and ingenious!
Now don't think i forgotten about the world itself which was just as brilliant and came to life off the pages, the descriptions so well done and smooth, so easy to pictures with my minds eye.
The ending on the book was interesting, I'm not really sure what it means for the next book or Kimberly. I'm definitely intrigued and if i had money on my amazon account i would rush off right now and buy the next book! and hope its longer than the last! it went so quick, like the blink of an eye I was enjoying myself so much.
Oh also, No romance! *fist pump*
Rating: 4.5 stars
Recommend? Hell Yes, go read now!!
Reading the next book? YES! ASAP!
except im looking for the quote that says something about jumping into the pages and enjoying a new world.
Its hard to explain why i found this book so amazing, maybe it was because to Kimberley the books her grandfather wrote about a magical world where her fantasy, her escape from life's harshness. Something she dreamed and hoped was real millions of times, and the worst thing that could happen to Kim happens she finds out that this incredible, amazing, magical world is real but not quite cracked up to what she expected though she'll never leave anyways. Her dreams that started from a book finally came true.
This in part is what i found so wonderful about the book, The other part's would definitely have to be not only the characters themselves but the world and its crazy unique critters.
All the characters where fantastic, even the bad ones. they all had so much depth and story behind them. Kimberley while grown up in body still had child-like moments and it was fantastic, you felt her grief, awe, shock, happiness at the world along with her. how her family took her under their wing and showed her the way of life in this crazy new world. she'd her what it was like to be loved and accepted for who she was. also the switching between characters was flawless and ingenious!
Now don't think i forgotten about the world itself which was just as brilliant and came to life off the pages, the descriptions so well done and smooth, so easy to pictures with my minds eye.
The ending on the book was interesting, I'm not really sure what it means for the next book or Kimberly. I'm definitely intrigued and if i had money on my amazon account i would rush off right now and buy the next book! and hope its longer than the last! it went so quick, like the blink of an eye I was enjoying myself so much.
Oh also, No romance! *fist pump*
Rating: 4.5 stars
Recommend? Hell Yes, go read now!!
Reading the next book? YES! ASAP!
May 15, 2012
The only person Kimberly has ever had in her life that treated her kindly was her grandfather, a famous author who wrote stories of magical lands. Her father, mother and brothers all treat Kimberly with hateful distain and have physically abused Kimberly since they noticed the connection between her and her grandfather. Now that her grandfather is gone, Kimberly must fight to keep his treasures away from an evil that may destroy everything. She is swepted away to Auviarra a magical land where she must battle for good and everything she holds dear against evil beyond imagination.
This is a great YA story but this is not a story for the faint hearted. Kimberly faces many derogating abuses from her family even before she lands Auviarra. She is young but still shows strength of character even when the people who should love you most (her family) are her greatest enemies. This truly is a great story telling. I emotionally felt for Kimberly ordeal. I was drawn almost immediately to Kimberly’s character. Although it takes almost to the first 1/3rd of the book until they hit Auviarra, I felt that it gave time to built up and display the true family dynamic. When it ended I wanted more.
This copy was given to me by Goodreads First Reads and J.R. Leckman in exchange for an honest review.
This is a great YA story but this is not a story for the faint hearted. Kimberly faces many derogating abuses from her family even before she lands Auviarra. She is young but still shows strength of character even when the people who should love you most (her family) are her greatest enemies. This truly is a great story telling. I emotionally felt for Kimberly ordeal. I was drawn almost immediately to Kimberly’s character. Although it takes almost to the first 1/3rd of the book until they hit Auviarra, I felt that it gave time to built up and display the true family dynamic. When it ended I wanted more.
This copy was given to me by Goodreads First Reads and J.R. Leckman in exchange for an honest review.
February 15, 2017
Amazing book! I keep rereading it, it's one of my favorites!
March 6, 2015
It was a very good book, with a similar plot to the majority of dystopian writers. Familial issues that are somewhat resolved, mainly through the death of a loved one, resulting in more deaths. But at the same time it is nothing like I have ever read before. The main character on her journey through the issues of her life, the story somewhat reminded me of Arthur and the Invisibles or the Spiderwick Chronicles, based on the fact that her Grandfather was spouting this as real-life, taking the twist on the never to be seen again, till the main character needs them to further the plot stereotype. At the same time it also reminded me of Inkheart, where the story comes to life, but Leckman's take, the characters originally have a connection to the other world, and are transported to Auviarra, drawing similar lines to the movie the Witches of Oz, but not really. But there seemed to be twists and turns that were somewhat expected, familial issues that were brought up in the beginning, then are drawn out throughout the book. So at times it may seem formulaic, the characters have enough growth, and different twists to make the reader want to continue the book.
February 4, 2013
kimberly has live a cruel life. though she is part of a family of wealth she is hated by her family but her grandfather. her grandfather is the best author around with his books she believed to be fake fairytales. after his death and she inherates everything her father takes it all away against the wishes of the will bc he found an age loophole. she find that not everything you read is fake and while running for her life from her father and brothers she is trasported to a world she had only read obout. now a very real place she is in just as much danger for she is still chased from her family but also men who say they follow god but are just crazy. and not everyone she meets will survive being around her.
March 26, 2013
The Legend of Kimberly Book I, Inheritance, by J.R.Leckman is a fantasy/adventure story about the Granddaughter of an author who has written fantasy books about a land called Auviarra. Upon the death of her Grandfather, Kimberly inherits her Grandfathers estate. What she didn't expect was to discover his stories are true and to inherit his magic and a sword called Willow. Kimberly lands in Auviarra where time and life is measured differently than on earth. Believing that her Grandfathers books were just fairy tales, Kimberly soon learns otherwise. There is lots of action and adventures with amazing characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am beginning Book II, Pursuit.
September 29, 2014
I kinda think the writing seems kind of choppy... I'm not sure if that makes sense. For example, sometimes sentences are short and feel abrupt. Some seem like they are completely unnecessary. Eg: someone says in dialogue to Kim- "'Be less obvious.'" and then the next sentence is "She had been warned about standing out." It seems really bizarre; I don't think I've encountered this sort of thing outside stories written by elementary kids.
(The quotes above are from pg 85 of 187).
(The quotes above are from pg 85 of 187).
November 29, 2012
The only reason why I am giving this book three stars is because I liked the idea of it, but the execution was poor. I only made it half way before I couldn't take it anymore. I'm surprised I made it that far. It felt rushed and nothing was explained properly. I also don't like the child abuse. That was probably my biggest put off about this book.
January 17, 2017
Make sure you start reading this when you have a good chunk of time...
I didn't want to put it down and the ending makes you want to rush to the next book. Beautifully written with a nice slice of twists and turns. Interesting characters. I suspect this would make a great film.
I didn't want to put it down and the ending makes you want to rush to the next book. Beautifully written with a nice slice of twists and turns. Interesting characters. I suspect this would make a great film.
September 26, 2013
A interesting, well written and very imaginative book. One that is hard to put down once you start reading.
April 28, 2016
2.5-3 stars
Freebie ebook find
Interesting story.
Freebie ebook find
Interesting story.
March 24, 2015
The base of the story was interesting. It had a dark edge to it. Reminds me of Sarah J. Maas novels. The main reason for the three star rating was the language.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews