Darkin: A Journey East

The Darkin Saga #1

by Joseph A. Turkot

ASIN B00902HZZ2 moved to the most recent edition here

The greatest dark wizard, long thought dead, has risen anew; in his wake marches the vast army of the Feral Brood. None could have foreseen the total evil set to descend upon Darkin.

A long age of peace has left the land devoid of heroes. Slavery has taken hold of the world’s commerce. All hope rests in the rebellious spirit of one slave.

Alien bloodlust besieges Adacon late one night—an impulse drives him to murder his guards and set out to find and kill his oppressers. Escaping into wilds unknown, he realizes the great peril awaiting him.

A strange hermit appears from under a sand dune, claiming to know “magic.” He believes that if they work together, they can build a band of warriors powerful enough to change the fate of the world. Can they find any still harboring valor and chivalry in their hearts?—or will their quest be for nought, ending in the ruin of the world?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Magic, Epic, Paranormal

296 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Joseph Turkot is the author of eight novels and many short stories. He began writing as an independent author, and The Rain is his first release with Blackstone Publishing. He lives in South Jersey, and when not writing, he dreams of the day when he’ll be able to open an animal sanctuary.

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were a number of things I didn’t enjoy about this book.

The biggest problem was probably the characters, they didn’t really have much personality to them and they didn’t really interest me.
Adacon, is supposed to be an escaped slave, had no evidence that he was. What there was of his personality didn’t match his status of being an ex-slave, he was confidant, no fears, no worries about being captured, intelligent and educated. He was also far too skilled as well, both him and his fellow ex-slave have excellent fighting skills and are able to overpower trained men despite not having practiced themselves. They have other ‘natural’ skills they shouldn’t, such as being able to ride horses skillfully.

The love story didn’t see natural either, two characters fell pretty much instantly in love and would do anything for each other. The family had no problems with the relationship. It just all seemed too easy and unrewarding.

The characters were on the whole overpowered. Most of the situations had no tension since the characters always seemed strong enough to take on even overwhelming odds.

Too often the characters would say or do something they (and the author) would think was funny or clever, but it just wasn’t.

The characters speak in a very unnatural way, almost archaic, but not really, more like a kid’s tv show from the 80’s.

One of the characters is a gnome who enjoys alcohol. The other characters are always very critical of his drinking (despite the fact the gnome had just found out his son had died), and the author is as well in the way he describes the gnome and what he does, compared to the other characters. Rather than coming across as a moral against abusing alcohol, it seemed to be preachy and it annoyed me how badly everyone was treating him.

There was a massive overuse of magic, every time the characters got into a difficult situation, the author would bring them close to defeat, then someone would use magic and save everyone. While magic is part of a fantasy novel, it shouldn’t be abused in this way, even books where the main characters are wizards (such as the Harry Potter series.) the characters use methods other than magic to save themselves.

The story was very clichéd and unoriginal, most of the plot has been seen many times before.

The descriptions were okay, but nothing special. It was generally easy to follow the action and to understand what something looked like, but it was lacking the attention to detail that most fantasy novels include.

There were large chucks of world building information and occasionally it became difficult to remember it all.

Overall this book was okay, but had many flaws. I didn’t feel connection with the characters, the death of almost any book, and I wasn’t convinced the main POV character personality suited his background. It was clichéd, and when it tried to be funny or clever it generally failed. The massive overuse of magic and overpowered characters hit another nail in the coffin by taking away any tension there might have been, and making any dangerous situation pointless and the resolution dull.

In full disclosure I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

[Jason Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome to the magical world of Darkin! The story begins in a relatively normal agricultural setting that could easily be Earth, time indeterminate, with a slave who becomes the hero. Adacon knows little more of Darkin than the reader at this point, and as he escapes his servitude, he and the reader both embark on a journey of discovery. This tale is not unlike Homer’s Odyssey, as the young hero travels across novel landscapes, each with its own trials and obstacles he must overcome. Along the way, he begins to develop a small troop of magical companions, including a rare golem, a dragon, elves, dwarves, and a “vapour” (similar to a good sorcerer). He encounters many other creatures, some the traditional fantasy characters, and then some of Mr Turkot’s own creation. This epic tale is laid out nicely, with plenty of adventure and conflict. Mr Turkot creates a vivid landscape with a smooth, easy style. I did find something in the dialogue or the characters to be a little flat, though I can’t pinpoint what it was. I suspect I was looking for more layers to the players in the book, though I am not sure that this was quite it either. Still, the flow of the book is captivating, and the dialog is natural. This novel is a solid fantasy, which aptly offers its audience a nice respite from our less interesting planet.

[Kevin Futers · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world of Darkin seems a little bewildering at first, and we have to piece together a picture of it along with our hero, whose experience of it is limited by a life of slavery in one place. He emerges from this, intent on bringing vengeance to the dark lord who rules the whole land and imposes slavery upon the majority of the population.

Oh, if life were only that easy! As he sets out to find allies in the cause, he discovers that even dark lords have powerful enemies, and that the old adage that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" can be very, very misleading.

This twist definitely elevates this story above the humdrum of fantasy books, as our hero finds himself diverted from the straight path of vengeance by conflict with new enemies, who turn out to be old enemies as far as his allies are concerned.

I will have to wait to read further books in the series to give my overall opinion. The cliff-hanger ending seemed a little too abrupt, but I will forgive the author if he can pick up the pace as quickly in the next book.

[Marcus Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darkin is a country with an economy based on slavery, and this book is the first of a series to describe the (mis)fortunes of that country.

So the story begins with the slave Adacon escaping, and setting out to the east to live as a free man. But things happen, and soon he finds himself wanting to destroy Darkin’s ruler, and fighting an evil wizard who wants to take over Darkin for himself.

By his own admission the author drew his inspiration from ‘The Lord of the Ring’, as indeed quite a few have done before him. However, unlike L.o.t.R, this book thunders into the action straight away, and it continues without much let-off. Adacon and his friends are constantly on the move, being watched and being attacked. Even so, there is some romantic interest, something that was sadly lacking in L.o.t.R.

Off course, being set in an imaginary country which is part of an imaginary world precludes any charges of historical inaccuracy. Even so, I enjoyed this book a lot, and I am happy to recommend it to anyone who likes adventure fiction.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is not often that I find a book that has a compelling story, and is beautifully written. `Darkin: A Journey East' is such a book. From the very start, I was intrigued by the characters, all of whom have distinct and realistic personalities, regardless of whether they were human, gnome, troll or dragon. The story is one I quickly became immersed in, cheering on the main characters, worrying about them as they faced grave danger, and rejoicing as they overcame mortal challenges. The book does not lack suspense; there is enough in it to please the most discerning reader.
The descriptions of the scenes are so vivid that the reader can easily picture them, whether incredibly beautiful, or terrifyingly frightening.
I highly recommend this book to anyone, whether or not they are generally a fan of fantasy. It is a thoroughly enjoyable book

[Bill Tillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book, it goes off the path of traditional mythology in a pleasing way. This is actually a teaser to the full volumes of the Darkin Saga.

[Jimmy Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story line draws me in a reality of a dream between a period of oppression and freedom. I want more of it. Love this book!!!

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good book

You people should just read this book yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourself and I really enjoyed reading this book very much so. Shelley MA

[Joseph Turkot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is the review posted by Pablo on the Amazon page:

Joseph Turkot's debut novel, Darkin: A Journey East, achieves a level of literary greatness that most fledgling authors never reach in a lifetime, let alone on a first attempt. Turkot delves into the literary genre, fantasy fiction, that is more popular now than it has ever been. Author Douglas Coupland, who has a constant pulse on the literary mindset of the populace, pointed out recently that "two decades of profound technological shifts have literally, biologically, rewired our brains" and that "the only books people are writing or reading right now are fantasy." However, the glut of fantasy novels has not deterred Turkot from making inroads into the realm of the fantasy genre. Turkot's audacious first novel sets its heights high and Turkot does not hide these aspirations, pointing out in the preface that his work is "inspired in no small part by Tolkien" and that he pursues the gargantuan task of "creating a similar sensation of wonder and awe." While creating wonder and awe on a level of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, the patriarch of modern fantasy fiction, seems like a quixotic task, it is one that is nevertheless achieved in this work.

Darkin: A Journey East traces the journey of Adacon, a slave who grows to manhood knowing nothing but bondage. Stoked by bold calls for freedom by his fellow slaves, most notably Remtall, Adacon's soul is filled with a desire for freedom that had been dormant for many years. After seeing his good friend Remtall hanged publicly for all of the farm slaves to see as an omen for what could happen to any slave who diverged from his subservient role on the farm, Adacon chooses freedom as his destiny at any cost, even his life. From that moment on Adacon embarks on a trek that takes him from the farm, the only only place he has ever known, into the realm of Darkin. It is a realm not fit for free men to travel and Adacon finds himself in constant danger.

Early in his travels Adacon encounters Krem, an old staff-carring mystic who could just as easily be a Tolkien character from the Lord of the Rings. Krem, whom Adacon quickly realizes possesses magical powers of sorts, takes a liking to Adacon and his conviction, ultimately joining him on his quest. The burgeoning group soon adds more members, all great help to Adacon and all characters that any fan of fantasy will surely love. Togther the group sets out to take on the dark lords of Darkin, the very ones who for so long have punished the men of the land. Before long Adacon's motley group - consisting of a magician, a gnome, a metal giant, and several men -is mixed up with dwarves and elves in alliance to defeat the evil lord, Vesleathren, and Aulterion, the Dark Mage and his Feral army. By the end of the novel Adacon finds himself in an epic battle in which the good people (and elves, dwarves, and golems, among other classis characters of fantasy) find themselves in an epic battle for their very lives.

This novel is sure not do disappoint anyone who enjoys fantasy, adventure or just plain good storytelling. The fluidity with which Turkot writes makes this a novel that is hard to put down once started. The reader quickly becomes invested in Adacon and emotionally tied to his struggle. The struggle for freedom is one that has reverberated with people throughout history and it is one that will continue to inspire for as long as people remain on Earth. This is a struggle that Turkot has captured, through the medium of fantasy, and made intriguing, enjoyable and inspirational for the reader. To borrown from the author's own words, he has achieved his goal of "creating a sensation of wonder and awe." It is a goal of which Tolkien would doubtless approve. Turkot has set his mark high, and unquestionably he has hit it.

[Jake Yaniak · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are several ways to create the sense of wonder that draws readers into a fantasy story. You can add a little of the fantastic to an ordinary story, or you can add a little normal to a fantastic one. Darkin: A Journey East by Joseph Turkot takes the latter path, as the reader enters the world of Darkin through the eyes of a young escaped slave named Adacon, who, having grown up a prisoner, has as little experience in this strange world as the reader. In this way the reader can easily relate to the main character, since everything he sees and experiences is new and wonderful to him as well. Adacon is just as surprised by all the golems, gnomes, dwarves and elves in the world as the reader would be if he stumbled into the strange world of Darkin.

The story never gets dull as Adacon and his new found friends begin a quest to overthrow their oppressors. They soon learn, however, that their world has bigger problems than they first believed.

I wish there was more detail about the treatment and conditions of the slaves in the beginning of the book - it might have cleared up a few slightly puzzling details. But the book is more about the story and the characters (and their quirks) than about the day to day lives of Grelion's slaves.

The author's take on magic (vapoury) was pretty interesting, and I am hoping that the sequel will explain a bit more about it.

The book ends with a rather masterful use of a cliffhanger; I will definitely have to pick up the sequel and see what happens next. If you are looking for an interesting fantasy novel, check out Darkin; the author intends to keep book one free, so there is really nothing to lose.

[Jake Yaniak · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are several ways to create the sense of wonder that draws readers into a fantasy story. You can add a little of the fantastic to an ordinary story, or you can add a little normal to a fantastic one. Darkin: A Journey East by Joseph Turkot takes the latter path, as the reader enters the world of Darkin through the eyes of a young escaped slave named Adacon, who, having grown up a prisoner, has as little experience in this strange world as the reader. In this way the reader can easily relate to the main character, since everything he sees and experiences is new and wonderful to him as well. Adacon is just as surprised by all the golems, gnomes, dwarves and elves in the world as the reader would be if he stumbled into the strange world of Darkin.

The story never gets dull as Adacon and his new found friends begin a quest to overthrow their oppressors. They soon learn, however, that their world has bigger problems than they first believed.

I wish there was more detail about the treatment and conditions of the slaves in the beginning of the book - it might have cleared up a few slightly puzzling details. But the book is more about the story and the characters (and their quirks) than about the day to day lives of Grelion's slaves.

The author's take on magic (vapoury) was pretty interesting, and I am hoping that the sequel will explain a bit more about it.

The book ends with a rather masterful use of a cliffhanger; I will definitely have to pick up the sequel and see what happens next. If you are looking for an interesting fantasy novel, check out Darkin; the author intends to keep book one free, so there is really nothing to lose.

[vena hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great journey

Remarkable character 's and a. Worth. While read for long dark winter nights. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Adacon rewrote his lot in life as a slave when he takes arms against his guards with a rusty sword he occasionally practiced with many years ago. He finds a slightly crazy wizard in the desert as he travels, unsure of what to do with his newfound freedom. Krem explains an evil wizard enslaved all of Darkin, and Adacon recruits a group to end Grelion’s reign.
It was all just a bit too clichéd for me. The author admits to writing the first few chapters at fourteen, and I think that really shows. Turkot’s writing is very simple to the point of being dull. And I just could not muster the slightest of feels for Adacon, because he had this unexplained power to wield any weapon at all without defeat. I think Erguile was supposed to be the comic relief, but I just found him annoying and an inconsistent character. One minute he’s confident, and the next minute he’s a stupid jerk.
The whole destiny thing just strikes me as lazy writing. Don’t want to put the effort in of explaining something? Destiny. And this book is choking on it. With so many fantasy books to choose from that are oodles more entertaining, I don’t see why anyone would read beyond the 60 pages I barely made it to. The only audience I can see maybe enjoying this is very young adults. But even they have far better choices.
Just save yourself the time and read Game of Thrones.

[Alexandra Bogdanovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

In telling a classic tale of good versus evil, Mr. Turkot takes his readers on a rollicking adventure fraught with peril.
We first meet the chief character, Adacon, a farm slave angered by the death of his good friend, Remtall. Spurred by the injustice, Adacon flees from tyranny and oppression. But as the story progresses, Adacon learns that unspeakable evil threatens the entire world, and what began as his quest for freedom becomes something even greater.
Along the way, Mr. Turkot introduces us to colorful characters including a drunken gnome, a fierce swordsman, an ancient "vapour"and a strange silver "golem." As Adacon's little band travels across Darkin to battle forces of darkness, they meet dragons, sea monsters, dwarfs and elves.
As with many book in this genre, Darkin: A Journey East, can simply be taken at face value as an entertaining and enjoyable read. But the underlying messages about freedom, courage, love, loyalty, tyranny and oppression should also give readers plenty to think about.

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable, but somewhat fractured read. At times it almost read as if it were written by a couple of different people, the styles seemingly so different. One segment seemed refined and polished, and all of the sudden the dialogue seemed to stumble and wonder aimlessly ... only to pick itself back up and move forward with conviction and purpose. In this regard, it was an unsettling read as you were unable to really settling into a rhythm and flow.

As far as the story and such, I was fairly satisfied with the premise. To be sure there were scenes that required an open mind, but with this genre one has to have a very open mind and a willingness to accept gaps as a temporary thing. Logic is never your friend with these stories.

While there were several things that I think might have improved the read, in general I think it was a solid read and I am looking forward to the next installment.

[Kara Prem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darkin starts out following a man who was born into slavery as he makes his escape with a sword he's found that seems to guide him on how to fight. Adacon, after escaping the farm that he's always worked stumbles upon a wizard, or in this world, a "vapour" who agrees to help him overthrow the Lord of the land and free the slaves, etc. As is to be expected, an epic adventure unfolds. I found the book to be nicely paced, and a good set up for the next book in the series. My only complaint is that some of the action seems so rushed while other things are drawn out. Adacon meets an elf woman, Calan, and boom they're in love, the final battle? well, pretty much over as soon as you start reading it. Then there are pages of wandering. I'm not complaining, just noting that the pace seems off in some areas. I really liked the book and will read the next one as well.

[Veronica Brannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Darkin" -A journey East-

I have to say that at first I was a bit overwhelmed by the story and the characters. This is the first ever fantasy book I've read and I enjoyed it. In the beggining it gets a bit slow paced but then the story seems to come to life. I really liked the evolvement of the battle, I really got into it. The way it ended is a bit of a bittersweet because it left me hanging, but I guess is a good thing because now I'm most certainly going to read "Darkin" -The prophecy of the key-
I recomend this book to anyone who likes a good fantasy story.
Great job Mr. Turkot!

[Tammie Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Book!!

I started reading this book and was happy to find that it had all the excitement that I was hoping for. It has the fantasy world but with a twist. Magic has a different name in Darkin, at first I thought they were talking about something else just to find it was just a new name for magic. It kept me reading and my imagination going. This is a great book for those who love the world of magic, elves, gnomes and the like. It is a must read, and I cannot wait till the next book.

[Heather Langston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was how it ended. I know, it's the first in the series but it felt somewhat rushed towards the end and I feel it could've been wrapped up a bit more before ending. It's definitely one of those "cliffhanger" endings so, if you're not into that, you've been warned! Despite that, I would still recommend it! Will be looking into the next of the series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Tamra LeValley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely not my genre. I guess I was expecting something a bit different. The writing style was stiff and formal but the story line was pretty good.

Two slaves from a "farm" escape and win a battle in the war. There will obviously be more books to this series.

A Goodreads Giveaway Book

[Deborah Dintsch]

I enjoyed how his characters played out in this first book. I did like the limited amount of characters that we followed, I had finished the wheel of time and there were so many characters. Adacon being a slave and never experiencing the world or life was shown to handle new ideas well. The good and evil and magic of this fantasy was interesting and will have you wanting to read all the saga.

[Ruby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much gore in the first chapter. I almost quit reading. And it was so outrageous that this 20 yr. old boy with no experience was able to kill all the guards and escape. After that it was ok. It's an easy read. No real complicated plots or characters. Seems aimed at older teens. But if that's the target audience he should have left out the alcoholic gnome.

[Paul Trembling · Rating 2 out of 5]

A reasonable premise, and well paced, but seriously let down by weak plotting, poor sentence construction and frequent use of the wrong words. The writer has a vivid imagination, but poor attention to detail. I stuck it out for two chapters, to see if the developing plot would interest me enough to overlook the deficiencies. It didn't.

[Daniel Ugalde · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic read. The world that Turkot builds is brilliant and alive. The story presses along at a quick pace and always leaves you wanting more. I look forward to the second book in the series. No doubt a must read for a fantasy lover.

[Ralph Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't get into the story. Tried on several different occasions, it just didn't grab my attention.

[Randy Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little to simple for me. It would make a goods kids.