The Dawning of Power: Omnibus Edition

World of Godsland #1-3

by Brian Rathbone

Librarian Note: This is an alternate cover edition for ASIN: B001LRQKA0.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult, Audiobook, Ebooks, Epic Fantasy, Dragons

704 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

A former horse trainer and computer programmer, Brian Rathbone used his old world knowledge and love of fantasy fiction to create The World of Godsland fantasy series, which begins with The Dawning of Power trilogy.

The World of Godsland fantasy series includes:

Call of the Herald
Inherited Danger
Dragon Ore
Regent
Feral
Regal
The Fifth Magic
Dragonhold
The Seventh Magic

Reviews

[Jeanne Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how the YA escaped me. I guess I was glad to see a freebie that was a "complete" trilogy (heads up--it's NOT a complete series...)

Disappointed to find "YA" must mean half-grown, as this left me wondering where the rest of the story was. Yes, all the requisite elements are here, as though the author followed a careful script, but... I dunno. It seemed to lack life or a sense this was a real world. Maybe it was the POV or the fact no one spoke or behaved like real people. You couldn't tell anyone apart by their voice because they all spoke with the same passionless one.They seemed to know their roles, but demonstrated no great insight into why or how it came so easy to accept and play their parts. The characters were incomplete and lacked believability. I mean, if I'm an ill-educated rube from the farm, is it logical I would gracefully accept weird powers or a quest to save the world, or be able to fit in with everyone from sailors to monks to nobles? Should I have an affinity for learning languages and dialects? Would I believe so easily that I was protector of a mythological heroine and be willing to sacrifice everything to do the job? Is it logical (or even interesting) when every conflict, whether simply contrary snarkiness or outright hatred and a desire for vengeance, should be so easily defused, with everyone apologizing and declaring sympathy, regret, and even love and respect almost immediately? Even when it isn't (notably the whole weird "someone's got to marry the son of our enemy" scenario, where the beloved lookalike cousin is a mystifying bitch and the groom seems unfazed by which girl he ends up with), there's just no logic or real passion.

The villains are no better drawn than the unlikely heroes, let alone the easily directed unwashed masses. The big set-up about this bogus religion and preparations for war that so easily fizzled because it was built around one crazy man didn't wash. Every attempt to build on the whys and hows of setting up his power base and especially his key connection to the heroine just lacked oomph and a real sense of danger. And WTF was all that buildup with her bond with the tongueless boy if he still fought against her face to face? What was this evil compulsion that didn't even seem to require effort to invoke? She gave him a name and liberated him, but not when it mattered? Oh, you're more powerful than I am and fighting on the wrong side, but I'm sure you don't want to, so whatever, no hard feelings. By the way, I love you. Again, whatever. We can let that play out between chapters because it doesn't matter and may involve actual feelings or physical acts that require a YA-inaporopriate staff of a different kind altogether. Let's fast forward a few years and skip that crap, k?

In the end, I just couldn't be arsed enough to care about anyone, even the teaser for the next book. Kenwood and his pirate family came closest to swaying me, but they were just supporting cast.

Alas, it seems a rare treat that a free ebook involves a real gem that deserves to be discovered. The come-on has become a bad means of trying to hook readers on badly done series and/or stuff that never would have made it through anything but self-pub. In this case, a skilled editor might have made a world of difference. I'm still trying to figure out what a YA designation means. I assumed it meant simply a painful lack of explicit sex, but from what few titles I've read with this label, there also seems to be an inherent lack of effort. Sucks to make that transition from child to adult when even the characters you're supposed to identify with aren't even worth the effort to view as complete people. Sorry, kids! May I suggest you run and discover Robin Hobb instead?

[Michelle Rutler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all the Balance of Power books. They are amazing stories and I have read them multiple times.

[Ryan Snyder]

[Omnibus- all three books]

I apologize for the length of the following review. I find that the longer a book is, the shorter my reviews tend to get. It makes no sense, but I tend to just give the bare minimum for larger works and ramble on about shorter ones. Sort of like I am rambling now..

Book one book did a pretty fair job setting up Catrin as a character in my mind. For a female MC, she is very relate-able and can be tough if the situation calls for it- though she has her annoying moments (as do all book characters at one point or another.) She was interesting and I enjoyed watching her grow throughout the book as she adjusted to all the new changes in her life. While some aspects of the book progressed too quickly, others lagged. But for the most part, it was well- paced and I enjoyed the new characters and places as they were introduced. I especially loved the world created by the author. Very original with an interesting blend of dark and light. Fantasy characters are always a joy to read about, and these characters were no exception. I may have had a small problem really clicking with the supporting characters, but I still enjoyed them.

Book two took a little longer to get some action going, but once I soldiered on through the first bit of action, it was pretty good. I still had a bit of a problem with the other characters, but Catrin remained easier to empathize with. Pretty good and a slight step up from book one. (:

A lot of things get explained in the last 2 books that made me go "oooh". What a very creative angle on the author's part. I enjoyed how he turned that certain aspect in the book around- it was a pleasant surprise. The world and setting remained beautiful in my mind. However, I still has a bit of a problem with the characters. I feel like the book ended on a good note. I hear there is another book published in the same world. I may or may not check it out. ;) Okay, I probably will. The world was beautiful and pretty exciting!

[therices1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a three book series. I started reading it because it was the only book on my ipad. It started out really slowly and if I wasn't desperate, I wouldn't have continued. The writing is rather amateurish although the story is good. As I continued, I started liking it more and more and finished the three books in the series. Sometimes the characters need more fleshing out and the book needs a good editor. However, the story is good and it was an enjoyable summer read.

[Sherry Hoernig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brian Rathbone, captures your attention from page one & keeps it until the last page of the 3rd book. He has built a world filled w/interesting characters, & never ending action. The twist & turns that the story takes leaves you filled w/wonder, & fascination & leaves you ready for the next steps in Catrin's story. Definitely a must read for fantasy lovers of all ages!!!

[Livey · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a journey for a young adult novel. Book one set up how Catrin gained her power and some of her loyal followers. At times in the book it is obvious an young adult who doesn’t have the confidence to make the hard decisions. Brian Rathbone does a great job of world building so I was interested enough in going to the next book.

In book two there was a lot of self discovery for Catrin and the other characters also revealed their greatest secrets to make sure they would not get in the way of the quest. The additional awakening of her power and dealing with loss made this book a little slow but still worth moving on to the 3rd book.

Book three brought it all together and brought really important people back into Catrin life. She has grown throughout the series and has a command of the power. She is an adult and is ready to move forward and save her people.

[Harmen de Jong · Rating 2 out of 5]

Toch maar weer eens een fantasyboek, en meteen een trilogie. Deze band bevat de volgende titels: Call of the Herald, Inherited Danger, Dragon Ore.Het is een leuk verhaal en bevat alle fantasy elementen: de hoofdpersoon blijkt niet alleen de uitverkoren heraut te zijn, maar ook nog van adel. Aan het eind komen er ook nog draken tevoorschijn. Aardig is wel , dat profetieën zelfvervullend zijn: als je erin gelooft, dan komen ze ook uit. Zo is het ook met de Herald. Iedereen denkt dat zij het is, ze voegt zich in die rol en wordt het dan ook. De hoofdpersonen zijn nogal tweedimensionaal. Van enige infrastructuur is nauwelijks sprake.

[Laura Moreno · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is well written but I found it difficult to keep up with all the characters. While I understand the need to have multiple characters in multiple places to convey this very complex, painful yet explosive story, I prefer stories with fewer characters and deeper connections.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

It says something that I don't remember the world or characters but I listened to all three books

[Schvenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and unique. The first three books are definitely the best in the series.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young Catrin Volker was just a normal girl…that is till that fatal day. All Catrin remembers is walking home from school and trying to help her friend, Osbourne from being pummeled to death by a group of townies. One moment Catrin feared that she would soon breathe her last breath and the next moment she was waking up in what can only be described as some kind of nightmare. Osbourne and Catrin were alive and so were the townies…barely.

All of the townsfolk are now looking at Catrin like she is some kind of witch. Which wouldn’t be so terrible if Catrin wasn’t going through a change. Something is happening to her. Days pass. Suddenly out of nowhere a comet appears in the sky. The once peaceful town of Godfist is attacked. Benji a friend of Catrin’s father whisks Catrin, Osbourne, and a few other people away from Godfist. Benji reveals to Catrin that is not just her father’s friend but guardian to the Herald. Benji also tells Catrin that the changes she is experiencing is because she is the Herald of Istra. Catrin, Benji, Osbourne and the rest of the group set out for the Greatland to locate the Cathurans. They can help Catrin learn about her new powers and how to use them.

Let me first start off by saying this story completely surprised me in a good way. Fantasy books and I have a so, so relationship. I acknowledge they are out there and they usually don’t make an appearance on my bookshelf. This works well for both of us till now. The Dawning of Power is kind of like a cross between The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. Let me tell you that is saying something about the book and the author. I honestly could not stop reading this book. I completed it in two days, it was that good. Though there is one minor flaw and that is that there were too many characters. I had a little trouble keeping up with them all. The Dawning of Power is the first novel I have read by Brian Rathbone and it won’t be the last.

[Ginny Gallagher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been listening to The Dawning of Power on audio and have about 7 hours left to finish up. I’m undecided yet if I would have rather read the books. There is a lot that goes on in the story and in many parts you really need to pay attention or you might miss a major point in the story. Since, I usually listen while I'm working on other things there were a few times when I found myself having to rewind and catch back up.

The narrator does a good job of giving the multiple points of views their own personality and the author does a fantastic job of telling the story in multiple points of views. He also does a great job on character development. Although, there were times when I felt that the development was a little drawn out. For instance, the main character Catrin discovers her abilities early on in the story but doesn’t really use them a lot. There is a lot of time spent building up to things during the story and sometimes the end result falls a little flat.

The story itself is really interesting with characters that I really enjoyed. There were some parts of the story that felt a little familiar to other books in this genre but overall I found the story to be an enjoyable listen that I was anxious to continue and discover what happens next.

I guess in wrapping things up I will say that if you decide to listen to the Omnibus with all 3 stories in it, break it up into chunks. It just seems really long if you try to tackle it all within a day or two and you will miss some things that you wish you hadn't.

I am leaning towards reading the books because I know there were several quotes and key points that I think would stick with me more with reading than listening.

[Vincent Hobbes · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s hard for me to get into fantasy, even though I like to write it.
Yet, though I don’t read much of it, it seems lately I’ve read more than my norm.

My publisher suggested I read The Dawning of Power. He even let me borrow his copy. I’ll admit, I nearly put this book down. At the start, I was lost. I wasn’t into it. A bit bored. Perhaps it was reading too late at night. Perhaps it was just my mood. No matter, I sat the book down for a week.

Usually, it’s over at that point—off to the cemetery of unread books.

I’m glad I gave The Dawning of Power another chance. I found the story to be a solid, intense read. It was thick, in depth, and sometimes over my head.

This book is long—a hefty read. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but be ready and be patient. It was a bit intimidating at first, but I found myself flying through the pages.

My only complaint: The Dawning of Power is mostly a character driven book. Overall, I felt Mr. Rathbone’s characters were vivid and alive. Likeable. However, the vast amount of characterization took away from the story at times. I felt it was lacking in drama—tension—the chase. The white knuckle, page turning feeling wasn’t always present. However, this didn’t distract me, and it was not always the case; I simply felt Mr. Rathbone could have put a bit more emphasis on the suspense. Regardless, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment.

Overall, The Dawning of Power is a classic tale, filled with adventure and lovable characters. The writing is passionate, and I suspect we’ll see much greatness from Mr. Rathbone in the future as his career progresses.


-Vincent Hobbes

[Linda Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Legend says that a Herald will be born who will save the land of Godfist from invaders. This Herald will fight for their freedom. To some it is only a legend but to others it is a prophecy, waiting to be fulfilled. The Zjhon are ancient enemies and are planning an attack but no one takes heed of these warnings until it is too late. Now it is up to the Herald to save them. The question is... will the Herald realize her destiny in time to save Godfist?

But that’s not all…the Zjhon believe in the prophecy and have given the order to search for the Herald and do away with her. This is an intriguing fantasy and is hard to put down. The description of scenery is so well written that I could imagine it in my mind. The characters are believable and well developed. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The Dawning of Power is a trilogy, which includes Call of the Herald, Inherited Danger, and Dragon Ore. I would recommend this book for all ages.

Written by Linda Weaver Clarke, author of the new mystery series “The Adventures of John and Julia Evans.”

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like fantasy even if its done over and over again. This books plot line and charcters wree good. The author is an indie author and I was impressed with his talent. There were times it was hard to get into in the beginning but as I went on the story kept my attention. The writing was good but needed polished in my opinion and sometimes I felt it was long winded and even a bit to long. The story unfolded and I hope that doesn’t hurt the author because the story and the writing got better. It was a good read and ill probably read more fromt his author. My only wish is he finds a good editor and someone to help him through the process because it seemed like it could have used an outside opinon but that’s something indie authors have to deal with, so a four star review from me. ill read more of his work!

[Dalene · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I would like to thank the author Brian Rathbone for giving me this book for an honest review. This is the first three books of the World of Godsland. I was completely engrossed from beginning to end. The characters are strong and they all make up the many characters that keep this story going. The story keeps you wanting more, for me so much more that now that I am finished I am wanting the next three books of the world of Godsland - The Balance of Power. Brian has done a great job with this story and that he can keep the reader wanting to know what happens next because he has put together such an interesting world.

[Jairus Reddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book in its entirety. The descriptive style in the book really made you feel like you were involved in the story as the description made the scenes easy to imagine. While the story was slow in some places, the characters became easy to identify with, both positively and negatively, which is an important aspect of developement which is often overlooked. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy.

[Capri Komprood · Rating 3 out of 5]

The end of this trilogy was more like the start to the next trilogy. It was quite good that I went ahead and got the next trilogy. This is the second series to do this to me. a trilogy is three books unless I'm mistaken. They are so good and nicely written though that I will let my 9 year old read them.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this was an intense..very deep book. You really need a quiet place to be able to dive in without interruption and go in with an open mind. Loved the characters in this book.. and felt they were given much attention.. still at times.. I'd say a bit over characterized which made me lose some time. Was a great suspense and very fulfilling adventure.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going with an overall rating here - for all three of these books in the first trilogy in this series. The Call of the Herald; Inherited Danger; Dragon Ore.

These books grabbed my imagination from the beginning and I devoured them. I LOVED the heroine and all her family and friends. I completely enjoyed the dragons. I despised the enemies. All in all, I got lost in the fantasy!!

[Mark Mihevc · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book consists of a bunch of recycled bits from other better fantasy series. My favorite plagiarized line was when the the guy (can't remember his name) says, "You wouldn't deny an old man his staff?" Please

[Arun Andhavarapu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was hoping it would be a little more adult in plot and complexity, but it was more YA. However, i enjoyed the book...some interesting twist of cosmic power - power from a comet. This power can be stored like a battery does in noonstone and dragon ore.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was book was good enough to finish and I would consider reading more by this author. That about sums it up, it wasn't spectacular but it also wasn't horrible; it was readable. If you are looking for a cheap read this isn't your worst choice. In fact it is a pretty good choice for free.

[Totoro25 · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a really good fantasy series to read this is it.

If you are looking for a really good fantasy series to read this is it. There is also a great female protagonist for a change and has great character growth. I look forward to the authors next book.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far this is turning out to be a fantasy fiction reader dream come true. Emmersion in another world, Great charactars and I don't want it to end.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome quality podcast, as was book #1. I definitely would recommend this story to anyone who hasn't heard or read it yet.

[Ciaran · Rating 3 out of 5]

How i got through this i dont know. it wasnt bad it was just...dull.
so much happens in this book and i still found it too dull. the characters were so 2-dimensional!

[Arthur · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was "ok." Needed an editor. Needed, for lack of a better word, a point. Probably won't read the inevitable next one...

[April Bonds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended by my bother in law, Kris, I finally got around to it and found it difficult to put down. I related to the characters and felt the sense of world that they discovered.
Nice read!

[Theodore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad. Interesting story. A few typos.