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Glyphbinder
Seventy years ago, the blood magic of the All Province War almost destroyed the world. Now the remaining mages of the Five Provinces maintain strict academies to guide and regulate gifted persons with the power to scribe blood glyphs: arcane symbols that alter reality itself.
Kara is one of these students, a Glyphbinder, and her mother is dying. There is no cure, but there is one hope: Transference, a glyph that will swap Kara’s healthy body for her mother’s. The glyph is complex, the reagents scarce, and Kara’s quest to complete it will cost her more than she knows.
The demonic forces behind the All Province War are stirring again, linked to Kara and her mother in ways she could never suspect. These ancient demons seek more than those she loves. They seek Kara, body and soul, and if she cannot stop them, they will use her to devour the world.
Kara is one of these students, a Glyphbinder, and her mother is dying. There is no cure, but there is one hope: Transference, a glyph that will swap Kara’s healthy body for her mother’s. The glyph is complex, the reagents scarce, and Kara’s quest to complete it will cost her more than she knows.
The demonic forces behind the All Province War are stirring again, linked to Kara and her mother in ways she could never suspect. These ancient demons seek more than those she loves. They seek Kara, body and soul, and if she cannot stop them, they will use her to devour the world.
- GenresFantasyEpic Fantasy
320 pages, Paperback
First published August 9, 2013
10 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
About the author
T. Eric Bakutis
13 books24 followersT. Eric Bakutis is an award-winning author and game designer. His first fantasy trilogy,
Tales of the Five Provinces
, is complete, and Analog Science Fiction and Fact actually liked his grimsnark scifi thriller,
Supremacy’s Shadow
, which he happily admits is filled with violently explosive nonsense. You can also check out his cyberpunk police procedural,
Loose Circuit
, if you enjoy reading about homicidal professional gamers, waifu parlors, and the Russian mob.
You can find more information about Eric's books, read sample chapters, and find some cool art at his author website, www.tebakutis.com. When not writing, he is probably in Skyrim VR.
You can find more information about Eric's books, read sample chapters, and find some cool art at his author website, www.tebakutis.com. When not writing, he is probably in Skyrim VR.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 12, 2016
This is probably the most lightning-speed paced book I've read. It can be a boon or a curse, or even both, depending on your preferences.
It was great when chapters full of action went by without stopping, throwing more and more danger at the group that was just formed and had internal problems between some members.
A bit lacking when grudges held for decades end a few days later, or when they get injured or even die.
The best example of how the pace is both great and lacking is when some terrible stuff happens. It comes so quick and sudden that it really shocked me a character could just die like that, when all expectations pointed otherwise. It had that feeling only Game of Thrones managed to do: nobody is safe, and they will die if they screw up.
But the pace lacked the buildup, time spent with characters, we don't really get to know them deep enough to fully feel it. You will feel bad, but also feel something lacked.
Another aspect considering the threat of death (and deaths) is the magic utilized. There is no real limit to the magic, which is something I like, as I believe the excessive usage of systems, rules and such are slowly killing magic in the genre.
Anyway, the ceiling is extremely high (if there is any) for the magic. And this goes for the enemies too. And later they find demons, who are really relentless creatures that were done really well. I really didn't want to mess with those.
Unfortunately there was an aspect of the magic that kinda of killed for me the initial tension and emotional aspect. And no, it was not because of lack of clear and hard rules.
The demons and the Underside are an extremely good aspect of the book. The demons and their temporary masters (and the consequences for summoning them) are pretty nasty. I was actually afraid for the characters, because the villains were really out for blood.
We could have spent more time in the Underside, but what's even more nasty is that the demons may not even be the enemy, and there are even nastier forces at work. It's really nasty.
As for characters, curiously the one who most appealed to me and seemed more fleshed out with a distinctive voice for everything he went through was actually not in the main group, but appeared later. It was Xander.
Everyone had potential, but things were so fast and packed with so much action that this couldn't be properly tapped.
I think this is the only thing this lacked, the buildup or introspection. And that particular magical pet peeve. Because there are lots of good stuff. The things happening to the characters are akin to what Hobb does and some plot twists were really good, with some Sanderson feel.
On the other hand, if fast and furious is your style, this is for you.
It was great when chapters full of action went by without stopping, throwing more and more danger at the group that was just formed and had internal problems between some members.
A bit lacking when grudges held for decades end a few days later, or when they get injured or even die.
The best example of how the pace is both great and lacking is when some terrible stuff happens. It comes so quick and sudden that it really shocked me a character could just die like that, when all expectations pointed otherwise. It had that feeling only Game of Thrones managed to do: nobody is safe, and they will die if they screw up.
But the pace lacked the buildup, time spent with characters, we don't really get to know them deep enough to fully feel it. You will feel bad, but also feel something lacked.
Another aspect considering the threat of death (and deaths) is the magic utilized. There is no real limit to the magic, which is something I like, as I believe the excessive usage of systems, rules and such are slowly killing magic in the genre.
Anyway, the ceiling is extremely high (if there is any) for the magic. And this goes for the enemies too. And later they find demons, who are really relentless creatures that were done really well. I really didn't want to mess with those.
Unfortunately there was an aspect of the magic that kinda of killed for me the initial tension and emotional aspect. And no, it was not because of lack of clear and hard rules.
The demons and the Underside are an extremely good aspect of the book. The demons and their temporary masters (and the consequences for summoning them) are pretty nasty. I was actually afraid for the characters, because the villains were really out for blood.
We could have spent more time in the Underside, but what's even more nasty is that the demons may not even be the enemy, and there are even nastier forces at work. It's really nasty.
As for characters, curiously the one who most appealed to me and seemed more fleshed out with a distinctive voice for everything he went through was actually not in the main group, but appeared later. It was Xander.
Everyone had potential, but things were so fast and packed with so much action that this couldn't be properly tapped.
I think this is the only thing this lacked, the buildup or introspection. And that particular magical pet peeve. Because there are lots of good stuff. The things happening to the characters are akin to what Hobb does and some plot twists were really good, with some Sanderson feel.
On the other hand, if fast and furious is your style, this is for you.
November 23, 2017
Full review is here, on my blog.
This story follows Kara, who is a student at Solyr, which is a magical school. She’s a pretty typical eighteen year old girl, other than having orange eyes, being one of the most powerful teenagers ever, and generally being magically badass compared to her peers.
People in this world can use glyphs, which are like symbols that are drawn in blood that have different effects on the world around them. Most people have one sort of specialization, like healing or fire, and so on, but Kara is a glyphbinder, which means she can use glyphs from any school of magic.
She’s looking for a cure for her mother, who is dying of a debilitating disease, and to do so she must travel to the capital city of the realm. While out finding one of her reagents, she gets attacked, then finds and saves a man and drags him back to town. He’s lost his memory, but all signs point to him being a part of the army that her people are at war with. She gets attacked again while in the school that supposedly nobody can get in, and the conclusion is that she’s being hunted for some reason. Her and a group of her peers travel from Solyr to the capital city with the amnesiac man, and the creatures who are hunting follow.
And a great time is had by all. Great times!!!
This book is fast paced AF. Almost too fast, if I’m really being honest. I found it really, really hard to put down once I got situated with it. Action followed by more and more action, and then more neverending action. I almost wanted the characters to take a little break in there at some point to just recuperate. I rather liked most of the characters though. I liked Kara. She’s rather snarky, and I like that. I liked many of her compatriots, mostly Byn and Trell. Jain is also a really interesting character with interesting powers.
This book starts out rather tame. It almost felt rather YA in the beginning, to be honest. It’s very magical school right at first. Not quite as young as Harry Potter, but still sort of college-level feel, so I don’t know what I was really expecting. Well, it goes from tame to horrible death all over the place preeeetty quick. Things unfold really quickly, and it has plenty of twists that I didn’t see coming. The ending wrapped everything up nicely, and was satisfying. I thought that it was written rather well. It is certainly written in a way that kept me reading it into the wee hours.
This story follows Kara, who is a student at Solyr, which is a magical school. She’s a pretty typical eighteen year old girl, other than having orange eyes, being one of the most powerful teenagers ever, and generally being magically badass compared to her peers.
People in this world can use glyphs, which are like symbols that are drawn in blood that have different effects on the world around them. Most people have one sort of specialization, like healing or fire, and so on, but Kara is a glyphbinder, which means she can use glyphs from any school of magic.
She’s looking for a cure for her mother, who is dying of a debilitating disease, and to do so she must travel to the capital city of the realm. While out finding one of her reagents, she gets attacked, then finds and saves a man and drags him back to town. He’s lost his memory, but all signs point to him being a part of the army that her people are at war with. She gets attacked again while in the school that supposedly nobody can get in, and the conclusion is that she’s being hunted for some reason. Her and a group of her peers travel from Solyr to the capital city with the amnesiac man, and the creatures who are hunting follow.
And a great time is had by all. Great times!!!
This book is fast paced AF. Almost too fast, if I’m really being honest. I found it really, really hard to put down once I got situated with it. Action followed by more and more action, and then more neverending action. I almost wanted the characters to take a little break in there at some point to just recuperate. I rather liked most of the characters though. I liked Kara. She’s rather snarky, and I like that. I liked many of her compatriots, mostly Byn and Trell. Jain is also a really interesting character with interesting powers.
This book starts out rather tame. It almost felt rather YA in the beginning, to be honest. It’s very magical school right at first. Not quite as young as Harry Potter, but still sort of college-level feel, so I don’t know what I was really expecting. Well, it goes from tame to horrible death all over the place preeeetty quick. Things unfold really quickly, and it has plenty of twists that I didn’t see coming. The ending wrapped everything up nicely, and was satisfying. I thought that it was written rather well. It is certainly written in a way that kept me reading it into the wee hours.
January 25, 2017
There's some very good things to this book and not so good things. And a lot of those things are the same thing.
If you like fast paced fiction and deliberate echoes of the sort of stories and action found in Dragon Age, then this book is for you. It does great at those things. However, the speed of the plot and amount of lengthy action scenes means the characters are not the best established.
Unfortunately, I view character as king and have something of an aversion to magic-heavy action. This book wasn't for me. But I enjoyed it well enough and reckon people who are more about the action will enjoy it a great deal.
If you like fast paced fiction and deliberate echoes of the sort of stories and action found in Dragon Age, then this book is for you. It does great at those things. However, the speed of the plot and amount of lengthy action scenes means the characters are not the best established.
Unfortunately, I view character as king and have something of an aversion to magic-heavy action. This book wasn't for me. But I enjoyed it well enough and reckon people who are more about the action will enjoy it a great deal.
September 20, 2016
There's a lot of good stuff here - the writing was solid, the characters strong, the magic interesting. The world was particularly engaging (especially the mythology and the underworld), and there were enough ideas to fill several series worth of books.
Sadly, for me it was let down by the pacing. It felt like things were happening way too fast, to the point that it was hard to get a handle on all the stuff going on. This was a significant problem for me right from the beginning through to the end. For example, it didn't feel wrong for Trell (an amnesiac swordsman) to gain the trust of the rest of the party - after all, he legitimately came across as a trustworthy person despite his amnesia - but it literally happened overnight. Such shifts in relationships happened throughout, which never felt right to me, and later on some worldbuilding concepts and key plot events felt similarly rushed.
I suspect that if this story had been spread out over two or three books, and the myriad character interactions and external events had been given room to breathe, it could've been incredible. Having read and loved the author's short stories, I'm certain he could have pulled it off. As is, Glyphbinder left me feeling a little dizzy, and nowhere near as engaged as the story beneath deserved.
For me it was somewhere between 2 and 3 stars in the end, but closer to "it was ok" than "I liked it" simply because it was so hard to connect.
Sadly, for me it was let down by the pacing. It felt like things were happening way too fast, to the point that it was hard to get a handle on all the stuff going on. This was a significant problem for me right from the beginning through to the end. For example, it didn't feel wrong for Trell (an amnesiac swordsman) to gain the trust of the rest of the party - after all, he legitimately came across as a trustworthy person despite his amnesia - but it literally happened overnight. Such shifts in relationships happened throughout, which never felt right to me, and later on some worldbuilding concepts and key plot events felt similarly rushed.
I suspect that if this story had been spread out over two or three books, and the myriad character interactions and external events had been given room to breathe, it could've been incredible. Having read and loved the author's short stories, I'm certain he could have pulled it off. As is, Glyphbinder left me feeling a little dizzy, and nowhere near as engaged as the story beneath deserved.
For me it was somewhere between 2 and 3 stars in the end, but closer to "it was ok" than "I liked it" simply because it was so hard to connect.
October 5, 2015
Come check out my Book Blog for more fun stuff and reviews!
I received a copy of this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review
The Book Blurb! "Kara was thirteen when she learned her mother was dying. Five years later, the last component of her mother's cure waits in the city of Tarna, but that is one journey she may not survive.
Even as a Glyphbinder, a wielder of blood glyphs created by a people long dead, Kara is no match for the madman that hunts her or the dark forces at his beck and call. As those Kara loves fall one by one, her hunter's purpose is finally revealed.
Demons thought long defeated stir now in the shadows of her world, seeking a dark power hidden in Kara's blood. Tireless and without pity, these demons will not be satisfied until they claim Kara's world ... and her soul. "
Here. This is my review of this book. Go buy it. Did you buy it yet? Why haven't you bought it yet?! I NEED YOU TO BUY THIS SO ERIC GOES AND FINISHES BOOK TWO SO I CAN DEVOUR THAT!
Ahem.
Glybinder, as you can tell from the blurb above, is the story of Kara, an apprentice Glyphbinder. What is a Glyphbinder you ask? Well its a mage. But its so much more.
Eric has crafted a wonderfully rich and believable world, with interesting characters and a riveting plot. Now what drew me to this originally were the sample chapters on the web. If you are curious I urge you to go check them out. Sci-Fi and Scary pointed em out to me, and then got Eric in contact with me and I am glad she did.
Its going to be hard to really dig deep here without spoilers but in truth I refuse to spoil anything about this wild and imaginative ride. Suffice to say, right now, this is one of my favorite books that I have read recently.
So what IS a Glyphbinder? A Glyphbinder is a mage who uses their own blood as a power source, in order to channel the power of the Five Who Made the World. Life, Ruin, Breath, Land, and Heat. In addition, some can also channel beast spirits such as the Wolf, Turtle, and Bear, although I cannot recall exact names. Rannoc is the Wolf I want to say.
There are different sorts of mages. Firebrands who specialize in fire magic, Bloodmenders who can heal and transfuse blood, Beastlords who can communicate with animals, and the Glyphbinders who can actually do a little of everything. Kara is a Glyphbinder, as if you didn't know. On her journey she eventually gets joined by her two best friends Sera and Byn, a Bloodmender and Beastlord, as well as her rival Aryn a Firebrand, and Trell, a man who lost his memory.
The story starts with Kara trying to discover the ingredients to a glyph that will allow her to heal her mother Ona from a terrible disease that is ravaging her. However, things quickly get insane as people appear to try to kill or kidnap Kara, as well as attacking her very school. From there things go off the rails and all sorts of twists and turns occur.
What I really enjoyed was Eric's ability to keep things tight and controlled while still giving each character some time in the spotlight. You really get to know the group and each character's motivations. Further, not a single word is wasted. There are no useless descriptions or pointless passages. Everything has its point.
And finally the ending is actually almost fairy-tale in style. I won't spoil it but its greatly satisfying, while also hinting at a larger threat in the background.
This is definitely a 5/5 for me. If you like Fantasy you need to read this. Its excellent, and I want more. I crave me. I NEED MORE.
I received a copy of this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review
The Book Blurb! "Kara was thirteen when she learned her mother was dying. Five years later, the last component of her mother's cure waits in the city of Tarna, but that is one journey she may not survive.
Even as a Glyphbinder, a wielder of blood glyphs created by a people long dead, Kara is no match for the madman that hunts her or the dark forces at his beck and call. As those Kara loves fall one by one, her hunter's purpose is finally revealed.
Demons thought long defeated stir now in the shadows of her world, seeking a dark power hidden in Kara's blood. Tireless and without pity, these demons will not be satisfied until they claim Kara's world ... and her soul. "
Here. This is my review of this book. Go buy it. Did you buy it yet? Why haven't you bought it yet?! I NEED YOU TO BUY THIS SO ERIC GOES AND FINISHES BOOK TWO SO I CAN DEVOUR THAT!
Ahem.
Glybinder, as you can tell from the blurb above, is the story of Kara, an apprentice Glyphbinder. What is a Glyphbinder you ask? Well its a mage. But its so much more.
Eric has crafted a wonderfully rich and believable world, with interesting characters and a riveting plot. Now what drew me to this originally were the sample chapters on the web. If you are curious I urge you to go check them out. Sci-Fi and Scary pointed em out to me, and then got Eric in contact with me and I am glad she did.
Its going to be hard to really dig deep here without spoilers but in truth I refuse to spoil anything about this wild and imaginative ride. Suffice to say, right now, this is one of my favorite books that I have read recently.
So what IS a Glyphbinder? A Glyphbinder is a mage who uses their own blood as a power source, in order to channel the power of the Five Who Made the World. Life, Ruin, Breath, Land, and Heat. In addition, some can also channel beast spirits such as the Wolf, Turtle, and Bear, although I cannot recall exact names. Rannoc is the Wolf I want to say.
There are different sorts of mages. Firebrands who specialize in fire magic, Bloodmenders who can heal and transfuse blood, Beastlords who can communicate with animals, and the Glyphbinders who can actually do a little of everything. Kara is a Glyphbinder, as if you didn't know. On her journey she eventually gets joined by her two best friends Sera and Byn, a Bloodmender and Beastlord, as well as her rival Aryn a Firebrand, and Trell, a man who lost his memory.
The story starts with Kara trying to discover the ingredients to a glyph that will allow her to heal her mother Ona from a terrible disease that is ravaging her. However, things quickly get insane as people appear to try to kill or kidnap Kara, as well as attacking her very school. From there things go off the rails and all sorts of twists and turns occur.
What I really enjoyed was Eric's ability to keep things tight and controlled while still giving each character some time in the spotlight. You really get to know the group and each character's motivations. Further, not a single word is wasted. There are no useless descriptions or pointless passages. Everything has its point.
And finally the ending is actually almost fairy-tale in style. I won't spoil it but its greatly satisfying, while also hinting at a larger threat in the background.
This is definitely a 5/5 for me. If you like Fantasy you need to read this. Its excellent, and I want more. I crave me. I NEED MORE.
July 12, 2015
This is my review from Amazon:
Glyphbinder by Eric Bakutis is a brilliant debut fantasy novel by the author and it delivers an imaginative and wonderfully unique world that every fantasy reader must take the time to enjoy. The author has created a world with strong, vibrant and memorable characters coupled with a highly imaginative and unique school of magic that is bound by the use of glyphs and entrancing in the attention to detail in how it functions. It is a refreshing new title in fantasy.
Glyphbinder creates a world where magic is cast through the scribing of glyph symbols, powered through the strength of the caster's own blood. You are introduced to a strong female protagonist, Kara Tanner, and are immediately drawn to her and sympathize with her goals. Kara is a memorable character and one that will have you turning pages to learn more about her and to discover what will happen with her next. It is a rare thing these days to find such a well formed and complete character in fiction and Eric Bakutis has managed this with exceptional skill. She leaps off the pages.
The writing is polished and the length of the novel perfect for a world that you will soon learn to crave. The good news is that the second novel, Demonkin, is anticipated for release in December 2015, with the included sneak preview providing a tantalizing taste of what more is to follow.
Eric Bakutis is an author to watch and follow
Glyphbinder by Eric Bakutis is a brilliant debut fantasy novel by the author and it delivers an imaginative and wonderfully unique world that every fantasy reader must take the time to enjoy. The author has created a world with strong, vibrant and memorable characters coupled with a highly imaginative and unique school of magic that is bound by the use of glyphs and entrancing in the attention to detail in how it functions. It is a refreshing new title in fantasy.
Glyphbinder creates a world where magic is cast through the scribing of glyph symbols, powered through the strength of the caster's own blood. You are introduced to a strong female protagonist, Kara Tanner, and are immediately drawn to her and sympathize with her goals. Kara is a memorable character and one that will have you turning pages to learn more about her and to discover what will happen with her next. It is a rare thing these days to find such a well formed and complete character in fiction and Eric Bakutis has managed this with exceptional skill. She leaps off the pages.
The writing is polished and the length of the novel perfect for a world that you will soon learn to crave. The good news is that the second novel, Demonkin, is anticipated for release in December 2015, with the included sneak preview providing a tantalizing taste of what more is to follow.
Eric Bakutis is an author to watch and follow
January 31, 2014
Once upon a time in a land far, far away . . . That’s how every fantasy novel begins. In Glyphbinder, Eric Bakutis’ debut novel, the place is a cottage where the birth of a child threatens the entire world. A plot to prevent this is hatched, memories are alerted, the daughter is born. Welcome to the creation of Eric Bakutis’ fertile imagination.
Soon Kara, the daughter, having turned eighteen and graduated from glyphbinder school, begins a journey with no idea of what she is about to face or the price the friends who accompany her will pay. It is a journey unlike you have ever read or even imagined. Bakutis keeps us in the dark through twists and turns, through one crisis after another, facing death threatening situations. Kara’s survival seems less likely than Frodo’s upon entering the land of Mordor.
Although it took him fifteen years to write (see my interview with Bakutis at http://petergpollak.com/blog), it won’t be that long before the sequel is available. Bakutis is a name to watch in the fantasy writers’ pantheon.
Soon Kara, the daughter, having turned eighteen and graduated from glyphbinder school, begins a journey with no idea of what she is about to face or the price the friends who accompany her will pay. It is a journey unlike you have ever read or even imagined. Bakutis keeps us in the dark through twists and turns, through one crisis after another, facing death threatening situations. Kara’s survival seems less likely than Frodo’s upon entering the land of Mordor.
Although it took him fifteen years to write (see my interview with Bakutis at http://petergpollak.com/blog), it won’t be that long before the sequel is available. Bakutis is a name to watch in the fantasy writers’ pantheon.
September 20, 2013
I enjoyed this fast paced book more than I thought I would, since I'm not a gamer. This is high fantasy, set in a world in the midst of a great power struggle between two superior forces. We don't really know which is the force for good; in fact, we don't really understand the nature of the conflict until the very end. The story is full of action, with plenty of fights, magical phenomena, and mysterious characters. While I didn't always understand the significance of the events due to a very complex and not always explained back story, I thought the characters were well-drawn; complex, interesting, believable. I'll look forward to the next installment!
April 6, 2016
When I bought this book on my tablet, I started reading it, and really liked it. Then I put it down and read something else. This happened a second time about a month later. This time I decided I'd go ahead and actually read it. But now I wonder if I should have simply set it aside again, because I didn't really enjoy it very much. I should have liked the characters, especially Kara, but they started to blend together in my head, and I didn't care enough to keep them straight. There were some parts that I really enjoyed, especially the very beginning, and some of the battle scenes. But I won't be in any hurry to pick up the sequel.
August 1, 2015
I'm lying as I didn't actually read the whole book. I stuck with it as long as I did because it was the only thing on my kindle. A friend dropped a book off for me today and I thought I'd quickly finish this and see if there were any redeeming features, but when I saw I still had an hour to go, I couldn't do it. I did finish 75% and honestly it just got worse as I read on...never have I read a book so filled with action which was so boring. I just couldn't care less...way too many wacky machinations and the charcters are 1 dimensional at best.
May 2, 2016
I wanted to like this book so much. There were parts I really did like, actually, but then everyone started to die then were brought back to life, but they were changed and the one poor guy let himself be sent to hell to be tortured, for a girl that didn't love him back, then SHE went psycho demon summoner when her boo got killed, only he's not dead...or is he? Now someone has to figure out how to save everyone's souls and I still think some or all of the companions are undead. Yeah. I can't finish the series.
January 2, 2016
Very cool magic system and world! There are some typos, but overall the writing is solid and the team of friends saving the world is epic. I wish I had felt more of a connection to the main characters, but definitely recommended for fantasy fans.
October 27, 2013
See my professional review at
http://www.examiner.com/review/glyphb...
Chris Dubey
Hartford Books Examiner
Examiner.com
http://www.examiner.com/review/glyphb...
Chris Dubey
Hartford Books Examiner
Examiner.com
March 8, 2014
A solid debut. Great characters and wildly imaginative. A few pacing issues but nothing so bad as to stop from enjoying the book. I look forward to Book 2 and watching this new author grow.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews