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The Journals of the Huntress #1
The Last Ranger of Sarn
Locked within the fabled Castian city of Tiran sits the Vault of Sarnallus and the Gems of Creation. Powerful orbs that can bring life or total annihilation. The King of Castia has trusted his military under the command of General Salaris Woodward to stop the advance of the undead army that comes for the treasure.
At the front of this unimaginable horror is The Black Prince, Romero Harram. After killing his father the Prince turns his eyes to the rest of his lands, Bardynn. General Merrin Jaslin, now considered a rebel leads the remaining loyal Knights of the Crescent Moon to the Pass of Sarn.
While he sits south of the pass, General Woodward sits north. With her is the Castian Militia led by Vespias Firstlight. She has been called the Hali'Khal by the Junin people...the daughter of the land who will save their people by her noble deeds. As she does this she will also save her own people from genocide.
But the prophecy calls for a terrible price to be paid before she can fulfill it. She must lose her heart. All that she was, all she is and all she can ever be must be lost.
Is the price too high? Can she overcome the heartache to bring hope to the Castian people? In this tale of power and passions, love, lust and survival can Vespias pay the toll to save her world? Ride into battle along with her and see...
This is version 2 of my book. It contains four new chapters helping to clarify some character roles better. It is also at a new low price to launch the series.
At the front of this unimaginable horror is The Black Prince, Romero Harram. After killing his father the Prince turns his eyes to the rest of his lands, Bardynn. General Merrin Jaslin, now considered a rebel leads the remaining loyal Knights of the Crescent Moon to the Pass of Sarn.
While he sits south of the pass, General Woodward sits north. With her is the Castian Militia led by Vespias Firstlight. She has been called the Hali'Khal by the Junin people...the daughter of the land who will save their people by her noble deeds. As she does this she will also save her own people from genocide.
But the prophecy calls for a terrible price to be paid before she can fulfill it. She must lose her heart. All that she was, all she is and all she can ever be must be lost.
Is the price too high? Can she overcome the heartache to bring hope to the Castian people? In this tale of power and passions, love, lust and survival can Vespias pay the toll to save her world? Ride into battle along with her and see...
This is version 2 of my book. It contains four new chapters helping to clarify some character roles better. It is also at a new low price to launch the series.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 20, 2013
1 person is currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Ed Ireland
15 books50 followersAUTHOR BIO
Ed Ireland was born in Philadelphia on September 29, 1954. In January of 1955, the hospital he was born in was torn down. Presumably, they didn’t want anything like that happening again. His adolescence was shaped in Catholic school where the proper use of the common language was the only thing that mattered to the short but strong nuns.
In 1972 he joined the military where his wanderlust surfaced. He has since called many places home such as Texas, California, Nevada, Colorado, Pennsylvania New Jersey, New York and North Carolina while on his way to his current home in Miami, Florida. He claims his penchant for wandering is now at an end here in the shadows of Hemingway.
Along this great and wondrous trip, he has collected memories of some of the most beautiful scenery this country has to offer. He has also met a veritable kaleidoscope of colorful characters that make up the tapestry of his work. Along with his scenic visions, each character in his works carries some part of people he has known in his life, both good and bad.
On the personal side of his life, he is the proud father of two, a rabid Philadelphia Eagles fan, a self-confessed video game addict and a proud supporter of wildlife issues. His particular issue is support for the wolf programs across the country. He encourages support for these magnificent animals and donates a portion of each sale to Runningwiththewolves.org.
Ed Ireland was born in Philadelphia on September 29, 1954. In January of 1955, the hospital he was born in was torn down. Presumably, they didn’t want anything like that happening again. His adolescence was shaped in Catholic school where the proper use of the common language was the only thing that mattered to the short but strong nuns.
In 1972 he joined the military where his wanderlust surfaced. He has since called many places home such as Texas, California, Nevada, Colorado, Pennsylvania New Jersey, New York and North Carolina while on his way to his current home in Miami, Florida. He claims his penchant for wandering is now at an end here in the shadows of Hemingway.
Along this great and wondrous trip, he has collected memories of some of the most beautiful scenery this country has to offer. He has also met a veritable kaleidoscope of colorful characters that make up the tapestry of his work. Along with his scenic visions, each character in his works carries some part of people he has known in his life, both good and bad.
On the personal side of his life, he is the proud father of two, a rabid Philadelphia Eagles fan, a self-confessed video game addict and a proud supporter of wildlife issues. His particular issue is support for the wolf programs across the country. He encourages support for these magnificent animals and donates a portion of each sale to Runningwiththewolves.org.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 9 reviews
September 10, 2016
Exquisite Work!
Nicely written, seamlessly interwoven story of magical creatures and numerous heroes. Mature prose, somewhat complicated at times, but immersive overall. Particularly liked the good cause the author fights for in real life, i.e. the preservation of wildlife and nature.
Nicely written, seamlessly interwoven story of magical creatures and numerous heroes. Mature prose, somewhat complicated at times, but immersive overall. Particularly liked the good cause the author fights for in real life, i.e. the preservation of wildlife and nature.
April 9, 2019
I love it when an author manages to create a fantasy world with tons of depth without sacrificing readability. Ed Ireland’s The Last Ranger of Sarn tells the exciting tale of Vespias, a young woman who is forced to stand against the evil wave of undead that is invading Castia. The world has great depth with royal families, intrigue, and epic battles, but it’s Ireland’s creative writing that brings it all to life. Here and there we find excerpts from Vespias’ journal that add a lot of heart to her story of desperate struggle and heroism. This one’s perfect for any Game of Thrones or Dragon Age fans out there and I can’t wait to see what Vespias finds on the Lost Isles!
July 22, 2016
Disclaimer: I received a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve become a big fan of this author, and I think this is his best work yet. The story flows and expands on the world the within in a poetic style reminiscent of JRR Tolkien. The action and description are well balanced between the characters’ growth making this a fast and engaging read.
To be honest, it is easy to get lost among all the characters and locations if we’re not paying attention, but that’s one of the book’s enduring qualities. To me, each character and place played a role in the story and really brought the world together and gave the story a new level of life.
The characters were the usual complex, yet with simple enough goals to make them believable. There’s something special about seeing simple, normal characters being put into extraordinary circumstances and forced to rise or sink to the occasion.
If you’re looking for a great fantasy read, then check this out.
I’ve become a big fan of this author, and I think this is his best work yet. The story flows and expands on the world the within in a poetic style reminiscent of JRR Tolkien. The action and description are well balanced between the characters’ growth making this a fast and engaging read.
To be honest, it is easy to get lost among all the characters and locations if we’re not paying attention, but that’s one of the book’s enduring qualities. To me, each character and place played a role in the story and really brought the world together and gave the story a new level of life.
The characters were the usual complex, yet with simple enough goals to make them believable. There’s something special about seeing simple, normal characters being put into extraordinary circumstances and forced to rise or sink to the occasion.
If you’re looking for a great fantasy read, then check this out.
April 14, 2015
I never thought I would enjoy fantasy novels as much as I do and thanks to Mr. Ireland, I am more willing to give a fantasy book a second look and even consider reading it! I will read every book written by this author as I read his other series and have to say that it was one of the best series I have ever read. When Mr. Ireland offered me this book for review I was ecstatic!
Now, onto the book. In this book we are introduced to Castia and Mr. Ireland does a great job of detailing the history of this world and how things came to be throughout the story. We learn of the past wars and the alliances among the different races of people. Vespias is introduced in the beginning of the book as just a newborn and we watch her and her siblings grow. Vespias' character is unique and well portrayed from very early on and her character achieves great depth by the end of the book. Vespias becomes a great hunter and a powerful leader amongst her people. When she joins the Rangers to help protect their land from the undead, she climbs the ranks quickly. She is smart and was born to lead.
Mr. Ireland does an incredible job of weaving everyone's story together and detailing relationships and character interaction. There is love, passion, hate, despise, sadness, loss and pride throughout this story. You will experience a wide range of emotions as you read their story and when it ends, you will be craving more. The battle scenes are craftily written and keeps you on the edge of your seat. They are suspenseful, violent and detailed so that you can picture the battle as if it were in your own backyard.
Overall, a well written and thoroughly designed world. I wouldn't call this a novel, but rather a whole new world with different characters that obviously comes from an impressive imagination! Great work! Can't wait to read the second one!
Now, onto the book. In this book we are introduced to Castia and Mr. Ireland does a great job of detailing the history of this world and how things came to be throughout the story. We learn of the past wars and the alliances among the different races of people. Vespias is introduced in the beginning of the book as just a newborn and we watch her and her siblings grow. Vespias' character is unique and well portrayed from very early on and her character achieves great depth by the end of the book. Vespias becomes a great hunter and a powerful leader amongst her people. When she joins the Rangers to help protect their land from the undead, she climbs the ranks quickly. She is smart and was born to lead.
Mr. Ireland does an incredible job of weaving everyone's story together and detailing relationships and character interaction. There is love, passion, hate, despise, sadness, loss and pride throughout this story. You will experience a wide range of emotions as you read their story and when it ends, you will be craving more. The battle scenes are craftily written and keeps you on the edge of your seat. They are suspenseful, violent and detailed so that you can picture the battle as if it were in your own backyard.
Overall, a well written and thoroughly designed world. I wouldn't call this a novel, but rather a whole new world with different characters that obviously comes from an impressive imagination! Great work! Can't wait to read the second one!
October 16, 2013
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Overall it's not a bad read even with the issues I have with it. The writing is clean, things are spelled properly, punctuation and grammar are used properly, the correct words are used and it doesn't read like someone was using a thesaurus to describe every minute detail. However, it could use some editing and polishing, especially with transitions between scenes and characters.
Read more about this book and others on my blog.
Overall it's not a bad read even with the issues I have with it. The writing is clean, things are spelled properly, punctuation and grammar are used properly, the correct words are used and it doesn't read like someone was using a thesaurus to describe every minute detail. However, it could use some editing and polishing, especially with transitions between scenes and characters.
Read more about this book and others on my blog.
January 12, 2019
World building at its finest.
I really enjoyed the majority of this book, but there were times when the flow was interrupted by excessive detailing. It was as if the author was trying to say too much at each stage through explanatory narration instead of allowing the characters to 'live' in their world through dialogue interactions. Cutting 30 or so pages of unnecessary fluff would have made this a firm 5-star effort.
Still a solid 4.5 effort and an enjoyable read.
I really enjoyed the majority of this book, but there were times when the flow was interrupted by excessive detailing. It was as if the author was trying to say too much at each stage through explanatory narration instead of allowing the characters to 'live' in their world through dialogue interactions. Cutting 30 or so pages of unnecessary fluff would have made this a firm 5-star effort.
Still a solid 4.5 effort and an enjoyable read.
Read
October 3, 2018
The Last Ranger of Sarn is a sprawling, epic fantasy tale that brings the story of Vespias Firstlight to life. As protagonist, Vespias is no more a super hero than you or I. We join her at birth, watching her grow as the child of a hunter. Her strength is her family.
An early incident begins the first of many scars Vespias will earn through her lifetime and it is that strength of family that sees her through. Just when life seems to smile on the child, the world around her begins a dizzying spiral into madness. Allies become enemies and threaten to remove the Castian ways of life.
The Black Prince begins his march into their lands, followed by his horrific army of undead. The Castian army will stand strong, but they need more. They need the population to stand with them. Vespias must set aside her life and take her place among the soldiers of Castia. In particular, she must stand alongside the Sarnian Rangers, and elite unit commanded by Salaris Woodward. They soon find themselves still outmatched by the evil that invades their lands.
They need even more help.
The Last Ranger of Sarn will bring you into the world that Vespias and the others fight for. You will find yourself feeling a strange closeness to Vespias and the others, feeling what they feel and worrying that their world will collapse around them.
Last Ranger boasts an extraordinary character development that will bring Vespias and her friends and family to life. You'll feel as if you've known her all your life. You'll feel her despair and her jubilation. You'll know her fears and what brings her joy. You'll cry at each new thrust that fate sends as a spear tip into her heart. You'll feel the exhilaration of the battles and the surrender of the men and women that fight them.
In the end, you'll look at this woman and wonder, how much can one heart endure?
C P Bialois says of Last Ranger, "I’ve become a big fan of this author, and I think this is his best work yet. The story flows and expands on the world within in a poetic style reminiscent of JRR Tolkien. The action and description are well balanced between the characters’ growth making this a fast and engaging read.
To be honest, it is easy to get lost among all the characters and locations if we’re not paying attention, but that’s one of the book’s enduring qualities. To me, each character and place played a role in the story and really brought the world together and gave the story a new level of life.
The characters were the usual complex, yet with simple enough goals to make them believable. There’s something special about seeing simple, normal characters being put into extraordinary circumstances and forced to rise or sink to the occasion.
If you’re looking for a great fantasy read, then check this out."
August 24, 2016
I purchased a copy of this book. Having read it I find myself waiting for the next book in the series. The book is very well written and you can tell that the author takes the time to let you get to know his characters. You can also tell that the Author cares deeply for the characters and wants you to feel the same way. You find yourself completely immersed in this world he has created. The book takes you on the journey of his main character Vespias. You see the world she grows up in through her eyes. You see her struggles, her joys her triumphs, and her sorrows. You see the heart and soul of a young girl tested to its limits and she emerges sometimes broken but never beaten. You will find yourself crying for her and with her at times and other times you will be smiling. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy. This book reminds me very much of the Lord Of The Rings books. It is written in the same style.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 9 reviews