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The Caliel Cycle #1
Dark Heart
Three gods rule the world of Caliel.
Nimrod, once a human mage, now the god of healing and light, presides over the great cities of the west. Shayna, once a Dryad, now the goddess of nature and balance, holds sway over the vast forests of the south. And Vraxor, once a demon, now the grim god of death and darkness, rules the harsh and rugged swamps and mountains of the east.
In Vraxor's society, where demons walk the streets along with humans and the god's terrible priesthood rules with an iron fist, a girl named Myrren has begun to see inconsistencies in the beliefs she's been taught all her life. Accompanied by her demonic guardian and a brash young nobleman, she sets out on a pilgrimage to escape the hardships of her world and find out for herself what the truth is.
However, what begins as a simple journey soon spins out of control, as she's swept up in events vaster and more perilous than her darkest dreams: a life-and-death struggle for power in the highest circles of her homeland, the rise of a prophesied hero destined to destroy Vraxor's civilization, the rediscovery of a holy symbol called the Dark Heart that's been lost for centuries, and the ominous discovery that the enigmatic and deadly priests of Vraxor are pursuing her for reasons unknown.
As she flees for her life across the length of Caliel, Myrren will find friendship in unexpected quarters and new allies she never would have imagined. But she'll need all the help she can get if she's to escape her new enemies alive...
Nimrod, once a human mage, now the god of healing and light, presides over the great cities of the west. Shayna, once a Dryad, now the goddess of nature and balance, holds sway over the vast forests of the south. And Vraxor, once a demon, now the grim god of death and darkness, rules the harsh and rugged swamps and mountains of the east.
In Vraxor's society, where demons walk the streets along with humans and the god's terrible priesthood rules with an iron fist, a girl named Myrren has begun to see inconsistencies in the beliefs she's been taught all her life. Accompanied by her demonic guardian and a brash young nobleman, she sets out on a pilgrimage to escape the hardships of her world and find out for herself what the truth is.
However, what begins as a simple journey soon spins out of control, as she's swept up in events vaster and more perilous than her darkest dreams: a life-and-death struggle for power in the highest circles of her homeland, the rise of a prophesied hero destined to destroy Vraxor's civilization, the rediscovery of a holy symbol called the Dark Heart that's been lost for centuries, and the ominous discovery that the enigmatic and deadly priests of Vraxor are pursuing her for reasons unknown.
As she flees for her life across the length of Caliel, Myrren will find friendship in unexpected quarters and new allies she never would have imagined. But she'll need all the help she can get if she's to escape her new enemies alive...
536 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 26, 2017
This book is full of original characters, names, settings, and even races. Myrren is a young girl raised by her Morin mentor, Rhaze. He teaches her magic while her father wages a war and her mother is an acolyte at Ral Vraxen, the country's capital. Myrren is different than everyone else in her culture and when Rhaze introduces her to Raine Destin, a candidate for the ruler-ship of their country, she realizes that she must protect him.
Even though this book had a slow start it still held my interest. I feel like Myrren made friends too easily, but there may be an answer in a later book. I read a lot of fantasy books but Dark Heart reminds me the most of the Wheel of Time series. The story starts with one viewpoint and when the characters split ways, they each have a part of the story to tell.
Even though this book had a slow start it still held my interest. I feel like Myrren made friends too easily, but there may be an answer in a later book. I read a lot of fantasy books but Dark Heart reminds me the most of the Wheel of Time series. The story starts with one viewpoint and when the characters split ways, they each have a part of the story to tell.
March 26, 2017
This book is full of original characters, names, settings, and even races. Myrren is a young girl raised by her Morin mentor, Rhaze. He teaches her magic while her father wages a war and her mother is an acolyte at Ral Vraxen, the country's capital. Myrren is different than everyone else in her culture and when Rhaze introduces her to Raine Destin, a candidate for the ruler-ship of their country, she realizes that she must protect him.
Even though this book had a slow start it still held my interest. I feel like Myrren made friends too easily, but there may be an answer in a later book. I read a lot of fantasy books but Dark Heart reminds me the most of the Wheel of Time series. The story starts with one viewpoint and when the characters split ways, they each have a part of the story to tell.
Even though this book had a slow start it still held my interest. I feel like Myrren made friends too easily, but there may be an answer in a later book. I read a lot of fantasy books but Dark Heart reminds me the most of the Wheel of Time series. The story starts with one viewpoint and when the characters split ways, they each have a part of the story to tell.
February 17, 2014
Good once it got going, but much of the beginning was a bit overdone. In particular, the two teenage characters played a bit too hard on stereotypes. Once they started growing out of that, the book got a lot better.
The setup with three gods and needing to keep the world in balance, which was only touched on in this book, makes me look forward to the next one which will hopefully explore those themes more.
The setup with three gods and needing to keep the world in balance, which was only touched on in this book, makes me look forward to the next one which will hopefully explore those themes more.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews