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Seasons of Light #1
Taovan: Awaken
In the heart of a forgotten continent, a spark ignites in the strangest of places... Nadon-Kesh grows up like any other child abandoned to the Saget riverbank, but his life takes a dangerous turn when the Supremacy, the tyrannical force enslaving the realm, drives him from his home. Thrust into the dangerous world beyond the riverbank alongside his closest friends, Nadon learns of his place in an age-old conflict that may change the face of the land forever. Ensnared in the battle to reclaim a kingdom, Nadon struggles to harness a rising power within in the hope of saving his family from destruction. But, as his dark legacy threatens to destroy the land itself, Nadon discovers that it may not always be possible to escape one's fate.
- GenresFantasy
380 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2013
About the author
S.J. Saunders
26 books18 followersS.J. Saunders was born in a hospital, grew up in a country, and currently lives in a house. A small percentage of the world's population is related to him, though that number increased slightly when he married a woman. He has likes and dislikes, and is probably above average height.
Now, if that's not enough information to convince you that he's an entirely organic human being and not a flesh-coated robot, I don't know what is!
Now, if that's not enough information to convince you that he's an entirely organic human being and not a flesh-coated robot, I don't know what is!
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 27, 2013
Original BookTube review HERE
Taovan: Awaken is the first book in the Seasons of Light series. I thought it was great fun. It reminded me of The Eye of the World with some Matrix elements. Just think ‘dodging bullets’. Admittedly, I was in the mood for an epic fantasy. But it’s saying something when I had my heart set on rereading The Lord of the Rings, and this helped satisfy that craving.
I, like everyone probably does, hold my breath when I start reading a self-published book, because you just don’t know what kind of quality you’re going to get. But this is one of the good ones. I was reading a PDF format, but it looks and feels very professional, as does the story itself.
The characters are great, even the villains. The main characters all show promising development, though occasionally, I did feel some of this happens a little suddenly. It could have used more build up. I think one of my favorite things is that the villain is extremely vain, and he takes great pains to make himself look regal and dramatic all the times, and people notice it. Think Megamind, but not that silly. It’s amusing, and it adds a nice sense of realism to all of the characters; the villain, because it’s his ‘thing’, and the others through their reactions.
Saunders chose to tell this story from the perspectives of several different characters, which reminded me a lot of Brian Jacques' Redwall series, but what I truly found interesting is that he didn’t choose to tell the antagonist’s side of the story from the main antagonist himself. He chose instead a secondary villain to shed light on this part. Through the entire story we’re watching the main villain through the eyes of both sides, but never actually from his perspective, and I thought it was a very intriguing way to show off the villain. We never get into his head, but we understand him nevertheless. It made me feel much more involved with the story, like I was inside it, rather than outside looking in.
There was something in the climax that kind of jerked me around. It seemed –not totally unbelievable- but a little too sudden to be acceptable. Once you read through more, it eventually makes sense, but I did find myself wishing that this transition had been focused on a little more not to seem so… “Wait, he did what?” But it is resolved and by no means ruins the story.
The narration I found quite entertaining. It at times has a playful lilt that I found refreshing with the heavy topic of bloodthirsty tyrants and revolutions. There aren’t jokes being told in the narration or anything, it just feels lighthearted and often has an amusing way of describing things. For the most part, it also continually held my interest. Saunders also uses a lot of flashbacks in the telling of the story; in the first part of the book I felt these weighed on the long side with some unnecessary details, but these tighten up and become more focused as you get further into the book. I also really liked where this story ended, and am very interested to see where it goes from here.
I am giving Taovan: Awaken by S J Saunders 4 stars, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good fantasy read.
Taovan: Awaken is the first book in the Seasons of Light series. I thought it was great fun. It reminded me of The Eye of the World with some Matrix elements. Just think ‘dodging bullets’. Admittedly, I was in the mood for an epic fantasy. But it’s saying something when I had my heart set on rereading The Lord of the Rings, and this helped satisfy that craving.
I, like everyone probably does, hold my breath when I start reading a self-published book, because you just don’t know what kind of quality you’re going to get. But this is one of the good ones. I was reading a PDF format, but it looks and feels very professional, as does the story itself.
The characters are great, even the villains. The main characters all show promising development, though occasionally, I did feel some of this happens a little suddenly. It could have used more build up. I think one of my favorite things is that the villain is extremely vain, and he takes great pains to make himself look regal and dramatic all the times, and people notice it. Think Megamind, but not that silly. It’s amusing, and it adds a nice sense of realism to all of the characters; the villain, because it’s his ‘thing’, and the others through their reactions.
Saunders chose to tell this story from the perspectives of several different characters, which reminded me a lot of Brian Jacques' Redwall series, but what I truly found interesting is that he didn’t choose to tell the antagonist’s side of the story from the main antagonist himself. He chose instead a secondary villain to shed light on this part. Through the entire story we’re watching the main villain through the eyes of both sides, but never actually from his perspective, and I thought it was a very intriguing way to show off the villain. We never get into his head, but we understand him nevertheless. It made me feel much more involved with the story, like I was inside it, rather than outside looking in.
There was something in the climax that kind of jerked me around. It seemed –not totally unbelievable- but a little too sudden to be acceptable. Once you read through more, it eventually makes sense, but I did find myself wishing that this transition had been focused on a little more not to seem so… “Wait, he did what?” But it is resolved and by no means ruins the story.
The narration I found quite entertaining. It at times has a playful lilt that I found refreshing with the heavy topic of bloodthirsty tyrants and revolutions. There aren’t jokes being told in the narration or anything, it just feels lighthearted and often has an amusing way of describing things. For the most part, it also continually held my interest. Saunders also uses a lot of flashbacks in the telling of the story; in the first part of the book I felt these weighed on the long side with some unnecessary details, but these tighten up and become more focused as you get further into the book. I also really liked where this story ended, and am very interested to see where it goes from here.
I am giving Taovan: Awaken by S J Saunders 4 stars, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good fantasy read.
January 22, 2015
Excellent start to a gripping trilogy! The book introduces you to fun characters, some you love to love and some you love to hate. The story line is interesting and dynamic, just when you think you know what to expect you learn something new. It's easy to get engrossed in this book and the whole trilogy. I definitely recommend the book!
January 14, 2014
What is inside all is revealed in a boy and his friends . A challenge that was his at birth, is now his reality. Story of one who faces his inner insecurities to become a leader of his own making.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews