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Frostborn #0.5
The First Quest
A thousand years ago, the last grandson of Arthur Pendragon led the survivors of Britain through a magical gate to a new world, a world of magic and high elves, of orcs and kobolds and stranger, darker creatures. Now the descendants of the exiles rule a mighty kingdom, peaceful and prosperous under the rule of the High King.
But dangers stir that the realm is not ready to face.
RIDMARK ARBAN is a new-made knight and Swordbearer of the realm. When the archmage of the high elves asks for aid against the dread Warden of Urd Morlemoch, Ridmark volunteers for the quest, eager to prove himself and win glory and renown.
But terrible evil awaits in Urd Morlemoch, and those who enter the Warden's clutches rarely escape them...
But dangers stir that the realm is not ready to face.
RIDMARK ARBAN is a new-made knight and Swordbearer of the realm. When the archmage of the high elves asks for aid against the dread Warden of Urd Morlemoch, Ridmark volunteers for the quest, eager to prove himself and win glory and renown.
But terrible evil awaits in Urd Morlemoch, and those who enter the Warden's clutches rarely escape them...
124 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2013
138 people are currently reading
822 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Moeller
405 books668 followersStanding over six feet tall, USA Today bestselling author Jonathan Moeller has the piercing blue eyes of a Conan of Cimmeria, the bronze-colored hair of a Visigothic warrior-king, and the stern visage of a captain of men, none of which are useful in his career as a computer repairman, alas.
He has written the DEMONSOULED series of sword-and-sorcery novels, and continues to write THE GHOSTS sequence about assassin and spy Caina Amalas, the COMPUTER BEGINNER'S GUIDE series of computer books, and numerous other works. His books have sold over one million copies worldwide.
He has written the DEMONSOULED series of sword-and-sorcery novels, and continues to write THE GHOSTS sequence about assassin and spy Caina Amalas, the COMPUTER BEGINNER'S GUIDE series of computer books, and numerous other works. His books have sold over one million copies worldwide.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
June 23, 2023
A short sword and sorcery/epic fantasy read. A bit much in terms of the writing style in comparison to the simplicity of the plot. The characters are also a bit forgettable. But overall, it's a pretty solid short read.
May 25, 2014
Pretty enjoyable, another free Kindle download, but unfortunately this didn't feel especially polished. The plot was really interesting, but unfortunately everything else fell flat. The characters are same old fantasy stereotypes and the world, whilst having the makings of somewhere interesting, caught me as ludicrous from the beginning. Moeller has a nifty explanation for why humans are in a fantasy world (Arthur Pendragon's son leads them there through a magic gate) but then doesn't go anywhere with it. After a millenium everyone still speaks Latin, still follows Christianity and generally society has changed very little. Aside from that it is the same old fantasy world with orcs, elves, dwarves, halflings, etc. The magic doesn't attempt to follow Sanderson's rules on limitations and comprehensibility and that adds to one of the books major flaws. There is very little sense of peril, our hero wades through enemies with his magical sword that can cut anything, heal anyone and protect against magic with no difficulty whatsoever. No sooner is the reader told that this next creature is especially fearsome and deadly than has the main character beheaded them through a combination of cunning and nifty sword-work. I enjoyed this, but didn't feel especially involved and didn't know whether the main protagonist is the greatest swordsperson who ever lived, or simply that the world really isn't that dangerous. Some typos and lacklustre writing combines to give me the impression this was churned out rather quickly - something supported by a glance at just how many novels Moeller has managed to write in a few years. I enjoyed it, but I'd probably have been disappointed had I paid for it. I'm guessing that this is self-published, as there is a really good story waiting to be told here, but the implementation just had too many flaws to fully recommend it.
June 25, 2022
Novel pengenalan (#0.5) dalam siri Frostborn, bergenre high fantasy (sword & sorcery). Idea siri novel ni menarik. Idea world building menggunakan Arthurian legend, di mana selepas orang Saxon menakluk Britain, keturunan king Arthur dan saki baki orang Camelot terpaksa melarikan diri melalui sebuah portal ajaib ke dunia lain yg turut dihuni oleh pelbagai makhluk mitos. Di sana, mereka telah menubuhkan sebuah negara yg diberi nama Andomhaim. Novel pengenalan ni slow skit plotnya, sekadar pengenalan kepada watak utama siri ni Ridmark Arban.
Plot utama mengisahkan tentang Ridmark Arban, seorang Swordbearer yg menawarkan diri untuk menyertai satu misi menyelamat di sebuah kota lama bernama Urd Morlemoch yg menjadi tempat tinggal penyihir purba yg digelar sebagai Warden...
Plot utama mengisahkan tentang Ridmark Arban, seorang Swordbearer yg menawarkan diri untuk menyertai satu misi menyelamat di sebuah kota lama bernama Urd Morlemoch yg menjadi tempat tinggal penyihir purba yg digelar sebagai Warden...
March 21, 2024
Well Since I am waiting for the next book in his shield of war series I decided to read the Frostborn series starting with this one here. Not sure if it is in fact the series that started the whole saga and I should have read it before I read the other ones but better late than never. This starts out where Ridmar is sent on his own on a dangerous quest to rescue a High Elven female that is being held prisoner in an ancient evil tower. The chances for which him making it were slim As usual Moeller shows why he is such a great author. He knows how to build worlds and characters and keep both interesting throughout his series and this is starting out that way as well and I'm looking forward to continuing the series.
January 11, 2017
This is a prequel novella to Jonathan Moeller's Frostborn series and the first book I've read by the author. It was a free download, so I thought I'd give it a go.
Standard fantasy fare with all the usual tropes: Big Bad, Hero's Quest, Damsel in Distress...Ancient Elves, Evil Orcs, Out-of-Sight-and-Out-of-Mind Dwarves...you get the idea. All the criteria that makes up "generic fantasy" novel.
We start out with Young Hero who is visited by Ancient Elf that asks a boon of him as contracted by Timeworn Promise from long ago. Young Hero goes on journey to Evil Castle where Big Bad resides wielding Powerful Magic.
The plot was too simplistic, the writing rudimentary, the journey to the castle entirely glossed over, the combat boring, the hero unwavering, there were grammatical errors everywhere...I could go on. It was a Sword & Sorcery, hack-and-slash tale lacking any real combat descriptions other than the numerous beheadings of variably twisted creatures where the main character goes from room to room, encounter to encounter, slicing his way through all enemies. Essentially, it reads like someone's standalone D&D adventure.
I gave it a two out of five rating because there was some redeeming value, plus I just enjoy most any fantasy story no matter how trope-driven it may be. For some reason I did enjoy our protagonist Ridmark for being the noblest of all noble paladins that he was. I really like Paladin/Noble Knight characters. It was also a very breezy read that kept my attention despite all my criticisms, likely due to the short length and superficial writing. It was easy to pick up and put down throughout the day. The main reason to avoid 1* however was the concept of the Frostborn. They weren't significant to this particular tale, but there is a promise of things to come that provoked interest. Judging by the name of the series, I think it's safe to say that they have a pretty significant role later on. I got a White Walker feel from A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones.
So there you have it. Good for a quick, casual, and cliché-ridden fantasy romp, but not much more.
Standard fantasy fare with all the usual tropes: Big Bad, Hero's Quest, Damsel in Distress...Ancient Elves, Evil Orcs, Out-of-Sight-and-Out-of-Mind Dwarves...you get the idea. All the criteria that makes up "generic fantasy" novel.
We start out with Young Hero who is visited by Ancient Elf that asks a boon of him as contracted by Timeworn Promise from long ago. Young Hero goes on journey to Evil Castle where Big Bad resides wielding Powerful Magic.
The plot was too simplistic, the writing rudimentary, the journey to the castle entirely glossed over, the combat boring, the hero unwavering, there were grammatical errors everywhere...I could go on. It was a Sword & Sorcery, hack-and-slash tale lacking any real combat descriptions other than the numerous beheadings of variably twisted creatures where the main character goes from room to room, encounter to encounter, slicing his way through all enemies. Essentially, it reads like someone's standalone D&D adventure.
I gave it a two out of five rating because there was some redeeming value, plus I just enjoy most any fantasy story no matter how trope-driven it may be. For some reason I did enjoy our protagonist Ridmark for being the noblest of all noble paladins that he was. I really like Paladin/Noble Knight characters. It was also a very breezy read that kept my attention despite all my criticisms, likely due to the short length and superficial writing. It was easy to pick up and put down throughout the day. The main reason to avoid 1* however was the concept of the Frostborn. They weren't significant to this particular tale, but there is a promise of things to come that provoked interest. Judging by the name of the series, I think it's safe to say that they have a pretty significant role later on. I got a White Walker feel from A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones.
So there you have it. Good for a quick, casual, and cliché-ridden fantasy romp, but not much more.
July 29, 2016
A thousand years ago, the last grandson of Arthur Pendragon led the survivors of Britain through a magical gate to a new world, a world of magic and high elves, of orcs and kobolds and stranger, darker creatures. Now the descendants of the exiles rule a mighty kingdom, peaceful and prosperous under the rule of the High King.
But dangers stir that the realm is not ready to face.
RIDMARK ARBAN is a new-made knight and Swordbearer of the realm. When the archmage of the high elves asks for aid against the dread Warden of Urd Morlemoch, Ridmark volunteers for the quest, eager to prove himself and win glory and renown.
But terrible evil awaits in Urd Morlemoch, and those who enter the Warden's clutches rarely escape them
my rating: 4 stars
Goodreads Group Challenges:
The Life of a Book Addict
Elizabeth's 2016 Reading Corner Challenge 12 plus 4 alternatives
what did I think of it:
its the first time I've ever read anything by this author, and I have to say that its a good start to a new series to me, loved the take on magic and the world itself, will be getting the rest sometime down the road.
But dangers stir that the realm is not ready to face.
RIDMARK ARBAN is a new-made knight and Swordbearer of the realm. When the archmage of the high elves asks for aid against the dread Warden of Urd Morlemoch, Ridmark volunteers for the quest, eager to prove himself and win glory and renown.
But terrible evil awaits in Urd Morlemoch, and those who enter the Warden's clutches rarely escape them
my rating: 4 stars
Goodreads Group Challenges:
The Life of a Book Addict
Elizabeth's 2016 Reading Corner Challenge 12 plus 4 alternatives
what did I think of it:
its the first time I've ever read anything by this author, and I have to say that its a good start to a new series to me, loved the take on magic and the world itself, will be getting the rest sometime down the road.
August 16, 2023
A fairly short story (125 pages) that fills in some of Ridmarks background. Good book
June 9, 2021
This is the book that sets the stage for the Frostborn novels. Here we meet Ridmark, the swordbearer of Heartwarden. The sword contains a white stone that flashes when evil magic is near. The sword can also heal it's bearer, although more slowly than it can heal others. Ridmark is just 19 years old, and already he has fought and defeated creatures of the Dark Elves. This is how he learned that the Frostborn will be returning soon. Ridmark is given a quest. He must go to the stronghold of the Warden of the Dark Elves and free a shieldmaiden being held captive there. It is a six-week journey to the fortress, and then he must somehow get inside, find the captive, free her and emerge alive. It's a great quest and provides us with a firm foundation for the next books. I truly enjoyed myself reading this book, and I think you will too.
did-not-finish
October 28, 2019So, this makes 4 DNFs in a row for me.
I think I just have so little patience for errors at this point, that I'm ready to pass on anything. Not even 4 pages in, and it's already started with this one (see note and highlight).
I considered soldiering onward a bit farther, but after reading 5 pages and setting it aside for the night, I woke up not remembering a single character name or event (or anything other than the error, really), so it doesn't make sense for me to continue torturing myself into trying to care about this book when the author and publisher so obviously didn't.
I think I just have so little patience for errors at this point, that I'm ready to pass on anything. Not even 4 pages in, and it's already started with this one (see note and highlight).
I considered soldiering onward a bit farther, but after reading 5 pages and setting it aside for the night, I woke up not remembering a single character name or event (or anything other than the error, really), so it doesn't make sense for me to continue torturing myself into trying to care about this book when the author and publisher so obviously didn't.
March 20, 2018
This is a prequel to a longer series. Very ordinary fantasy story. Big hero, big bad guy, evil abounds. Hero has a magic sword, so magical it destroys everything it confronts.
Really, this is just a bit of background to the proper series, fleshed out to a full story. As a story, not so good, but it does provide answers to subsequent tales.
Which is why I didn’t record this until I’d already read the first in the Frostborn series. Otherwise I might have panned this even further.
Ok story 2/5
Really, this is just a bit of background to the proper series, fleshed out to a full story. As a story, not so good, but it does provide answers to subsequent tales.
Which is why I didn’t record this until I’d already read the first in the Frostborn series. Otherwise I might have panned this even further.
Ok story 2/5
April 11, 2020
A solid introduction to the series
I am reading this prequel first before beginning the series so it gives me an introduction to the characters.
The main character could be really boring but somehow his solid "think first" approach doesn't slow down the action & I am looking forward to reading more.
If you have not already started the main series then this has a cliffhanger ending.
I am reading this prequel first before beginning the series so it gives me an introduction to the characters.
The main character could be really boring but somehow his solid "think first" approach doesn't slow down the action & I am looking forward to reading more.
If you have not already started the main series then this has a cliffhanger ending.
August 3, 2020
Very badly edited and formatted
Had to stop reading it. The story is already short, but there is so much white space I doubt if it is half the 117 pages it purports to be. On top of that, the proofread has been left to electronics, obvious by the number of thats instead of thans, ins instead of ons and so on. With the white space giving me a headache and the half-hearted proofread giving me, well, a headache, I gave up reading.
Had to stop reading it. The story is already short, but there is so much white space I doubt if it is half the 117 pages it purports to be. On top of that, the proofread has been left to electronics, obvious by the number of thats instead of thans, ins instead of ons and so on. With the white space giving me a headache and the half-hearted proofread giving me, well, a headache, I gave up reading.
March 15, 2021
I was frustrated by typos but I do have to say that the writing style and story complexity make up for it. I had read a book from a related series earlier—, and read this to start from the beginning. I feel like I haven’t started at the beginning though. I’m still missing something. But regardless, I am so anticipating devouring this whole series. It’s like a more mystical, only very slightly watered down wheel of time. And I am hungry for that. Very hungry.
November 3, 2020
This was good in the sense that it was exactly what I expected. I went into this not expecting much, and to a point, it was actually better than what I thought, so there's something.
It was incredibly cliche, with a very heavy Gary Stu protagonist, but... I kind of liked it. It was easy to follow, a plot that was predictable, and exactly what I was looking for in that moment.
Recommend if you're okay with predictable, stereotypical, macho-man heroes who are essentially invisible.
It was incredibly cliche, with a very heavy Gary Stu protagonist, but... I kind of liked it. It was easy to follow, a plot that was predictable, and exactly what I was looking for in that moment.
Recommend if you're okay with predictable, stereotypical, macho-man heroes who are essentially invisible.
February 18, 2019
Was a pretty good short story
Reading this I could easily visualize everything happening. It held my attention for the most part. Enjoyed reading about Ridmark's first quest and look forward to reading more of the series.
Reading this I could easily visualize everything happening. It held my attention for the most part. Enjoyed reading about Ridmark's first quest and look forward to reading more of the series.
July 31, 2019
Not brilliant but not awful. Some parts were a bit too computer game for me, but the world seems to be reasonably thought out. Arthurian stuff is the more Christian, knightly chivalry stuff , no Merlin type Druid influence unfortunately.
January 19, 2020
Great book.
I loved this book. It was a little confusing at first, trying to figure out if this was the first book in the series, but after Googling it, I found it to be the first book.
I loved this book. It was a little confusing at first, trying to figure out if this was the first book in the series, but after Googling it, I found it to be the first book.
July 1, 2017
I liked it but something is missing, can't put my finger on what it is though.
August 23, 2017
A very simple book. Predictable to say the least and absolutely full of tropes. Still a fun easy read but nothing really noteworthy. It is super short though so it's a quick read.
January 30, 2018
Fantasy - based on legends of knights, dragons, etc.
November 26, 2018
Not bad, for pulp fiction, as the writer describes himself. Interesting enough that I will read the next one.
February 19, 2019
Very good
A very good book not only fighting but be able to use you wits ,thoroughly enjoyed it well written Jonathan
A very good book not only fighting but be able to use you wits ,thoroughly enjoyed it well written Jonathan
March 8, 2019
Reread
Reading this book again is giving more clarity to other books. Again Jonathan it's a great read. Thank you again.
Reading this book again is giving more clarity to other books. Again Jonathan it's a great read. Thank you again.
April 3, 2019
Headstrong youth?
Plenty of fast moving action and very readable throughout.
(The book actually ends at around 80% with sample of the next book. A recent Amazon eBook phenomena)
Plenty of fast moving action and very readable throughout.
(The book actually ends at around 80% with sample of the next book. A recent Amazon eBook phenomena)
September 13, 2019
Another great book
This is just one of those books you just cannot put down. started at bedtime and finished at 6am. Now looking forward to reading the rest of the series
This is just one of those books you just cannot put down. started at bedtime and finished at 6am. Now looking forward to reading the rest of the series
October 24, 2020
I knew that I would like it, and I am glass to be proven right. If you like Lord Of The Rings and Arthurian fantasy then this book is for you!
January 30, 2024
Good groundwork laid for Ridmark.
July 5, 2024
A good tale, well told...
October 7, 2024
Absolutely wonderful and creative and a gif way to introduce new readers into the series. I loved how creative the monsters were and the buildup to the finale was well planned and written.
Read
February 13, 2025Fun easy read, wild take on mashing up King Arthur Era vibes and other world fantasy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews