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Ren of Atikala #1
Ren of Atikala
I am Ren of Atikala. Kobold. Sorcerer. Warrior. I am many things and I have many stories to tell. This one is about my home.
Home. The word has a special resonance with us all. Great or humble, rich or poor, everyone cherishes their home and if deprived of it loses a piece of themselves.
I remember looking back at Atikala, its ceiling collapsed in, the homes of fifty thousand kobolds crushed under unimaginable tonnes of rock and dirt. I remembering the feeling of horror and denial that immediately set in. I wanted to reject that this had happened to me, to scream to the ceiling until the rock receded, until fate changed its mind and restored everything to the way it was. I thought that life could not be so cruel as to take everything I’d known in an instant.
Oh, how I now understand that life can be capricious indeed.
This is story of how I came to the surface of Drathari and unwillingly traded a life for a life.
Home. The word has a special resonance with us all. Great or humble, rich or poor, everyone cherishes their home and if deprived of it loses a piece of themselves.
I remember looking back at Atikala, its ceiling collapsed in, the homes of fifty thousand kobolds crushed under unimaginable tonnes of rock and dirt. I remembering the feeling of horror and denial that immediately set in. I wanted to reject that this had happened to me, to scream to the ceiling until the rock receded, until fate changed its mind and restored everything to the way it was. I thought that life could not be so cruel as to take everything I’d known in an instant.
Oh, how I now understand that life can be capricious indeed.
This is story of how I came to the surface of Drathari and unwillingly traded a life for a life.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
126 people are currently reading
382 people want to read
About the author
David Adams
54 books73 followersI've always been writing in my mind. I have way, way, way too many stories to tell and far too little time to tell them.
I've been involved in Star Trek roleplay-by-emails for a few years, where basically I learned my craft, but it's only last year that I actually started putting these thoughts to paper.
By day I'm a software engineer. But by night I write a little science fiction, a little fantasy, a little humour and comedy, and a little erotica under pen names.
I've been involved in Star Trek roleplay-by-emails for a few years, where basically I learned my craft, but it's only last year that I actually started putting these thoughts to paper.
By day I'm a software engineer. But by night I write a little science fiction, a little fantasy, a little humour and comedy, and a little erotica under pen names.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
January 3, 2015
I received an electronic copy of this book as part of the EPIC: Fourteen Books Of Fantasy boxed set in exchange for an honest review.
The beginning of this book was good and I was all set to like the series, but then it got stupid. The beginning was all about the culture of the kobolds and what made the heroine unique among them. I liked that part and could have easily read more of that and her upbringing. But the book skipped on to the main plot in which all of her past becomes immediately irrelevant as everyone dies and she and a companion have to survive on their own and hopefully reach shelter at the nearest kobold city.
The point of the journey is, I think, to show how our heroine is evolving away from being a normal kobold who has no individuality and thinks only of the good of the whole and views everyone who isn't a kobold as a monster into a being more like a human. I detested that part as it makes it seem as though it's not okay to be anything but human, that her own values were wrong, and because the way it was done was so clumsy. We see the bad sides of being kobold, but not the bad sides of the gnomes and the humans. I think I would have respected the heroine more if she'd made her own kobold path rather than rejecting their values.
There's more to the story than this. A lot of fighting, some backstabbing and, of course, dragons, but the backstabbing and dragons take up relatively little of the book, which is a shame as they were the second most interesting thing about the book.
There's good stuff about this book, but I can't stand the moralizing.
The beginning of this book was good and I was all set to like the series, but then it got stupid. The beginning was all about the culture of the kobolds and what made the heroine unique among them. I liked that part and could have easily read more of that and her upbringing. But the book skipped on to the main plot in which all of her past becomes immediately irrelevant as everyone dies and she and a companion have to survive on their own and hopefully reach shelter at the nearest kobold city.
The point of the journey is, I think, to show how our heroine is evolving away from being a normal kobold who has no individuality and thinks only of the good of the whole and views everyone who isn't a kobold as a monster into a being more like a human. I detested that part as it makes it seem as though it's not okay to be anything but human, that her own values were wrong, and because the way it was done was so clumsy. We see the bad sides of being kobold, but not the bad sides of the gnomes and the humans. I think I would have respected the heroine more if she'd made her own kobold path rather than rejecting their values.
There's more to the story than this. A lot of fighting, some backstabbing and, of course, dragons, but the backstabbing and dragons take up relatively little of the book, which is a shame as they were the second most interesting thing about the book.
There's good stuff about this book, but I can't stand the moralizing.
February 26, 2015
When adventurers think of kobolds, it is usually in terms of their being a container for single-digit XP.
This book only barely shows the flip side of the situation, of an extremely communal and regimented culture whose values are only tangentially in common with human society. It grabbed me with a fantastic opening line--"I was born dead"--and propelled through a few chapters of this weirdly disciplined and alien state of mind. Then it threw that all away as the protagonist became separated from her home city and began a long spiritual and emotional journey as she traveled through unfamiliar territory toward a nebulous goal, in the company of someone distasteful and slanted the other way on the cruel-monster scale.
Ren's spiritual journey is ultimately unsatisfactory and rather off-putting, as it shows her diverging from the kobold norm and stepping toward the humanocentric for no adequately explained reason other than "she was born different and decides her own destiny". It is doubly unsatisfying because this first part of her tale doesn't complete it, and ends on a cliffhanger.
Oddly, the book leans so heavily on the Pathfinder Role Playing Game materials that the author felt it necessary to include a copy of the Open Game License.
This book only barely shows the flip side of the situation, of an extremely communal and regimented culture whose values are only tangentially in common with human society. It grabbed me with a fantastic opening line--"I was born dead"--and propelled through a few chapters of this weirdly disciplined and alien state of mind. Then it threw that all away as the protagonist became separated from her home city and began a long spiritual and emotional journey as she traveled through unfamiliar territory toward a nebulous goal, in the company of someone distasteful and slanted the other way on the cruel-monster scale.
Ren's spiritual journey is ultimately unsatisfactory and rather off-putting, as it shows her diverging from the kobold norm and stepping toward the humanocentric for no adequately explained reason other than "she was born different and decides her own destiny". It is doubly unsatisfying because this first part of her tale doesn't complete it, and ends on a cliffhanger.
Oddly, the book leans so heavily on the Pathfinder Role Playing Game materials that the author felt it necessary to include a copy of the Open Game License.
December 3, 2015
Oh, I liked this book.
I didn't have any expectations of it, I'm already pretty tired from reading 12 other fantasy books from the bundle, and I think this one should have been placed right at the beginning of the bundle, not at the very end.
It's not much in the sense of story, plot, or anything, but I like very much that it showed the world from the eyes of something not human.
I figure Ren's probably going to join some typical RPG party sometime in the series, and I'm not sure I'm all that excited to see it, but I liked her and loved how she named and described things she'd never seen before. I laughed a lot with things as "body tears", "outerfeet" and "world bones", and that's what got it that fourth star there. It gave the book the light, fun, endearing feel I was needing so much.
I didn't have any expectations of it, I'm already pretty tired from reading 12 other fantasy books from the bundle, and I think this one should have been placed right at the beginning of the bundle, not at the very end.
It's not much in the sense of story, plot, or anything, but I like very much that it showed the world from the eyes of something not human.
I figure Ren's probably going to join some typical RPG party sometime in the series, and I'm not sure I'm all that excited to see it, but I liked her and loved how she named and described things she'd never seen before. I laughed a lot with things as "body tears", "outerfeet" and "world bones", and that's what got it that fourth star there. It gave the book the light, fun, endearing feel I was needing so much.
January 11, 2016
Things just felt right when I was reading this book. It's a simple "heading off into the unknown" kind of fantasy adventure, featuring some races that normally don't get much of the spotlight: kobolds and gnomes. It has some delightful surprises and some that are terrifying. It's not a perfect book, but I had loads of fun reading it. I can't wait to read the next installment. And I hope a certain sadistic gnome makes a return, he was a real psycho bastard.
January 12, 2016
I'll rate this on Goodreads
Although somewhat amateurish, the author finds his voice and tells quite a compelling tale. I'm looking forward to the next installment.
Although somewhat amateurish, the author finds his voice and tells quite a compelling tale. I'm looking forward to the next installment.
July 7, 2023
Ren of Atikala is an interesting novel if only because it's told from a non-humanoid perspective and almost all of the interactions are with non-human species throughout the novel, with a few minor exceptions. In honesty, it's probably worth reading just for that. It's certainly not a poorly written novel and it has an interesting narrative with a sting in the tale.
I think where I struggled with it was in the morality aspects. You see Ren is a Kobold, a creature of the dark underground. And whilst sentient and intelligent, kobolds have a very different attitude and structured society. No, that isn't my problem. Actually, that was fascinating. Seeing how the Kobold society was structured - the lack of importance of individuality and the focus on the survival of the whole for instance - was fascinating. No. My problem was that in making this a tale of a Kobold finding her own way, the author loses the uniqueness of the Kobold tale.
Ren is an interesting character to start with. Partially outcast due to her golden colouring even as she's respected for her magic, she's both insider and outsider. Part of the Guard even though her magic means she could be a Leader. The problem is that you only get a couple of chapters, if that, of Atikala. Then devastation happens with Ren being one of two survivors. And then it... slowly but steadily loses it's way.
The trip to the surface to find another colony felt a tad formulaic. I made a quip to my husband about it being a half decent D&D prompt... and I wasn't far off. The author has heavily leant on the Pathfinder Role Playing Game materials. But the closer Ren gets to the destination, the less Kobold she is. And that might not be a problem if the novel wasn't so heavily biased to it being a good, good thing. Her companions responses and reactions to her change are so out of proportion half the time that you have no choice but to see him as the bad guy.
It felt... unbalanced. Uneven. Ren becoming more human is good because humans are good. But we all know that humans aren't always good. Half the time we're middling between trying to be good and still screwing it up. There's a decent chunk of genuinely kind and bitchy and awful. And the outliers of Mother Teresa and Hitler. But this novel doesn't capture any of the grey. Not being a kobold is good because kobold be bad and human be good. If you write a novel like that you are kind of doomed to miss.
So yeah. I'm... torn. There is some wonderful writing here. The narrative is more than competent and the writing is decent. There are some moments of brilliance - the kobolds seeing a gnome take off her 'feet' and being absolutely horrified made my day. It's not a bad book, particularly on face value. But it does read a bit like a thin D&D campaign where the player hasn't really got to grips with playing a non-human perspective. Might continue. Might not.
I think where I struggled with it was in the morality aspects. You see Ren is a Kobold, a creature of the dark underground. And whilst sentient and intelligent, kobolds have a very different attitude and structured society. No, that isn't my problem. Actually, that was fascinating. Seeing how the Kobold society was structured - the lack of importance of individuality and the focus on the survival of the whole for instance - was fascinating. No. My problem was that in making this a tale of a Kobold finding her own way, the author loses the uniqueness of the Kobold tale.
Ren is an interesting character to start with. Partially outcast due to her golden colouring even as she's respected for her magic, she's both insider and outsider. Part of the Guard even though her magic means she could be a Leader. The problem is that you only get a couple of chapters, if that, of Atikala. Then devastation happens with Ren being one of two survivors. And then it... slowly but steadily loses it's way.
The trip to the surface to find another colony felt a tad formulaic. I made a quip to my husband about it being a half decent D&D prompt... and I wasn't far off. The author has heavily leant on the Pathfinder Role Playing Game materials. But the closer Ren gets to the destination, the less Kobold she is. And that might not be a problem if the novel wasn't so heavily biased to it being a good, good thing. Her companions responses and reactions to her change are so out of proportion half the time that you have no choice but to see him as the bad guy.
It felt... unbalanced. Uneven. Ren becoming more human is good because humans are good. But we all know that humans aren't always good. Half the time we're middling between trying to be good and still screwing it up. There's a decent chunk of genuinely kind and bitchy and awful. And the outliers of Mother Teresa and Hitler. But this novel doesn't capture any of the grey. Not being a kobold is good because kobold be bad and human be good. If you write a novel like that you are kind of doomed to miss.
So yeah. I'm... torn. There is some wonderful writing here. The narrative is more than competent and the writing is decent. There are some moments of brilliance - the kobolds seeing a gnome take off her 'feet' and being absolutely horrified made my day. It's not a bad book, particularly on face value. But it does read a bit like a thin D&D campaign where the player hasn't really got to grips with playing a non-human perspective. Might continue. Might not.
September 4, 2013
(Warning: Another super long review by me!)
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest Review.
It's been a while since I've read a standard fantasy book. The first books I ever read were the Dragonlance series by Margaret Weis and Tracey Hickman. I didn't read for several years after that until I discovered the wonderful Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula K. Leguin at my highschool's library. It was that trilogy that really kindled my love for reading. Much like the beautiful covers of the Earthsea books which always reminded me of tiles for some reason the cover of Ren of Atikala drew me in and made me want to know what the book was about and the premise of it was so extremely unique. There are plenty of your standard human heroes, elves and even a dwarf or two but a kobold? I'd never read about one and not only was a Kobold the main character but also the hero of the book and on top of that Ren is a female kobold. I just had to know more so I eagerly dug into Ren of Atikala and discovered that there was nothing "standard" about this fantasy book. It was exceptional! Ren's world is a big scary place and her travels instantly took me back to my childhood, of playing Dungeons and Dragons, reading Dragonlance, learning about Drizzit for the first time. It brought back all of those memories and added to them. Ren might be a little Kobold by human standards but there's nothing little about her, her tale or her destiny.
The book starts out by introducing us to Ren's world deep inside her cavern home with her community. Kobolds are very different from alot of the other races yet so eerily similar. They love their homes, guard them with their lives and they value their community. In fact the normal Kobold lives each and every second for their community so when tragedy strikes and Ren is forced to leave everything she's ever known behind we begin her journey into not only discovering the big wide world but also who she really is. Ren has always been different and it's not just her scales which are pure golden. She's always had a bit of an independant streak but inside her home she's never really had a chance to grow or even think about what she really wants or who she really is in the great scheme of things.
Home. The word has a special resonance with us all. Great or humble, rich or poor, everyone cherishes their home and if deprived of it loses a pice of themselves.
Ren is not only a little bit differnt but she's also a warrior and a sorcerer.
I disliked being unable to control my mind while I slept, but I knew sorcerers always dreamed. Our dreams reflected the faint sliver of powerful blood in our veins, a body stuffed with too much soul, the excess spilling into the night hours. It was the price we paid for our arts.
As Ren and and her companion Khavi travel through the tunnels leading to the world beyond and to Ssarsdale where their Kobold cousins live they face many obstacles and Ren begins to question many things that she has been taught her whole life. You see Kobolds have much in common with the other races of the world. They are raised in fear and believe that humans, elves and gnomes are all evil and that they are the good guys. In fact there are many passages dealing with this. At one point it shows them talking about how gnomes hearts must be black along with the blood in their veins so what happens when you're thrust out into the world only to discover that which you were led to believe your whole life isn't true? That even through their differences the races all have much in common and maybe, just maybe they are not all evil like Ren once believed. But then what does that make her and her own kind? Evil? Or just different. These are the moral dilemna's Ren must face along with surviving her journey.
We live in a world surrounded by hate, by hungry steel in blood-soaked hands. Humans. Elves. Gnomes. Jealous of our gifts, these wicked races of darkness are your enemies. They hate you as you hate them, seeking only your destruction and the denial of our destiny. Never hesitate to spill their blood, for they would end you in a hearbeat. The righteous can have no mercy for monsters. Say it with me now, children! Shout it to the stones above! Let all who hear our voices tremble in fear! No mercy for monsters! No mercy for monsters! No mercy for monsters!
I could go on and on all day about this book. The writing was superb and it reads like David Adams has been writing fantasy for his whole life. The story along with it's setting was so unique and fascinating. I literally could not put down my kindle. For some reason I was thinking that this was going to be a lighthearted adventure and while there were some funny passages, especially when the kobolds were trying to figure stuff out about other races and the world it was a very gritty and realistic story. I forgot that Kobolds are not gnomes. They are not happy go lucky creatures and they live in a big world where they are just the little guys. That is why they breed so fast, they win wars and discourage aggression through sheer numbers but that doesnt' mean they aren't brave. Some of the things Ren and Khavi face would send many humans or elves fleeing for their very lives yet they do it with courage and honor. One thing I really enjoyed about this story was that inbetween the chapters you get to read a journal entry from Ren's future self and catch a glimpse of who Ren will eventually become and her views on the world and the things she went through at the very beginning of her tale. I cannot wait to find out what Ren's destiny is. It's apparent from the book that great things are in store for Ren, that her destiny is larger than her small frame and you get to experience the beginning of her growth as she learns to value those around her and follow her own course. This was simply a great book and deserves to stand amongst those titles I mentioned earlier. It's been days since I've finished reading it and I still can't get Ren out of my head. If you love adventure, fantasy and want something a bit different then give Ren of Atikala a try. This is one journey you do not want to miss and I'm so very thankful for getting a chance to read this and for that the wonderful cover which drew me in and made me want to find out more. Just all around an excellent read! I'm going to leave you with this last little passage, it just feels like the best way to end this.
"you...I sense something about you. I sense you are destined for great things." A sad edge filtered into his tone. "And great pain." "Pain?" "This is the curse of all those who bear great power. Each of us suffer our burdens, and those are stones we carry until we are dead. The greater our strength, the more weight life stacks on our backs."
I would give this one 10 stars if I could but will have to settle for 5 since that is all that is allowed. :)
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest Review.
It's been a while since I've read a standard fantasy book. The first books I ever read were the Dragonlance series by Margaret Weis and Tracey Hickman. I didn't read for several years after that until I discovered the wonderful Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula K. Leguin at my highschool's library. It was that trilogy that really kindled my love for reading. Much like the beautiful covers of the Earthsea books which always reminded me of tiles for some reason the cover of Ren of Atikala drew me in and made me want to know what the book was about and the premise of it was so extremely unique. There are plenty of your standard human heroes, elves and even a dwarf or two but a kobold? I'd never read about one and not only was a Kobold the main character but also the hero of the book and on top of that Ren is a female kobold. I just had to know more so I eagerly dug into Ren of Atikala and discovered that there was nothing "standard" about this fantasy book. It was exceptional! Ren's world is a big scary place and her travels instantly took me back to my childhood, of playing Dungeons and Dragons, reading Dragonlance, learning about Drizzit for the first time. It brought back all of those memories and added to them. Ren might be a little Kobold by human standards but there's nothing little about her, her tale or her destiny.
The book starts out by introducing us to Ren's world deep inside her cavern home with her community. Kobolds are very different from alot of the other races yet so eerily similar. They love their homes, guard them with their lives and they value their community. In fact the normal Kobold lives each and every second for their community so when tragedy strikes and Ren is forced to leave everything she's ever known behind we begin her journey into not only discovering the big wide world but also who she really is. Ren has always been different and it's not just her scales which are pure golden. She's always had a bit of an independant streak but inside her home she's never really had a chance to grow or even think about what she really wants or who she really is in the great scheme of things.
Home. The word has a special resonance with us all. Great or humble, rich or poor, everyone cherishes their home and if deprived of it loses a pice of themselves.
Ren is not only a little bit differnt but she's also a warrior and a sorcerer.
I disliked being unable to control my mind while I slept, but I knew sorcerers always dreamed. Our dreams reflected the faint sliver of powerful blood in our veins, a body stuffed with too much soul, the excess spilling into the night hours. It was the price we paid for our arts.
As Ren and and her companion Khavi travel through the tunnels leading to the world beyond and to Ssarsdale where their Kobold cousins live they face many obstacles and Ren begins to question many things that she has been taught her whole life. You see Kobolds have much in common with the other races of the world. They are raised in fear and believe that humans, elves and gnomes are all evil and that they are the good guys. In fact there are many passages dealing with this. At one point it shows them talking about how gnomes hearts must be black along with the blood in their veins so what happens when you're thrust out into the world only to discover that which you were led to believe your whole life isn't true? That even through their differences the races all have much in common and maybe, just maybe they are not all evil like Ren once believed. But then what does that make her and her own kind? Evil? Or just different. These are the moral dilemna's Ren must face along with surviving her journey.
We live in a world surrounded by hate, by hungry steel in blood-soaked hands. Humans. Elves. Gnomes. Jealous of our gifts, these wicked races of darkness are your enemies. They hate you as you hate them, seeking only your destruction and the denial of our destiny. Never hesitate to spill their blood, for they would end you in a hearbeat. The righteous can have no mercy for monsters. Say it with me now, children! Shout it to the stones above! Let all who hear our voices tremble in fear! No mercy for monsters! No mercy for monsters! No mercy for monsters!
I could go on and on all day about this book. The writing was superb and it reads like David Adams has been writing fantasy for his whole life. The story along with it's setting was so unique and fascinating. I literally could not put down my kindle. For some reason I was thinking that this was going to be a lighthearted adventure and while there were some funny passages, especially when the kobolds were trying to figure stuff out about other races and the world it was a very gritty and realistic story. I forgot that Kobolds are not gnomes. They are not happy go lucky creatures and they live in a big world where they are just the little guys. That is why they breed so fast, they win wars and discourage aggression through sheer numbers but that doesnt' mean they aren't brave. Some of the things Ren and Khavi face would send many humans or elves fleeing for their very lives yet they do it with courage and honor. One thing I really enjoyed about this story was that inbetween the chapters you get to read a journal entry from Ren's future self and catch a glimpse of who Ren will eventually become and her views on the world and the things she went through at the very beginning of her tale. I cannot wait to find out what Ren's destiny is. It's apparent from the book that great things are in store for Ren, that her destiny is larger than her small frame and you get to experience the beginning of her growth as she learns to value those around her and follow her own course. This was simply a great book and deserves to stand amongst those titles I mentioned earlier. It's been days since I've finished reading it and I still can't get Ren out of my head. If you love adventure, fantasy and want something a bit different then give Ren of Atikala a try. This is one journey you do not want to miss and I'm so very thankful for getting a chance to read this and for that the wonderful cover which drew me in and made me want to find out more. Just all around an excellent read! I'm going to leave you with this last little passage, it just feels like the best way to end this.
"you...I sense something about you. I sense you are destined for great things." A sad edge filtered into his tone. "And great pain." "Pain?" "This is the curse of all those who bear great power. Each of us suffer our burdens, and those are stones we carry until we are dead. The greater our strength, the more weight life stacks on our backs."
I would give this one 10 stars if I could but will have to settle for 5 since that is all that is allowed. :)
January 5, 2021
I am not a fan of this genre and normally would not read this type of book at all.
However I started to read it a couple of days ago to pass the hours spent at airports and during long plane flights travelling from Darwin south to briefly visit relatives.
This is the first book in a series and I thought it logical to start with it and then see if I wanted to read any more. Frankly I was not confident I would even make it through to the end as it is not the sort of book I normally read.
Well. After my initial trepidation, I have to admit I have become totally engrossed in this fantasy world. David Adams writes in a fluid, cinematic style and my imagination was very much stimulated. The tale is gripping and I become unable to put down this ebook on my Kindle. Prejudices, perceptions and what we accept in our society as normal are wonderfully challenged. This book is more than just a story - it has some profound wisdom woven into the plot which I found interesting given the age of the writer when he wrote it more than 7 years ago.
This would make a brilliant movie that could use the full power of modern animation techniques.
The ending of Book 1 has left me hungrily hunting through Amazon to find Books 2 and 3 and any more in the series.
I honestly did not think I would enjoy this type of story at all but I loved it.
Find it on Amazon and sit back and enjoy!
However I started to read it a couple of days ago to pass the hours spent at airports and during long plane flights travelling from Darwin south to briefly visit relatives.
This is the first book in a series and I thought it logical to start with it and then see if I wanted to read any more. Frankly I was not confident I would even make it through to the end as it is not the sort of book I normally read.
Well. After my initial trepidation, I have to admit I have become totally engrossed in this fantasy world. David Adams writes in a fluid, cinematic style and my imagination was very much stimulated. The tale is gripping and I become unable to put down this ebook on my Kindle. Prejudices, perceptions and what we accept in our society as normal are wonderfully challenged. This book is more than just a story - it has some profound wisdom woven into the plot which I found interesting given the age of the writer when he wrote it more than 7 years ago.
This would make a brilliant movie that could use the full power of modern animation techniques.
The ending of Book 1 has left me hungrily hunting through Amazon to find Books 2 and 3 and any more in the series.
I honestly did not think I would enjoy this type of story at all but I loved it.
Find it on Amazon and sit back and enjoy!
January 30, 2022
i really hate when authors just cut off a story just when you get into it.
Other than that it was really good, I just really hate cliffhangers or stories that just stop like this one did. There was no wrap up..I guess our heroes made their journey but still there is way too much left untold.. and it was brutal as well. Didn’t see that coming. What a horrible painful place to leave a reader. Ouch my heart hurts and now I wonder if I really want to continue.. is this a trick to get me to buy more? If you are going to write a story with parts then advertise it, act 1-3 doesn’t tell me anything. Book 1 tells me there should be a finish to it. Otherwise it should read Part 1. I loved the MC and POV from a kobold! That was well done and the relationship with her friend… well until the end… no character resolution for them.. in this book.
Other than that it was really good, I just really hate cliffhangers or stories that just stop like this one did. There was no wrap up..I guess our heroes made their journey but still there is way too much left untold.. and it was brutal as well. Didn’t see that coming. What a horrible painful place to leave a reader. Ouch my heart hurts and now I wonder if I really want to continue.. is this a trick to get me to buy more? If you are going to write a story with parts then advertise it, act 1-3 doesn’t tell me anything. Book 1 tells me there should be a finish to it. Otherwise it should read Part 1. I loved the MC and POV from a kobold! That was well done and the relationship with her friend… well until the end… no character resolution for them.. in this book.
August 23, 2020
Well written but a bit depressing
Ren is an unusual young kobold, smarter and more empathic than most of her kind. Unfortunately the world she lives in is a brutal one, and kobolds are among the smallest and weakest monsters in D&D. Ren's attempts to make peace between kobolds and other races are repeatedly foiled, often lethally - don't get too attached to any of her friends and companions as they die like flies at the hands of humans, gnomes, and other kobolds. By the end Ren is emotionally crushed and despairing. Hopefully things get better for her in the other two books, but this one ends on rather a down note.
Ren is an unusual young kobold, smarter and more empathic than most of her kind. Unfortunately the world she lives in is a brutal one, and kobolds are among the smallest and weakest monsters in D&D. Ren's attempts to make peace between kobolds and other races are repeatedly foiled, often lethally - don't get too attached to any of her friends and companions as they die like flies at the hands of humans, gnomes, and other kobolds. By the end Ren is emotionally crushed and despairing. Hopefully things get better for her in the other two books, but this one ends on rather a down note.
September 16, 2021
The concept of an adventure from the point of view of a sort of cannon fodder enemy creature was interesting and I liked both the little tidbits about their culture and the main character trying to contend with an unfamiliar world.
However, the book itself just wasn't that good. The main character’s change of heart seems to come out of nowhere. There are a lot of simple usage errors in the text that should have been caught in editing, and the plot in the middle was very boring and repetitive with Ren trying to make friends and Khavi killing them over and over.
However, the book itself just wasn't that good. The main character’s change of heart seems to come out of nowhere. There are a lot of simple usage errors in the text that should have been caught in editing, and the plot in the middle was very boring and repetitive with Ren trying to make friends and Khavi killing them over and over.
October 4, 2017
Interesting tale, which was a good read, but ultimately did not grab me enough to want to read the next in the series. Characters appear and disappear with alarming rapidity which keeps the reader slightly off balance - this may be the author's intent but does not allow the reader to stabalise themselves in the world created - I felt more like a voyeur and couldn't fully immerse myself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2018
A great fantasy and must read!
Great read! Adams beautifully crafted and described characters are wonderful. You can see the monsters, animal and humanoids as he describes them right before your eyes! The story is fast moving. The adventure is thrilling. Thought provoking through the mind of the main character, Ren. Can't wait to read the next book!
Great read! Adams beautifully crafted and described characters are wonderful. You can see the monsters, animal and humanoids as he describes them right before your eyes! The story is fast moving. The adventure is thrilling. Thought provoking through the mind of the main character, Ren. Can't wait to read the next book!
October 21, 2018
I was expecting an upbeat adventure story about seemingly insignificant creatures doing something heroic. Instead, this story was rather bleak and dark, with creatures needlessly killing each other throughout the story, cruelty, and a lack of compassion.
I can't say that it was poorly written, I simply didn't enjoy the story.
I can't say that it was poorly written, I simply didn't enjoy the story.
February 13, 2018
Well written and a good story.
This book is well written. The story flows at a good pace and was quite nteresting. I hope this author can keep it going. I am looking forwardto the next book.
This book is well written. The story flows at a good pace and was quite nteresting. I hope this author can keep it going. I am looking forwardto the next book.
November 3, 2018
Good book with a new perspective
There was an amazing amount of philosophy in this book without ruining the story. I was a little disappointed in the ending but it was a good story and I will probably pick up the sequel
There was an amazing amount of philosophy in this book without ruining the story. I was a little disappointed in the ending but it was a good story and I will probably pick up the sequel
March 27, 2019
No Mercy for Monsters
Very well written story which makes you wonder who the real monsters are? With the chant of no mercy for monsters the ones that we would consider the monster thinks that of us.
Very well written story which makes you wonder who the real monsters are? With the chant of no mercy for monsters the ones that we would consider the monster thinks that of us.
April 10, 2023
A short but fantastic fantasy book set from the perspective of a Kobold. I may be a bit biased because Kobolds are my favorite DnD creature but this was very well written. Especially since book 1 is free and book 2 is very cheap!
May 11, 2017
I wanted to like this. The writing is good. If you want to read a game of Wizardry, then this is for you. I got tired pretty quickly and abandoned it.
May 28, 2019
I'm rating this against the rest of the books in my never-ending fantasy bundle. So by that metric it's pretty good.
July 5, 2019
An interesting perspective of the fantasy genre but sometimes the dialogue can be a little off putting and an abrupt cliff hanger
November 14, 2023
An epic adventure. Good job, David Adams!
September 5, 2013
What can I say about Ren?
I could say nothing.
That is, after all, what Ren means in the language of the Kobold – Nothing. Why is she named Nothing? To answer that, you’ll want to read this book, which is an outstanding contribution to the field of Fantasy works. David Adams should be proud of Ren. He expertly created a world with multiple intelligent races – Kobold, Gnome, Elf, Human, Dragon – and has a clear picture he lays out for the reader while telling the story in “Ren of Atikala.”
What I will say instead — I love it.
Immediately after opening the book, the reader can see the love and passion Adams has for the world he created – beautiful maps that paint a picture even before you are engaged in the story. In fact, if you look, the larger map has so many places Adams hasn’t even touched on or referenced in “Ren of Atikala,” leaving you with the impression Adams has much more planned for Ren beyond the initial journey she is forced to take.
I’m a casual fantasy fan, so I wasn’t familiar with kobolds, but Adams has done a fantastic job taking a species usually considered to be evil or inherently violent and turning them into the heroes of the story.
But, let’s get back to Ren, because without her this story wouldn’t exist. Ren is a six-year-old female kobold. She is special – when her egg was tossed in the fire to be destroyed, she was made alive by the flames, a heritage that haunts her throughout the book. Her skin is gold and she is a sorceress – a place above the normal warriors in their culture, even though she still wants to join the warriors as well.
It is on a warrior patrol that Ren and her companion Khavi survive the total destruction of their home – the city Atikala. With no place to return to, they immediately focus on vengeance for the annihilation of their friends and families – aiming for the gnomes.
However, as their journey progresses through the Underworld, their worldview is changed by their experiences and those they meet along the way. Khavi is much more grounded in traditional Kobold culture, but Ren sees more to life – a way of life that Kobold before her have not adopted. It is eventually that way of life that saves her with profound consequences in the end.
There is so much to love about this book. Told from the point of view of a species about half the size of a human, we are treated to a unique perspective on new sights and sounds. For example, when a gnome takes off her shoes – which Ren and Khavi believed to be her actual feet, they were at first disgusted and amazed at her “outer feet” and how she could climb on rocks and walk with them. Then when the same gnome was apparently sweating, to the lizard-like kobold, this was a foreign concept and Ren likened it “body tears” providing for moments of levity for the reader.
I was heavily invested in Ren’s story more and more as the book went on and will be very interested to read the next installment in Ren’s story as soon as Mr. Adams can write it. Excellent book – I highly recommend it to any fantasy fan.
I could say nothing.
That is, after all, what Ren means in the language of the Kobold – Nothing. Why is she named Nothing? To answer that, you’ll want to read this book, which is an outstanding contribution to the field of Fantasy works. David Adams should be proud of Ren. He expertly created a world with multiple intelligent races – Kobold, Gnome, Elf, Human, Dragon – and has a clear picture he lays out for the reader while telling the story in “Ren of Atikala.”
What I will say instead — I love it.
Immediately after opening the book, the reader can see the love and passion Adams has for the world he created – beautiful maps that paint a picture even before you are engaged in the story. In fact, if you look, the larger map has so many places Adams hasn’t even touched on or referenced in “Ren of Atikala,” leaving you with the impression Adams has much more planned for Ren beyond the initial journey she is forced to take.
I’m a casual fantasy fan, so I wasn’t familiar with kobolds, but Adams has done a fantastic job taking a species usually considered to be evil or inherently violent and turning them into the heroes of the story.
But, let’s get back to Ren, because without her this story wouldn’t exist. Ren is a six-year-old female kobold. She is special – when her egg was tossed in the fire to be destroyed, she was made alive by the flames, a heritage that haunts her throughout the book. Her skin is gold and she is a sorceress – a place above the normal warriors in their culture, even though she still wants to join the warriors as well.
It is on a warrior patrol that Ren and her companion Khavi survive the total destruction of their home – the city Atikala. With no place to return to, they immediately focus on vengeance for the annihilation of their friends and families – aiming for the gnomes.
However, as their journey progresses through the Underworld, their worldview is changed by their experiences and those they meet along the way. Khavi is much more grounded in traditional Kobold culture, but Ren sees more to life – a way of life that Kobold before her have not adopted. It is eventually that way of life that saves her with profound consequences in the end.
There is so much to love about this book. Told from the point of view of a species about half the size of a human, we are treated to a unique perspective on new sights and sounds. For example, when a gnome takes off her shoes – which Ren and Khavi believed to be her actual feet, they were at first disgusted and amazed at her “outer feet” and how she could climb on rocks and walk with them. Then when the same gnome was apparently sweating, to the lizard-like kobold, this was a foreign concept and Ren likened it “body tears” providing for moments of levity for the reader.
I was heavily invested in Ren’s story more and more as the book went on and will be very interested to read the next installment in Ren’s story as soon as Mr. Adams can write it. Excellent book – I highly recommend it to any fantasy fan.
September 5, 2013
I also received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I thought the book was a very interesting concept. I really wanted to like this book. But I didn't - at first. Although I thought the overall concept was interesting, I struggled through the preface. For some reason the words kept jumbling around in my head like I was reading a history book (I know in essence, it WAS a history lesson). It was brief, and I got through it. I wasn't enjoying the book until the cave-in (not a spoiler, it's mentioned in the book description). That's when I feel like it all really started (and I guess Ren did, too), and I suddenly couldn't put the book down. The main character is not human and I had a really hard time identifying with her in the beginning. My guess is that was the author's intent - introduce a completely alien creature with splashes of "humanity" that shock us and make us feel...bad? Guilty for assuming they were unfeeling because they were so unlike us?
The characters continue to come to life beautifully. Ren undergoes an incredible transformation through the events of the story, and although I really dislike her and her companion at the beginning of the book, by the end I am feeling close to her, feeling everything as she does, grieving with her. Ren's story is one I am anxious to continue when the next part of the series is complete.
I do feel the need to add that once I was finished with the book I went back and re-read the beginning that I had difficulty with at first and it made so much more sense, and I really did enjoy it then.
There were quite a few places in the story where some passages that David Adams wrote sounded so profound that I really wondered if they came from somewhere else. He has a way of eliciting strong emotions through his words.
I went into this experiment (I've never reviewed a book before)intent on leaving an honest review...I didn't expect it to be a glowing one! I really thought I'd think it was "just an okay" book. But I came out of this story feeling that it had changed me. Not an easy task to accomplish.
I sincerely recommend this book to anyone looking for a really, honestly GOOD book. And I look forward to the next part of Ren's story.
I thought the book was a very interesting concept. I really wanted to like this book. But I didn't - at first. Although I thought the overall concept was interesting, I struggled through the preface. For some reason the words kept jumbling around in my head like I was reading a history book (I know in essence, it WAS a history lesson). It was brief, and I got through it. I wasn't enjoying the book until the cave-in (not a spoiler, it's mentioned in the book description). That's when I feel like it all really started (and I guess Ren did, too), and I suddenly couldn't put the book down. The main character is not human and I had a really hard time identifying with her in the beginning. My guess is that was the author's intent - introduce a completely alien creature with splashes of "humanity" that shock us and make us feel...bad? Guilty for assuming they were unfeeling because they were so unlike us?
The characters continue to come to life beautifully. Ren undergoes an incredible transformation through the events of the story, and although I really dislike her and her companion at the beginning of the book, by the end I am feeling close to her, feeling everything as she does, grieving with her. Ren's story is one I am anxious to continue when the next part of the series is complete.
I do feel the need to add that once I was finished with the book I went back and re-read the beginning that I had difficulty with at first and it made so much more sense, and I really did enjoy it then.
There were quite a few places in the story where some passages that David Adams wrote sounded so profound that I really wondered if they came from somewhere else. He has a way of eliciting strong emotions through his words.
I went into this experiment (I've never reviewed a book before)intent on leaving an honest review...I didn't expect it to be a glowing one! I really thought I'd think it was "just an okay" book. But I came out of this story feeling that it had changed me. Not an easy task to accomplish.
I sincerely recommend this book to anyone looking for a really, honestly GOOD book. And I look forward to the next part of Ren's story.
May 30, 2015
NOTE:I did not receive a copy of this book from anyone in return for an honest review, but I will give one, regardless. That's just the way I am.
This book hooked me from the start with the most clever opening I have ever read (since I have been reading for 65 years, that's a lot of openings by many World and Master Class authors). "I was born dead". WOW !
Most fantasy stories that feature Kobalds picture them as brutish, mindless killers, like Khavi the sidekick through most of the story. But Ren is different. For one, she has golden scales - no other kobald in racial history has had golden scales. She doesn't know who her father or mother is or were or if either is still living. I won't throw out a spoiler, but I was a bit surprised.
Yes, Ren is a strange Kobold. She is a warrior AND a budding sorceress. She does not immediately succumb to a berserker battle rage when confronted by a new or different species (there is a funny story involving "first contact" with a goat that had me ROTFLMAO ... well, not quite. I still have my ass and derriere too.
Mr. Adams knows how to spell and uses good grammar 99% of the time. He must have had Grammar Check turned on - or a good editor, or both. I guess he could have been an English teacher in another life.
I really enjoyed this book.
Oh, and look out for outer feet. They might be poisonous!
This book hooked me from the start with the most clever opening I have ever read (since I have been reading for 65 years, that's a lot of openings by many World and Master Class authors). "I was born dead". WOW !
Most fantasy stories that feature Kobalds picture them as brutish, mindless killers, like Khavi the sidekick through most of the story. But Ren is different. For one, she has golden scales - no other kobald in racial history has had golden scales. She doesn't know who her father or mother is or were or if either is still living. I won't throw out a spoiler, but I was a bit surprised.
Yes, Ren is a strange Kobold. She is a warrior AND a budding sorceress. She does not immediately succumb to a berserker battle rage when confronted by a new or different species (there is a funny story involving "first contact" with a goat that had me ROTFLMAO ... well, not quite. I still have my ass and derriere too.
Mr. Adams knows how to spell and uses good grammar 99% of the time. He must have had Grammar Check turned on - or a good editor, or both. I guess he could have been an English teacher in another life.
I really enjoyed this book.
Oh, and look out for outer feet. They might be poisonous!
January 29, 2015
Well, there were points I love this and points I hated this. That's way fantasy novels go, it very well. But, I think, i'm not cut out for the violence.
That pun was, slightly, intended
But it no one certain terms, the book started out well, hit a few bumpy points, seemed like it was going to be good direction, hit a few more bubbly points, you know this book felt like it was a bumpy ride with one very good call mall and one very bad call wall. Forgive me for saying so, but I really didn't like Khavi. And I'm not sure I like kobold society. You know, I think it was a well-written book, just not one for me. Yes, I read the whole book, because I try to finish a book to see if I like it. Sometimes it happens. I wouldn't grade this one down, because my opinion is it everyone's opinion. And I truly do believe that this book would be right for the right reader. I just wasn't the right reader.
That pun was, slightly, intended
But it no one certain terms, the book started out well, hit a few bumpy points, seemed like it was going to be good direction, hit a few more bubbly points, you know this book felt like it was a bumpy ride with one very good call mall and one very bad call wall. Forgive me for saying so, but I really didn't like Khavi. And I'm not sure I like kobold society. You know, I think it was a well-written book, just not one for me. Yes, I read the whole book, because I try to finish a book to see if I like it. Sometimes it happens. I wouldn't grade this one down, because my opinion is it everyone's opinion. And I truly do believe that this book would be right for the right reader. I just wasn't the right reader.
November 19, 2016
I read this as part of a series of freebie e-books, and this was about the 3rd or 4th one in. The bar was set pretty low by the earlier books so I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It's not the best book I've ever read, but the story was presented from a very interesting perspective of a non-human main character raised to think the other races were monsters, not worthy of any more thought than a bug you might squish. Case in point - she wore human-skin armor. It makes for an interesting starting point.
Overall the characters feel a little flat, but not horribly. The plot isn't particularly complete in this one story (it's a first in series), but it's also not boring. Overall it was a pleasant read. Am I going off to pick up the next book, probably not, but I don't feel that reading this was a waste of my time either. It's found a nice middle ground.
Overall the characters feel a little flat, but not horribly. The plot isn't particularly complete in this one story (it's a first in series), but it's also not boring. Overall it was a pleasant read. Am I going off to pick up the next book, probably not, but I don't feel that reading this was a waste of my time either. It's found a nice middle ground.
July 10, 2015
This is one of those rare books that I happen to stumble upon that blow me away. In the world of Amazon self publishing they are few and far between, but this story is one of them. As someone who plays Pathfinder I was really able to appreciate this book, so often you find stories that talk of Elves, Humans, Dwarves, Dragons, and other interesting creatures, yet David Adams was able to look beyond that and take what would normally be an insignificant CR 1/3 creature, and look at the world through her eye's. The next time I encounter a Kobold while adventuring I don't think I will ever be able to look at them the same again!
February 1, 2015
Interesting concept but I'm still not clear on the purpose of the story. What are characters trying to find out ? I expect some people like the mystery and there certainly are some unexpected plot twists. However for me not knowing at least some big picture (are we saving the world, find some destiny, defeat somebody ....) is not that attractive. Yet it might be worth the second part hoping that the big picture shows up and is a good one.
April 22, 2016
I enjoyed this book. It is creative and I could visualize many of the greatly varied places that Ren travels through. I loved the descriptions of things that are very common to us but totally alien to Ren. The adventures and difficulties were interesting but some of the solutions were too easily stumbled upon.this would be a good book (note there is mild profanity) for anyone looking for a short, amusing story.
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