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Legends of Karac Tor #3
The Song of Unmaking
IN THE BITTER NORTH, HOPE AND FEAR COLLIDE.
The dreadful Goths have invaded Röckval, testing the strength of Bitterland’s beautiful, widowed ruler. Meanwhile, the Barlow brothers are growing stronger and stronger in their powers—all except for Ewan, who traded his gift away to save the life of his friends.
Soon it becomes clear that the Goths are the least of their worries. A terrible machine is being built high atop Mount Vishgar, above Röckval, where the raging winds never cease. If the machine really does release the Song of Unmaking, what will happen? Can Arthur lay aside his grief and once more become a great leader of men? And what is the mysterious Doorless Tower, Nein Dyrr?
As Kr’Nunos grows more bold, the Barlow brothers take their stand with the viks of the north. Yet it is Ewan alone who must answer the question: Is any music stronger than the most powerful song of destruction the world has ever known?
The dreadful Goths have invaded Röckval, testing the strength of Bitterland’s beautiful, widowed ruler. Meanwhile, the Barlow brothers are growing stronger and stronger in their powers—all except for Ewan, who traded his gift away to save the life of his friends.
Soon it becomes clear that the Goths are the least of their worries. A terrible machine is being built high atop Mount Vishgar, above Röckval, where the raging winds never cease. If the machine really does release the Song of Unmaking, what will happen? Can Arthur lay aside his grief and once more become a great leader of men? And what is the mysterious Doorless Tower, Nein Dyrr?
As Kr’Nunos grows more bold, the Barlow brothers take their stand with the viks of the north. Yet it is Ewan alone who must answer the question: Is any music stronger than the most powerful song of destruction the world has ever known?
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 15, 2011
4 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
D. Barkley Briggs
19 books38 followersDean "D. Barkley" Briggs is happily married to Jeanie, the proud father of eight grown children and two grandchildren. A New Covenant storyteller, Dean loves the magical power of words. He dreams, prophecies and prays across the world, speaking and preaching on the great story of God. His novels include two medical thrillers, The God Spot, and The Most Important Little Boy in the World, and the acclaimed, 5-part YA fantasy series, The Legends of Karac Tor. He also has number of non-fiction works, including Ekklesia Rising and The Jesus Fast, co-authored with Lou Engle. A new novel, The Withering Tree, is soon to be released.
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DeanBriggs.com |
Facebook/Twitter @ DBarkleyBriggs
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DeanBriggs.com |
Facebook/Twitter @ DBarkleyBriggs
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 5, 2011
Mr. Briggs wrote this book to help his sons through a hard time in their lives, their mothers' death. He succeeded in his purpose for writing the novel. The book is centered around the Barlow brothers, young men who display courage, honesty, and overall integrity.
The events of this book will capture and continue to hold the readers' attention. The events are very fast-paced, the reader will receive information constantly-enough that could almost be confusing, but the author manages to portray the information in such a way that the reader should be able to keep everything in order. The names of the places and people the Barlow brother visit and meet are a little fantastical, keeping with the fantasy, almost Alice In Wonderland feel of the novel.
The Song of Unmaking is a fascinating concept that is the highlight of the plot. The reader will not be even slightly disappointed in the author's later explanation of this phenomena. The secondary characters all have little quirks that will allow them to stand out to the reader and make him/her more memorable than the average secondary character. The ending could not happen any other way, the reader has a series to look forward too. This book is recommended to teens/young adults.
November 15, 2011
We have an author to introduce to you and the kids in your life - young-adult fantasy novelist Dean Barkley Briggs. After losing his wife of 16 years, Dean created a tale his four sons could relate to in their own journey through loss - thus was born The Legends of Karac Tor, a sweeping epic of four brothers enmeshed in the crisis of another world. In God's timing, Briggs remarried Jeanie, who'd lost her husband in an auto accident. Together with her four children, they spend each day grateful for their eight blessings. This series is great for teens and pre-teens.
He was once the greatest champion in the land. Then he disappeared. With Nemesia's defeat, the Barlows have helped turn the tide in the Hidden Lands. But the victory is short-lived. An even greater evil stirs in the north with a fierce new army bent on destruction. As the twins, Gabe and Garret, discover their own special powers, a thin thread of hope emerges: long ago, a fabled king was rescued from death on our world and hidden on Karac Tor. Who is he? Each brother has their part to play. Hadyn must travel north to warn the land rulers, which leaves Ewan with a bitter choice. Will he sacrifice what is most precious to discover whether Corus lives? Even more important, if Corus is alive, can he wake the Sleeping King of legend...before it's too late?
About The Author:
D. Barkley Briggs is an author with a background in radio, public relations, product development, and-for eleven years-pastoring. He and his wife Jeanie, both previously widowed, live in the Midwest along with their eight children. (Yes, we are regularly amazed, too.) Learn more at hiddenlands.net.
My Review:
As I turn the first page past the prologue and start reading, I am immediately taken back to ancient times in another world with gnomes, viks, witches, champions and dare I say an old King from legends long ago! This story bases itself upon the 4 young Barlow Brothers and their father who have somehow come through a portal into this new unforgiving and brutal land. The king of legend must awaken and decide if he shall rule of if Odessa the Vanir who rules over the existing country will rule and he will follow. What of this mysterious Sound machine that threatens all of the world into darkness, and who will stop it before it is completed?
This novel is one in the Legends of Karac Tor series and is a great read by itself! I would recommend that you purchase the first books and read the entire series as at first it took me a while to acclimate to the characters and the story line since it is not the first book in the series. I did love the relationships of the 4 brothers who learn how to come together and take care of each other when times get rough and really bond learning their new gifts as a result of going through the portal to a new time and place. Definitely a gripping story taking you through twists and turns at every page! I loved the book and cannot wait to get the rest of series in the novel to read up on the beginning and the end.
I rate this book on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, a 5 out of 5! Thank you D. Barkley Briggs for creating such a wonderful series and book! I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is a fantasy and mythical lover!I received this book from Glass Roads Public Relations at no charge for my express review only.
He was once the greatest champion in the land. Then he disappeared. With Nemesia's defeat, the Barlows have helped turn the tide in the Hidden Lands. But the victory is short-lived. An even greater evil stirs in the north with a fierce new army bent on destruction. As the twins, Gabe and Garret, discover their own special powers, a thin thread of hope emerges: long ago, a fabled king was rescued from death on our world and hidden on Karac Tor. Who is he? Each brother has their part to play. Hadyn must travel north to warn the land rulers, which leaves Ewan with a bitter choice. Will he sacrifice what is most precious to discover whether Corus lives? Even more important, if Corus is alive, can he wake the Sleeping King of legend...before it's too late?
About The Author:
D. Barkley Briggs is an author with a background in radio, public relations, product development, and-for eleven years-pastoring. He and his wife Jeanie, both previously widowed, live in the Midwest along with their eight children. (Yes, we are regularly amazed, too.) Learn more at hiddenlands.net.
My Review:
As I turn the first page past the prologue and start reading, I am immediately taken back to ancient times in another world with gnomes, viks, witches, champions and dare I say an old King from legends long ago! This story bases itself upon the 4 young Barlow Brothers and their father who have somehow come through a portal into this new unforgiving and brutal land. The king of legend must awaken and decide if he shall rule of if Odessa the Vanir who rules over the existing country will rule and he will follow. What of this mysterious Sound machine that threatens all of the world into darkness, and who will stop it before it is completed?
This novel is one in the Legends of Karac Tor series and is a great read by itself! I would recommend that you purchase the first books and read the entire series as at first it took me a while to acclimate to the characters and the story line since it is not the first book in the series. I did love the relationships of the 4 brothers who learn how to come together and take care of each other when times get rough and really bond learning their new gifts as a result of going through the portal to a new time and place. Definitely a gripping story taking you through twists and turns at every page! I loved the book and cannot wait to get the rest of series in the novel to read up on the beginning and the end.
I rate this book on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, a 5 out of 5! Thank you D. Barkley Briggs for creating such a wonderful series and book! I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is a fantasy and mythical lover!I received this book from Glass Roads Public Relations at no charge for my express review only.
February 10, 2013
D. Barkley Briggs is leading the way for a whole new generation of fantasy lovers! I read book one of this series, missed book two and just finished this one. I am pleased to report that missing book two didn't kill it for me. The author has done an excellent job of backtracking (without making it boring) so that if you missed the other books (or in my case one of the other books) this will still make sense.
I was amazed with the first book in this series how bold and detailed the author's descriptions are, and this book is even better. The author has a wonderful grasp on what fantasy is all about. In The Song of Unmaking, he has created characters that are intelligent, witty, hilarious at times and the kind of protagonists you can't help but cheer for. As far as the dialogue, it is some of the best I have seen in a YA book. The speech never feels stilted or silly and each character has their own personality that comes through in the way they speak.
The one criticism I do have, is that you almost need a reference guide to keep up once you get halfway through. The younger the reader, the more difficult I see it being for them to sort out all of the characters and the places. Even for me, who is an experienced fantasy reader, at times it became a bit confusing.
The plot is great and the story was very well executed. One thing is for sure, whether you are young or old, it is hard to put this book down for more than a moment.
There is nothing in this story that wouldn't be appropriate for a younger audience. The language is clean and the violence is mild and appropriate for the reading level.
If you are looking for a book that is right for the younger end of the YA audience but would still hold the interest of an older teen, you really can't go wrong with this series.
This review is based on a digital copy from the publisher.
I was amazed with the first book in this series how bold and detailed the author's descriptions are, and this book is even better. The author has a wonderful grasp on what fantasy is all about. In The Song of Unmaking, he has created characters that are intelligent, witty, hilarious at times and the kind of protagonists you can't help but cheer for. As far as the dialogue, it is some of the best I have seen in a YA book. The speech never feels stilted or silly and each character has their own personality that comes through in the way they speak.
The one criticism I do have, is that you almost need a reference guide to keep up once you get halfway through. The younger the reader, the more difficult I see it being for them to sort out all of the characters and the places. Even for me, who is an experienced fantasy reader, at times it became a bit confusing.
The plot is great and the story was very well executed. One thing is for sure, whether you are young or old, it is hard to put this book down for more than a moment.
There is nothing in this story that wouldn't be appropriate for a younger audience. The language is clean and the violence is mild and appropriate for the reading level.
If you are looking for a book that is right for the younger end of the YA audience but would still hold the interest of an older teen, you really can't go wrong with this series.
This review is based on a digital copy from the publisher.
November 16, 2011
For some reason when I saw this book was available to review it vaguely caught my attention, and something vaguely catching me is never a good start. I'm going to say that if you've read the first two books then you might jump right into this one, so my review can't be a full deterrence from reading.
This is the synopsis from Goodreads: He was once the greatest champion in the land. Then he disappeared. With Nemesia's defeat, the Barlows have helped turn the tide in the Hidden Lands. But the victory is short-lived. An even greater evil stirs in the north with a fierce new army bent on destruction. As the twins, Gabe and Garret, discover their own special powers, a thin thread of hope emerges.
It was so difficult for me to follow this book that I couldn't even write a good synopsis myself. I'm going to blame it mainly on the fact that fantasy just hasn't ever interested me much. I know that it is a huge genre, and most people who write seem to stay in that genre. I see what is so attractive and intriguing about the genre, but I'm still searching to read that staple book of it.
Anyways, I think if I had read the first two books I would have enjoyed this one much better. If you're a fan of fantasy then I recommend checking out the whole series especially if you're young adult since this is the target audience.
This book was provided by Glass Road Public Relations in exchange for a review.
This is the synopsis from Goodreads: He was once the greatest champion in the land. Then he disappeared. With Nemesia's defeat, the Barlows have helped turn the tide in the Hidden Lands. But the victory is short-lived. An even greater evil stirs in the north with a fierce new army bent on destruction. As the twins, Gabe and Garret, discover their own special powers, a thin thread of hope emerges.
It was so difficult for me to follow this book that I couldn't even write a good synopsis myself. I'm going to blame it mainly on the fact that fantasy just hasn't ever interested me much. I know that it is a huge genre, and most people who write seem to stay in that genre. I see what is so attractive and intriguing about the genre, but I'm still searching to read that staple book of it.
Anyways, I think if I had read the first two books I would have enjoyed this one much better. If you're a fan of fantasy then I recommend checking out the whole series especially if you're young adult since this is the target audience.
This book was provided by Glass Road Public Relations in exchange for a review.
November 16, 2011
Briggs has written a book that is deeply involved. I now wish that I had read the first two in this series of tales. However, I came upon this series through an offer for a book review. I will be going back now to collect the first books in this series.
As a mother of 4 I am on the constant lookout for good books for my children to spend time in. This is one of those books. Much like the writing of Lord of the Rings this is an epic tale of an ancient world removed far from our own. Pre-Teens, Teens and young adults who love fantasy fiction will immediately find themselves drawn into this world of conflict and heroes - of war and victories.
I will say the action is fast-paced and there is much information to take in. I had to often refer back to previous pages to sort out names and locations - However, this is due mainly to my in-experience with reading fantasy fiction and the names and descriptions are confusing to me (even in well-known classics like Lord of the Rings and Narnia). The world of gnomes, witches, elves, ogres, etc is not usually my forte. However, my children had no problem sorting the information. In fact they liked the characters and could visualize the places much more vividly because of Briggs excellent and deep story telling abilities.
Thanks to Glass Roads Publication for this review copy.
As a mother of 4 I am on the constant lookout for good books for my children to spend time in. This is one of those books. Much like the writing of Lord of the Rings this is an epic tale of an ancient world removed far from our own. Pre-Teens, Teens and young adults who love fantasy fiction will immediately find themselves drawn into this world of conflict and heroes - of war and victories.
I will say the action is fast-paced and there is much information to take in. I had to often refer back to previous pages to sort out names and locations - However, this is due mainly to my in-experience with reading fantasy fiction and the names and descriptions are confusing to me (even in well-known classics like Lord of the Rings and Narnia). The world of gnomes, witches, elves, ogres, etc is not usually my forte. However, my children had no problem sorting the information. In fact they liked the characters and could visualize the places much more vividly because of Briggs excellent and deep story telling abilities.
Thanks to Glass Roads Publication for this review copy.
February 9, 2012
When I read the first book in this series, I had mixed emotions. I was thrilled to find such a compelling story with such full characterization and setting. I loved Mr. Briggs' prose. But I had a nagging worry - he was setting the bar very high for himself. The scope of the story he was beginning to tell was daunting. I was taking a risk allowing myself to get so deeply involved in this story. What if the author failed to deliver in the later installments?
While my fear still remains, it has been much assuaged by the second, and now the third, volumes in this series. By the time we reach the current installment, the pieces are all moving. The various arcs of the story are in headlong motion. There is political intrigue, supernatural conflict, family tension, and the violence of war. Through it all are successfully woven the themes of hope, loyalty, redemption, and love.
I'm committed now. This series has my full attention. If the fourth and fifth volumes fail to deliver, I will be surprised and dismayed, because the first three have caught my ADHD imagination and held it like Garret holds back the wind. And as I said in my review of the first book, I'm almost dreading the end of the series, because I'll never be able to read it for the first time again.
Mr. Briggs, you've done excellent work so far. Please keep it up.
While my fear still remains, it has been much assuaged by the second, and now the third, volumes in this series. By the time we reach the current installment, the pieces are all moving. The various arcs of the story are in headlong motion. There is political intrigue, supernatural conflict, family tension, and the violence of war. Through it all are successfully woven the themes of hope, loyalty, redemption, and love.
I'm committed now. This series has my full attention. If the fourth and fifth volumes fail to deliver, I will be surprised and dismayed, because the first three have caught my ADHD imagination and held it like Garret holds back the wind. And as I said in my review of the first book, I'm almost dreading the end of the series, because I'll never be able to read it for the first time again.
Mr. Briggs, you've done excellent work so far. Please keep it up.
March 23, 2015
The title says it all, a storm is coming and riding on it's winds--is a song.
I have to confess that it's been a few years since I read the first two books in this series. But This one felt less exciting than the other two. What I remember most about the first two books were the Barlow boys and their interaction with each other. This book had too many Chapters that didn't feature the boys. Any Chapter that wasn't about the Barlows was a chapter that I didn't want to read, thus slowing my progress through the book.
Thankfully they became more involved nearer the end of the book. Don't miss understand me, this is a well written, tightly plotted novel. I'm sure that the author is justified in his allotment of "screen time" to other characters. But I just wanted to know about the Barlows.
Maybe they will play a bigger role in the next book.
I have to confess that it's been a few years since I read the first two books in this series. But This one felt less exciting than the other two. What I remember most about the first two books were the Barlow boys and their interaction with each other. This book had too many Chapters that didn't feature the boys. Any Chapter that wasn't about the Barlows was a chapter that I didn't want to read, thus slowing my progress through the book.
Thankfully they became more involved nearer the end of the book. Don't miss understand me, this is a well written, tightly plotted novel. I'm sure that the author is justified in his allotment of "screen time" to other characters. But I just wanted to know about the Barlows.
Maybe they will play a bigger role in the next book.
November 26, 2017
A solid sequel that sees the Barlow brothers growing in more ways than one, I'd definitely recommend this to those who enjoyed books one and two. An appropriate series for teens and up who are fans of Christian Fantasy. (Like Christian sci-fi and fantasy? Check out thebookhoundchristianspecific.blogspot.com)
February 2, 2018
I found this novel to be beautiful. The whole family is now involved and I really want to know how it finishes!!
November 21, 2012
good book if you don't pay attention to the misnaming, and don't remember what happened in the first book very well.
August 14, 2013
I've enjoyed this series thus far
September 1, 2012
Wonderfully complex, great faith elements. Read it!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews