Triad

Sisters of the Storm #1

by Guy E. Estes

Too many blessings result in a curse.
Three of them are born at once. Some say they are gifted - Chosen - by the gods. Others say they are so aberrant even the gods cannot stop them from existing. Three of them living at once is unprecedented... and dreaded.
Aleena is a gifted warrior who only wants the world to leave her alone. Anlon is an equally gifted warrior who wants the world under his boot. Baezha is a gifted witch whose intentions are unknown, even to her. Both Aleena and Anlon are skilled, proud and jealous. Their rivalry is inevitable, yet Aleena knows Anlon is a brother in addition to a rival. Jealousy, mercy, forgiveness and vengeance threaten to consume all she loves.
Yet what of the third Chosen, Baezha, a powerful sorceress quietly watching the other two? And will the gathering of this triad result in balancing the equation into order or unbalancing it into further madness?

Genres: Fantasy

418 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2013

About the author

Guy Estes was born in Huntsville, Alabama in 1970 and grew up on his family's ancestral sugar plantation in New Iberia, Louisiana, where he currently resides with his wife and three children. His grandchildren are the eighth generation of his family to grow up on the place, which was occupied by Union troops during the Civil War. He has a bachelor's degree in social studies education and a master's degree in European history. His day job is an instructor at a small safety consultation company. He taught public school for three years and, as a result, no longer fears hell. He can also be found at https://guyestes.weebly.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Guy-Estes-14...
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Reviews

[Sarah]

http://www.bookwormblues.net/2016/07/...

[Rebecca Tran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Triad by Guy Estes is a fantasy novel about three gifted people called Chosen. The Chosen are rarely born and there have never been three born at the same time before. They are gifted with long life, beauty, and a major and minor talent. In Triad two of the chosen are born with a major talent of the warrior and one of a sorcerer. One of the Chosen is destined to be taken, another exiled, and the third driven mad.

Triad focuses mostly on Aleena the Chosen warrior destined to be taken. Her journey through the badlands and back home again acts as the perfect metaphor for her personal journey and struggles. Aleena starts as a young girl riddled with guilt and unable to cope with her powers as Chosen. By the time she reaches home again she is a confident warrior woman who embraces what she is. 

Aleena meets her Chosen warrior brother Anlon on her journey and their relationship is rocky to say the least. Anlon is headstrong and can't control his temper. Everything is there for Anlon's taking, or at least that's what Anlon thinks. After the two part ways in a very disappointing way for Anlon he can't let it go. From that point on everything in Anlon's life is about hunting down Aleena for revenge. 

Beazha is the third Chosen sister whose main talent is sorcery. Her presence is felt early in the book but she isn't formally introduced until the book is nearly over. She seeks out Aleena after seeing visions of her brother's conquests and destruction. Beazha's secondary talent is that of the warrior which makes her a formidable foe. When the pair combines it takes overwhelming numbers to capture them. At Anlon's fortress Beazha must face his sorcerer while Aleena deals with Anlon. It's an all out fight with good coming out on top. 

Triad has all the making of an epic fantasy with dragons, sorcerers, and ugly beasts. The world is magical and believable. Estes has a knack for world building and imagery that makes you want to turn pages. The same illustrative powers tend to get him into trouble and the descriptions bog down the story at times and I found myself skipping some of them.

If you like action this book has it in scores. Aleena and Anlon killed more people than an army. Most of the action sequences were well written with a few exceptions that were hard to follow. Unfortunately, one of those was the final battle between Anlon and Aleena. The main characters felt like restless spirits that were never content unless a sword was in hand. I'm sure this was intentional on the authors part however, it got somewhat tedious. 

There were a couple loose ends in the book that were never addressed and even seemed ignored for convenience sake. Honestly the first didn't have to be there at all and the plot would not have suffered. Aleena's parents had some mysterious ailment while she was gone and an evil aunt swooped in to "care" for them. When Aleena returns they suddenly recover. It was never said if the aunt was to blame or some other cause. Second, Aleena earns the power of the dragon and never fully learns to control it. Seems like a wasted tool for a warrior. 

Triad has realism and plenty of raw emotion that isn't always seen in epic fantasy. A few hard to follow action sequences and tedious descriptions were detraction from the story. The plot was well thought out and the series has potentioal. Overall if you want an action packed novel with plenty of violence and some gore this is the book for you. 

[Scott Couturier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Triad by Guy Estes is martial fantasy at its most blood-drenched and introspective. If you desire incredibly eloquent scenes of blood and gore, look no further; but this is a simplification. Behind the scenes of battle – indeed, fluently cohering the scenes of battle – is the tale of Aleena, a Chosen warrior capable of mastering any weapon she sets her hand to. The story traces her life from childhood onwards, and though I found the narrative to be a bit herky-jerky at times, overall Aleena's story (and the entwining stories of her two Chosen brethren) is a narrative of souls endlessly re-forged in the crucible of combat. I was surprised and pleased by the strong characters, even if they do enter and exit the stage a bit abruptly; as for the author's fixation on the philosophy and doctrines of war, I think Triad partially functions as a probing of the brutal, bloodthirsty aspect lurking behind all human civility. War and peace are dichotomous, and create each other by occupying opposite poles. This is probed in the text, and most chapters begin with pertinent quotes from sources as diverse as Ayn Rand, Mahatma Gandhi, Aristotle, and Carl von Clausewitz. However, it's also (I would even say primarily) an unrelenting adventure text, and though the constant strings of battles with various opponents can be wearing in places, the overaching story is more than sufficient to carry the reader's interest to the end. I'll definitely be reading the next in the series, and thank Guy for a stirring modern-fantasy reading experience. Four strong stars!

[Tiffany Cherney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book for an honest review and greatly enjoyed it. Triad is the story that is almost a coming into one's own as much as a traditional hack and slash. The story follows Aleena, a young woman born with the magic gift to expertly fight and wield weapons, but struggles with the darker realities of this gift so much she becomes afraid of it. She does seem to come to a peace with it due to the extreme circumstances she is thrown in but never fully seems at ease. This becomes even more evident when she meets another with her gifts in the gladiatorial ring and sees how he deals with the same issues.

Aleena as well as the other characters are extremely well written and their struggles make them very much flesh and blood. Aleena is far from the typical heroine and has a loving family to fight for instead of the lack of parents completely. Despite the overwhelming moral lessons it is an enjoyable world and well fleshed out world. I'll definitely be keeping eye out for more of this author's work.

[Scott Spotson · Rating 3 out of 5]

My enjoyment and perception of this book veered wildly from chapter to chapter. Overall, now that I have finished, I'd admit it had some brilliant scenes, some brilliant story-making and epic-making, particularly in the way the two sisters, Baezha, and Aleena meet and unite at the end, complementing each other's incredible powers nicely. It was incredible how Baezha just basically outsmarted her fellow magician, Mathias, who is her formidable foe. Baezha was a scene-stealer, perhaps because the author used her sparingly, and inserted her in as a surprise, the best for last.

The scene with Aleena's battle against the sand-dwelling inhabitants, which are horrible monsters, was very nicely done. During those moments, I felt I was reading the best that fantasy had to offer. I also enjoyed some of the battles between the two Chosen, Anlon and Aleena, but truly, the other scenes I have mentioned are far better. The weapons that Aleena had earned near the end of the book were, to put them in the context of a geek, were "awesome."

The parts of the book that had me souring rapidly were the ones where Aleena is held as a slave, and she finds herself captive for months and months at least twice in this book, and at other times, she is also briefly chained and imprisoned. It was not only dispiriting, but it was also hard to believe that a goddess of Aleena's incredible battle prowess and skill could remain chained for so long. Also, I get it that medieval or ancient times weren't easy; there was genuine cruelty and hardship against vast populations, but I don't want to read about them. That's what history is for. When I read, I want escapism. Reading the horrible accounts against imprisoned men, women, and children really left a bad taste in my perception, as well as how helpless Aleena was and powerless to stop it. Surely a Chosen one with superpowers could have found a faster way to unshackle herself, earlier--she defeats a dozen monsters in one battle.

I did get the impression a bit that the author wants to forcefully ram in the message that suffering was what made Aleena a compassionate, fair, and merciful warrior. However, I think the suffering was done in spades, and felt like too much. It's not always necessary to suffer to be of good character. I liked the lesson that young Aleena learned when challenging a classmate; that alone could have served as her life lesson.

However, for many rounds of magical fantasy, pouring out in overwhelming streams, I really enjoyed portions of this book, reading of myths and battles I've not read anywhere else.

[Sandy Schleich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the way this book started. Aleena was born during a magical storm, as were her chosen brother and sister. I found it interesting that this book was mostly about Aleena. What her life was like as she was growing up, what her gifts were as one of the chosen, and the trials she faced as a teen/young adult. I loved Aleena throughout the book. She seemed to handle herself well, and learn from her mistakes. I am sure that had a lot to do with the way she was raised. Her chosen brother, however, was a brat. He did not know how to control himself, he did not learn from his mistakes, and he wanted to use his gift to conquer everyone, including Aleena. I found it interesting that there was just a little talk about the other chosen sister. Aleena finally was able to meet her chosen brother and sister, but it didn’t turn out well. I will be reading the next book in this series.

[Peter Bruyns · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Better.

Beware, people of cheap imitations. The no price book is a sample of the whole book. I went on to the second and there were whole portions missing, so much so that I went and bought from another supplier so that I might compare the two. Actually, I have three copies of "Triad". Two Patiala and one full. Hail Mighty Zon!

[Anne Monteith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, yes there are some flaws, however, the overall world building and character development kept me reading.

For mature readers due to descriptive, repetitive violence and other scenes.

4.25/5. Stars

[Rob Gregson · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a traditional fantasy hack-and-slash, this is well written, fast- paced fayre. The central characters are distinctive and well rounded, the story is thoughtfully structured and it builds towards a strong denouement. Much of the setting is very believable - the townsfolk, the different nations and their respective mythologies - and the scenes with the protagonist's family and school teacher are especially well realised. The love and tender warmth of Aleena's family are convincingly depicted and they work well within the overall structure; they provide some necessary respite from the many 'meat grinder' episodes that punctuate the novel.

I'm not personally a big fan of bloodbaths, but the visceral descriptions are likely to impress and entertain all those lovers of sword-swinging adventure who like to follow the choreography of each fight; to know where every blow lands and with what effect. The reader is certainly granted a front row seat for this bloody, gladiatorial spectacle.

Where, for me, Triad didn't work quite so well was with respect to its philosophical content. In part, it seeks to present itself as an examination of the moral aspects of conflict and killing. Almost every chapter is prefaced with quotations from military theorists and celebrated thinkers but the novel itself struck me as slightly heavy handed in delivering its moral messages about when it may be right to use force to overcome an enemy. Introducing some philosophical depth to the fantasy genre is surely a very laudable thing and posing such questions is fine, but I wasn't comfortable that the novel occasionally seemed to want to answer some of those same questions on the reader's behalf. I'm sure it wasn't meant this way but, in places, it began to feel almost like propaganda of the kind satirised in the film 'Starship Troopers'. It seemed, sometimes, to suggest that those who have the moral high ground and the military capability to enforce their will have a kind of god-given duty to take up arms against evil-doers. In a novel in which two-dimensional enemies (such as the unrelentingly evil slaver-rapists) often appear as nothing more than fodder for the heroine's righteous anger, that's an easy message to convey but it's harder to apply those same lessons to the real world.

However, this is to overstate a personal niggle with a solid and often compelling novel in which many readers will surely take great delight. There is no two-dimensionality to the central characters or their families and the primary nemesis is interesting and believable, presented with a back-story in which it is possible to trace the origins of his fall. This complexity - the understanding of his conflicting motivations and his underlying, flawed humanity - makes the final showdown that much more compelling and meaningful.

The novel is well presented - considerably better than many self-published novels - suggesting that it has been the subject of a great deal of careful attention. The effort really shows and the book is all the better for it.

The fact that that Triad leaves plenty of room for a sequel should come as welcome news to many fans of guts-and-all swords and sorcery.

[Tim Stead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Triad is essentially the story of Aleena Kurrin, a blacksmith's daughter born with a magical gift for mayhem. She cuts her teeth killing slavers who are, truth be told, carboard cutouts of evil. They are so unredeemed that they lack any semblance of character, and killing them seems a kindness to the plot and reader alike. It does seem to trouble Aleena, however. She agonises over her deeds enough to get herself into trouble and coming to terms with what she is - that is really the true start of this tale.

With the introduction of a second indomitable warrior, Anlon, the story picks up. Anlon faces similar problems and temptations to Aleena, but solves them in a different way, embracing the dark side, and it is the relationship between these two that gives Triad its strength. The story is essentially good versus evil, and evil is equated to weakness of character. The battles, and there are many, are rendered in a graphic manner with gouts of blood, splitting skulls and spilled entrails, though somehow there is a lack of feeling in them that reduced them to a mechanical account of slaughter.

The middle and end sections of the tale were stronger than the beginning. In the end I did want to find out what happened to the characters. Anlon and Aleena are flesh and blood enough to hold the reader's interest, though the whole books seemed overwritten to a greater or lesser extent.

This has all the hallmarks of a first book. It seems as though the writer was learning his trade as he went, and because of this the first hundred pages are a barrier of sorts between the reader and the story. It would be greatly improved if the author went back and rewrote them.

The numerous quotes that adorn the chapter headings do not serve the story. It's almost as though they are trying to persuade you that there is more to the story than the story, and there isn't. The morality of the tale is quite simplistic. The quotes are unnecessary.

There are a number of anachronistic phrases that jar - such as 'self-destruct mechanism', which frankly sounds more sci-fi than fantasy.

In summary I think this book will be enjoyed by some. The plot is strong and coherent, the leading characters are well conceived, but the supporting cast and the lack of eloquence in the writing rob it of the impact it might have had.

[J C Steel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fantasy is one of my favourite genres, and so Triad sounded like a great read, offering magic, prophecies, dwarves, dragons, and epic battles. Unfortunately, although the basic story had a sound plot, the writing repeatedly got in the way of the story. The frequent drops into the omniscient point of view and pages of description made it very hard for me to stay in the story, and the latter forcibly pulled the pacing down pretty much throughout.

I also failed to form much of a connection with the characters. Some of that may have been due to the point of view swaps between third and omniscient, but by and large, the protagonist, Aleena, spent so much time explaining her reasoning for what she did in minute detail to herself that my inner editor was screaming for a red pencil long before I got to the action she was contemplating. Beyond this, the characters were at root very simple archetypes, without much depth or complexity to really make them real for me as the reader.

Overall, I had to push myself to finish this book. I really hate having to say that, but between the slow pacing, the number of homonyms in the text, and not being able to even focus my attention on a favourite character, this read was a real struggle.

[Victoria B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Triad by Guy Estes has a great plot, three s"chosen ones" to be born at the same time, which has never been heard of before. There is a great line up of main characters with two of the chosen being warriors and the third being a sorcerer. There is a lot of great battle scenes with blood, guts, and limbs being hacked off. Unfortunately the story is drags with too much internal dialog, parts are jumpy and hard to follow. Once you make it to part two the story picks up and the writing gets smoother and I was able to enjoy the story line much better. Over I did enjoy the book and would recommend it to people who like a good fantasy.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it. Really descriptive of the gory details of the battles. I enjoyed the inspirational messages and battle strategies that have been made by historical figures that were posted in the beginning of each chapter. When the description was 3 chosen: 1 would be taken(Anlon- killed), 1 would be exiled, and 1 would be driven mad.. which are Baezha and Aleena? Is there a continuation? Baezha became a nomad because her temper destroyed all that she loved, would that make her birth driven mad and an exile? They were all at some point driven mad, but Baezha and Aleena survived because they embraced the chaos where Anlon denied it as was controlled by the gift. Great book

[Fleur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great read, there is so much packed into this book and the way it is written it just flows so well, nothing feels really rushed or skimmed over. The characters are great, there are ones you love and loath as well as other people/creatures? Aleena comes across in her travels that you never want to come across.

I am very much looking forward to book 2 in the series !

[Julie Storey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grabs you from page one and doesn't let go! Do yourself a favor and go ahead and order the whole series.

[Lyle Kroeker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. The book is packed with action from start to finish with very descriptive fight scenes. I start to skim over the fighting as it did start to become repetitive.
I thought the main characters were developed quite well and I did find myself relating to them and their struggles.
For me it is a 4.5 out of 5