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The Ydron Saga #1
Awakening
How does a world equipped with bows, arrows and catapults, where steam power is just beginning to replace horses and sailing ships, avert a conquest from beyond the stars?
Prince Regilius has been engineered to combat the Dalthin, a predatory alien species that enslaves worlds telepathically, and to do so he must unite his people. But when his mother murders his father, the land descends into chaos and his task may prove impossible. Faced with slaying the one who gave him life in order to protect his world, he seeks a better way. Set in a vast and varied land where telepaths and those with unusual mental abilities tip the course of events, Awakening goes to the heart of family, friendship and betrayal.
Prince Regilius has been engineered to combat the Dalthin, a predatory alien species that enslaves worlds telepathically, and to do so he must unite his people. But when his mother murders his father, the land descends into chaos and his task may prove impossible. Faced with slaying the one who gave him life in order to protect his world, he seeks a better way. Set in a vast and varied land where telepaths and those with unusual mental abilities tip the course of events, Awakening goes to the heart of family, friendship and betrayal.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
8 people are currently reading
919 people want to read
About the author
Raymond Bolton
12 books124 followersRaymond Bolton lives near Portland, Oregon with his wife, Toni, and their cats, Max and April. Reviewers have been generous with praise, offering such comments as, “Eschewing the more commonly overt manifestations of alien technology and the well toted elements of fanciful magic, Bolton breathes originality into the genre with his singular focus on telepathy.”
His goal is to craft gripping stories about the human condition, whether they are set here or another world. He has written award-winning poetry and four novels. Awakening, an epic, was released in January, 2014, and Thought Gazer, an adventure and first volume of a prequel trilogy, was released on January 1, 2015. The third in the series, Foretellers, came out on March 1 , 2016. Awakening was recently translated into Spanish and was released as El despertar – La saga de Ydron on July 1, 2015. Amazon has already listed El despertar as the Number One New Release in Ciencia Ficción. Triad, the saga's concluding volume, was released on January 1, 2017.
His goal is to craft gripping stories about the human condition, whether they are set here or another world. He has written award-winning poetry and four novels. Awakening, an epic, was released in January, 2014, and Thought Gazer, an adventure and first volume of a prequel trilogy, was released on January 1, 2015. The third in the series, Foretellers, came out on March 1 , 2016. Awakening was recently translated into Spanish and was released as El despertar – La saga de Ydron on July 1, 2015. Amazon has already listed El despertar as the Number One New Release in Ciencia Ficción. Triad, the saga's concluding volume, was released on January 1, 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
June 2, 2015
If anyone actually sat down to create a formula certain to sell a fantasy novel I imagined it to be Raymond Bolton after reading Awakening, the first book in his Ydron Saga. Take the standard potion of swords and sorcery, the traditional displaced prince looking to regain his throne, his band of loyal cohorts and mix in alien body snatchers, mind control, a plot to overthrow the planet and the occasional Shakespearean theme and the pot spills over with Awakening.
Surprisingly, it works.
Let me admit, I grew weary of fantasy fiction a couple of years into college. The books became too derivative and, unlike crime fiction and some of the more innovative science fiction, rarely strayed from the formula. The authors seemed more interested in creating trilogies, then five and six book series, than breaking genuine territory. I had a hard time explaining to fans, but substituting weredragons for ogretrolls and changing the hero's talisman from a sacred gemstone to a mystic runestone isn't breaking new territory. Nor was creating new names for trees and wine, or new species of cattle and avian creatures, or adding moons and suns all that creative. It didn't even matter if the hero/heroine ultimately faced the Snake Queen or White Wolf Warlock. To me it was just plugging new values into x, y and z.
I do go back every few years, pick up a highly recommended title to give it a chance, but with the rare exception of a book like William Browning Spencer's Zod Wallop, I put it down halfway through and wait for the genre to catch my interest.
When Prince Regilius goes on the run and discovers that outside the palace his kingdom is poverty stricken and his subjects hate his family, Bolton takes the novel in a direction many fantasy books fails to go. The readers quickly discover that the throne isn't lost simply because of a plot against his family, but because his family has given up the right to rule through negligence, malfeasance and greed.
Awakening recounts the battle of Prince Regilius and his sister Lilith on three fronts. First, their father is murdered in a coup engineered by their mother Morged. Second they must learn to fight off an alien force called the Dalthin that can control people's bodies minds. Finally, Regilius learns that his father's corruption was so extensive the kingdom could collapse from rebellion. As their mother gains power and influence, she threatens to gather an army using his father's former allies to crush Regilius' kingdom from the outside.
Before Morged can execute her coup, Regilius and Lilith slip her noose and take separate paths to escape her wrath. Neither realizes until later that the the coup is the key battleground between two alien races—the Dalthain, who want to breed a new food source, and a benefactor race who want the planet to evolve. The benefactors modified Rigilius' and Lilith's genomes to allow them to develop the same mind control abilities as the Dalthains and now they must train themselves mentally as well as physically for the upcoming battle.
Bolton manages to create a new world for an epic scale battle without losing track of the personal stories of the combatants. His prose can be wooden at times, but the story never loses the readers' interest. Nor does he lose the reader in the complexity of plot tangles.
Even readers who steer away from fantasy fiction as redundant and formulaic, and I tend to be one of them, should give Awakening a shot. I can't promise you'll like it, but I was surprised to see someone do so much with what I consider a spent genre.
Phillip T. Stephens is the author of Cigerets, Guns & Beer and Raising Hell. You can follow him @stephens_pt.
Surprisingly, it works.
Let me admit, I grew weary of fantasy fiction a couple of years into college. The books became too derivative and, unlike crime fiction and some of the more innovative science fiction, rarely strayed from the formula. The authors seemed more interested in creating trilogies, then five and six book series, than breaking genuine territory. I had a hard time explaining to fans, but substituting weredragons for ogretrolls and changing the hero's talisman from a sacred gemstone to a mystic runestone isn't breaking new territory. Nor was creating new names for trees and wine, or new species of cattle and avian creatures, or adding moons and suns all that creative. It didn't even matter if the hero/heroine ultimately faced the Snake Queen or White Wolf Warlock. To me it was just plugging new values into x, y and z.
I do go back every few years, pick up a highly recommended title to give it a chance, but with the rare exception of a book like William Browning Spencer's Zod Wallop, I put it down halfway through and wait for the genre to catch my interest.
When Prince Regilius goes on the run and discovers that outside the palace his kingdom is poverty stricken and his subjects hate his family, Bolton takes the novel in a direction many fantasy books fails to go. The readers quickly discover that the throne isn't lost simply because of a plot against his family, but because his family has given up the right to rule through negligence, malfeasance and greed.
Awakening recounts the battle of Prince Regilius and his sister Lilith on three fronts. First, their father is murdered in a coup engineered by their mother Morged. Second they must learn to fight off an alien force called the Dalthin that can control people's bodies minds. Finally, Regilius learns that his father's corruption was so extensive the kingdom could collapse from rebellion. As their mother gains power and influence, she threatens to gather an army using his father's former allies to crush Regilius' kingdom from the outside.
Before Morged can execute her coup, Regilius and Lilith slip her noose and take separate paths to escape her wrath. Neither realizes until later that the the coup is the key battleground between two alien races—the Dalthain, who want to breed a new food source, and a benefactor race who want the planet to evolve. The benefactors modified Rigilius' and Lilith's genomes to allow them to develop the same mind control abilities as the Dalthains and now they must train themselves mentally as well as physically for the upcoming battle.
Bolton manages to create a new world for an epic scale battle without losing track of the personal stories of the combatants. His prose can be wooden at times, but the story never loses the readers' interest. Nor does he lose the reader in the complexity of plot tangles.
Even readers who steer away from fantasy fiction as redundant and formulaic, and I tend to be one of them, should give Awakening a shot. I can't promise you'll like it, but I was surprised to see someone do so much with what I consider a spent genre.
Phillip T. Stephens is the author of Cigerets, Guns & Beer and Raising Hell. You can follow him @stephens_pt.
February 3, 2014
Review reposted from CommunityBookStop
Türkçesi Zimlicious'ta.
First things first: the world Bolton creates in Awakening, the first book in the Ydron Saga is unique, original and somewhat bizarre. There is a planet under fuedal rule in the steam engine era, and although the humans seem to have the power, there is a different race out to take them down. These "creatures" who mostly walk around in human form, but they have different abilities i.e. being able to talk right into people's brains.
Prince Regillus, who goes by Reg, is warned by his mentor Ai'Lorc that he and those close to him are in danger and that the only way they can stay away from it is to hide. We follow the story of him, his elders, and his friends Danth, Leorar and Ered as they try to figure out how to keep themselves and their kingdom safe. In Awakening, there are creatures who visit other worlds, an army of people that have become rapists and robbers under the current circumstances, the evil Dalthin that want to harness humans for labor and breed them for food.
As Reg tries to build a wall between himself and the evil, we, as the reader, are in for a story full of adventure and action. I especially recommend this to those who want to escape into a completely different world for a while.
Türkçesi Zimlicious'ta.
First things first: the world Bolton creates in Awakening, the first book in the Ydron Saga is unique, original and somewhat bizarre. There is a planet under fuedal rule in the steam engine era, and although the humans seem to have the power, there is a different race out to take them down. These "creatures" who mostly walk around in human form, but they have different abilities i.e. being able to talk right into people's brains.
Prince Regillus, who goes by Reg, is warned by his mentor Ai'Lorc that he and those close to him are in danger and that the only way they can stay away from it is to hide. We follow the story of him, his elders, and his friends Danth, Leorar and Ered as they try to figure out how to keep themselves and their kingdom safe. In Awakening, there are creatures who visit other worlds, an army of people that have become rapists and robbers under the current circumstances, the evil Dalthin that want to harness humans for labor and breed them for food.
As Reg tries to build a wall between himself and the evil, we, as the reader, are in for a story full of adventure and action. I especially recommend this to those who want to escape into a completely different world for a while.
May 5, 2019
En esta ocasión cedo este espacio a la traducción de una novela de origen americano titulada Awakening (The Ydron Saga) y que salió al mercado en 2017.
Se trata de una novela que arranca de una manera original, no porque se trate de una novela de fantasía (de esas podemos leer miles). No, lo distinto en esta novela es la mezcla de géneros que en ella encontramos: fantasía y paranormal, con mundos fantásticos y seres de otros planetas.
Esos dos géneros crean una novela diferente, innovadora. Además, sea fruto de la traducción o del buen trabajo de su escritor, la novela se entiende perfectamente, y por suerte no se pierde uno entre demasiados nombres altisonantes ni en tierras con nombres imposibles.
Pero, os preguntaréis porque le he puesto 3 rosas y medio. A pesar de todo lo bueno que he explicado hasta ahora debería sentir el deseo de saber como continúa, que sucede en las siguientes novelas y he de decir que no tengo ese interés. Me ha parecido una buena novela, pero sin más interés.
Quizá si la leyese en su idioma original conseguiría una mayor empatía con los personajes, puede que sea ese el problema.
Eso sí, creo que a los amantes de género les gustará lo suficiente como para adquirir el siguiente ejemplar de la saga cuando sea traducido.
Se trata de una novela que arranca de una manera original, no porque se trate de una novela de fantasía (de esas podemos leer miles). No, lo distinto en esta novela es la mezcla de géneros que en ella encontramos: fantasía y paranormal, con mundos fantásticos y seres de otros planetas.
Esos dos géneros crean una novela diferente, innovadora. Además, sea fruto de la traducción o del buen trabajo de su escritor, la novela se entiende perfectamente, y por suerte no se pierde uno entre demasiados nombres altisonantes ni en tierras con nombres imposibles.
Pero, os preguntaréis porque le he puesto 3 rosas y medio. A pesar de todo lo bueno que he explicado hasta ahora debería sentir el deseo de saber como continúa, que sucede en las siguientes novelas y he de decir que no tengo ese interés. Me ha parecido una buena novela, pero sin más interés.
Quizá si la leyese en su idioma original conseguiría una mayor empatía con los personajes, puede que sea ese el problema.
Eso sí, creo que a los amantes de género les gustará lo suficiente como para adquirir el siguiente ejemplar de la saga cuando sea traducido.
August 13, 2014
This book is definitely a good read. The author wove an intriguing tale where greed for power thrusts the characters into what seems to be unforeseeable events with insurmountable odds. The author weaves and endearing story where we learn we might have more control over our fate and who we become. This book is told from multiple characters points of view so you gain much perspective of how each character moves within the world in which they were born and how the deal with what they have be thrust into. Mixed with aliens and burgeoning mental abilities to thicken the plot. This is a wonderful book with many strong and endearing characters.
June 19, 2014
I won this book on Goodreads and as I read the first few pages, I wondered where it was going and I wondered if this was a book I want to read… a few chapters in and I was totally immersed in this story. The book is highly original, the story very creative and the writing very descriptive. I ended up reading it over a few nights and really enjoyed it and hoped I wouldn’t dream about the Dalthin. Raymond Bolton really draws you in to the world of Ydron and you can vividly imagine the characters and their world. I look forward to the next one. I did have difficultly relating to Lith-An’s age but that was it.
August 20, 2015
Awakening is unlike most books on the young adult shelf today. Book one of the Ydron Saga follows young Reg as he discovers that he is more than just the king’s son. Raised in a world of horses and ships, he soon discovers that the life he knew is about to change forever. It’s not just the death of his father but the fact he lives among aliens that puts his life into a tempest. Bolton has a fascinating way of telling a story from multiple perspectives without the reader losing where they are in time or the thread of the story. You will cheer for Reg as he masters his new abilities and fights for the throne that should be his.
March 26, 2014
This was my second fantasy read of the week and I think I struck it lucky because they were both great books. The Awakening was particularly descriptive and I loved the way author Raymond Bolton builds his world. If I closed my eyes I could imagine myself there. I also liked the telepathic angle which he introduces which I thought was highly original and worked very well.
July 24, 2014
I have to thank the authour for choosing me to be a first read...I was drawn in at the first few pages a bit to sci fi for my taste i am usually a magic and swords fantasy read but this but did open me up to the sci fi/ fantasy genre. it was a pretty decent read i would recommend it for people who are new too the genre since it didn't overwhelm you with too much scientific jargon
March 24, 2015
This is the third book that I have won via GoodReads. So far, the best one. It is written from several point of views. Nevertheless, I did not skip any sections to read ahead. Engaging book, which I really enjoyed. Though I did wonder why the aliens allowed this one person lived so long.
March 25, 2014
Heroic fantasy without magic! It's highly original and nice to see an author arrive on the scene who not only writes well but is will to push the boundaries of an established genre. There is no doubt in my mind that this the start of what is going to be a hugely popular series!
March 26, 2014
Loved this book by Raymond Bolton. Original and imaginative, his world building is excellent, his characters are vivid and bold . I love it when an author adds originality to an established genre and this is exactly what he has done. Next one please!!
August 1, 2014
"Awakening" was a fun read! An intriguing storyline, likeable heroes, detestable villains... what's not to like? I hope this is the first book of a trilogy, as I would like to see what happens next in the land of Ydron!
July 26, 2016
This was a great book!
April 18, 2014
I love this book. I dont want to put it down.
April 16, 2014
A great read, the YDRON SAGA takes you back to a time lost. Fun to read!
February 21, 2021
After not reading a book for ages, and then a purchase of a new Kindle, I opened it up and found that I started this story. Seems I bought it back in July 2014. Hmm. I started reading from where I’d left off but couldn’t remember any of the story, and it did intrigue me, so went back to the beginning.
Awakening is an epic fantasy with a vast world and multiple characters and story arcs. As the blurb states, their planet, their lives are being manipulated by an alien race with telepathic abilities. The Dalthin are shapeshifters so they can meld into any world they want to dominate to eat. Yes, eat. Not very pleasant creatures. However, when they settle on this new world, they bite off more than they can chew. Pun intended.
We have several villain’s in this tale. The worst is perhaps the Queen. Not only did she murder the King, now she wants to capture and kill her children. All for greed and power. What she doesn’t’ realize is that she is also being used. She is but a puppet. An expendable one at that.
The hero’s are the two children and their trusty friends. Some don’t survive to see the Change that shapes their world. There are battles, there are chases and escapes. Lots of action and adventure, right? Well, sort of. For me, this was not a page-turning story. I set this book down before years ago and forgot it. Even when I went back to it, it still took me several months to finish the tale. It’s just didn’t grip me like I wanted.
Part of the problem is the characters are all the same. The same thoughts, manners, speech, etc. You can’t tell a common fold from a royal. No individualism. They wee flat and one dimensional. What makes it worse is that you go along with lots of dialogue between characters and no dialogue tags. Which is great really. But they all sounded the same, so sometimes I had to go back and reread to see who was actually doing the talking. Action beats would’ve been really helpful and would’ve gave the author a chance to add more depth to them.
I pushed myself though the story as I did want to see how it ended. It was meh. There are three other books in the series. I won’t be reading. Maybe Bolton has improved his writing. I’ll never know. Too many other books to read. All in all, I do recommend it when on sale. I give it 3 stars.
Awakening is an epic fantasy with a vast world and multiple characters and story arcs. As the blurb states, their planet, their lives are being manipulated by an alien race with telepathic abilities. The Dalthin are shapeshifters so they can meld into any world they want to dominate to eat. Yes, eat. Not very pleasant creatures. However, when they settle on this new world, they bite off more than they can chew. Pun intended.
We have several villain’s in this tale. The worst is perhaps the Queen. Not only did she murder the King, now she wants to capture and kill her children. All for greed and power. What she doesn’t’ realize is that she is also being used. She is but a puppet. An expendable one at that.
The hero’s are the two children and their trusty friends. Some don’t survive to see the Change that shapes their world. There are battles, there are chases and escapes. Lots of action and adventure, right? Well, sort of. For me, this was not a page-turning story. I set this book down before years ago and forgot it. Even when I went back to it, it still took me several months to finish the tale. It’s just didn’t grip me like I wanted.
Part of the problem is the characters are all the same. The same thoughts, manners, speech, etc. You can’t tell a common fold from a royal. No individualism. They wee flat and one dimensional. What makes it worse is that you go along with lots of dialogue between characters and no dialogue tags. Which is great really. But they all sounded the same, so sometimes I had to go back and reread to see who was actually doing the talking. Action beats would’ve been really helpful and would’ve gave the author a chance to add more depth to them.
I pushed myself though the story as I did want to see how it ended. It was meh. There are three other books in the series. I won’t be reading. Maybe Bolton has improved his writing. I’ll never know. Too many other books to read. All in all, I do recommend it when on sale. I give it 3 stars.
March 9, 2019
La valoración exacta es un 3'5.
Me ha parecido un libro con partes muy entretenidas pero por otro lado, partes muy flojas, lentas y aburridas.
He de decir que la idea de fusionar ámbito histórico con ámbito alienígena me ha parecido una idea muy original y le ha dado más salseo al libro.
Da la sensación de que no ocurre gran cosa pero es totalmente comprensible ya que es la primera parte de una saga y lo que se busca es situar y explicar primero el mundo para desarrollarlo en siguientes libros.
El vocabulario empleado es muy rico e idóndeo.
Hay escenas bélicas y otras psicológicas bastante interesantes y respecto a éste último ámbito hay frases reflexivas que personalmente, me han encantado.
Hay una gran variedad de personajes, muy distintos entre ellos y considero, bien contruidos. A algunos de ellos no puedes evitar adorarlos.
En general, si se esfuerza un poco la persona lectora por seguir adelante con esos tramos más lentos, es una lectura entretenida y creo que puede gustar bastante en caso de que al/la lector/a le llamen este tipo de libros. En caso de no ser así, siempre está bien dar una oportunidad. ¿Quién sabe qué puede ocurrir?
Me ha parecido un libro con partes muy entretenidas pero por otro lado, partes muy flojas, lentas y aburridas.
He de decir que la idea de fusionar ámbito histórico con ámbito alienígena me ha parecido una idea muy original y le ha dado más salseo al libro.
Da la sensación de que no ocurre gran cosa pero es totalmente comprensible ya que es la primera parte de una saga y lo que se busca es situar y explicar primero el mundo para desarrollarlo en siguientes libros.
El vocabulario empleado es muy rico e idóndeo.
Hay escenas bélicas y otras psicológicas bastante interesantes y respecto a éste último ámbito hay frases reflexivas que personalmente, me han encantado.
Hay una gran variedad de personajes, muy distintos entre ellos y considero, bien contruidos. A algunos de ellos no puedes evitar adorarlos.
En general, si se esfuerza un poco la persona lectora por seguir adelante con esos tramos más lentos, es una lectura entretenida y creo que puede gustar bastante en caso de que al/la lector/a le llamen este tipo de libros. En caso de no ser así, siempre está bien dar una oportunidad. ¿Quién sabe qué puede ocurrir?
March 14, 2019
El despertar es un libro que tiene una trama, desde mi punto de vista, interesante y que llama la atención. Hasta aquí todo bien, y el libro lo empecé con muchas ganas, pero desde el primer momento, me sentí un poco perdida en la historia, desde los nombres a los lugares y a veces el vocabulario un poco técnico en cuanto a navegación tampoco ayudaba si no eres al menos un aficionado a ello.
Creo que hubiese sido un buen libro para mi si el desarrollo hubiese sido de otra forma, o la traducción, no estoy segura de cuál es el responsable.
Creo que hubiese sido un buen libro para mi si el desarrollo hubiese sido de otra forma, o la traducción, no estoy segura de cuál es el responsable.
April 7, 2019
En general me ha parecido una historia buena y novedosa, pero esta mal desarrollada, aún así la recomiendo.
January 13, 2020
Excellent read
I found myself with a free day. I went through this book like a bag of Thinsters. Looking forward to reading the prequels.
I found myself with a free day. I went through this book like a bag of Thinsters. Looking forward to reading the prequels.
April 23, 2016
Heroic Quest Beneath Two Suns
This novel is an unusual take on the theme of an alien invasion. Instead of the aliens invading earth, this invasion takes place on a distant planet. This distant world orbits a binary star system, but is otherwise somewhat similar to earth. The people seem to be similar to humans, like Star Wars, but the level of technology is essentially Medieval. They have developed bio-luminescent light globes and steam power, but this is by no means a steam-punk novel. The two alien races among them are not apparent to the general population. One, called the Dalthen, is a cruel, immoral race, interested only in conquest and exploiting the people for food. But the other race is kinder and has determined to help the people resist this conquest, even though there are very few of them. The benevolent race, a generation before, secretly modified the DNA of a few individuals to give them telepathic powers. This capability would allow them to sense the Dalthen and resist their mental powers. The crown prince, Regilius (Reg) Tonopath, was one of the few to receive these abilities, though he must learn how to use them.
One might assume that the story is crafted to follow a familiar story line of a dispossessed heir to the throne trying to reclaim his inheritance, but the story is not nearly so simple. There are fascinating twists in the plot that will keep the reader guessing until the final pages. This is not exactly a science-fiction tale, since futuristic technology plays little part. Nor is it exactly like fantasy, since fantastic beasts and magic are not found, though some alien life forms are mentioned in passing. Still, the novel combines the best of both genres.
The main focus of the story is the quest for justice on the part of Prince Reg and Lith-An, his sister, who are impelled to unseat their mother, who assumed the throne after killing their father. They are joined by a rich assortment of friends and allies. The few that have been given the rare mental abilities also confront the Dalthen in order to stop their aim of world conquest.
The main characters are challenged, grow, and develop as the events progress. Secondary characters, at least the major ones, are also memorable in their own right, The setting is well-crafted, and though it is other-worldly, it seems almost familiar. There is a powerful sequence involving the main characters as they struggle to take their sailing vessel into the teeth of a storm. The author shows a remarkable knowledge of the art and craft of sailing.
This is an impressive work. It immerses the reader in a heroic tale with characters that are winsome and sympathetic battling against ultimate evil. It’s certainly worthy of a five-star rating. For a more complete review, see my post on www.book-ratings.com.
This novel is an unusual take on the theme of an alien invasion. Instead of the aliens invading earth, this invasion takes place on a distant planet. This distant world orbits a binary star system, but is otherwise somewhat similar to earth. The people seem to be similar to humans, like Star Wars, but the level of technology is essentially Medieval. They have developed bio-luminescent light globes and steam power, but this is by no means a steam-punk novel. The two alien races among them are not apparent to the general population. One, called the Dalthen, is a cruel, immoral race, interested only in conquest and exploiting the people for food. But the other race is kinder and has determined to help the people resist this conquest, even though there are very few of them. The benevolent race, a generation before, secretly modified the DNA of a few individuals to give them telepathic powers. This capability would allow them to sense the Dalthen and resist their mental powers. The crown prince, Regilius (Reg) Tonopath, was one of the few to receive these abilities, though he must learn how to use them.
One might assume that the story is crafted to follow a familiar story line of a dispossessed heir to the throne trying to reclaim his inheritance, but the story is not nearly so simple. There are fascinating twists in the plot that will keep the reader guessing until the final pages. This is not exactly a science-fiction tale, since futuristic technology plays little part. Nor is it exactly like fantasy, since fantastic beasts and magic are not found, though some alien life forms are mentioned in passing. Still, the novel combines the best of both genres.
The main focus of the story is the quest for justice on the part of Prince Reg and Lith-An, his sister, who are impelled to unseat their mother, who assumed the throne after killing their father. They are joined by a rich assortment of friends and allies. The few that have been given the rare mental abilities also confront the Dalthen in order to stop their aim of world conquest.
The main characters are challenged, grow, and develop as the events progress. Secondary characters, at least the major ones, are also memorable in their own right, The setting is well-crafted, and though it is other-worldly, it seems almost familiar. There is a powerful sequence involving the main characters as they struggle to take their sailing vessel into the teeth of a storm. The author shows a remarkable knowledge of the art and craft of sailing.
This is an impressive work. It immerses the reader in a heroic tale with characters that are winsome and sympathetic battling against ultimate evil. It’s certainly worthy of a five-star rating. For a more complete review, see my post on www.book-ratings.com.
November 11, 2015
Son of a complacent king who cares only for his own comfort, Prince Regilius is blissfully unaware of the unrest fomenting from every quarter of his father’s kingdom. All of that changes, however, when he begins to not only see but feel the anger and despair of the people in his own city of Ydron. It all comes to a head, when Regilius’ own mother, the queen, assassinates the king and overthrows the government.
Even as these events transpire, Reg learns of an even graver threat to his world: a race of aliens called the Dalthin–telepathic, empathic shapeshifters who have infiltrated society and are grooming Reg’s world for domination. Fortunately for Reg and his people, another alien presence–a benignant force who follow and attempt to neutralize the Dalthin–have recognized in Reg’s people the telepathic and empathic potential to defeat the Dalthin, and have biologically engineered Regilius himself in order to enhance his latent capabilities. At the very moment of Reg’s awakening to his new consciousness, the Dalthin, who are (unsurprisingly) involved in the political unrest, have begun the final push to take over the world. Reg flees the city Ydron with his closest friends and confidants to a place he can learn to hone his skills and remotely organize the defeat of the Dalthin as well as his own treacherous mother. As Reg’s own mind awakens, he begins to touch other bright minds, including that of the infamous outlaw, Pithien Dur and of his young sister Lith-An. By degrees, and over time, other minds also begin to enter this great awareness. But will it be enough to stop the queen on her bloody crusade? More importantly, will it be enough to stop the Dalthin on theirs?
What I loved:
-Virtuosic worldbuilding
-Really strong female characters
-Avoided cliches and predictability. Bolton was not afraid to take some risks with his plot.
-Consistency in detail: this is important in fantasy or you can get lost in all of the unfamiliar words and places.
What I didn't love:
-strong voice throughout, but I felt like some of the characters had the same voice. I would have liked to have seen more variety.
-the exposition was a little short and I was a little confused at the beginning.
-It was not as "steampunk" as I thought it was going to be. But that one's on me... The story still worked.
Overall, it exceeded my expectations. And while it wasn't perfect, I would not hesitate to recommend this book to readers of high-fantasy.
Read the complete review at http://www.writerreads.com/book-revie...
Even as these events transpire, Reg learns of an even graver threat to his world: a race of aliens called the Dalthin–telepathic, empathic shapeshifters who have infiltrated society and are grooming Reg’s world for domination. Fortunately for Reg and his people, another alien presence–a benignant force who follow and attempt to neutralize the Dalthin–have recognized in Reg’s people the telepathic and empathic potential to defeat the Dalthin, and have biologically engineered Regilius himself in order to enhance his latent capabilities. At the very moment of Reg’s awakening to his new consciousness, the Dalthin, who are (unsurprisingly) involved in the political unrest, have begun the final push to take over the world. Reg flees the city Ydron with his closest friends and confidants to a place he can learn to hone his skills and remotely organize the defeat of the Dalthin as well as his own treacherous mother. As Reg’s own mind awakens, he begins to touch other bright minds, including that of the infamous outlaw, Pithien Dur and of his young sister Lith-An. By degrees, and over time, other minds also begin to enter this great awareness. But will it be enough to stop the queen on her bloody crusade? More importantly, will it be enough to stop the Dalthin on theirs?
What I loved:
-Virtuosic worldbuilding
-Really strong female characters
-Avoided cliches and predictability. Bolton was not afraid to take some risks with his plot.
-Consistency in detail: this is important in fantasy or you can get lost in all of the unfamiliar words and places.
What I didn't love:
-strong voice throughout, but I felt like some of the characters had the same voice. I would have liked to have seen more variety.
-the exposition was a little short and I was a little confused at the beginning.
-It was not as "steampunk" as I thought it was going to be. But that one's on me... The story still worked.
Overall, it exceeded my expectations. And while it wasn't perfect, I would not hesitate to recommend this book to readers of high-fantasy.
Read the complete review at http://www.writerreads.com/book-revie...
March 24, 2014
About the Book:
How does a world equipped with bows, arrows and catapults, where steam power is just beginning to replace horses and sailing ships, avert a conquest from beyond the stars?
Prince Regilius has been engineered to combat the Dalthin, a predatory alien species that enslaves worlds telepathically, and to do so he must unite his people. But when his mother murders his father, the land descends into chaos and his task may prove impossible. Faced with slaying the one who gave him life in order to protect his world, he seeks a better way. Set in a vast and varied land where telepaths and those with unusual mental abilities tip the course of events, Awakening goes to the heart of family, friendship and betrayal.
My Review:
Regilius awakens in a small hospital room complete with a bed. The last thing he remembers is a fun game of platter, he had played the day before. Other than that he remembers nothing. He soon starts to realize that something dark and mysterious was at work, but what?
Doing as the doctor insisted would be only to easy for him to do, but Reg climbs out of the bed and starts exploring, trying to find the explanation to his memory loss. As he gets closer to the explanation, he finds himself in odd situations. But unknown by him, he is in more danger than he really knows. Reg must talk with Ai'Lorc before it all comes crumbling down.
Ai'Lorc knows nothing of what happened to Reg, but he is willing to help in whatever way possible. But Ai'Lorc didn't expected trouble to be following Reg. As he and Reg start finding the truth, Ai'Lorc comes up missing. Gone without a trace, Reg must depend on himself to find the truth and find Ai'Lorc, without getting hurt. This is going to be a hard journey but Reg knows he will have to fight his way to the end.
**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author.
How does a world equipped with bows, arrows and catapults, where steam power is just beginning to replace horses and sailing ships, avert a conquest from beyond the stars?
Prince Regilius has been engineered to combat the Dalthin, a predatory alien species that enslaves worlds telepathically, and to do so he must unite his people. But when his mother murders his father, the land descends into chaos and his task may prove impossible. Faced with slaying the one who gave him life in order to protect his world, he seeks a better way. Set in a vast and varied land where telepaths and those with unusual mental abilities tip the course of events, Awakening goes to the heart of family, friendship and betrayal.
My Review:
Regilius awakens in a small hospital room complete with a bed. The last thing he remembers is a fun game of platter, he had played the day before. Other than that he remembers nothing. He soon starts to realize that something dark and mysterious was at work, but what?
Doing as the doctor insisted would be only to easy for him to do, but Reg climbs out of the bed and starts exploring, trying to find the explanation to his memory loss. As he gets closer to the explanation, he finds himself in odd situations. But unknown by him, he is in more danger than he really knows. Reg must talk with Ai'Lorc before it all comes crumbling down.
Ai'Lorc knows nothing of what happened to Reg, but he is willing to help in whatever way possible. But Ai'Lorc didn't expected trouble to be following Reg. As he and Reg start finding the truth, Ai'Lorc comes up missing. Gone without a trace, Reg must depend on himself to find the truth and find Ai'Lorc, without getting hurt. This is going to be a hard journey but Reg knows he will have to fight his way to the end.
**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author.
June 22, 2020
While this was a good book. I disagree with it being scify. It is way more fantasy then scify. While the characters learned way too much about how to use their powers without needing to be instructed seemed far fetched. I always struggle with liking a book where the mains characters just immediately can use certain powers very quickly as in this book. While many will not be bothered with this fact I for some reason always am.
Character development was very good and you do get to understand and see why the story goes the direction it does from this understanding of the characters. It is a well written book but I will not continue the series. I am happy that while the books ends it does not end in a way that leaves you wanting the next story in line It does stand well with my decision to not continue the series.
Character development was very good and you do get to understand and see why the story goes the direction it does from this understanding of the characters. It is a well written book but I will not continue the series. I am happy that while the books ends it does not end in a way that leaves you wanting the next story in line It does stand well with my decision to not continue the series.
July 30, 2014
Awakening had a slow start. The names of places were a little tricky to wrap my mind around. I'm not sure if the characters were flushed out as much as they could have been. That point taken into consideration I think Bolton has created a slew of interesting and unique characters. I just wish he had fleshed them out more. A few of the lesser characters were essentially faceless in my mind.
I really found the conflict interesting. I love the contrast between the technology of the time and the various alien races inhabiting this planet along with the humans.
I received this book for free through Goodreads first reads.
I really found the conflict interesting. I love the contrast between the technology of the time and the various alien races inhabiting this planet along with the humans.
I received this book for free through Goodreads first reads.
September 10, 2015
Mr. Bolton's imagination is truly unique and rich - his characters feel like old friends, his settings are vivid, and the plot is exciting and well-paced. Perhaps my favorite aspect of his writing is that he trusts his reader to follow him into the world he has brought to life, and what a treat it is! He gives a perfect amount of detail and background so you're intrigued without being lost. I was in turn surprised, moved, and thrilled by this book. I literally could not put 'Awakening' down and I'm excited to read whatever he comes up with next!
Want to read
January 6, 2020I really enjoyed this book. The world building and the character development was so well done. I loved the sci-fi elements that were included. I really enjoyed the dialogue between the characters, it seemed very real and according the time this book was sent. at times I was confused but as I read further it became clearer. cannot wait to continue on in this series and become more lost in this world
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