Perilous Shores

by Eric Gibson

Traveler's Luck is a serial novel published in three parts. Perilous Shores can be enjoyed alone but deeper mysteries and the ultimate fate of our survivors will be revealed in books two and three.

The lucky ones were taken by the deeps. The rest will only escape by banding together.

When a trio of young mages set off on an unsanctioned expedition into the isle's interior, they are expecting to find their powerful masters instead of the shipwrecked survivors of the Crown's harvest ship. A constable, a smuggler, and a naturalist join the magicians on a desperate journey to leave the island before they fall victim to an army of monstrous, sea-dwelling scavengers, a cult of the undead, and something unseen that leaves destruction in its wake.

They say the gods watch over travelers on the road, and so listen to the tales they tell. As much as the struggle for survival, and the battles fought side by side, the stories they share in the small hours bind them together in love and laughter.

Genres: Fantasy

348 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 30, 2023

Reviews

[E.M. Swift-Hook · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant science-fantasy survival story
Three young wizards, a skilled diver, a security officer and a local herbalist are amongst a cast of characters who come together on a mysterious and largely uncharted island in a science fantasy world that has a familiar feel. It is kind of as if this is an alternative modern-day world from the level of technology (barring magic) which we see.
But this isn't a book about magic or technology really, it is a book of human adventure. A book about people surviving against the odds, bonding together and learning about each other as they work together to survive. It is this very human element (although not all those people are human at all - we have elves, dwarves and lizard people amongst other races) together with a light touch worldbuilding and logically consistent magic, that makes this such a good book.
Although the exploration, discovery, adventure and massive combat scenes are sprinkled through the story to maintain the tension and offer great moments of drama, for me it is the characters and their relationships that make this an outstanding book. We slowly unravel their pasts as they learn about each other. And as we learn about the characters, their strengths and weaknesses, hopes and fears, we also learn about their cultures. For me the one real weakness comes from the fact that, unlike more usual modern-day takes on such a survival theme, we don't really know enough about the base world from which most of the characters come - the Crown lands whatever they might be.
If you dislike cliffhanger endings, then this is not for you, but it is made clear in the book description that it is part one of a three-book adventure, so you are well warned. Oh, and being from the UK I had to muffle a chortle every time the not-so-good, magical waterbreathing devices are called 'Tescos'!
I really enjoyed this book and if you like character-driven science fantasy, you will find in it something refreshingly new and different.

[Hayley Phoenix-Winterburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am usually bored by the standard fantasy novel these days, only for the fact that a lot of them seem to blend together. Gibson's "Perilous Shores," I am happy to say, does not fall into that trap.

The world building in this story is wonderful. It is recognizable enough to resonate but unique enough to throw the reader into a fantastical environment without being repetitive from other novels of the genre. While reading, I often found myself guessing what would happen next based on the tropes of fantasy that I have become all too familiar with...but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was wrong more often than not!

While the world building is what pulled me in, it was the relationship dynamic between the characters that made me stay to enjoy - especially the witty banter. The warmth and resilience that the characters display makes for an excellent read.

Gibson's "Perilous Shores" is full of adventure, challenges, and loveable characters... and will keep you on your toes. I anticipate that the second book will be just as enthralling.

[E.K. Frances · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Perilous Shores' is the opening book in the 'Traveler’s Luck' series. The novel begins with two threads - three mages teleport, and a chaotic shipwreck results in a few survivors. Both groups end up on the same island. Once united, they travel across the hazardous land, encountering an array of native creatures, and trying to solve puzzles which fit into the broader theme of the series.

It’s an exciting read, with plenty of action and battles. The world-building is strong, and there is an imaginative range of beasties the characters have to face - Hobs, Goblins, Hobgoblins, manticores, eel-people who work with sharks, dog-sized spiders (brr!), and much, much more. Add to that the sprinkling of magic, elves, and Lizard people, and it’s already a captivating world.

But what really brings it to life is the characters. As is often the case in epic fantasy, there were lots of characters to keep track of – I always find this a challenge – but this book distinguishes each character effectively, giving them unique quirks and personalities. And, in general, they were gradually introduced. The slow-burn romance between Gladlow and Pel worked well, and I enjoyed the banter between the three mages. There also seemed to be clear character development as the book progressed, which bodes well for the series.

The prose is well-written, especially the dialogue, but I did struggle at times with a few exceedingly long paragraphs which made my eyes spin. Also, the ending seemed a little abrupt – I know there’s a sequel - but I kept flicking the page back and forth thinking I missed something – maybe I did!

Overall, fans of epic fantasy are likely to enjoy this one. Given most of the cast are young, YA fantasy fans will probably find something to enjoy here too (although there is the occasional use of bad language.)

4.5 rounded up to 5.

[Justin Alcala · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love D&D, so reading this book was a blast. We have a band of young wizards, ship survivors, lizard and bird like familiars, and a hobgoblin all on Gilligan’s Island. The dialogue is clean, chapters read smoothly, and the writing style isn’t too chunky (a hallmark of far too many fantasy novels). The plot is interesting, and there’s a promise for more books, which is a good reason to keep following the author. All in all, if you’re looking to read what a campaign with your D&D friends would look like on the pages, check out Eric Gibson’s Traveler’s Luck (Perilous Shores). It’s a fun read.

[Veronique Wallrapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t often read fantasy and I admit I was a little overwhelmed during the first 25% of the book. You move rapidly between different settings, disasters and characters that are taking place essentially in tandem and it took me a little while to get it all straight in my mind (this may just be me!).

As the six characters converged and the tale began to stitch together I started to really enjoy the story. The author does an excellent job of bringing the individual characters to life. I loved the banter, sarcastic remarks, and how they’re all looking out for each other in their own ways.

There is the beginnings of a love story between Pel and Gladlow which I really enjoyed (I love a good romance), and which added to the book. The world building is excellent, with plenty of variety in races, magic, and vague mentions of the evil Crown, which I’m dying to know more about.

I can’t wait to read the next book and see what happens!

[Rik Ty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mild spoilers

I think I might be in danger of some spoilers in this review, so let me start out with the basics— Yes! I liked this book quite a lot. I am not a “magic/fantasy” reader, but this book has a very friendly attitude, a generous supply of action, and an impressive wellspring of imagination.

I hit a drawback early on that I am going to tell you about here so that you won’t go through it, and then some funny book “magic” is going to happen in real life — you’re going to read the scene, see it perfectly, and then say “I understood that completely. What was that dope talking about?” Good. You’re welcome (ha ha).

Okay, the first scene features a group of wizards searching for a teleportation platform - no problem, terrific, in fact. However, the next scene takes place on a ship, and it throws a lot at the reader in a quick jumble—but, on a second read, you see that it’s actually a very simple scene. The ship’s captain and her two deputies have to talk to a crew member they suspect of a crime. The captain’s name is Wellstone, the two deputies are Rillan and Carlin, and the suspect’s name is Daine. This is a very simple scene, similar to many you’ve seen in police and detective stories, except it’s on a fantasy vessel. The suspect no sooner says “have a look for yourself”, when the ship comes under attack.

There. I trust now that you can breeze right through the scene and enjoy the spectacular events that follow - they include (omitted, you’ll see for yourself), and, what I thought was a really impressive idea (that isn’t played out in as much detail as it could have been - saving some for later, I’d guess).

The two groups, the band of wizards and the shipwrecked survivors, link up and make their way forward on a tropical island—cool! Sandy jungles and wizards are a match up I’ve never seen before, and it was a lot of fun. The wizards turn out to be young and good looking, the survivors of the ship are also in the prime of life, and over the course of the book they do a great deal of bonding. The band grows to include - well - maybe I ought to blast the spoiler horn here. If you are on the fence about picking up this book - sure. Jump in, there’s a lot to enjoy!

Okay, I will try to keep spoiling to a minimum. The band grows to include a sentient human-sized lizard (I loved her!), a hobgoblin, and a talking bird (talks like a parrot, but conveys actual meaning).
Over the course of the book, this band takes on many tasks, has many battles with the undead (as well as other nasties), begin arcs of character growth, and begins a few romantic relationships. There are plenty of cool jungle island locales, plenty of cool magic fighting scenes, plenty of cool weapons fighting scenes, and plenty of cool character moments (also hints of a string-theory magic system).

I don’t play video games or D&D, but this ebook seems to have earmarks of both - but okay, great. If you are involved with either, that’s all the more reason to believe you will love this book. The writing is very good, and the entertainment is there. This is obviously the opening book in a longer series, and I’m sure many people will love it. This opening offering keeps grand ambitions hidden, but that doesn’t mean the series won’t offer them. As it is, this is a cool fantasy story of young wizards and warriors stranded on a jungle island - with monsters and budding romances and goblins and hobgoblins and undead warriors, and with the granddaddy of all monsters lurking just off shore. A quick book, packed with fun.
Well done!

[Gary Stringer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perilous Shores is Book 1 of the Traveler’s Luck series. A high fantasy dungeon crawling quest-type story that throws diverse characters together as they try use their individual skills to survive the peril in which they find themselves.

At this point in a review, I would normally give a short outline of the plot. Unfortunately, in this case, that’s a problem, because I’m not entirely sure what the plot was. As I understand it, there were initially 2 groups – mages that teleport to the island for their own reasons, and a group on board a ship, the CMS Indomitable, that is wrecked off the coast. In the latter case, I found myself immediately thrown into the action, which is often fine, but here I felt the author was throwing so many characters at me, they were nothing but names. By the time the plot settled down, and the main characters were established, it felt I had, ironically, missed the boat in terms of knowing who they are as individuals.

As the story progressed, there were moments when I started to get a vague impression of certain characters, and many times, I found myself drawn into individual scenes. The action was good and easy to follow, and there were many touching moments of friendship and budding romance, as well as worldbuilding the various races through their representatives in this group. There wasn’t much in the way of magic, compared to other fantasy novels of this type, but there were certainly plenty of fun, quirky ideas. Although I did find the name of the water breathing apparatus a bit distracting. As a UK reader, every time the characters mentioned Tesco’s, I just got visions of them popping out to the supermarket! Still, that’s a minor quibble – coincidences of names happen all the time when writing.

In the end, as much as I enjoyed the scenes and challenges the characters faced, when I ask myself what it all meant in terms of the story as a whole, I’m mostly drawing a blank. Even when I understood what they were doing, I wasn’t always clear on why. Another feature was the recurring game of ‘Traveler’ which, as far as I could see, basically amounted to ‘having a conversation’.

Someone who is good with names and can latch onto characters quickly, and/or let themselves be swept away by fantasy action-adventure for its own sake, I’m sure will find much to enjoy here. For me, I really wanted to like this because it’s exactly the kind of D&D-inspired book that got me into fantasy fiction in the first place, but sadly, like many of those on board the CMS Indomitable, I found myself cast adrift and lost at sea.

[W.R. Rosche · Rating 4 out of 5]

I struggled to get through the first few pages of this book. The initial characters are introduced with little elaboration other than that they are mages who, at the end of the first scene, are magically transported from somewhere to somewhere else. The book picks up when it shifts to a new cast of characters who are aboard a ship. Bad things result in a number of the mariners being stranded on a remote island.

The first part of the book alternates between the mages and the mariners, with both groups overcoming much adversity until they meet up. Most of the mariners decide to leave the island, reducing the cast to three mages (male) three mariners (female) and a giant sentient lizard.

The world these characters navigate is bold, complex and intriguing. The principal characters are well-defined and engaging. The treatment of the female characters was a bit squirm-inducing, but less so than in many books of this genre. The dialogue is fairly witty and there are enough light-hearted scenes to break up the frantic action. Although the world-building descriptions dragged at times, the pace of the book was generally excellent.

It was a pleasure to read an engaging tale of magic and swordplay that avoided the dark, often misogynistic places that the Sword and Sorcery genre often frequents. The overall flow resembled an RPG—as crisis follows crisis ‘mages’ throw spells and ‘warriors’ defend with weapons. I almost visualized dice being rolled to determine the ‘damage.’ If you enjoy role-playing games and want to take a break by reading a book or just want to immerse yourself in that world for a while, this would be an excellent choice.

I found it hard to slot this book into a 5-point rating scale. It was clearly better than a 3, so I gave it a somewhat qualified 4.

[pdmac pdmac · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll begin with the problems (minor) first. I had some difficulty understanding the cause/reasons for some key plot points, e.g, the space-travel circle in the very beginning that causes the mages to teleport to an island. At times, the story seemed more RPG than fantasy, especially with the way magic was used. And there are a few editing errors, though not many.

Now, having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and am impressed with the author’s world building and character development. I think his character development is the strongest aspect of the novel. There are six main characters, and as the story unfolds we learn more and more about each one – a nicely done unfolding that is such a wonderful contrast to the typical character data-dump in so many published novels. I especially like the dialogue between the protagonists – it’s well-done, believable, and occasionally humorous. Kudos for realistic dialogue.

And then there’s the nonstop action. I confess that I enjoyed the protagonists’ interaction so much that I often felt irritated when external conflict arose. Yet external conflict is what drives the action as well as the developing relationships. I appreciated the author’s approach to developing love interests. Again, unlike so many published works where as soon as two individuals are attracted to each other they’re peeling each other’s clothes off, this author takes time to actually develop the relationship (what a concept!), but not in the typical artificial method employed by the usual suspects publishing their concepts of what a novel is.

I noticed this author is relatively new (at least on Amazon). He has exceptional writing talent and I strongly encourage him to hone his craft and publish more!

[P.J. Ashton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perilous Shores starts with a bang. A giant sea creature attacks a ship called the CHS Indomitable, sinking it. Right away we are thrown in at the deep end, introduced to the main characters, two characters who are on the ship, named Wellstone and Carlin, one character who is a diver who was in the water during the attack, named Pel and three mages who are on the Island, named Gladlow, Meese and Nowen. At around the 30% mark, the characters converge and set off on the main quest.

The worldbuilding is wonderful, the island is well-described and as the novel progresses you get a sense of the larger world outside the Island and a hint of a natural disaster that had occurred many years prior to the start of the novel. This disaster had also affected two of the main characters and it was interesting to see how their lives were affected.

The characters were all given enough time to develop. I'd say that at this point, my favourite character was Carlin. She is a young woman who just seems so optimistic and full of life. The dynamic between the three mages is fun and you can see that they have been friends for a long time. There is the start of a tender relationship between two characters as well towards the end of the book.

The only issue I had is that the goals of the characters seem to change, so when we got to the end of the book, I wasn't sure what it was that they wanted - to find the missing mages or to leave the Island. So because of this, it loses half a star.

Overall, a wonderful, unique fantasy. 4.5 stars.

[J.A. Freely · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost didn't make it. So much was thrown at me right from the start that I was dazed and confused and a little frustrated. Imagine divers diving in a sea of overgrown anemones, being attacked or at the mercy of every and any mythological being plus some more invented by the author and somehow the characters you've met on one page are killed in the next, and it's hard to know what's going on!

And then, things get much better. After riding out the confusion, things slow down, and it becomes a much more enjoyable story. The characters are all too human (or elf or lizard), and while there are mages who can do magic, the weird mythological creatures and the magic (rolling eyes here) takes a back seat to the interaction between the various beings that find themselves thrown together and relying on each other to stay alive. The interaction and the journey they find themselves in is the best part of the story. There is humor, realistic interaction, and camaraderie that really forms the essence of the story, and the magic, the crazy composite of every mythical being every mentioned, or written about, is secondary, and therefore, more tolerable.

I'm not a magic guy. I'm not a hob guy, or a goblin guy, or an admirer of any other type of mythical being, but I did find myself laughing, sympathizing, and enjoying being in the company of such a strange group of beings as they tried to get themselves off the island and continue their various missions. That right there was the story, and it was enjoyable. Give it a try.

[G.J. Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perilous Shores is a fantasy tale that jumps straight into the spirit of things with a battle. I found this a bit confusing because then we quickly have to cope with a list of characters with unusual names and identities. Feeling a little breathless at this point I was glad there was some humour to compensate. The main characters are on an unknown island using magic and strange technology to cope with monsters and mythological enemies before they are able to leave. There was so much background hidden about their different origins and culture it became hard not to remain confused throughout the story. Since this is the first book in a series maybe the confusion is meant to promote enough curiosity to make you get the next book? The adventurous events around the ending certainly seemed to encourage one to do this, and admittedly this was hinted at in the book’s description.

Having read and really enjoyed the books by J. R. R. Tolkien, Mervyn Peake and Frank Herbert it was difficult not to compare the characters and events found in those with the ones in Perilous Shores. For example there are orcs, dwarves and elves as well as the magic and I could not help thinking of the ‘stillsuits’ in Dune when I read about the ‘Tescos’ water breathing devices in this book. It is extremely well written with plenty of descriptive adventures and characters. Some of the characters became quite likeable in a quirky way with the banter-like conversations that went on between them.

[Amanda Stuntz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perilous shores is the first book in the Travelers Luck series. It is a fantasy full of action and adventure and just a hint of romance.

We are thrown into the action right from the beginning, which I love, but we are also given a large cast of characters right from the start which made it hard to follow what was going on at times.

After the first couple chapters and the main characters are established, the story moves at a whirlwind pace as a group of people come together to travel across an island.

Although this is a fantasy there isn’t much use of magic. There are three mages who occasionally use a spell, but the story really revolves around the journey itself and the dangers they face like eel-men and giant spiders, as well as an army of undead.

I really only have two complaints about the book. First, there were times when I didn’t know what the point of the story was other than they were traveling through this island. In the beginning especially, but it felt like it never become really clear even towards the end of the book. The second complaint is a personal dislike and that’s the cliffhanger at the end! I’m not a fan of cliffhangers but this is book one in a series so I kind of expected it.

If you like fantasy that is character driven with all kinds of creatures, then this would be a book to read.

[Dee Osah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Perilous Shores was a fun ride, like being flung into the middle of a hurricane and told to figure it out. But the world kept me interested, though I was a bit lost at times as to what exactly was going on. The constant action leaves little time to breathe, and the plot unfolds with impressive world-building, but for me, the best part of the story is the eccentric group formed by our main cast of characters and the realistic lovable way they interact with each other and develop through the events of their perilous journey together battling the undead and mythological creatures. There are mages and magical systems, but magic isn’t a focal point of the story, and the sprinkling of romantic moments with well-done dialogue makes those simple moments pop, especially those between G and P.
With that said, it did take me a while to settle into the plot, and since there’s a sequel, the ending of this first book didn’t quite land for me, but that only took away a little of my enjoyment. If you like fantasy with nonstop action and incredible characters, then you’ll have fun with Perilous Shores.

[K.T. Munson · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cast of characters! Although it took a moment (and a few google searches) to get this world and character races straight, it was well worth the effort. A D&D style story telling of epic proportions. It had some unique aspects of the world building that also felt familiar to the role playing game. For new adults and adults, the plot was punctuated by action and fighting scenes that kept the story moving. The POVs weren't always clear, but after a while the story flowed so well that it didn't matter whose perspective it was from. The story built up, only to feel rushed at the end. Although it is part of a series, it wraps up one part of the story while opening the door to what comes next. I know by the end I was invested in Gladlow and Pel's story, plus Wellstone and Meese. They made a great team and were put through the ringer - a nice change of pace for a fantasy group where they felt vulnerable instead of carrying MC armor.

Rating

4 stars

A solid fantasy with a worthwhile journey but a rushed end. You'll love these cast of characters on this epic fantasy world!

[Scott Sargent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perilous Shores by Eric Gibson offers an intriguing journey through a world of adventure and danger. The novel captures the essence of survival and exploration after being stranded on an unfamiliar island.

Gibson's writing style is accessible, and the atmosphere of the various settings and events is well done. The action scenes are exciting and fast-paced but are often over as quickly as they begin. There is almost no time to fully grasp the conflict and horror of facing eel-men, giant spiders, or the unexplainable boiling of the ocean depths. I found the large cast of characters introduced at the start somewhat hard to follow. Unfortunately, the omniscient narrator did a lot of head-hopping, making it confusing to tell whose inner thoughts and dialogue were who's.

I feel that books should be whole and complete—even when they are part of a series, so I admit to having a personal bias against books that end with a cliffhanger. However, Perilous Shores is an enjoyable read for fans of adventure fiction.

[Ed Morawski · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must start out by stating after reading (struggling) through 339 pages I couldn’t really tell you what this book is about.

Oh, it’s fantasy and I was vaguely aware of giant sea urchins and eel men and breathing charms and deep sea divers, but I had to check and make sure this really was book 1 because it felt like I was missing an entire book about the people and the world.

The action skipped around frenetically between characters and locations which were never explained (raft 1?). I think eelmen, who somehow managed to make the ocean boil, attacked a ship (of the Crown - no idea what that is) and the characters had to flee.

Some of the survivors joined up with some magicians and went on a journey to somewhere. Along the way they encountered Lizard people and Hobgoblins.

The book ended so abruptly that once again I thought I was missing something.

Maybe hard core fantasy lovers will like this but I’m afraid it wasn’t for me.

[Seth Hobbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic journey into the deep ocean and fantasy realm, "Perilous Shores" combines many different interesting elements, from magical wizards to foreign races to incredible underwater monsters. It might take further books to fully explore the larger world outside of the story, but I found that the author did enough with it to create a suspension of disbelief that I could deal with. There are several characters who come together to deal with the problems in this world, after the devastating sinking of a ship earlier in the tale. I was a little bit lost in a couple of places, so I think it could be tightened up a bit, because I wasn't sure what the ultimate message or goal was in the end, but the island, the creature, and the mixing of real-world styles with a fantasy realm are entertaining enough to keep most readers engaged, despite the long page count. If you like sea stories or fantasy tales in general, this is a decent read.

[Jan Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's great about this book is the imaginative world-building - unlike anything I've ever read in fantasy before. Also, it defies or upends many of the standard tropes and happily pombles on its own way on a loosely a quest-style story. I quite like that, as sometimes the quest trope can be a bit formulaic, no matter how well written. And this is well written - vividly descriptive, amusing in parts, tense in others.
After the dramatic sinking start where we meet some of the main characters, the band of misfits and mages go on a hunt for answers. Some of which are answered.
I enjoyed the banter between the characters which gave a reasonable sense of who each of them were but I wasn't sure where the story was going at times and felt the ending was a sort of segway into the next book but the abruptness of it didn't quite satisfy me enough, personally.
But, for fans of fantasy, especially if you like amazing world-building, this is a good read.

[P.L. Tavormina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so cute. I get the strange feeling that the author has done some theater, because the characters are a lot of fun--they're real characters! Fun to be with.

I liked how much the story moved around and also how much good humor came through. The characters were cracking jokes, not taking life too seriously, friendly banter--it just felt very lighthearted throughout (even the big scenes felt somehow hopeful) and that worked well. A lot of times in fantasy books, I see heavy handed treatment, like gore and a fascination with violence, and this is not that. This has a whimsical feel, even in the battles. Suitable for younger readers.

The balance, editing, and writing are all good. If I had to pick anything as a negative, it's hard, but maybe I didn't feel connected in a personal way to any of the main players. They're all likable, but what hooked me was the ambience of the story, more than any individual within it.

Five stars. This is really well done.

[Terry Birdgenaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Traveler’s Luck, the first book of Perilous Shores by Eric Gibson is a highly creative tale about wizards and shipwreck survivors who unexpectedly meet on a secluded tropical island steeped with unimaginable dangers (unimaginable except by this inventive author). Although difficult to navigate, at first, for both the characters and readers, the story picks up when the two groups meet, and bond to overcome the obstacles they encounter. The book has plenty of action, romance, and a truckload of fantastical characters, including squid-like divers, eel men, lizards, hobgoblins, talking birds, and sea monsters. Though some of the main characters are magicians, magic is used sparingly. While the world-building is extensive, it is often free-wheeling and leads the reader to wonder about how things got the way they are. The story also ends abruptly, requiring readers to read book 2 for answers. Recommended for lovers of high fantasy with page-turning action and adventure.

[Linda Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perilous Shores pulls you into a world where danger lurks behind every shadow and survival depends on courage and unlikely alliances. This is the third book I have read by Eric Gibson, and once again, his storytelling captures me completely. His writing has a rhythm that feels effortless, with characters that live and breathe long after the last page.

The stranded travelers, each flawed and fascinating, must face not only monstrous creatures and dark forces but also their own fears and loyalties. The mix of mages, smugglers, and ordinary survivors gives the tale texture and heart. Their shared stories during quiet moments offer warmth amid the chaos, reminding readers that connection can be as powerful as magic.

It is gripping, imaginative, and filled with the kind of worldbuilding that keeps you turning pages long after midnight. A thrilling start to a series that promises both peril and wonder in equal measure.

[S.D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book one of a three-part epic fantasy series, opening with a battle that ends in disaster. Throughout the book there’s chaos, danger, creatures, a quest, puzzles, magic, and a host of unique life forms all vying for the reader’s attention.

It was the action that kept me reading at first as I didn’t really identify with the characters. Too many were introduced and therefore were undeveloped like extras in a movie scene. In chapter one at least twenty named characters showed up. To have kept track of them all, I would have had to make a list to keep them sorted. I did not identify with any of the except Pel.

As I read on, the characters came alive. By the end of the book, I cared about them. Most epic fantasy fans should enjoy this series. The world building is well done. It’s an action-packed adventure, moving from crisis to the next.

[Mehmet Çalışkan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eric Gibson’s Perilous Shores is a blend of Fantasy Adventure and Survival genres.
The story follows a group of wizards (Gladlow, Meese, and Nowen) and shipwreck survivors (Pel and Wellstone) who must work together to survive on a mysterious island. Although the presence of too many enemies at once (sea monsters, death cults, the undead, etc.) occasionally made the reading experience a bit confusing, I enjoyed Gibson’s rich world-building and the way he skillfully balanced constant tension with moments of humor.

I think it’s a recommended read for those who enjoy the adventurous spirit of fantasy role-playing games, stories about survival on remote islands, and action-packed fantasy novels filled with monster hunts and fast-paced excitement.

[Ismael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eric Gibson's first instalment in the Traveler's Luck series, Perilous Shores, is a seafaring delight of adventure and world-building. There is a stunning variety of classical fantasy adversaries - goblins, Hobgoblins, sea monsters, lizard people, et al. Gibson's novel had an almost mythological feel. Indeed, there is very much a clear-cut 'odyssey' element to the book, which cements a broader human theme. The real triumph is Gibson's world-building which is provided with technical insight and flavour. I was immersed in the landscape and its textures, it had boundaries, constraints. There was a highly-distilled dimensional element to the setting. Enjoyable.

[J.R. Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Travelers Luck Volume 1 is the first of a three part fantasy series. It focuses on a group of mages, or wizards conducting a sea expedition. At first the story jumps around from place to place for a bit between various settings and characters, since this is all part of the worldbuilding. This was a bit tricky getting used to at first, but I was able to work out what was happening in the end. However I liked the interactions between the characters and the plot was overall intriguing, my favourite part of the story was the various sea monsters.

[Malik Touré · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I’m not the biggest fan of fantasy epics in general, but from the clever and amusing dialogue to the engaging world building, I had a lot of fun with it. Additionally, anything that explores the underwater world and the multitude of terrifying creatures within it, has my interest. At times, I wasn’t always certain what the overarching message of the story was, but as far as the genres of fantasy and adventure go, this is a solid effort.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Perilous Shores (Traveler's Luck Book 1)" by Eric Gibson is a captivating fantasy novel that immerses readers in a world of adventure, danger, and discovery. With its rich world-building, themes of resilience and friendship, and a gripping storyline, this book sets the stage for an epic series that will leave readers eagerly turning the pages. Eric Gibson's talent for creating immersive fantasy worlds shines through in "Perilous Shores," making it a must-read for fans of the genre.

[Amber Daulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small group of shipwrecked survivors journey through a deep ocean in a fantasy realm filled with underwater monsters, magicians, eel-men, and more fantastical creatures. The survivors learn to work together for a common goal, but as the story progressed and the characters developed, their goals diverged into different directions that left me a little confused. Anyway, I enjoyed the world-building and witty dialogue. I don’t read fantasy often, but this one was a fun pick.

[Joseph Minart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perilous Shores (Traveler's Luck #1) by Eric Gibson was a story about a crew of Meese, Nowen, Gladlow, Wellstone, and Pel interacting daily. In their sea-based world, there were mages, wizards, elves, goblins, and hobgoblins, along with mentions of seldom magic—that part of the story I understood. I was still wondering about the plot beyond the daily interactions, so I wasn't sure I was this book's intended audience. However, I did admire the daily interactions among the characters.