What do you think?
Rate this book
The Legender
ASIN B00FFRP45Ymoved to the more recent edition here and then here
Arkos, a reclusive artisan, bides the long age of peace carving animal bones and remembering his days of adventure. In the ancient city of Tierrion where he dwells, no one suspects he is one of the legenders—those forces of nature clad in human form who spoke with the elements and shaped them into mighty beasts. After the legenders fought in the bygone war against the Living Shadow, they faded into myth and have remained in historical obscurity. That is, until a great evil strikes Tierrion and Arkos saves the city with his power over the elements. This grand revelation of his true identity comes at a cost, however, for there are kings and politicians who would use a legender for their own purposes. Bound by an oath of service, Arkos must obey their commands—dire consequences descend upon legenders unfaithful to their vows.
Fearful that Tierrion’s catastrophe portends war, the kingdoms order Arkos to the uncharted wastelands of the north to discover if the Living Shadow and his legions are preparing to mount an attack once again. Arkos’ journey takes him over perilous mountains and through hostile terrain where he must use his elemental abilities to overcome dangers fatal to man. As he travels onward, a sinister and mysterious figure watches from afar, awaiting his dreadful schemes to unfold. When Arkos reaches the dark unknown and finds secrets lost in history, an unexpected choice confronts him: to take his long-awaited freedom or save the kingdoms that would enslave him.
To learn more about The Legender, please visit legendernovel.com, Amazon, Facebook, or twitter.
Arkos, a reclusive artisan, bides the long age of peace carving animal bones and remembering his days of adventure. In the ancient city of Tierrion where he dwells, no one suspects he is one of the legenders—those forces of nature clad in human form who spoke with the elements and shaped them into mighty beasts. After the legenders fought in the bygone war against the Living Shadow, they faded into myth and have remained in historical obscurity. That is, until a great evil strikes Tierrion and Arkos saves the city with his power over the elements. This grand revelation of his true identity comes at a cost, however, for there are kings and politicians who would use a legender for their own purposes. Bound by an oath of service, Arkos must obey their commands—dire consequences descend upon legenders unfaithful to their vows.
Fearful that Tierrion’s catastrophe portends war, the kingdoms order Arkos to the uncharted wastelands of the north to discover if the Living Shadow and his legions are preparing to mount an attack once again. Arkos’ journey takes him over perilous mountains and through hostile terrain where he must use his elemental abilities to overcome dangers fatal to man. As he travels onward, a sinister and mysterious figure watches from afar, awaiting his dreadful schemes to unfold. When Arkos reaches the dark unknown and finds secrets lost in history, an unexpected choice confronts him: to take his long-awaited freedom or save the kingdoms that would enslave him.
To learn more about The Legender, please visit legendernovel.com, Amazon, Facebook, or twitter.
- GenresFantasy
324 pages, ebook
First published September 1, 2013
19 people are currently reading
843 people want to read
About the author
Jason Link
7 books27 followersJason Link is a high school English teacher by day and an author by night (if by “night” you mean the early morning when it’s still dark).
Ever since he was a kid, he’s been a fantasy nerd in love with the art of story. His world building course for fantasy writers is a bestseller on Udemy, and his writing courses have over 14,000 students enrolled from all over the world.
He lives with his family in beautiful Nicaragua—the land where he once proposed to his wife on an active volcano. (It erupted a week later, but he had nothing to do with that.)
Ever since he was a kid, he’s been a fantasy nerd in love with the art of story. His world building course for fantasy writers is a bestseller on Udemy, and his writing courses have over 14,000 students enrolled from all over the world.
He lives with his family in beautiful Nicaragua—the land where he once proposed to his wife on an active volcano. (It erupted a week later, but he had nothing to do with that.)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 14, 2014
What I like about The Legender is that it is fantasy with soul--an enduring soul with just enough hope to go on to the next phase of the quest. For the person wanting an entertaining adventure, you'll get that, but if you take your time and look deep enough, you'll find that there's more than just adventure--motifs and themes regarding the remembered and the forgotten, fear and courage, light and darkness, selfishness and true identity. It takes some time to build the characters and the world, but just like any person or place in real life, it takes time to get to know them well. While the characters are manipulated by forces that are seemingly beyond their control, there is build up to when they at last take charge and embrace their true identities. My only critique is that the female character is a little weak, but it seems that her story is about her growth into a stronger person.
Excited to see where these characters go next!
Excited to see where these characters go next!
June 30, 2015
As the plot unfolds the book gets better. Not that it isn't a good read, because I thoroughly enjoyed it, it's just one of those stories whereby there can be large chunk of descriptive writing and when I get them my mind drifts off and away, and I loose track of what I'm reading, so I tend to skim read at these bits. Of course then you might miss something important, so beware. Some readers might describe this as a "heavy," read because of this, but the actual plot is exciting and there are a couple of great characters that hold the story together. It isn't a romance, it's an adventure and one that introduces some great creatures, that give the nerves a little chill.
November 10, 2025
- 4.5 stars -
“The Legender” is the first (and so far the only) novel in the Arkosaegan series, and as such it has to carry the weight of its rather complex worldbuilding. Link is a deft weaver of plot and backstory (as seen in his other novel, “Angel from the Rust”), but here he is attempting to take it one step further, by using the book to showcase not only history and geography, but also a rich natural world.
Indeed, the novel has a sidekick – “Bestiary: Creatures in a World of Legenders”, a sort of encyclopedia of animals, birds, insects and magical beings, which one would be wise to keep close while reading “The Legender”. To me, the inclusion of so much fauna felt difficult to follow at times, and I am inclined to think that Link took it this far as a sort of experiment. In general, I have not encountered fantasy novels leaning so heavily in this naturalist direction.
On the other hand, if one looks at “The Legender” as the beginning of a longer series, one may perhaps forgive the slightly heavier insistence on worldbuilding elements, which create the early fundament for the story and might get a backseat in future novels, allowing the tale to develop more freely. Even so, my general impression is that clever phrasing and plotting does manage to ease readers into the Arkosaegan universe.
One thing I did notice, though, is that the writing itself is a bit uneven, alternating modern and more archaic phrasing, while some word repetitions and missing punctuation suggest the end product did not get all the polish it could have. This is by no means a deal breaker, just a gentle observation that perhaps, when the author begins writing a second book in the series, he might give “The Legender” one more pass with pen in hand, as it were, to get it in its best possible shape.
The plot of the novel is compelling, its characters are interesting (Maris in particular seems to be undergoing a change arc which has only just begun here), and the natural magic (as exhibited through Arkos’s interactions with the world around him) is gentle and ethereal, and a pleasure to discover.
All in all, “The Legender” was a great find and I am happy to have read it, and I’ll definitely come back to its universe for the second novel.
“The Legender” is the first (and so far the only) novel in the Arkosaegan series, and as such it has to carry the weight of its rather complex worldbuilding. Link is a deft weaver of plot and backstory (as seen in his other novel, “Angel from the Rust”), but here he is attempting to take it one step further, by using the book to showcase not only history and geography, but also a rich natural world.
Indeed, the novel has a sidekick – “Bestiary: Creatures in a World of Legenders”, a sort of encyclopedia of animals, birds, insects and magical beings, which one would be wise to keep close while reading “The Legender”. To me, the inclusion of so much fauna felt difficult to follow at times, and I am inclined to think that Link took it this far as a sort of experiment. In general, I have not encountered fantasy novels leaning so heavily in this naturalist direction.
On the other hand, if one looks at “The Legender” as the beginning of a longer series, one may perhaps forgive the slightly heavier insistence on worldbuilding elements, which create the early fundament for the story and might get a backseat in future novels, allowing the tale to develop more freely. Even so, my general impression is that clever phrasing and plotting does manage to ease readers into the Arkosaegan universe.
One thing I did notice, though, is that the writing itself is a bit uneven, alternating modern and more archaic phrasing, while some word repetitions and missing punctuation suggest the end product did not get all the polish it could have. This is by no means a deal breaker, just a gentle observation that perhaps, when the author begins writing a second book in the series, he might give “The Legender” one more pass with pen in hand, as it were, to get it in its best possible shape.
The plot of the novel is compelling, its characters are interesting (Maris in particular seems to be undergoing a change arc which has only just begun here), and the natural magic (as exhibited through Arkos’s interactions with the world around him) is gentle and ethereal, and a pleasure to discover.
All in all, “The Legender” was a great find and I am happy to have read it, and I’ll definitely come back to its universe for the second novel.
February 10, 2020
Fascinating read, the heart warming creatures are what were most memorable to me. The lore for the magical items seemed to be pretty thoughtful and well put together as well. One of my favorite books to date. Well done Mr. Link. Looking forward to the next book that you are working on as we speak.
April 5, 2018
Takes awhile...
...to get into it, for an adult, anyway. I came to appreciate the alternative world. It is very well thought out and I am now anxious to start the second book.
...to get into it, for an adult, anyway. I came to appreciate the alternative world. It is very well thought out and I am now anxious to start the second book.
November 15, 2014
I received a free copy of this book through a goodreads first reads giveaway.
This book isn't bad per say, but it was boring and difficult to finish.
I waited awhile for the book to take off and the plot to grow more interesting. And while that did happen, it didn't happen to the level that felt necessary. Any connections I made to the main characters were fleeting. I didn't feel any concern for the characters struggles. And I just couldn't buy into Arkos talking to a stone. Every mention or use of the blue stone seemed strange and out of place. The names for the creatures and animals of the world just didn't seem to fit. Also, a fantasy novel with its own names and terms should come with a pronunciation guide.
What I did like about it was the mythos of Havamir and to a point the Dremorn's as well. But it just wasn't enough to make up for how boring the rest of the book was. The included drawings were a nice addition along with the great descriptions of the landscape.
I could see where there's a lot of potential in this book, but very little of it was used to its fullest extent.
This book isn't bad per say, but it was boring and difficult to finish.
I waited awhile for the book to take off and the plot to grow more interesting. And while that did happen, it didn't happen to the level that felt necessary. Any connections I made to the main characters were fleeting. I didn't feel any concern for the characters struggles. And I just couldn't buy into Arkos talking to a stone. Every mention or use of the blue stone seemed strange and out of place. The names for the creatures and animals of the world just didn't seem to fit. Also, a fantasy novel with its own names and terms should come with a pronunciation guide.
What I did like about it was the mythos of Havamir and to a point the Dremorn's as well. But it just wasn't enough to make up for how boring the rest of the book was. The included drawings were a nice addition along with the great descriptions of the landscape.
I could see where there's a lot of potential in this book, but very little of it was used to its fullest extent.
July 18, 2015
I thought the Legender was a very interesting story and well thought out with a lot of depth. The only thing that kept me from giving this a 5 star rating was that there were several spots of long descriptive content that kind of pulled me out of the story. It wasn't bad enough to make me want to stop reading or pass it over because it was interesting, but it really threw off the pace of reading the book and at times it kind of makes your mind wonder.
The story however, was excellent and I really enjoyed it despite the slow start and the occasional lull throughout the book. The story world was well built and the characters had depth an grew in later on in the story. I thought over all it was an great journey and intriguing story. I'm excited to see what Link will come up with next.
The story however, was excellent and I really enjoyed it despite the slow start and the occasional lull throughout the book. The story world was well built and the characters had depth an grew in later on in the story. I thought over all it was an great journey and intriguing story. I'm excited to see what Link will come up with next.
October 14, 2013
As a reader of many fantasy and science fiction books, I was surprised at the originality of The Legender's world and its characters. Arkos and Maris are hauntingly interesting and I want to see what decisions they make in the next book, how they will grow and develop, whom they will love . . . My 13 year old son flew through the book as well, testifying to its compelling story and action. Can't wait for the next book!
October 25, 2014
The premise and plot line of The Legender are different than any other fantasy book I've read, and I really enjoyed it. I especially liked Arkos' nature and his relationship with the elements. The story begins with a lot of character building before things get moving, which makes sense since there are more books to follow, but it wasn't so slow that I struggled to finish. I was left with enough questions at the end to seek answers in Book 2.
February 26, 2016
3.5 stars
I think this is worth more than a middle of the road 3 stars but I wouldn't say I loved it completely. The descriptive writing is excellent, but the mood of the book is unrelentingly sombre. I kept hoping someone was going to have a piece of good news to cheer them up or that some other poor loyal animal wouldn't have to die.
I can't expect much more cheer in the next book, with a war looming, but I shall still look forward to reading it.
I think this is worth more than a middle of the road 3 stars but I wouldn't say I loved it completely. The descriptive writing is excellent, but the mood of the book is unrelentingly sombre. I kept hoping someone was going to have a piece of good news to cheer them up or that some other poor loyal animal wouldn't have to die.
I can't expect much more cheer in the next book, with a war looming, but I shall still look forward to reading it.
March 18, 2014
I haven't read a book in this genre in a while, so it took me a little time to get into the story. But I stuck with it and found myself enjoying the story by the end, and looking forward to the next book!
October 31, 2014
Couldn't finish it. Too dull and I just didn't care enough about the characters to wade through it. I guess you could say it's high/epic fantasy, so others might enjoy it more. For me, it dragged. (34%,so I gave it a solid go.)
November 7, 2015
An interesting read. It was a little slow to start with and there were a long of graphic detail in places, where I think it was overdone slightly, however a good story and obviously a good lead into the series.
I certainly will follow up the series in future.
I certainly will follow up the series in future.
November 23, 2016
Amazing read
I was captivated by the story and the characters in this book. Jason Link has a real gift for writing. This book I believe is destined to be a classic. If you loved Lord of the Rings this book is a essential read.
I was captivated by the story and the characters in this book. Jason Link has a real gift for writing. This book I believe is destined to be a classic. If you loved Lord of the Rings this book is a essential read.
March 19, 2014
I'm hoping that he can pull the stories together better with the next book, but I still enjoyed this one
March 12, 2016
Beautiful writing, very original plot. Loved it!
May 4, 2015
Good book
It's a good read, I can't think of anything else to say about the book, read it you will like it
It's a good read, I can't think of anything else to say about the book, read it you will like it
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews