Rydan

Son of No Man #1

by D. Lambert

These are the first steps along the path to conquest. Tread lightly.

Born Esparan but raised in isolation, Tohmas Galanth wavers between blood and upbringing. Called north to defend the family he never knew, he must inspire Espar to rally, lest the invading Northlander forces conquer the land between the Ice Oceans and Outland Plains.

But Tohmas is not the naive commander his enemies or his allies expect. War is in his blood. He will not be deterred, though remnants of a crushed Rydan clan seek his head for a secret crime, and the Northlander chief readies a legendary dragon-wing axe for his throat.

His allies are no less eager to spill his blood. The Princes of Espar bicker for supremacy, unaware that the greatest threat to them all is Tohmas himself.

393 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 16, 2023

About the author

At a young age, Deborah's rampant imagination kept her up, lending great detail to all the terrible things lurking in the night. In desperation, her mother suggested she invent her own stories to distract her brain. She has been doing that since, channelling her ideas into mainly sword and sorcery-style fantasy novels and shorts.

"Dragon's Voice" landed in the YA self-published world in November 2019. Book 1 of the Weapons of Espar series (Dragon's Talon) came out May 2020, with Book 2 (SoulBurner) due Feb 2021.

In March 2021, Deborah signed on with 4Horsemen Publishing, who have taken on the entire 6 book Son of No Man series. Books 1-3 are now available.

In her other life, Deborah is a veterinarian. She lives in Sooke with her husband of 14+ years, their two sons, and three demanding felines.​

Reviews

[MGB · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has created quite an interesting world for the reader. There is complexity in the evolution of the story as we learn about the multiple characters. Sometimes hard to follow because of the parallel streams of action in the story. There definitely is action in this story, and there is intrigue in the backstory for how the world of Espar has come to be this way. The main character is a powerful and intriguing person who has multiple different sides of his persona revealed as different situations are thrust upon him.

If you like strong fighting characters, maybe with some magic thrown in, plus some regal intrigue and outside influences to force the action, this story will be a good fit for you.

[Anne Curry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd lable this as a moderate read. Story starts out a bit hard to follow with a ton of info. Various perspectives, but then you get the hang of it and it draws you in. I did have to go back to double check i had perspectives right in first 8 or 9 chapters. Good character and world development. Likely a few days read or a full days read getting not much done. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

Story leaves you on a cliff hanger as to what will happen but leaves some feeling of completion.

Favorite character likely Tohmas.

Fairly clean but violence and mature topics like abuse of females. Nothing too in depth.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A world filled with unique characters and three-dimensional political intrigue. The story starts with a lot of threads in the air and numerous characters that are at first hard to keep track of. By mid-way, the various threads have been woven together, and the story really starts to make sense. Seemingly side-stories that become relevant also help develop the multitude of characters into recognizable individuals.

The magic system is a little hard to follow but over all, the story is quite enjoyable, and I devoured it fairly quickly.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Chere Gruver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will Prince Tohmas be able to unite Espar in order to defeat the Northlanders?

This is an extremely well-written fantasy about how an unknown prince comes back to the land of his birth and tries to unite his countrymen in order to defeat their enemies. The character of Prince Tohmas is very different from most in that he starts out confident instead of unsure of himself and I really love his prime protector, Carsh. The action flows from one event to the next quickly enough to keep anybody turning pages to find out what happens next. I really can’t wait to see where D. Lambert takes this series.

[Lisa Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The epic journey of a young prince preparing for battle. Join him as he seeks to build his troops from neighboring territories and hopefully some wizards as he fears a war looming upon his borders. Determined not to have his kingdom fall, he must make solid decisions. Detailed with imagery, fast paced action and emotional turmoil, this story will intrigue you from the start, and hold your attention til the last page

[Enzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Rydan" starts you slow just to lure you in. Prince Tohmas Galanth is not like the other Princes he was given to the Rydans to educate and train. What came back is not the Esparan Prince but a mis between the Rydan toughness. I am really looking forward to this series and to read it completely.
Tohmas is a great character and the mission he embarks on will save or end Esparan culture if he fails. Action on this book is very good and the politics are well done. Great universe

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was debating whether or not I wanted to read this, and something just kept drawing me back to these books and I'm SOOOOO glad I listened to that voice or nudge or whatever it was. This book is phenomenal!! I want to dive into the rest of the series and any other books this author has to offer. I love his writing style, the stories, the characters.... everything! So amazing.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Brittany Britton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rydan by D. Lambert is an excellent adventure fantasy. Rydan is the first book in Son of No Man series. The story is entertaining, interesting, engaging, and more. Tohmas was raised in isolation, so when he has to choose between family and the people who raised him. Thing are not easy.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Di · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an adorable story. I really loved all the characters. This is a great beginning to the Son of No Man series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, it worked as a beginning to a series and an introduction to this world. I enjoyed getting to know this world and the characters.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I found the world building good and the characters are fun and intriguing. As a D&D player it feels like you could base a session on the plot.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sword and sorcery of the best kind. A tight read with a few surprises that I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Frank Geimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good read, sometimes hard to follow. After the first half the story line ondifferent layers pulled together and it all made sense. I look forward to more from this author.

[Mysty Sutter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great start to the series. I couldn’t put it down. The world building is rich. So many unique characters to follow and learn about.