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They Who Linger: Book One: The Everlight Saga
For countless ages, the fate of Ireolden has been entwined with the Volskaia, and the current age is no different.
At the end of the last age, Shem betrayed his Volskaia kin and unleashed a cataclysmic war across Ireolden in an attempt to claim the world for himself and his minions.
In response, the Volskaian host descended upon Ireolden to purge it of all corruption. Ultimately, Shem’s army was defeated and imprisoned in the otherworldly valley of Moonshadow. There, Vargus and a legion of Volskaian sealed the Shadowtide away in unbreakable stone prisons, where they have languished for millennia, biding their time until Shem breaks them free and unleashes their vengeance upon Ireolden.
Corlag and Branick once served in the Volskaian host that defeated the Shadowtide. When the war ended, they helped found Beorhtsige, the City of Light, and remained on Ireolden to guard against an evil that forever threatened to return.
Syndara and Aileesha return home from a hunting trip on the snowy plains with a strange artifact that turns their simple lives into chaos unlike anything they could have ever imagined possible.
Festus has traded the open road for ink and quill, chronicling Ireolden’s history. Despite the peace found in his work, Festus finds himself growing restless and longing for the friends he lost and the adventures they shared.
At the end of the last age, Shem betrayed his Volskaia kin and unleashed a cataclysmic war across Ireolden in an attempt to claim the world for himself and his minions.
In response, the Volskaian host descended upon Ireolden to purge it of all corruption. Ultimately, Shem’s army was defeated and imprisoned in the otherworldly valley of Moonshadow. There, Vargus and a legion of Volskaian sealed the Shadowtide away in unbreakable stone prisons, where they have languished for millennia, biding their time until Shem breaks them free and unleashes their vengeance upon Ireolden.
Corlag and Branick once served in the Volskaian host that defeated the Shadowtide. When the war ended, they helped found Beorhtsige, the City of Light, and remained on Ireolden to guard against an evil that forever threatened to return.
Syndara and Aileesha return home from a hunting trip on the snowy plains with a strange artifact that turns their simple lives into chaos unlike anything they could have ever imagined possible.
Festus has traded the open road for ink and quill, chronicling Ireolden’s history. Despite the peace found in his work, Festus finds himself growing restless and longing for the friends he lost and the adventures they shared.
380 pages, Paperback
Published April 12, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 16, 2026
Two things up front: This book has incredible potential, and it gets MUCH better in the second half.
It's also one of those stories that weaves together a whole bunch of plotlines really well so they all come together in ways you don't expect. I really liked the ending.
The story's only weakness is the editing, something I only comment on in reviews if the issues are glaring and recurring. Some of these issues, like basic punctuation and mechanics, continued throughout the story, while others, like word choice or grammar logic, faded as the story progressed. By the end it was genuinely a pleasure to read.
The prose itself, if not for those mechanical issues, was strong, richly varied, and had a really nice blend of rich and ominous, tense and adventurous. The characters had fun variety and great backstory weaving, and I liked how the world's lore was woven into the plot through storytelling (history reading or bardic retellings).
Anyway, I'll leave it at that.
Also, drink your Javium! Read the book and you'll understand. Caffeine addicts may find this book counterproductive to their recovery.
It's also one of those stories that weaves together a whole bunch of plotlines really well so they all come together in ways you don't expect. I really liked the ending.
The story's only weakness is the editing, something I only comment on in reviews if the issues are glaring and recurring. Some of these issues, like basic punctuation and mechanics, continued throughout the story, while others, like word choice or grammar logic, faded as the story progressed. By the end it was genuinely a pleasure to read.
The prose itself, if not for those mechanical issues, was strong, richly varied, and had a really nice blend of rich and ominous, tense and adventurous. The characters had fun variety and great backstory weaving, and I liked how the world's lore was woven into the plot through storytelling (history reading or bardic retellings).
Anyway, I'll leave it at that.
Also, drink your Javium! Read the book and you'll understand. Caffeine addicts may find this book counterproductive to their recovery.
March 19, 2026
The Tree is dying...
December 19, 2024
Aiming to emulate classic fantasy novel series like The Lord of the Rings or later iterations seen in the The Eye of the World, this first book in 'The Everlight Saga' proceeds along the same meandering vein - which can come across as an old school narrative to the uninitiated.
Even for videogamers, this book by a Game Designer with over a decade's experience may sound draggy at the initial stages - for much of the key plot developments take place in the last fifth of the first book. Patience to stick through the earlier worldbuilding pays off, but the author continues to keep many critical details unexplained.
The brief preview of the second book hints at a similar pattern in the narrative for the series as a whole and could be trying for contemporary readers used to faster plot developments. Personally, I would pick up this book and indulge in the series only if I could afford to while the days away with nothing else but lounging in the sun at a poolside. Not recommended for those who want quick reads.
Even for videogamers, this book by a Game Designer with over a decade's experience may sound draggy at the initial stages - for much of the key plot developments take place in the last fifth of the first book. Patience to stick through the earlier worldbuilding pays off, but the author continues to keep many critical details unexplained.
The brief preview of the second book hints at a similar pattern in the narrative for the series as a whole and could be trying for contemporary readers used to faster plot developments. Personally, I would pick up this book and indulge in the series only if I could afford to while the days away with nothing else but lounging in the sun at a poolside. Not recommended for those who want quick reads.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews