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Thundous #1
Ethriel: Blood Bonds
Librarian Note: Alternate/new cover edition for ASIN# B00FBR28ZW.
Storm clouds gather over the land of Ethriel.
The Dark Lord, Akvandar, has defeated the once mighty Kingdom of Sol and now turns his attention upon the men of the west; a weak and fractured people struggling desperately to repel the advances of the armies spewing forth from the dreaded Spire.
Meanwhile, in the cold north, there is trouble afoot. Goblins march from the Mountain of Iron, ravaging the lands between the Range and the Impassable Peaks; a once peaceful region where the stench of betrayal is pungent and corruption is rife.
Humankind teeters on the edge of existence and the forces of good have only one choice. They must forget past grievances and fight against the evil that plagues their land in a war that will be decided by the sword and the shield.
From the deepest depths to the highest peaks, Blood Bonds will take you on a whirlwind adventure following four unlikely companions who must bind themselves in friendship, overcoming battles, betrayals and grief as they strive to bring the nations of the realm together.
Storm clouds gather over the land of Ethriel.
The Dark Lord, Akvandar, has defeated the once mighty Kingdom of Sol and now turns his attention upon the men of the west; a weak and fractured people struggling desperately to repel the advances of the armies spewing forth from the dreaded Spire.
Meanwhile, in the cold north, there is trouble afoot. Goblins march from the Mountain of Iron, ravaging the lands between the Range and the Impassable Peaks; a once peaceful region where the stench of betrayal is pungent and corruption is rife.
Humankind teeters on the edge of existence and the forces of good have only one choice. They must forget past grievances and fight against the evil that plagues their land in a war that will be decided by the sword and the shield.
From the deepest depths to the highest peaks, Blood Bonds will take you on a whirlwind adventure following four unlikely companions who must bind themselves in friendship, overcoming battles, betrayals and grief as they strive to bring the nations of the realm together.
- GenresFantasy
197 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 19, 2013
7 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Joe Walker
2 books13 followersJoe Walker discovered a love for historical fiction, fantasy, and sci-fi quite early on. The nerd that he was, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Halo, Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale, Resident Evil, Harry Potter, anything and everything related to ancient Rome, medieval times and ancient Greece dominated his childhood. It wasn’t until later that he went on to discover the works of David Gemmell, Conn Iggulden, George R. R. Martin, Bernard Cornwell, R. A. Salvatore and, eventually, a love for writing.
Joe hopes that one day he will be able to turn his passion into a career and share his work with many using the wonderful world wide web whilst travelling the Earth seeking new and enlightening inspiration to fuel his unending need to write.
Joe hopes that one day he will be able to turn his passion into a career and share his work with many using the wonderful world wide web whilst travelling the Earth seeking new and enlightening inspiration to fuel his unending need to write.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 2, 2014
Van and Tuttos are slaves in a land not unlike Mordor (an evil place where the sun never makes an appearance). Their orc overlords are cruel, and a rebellion is about to take place. Van and Tuttos find themselves headed into a region known as The Old Forest, pursued by a dragon. Luckily, they are saved by an elf woman, who will become their companion.
This story begins with an information dump that gives us the background to the world of Thundous. Personally, I prefer such information to be woven into the story rather than presented in one swoop. Luckily, that particularly section is not overly long, and the story begins in chapter two. I did find the world’s history interesting, so I strongly recommend getting past it, even if you are the kind of reader who shudders at info dumps.
The quickly developing romance between Van and Elenei was too predictable. Of course the angst-ridden princess is going to fall for the first human that comes along. *Sigh* I dearly wish to see something new. Maybe the princess is strong enough to resist temptation or isn’t attracted to humans at all. Maybe she falls for an orc? I don’t know, but from the moment of the rescue, I knew these two characters would end up together. I didn’t expect it to happen within a few pages, but it did. At any rate, this part was highly predictable and unoriginal.
The author has a knack for writing action scenes. They kept me glued to my seat, reading faster and faster. I only wish there weren’t so many errors involving commas. A comma does not mark a new sentence, and it doesn’t improve a run-on sentence either. This book needs a proofreader, and it deserves to have a good one.
There are several Lord of the Rings references in this book. Examples: The Old Forest (obvious), a dark lord in his spire (obvious), “her list of allies was growing thinner” (spoken by Elrond in the movie version “our list of allies grows thin”), “you find more fun at a funeral” (spoken by Gimli “you find more cheer in a graveyard”), etc. It is common knowledge that many fantasy authors are influenced by Tolkien and the same sources he himself used. That is to be expected, but these lines are too similar. Anyone who reads fantasy has read LOTR and watched the movies. I am not the only person who will catch things like this. Give me something fresh, not reworded lines that I’ve already heard.
A battle scene ensues at the Golden Kingdom (Edoras?) where Van (Aragorn?) quickly takes charge. The orcs are sounding their horns and using ladders to climb the walls. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, it reads more like a fan fiction than an original story. I must admit, I was disappointed. The author clearly has talent and the writing is good, but there was nothing original about it. The addition of drow (or night elves) did not do much for me. Though they weren’t present in LOTR, I am aware of them from other sources which I won’t bother to list. As most of my blog readers know fantasy well, I will let you draw your own conclusions.
All things being said, I would love to read an original story by this author. He clearly knows how to write action scenes, and his characters are likeable. I did find myself caring about them and their well-being, but I already knew the outcome before I read the words. This particular book is impossible to read without feeling as if you’ve read it before. Though changes have been made, and this is not plagiarism by any means, I just wanted something new and exciting. Instead, I got a tired, predictable tale that felt like a fan fiction with the names and places changed.
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story begins with an information dump that gives us the background to the world of Thundous. Personally, I prefer such information to be woven into the story rather than presented in one swoop. Luckily, that particularly section is not overly long, and the story begins in chapter two. I did find the world’s history interesting, so I strongly recommend getting past it, even if you are the kind of reader who shudders at info dumps.
The quickly developing romance between Van and Elenei was too predictable. Of course the angst-ridden princess is going to fall for the first human that comes along. *Sigh* I dearly wish to see something new. Maybe the princess is strong enough to resist temptation or isn’t attracted to humans at all. Maybe she falls for an orc? I don’t know, but from the moment of the rescue, I knew these two characters would end up together. I didn’t expect it to happen within a few pages, but it did. At any rate, this part was highly predictable and unoriginal.
The author has a knack for writing action scenes. They kept me glued to my seat, reading faster and faster. I only wish there weren’t so many errors involving commas. A comma does not mark a new sentence, and it doesn’t improve a run-on sentence either. This book needs a proofreader, and it deserves to have a good one.
There are several Lord of the Rings references in this book. Examples: The Old Forest (obvious), a dark lord in his spire (obvious), “her list of allies was growing thinner” (spoken by Elrond in the movie version “our list of allies grows thin”), “you find more fun at a funeral” (spoken by Gimli “you find more cheer in a graveyard”), etc. It is common knowledge that many fantasy authors are influenced by Tolkien and the same sources he himself used. That is to be expected, but these lines are too similar. Anyone who reads fantasy has read LOTR and watched the movies. I am not the only person who will catch things like this. Give me something fresh, not reworded lines that I’ve already heard.
A battle scene ensues at the Golden Kingdom (Edoras?) where Van (Aragorn?) quickly takes charge. The orcs are sounding their horns and using ladders to climb the walls. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, it reads more like a fan fiction than an original story. I must admit, I was disappointed. The author clearly has talent and the writing is good, but there was nothing original about it. The addition of drow (or night elves) did not do much for me. Though they weren’t present in LOTR, I am aware of them from other sources which I won’t bother to list. As most of my blog readers know fantasy well, I will let you draw your own conclusions.
All things being said, I would love to read an original story by this author. He clearly knows how to write action scenes, and his characters are likeable. I did find myself caring about them and their well-being, but I already knew the outcome before I read the words. This particular book is impossible to read without feeling as if you’ve read it before. Though changes have been made, and this is not plagiarism by any means, I just wanted something new and exciting. Instead, I got a tired, predictable tale that felt like a fan fiction with the names and places changed.
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 27, 2014
This copy was received for an honest review.
Everything and anything is possible in fantasy, it is what makes the genre so versatile.
There is more than a hint of both 'Lord of the Rings', and 'Game of Thrones' in this story, but the same could be said for any near epic fantasy since 'GOT' became a phenomenon.
In Ethriel, author Joe Walker has created four believable fantasy characters, blue skinned warrior Elf Princess Elenei; light-green skinned Half-Orc Ogen, the true Iron King; escaped human slaves, Van, who despite being a captive since he was just five years old still has secrets to keep; and the older Tuttos with his secret royal connections.
This first book is apparently registered on Amazon as 265 pages, my PDF copy was just 117 pages, so I do not know if that means that there are extra scenes in the final edition or any significant changes. However, I did feel that certain scenes felt quite short and that the main hero was a little too perfect in my shorter edition.
Epic fantasy stories often have an expectation of a built in long-term commitment, something many other genres do not, often a series can run to double figures, difficult for the casual reader to dip in and out of. Despite this added pressure, Ethriel: Bood Bonds gives the reader a good solid start, with traditional likeable good guys and boo-able bad guys, and of course the door is left ajar for the next edition.
My cover rating is based on the cover displayed on Amazon and Goodreads, as my copy did not come with a cover.
The ebook is currently available for free on Amazon.
(My edition also credits the author as just Joe Walker).
Urthwild
Everything and anything is possible in fantasy, it is what makes the genre so versatile.
There is more than a hint of both 'Lord of the Rings', and 'Game of Thrones' in this story, but the same could be said for any near epic fantasy since 'GOT' became a phenomenon.
In Ethriel, author Joe Walker has created four believable fantasy characters, blue skinned warrior Elf Princess Elenei; light-green skinned Half-Orc Ogen, the true Iron King; escaped human slaves, Van, who despite being a captive since he was just five years old still has secrets to keep; and the older Tuttos with his secret royal connections.
This first book is apparently registered on Amazon as 265 pages, my PDF copy was just 117 pages, so I do not know if that means that there are extra scenes in the final edition or any significant changes. However, I did feel that certain scenes felt quite short and that the main hero was a little too perfect in my shorter edition.
Epic fantasy stories often have an expectation of a built in long-term commitment, something many other genres do not, often a series can run to double figures, difficult for the casual reader to dip in and out of. Despite this added pressure, Ethriel: Bood Bonds gives the reader a good solid start, with traditional likeable good guys and boo-able bad guys, and of course the door is left ajar for the next edition.
My cover rating is based on the cover displayed on Amazon and Goodreads, as my copy did not come with a cover.
The ebook is currently available for free on Amazon.
(My edition also credits the author as just Joe Walker).
Urthwild
March 25, 2014
This is the second book I have been asked to review that is not one of my preferred genres so I have no comparison to other books of this ilk. In fact I would normally walk straight past the fantasy section of the bookshop.
However, after reading the beginning of the book I was hooked from the start and grateful for the opportunity to read it.
The prologue sets the scene of a world divided between good and evil and how that came about.
Blood Bonds, the story of four unlikely allies, two humans, a beautiful blue elf princess and a giant half orc body guard.
The story begins when two slaves escape their cruel captor and enter the magical Golden Kingdom, a land of elves and unicorns.
Together they lead their people into battle against, goblins, evil green orcs, ice giants, giant spiders and trolls.
The succinct descriptive language paints clear word pictures and makes the story move along quickly. It is definitely compelling reading. The battle scenes in particular evoke emotion from the reader – emotions of panic, fear, excitement and success.
I am eagerly looking forward to the next instalment.
This review is also available on my website www.pam.id.au
However, after reading the beginning of the book I was hooked from the start and grateful for the opportunity to read it.
The prologue sets the scene of a world divided between good and evil and how that came about.
Blood Bonds, the story of four unlikely allies, two humans, a beautiful blue elf princess and a giant half orc body guard.
The story begins when two slaves escape their cruel captor and enter the magical Golden Kingdom, a land of elves and unicorns.
Together they lead their people into battle against, goblins, evil green orcs, ice giants, giant spiders and trolls.
The succinct descriptive language paints clear word pictures and makes the story move along quickly. It is definitely compelling reading. The battle scenes in particular evoke emotion from the reader – emotions of panic, fear, excitement and success.
I am eagerly looking forward to the next instalment.
This review is also available on my website www.pam.id.au
August 22, 2014
I read this on a flight from Heathrow to Bangkok. I have to say very impressive. I like epic fantasy and this has the makings of a strong set of books as more and more of the world unfolds. The characters all have depth and I'm intrigued to know where they are going next. The pace is judged perfectly and it has a feel of a film script ready to be made -like my own work it feels like Joe has seen it on screen in his mind and got it down quickly. The action is impressive and very hard to do -I tend to avoid this as it's very hard to master.
There's a lot of back story and I spotted another review was critical of the "information dump". Personally I think it's needed. The only other way of doing this would be to have a cumbersome and fake conversation between two characters where they say it word for word! Get the info out of the way, here's your characters and here's your action. That's how a film would look and that's the style that works for the piece.
Highly impressive and looking forward to reading more. Many thanks.
There's a lot of back story and I spotted another review was critical of the "information dump". Personally I think it's needed. The only other way of doing this would be to have a cumbersome and fake conversation between two characters where they say it word for word! Get the info out of the way, here's your characters and here's your action. That's how a film would look and that's the style that works for the piece.
Highly impressive and looking forward to reading more. Many thanks.
December 11, 2014
In Joe Walker's maiden novel, we are taken into a fictional world of the past, one where orcs rule over humans and elves are trying to get their lives back and defeat the terrible orcs.
If that sounds a little like Tolkien, you're right. It was reminiscent of the great storyteller's magum opus, but it wasn't a blatant act of plagiarism, as I have read many times before. It was written with an entirely new vision in mind, one with less imagery and more heart.
You have slaves and princesses working together, villains you'll love to despise and a magnificent journey your mind will never forget.
This is one of those books you'll be telling your grandchildren about. Great writing, great characters and a lot of things for your mind to envision late at night as you read.
4/5--entertaining and visual!
If that sounds a little like Tolkien, you're right. It was reminiscent of the great storyteller's magum opus, but it wasn't a blatant act of plagiarism, as I have read many times before. It was written with an entirely new vision in mind, one with less imagery and more heart.
You have slaves and princesses working together, villains you'll love to despise and a magnificent journey your mind will never forget.
This is one of those books you'll be telling your grandchildren about. Great writing, great characters and a lot of things for your mind to envision late at night as you read.
4/5--entertaining and visual!
October 12, 2014
Is a great book to read
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews