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Domains of the Chosen #1
Bloodlust: A Gladiator's Tale
He strove for freedom. She fought for glory. Together, they are unstoppable.
In the Domains of the Chosen, magic is power.
For Gavin, this power comes with a heavy price. Those with magic are seen as living weapons of mass-destruction that must be controlled at all costs, due to their role in the Reckoning, an apocalyptic war that still scars the land. To keep his magic, Gavin must take up the path of the Gladiator, and earn his freedom by fighting for the bloodthirsty crowds that both adore and abhor his kind. It is a harsh life, but those favoured few who become champions have a chance to join the ranks of the immortal and exalted Chosen. Idealistic Gavin struggles with the brutal realities of the arena, wondering if he even has a chance at glory.
Meeting Sadira, a peerless Gladiatrix who has already caught the eye of the Chosen, changes everything. Bold, deadly, and exciting, she sees greatness in Gavin and joins her destiny to his. This unlikely pair forms the nexus of a team of Gladiators destined for greatness. Together they will shed their blood, challenge nightmarish monsters, and strive to survive the deadly trials of the Great Games. And yet, none of this could prepare them for the challenges that await them outside the arena, where powerful forces seek to control those who would become champions. If they are to survive and prosper, they must do so by writing their fortunes in the sand of the arena with blood, spell and steel!
But what price victory?
About Bloodlust
Bloodlust is an epic action-oriented fantasy series with elements of romance, coming of age, sports, and political intrigue.
Bloodlust takes place in a world that has been devastated by a terrible war between magic-users (called the Gifted), and the uncontrolled wild magic that was released as a result. Even more than a thousand years later, the fallout from this wild magic still taints the land. The only (known) civilization to withstand this conflict was the city of Krass, where the surviving Gifted made a deal with the people of the city in exchange for shelter.
Bloodlust: A Gladiator's Tale is my first novel, and the first book in the series. The art is done by a friend (Daniel barclay) and the Editing by myself, my parents, and friends. Although quite a bit of time was spent editing and formatting, it might not meet the expectations of some discriminating readers, so do read the sample chapters before buying.
The first chapter starts off a little slow/unusual, but the changes to a more familiar style quickly.
Each chapter centres around a match in the main character's career in the arena, which gives the book a unique structure but may offend some traditionalists.
More information can be found on my Bloodlust blog -- DomainsOfTheChosen@wordpress.com
In the Domains of the Chosen, magic is power.
For Gavin, this power comes with a heavy price. Those with magic are seen as living weapons of mass-destruction that must be controlled at all costs, due to their role in the Reckoning, an apocalyptic war that still scars the land. To keep his magic, Gavin must take up the path of the Gladiator, and earn his freedom by fighting for the bloodthirsty crowds that both adore and abhor his kind. It is a harsh life, but those favoured few who become champions have a chance to join the ranks of the immortal and exalted Chosen. Idealistic Gavin struggles with the brutal realities of the arena, wondering if he even has a chance at glory.
Meeting Sadira, a peerless Gladiatrix who has already caught the eye of the Chosen, changes everything. Bold, deadly, and exciting, she sees greatness in Gavin and joins her destiny to his. This unlikely pair forms the nexus of a team of Gladiators destined for greatness. Together they will shed their blood, challenge nightmarish monsters, and strive to survive the deadly trials of the Great Games. And yet, none of this could prepare them for the challenges that await them outside the arena, where powerful forces seek to control those who would become champions. If they are to survive and prosper, they must do so by writing their fortunes in the sand of the arena with blood, spell and steel!
But what price victory?
About Bloodlust
Bloodlust is an epic action-oriented fantasy series with elements of romance, coming of age, sports, and political intrigue.
Bloodlust takes place in a world that has been devastated by a terrible war between magic-users (called the Gifted), and the uncontrolled wild magic that was released as a result. Even more than a thousand years later, the fallout from this wild magic still taints the land. The only (known) civilization to withstand this conflict was the city of Krass, where the surviving Gifted made a deal with the people of the city in exchange for shelter.
Bloodlust: A Gladiator's Tale is my first novel, and the first book in the series. The art is done by a friend (Daniel barclay) and the Editing by myself, my parents, and friends. Although quite a bit of time was spent editing and formatting, it might not meet the expectations of some discriminating readers, so do read the sample chapters before buying.
The first chapter starts off a little slow/unusual, but the changes to a more familiar style quickly.
Each chapter centres around a match in the main character's career in the arena, which gives the book a unique structure but may offend some traditionalists.
More information can be found on my Bloodlust blog -- DomainsOfTheChosen@wordpress.com
- GenresFantasy
642 pages, Paperback
First published July 17, 2012
14 people are currently reading
308 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 4, 2013
I read this book and immediately went online to see if the next book was out. I had not realized that it was a series.
Its a great story about a young gladiator and his efforts to rise in the ranks along with his team. (trying not to give spoilers) The reader feels that he has hidden potential he will unlock in time.
If you enjoy online games you will love this battle fest of arenas nicely tied together with good story telling and character building.
I can't wait to read the next book.
Its a great story about a young gladiator and his efforts to rise in the ranks along with his team. (trying not to give spoilers) The reader feels that he has hidden potential he will unlock in time.
If you enjoy online games you will love this battle fest of arenas nicely tied together with good story telling and character building.
I can't wait to read the next book.
December 16, 2014
This book is a long read, its structure is highly unsual as it is based around the arena activities of a team of gladiators, the narrator is extremely selective in which things it describes the life out of and which things it cannot really be bothered with. In truth, this is a daring book.
This book breaks apart from the conventional way of setting up a novel. Some will like it and some others won't, I suspect. As should be plainly evident by my rating I am part of the former group. But how does one go about reviewing a book like this?
This book has none of the things I usually really like about books, and yet it has so many things that I like - that I never knew I liked before I read this book. That might sound somewhat cheesy - and I am truly sorry about that because I am actually saying this in earnest.
I found the book to be in a state of general well-writtenness, which is usually always the first thing I notice. C.P.D. Harris has an easy, confortably familiar (without being boring, mind you) writing style that helps bring the book alive. Another thing that he has is a sense of using long-winded (this term is often used in a negative context, but this is not how I intend it) descriptions that nearly threatens to kill the scene - which they never truly do because there is always something else to it:
In the first chapter the main character, Gavin, is trying to pick out his weapons before his first fight. The narrator goes on at great length about every single weapon in the store, their pros and cons (which could be pretty boring if you are not paricularly interested in weapons) but also about Gavin's relationships with them, which is the really interesting part. You don't really realise it between all the technical details about weaponry, but by the time he exits the store you already know who he is; his personality, his disposition, his veiws on different matters. You have grasped his essence so that by the time of his first fight he is already your friend and you involuntarily cheer for him. This is sneaky - and awesome.
The narrator is omnicient, though following Gavin mostly, and dominating. Some people might argue that it is too description-heavy. There are points where you get the feeling that you are actually reading a history book about an ancient past that some wizened professor desperately wants you to grasp in full measure. I think this is part of the charm of the book, one of the things that make it stand out in the vastness of the high fantasy genre. This makes it feel more real somehow.
It does not do this without a cost though. One of the reasons for this heavy description is probably that the book revolves around the fights; there is simply not enough time between battles to show all these things through mere storytelling. In that sense it interferes with how the story impacts the reader; you don't exactly feel like you are in the story - you feel like you are hearing a historical account. But the fights are different; the fights are fast paced and gripping. These are the points at which you really get the feel of the characters. The fights bring balance to the story.
Yes, I love the fight scenes! Harris really manages to keep them interesting and varied. The changing constellation of Gladiators fighting together ensures that you don't get bored of the same moves being pulled all the time and the different enemies also help to offer differing challenges that has to be tackled in new ways. Some of the fights require pure strenght and ferocity while others require intelligence and deliberance. It never gets boring.
The structure of the story invites to be read in small chunks at a time, which is quite nice if you don't have so much time to read or if you read several things at a time. The story is simple and easy to follow even if some time pass between reading chapters. It might be long for an ebook, but this quality really justifies that, I think.
Even though the book is very description-heavy I ate it all raw. The universe is very interesting if not particular original. Magic is key here. Magic is seen as something dangerous that needs to be kept under strict control, meaning that those born with the gift (like the Gladiators) are kept under heavy superveilance at all times. Being one of the Gifted is in some ways more of a curse than a gift. This is a constant source of worry to Gavin, he experience quite a bit of inner turmoil that adds an extra flavour to the story.
Gavin fights for freedom, but he is troubled and full doubt. In the arena he does not shine as bright as some of his team mates, but all the time you have the feeling that he is brimming with unrealised potential. As the story progresses he becomes less certain what he is fighting for. By the end of the book he has reached a point where it just frustrates you that the next book has not come out yet because you desperately want to see him shrug off his troubles and become who you know he can be.
Much more could be said about this book, but then what would be the joy of reading it for yourself the first time? I recommend this book to all who enjoy a good fight, a bit of interesting universe and lots of diversity in races of foes and friends alike. I will definitely be looking forward to the next book in the series.
More from Hypervorean at Numinous Publications: http://hypervorean.blogspot.com
This book breaks apart from the conventional way of setting up a novel. Some will like it and some others won't, I suspect. As should be plainly evident by my rating I am part of the former group. But how does one go about reviewing a book like this?
This book has none of the things I usually really like about books, and yet it has so many things that I like - that I never knew I liked before I read this book. That might sound somewhat cheesy - and I am truly sorry about that because I am actually saying this in earnest.
I found the book to be in a state of general well-writtenness, which is usually always the first thing I notice. C.P.D. Harris has an easy, confortably familiar (without being boring, mind you) writing style that helps bring the book alive. Another thing that he has is a sense of using long-winded (this term is often used in a negative context, but this is not how I intend it) descriptions that nearly threatens to kill the scene - which they never truly do because there is always something else to it:
In the first chapter the main character, Gavin, is trying to pick out his weapons before his first fight. The narrator goes on at great length about every single weapon in the store, their pros and cons (which could be pretty boring if you are not paricularly interested in weapons) but also about Gavin's relationships with them, which is the really interesting part. You don't really realise it between all the technical details about weaponry, but by the time he exits the store you already know who he is; his personality, his disposition, his veiws on different matters. You have grasped his essence so that by the time of his first fight he is already your friend and you involuntarily cheer for him. This is sneaky - and awesome.
The narrator is omnicient, though following Gavin mostly, and dominating. Some people might argue that it is too description-heavy. There are points where you get the feeling that you are actually reading a history book about an ancient past that some wizened professor desperately wants you to grasp in full measure. I think this is part of the charm of the book, one of the things that make it stand out in the vastness of the high fantasy genre. This makes it feel more real somehow.
It does not do this without a cost though. One of the reasons for this heavy description is probably that the book revolves around the fights; there is simply not enough time between battles to show all these things through mere storytelling. In that sense it interferes with how the story impacts the reader; you don't exactly feel like you are in the story - you feel like you are hearing a historical account. But the fights are different; the fights are fast paced and gripping. These are the points at which you really get the feel of the characters. The fights bring balance to the story.
Yes, I love the fight scenes! Harris really manages to keep them interesting and varied. The changing constellation of Gladiators fighting together ensures that you don't get bored of the same moves being pulled all the time and the different enemies also help to offer differing challenges that has to be tackled in new ways. Some of the fights require pure strenght and ferocity while others require intelligence and deliberance. It never gets boring.
The structure of the story invites to be read in small chunks at a time, which is quite nice if you don't have so much time to read or if you read several things at a time. The story is simple and easy to follow even if some time pass between reading chapters. It might be long for an ebook, but this quality really justifies that, I think.
Even though the book is very description-heavy I ate it all raw. The universe is very interesting if not particular original. Magic is key here. Magic is seen as something dangerous that needs to be kept under strict control, meaning that those born with the gift (like the Gladiators) are kept under heavy superveilance at all times. Being one of the Gifted is in some ways more of a curse than a gift. This is a constant source of worry to Gavin, he experience quite a bit of inner turmoil that adds an extra flavour to the story.
Gavin fights for freedom, but he is troubled and full doubt. In the arena he does not shine as bright as some of his team mates, but all the time you have the feeling that he is brimming with unrealised potential. As the story progresses he becomes less certain what he is fighting for. By the end of the book he has reached a point where it just frustrates you that the next book has not come out yet because you desperately want to see him shrug off his troubles and become who you know he can be.
Much more could be said about this book, but then what would be the joy of reading it for yourself the first time? I recommend this book to all who enjoy a good fight, a bit of interesting universe and lots of diversity in races of foes and friends alike. I will definitely be looking forward to the next book in the series.
More from Hypervorean at Numinous Publications: http://hypervorean.blogspot.com
January 9, 2013
I should say up front that I am the author's sister, but as he'll tell you, that doesn't just mean that I will give him a rave review!
I really enjoyed this book. I think that this was an excellent first book for the series, and I can't wait to read the rest. In my opinion, the sign of a good read is that you keep wondering what happens after the book is over, and I've even gone so far as to try and guess what is going to happen in the next one. It shows that I've engaged with the characters and the world in which they live.
The characters are complex, as is the world, and the politics which drive it. The author has chosen to illustrate the complexity of this world through the Gladiator's games, and the fighters themselves. The society values the ruthless and dramatic as opposed to the thoughtful and intelligent, and places very little weight on love or loyalty. It's a very interesting way of illustrating a society- through its most violent past time.
The print version available at Amazon now includes a map of the Domains, hand drawn by the author, which shows significant thought, effort, and planning on his part. It also helps orient the story, if you are someone who needs the visual of a map to navigate a new world.
All in all, I was impressed, and I am looking forward to the next volume.
I really enjoyed this book. I think that this was an excellent first book for the series, and I can't wait to read the rest. In my opinion, the sign of a good read is that you keep wondering what happens after the book is over, and I've even gone so far as to try and guess what is going to happen in the next one. It shows that I've engaged with the characters and the world in which they live.
The characters are complex, as is the world, and the politics which drive it. The author has chosen to illustrate the complexity of this world through the Gladiator's games, and the fighters themselves. The society values the ruthless and dramatic as opposed to the thoughtful and intelligent, and places very little weight on love or loyalty. It's a very interesting way of illustrating a society- through its most violent past time.
The print version available at Amazon now includes a map of the Domains, hand drawn by the author, which shows significant thought, effort, and planning on his part. It also helps orient the story, if you are someone who needs the visual of a map to navigate a new world.
All in all, I was impressed, and I am looking forward to the next volume.
January 14, 2016
This book was a very interesting, inventive read. The world building involved in the story alone is immense. If you quizzed the author on minutiae of the world, I have no doubt they would be able to answer in kind.
While the series comes from an independent source, it's the story I've been wanting to read from a major publishing house for a long time. A questing gladiator, unsure of himself or his place in the world, takes his life into his own hands. Overall an enjoyable read.
While the series comes from an independent source, it's the story I've been wanting to read from a major publishing house for a long time. A questing gladiator, unsure of himself or his place in the world, takes his life into his own hands. Overall an enjoyable read.
January 31, 2016
A long book but I absolutely loved it. The combat scenes are second to none and these are how we get to know the characters. I can't think of anything negative and if it wasn't for the sex scenes I would start my daughter reading it tomorrow, thinking of it I think I will anyway but read it with her. Recommended to anyone with a pulse and red blood.
June 28, 2018
Interesting
An interesting concept for a series, not the best writing out there (the potential for this world is MASSIVE). The author briefly touches on several topics that could greatly enhance the reading experience. The use of descriptive for the gladiators is indecently repetitive.
An interesting concept for a series, not the best writing out there (the potential for this world is MASSIVE). The author briefly touches on several topics that could greatly enhance the reading experience. The use of descriptive for the gladiators is indecently repetitive.
September 10, 2016
I wrote the book, so I love it, of course.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews