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The Lore of Reaume #1
The Kallanon Scales
An ancient map, a strange prophecy … anyone who dares speak of it, dies.
A new enemy enters the Valla arena, but this one is as ancient as time and must be unleashed in a forbidden place. An ancient map points the way. To get there in stealth a ship able to cross vast distance is needed … and an expert crew to navigate her. Sorcery and technology works together to contain a creature created of time and fire.
The terrible secret of the source of Valla power is uncovered and, as friends and family are murdered, Torrullin stands forth and reveals the truth about the Valla Dragon, a secret about power and greed from the era of Nemisin. Hurting after Saska abandons him, Torrullin hurtles into battle when his twin sons are kidnapped, and takes with him into danger a pilot, a navigator and an innocent girl - they are the Dalrish seeking escape from Xen III and become embroiled in the war … and Torrullin’s future.
Another truth rears up, the tale of the Nine who fled into the Forbidden Zone with a strange taliesman in the shape of a dragon. “There are dragons in my future,” Torrullin once tells Quilla of the Q’lin’la … and that future is now.
Quilla must speak up, for others come for the creature of time and fire. He knows who they are; the Q’lin’la fled them in ancient time. They are the Kallanon, the Glittering Darkness.
War erupts on a world no more than a circle on an ancient map at first, a world hidden in the time of the Nine. Torrullin will discover who his sons really are, Taranis confronts his inner demons, Bartholamu of the Siric will face his arch-nemesis, Q’lin’la and Kallanon are thrown into the same melting pot, an ancient emperor speaks again, the new Lady of Life is born, the Dalrish have a profound effect on Torrullin, and Vannis seeks revenge while a world burns and terror is unleashed.
The Kallanon Scales is an epic journey into the realms of time and legend and forever alters the future.
A new enemy enters the Valla arena, but this one is as ancient as time and must be unleashed in a forbidden place. An ancient map points the way. To get there in stealth a ship able to cross vast distance is needed … and an expert crew to navigate her. Sorcery and technology works together to contain a creature created of time and fire.
The terrible secret of the source of Valla power is uncovered and, as friends and family are murdered, Torrullin stands forth and reveals the truth about the Valla Dragon, a secret about power and greed from the era of Nemisin. Hurting after Saska abandons him, Torrullin hurtles into battle when his twin sons are kidnapped, and takes with him into danger a pilot, a navigator and an innocent girl - they are the Dalrish seeking escape from Xen III and become embroiled in the war … and Torrullin’s future.
Another truth rears up, the tale of the Nine who fled into the Forbidden Zone with a strange taliesman in the shape of a dragon. “There are dragons in my future,” Torrullin once tells Quilla of the Q’lin’la … and that future is now.
Quilla must speak up, for others come for the creature of time and fire. He knows who they are; the Q’lin’la fled them in ancient time. They are the Kallanon, the Glittering Darkness.
War erupts on a world no more than a circle on an ancient map at first, a world hidden in the time of the Nine. Torrullin will discover who his sons really are, Taranis confronts his inner demons, Bartholamu of the Siric will face his arch-nemesis, Q’lin’la and Kallanon are thrown into the same melting pot, an ancient emperor speaks again, the new Lady of Life is born, the Dalrish have a profound effect on Torrullin, and Vannis seeks revenge while a world burns and terror is unleashed.
The Kallanon Scales is an epic journey into the realms of time and legend and forever alters the future.
ebook
First published August 5, 2014
5 people want to read
About the author
Elaina J. Davidson
136 books77 followersElaina lives in magical Ireland after leaving the surrounds of magnificent Table Mountain at the southern tip of Africa. Having lived in both Ireland and New Zealand, she now realises Ireland’s mists are close to perfection. When writing she puts into words her travels and dreams, because she believes there is inspiration in even the most outrageous tale.
After studying Purchasing Management and working in the formal sector as a buyer, she chose to raise and home-school her three children. She started writing novels around 2002, moving from children’s stories, poetry and short stories to concentrate on larger works.
While her main body of work has been her Fantasy Series (Lore of Arcana, Lore of Reaume and Lore of Sanctum), she is a diverse writer and her credits include novels and shorter stories in the Contemporary, Humorous, Paranormal, Dystopian, Alternate History and Romantic genres, as well as Non-fiction. Many of her books have been translated into Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Greek and French. Her audiobook library is growing too.
Ireland’s ancient past has influenced her writing, gifting her work a Celtic twist, while the majesty of New Zealand has led her to mountaintops and extraordinary vistas. The vibrancy of Africa has had much to do with the inspirational side of Elaina’s work. The colours and diversity of nature itself fires her imagination.
Come with her to places familiar and far, far away!
After studying Purchasing Management and working in the formal sector as a buyer, she chose to raise and home-school her three children. She started writing novels around 2002, moving from children’s stories, poetry and short stories to concentrate on larger works.
While her main body of work has been her Fantasy Series (Lore of Arcana, Lore of Reaume and Lore of Sanctum), she is a diverse writer and her credits include novels and shorter stories in the Contemporary, Humorous, Paranormal, Dystopian, Alternate History and Romantic genres, as well as Non-fiction. Many of her books have been translated into Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Greek and French. Her audiobook library is growing too.
Ireland’s ancient past has influenced her writing, gifting her work a Celtic twist, while the majesty of New Zealand has led her to mountaintops and extraordinary vistas. The vibrancy of Africa has had much to do with the inspirational side of Elaina’s work. The colours and diversity of nature itself fires her imagination.
Come with her to places familiar and far, far away!
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 10, 2014
This new series from Elaina J Davidson picks up where my beloved Lore of Arcana series left off and Elaina hits the ground running.The action starts on the very first page and does not let up.If you've read the Lore series,you're going to be so overwhelmed with joy when reading this one.If you haven't read it,well I must insist you do.I have stated over and over again that Elaina J Davidson writes fantasy with a flare, exceeding authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.When I read the last of the Arcana series I felt so very bereft, the feeling was was akin to saying goodbye to the best of friends forever.Then,my wishes were answered with the revelation that there would be more,the story did not end.Elaina is easily a favorite of mine I am forever a fan.The Kallanon Scales is such an amazing book that I had to not only have the ebook but also purchase the paperback so that it can sit on my book shelf next to my other precious favorites.Thank you Elaina for being such an extraordinary author,I tip my hat to you!
May 18, 2021
** I was presented a free copy of this audio book, in exchange for an unbiased review.**
This is the point where high fantasy meets space age science fiction. This is a novel and approach, which I enjoyed. The Kallanon Scales is the first book in the "Lore of Reaume" trilogy, which follows on the "Lore of Arcana" trilogy. I've not read / listened to the first trilogy, please keep that in mind.
The story is set in an alternate reality, possibly in the distant future. It's not clear but doesn't matter. It is a technologically advanced era, where space travel is commonplace. There are hundreds of inhabited planets, with many different races. Some few have magical abilities, some are immortal and some are both. Most are much more normal, though not human. The story follows the ruling family of one of these races - humanoid but magical. They often interact with other races.
The protagonist becomes aware of an existential threat. He forms a relatively small band which will attempt to eradicate the threat or die trying. That is pretty standard fare for high fantasy. The norm is that the protagonist is typically young and inexperienced and comes into their powers as the story progresses. Not in this work. The protagonist is fully trained and in full control of his powers. He is charismatic and dynamic and leads the party from a space of vast experience.
What makes this story special is the focus on the characters. Their inner turmoil, their personal uncertainties and insecurities. Their strengths and weaknesses, both known and unknown to the character. It is almost reads like a family drama, set against an epic journey in a fantastical environment. It puts me in mind of the Empire trilogy by Raymond Feist and Janny Wurts.
Anyone who has read the first trilogy will already know most of the characters, but it was the first time that I met them. There is a large back story which I did not know. This can leave a reader feeling lost. In truth there were a few references that initially had me confused. There were enough explanations to get me up to speed quite quickly. If I'd read the book and had the opportunity to check the character lists at the back it would have been much easier. Even without, it wasn't a problem.
Sometimes epic fantasy can have a large and expanding cast of characters with multiple plot lines, which can make for very slow progress. Not the case here. There is one single major plot, which allows the novel to move forward at a decent pace. This major plot is rather intricate, with the result that the story says intriguing right up to the last page.
My one critique is that the book doesn't really explore the magic system and it's limitations. That may have been done in earlier books that I'd missed.
All in all, I am truly surprised that Davidson hasn't hit the headlines as an author yet. Her story is original and her writing is very good. Better than some best sellers in the genre that I could name.
I listened to the audio book by Colby Baker. He is a good narrator and well suited to the characters and the style of writing. He has a wide vocal range and does the voices of different characters well. My test of a good narrator is always if I can identify the different characters of the opposite sex. Baker does this quite well. He also uses accents quite effectively to differentiate the various races. I got the sense that he worked with the author to better understand the personality and style of the characters, which I thought was a nice touch.
This is the point where high fantasy meets space age science fiction. This is a novel and approach, which I enjoyed. The Kallanon Scales is the first book in the "Lore of Reaume" trilogy, which follows on the "Lore of Arcana" trilogy. I've not read / listened to the first trilogy, please keep that in mind.
The story is set in an alternate reality, possibly in the distant future. It's not clear but doesn't matter. It is a technologically advanced era, where space travel is commonplace. There are hundreds of inhabited planets, with many different races. Some few have magical abilities, some are immortal and some are both. Most are much more normal, though not human. The story follows the ruling family of one of these races - humanoid but magical. They often interact with other races.
The protagonist becomes aware of an existential threat. He forms a relatively small band which will attempt to eradicate the threat or die trying. That is pretty standard fare for high fantasy. The norm is that the protagonist is typically young and inexperienced and comes into their powers as the story progresses. Not in this work. The protagonist is fully trained and in full control of his powers. He is charismatic and dynamic and leads the party from a space of vast experience.
What makes this story special is the focus on the characters. Their inner turmoil, their personal uncertainties and insecurities. Their strengths and weaknesses, both known and unknown to the character. It is almost reads like a family drama, set against an epic journey in a fantastical environment. It puts me in mind of the Empire trilogy by Raymond Feist and Janny Wurts.
Anyone who has read the first trilogy will already know most of the characters, but it was the first time that I met them. There is a large back story which I did not know. This can leave a reader feeling lost. In truth there were a few references that initially had me confused. There were enough explanations to get me up to speed quite quickly. If I'd read the book and had the opportunity to check the character lists at the back it would have been much easier. Even without, it wasn't a problem.
Sometimes epic fantasy can have a large and expanding cast of characters with multiple plot lines, which can make for very slow progress. Not the case here. There is one single major plot, which allows the novel to move forward at a decent pace. This major plot is rather intricate, with the result that the story says intriguing right up to the last page.
My one critique is that the book doesn't really explore the magic system and it's limitations. That may have been done in earlier books that I'd missed.
All in all, I am truly surprised that Davidson hasn't hit the headlines as an author yet. Her story is original and her writing is very good. Better than some best sellers in the genre that I could name.
I listened to the audio book by Colby Baker. He is a good narrator and well suited to the characters and the style of writing. He has a wide vocal range and does the voices of different characters well. My test of a good narrator is always if I can identify the different characters of the opposite sex. Baker does this quite well. He also uses accents quite effectively to differentiate the various races. I got the sense that he worked with the author to better understand the personality and style of the characters, which I thought was a nice touch.
October 8, 2021
Great Narrator - Story was Disappointing- 18+ yrs
Parents: this is not for readers younger than 18, bad language is mild, violence has really gruesome murders, and the sexual content has an attempted rape, non-explicit sex scenes, and male privates.
The story (2⭐) is so slow and convoluted beginning, I had to relisten to the first 10 chapters to better understand the set up and characters. This story is hard to follow and doesn’t pick up speed consistently for close to 10-15 hours in. While interesting, this book could stand to be edited in a way where it isn’t so erratic yet long winded.
Narrator helps pull me through the story - 5⭐. He had great differentiation between characters and was fun to listen to.
—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Parents: this is not for readers younger than 18, bad language is mild, violence has really gruesome murders, and the sexual content has an attempted rape, non-explicit sex scenes, and male privates.
The story (2⭐) is so slow and convoluted beginning, I had to relisten to the first 10 chapters to better understand the set up and characters. This story is hard to follow and doesn’t pick up speed consistently for close to 10-15 hours in. While interesting, this book could stand to be edited in a way where it isn’t so erratic yet long winded.
Narrator helps pull me through the story - 5⭐. He had great differentiation between characters and was fun to listen to.
—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews