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The Heroes Fall #1
When War Calls
Alternate Cover Edition
Free eBook on the official website! Recommended for 18+
Our history was lost in World War III, we'll remember in World War IV.
After learning of the catastrophic continental shifts, powerful energy-wielding people roaming the planet and an illness that will kill him, Jaden realises that he has decisions to make—decisions that could mean the life and death of millions as he joins World War IV.
He is torn between the side of perceived-good, selfish revenge and the love of his life, and he is given power like few others; yet his heart simply wants to return home, to be free of it all. But no matter how powerful he becomes, there will always be things outside of his control, and he'll have to fight until the end to hold onto what he loves most.
Free eBook on the official website! Recommended for 18+
Our history was lost in World War III, we'll remember in World War IV.
After learning of the catastrophic continental shifts, powerful energy-wielding people roaming the planet and an illness that will kill him, Jaden realises that he has decisions to make—decisions that could mean the life and death of millions as he joins World War IV.
He is torn between the side of perceived-good, selfish revenge and the love of his life, and he is given power like few others; yet his heart simply wants to return home, to be free of it all. But no matter how powerful he becomes, there will always be things outside of his control, and he'll have to fight until the end to hold onto what he loves most.
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First published December 12, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 12, 2014
This is my opinion on The Heroes Fall: When War Calls, by Z.J Rykoa.
For me, I felt the beginning was a bit slow and slightly confusing. Being the first YA modern fantasy sci-fi book that I have ever read, it took me a little bit to really settle into the world. But once I did, I couldn't put it down.
This book is so well written.
The writing style is absolutely amazing. The characters are so well developed and they just seem to come alive on the pages. The changing 3rd person point of view is part of what keeps it fun and interesting.
The setting of the story was so vivid in my head whilst reading it. I could picture everything I was reading.
My personal favourite of this book would have to be the setting and the characters. Everything was so wonderfully described. Which an important thing to look for in a book.
The constant action in this book is great! Never a dull moment! There is always something happening, from surprise attacks to strange dreams. I loved it.
Although some parts left me slightly confused, by the end all questions were answered and I was lost for words. This book.. So well written and action packed. I can't wait to see what comes next.
For me, I felt the beginning was a bit slow and slightly confusing. Being the first YA modern fantasy sci-fi book that I have ever read, it took me a little bit to really settle into the world. But once I did, I couldn't put it down.
This book is so well written.
The writing style is absolutely amazing. The characters are so well developed and they just seem to come alive on the pages. The changing 3rd person point of view is part of what keeps it fun and interesting.
The setting of the story was so vivid in my head whilst reading it. I could picture everything I was reading.
My personal favourite of this book would have to be the setting and the characters. Everything was so wonderfully described. Which an important thing to look for in a book.
The constant action in this book is great! Never a dull moment! There is always something happening, from surprise attacks to strange dreams. I loved it.
Although some parts left me slightly confused, by the end all questions were answered and I was lost for words. This book.. So well written and action packed. I can't wait to see what comes next.
November 27, 2013
Wow, just wow, was my reaction upon finishing this book.
I started reading this book not really knowing what to expect, and not really sure if it was going to be something I’d enjoy.
However, a few chapters in and I was hooked. Beautifully written and with such a strong main character it’s difficult not to enjoy. From magic and war to beasts and men this book had everything.
The setting of this book is so detailed and engrossing, with unique place names and vivid descriptions of the world it’s set in, I had stunning images of everything in my head straight away. It’s seriously well written.
My favourite part if this books has to be the characters. From the main character Jaden to the characters mentioned in passing, all of them were so realistic with all their emotions and thoughts like real people. Because of this it wasn’t clear who were ‘the baddies’, just like in real life, the people on the other side are, at their core, just people too. I loved it.
This book had suspense and moments that had me nervous to turn the page! I felt everything along with all the characters, parts had me almost in tears! Really emotional.
I believe this book is the authors debut novel and with that in mind, I am massively impressed. There was so much detail and layers and layers of story that is so so difficult to get right even for experienced writers, and he managed it so well!
There were sections that felt clumsily written and parts that I felt weren’t explained as clearly as they could be, but it didn’t take away from the experience of the book at all.
This book has been categorised as a YA modern fantasy science fiction, and it’s all that and more. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait for the next book!
★★★★☆
I started reading this book not really knowing what to expect, and not really sure if it was going to be something I’d enjoy.
However, a few chapters in and I was hooked. Beautifully written and with such a strong main character it’s difficult not to enjoy. From magic and war to beasts and men this book had everything.
The setting of this book is so detailed and engrossing, with unique place names and vivid descriptions of the world it’s set in, I had stunning images of everything in my head straight away. It’s seriously well written.
My favourite part if this books has to be the characters. From the main character Jaden to the characters mentioned in passing, all of them were so realistic with all their emotions and thoughts like real people. Because of this it wasn’t clear who were ‘the baddies’, just like in real life, the people on the other side are, at their core, just people too. I loved it.
This book had suspense and moments that had me nervous to turn the page! I felt everything along with all the characters, parts had me almost in tears! Really emotional.
I believe this book is the authors debut novel and with that in mind, I am massively impressed. There was so much detail and layers and layers of story that is so so difficult to get right even for experienced writers, and he managed it so well!
There were sections that felt clumsily written and parts that I felt weren’t explained as clearly as they could be, but it didn’t take away from the experience of the book at all.
This book has been categorised as a YA modern fantasy science fiction, and it’s all that and more. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait for the next book!
★★★★☆
January 8, 2014
Great modern fantasy book from a relatively unknown author.
If you're a fan of modern fantasy but don't want to sit through a 450K word epic you'll enjoy this book. It's action packed and flows at a good pace without taking away from the world building, character depth and plot.
The insights offered into the mind of Jaden are thought provoking and well thought out, and for a book that hasn't gone through a major publisher's editing process the writing is extremely solid. This quality of writing is rare in self publishers.
Zy J. Rykoa has some serious talent.
If you're a fan of modern fantasy but don't want to sit through a 450K word epic you'll enjoy this book. It's action packed and flows at a good pace without taking away from the world building, character depth and plot.
The insights offered into the mind of Jaden are thought provoking and well thought out, and for a book that hasn't gone through a major publisher's editing process the writing is extremely solid. This quality of writing is rare in self publishers.
Zy J. Rykoa has some serious talent.
March 25, 2015
I just signed up to review this book. In a word? Amazing. For a fantasy, it feels so real. Even when the characters are using their magic energy stuff (the book doesn't explain exactly what it is, so I'll just say it's magic energy), it still has a sense of realism to it. I loved it. The character development. The plot twists. Everything. Well, not everything, there were some parts that were a bit confusing and some characters I wanted to know more about, but that might come in later books. Looking forward to reading the second book. Thanks!!
April 5, 2014
Description from Rykoa's website (where the ebook is free!): "After learning of the catastrophic continental shifts, powerful energy-wielding people roaming the planet, and an illness that will him, Jaden realises that he has decisions to make-decisions that could mean the life and death of millions as he joins world war 4."
This was another book where I was intrigued by the idea, but felt the writing fell flat. Rykoa reimagined earth and I really could have used a map. Names of places (cities, counties, continents?) were referred to and I honestly had no clue where anyone was in relation to others. I constantly felt lost and was never really immersed in the environment.
My other main issue was the lack of character development. Jaden was very wooden. Another character, Raquel, seemed only to speak in cryptic, cliche phrases. As soon as a character appeared, readers were given a full physical description, as well as told what kind of personality they have. Nothing was shown to the reader - bad guys were evil because we were told they were. I think young adult readers should have been given a little more credit - leave more to the imagination and let them determine character traits based on actions.
Rykoa did infuse what could have been another teen dystopia with magic and political conflict, which made it feel more unique, but the writing needed more development. This book was just middle of the road for me.
This was another book where I was intrigued by the idea, but felt the writing fell flat. Rykoa reimagined earth and I really could have used a map. Names of places (cities, counties, continents?) were referred to and I honestly had no clue where anyone was in relation to others. I constantly felt lost and was never really immersed in the environment.
My other main issue was the lack of character development. Jaden was very wooden. Another character, Raquel, seemed only to speak in cryptic, cliche phrases. As soon as a character appeared, readers were given a full physical description, as well as told what kind of personality they have. Nothing was shown to the reader - bad guys were evil because we were told they were. I think young adult readers should have been given a little more credit - leave more to the imagination and let them determine character traits based on actions.
Rykoa did infuse what could have been another teen dystopia with magic and political conflict, which made it feel more unique, but the writing needed more development. This book was just middle of the road for me.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews