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A Foreshadowing of Darkness: The Rise of Arawn, Book 1
How does a hero fall? One bloody step at a time.
A millennia after the apocalypse, in what remains of the Pacific Northwest, humanity has begun to rebuild. Just emerging from the darkness they face a land changed, creatures mutated, and monsters who were once men. Hope is fragile, but there is a light in the darkness.
The First Temple and its warrior Triads stand in the breach between man and the things that prey upon us. They use the power and the light of Aio to stand against the darkness, their golden eyes shining like lanterns in the night. Selected and trained in combat as well as the Gifts of Aio, they roam the land risking themselves to help humanity and promote faith in The One. For a thousand years, they have stood between us and the dark.
Nothing lasts forever, however, as hidden secrets are uncovered, an ancient foe discovered still among us, lies that are rooted in the foundation of The First Temple and the faith itself. The truth may not set you free, it may destroy us all.
Sometimes to stand against the dark, you have to become the darkness.
A millennia after the apocalypse, in what remains of the Pacific Northwest, humanity has begun to rebuild. Just emerging from the darkness they face a land changed, creatures mutated, and monsters who were once men. Hope is fragile, but there is a light in the darkness.
The First Temple and its warrior Triads stand in the breach between man and the things that prey upon us. They use the power and the light of Aio to stand against the darkness, their golden eyes shining like lanterns in the night. Selected and trained in combat as well as the Gifts of Aio, they roam the land risking themselves to help humanity and promote faith in The One. For a thousand years, they have stood between us and the dark.
Nothing lasts forever, however, as hidden secrets are uncovered, an ancient foe discovered still among us, lies that are rooted in the foundation of The First Temple and the faith itself. The truth may not set you free, it may destroy us all.
Sometimes to stand against the dark, you have to become the darkness.
- GenresFantasy
Audible Audio
First published October 30, 2020
12 people are currently reading
1165 people want to read
About the author
T.B. Wayne
1 book48 followersDnD addict, game addict, former USMC infantry (0311 for those who know). Married since 1992 with two rapscallions in high school now...both driving. ugh. We have a Boston Terrier named Captain, a black cat named NightBreeze, and a Leopard Gecko named Pixel but he thinks he's a fire breathing dragon. I'm not going to ruin it for him.
I was told in 1996 by a creative writing professor that my work was too good to be mine and that I must have stolen it. She accused me of plagiarism and dammit if I didn't let her win. I stopped writing. Until now.
I hope you'll jump aboard as we get this train moving. Give my book a read and let me know what you think, or you can come learn more about me and this journey on www.tbwayne.com, shout at me on Twitter at @tbwayne_ or on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/tbwayne.author
See ya there!
TB
I was told in 1996 by a creative writing professor that my work was too good to be mine and that I must have stolen it. She accused me of plagiarism and dammit if I didn't let her win. I stopped writing. Until now.
I hope you'll jump aboard as we get this train moving. Give my book a read and let me know what you think, or you can come learn more about me and this journey on www.tbwayne.com, shout at me on Twitter at @tbwayne_ or on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/tbwayne.author
See ya there!
TB
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 21, 2020
This was a surprise read that I was happy to interrupt my nominal (and unwieldy) TBR list for. Why? I was requested by the author, T.B. Wayne, to read and provide a review of this book, called "A Foreshadowing of Darkness", and I had heard a lot of good things about the author's work, so I was willing to take an unplanned detour. This novel is Wayne's debut, and the story is the first of a series that the author, Wayne, has planned.
The story centers on a religious group that is essentially a law enforcement entity, who serves and defends those under their protection. The group channels a mysterious, but generic magical power, however each member of the group wields the power in unique ways. The group employs a combination of martial prowess and magic to carry out their duties, and it makes for an exciting and compelling story.
First let me say that I was highly impressed with the writing and creativity of the author. The world designed was easy to conceptualize, and the character descriptions make them believable and quickly engaged the emotion of the reader. There was a strong magic system in play in the book, but it was not overdone, which is my personal preference for this type of book, as I have noted in previous blogs and reviews. The junctures in "A Foreshadowing of Darkness" where I felt the story was a bit rushed, and I craved for a bit more time to be spent exploring scenes, and more of the backstory of the main characters, was more due to the fact that I was enjoying it so much, and did not want it to end, rather than the author not being thorough in his worldbuilding.
I truly appreciated the opportunity to delve into the lives of the three main characters, Jannlin, Mackai, and Arawn. All three were very different, and had their individual trials and tribulations, and they were solidly developed and fleshed-out. The relationships between the three were just beginning to bud in this entry, as the first book, and I am confident that those relationships will continue to blossom and produce a well-rounded storyline in the future novels.
The story is a bit dark - essentially this is "grimdark" fare - and has some elements that could potentially be triggers for some, and therefore should be avoided by those readers, however the author was very honest with me about that aspect up front, warning me well prior to me receiving the book. I did not personally find the severe stuff to be overdone, but rather it led to the core of the storyline. It was not disrespectful nor too in-depth in its description. Kudos and high praise to T.B. Wayne for be able to skillfully walk that fine line so well between gratuitous versus relevant and poignant.
I am very much looking forward to seeing where the next book in the series will take us. I would definitely recommend giving "A Foreshadowing of Darkness" a read.
The story centers on a religious group that is essentially a law enforcement entity, who serves and defends those under their protection. The group channels a mysterious, but generic magical power, however each member of the group wields the power in unique ways. The group employs a combination of martial prowess and magic to carry out their duties, and it makes for an exciting and compelling story.
First let me say that I was highly impressed with the writing and creativity of the author. The world designed was easy to conceptualize, and the character descriptions make them believable and quickly engaged the emotion of the reader. There was a strong magic system in play in the book, but it was not overdone, which is my personal preference for this type of book, as I have noted in previous blogs and reviews. The junctures in "A Foreshadowing of Darkness" where I felt the story was a bit rushed, and I craved for a bit more time to be spent exploring scenes, and more of the backstory of the main characters, was more due to the fact that I was enjoying it so much, and did not want it to end, rather than the author not being thorough in his worldbuilding.
I truly appreciated the opportunity to delve into the lives of the three main characters, Jannlin, Mackai, and Arawn. All three were very different, and had their individual trials and tribulations, and they were solidly developed and fleshed-out. The relationships between the three were just beginning to bud in this entry, as the first book, and I am confident that those relationships will continue to blossom and produce a well-rounded storyline in the future novels.
The story is a bit dark - essentially this is "grimdark" fare - and has some elements that could potentially be triggers for some, and therefore should be avoided by those readers, however the author was very honest with me about that aspect up front, warning me well prior to me receiving the book. I did not personally find the severe stuff to be overdone, but rather it led to the core of the storyline. It was not disrespectful nor too in-depth in its description. Kudos and high praise to T.B. Wayne for be able to skillfully walk that fine line so well between gratuitous versus relevant and poignant.
I am very much looking forward to seeing where the next book in the series will take us. I would definitely recommend giving "A Foreshadowing of Darkness" a read.
May 2, 2021
In the beginning of the book I was super bored, let me explain - Fantasy in not really my thing, plus I completely forgot this was a post-apoc (don't ask me how, I read a lot and sometimes the blurb escapes me, especially when it is a "oh, that is a pretty cover!" kind of impulse buy, like it was here).
I was just hoping against hope, SOMETHING to happen to grab my attention! And then, the bridge scene comes along. And I am like, excuse me? What? So I re-read it, and it blew my mind!
After that I was hooked! The worldbuilding became a let't-pay-attention-to-detail kind of game and I absolutely loved it. Many characters and character decisions began to make more sense too!
And the deeper I went the better it got! I don't want to spoil anything but it was just a joy to read a complex villain for a change as well really well fleshout mid-point conflicts ect.
The religious aspect of the story was super interesting and added to the story on many levels both in the conflict department and regarding the layering of the worldbuilding.
All in all this is for sure one of my favourite books of 2021 and I am so glad that I have pushed through my preconceived ideas in the beginning, otherwise this gem would've been missed!
I was just hoping against hope, SOMETHING to happen to grab my attention! And then, the bridge scene comes along. And I am like, excuse me? What? So I re-read it, and it blew my mind!
After that I was hooked! The worldbuilding became a let't-pay-attention-to-detail kind of game and I absolutely loved it. Many characters and character decisions began to make more sense too!
And the deeper I went the better it got! I don't want to spoil anything but it was just a joy to read a complex villain for a change as well really well fleshout mid-point conflicts ect.
The religious aspect of the story was super interesting and added to the story on many levels both in the conflict department and regarding the layering of the worldbuilding.
All in all this is for sure one of my favourite books of 2021 and I am so glad that I have pushed through my preconceived ideas in the beginning, otherwise this gem would've been missed!
March 12, 2021
I loved the story ever since I received it for reading - being the one who illustrated the cover I definitely wanted to also read at least part of it so I can relate to the characters. Said characters are really strong and well defined, and sharp as blades.
I loved loved the sometimes dismal atmosphere, which also gave way to hope, insights about the inner lives of the characters, and the setting of this strange and awesome universe :)
I loved loved the sometimes dismal atmosphere, which also gave way to hope, insights about the inner lives of the characters, and the setting of this strange and awesome universe :)
July 24, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. I love the fact that this isn’t any one genre book, but you experience a few things. The author has said that this is a post apocalyptic dystopian dark fantasy, which is new for me. The book is set about 1,000 years in the future. A new religion is created after the fall of the known world and the main character is a follower of St Michael and The One who starts to question his faith after finding evidence that things may not be as he has always been taught. This is a very dark novel and has 3 mentions and descriptions of child and adult rape. These parts in the book are dark and heavy, but they propel the plot forward and help us understand the main characters motives and explain his actions. Overall I am invested in the characters and the story I want to keep reading this story! I find this book to be very original and unpredictable!
December 15, 2020
What a delightful read
I don't normally read this genre of books but after this story I am going to start! The characters were well thought out and likeable (some not so likeable by intention), the storyline was easy to follow and entertaining. I truly enjoyed this book from start to finish. The descriptions of the fantastical monsters and beasts reminded me of The Princess Bride and the nod to Alice in Wonderland in the title of chapter 12 had me smiling. Definitely a great read and I am looking forward to book 2!!!!
I don't normally read this genre of books but after this story I am going to start! The characters were well thought out and likeable (some not so likeable by intention), the storyline was easy to follow and entertaining. I truly enjoyed this book from start to finish. The descriptions of the fantastical monsters and beasts reminded me of The Princess Bride and the nod to Alice in Wonderland in the title of chapter 12 had me smiling. Definitely a great read and I am looking forward to book 2!!!!
December 2, 2020
A FORESHADOWING OF DARKNESS by TB WAYNE is a great read. This novel developed at an incredible pace and had me on the edge of my seat. The author’s depiction of the settings and characters are dynamic and credible, and the novel is action-packed. It’s a thought-provokingly thrilling read. 5 stars. Posted by Elijah, son of Michael S.
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November 11, 2020Well, I'm bias as I wrote it. Visit www.tbwayne.com to find out more about me or the next book I am writing in the series, "A Confluence of Shadows"
November 9, 2020
Great 1st book !! I can't wait to read future novels by this author.
February 17, 2021
This took me some time to read. But now after finishing this I have come to realize that now I want to see this as a movie! It was so well put together, and it kept me interested all the way until the end of the book for sure! The book cover had me very interested! I loved how when starting the book there is a map. So when you see the map you can picture in your mind the kind of environment in where the book is taking place at. Arawn is such an important and powerful. While reading the book you can close your eyes, and see this temple that is a main point in the book. I will not say anything else because I do not want to spoil anything. Well done author!
November 30, 2020
Sci-fi epic
A blockbuster of a book. An absorbing narrative with engaging characters that grips.I thoroughly enjoyed this imaginative tale. Story-telling at it's best. An author to follow
A blockbuster of a book. An absorbing narrative with engaging characters that grips.I thoroughly enjoyed this imaginative tale. Story-telling at it's best. An author to follow
December 30, 2020
An interesting twist for a post-apocalyptic story. The story will entertain you for hours on end.
November 26, 2020
This is the first book I read from this author and let me tell you that I loved it! Such a good book with great characters that keeps you obsessed with every page since the first one. The ending of this book.. come on! I just didn´t expect it! Can´t wait to read other books from this great writer! Amazing job! a must-read!. A fantastic book that has it all!
I happily endorse this story to any and all who are looking for a fiction enjoyable read and a completely different experience than anyone could imagine on their own. There was so much depth in this book, it was amazing. Mr. Wayne, you are a good storyteller. Thanks for a wonderful and entertaining story; and large print. I highly recommend Wayne's books.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I happily endorse this story to any and all who are looking for a fiction enjoyable read and a completely different experience than anyone could imagine on their own. There was so much depth in this book, it was amazing. Mr. Wayne, you are a good storyteller. Thanks for a wonderful and entertaining story; and large print. I highly recommend Wayne's books.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews