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The Safanarion Order #1
Road to Shandara
Librarian's note: Alternate cover edition of ASIN B00FV6XIS4.
When a mythical world threatens everything, an unlikely hero must join the battle…
College senior Aaron Jace is ready to start life in the real world. After the unexpected death of his grandfather, Aaron finds an unbelievable note that will change his world. The unknowing descendent of an ancient and powerful family, Aaron is thrust into a struggle that began long ago and will reach across worlds to pull him into the fight.
When he learns of the world of Safanar, it seems to be the stuff of legends: dragons, castles, and technologically-advanced cities. But it's as much a dream as it is a nightmare. Danger lurks in the shadows, and a demon sentinel named Tarimus wants to steal Aaron's power before he can learn his full potential.
With the help of an imprisoned Safanarion guardian, two mystical swords, and a puzzling family heirloom, Aaron must journey from Earth to find the fabled land of his ancestors. It may be a path that's impossible to survive.
When a mythical world threatens everything, an unlikely hero must join the battle…
College senior Aaron Jace is ready to start life in the real world. After the unexpected death of his grandfather, Aaron finds an unbelievable note that will change his world. The unknowing descendent of an ancient and powerful family, Aaron is thrust into a struggle that began long ago and will reach across worlds to pull him into the fight.
When he learns of the world of Safanar, it seems to be the stuff of legends: dragons, castles, and technologically-advanced cities. But it's as much a dream as it is a nightmare. Danger lurks in the shadows, and a demon sentinel named Tarimus wants to steal Aaron's power before he can learn his full potential.
With the help of an imprisoned Safanarion guardian, two mystical swords, and a puzzling family heirloom, Aaron must journey from Earth to find the fabled land of his ancestors. It may be a path that's impossible to survive.
418 pages, ebook
First published October 12, 2013
577 people are currently reading
1656 people want to read
About the author
Ken Lozito
63 books466 followersKen Lozito is the best-selling author of multiple science fiction series, including First Colony, Ascension, & Federation Chronicles. He writes about first contact, colonization, exploration, heroic tales, redemption stories, and old-fashion adventure stories with rich and interesting characters. He’s had over a million books sold and loves the fact he’s been able to reach so many amazing readers with his stories. Readers have lost precious hours of sleep while they read just one more page.
Ken worked in IT Security for almost twenty years before becoming a full-time author. When not writing, he enjoys hiking, reading, playing with the dog, and binge-watching shows.
You can find out more about Ken and upcoming books on his website at http://kenlozito.com
Ken worked in IT Security for almost twenty years before becoming a full-time author. When not writing, he enjoys hiking, reading, playing with the dog, and binge-watching shows.
You can find out more about Ken and upcoming books on his website at http://kenlozito.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
November 24, 2014
To start with, three disclaimers:
1. The author sent me a free copy of this book for review purposes
2. I'm sick and grumpy
3. I couldn't make myself read more than 10% of this book. My Kindle said that there were another 6 hours and 27 minutes remaining until I finished it, and I was just not willing to do that.
I feel a little betrayed. When the author contacted me, I checked out the existing reviews on Amazon, noting in particular one which mentioned the appalling state of grammar etc. I emailed KL warning him that I was willing to read it, but if the editing was that bad, then there's no way I'd be able to give him a good review. He assured me that this was a new edition which had been looked at by a professional editor. As you may have gathered from my 'betrayed' comment, this doesn't seem to have helped much.
In saying that, I guess poor editing insofar as spelling/grammar/phrasing ("are we seriously not doing 'phrasing' anymore?!") isn't a total deal-breaker. I've read plenty of indie books which could use the touch of an editor (and spell-check), but the story was so gripping and well done that I read them anyway. This was not such a book. I found it all terribly grey and unengaging, and I couldn't wait to reach the 10% mark so I could say I'd at least tried. I felt like the majority of sentences followed one set pattern, and they were so uniform that I actually started counting words per sentence (around 16). They started with 'the', had a little rise then finished. It was like the visual equivalent of a monotone.
Am I saying the author has a bad idea? By no means. Am I saying that nobody will like it? No, not at all - I'm sure it would serve the odd young adult as an introduction to fantasy. Less critical readers may also enjoy it, and the sheer uniformity and simplicity of sentences might make it suitable for those whose first language isn't English. I am not a young adult, I *am* a critical reader, and (would you believe it!) English is my first language. In a world full of so many amazing books that I can't possibly read them all in one life time, this particular novel wasn't going to make the cut.
Now, because as a former English teacher I can't help myself, here are some of the most egregious errors I picked up in the first 10%. Note that these are examples only; there were many, many more. Note also that I only included punctuation errors when they got in the way of understanding the sentence.
1. "Most days in June were sunny and warm enough not to be hot, and this was no exception." This is the first fricking sentence in the book, and it doesn't make any damn sense. "Warm enough not to be hot"??? What? Warm is a stage on the WAY to hot. "Not so warm as to be hot" perhaps?! "Not warm enough to be hot?" "A pleasant goddamn temperature"?!
2. "Still growling and ears back, but not bearing any teeth, Zeus reluctantly took a step forward." Poor toothless little thing. "Baring" = showing, "bearing" = carrying/having.
3. "He had fought wars, but would not speak of it. His past, like his pain, was shrouded in mystery. With the sun beginning to settle and his shoulders slumped, he started back to the house." Subject confusion - the "he" in these sentences is actually referring to two different people. Who fought wars? Whose past was shrouded in mystery? Whose shoulders were slumped? DIFFERENT PEOPLE. The same thing happens later, with "His massive hand reached toward him, and the white pearl in his medallion flared to life."
4. Use of the past perfect tense is lacking. When it's used, it's *usually* used correctly, but the author rarely bothers - as a result, there's significant temporal confusion (ooh, sounds like science!). "A force that lay sleeping within him rose" should be "A force that had lain sleeping with him". "his grandfather nurtured in him" should be "his grandfather had nurtured (with)in him" (also, this made me think about gardening for some reason. Like the protagonist's a little emo bonsai).
5. Haha, this was one of my favourites. The guy goes into this room where he trains in martial arts every day (as you do), and after years of doing this, he wanders in to find that "A gaping hole opened in the center of the room revealing stairs that led into darkness." I don't know about you, but I'd be surprised if there turned out to be a secret passage in a place I went every day. Actually, you know, scratch that - I'd be excited out of my freaking mind! As if that wouldn't be totally awesome!! And yet, as is often the case, there's no mention of the protagonist's emotional reaction: he just tootles on down the secret staircase with nary a care in the world.
6. So much painful awkwardness. "A calling came to Aaron in that moment." Yup, this is where he takes on his superhero-like mystical/fantastical powers and heritage. That sentence. A calling came to him. Do we know what the calling is? Do we know what it means? Do we know how it contributes to the story? No, no, and no. It's just a thing that happens. No need to elucidate plot points though, amiright?
7. Yodaisms. "Falcons, they are called, whispered his grandfather's voice." Our emo bonsai is also Yoda's offspring! Get in.
8. The protag does a whole lot of stuff for no apparent reason. He spontaneously "probed about with his other senses, but he couldn't feel anything." It's not like he's taking on some mindfulness-based meditation, he's just hanging out probing stuff on the off-chance.
9. "Slowly and with a certain amount of grace, he wielded the Falcons." - had no idea what he was talking about.
10. "Aaron became infused by his connection to everything around him." ..did somebody just make him into tea?
11. AAAGH. Adjective/adverb confusion! "'About as good as you did,' he answered." WELL. It's WELL.
12. Smirking. There is so much smirking. In fact, the random use of the verb 'to smirk' was so prevalent that I started to question whether I'd somehow misunderstood the meaning of the word my entire life. But no, this is what 'smirk' means according to the Oxford American dictionary, or whatever the inbuilt Kindle one is: "to smile in an irritatingly smug, conceited, or silly way". Now, let us look at some of the uses:
(a) "'I see,' she smirked." - the protag's mother, talking of how poorly he'd slept, a few hours after the guy's grandfather has died. (Incidentally, I didn't know whether the grandfather was the mother or the father's dad: there was no way of knowing, and as it turns out, it's a plot point.)
(b) "The corners of the professor's mouth rose in the slightest, forming a smirk," - the protag told his teacher that his grandfather had died and he wouldn't be able to take his exam. So the teacher smirks at him. I don't know about you, but this would lead to some punching. Incidentally, I'm not sure what this professor actually teaches: he says how he's setting a philosophy question for the exam, but that he hopes that the protag would major in his subject area of sociology. Philosophy and sociology are not the same thing.
(c) "Aaron smirked at the thought" (in response to his being scared).
(d) My favourite - "He gave a carnivorous smirk of knowing". The least improper use of smirk, but this sentence just cracked me up.
13. "How could he face an enemy that he could neither see nor touch? But he saw it when he mastered his fear and closed his eyes to see." What the actual..?! Firstly, how handy that he so instantly resolves his problem. Secondly, "closed his eyes to see"?! Thirdly, it then goes on to not describe seeing the enemy (ie the subject of the paragraph), but rather something completely different.
14. "He felt the energy given off by the trees eagerly willing to share with all those around them, but the people who walked among them were gray and closed off, oblivious to the rich world around them." Groan. So much groan. no back story, no reason, no explanation. Just authorial intrusion.
15. "The idea about how absurd this whole funeral thing still whittled away at him." "He got up quickly followed the crowd." "For a few fleeting moments, he thought he felt the ground beneath his knees and taste the sweet air of the sacred grove once again."
16. "He loosened his necktie, tossing it into the center console when he heard her voice call his name from behind." (So perhaps he only threw it when he heard her. Because he likes to throw stuff when people talk to him--he's an angry yodic bonsai.)
17. The emotional roller-coaster (in a bad way) of this paragraph: "'How can I know if you won't make another mistake like this again? I mean, you've taken everything we had and tossed it away. I thought what we had was special and enduring, and you ruined it! You can't get that back!' The bitterness of his words cut him as he saw the pain in her eyes." (Goes from 'maybe we'll get back together' to 'hells no, biatch!') It continues a couple of sentences later: "'I don't think you deserve another chance,' he sneered. "You stay away from me.' he screamed, earning them some worried looks from the departing funeral procession. 'All that we had is dead!'"
Laughter ensued. All I could imagine was this being acted out, Monty Python-style, with random melodramatic screams and wails.
18. What? "The truth may be presented, but if you are blind, there are consequences for your actions or in, his case, inaction."
19. "He felt the faint stirrings of a heart that was no longer there." Well, this is down-right impossible.
20. "He must guide Reymius's heir to transverse the crossroads between worlds" - 'transverse' and 'traverse' have very different meanings.
There were many more, but it's nap-time, and I've just written nearly 2000 words of outrage.
1.5 stars.
1. The author sent me a free copy of this book for review purposes
2. I'm sick and grumpy
3. I couldn't make myself read more than 10% of this book. My Kindle said that there were another 6 hours and 27 minutes remaining until I finished it, and I was just not willing to do that.
I feel a little betrayed. When the author contacted me, I checked out the existing reviews on Amazon, noting in particular one which mentioned the appalling state of grammar etc. I emailed KL warning him that I was willing to read it, but if the editing was that bad, then there's no way I'd be able to give him a good review. He assured me that this was a new edition which had been looked at by a professional editor. As you may have gathered from my 'betrayed' comment, this doesn't seem to have helped much.
In saying that, I guess poor editing insofar as spelling/grammar/phrasing ("are we seriously not doing 'phrasing' anymore?!") isn't a total deal-breaker. I've read plenty of indie books which could use the touch of an editor (and spell-check), but the story was so gripping and well done that I read them anyway. This was not such a book. I found it all terribly grey and unengaging, and I couldn't wait to reach the 10% mark so I could say I'd at least tried. I felt like the majority of sentences followed one set pattern, and they were so uniform that I actually started counting words per sentence (around 16). They started with 'the', had a little rise then finished. It was like the visual equivalent of a monotone.
Am I saying the author has a bad idea? By no means. Am I saying that nobody will like it? No, not at all - I'm sure it would serve the odd young adult as an introduction to fantasy. Less critical readers may also enjoy it, and the sheer uniformity and simplicity of sentences might make it suitable for those whose first language isn't English. I am not a young adult, I *am* a critical reader, and (would you believe it!) English is my first language. In a world full of so many amazing books that I can't possibly read them all in one life time, this particular novel wasn't going to make the cut.
Now, because as a former English teacher I can't help myself, here are some of the most egregious errors I picked up in the first 10%. Note that these are examples only; there were many, many more. Note also that I only included punctuation errors when they got in the way of understanding the sentence.
1. "Most days in June were sunny and warm enough not to be hot, and this was no exception." This is the first fricking sentence in the book, and it doesn't make any damn sense. "Warm enough not to be hot"??? What? Warm is a stage on the WAY to hot. "Not so warm as to be hot" perhaps?! "Not warm enough to be hot?" "A pleasant goddamn temperature"?!
2. "Still growling and ears back, but not bearing any teeth, Zeus reluctantly took a step forward." Poor toothless little thing. "Baring" = showing, "bearing" = carrying/having.
3. "He had fought wars, but would not speak of it. His past, like his pain, was shrouded in mystery. With the sun beginning to settle and his shoulders slumped, he started back to the house." Subject confusion - the "he" in these sentences is actually referring to two different people. Who fought wars? Whose past was shrouded in mystery? Whose shoulders were slumped? DIFFERENT PEOPLE. The same thing happens later, with "His massive hand reached toward him, and the white pearl in his medallion flared to life."
4. Use of the past perfect tense is lacking. When it's used, it's *usually* used correctly, but the author rarely bothers - as a result, there's significant temporal confusion (ooh, sounds like science!). "A force that lay sleeping within him rose" should be "A force that had lain sleeping with him". "his grandfather nurtured in him" should be "his grandfather had nurtured (with)in him" (also, this made me think about gardening for some reason. Like the protagonist's a little emo bonsai).
5. Haha, this was one of my favourites. The guy goes into this room where he trains in martial arts every day (as you do), and after years of doing this, he wanders in to find that "A gaping hole opened in the center of the room revealing stairs that led into darkness." I don't know about you, but I'd be surprised if there turned out to be a secret passage in a place I went every day. Actually, you know, scratch that - I'd be excited out of my freaking mind! As if that wouldn't be totally awesome!! And yet, as is often the case, there's no mention of the protagonist's emotional reaction: he just tootles on down the secret staircase with nary a care in the world.
6. So much painful awkwardness. "A calling came to Aaron in that moment." Yup, this is where he takes on his superhero-like mystical/fantastical powers and heritage. That sentence. A calling came to him. Do we know what the calling is? Do we know what it means? Do we know how it contributes to the story? No, no, and no. It's just a thing that happens. No need to elucidate plot points though, amiright?
7. Yodaisms. "Falcons, they are called, whispered his grandfather's voice." Our emo bonsai is also Yoda's offspring! Get in.
8. The protag does a whole lot of stuff for no apparent reason. He spontaneously "probed about with his other senses, but he couldn't feel anything." It's not like he's taking on some mindfulness-based meditation, he's just hanging out probing stuff on the off-chance.
9. "Slowly and with a certain amount of grace, he wielded the Falcons." - had no idea what he was talking about.
10. "Aaron became infused by his connection to everything around him." ..did somebody just make him into tea?
11. AAAGH. Adjective/adverb confusion! "'About as good as you did,' he answered." WELL. It's WELL.
12. Smirking. There is so much smirking. In fact, the random use of the verb 'to smirk' was so prevalent that I started to question whether I'd somehow misunderstood the meaning of the word my entire life. But no, this is what 'smirk' means according to the Oxford American dictionary, or whatever the inbuilt Kindle one is: "to smile in an irritatingly smug, conceited, or silly way". Now, let us look at some of the uses:
(a) "'I see,' she smirked." - the protag's mother, talking of how poorly he'd slept, a few hours after the guy's grandfather has died. (Incidentally, I didn't know whether the grandfather was the mother or the father's dad: there was no way of knowing, and as it turns out, it's a plot point.)
(b) "The corners of the professor's mouth rose in the slightest, forming a smirk," - the protag told his teacher that his grandfather had died and he wouldn't be able to take his exam. So the teacher smirks at him. I don't know about you, but this would lead to some punching. Incidentally, I'm not sure what this professor actually teaches: he says how he's setting a philosophy question for the exam, but that he hopes that the protag would major in his subject area of sociology. Philosophy and sociology are not the same thing.
(c) "Aaron smirked at the thought" (in response to his being scared).
(d) My favourite - "He gave a carnivorous smirk of knowing". The least improper use of smirk, but this sentence just cracked me up.
13. "How could he face an enemy that he could neither see nor touch? But he saw it when he mastered his fear and closed his eyes to see." What the actual..?! Firstly, how handy that he so instantly resolves his problem. Secondly, "closed his eyes to see"?! Thirdly, it then goes on to not describe seeing the enemy (ie the subject of the paragraph), but rather something completely different.
14. "He felt the energy given off by the trees eagerly willing to share with all those around them, but the people who walked among them were gray and closed off, oblivious to the rich world around them." Groan. So much groan. no back story, no reason, no explanation. Just authorial intrusion.
15. "The idea about how absurd this whole funeral thing still whittled away at him." "He got up quickly followed the crowd." "For a few fleeting moments, he thought he felt the ground beneath his knees and taste the sweet air of the sacred grove once again."
16. "He loosened his necktie, tossing it into the center console when he heard her voice call his name from behind." (So perhaps he only threw it when he heard her. Because he likes to throw stuff when people talk to him--he's an angry yodic bonsai.)
17. The emotional roller-coaster (in a bad way) of this paragraph: "'How can I know if you won't make another mistake like this again? I mean, you've taken everything we had and tossed it away. I thought what we had was special and enduring, and you ruined it! You can't get that back!' The bitterness of his words cut him as he saw the pain in her eyes." (Goes from 'maybe we'll get back together' to 'hells no, biatch!') It continues a couple of sentences later: "'I don't think you deserve another chance,' he sneered. "You stay away from me.' he screamed, earning them some worried looks from the departing funeral procession. 'All that we had is dead!'"
Laughter ensued. All I could imagine was this being acted out, Monty Python-style, with random melodramatic screams and wails.
18. What? "The truth may be presented, but if you are blind, there are consequences for your actions or in, his case, inaction."
19. "He felt the faint stirrings of a heart that was no longer there." Well, this is down-right impossible.
20. "He must guide Reymius's heir to transverse the crossroads between worlds" - 'transverse' and 'traverse' have very different meanings.
There were many more, but it's nap-time, and I've just written nearly 2000 words of outrage.
1.5 stars.
October 12, 2018
I listened to this on audiobooks, so forgive me for weird spelling. Vikas Adam did an amazing job with this narration so if you’re into audiobooks you may way to give this one a shot.
Bingo: Self Published, Dragons, previous square: protag that flies
Plot:
Given the cover of this book I was expecting to jump into swords and magic right away, so I was taken aback when the book started off as an urban fantasy. This is the first “portal” fantasy I’ve read in a good long while.
The first 20% or so of the book is character and world intro and he’s still in the ‘real world’ up until then. The main characters grandfather just died and he watched it happen, as he died he gave Aaron a pendant and told him to keep it safe. The pendant starts giving him weird dreams, and eventually those nightmares become a reality when he’s attacked by forces from another world. As his grandfathers goodbye letter said, his life wasn’t what he thought it was, and it turns out his mother and grandfather had fled from an alternative world to this one.
He’s forced to enter the world of Safarian because the evil entities are hell bent on killing him, and staying in his world near his family only endangers them.
A trapped mage (trapped in an inbetween realm as a disembodied entity) named Collins has contacted Aaron and told him that he needs to find a prince that can help him on his quest to Shandara, the land his family is actually from. The fall of Shandara is a big deal in this world, because whatever happened has let in vile monsters that prey on dragons and are ruthless killing machines. Aaron has to find a way to fix what’s happened while escaping assassination attempts. There are many people who want him dead because he’s the last of his families line, and they are the key holders between their world and the ‘real world’ Aaron left behind.
Characters:
Aaron as the main character, he’s a college student in his early 20’s who’s had his whole world ripped out from under him. Given all of that he’s handling himself well and adapting to his new life much better than I would have given the circumstances.
He’s determined to get revenge on those who hurt his family and brought him into this mess of a life where he’s constantly adverting danger. He’s been trained his whole life in sword play and horse riding, but he never knew what his grandfather had planned for him down the line. That training comes in handy in this world since he has to fight off would be killers frequently.
He has a love interest who is the daughter of the enemy who’s trying to kill him. The high Kings daughter, Sara, has defected to Aarons side because they’ve always treated her like crap. Her half brothers tried to kill her on more than one occasion trying to get her out of the way, she’s extremely skilled and intelligent so those plans never worked – but it didn’t leave her with any ingratiating feelings towards her family.
World Building:
The Hitharium people are an ancient race not of the Safarian realm, so there are at least 3 alternative worlds in this universe. They are a mysterious race that has all but retracted from the world after the fall of Shandara. They have a special connection with Aarons family line, and it’s probably responsible for his families connection to dragons. Aaron is able to talk to dragons and I’m always down for a book with intelligent dragons rather than blood thirsty mindless monsters.
Aaron can feel the life force of everything around him, especially when he’s holding his two swords passed down to him by his grandfather. It’s not something everyone can do and it comes in handy for Aaron because it alerts him when danger is near.
Aaron also has a wolf who was his grandfathers who works as an aide and protector to him through the book.
You can fast travel with these purple crystals, but they are rare and only the rich are able to afford them.
There are giant airships which are powered by magic which was cool to read about.
Pacing/Prose/Tone:
Adventurous and mysterious. There’s a lot of action going on in the book, there’s always someone looming around the corner trying to take down Aaron so the book read quickly. There’s also a lot of mystery and intrigue revolving around the fall of Shandara and you’re not sure what’s happened there for much of the book.
The prose was straight forward which also lent to the book going by pretty fast.
Audience:
lots of action
romance
adventure
dragons
lots of magic
character on a quest
portal fantasy
Bingo: Self Published, Dragons, previous square: protag that flies
Plot:
Given the cover of this book I was expecting to jump into swords and magic right away, so I was taken aback when the book started off as an urban fantasy. This is the first “portal” fantasy I’ve read in a good long while.
The first 20% or so of the book is character and world intro and he’s still in the ‘real world’ up until then. The main characters grandfather just died and he watched it happen, as he died he gave Aaron a pendant and told him to keep it safe. The pendant starts giving him weird dreams, and eventually those nightmares become a reality when he’s attacked by forces from another world. As his grandfathers goodbye letter said, his life wasn’t what he thought it was, and it turns out his mother and grandfather had fled from an alternative world to this one.
He’s forced to enter the world of Safarian because the evil entities are hell bent on killing him, and staying in his world near his family only endangers them.
A trapped mage (trapped in an inbetween realm as a disembodied entity) named Collins has contacted Aaron and told him that he needs to find a prince that can help him on his quest to Shandara, the land his family is actually from. The fall of Shandara is a big deal in this world, because whatever happened has let in vile monsters that prey on dragons and are ruthless killing machines. Aaron has to find a way to fix what’s happened while escaping assassination attempts. There are many people who want him dead because he’s the last of his families line, and they are the key holders between their world and the ‘real world’ Aaron left behind.
Characters:
Aaron as the main character, he’s a college student in his early 20’s who’s had his whole world ripped out from under him. Given all of that he’s handling himself well and adapting to his new life much better than I would have given the circumstances.
He’s determined to get revenge on those who hurt his family and brought him into this mess of a life where he’s constantly adverting danger. He’s been trained his whole life in sword play and horse riding, but he never knew what his grandfather had planned for him down the line. That training comes in handy in this world since he has to fight off would be killers frequently.
He has a love interest who is the daughter of the enemy who’s trying to kill him. The high Kings daughter, Sara, has defected to Aarons side because they’ve always treated her like crap. Her half brothers tried to kill her on more than one occasion trying to get her out of the way, she’s extremely skilled and intelligent so those plans never worked – but it didn’t leave her with any ingratiating feelings towards her family.
World Building:
The Hitharium people are an ancient race not of the Safarian realm, so there are at least 3 alternative worlds in this universe. They are a mysterious race that has all but retracted from the world after the fall of Shandara. They have a special connection with Aarons family line, and it’s probably responsible for his families connection to dragons. Aaron is able to talk to dragons and I’m always down for a book with intelligent dragons rather than blood thirsty mindless monsters.
Aaron can feel the life force of everything around him, especially when he’s holding his two swords passed down to him by his grandfather. It’s not something everyone can do and it comes in handy for Aaron because it alerts him when danger is near.
Aaron also has a wolf who was his grandfathers who works as an aide and protector to him through the book.
You can fast travel with these purple crystals, but they are rare and only the rich are able to afford them.
There are giant airships which are powered by magic which was cool to read about.
Pacing/Prose/Tone:
Adventurous and mysterious. There’s a lot of action going on in the book, there’s always someone looming around the corner trying to take down Aaron so the book read quickly. There’s also a lot of mystery and intrigue revolving around the fall of Shandara and you’re not sure what’s happened there for much of the book.
The prose was straight forward which also lent to the book going by pretty fast.
Audience:
lots of action
romance
adventure
dragons
lots of magic
character on a quest
portal fantasy
April 14, 2023
Have you ever read a fantasy book and wondered why the author spent 3 pages describing someones clothes or a random rug pattern? Then this book is for you!
Non-stop action from start to finish, with no pesky world building or character building in between. Part of me wants to be disappointed at this book, page with no lengthy explanation or training.
I really felt like this book was a movie script, written for a full length fantasy book which had to cut out alot to fit in the 2 hour time frame.
If you like action without delay, magic without training, and characters who are immediately trustworthy after 5 words, this book is for you.
Non-stop action from start to finish, with no pesky world building or character building in between. Part of me wants to be disappointed at this book, page with no lengthy explanation or training.
I really felt like this book was a movie script, written for a full length fantasy book which had to cut out alot to fit in the 2 hour time frame.
If you like action without delay, magic without training, and characters who are immediately trustworthy after 5 words, this book is for you.
October 15, 2014
4.5 stars, actually. Potential spoilers, but I don't think so(?)!
Original review found at: www.awesomebooknuts.blogspot.com
Let me just say: I love the fact that this is a great story without having a ton of unnecessary language thrown in. It’s really hard to find that nowadays, and that bothers me. But I digress.
Our story starts with Aaron Jace, a soon to be college graduate, driving to the stables near his home when he is greeted by the flashing lights of police cars. He runs into the home to find his grandfather in a back room, lying on the ground. He crouches down beside his grandfather, who hands him a medallion tells Aaron to keep it safe. Aaron holds his grandfather as he takes his last breath. Cue the destruction of Aaron’s life as he knows it.
We follow Aaron as he learns things about himself and a past and future that he never, in a million years, would have thought for himself. The training that his grandfather has been giving him all his life is about to take on a whole new meaning.
Suddenly, Aaron finds himself hunted by Tarimus, a demon trapped between worlds and doing the bidding of a far more sinister person. And that’s only the beginning! While on his journey to his realm of Shandara, his true home, Aaron comes across the smooth talking Verona Ryder, sent by a guardian of Shandara to help Aaron on his journey. Verona brings Aaron to his friends and after the initial suspicion, Aaron is accepted by them. Later, Aaron meets a beautiful, cast aside princess, Sarah, and they fall for each other. While I figured there would be some romance in this story, it seemed a little cliché at times, but oh well. It’s not bad. Sarah betrays her own to help Aaron and his band of friends to right the wrongs set in motion by forces unlike anything they can imagine. At the same time, Sarah helps Aaron discover more about himself and the powers that he has.
I’m not going to spoil it because I think that it is a truly wonderful read for fans of fantasy books, and definitely worth it! I feel like this book should be more popular than it is.
Quotes I liked:
“What are we without our honor? Nothing but bloodless barbarians and chaos driven at that.” – Verona
“Anger clouds the mind even for those with the purest of intentions.” – Aaron
Original review found at: www.awesomebooknuts.blogspot.com
Let me just say: I love the fact that this is a great story without having a ton of unnecessary language thrown in. It’s really hard to find that nowadays, and that bothers me. But I digress.
Our story starts with Aaron Jace, a soon to be college graduate, driving to the stables near his home when he is greeted by the flashing lights of police cars. He runs into the home to find his grandfather in a back room, lying on the ground. He crouches down beside his grandfather, who hands him a medallion tells Aaron to keep it safe. Aaron holds his grandfather as he takes his last breath. Cue the destruction of Aaron’s life as he knows it.
We follow Aaron as he learns things about himself and a past and future that he never, in a million years, would have thought for himself. The training that his grandfather has been giving him all his life is about to take on a whole new meaning.
Suddenly, Aaron finds himself hunted by Tarimus, a demon trapped between worlds and doing the bidding of a far more sinister person. And that’s only the beginning! While on his journey to his realm of Shandara, his true home, Aaron comes across the smooth talking Verona Ryder, sent by a guardian of Shandara to help Aaron on his journey. Verona brings Aaron to his friends and after the initial suspicion, Aaron is accepted by them. Later, Aaron meets a beautiful, cast aside princess, Sarah, and they fall for each other. While I figured there would be some romance in this story, it seemed a little cliché at times, but oh well. It’s not bad. Sarah betrays her own to help Aaron and his band of friends to right the wrongs set in motion by forces unlike anything they can imagine. At the same time, Sarah helps Aaron discover more about himself and the powers that he has.
I’m not going to spoil it because I think that it is a truly wonderful read for fans of fantasy books, and definitely worth it! I feel like this book should be more popular than it is.
Quotes I liked:
“What are we without our honor? Nothing but bloodless barbarians and chaos driven at that.” – Verona
“Anger clouds the mind even for those with the purest of intentions.” – Aaron
September 4, 2015
This is a difficult book book for me to review. As I am writing this, I have not decided on the rating, so, join with me as I go about this task.
Every book has the potential to be a 5 star book, so I start from there. I read quickly, but when I run into incorrect punctuation, my brain comes to a complete stop. That happened more than once while reading, so minus 1/2 star. The same thing happens with spelling and grammar, and they also caused multiple interuptions - minus 1 star. I know that re-formatting fro Word to Kindle poses some unique challanges, but "Yogiisms" isn't one of them. When a word like dirisive is used in place of the meant divisive, or vice versa, both the editor (if there was one) and the beta readers should be tarred, feathered, and run out of town on a rail. I have to minus one Big star for this.
Every character that has an affect on the storyline should have, at the very least, some back story - or a fleshed out reason for being an integral part of the book. Did not happen. Minus 1/2 srar.
The book may be formulaic, almost all are to one extent or the other, but it shouldn't be to the point where you can identify what is going to happen to specific characters in a book. Again, I have to deduct 1/2 star.
The result is a rating of 1 1/2 stars. I have always rounded up on any half star rating, but in this case there were so many aggravations, I'm forced to round down = 1 star.
Every book has the potential to be a 5 star book, so I start from there. I read quickly, but when I run into incorrect punctuation, my brain comes to a complete stop. That happened more than once while reading, so minus 1/2 star. The same thing happens with spelling and grammar, and they also caused multiple interuptions - minus 1 star. I know that re-formatting fro Word to Kindle poses some unique challanges, but "Yogiisms" isn't one of them. When a word like dirisive is used in place of the meant divisive, or vice versa, both the editor (if there was one) and the beta readers should be tarred, feathered, and run out of town on a rail. I have to minus one Big star for this.
Every character that has an affect on the storyline should have, at the very least, some back story - or a fleshed out reason for being an integral part of the book. Did not happen. Minus 1/2 srar.
The book may be formulaic, almost all are to one extent or the other, but it shouldn't be to the point where you can identify what is going to happen to specific characters in a book. Again, I have to deduct 1/2 star.
The result is a rating of 1 1/2 stars. I have always rounded up on any half star rating, but in this case there were so many aggravations, I'm forced to round down = 1 star.
April 9, 2015
I won this book for free from the Goodreads Book giveaway contest and I could not be any happier. I thought this book was fantastic, from page 1 on! This book was full of adventure and intrigue, equally balanced, and I could not or would not put the book down. I have already ordered the 2nd and 3rd parts from Amazon because this book is so totally awesome and I want to know what happens next! I enjoyed the characters, especially Aaron, and how this poor, unsuspecting guy was about to find himself in a whole world of trouble. Clearly unprepared for what lay ahead, in terms of his true lineage, Aaron sets off on a journey where bloodlust, vengeance, and rampaging are all necessary traits to survive the day. Aaron luckily meets up with a band of "misfits" and they embark on quite the adventure with pure evil hunting them around every corner.
October 28, 2015
As I read the first few pages, it seemed I'd read this book before. A few more pages convinced me I had ... many times.
July 11, 2019
Although I enjoyed the book I felt it was a story I had already read before. Too similar which was a shame.
March 6, 2015
Interesting
It captured my interest, I liked the characters, but am put off by the authors lack of good sentence structure, lack of basic punctuation, and "passed" is not equivalent to "past" for goodness sake! Get an editor or an English teacher , something.
It captured my interest, I liked the characters, but am put off by the authors lack of good sentence structure, lack of basic punctuation, and "passed" is not equivalent to "past" for goodness sake! Get an editor or an English teacher , something.
October 14, 2015
I genuinely enjoyed this book. It was quick paced but not rushed feeling. I seriously love fantasy as a genre and have ever since reading David Eddings in high school. This book reminded me of why I love the genre.
November 28, 2015
The Road to Shandara is excellent reading
I really enjoyed this first book in the series and I am looking forward to the next one. I recommend this to anyone who likes the Wheel of Time books.
I really enjoyed this first book in the series and I am looking forward to the next one. I recommend this to anyone who likes the Wheel of Time books.
November 2, 2019
I got the audio book. in one word, meh....
January 17, 2019
Starts out a little rushed but evens out to a good epic fantasy. 3.5 stars
This is a good 3 star book that almost earned a four-star in the end because of how well being pulled me in. I've read this author's latest works and I can tell that this is an earlier work from the author. It is told in third person omnipresent point of view and though they are some spots where it is slightly confusing it is mostly smooth and has been pulled off quite well where others have failed. It is interesting to see that the writing is not as crisp as it is in the later works from this author but the storytelling is still engaging and there is little to really pull you out. Overall it is a good epic fantasy that I think should get better with each book.
I did get the feeling that this might have been the first work from the author. It has many of the characteristics of a first book that is self-published but it is stronger than many of the first works that I've read. The parts that are a bit rushed comes in a couple forms. First the introduction to the fact that he has been trained in hand weapons is sort of a place a moment that is overlooked. Considering that the book starts out in the modern world being trained in martial arts isn't that uncommon but being trained in swordsmanship and such is. There should have been a little bit more explanation about this part.
Second the transition into fantasy world in which his family comes from as the description of the book Intel's seems a bit too simplistic. What I mean is that things such as the very language he speaks and the clothes that he wears simply accepted. There's no mention of the fact that his accent is different or that his clothes is foreign. He even brings a backpack with him which no doubt looks extremely weird compared to what would be in this world. He soon finds friends and that comes a bit too easily my opinion as well as a love interest later that is classic instant love but somehow manages to feel legit. At the very least it is not a matter of I like you because you're hot.
Honestly though despite the rush nature of the story in those parts it was still highly engaging and pulled me in. The world building give you a sense of history and scope. It truly is an adventure in a world where almost anything could happen.
There are some good antagonist and some weaker ones within the story. They're also some interesting character arcs with characters they could have easily become the annoying stereotypical arrogant minor antagonist. There is a sense of danger within the story and it does feel as if characters you grow till I could die.
I will admit that the protagonist is a bit too powerful, or at least comes into his power to easily and quickly. oddly enough that this does have the hero's journey feel to it the character who is in his 20s having almost graduated college does come off more mature in some ways and younger in others. He is an interesting character that I look forward to seeing how the author uses him in the rest of the series.
If I had not read this author's latest work I hope that I would have still given the story the same rating. It shows a lot of potential that I see in series that starts off a little wobbly but ends up strong. Not a bad fantasy to pick up particularly since it's available on Kindle.
There is no foul language that I can remember, and I think that the fantasy action that is shown is mild enough the bottom of the young adult crowd but is fast-paced and interesting enough that any fantasy reader will enjoy.
This is a good 3 star book that almost earned a four-star in the end because of how well being pulled me in. I've read this author's latest works and I can tell that this is an earlier work from the author. It is told in third person omnipresent point of view and though they are some spots where it is slightly confusing it is mostly smooth and has been pulled off quite well where others have failed. It is interesting to see that the writing is not as crisp as it is in the later works from this author but the storytelling is still engaging and there is little to really pull you out. Overall it is a good epic fantasy that I think should get better with each book.
I did get the feeling that this might have been the first work from the author. It has many of the characteristics of a first book that is self-published but it is stronger than many of the first works that I've read. The parts that are a bit rushed comes in a couple forms. First the introduction to the fact that he has been trained in hand weapons is sort of a place a moment that is overlooked. Considering that the book starts out in the modern world being trained in martial arts isn't that uncommon but being trained in swordsmanship and such is. There should have been a little bit more explanation about this part.
Second the transition into fantasy world in which his family comes from as the description of the book Intel's seems a bit too simplistic. What I mean is that things such as the very language he speaks and the clothes that he wears simply accepted. There's no mention of the fact that his accent is different or that his clothes is foreign. He even brings a backpack with him which no doubt looks extremely weird compared to what would be in this world. He soon finds friends and that comes a bit too easily my opinion as well as a love interest later that is classic instant love but somehow manages to feel legit. At the very least it is not a matter of I like you because you're hot.
Honestly though despite the rush nature of the story in those parts it was still highly engaging and pulled me in. The world building give you a sense of history and scope. It truly is an adventure in a world where almost anything could happen.
There are some good antagonist and some weaker ones within the story. They're also some interesting character arcs with characters they could have easily become the annoying stereotypical arrogant minor antagonist. There is a sense of danger within the story and it does feel as if characters you grow till I could die.
I will admit that the protagonist is a bit too powerful, or at least comes into his power to easily and quickly. oddly enough that this does have the hero's journey feel to it the character who is in his 20s having almost graduated college does come off more mature in some ways and younger in others. He is an interesting character that I look forward to seeing how the author uses him in the rest of the series.
If I had not read this author's latest work I hope that I would have still given the story the same rating. It shows a lot of potential that I see in series that starts off a little wobbly but ends up strong. Not a bad fantasy to pick up particularly since it's available on Kindle.
There is no foul language that I can remember, and I think that the fantasy action that is shown is mild enough the bottom of the young adult crowd but is fast-paced and interesting enough that any fantasy reader will enjoy.
November 29, 2017
In a effort to sum this story up in volume 1, I have to literally break it up into two descriptions for volume 1 and you will understand why after this review. The first 10 chapters were a push mentally to read because it felt in some parts as if the author had no clue in which direction his story was going into, it felt like the author was writing free flow of thought which was very whimsical, not only that he made the main character very emotional and broody and angry, so emo that I was thinking that the main character was a emotional 12 year old and not an adult. To be honest the first 10 chapters I nearly stopped reading the book 3 times in the first 10 chapters. The author was pushing the main character in a direction which was very girlish in terms of emotions even over kill. Than suddenly after chapter 10 it felt like the author finally realized outlines are my friends and a actual story structure appeared, the main character lost all the emo, scenes were more structured and guess what a actual story appeared and as well a host of other character, you can feel he embraced a story outline structure and the story appeared. Than we got friends, action left and right and progress it didn't like like a push but moving of story that engrossed you so much that you lost track of time. Overall I got worried in volume 1 but after chapter 10 the story became great and you will enjoy. Wait till you see volume 2 reading it now and its like wow.
January 21, 2024
I wasn’t all that impressed with Road to Shandara. This is probably just me because it’s not a bad book. But the main character, Aaron Jace, discovers when his grandfather dies that his grandfather was from a completely different world where he was a very important person. This means he is someone completely different than who he thought he was.
After all the evil beings who want to stop him before he can fulfill his destiny kill his parents, his ex-girlfriend, and anybody else they can get their hands on, Aaron journeys to Safanar, where Shandara is a completely ruined country waiting to either be restored to its former glory or be taken over by the High King. I’m sort of over post-apocalyptic scenes and endless battles with superhuman bad guys, and in this book, it’s not enough that the post-apocalyptic feeling suffuses the new fantasy land; it has bled over into the regular world as well.
All this is bad enough, but Aaron only discovers what is going on and what his role in it is supposed to be in dribs and drabs, so we also find out what is going on in dribs and drabs, and never get to see the big picture. Near the end, it appears that there is a thick layer of politics overlaying the whole interaction. (gag!) But just what that involves is never more than barely suggested.
Granted that this is the first book in the series, and there are at least two others, maybe more, so perhaps all will be made clear by the series finale. Perhaps one or more plot twists are waiting in the wings in future books that will take us in other directions entirely. But my take on this book is that people who love the action of continual fights will enjoy it, while those who want to know the why behind events will not enjoy it as much.
With as many books as I want to read, I suspect I may not even continue with the later books in this series.
After all the evil beings who want to stop him before he can fulfill his destiny kill his parents, his ex-girlfriend, and anybody else they can get their hands on, Aaron journeys to Safanar, where Shandara is a completely ruined country waiting to either be restored to its former glory or be taken over by the High King. I’m sort of over post-apocalyptic scenes and endless battles with superhuman bad guys, and in this book, it’s not enough that the post-apocalyptic feeling suffuses the new fantasy land; it has bled over into the regular world as well.
All this is bad enough, but Aaron only discovers what is going on and what his role in it is supposed to be in dribs and drabs, so we also find out what is going on in dribs and drabs, and never get to see the big picture. Near the end, it appears that there is a thick layer of politics overlaying the whole interaction. (gag!) But just what that involves is never more than barely suggested.
Granted that this is the first book in the series, and there are at least two others, maybe more, so perhaps all will be made clear by the series finale. Perhaps one or more plot twists are waiting in the wings in future books that will take us in other directions entirely. But my take on this book is that people who love the action of continual fights will enjoy it, while those who want to know the why behind events will not enjoy it as much.
With as many books as I want to read, I suspect I may not even continue with the later books in this series.
December 10, 2017
I enjoyed this book, good world building, lots of action, and a touch of intrigue. The main problem I had with it, was it was forgettable. I had listened to the audio, and about a week later I couldn't remember if I'd read the book or not, but it was on my currently reading list. I let it sit that way for a month until I checked back with the audio book and listened to various parts throughout, and I realized I remembered those parts, but I had a hard time remembering the full story. I remember liking it, but it didn't have me gripped enough to really remember most of the details. I will check out the rest of the series and see if it can reel me in a bit stronger, because as I said, I did enjoy it.
March 14, 2018
I am listening to this series presently. To be honest, I was not sure if I'd continue with it based off of the narrator's voice. It just seemed pretty monotone. (*though granted with the introduction of new characters, there was more inflection as it went on). I had been referred to the series though, so I decided to stick with it for at least a few chapters... and I'm glad I did! I like the story, and think it definitely has some cool SF/F elements. I would recommend it... but I'd say to actually read it versus the audio version.
November 28, 2017
Started slow, but ended great!
I almost gave up on this book by about the 2nd chapter. In fact, I started 3 other books but for some reason came back to this one and kept at it for a few more chapters. By the end of the 5th chapter, I was hooked. If you love a hero who doesn't quite know how powerful he is but slowly starts kicking butt because someone has to make a stand, then give this book a try. I know I will be reading the next book.
I almost gave up on this book by about the 2nd chapter. In fact, I started 3 other books but for some reason came back to this one and kept at it for a few more chapters. By the end of the 5th chapter, I was hooked. If you love a hero who doesn't quite know how powerful he is but slowly starts kicking butt because someone has to make a stand, then give this book a try. I know I will be reading the next book.
March 30, 2018
Simplistic and badly executed.
It seems to be the work of an amateur more than a published work.
The author clearly knows what he likes to read and decided to pick the tropes he likes and mash them up, but without world building, character development or depth of any kind, it simply doesn't work.
It is not believable.
What I wonder is how old the author was when he wrote it.
My nephew is sixteen and it is exactly the type of things he writes.
It seems to be the work of an amateur more than a published work.
The author clearly knows what he likes to read and decided to pick the tropes he likes and mash them up, but without world building, character development or depth of any kind, it simply doesn't work.
It is not believable.
What I wonder is how old the author was when he wrote it.
My nephew is sixteen and it is exactly the type of things he writes.
September 19, 2018
I started reading this book because I love the genre: young boy who loses all his family, discovers he’s from another world and has to save it.
Preconditions were good to me and I’m not saying I didn’t like it. I’m just saying things develop far too fast: what about Aaron’s relationship with Sarah? And his friendship with Verona? Not one single doubt? Everything is that clear and easy?
In short: good idea and good story, but it needs much more character development and realistic events.
Preconditions were good to me and I’m not saying I didn’t like it. I’m just saying things develop far too fast: what about Aaron’s relationship with Sarah? And his friendship with Verona? Not one single doubt? Everything is that clear and easy?
In short: good idea and good story, but it needs much more character development and realistic events.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2017
Nothing but failure after failure!
If you enjoy your main character being the person who constantly loses everything then this is the book for you. Each time he has a conflict he comes out the loser. I get that conflict is part of a good story, but taking the things most important to the main character is just depressing.
If you enjoy your main character being the person who constantly loses everything then this is the book for you. Each time he has a conflict he comes out the loser. I get that conflict is part of a good story, but taking the things most important to the main character is just depressing.
May 19, 2019
Loved this book. The characters were all great. Loved how they all stuck together and the battle scenes while reading I could just picture exactly how everything was being fought. This was The first book I read in Kens fantasy realm and it’s right up there with Salvatore work who was always my favorite. Looked forward to reading the next 3 in the series.
July 19, 2020
Overall this story was unimpressive. It wasn’t necessarily bad- it just couldn’t captivate me. The writing style was very simple, and the story was very formulaic. Aaron’s entire life is completely changed, but he never really processes it- he just does as the plot demands. This book (e-book in my case) occupied me for a weekend, but it wasn’t all that enjoyable.
January 27, 2017
I enjoy Ken Lozito's books. This one is no exception. Good story with lots of action most of the time. Good cast of characters. The evils have not developed yet, but I see them coming. Ready for the next volume.
February 12, 2017
Thrilling book
Oh man where do I start? This book is definitely at the top of my favorite books ever list. Non stop action , a little bit of love on the side, non stop twists. It was a great read. Can't wait to get into the second one.
Oh man where do I start? This book is definitely at the top of my favorite books ever list. Non stop action , a little bit of love on the side, non stop twists. It was a great read. Can't wait to get into the second one.
January 27, 2020
Good read
Satisfactory story line. Characters could use a bit more depth. No humor or entertainment. The plot drags on from one crisis to another. I have no plans to read anything else in this series.
Satisfactory story line. Characters could use a bit more depth. No humor or entertainment. The plot drags on from one crisis to another. I have no plans to read anything else in this series.
August 18, 2021
I enjoyed the concept of the book. It did come across in places as simplistic and I find my mind wandering. It didn't engage me completely. On more than one occasion I found myself reading but picturing events from other fantasy books I'd read, whether that was just me or the events crossed over being fantasy I don't know. I'm not sure I'll continue on the series, time will tell.
Thank you for the story though 🙂
Thank you for the story though 🙂
July 2, 2025
Great Read!
This is a great story. Sci Fi and Fantasy rolled into a page turner. I could hardly put my phone down, I wanted to see what happens next. I am sure you will enjoy the story as well.
This is a great story. Sci Fi and Fantasy rolled into a page turner. I could hardly put my phone down, I wanted to see what happens next. I am sure you will enjoy the story as well.
August 14, 2017
Awesome!!!! Love the details.... it was like I was there next to the characters!!!
October 19, 2017
Well written. Good solid MC. Enjoyable read
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