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Saga of Kings #1
The Immortal Crown
A thousand years ago, the Navigator possessed thirteen stones touched by Oum’ilah, the God of gods. Over time, these power-ful stones of light were scattered and a prophecy arose declaring that a “child of no man” would gather them again, and he would be given immortality and reign forever as god and king of Kandelaar.
Now, in an age of chaos, the time has come for the prophecy to be fulfilled. Light and darkness have each chosen a champion to claim the legendary stones:
The sorceress of the cult of she-dragon has chosen Drakkor, a warrior and mercenary who travels with bandits and a corrupt stone of darkness.
The Oracle of Oum’ilah has placed his faith in Ashar, a young postulant who is unsure the stones of light even exist.
Meanwhile, miles away, a slave named Ereon Qhuin dreams of freedom. Abandoned at birth, his only possession is a strange stone that he believes is the key to his destiny and freedom.
A mercenary, a postulant, and a slave—which one is truly the child of prophecy? Who will wear the immortal crown?
Now, in an age of chaos, the time has come for the prophecy to be fulfilled. Light and darkness have each chosen a champion to claim the legendary stones:
The sorceress of the cult of she-dragon has chosen Drakkor, a warrior and mercenary who travels with bandits and a corrupt stone of darkness.
The Oracle of Oum’ilah has placed his faith in Ashar, a young postulant who is unsure the stones of light even exist.
Meanwhile, miles away, a slave named Ereon Qhuin dreams of freedom. Abandoned at birth, his only possession is a strange stone that he believes is the key to his destiny and freedom.
A mercenary, a postulant, and a slave—which one is truly the child of prophecy? Who will wear the immortal crown?
560 pages, Hardcover
First published May 3, 2015
23 people are currently reading
651 people want to read
About the author
Kieth Merrill
8 books31 followersKieth Merrill is an American filmmaker. He won an Oscar for his documentary "The Great American Cowboy" (1973). He has also made feature films for the LDS chuch, including "Legacy" (1990) and "The Testaments: Of One Fold and One Shepherd" (2000).
"The Evolution of Thomas Hall" is his debut novel.
"The Evolution of Thomas Hall" is his debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
April 2, 2017
Wow... and not in a good way. Why is it that every douchebag who masters the pencil decides that they should write the next epic fantasy masterpiece? It's an insult!
Mediocre filmmaker, Keith Merrill takes a shabby world and an average idea and bores his poor readers to an early grave. In THE IMMORTAL CROWN we are introduced to a monk (yawn), a usurper (barf) and mad warlord (yawn, barf, sigh) as they all independently decide that they are each entitled to wear the Immortal Crown and reign over mankind as a God King. Not an overly terrible idea until you crack the binding and sink your teeth into this bland literary meal.
Many reviews have cited the excruciatingly slow story and this is an accurate description but as a fan of meandering stories I thought that I was up to the challenge. I was mistaken. Keith Merrill makes Jack Whyte and Robin Hobb's stories appear to be sprinting to their climaxes. And it's not just the plodding story that gives the reader a raging case of diarrhea, the pacing of the action itself is so clunky and moronic that it made me puke. For instance, at one point the mad warlord is captured and on a ship headed for prison and over the course of five sentences he escapes, becomes a squire to learn battle skills, then dedicates himself to hunting down lore about the Immortal Crown, and then Is the head of a bandit warband. A story that could easily fill half a book is shoved down your throat whilst you are not really getting anywhere. This book spins it's wheels for 600 some odd pages.
Take it from your ol' Uncle Mark and skip this bitch.
Not Recommended.
Mediocre filmmaker, Keith Merrill takes a shabby world and an average idea and bores his poor readers to an early grave. In THE IMMORTAL CROWN we are introduced to a monk (yawn), a usurper (barf) and mad warlord (yawn, barf, sigh) as they all independently decide that they are each entitled to wear the Immortal Crown and reign over mankind as a God King. Not an overly terrible idea until you crack the binding and sink your teeth into this bland literary meal.
Many reviews have cited the excruciatingly slow story and this is an accurate description but as a fan of meandering stories I thought that I was up to the challenge. I was mistaken. Keith Merrill makes Jack Whyte and Robin Hobb's stories appear to be sprinting to their climaxes. And it's not just the plodding story that gives the reader a raging case of diarrhea, the pacing of the action itself is so clunky and moronic that it made me puke. For instance, at one point the mad warlord is captured and on a ship headed for prison and over the course of five sentences he escapes, becomes a squire to learn battle skills, then dedicates himself to hunting down lore about the Immortal Crown, and then Is the head of a bandit warband. A story that could easily fill half a book is shoved down your throat whilst you are not really getting anywhere. This book spins it's wheels for 600 some odd pages.
Take it from your ol' Uncle Mark and skip this bitch.
Not Recommended.
September 2, 2016
This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/20...
This is the week where I finish all of the books that have been sitting on my Goodreads “Currently Reading” shelf forever. I started reading The Immortal Crown by Kieth Merrill back in May, and despite really liking the plot, it’s taken me a while to finish it. It’s a pretty hefty dose of epic fantasy, and well worth the read.
The plot of The Immortal Crown revolves around a prophecy. Something something something fatherless child will find thirteen stones of light/power/magic that when reunited can grant the wearer immortality, but the exact words and meaning of the prophecy have been subject to the distortions of time and a multitude of interpretations. In the novel, there are three different characters who fit the bill–Drakkor, a sympathetic villain, Ashar, a monk-in-training, and Qhuin, a talented slave. Each of these characters has encountered at least one of the stones and has been moved by its power. Each has a different vision of a better life, and is pitted against each other in the quest for the stones. Meanwhile, a tyrannical king is losing his mind and will stop at nothing in the pursuit of power and immortality.
I enjoyed the acknowledgement that the prophecy had been twisted from its original meaning, and the ambiguity as to who (if anybody) really knows what’s going on. History is at best an educated guess based on what’s survived from the past as seen through the lens of the present, and that’s even more true in a world when the lines between the mythical and the mundane start to blend.
I also enjoyed seeing a villain who isn’t evil for the sake of being evil, but rather is doing the best he can with the hand he’s been dealt. In fact, there were moments in the book where I found myself rooting for Drakkor in spite of my best instincts. After surviving a brutal initiation ritual from a cult of crazed warlocks, he amasses a band of followers, and despite his penchant for violence he’s a far more respectable leader than the king.
The Immortal Crown is written much in the style of A Song of Ice and Fire, with lots of point-of-view characters coming in and out of the spotlight. My favorite character was Meesha, the king’s slightly disinherited granddaughter. She’s a kickass tomboyish type who stays true to her values and can both beat up and outsmart her enemies, who often take her for granted.
Related to my ASOIAF comparison, my biggest complaint with The Immortal Crown was the ending. I felt as if there wasn’t a satisfactory conclusion to any of the story arcs that had begun in the novel, but rather that after 500ish pages, it was time to move on to the next volume. This is a common complaint that I have with epic fantasy though, and isn’t unique to this book or series. There’s a big difference between writing one story that’s broken into book-sized chunks and writing a story that has multiple book-sized story arcs that when put together tell a larger one, and I tend to prefer the latter.
I’ve read a lot of epic fantasy over the years, and The Immortal Crown can certainly hold its own. I look forward to seeing this series continue.
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/20...
This is the week where I finish all of the books that have been sitting on my Goodreads “Currently Reading” shelf forever. I started reading The Immortal Crown by Kieth Merrill back in May, and despite really liking the plot, it’s taken me a while to finish it. It’s a pretty hefty dose of epic fantasy, and well worth the read.
The plot of The Immortal Crown revolves around a prophecy. Something something something fatherless child will find thirteen stones of light/power/magic that when reunited can grant the wearer immortality, but the exact words and meaning of the prophecy have been subject to the distortions of time and a multitude of interpretations. In the novel, there are three different characters who fit the bill–Drakkor, a sympathetic villain, Ashar, a monk-in-training, and Qhuin, a talented slave. Each of these characters has encountered at least one of the stones and has been moved by its power. Each has a different vision of a better life, and is pitted against each other in the quest for the stones. Meanwhile, a tyrannical king is losing his mind and will stop at nothing in the pursuit of power and immortality.
I enjoyed the acknowledgement that the prophecy had been twisted from its original meaning, and the ambiguity as to who (if anybody) really knows what’s going on. History is at best an educated guess based on what’s survived from the past as seen through the lens of the present, and that’s even more true in a world when the lines between the mythical and the mundane start to blend.
I also enjoyed seeing a villain who isn’t evil for the sake of being evil, but rather is doing the best he can with the hand he’s been dealt. In fact, there were moments in the book where I found myself rooting for Drakkor in spite of my best instincts. After surviving a brutal initiation ritual from a cult of crazed warlocks, he amasses a band of followers, and despite his penchant for violence he’s a far more respectable leader than the king.
The Immortal Crown is written much in the style of A Song of Ice and Fire, with lots of point-of-view characters coming in and out of the spotlight. My favorite character was Meesha, the king’s slightly disinherited granddaughter. She’s a kickass tomboyish type who stays true to her values and can both beat up and outsmart her enemies, who often take her for granted.
Related to my ASOIAF comparison, my biggest complaint with The Immortal Crown was the ending. I felt as if there wasn’t a satisfactory conclusion to any of the story arcs that had begun in the novel, but rather that after 500ish pages, it was time to move on to the next volume. This is a common complaint that I have with epic fantasy though, and isn’t unique to this book or series. There’s a big difference between writing one story that’s broken into book-sized chunks and writing a story that has multiple book-sized story arcs that when put together tell a larger one, and I tend to prefer the latter.
I’ve read a lot of epic fantasy over the years, and The Immortal Crown can certainly hold its own. I look forward to seeing this series continue.
July 9, 2016
This was a difficult book for me to get into. You know how a realtor will describe a house as "cozy" when really it's just cramped? A realtor for this book would call it "richly detailed".
And yet....
For this book, you need it.
Mr. Merrill has set up a world that is not your typical high fantasy agrarian, with rolling fields and castles and serfs. Instead there are jungles and plains, stone temples and fortresses. The characters are, by turns, intense, dark, bloodthirsty, and devout. There is a fierceness to several of them that speaks to a long history of warrior-kings who have not grown soft while sitting on the throne. But that history is ending as the current king, Kublan, seeks to extend his reign even as his bones rattle in a sharp wind.
Yeah, this is sweeping epic fantasy for sure. It definitely brings out that tone in me.
It takes a while for the story to get rolling, since Mr. Merrill has so much set up work to do. The reader doesn't even meet the third contender for the crown until about a quarter of the way into the story. I want to say that I slogged through the narrative, but that's the book's saving grace--it continually captured my interest with each twist of the plot. And the further I read, the tighter the plot twisted. There is a *huge* cast of characters, but they are handled deftly and I never once said, "Now who is this?"--which is a feat in and of itself.
So, to sum up: The setting is well-described, the characters are distinct, and the writing is clear and evocative. I thought I was done with epic fantasies for a while, but I would be interested in reading the rest of this saga.
Gentle Reader Alert: There was no swearing or sex, but there is some violence. It's not graphic, but it is intense.
And yet....
For this book, you need it.
Mr. Merrill has set up a world that is not your typical high fantasy agrarian, with rolling fields and castles and serfs. Instead there are jungles and plains, stone temples and fortresses. The characters are, by turns, intense, dark, bloodthirsty, and devout. There is a fierceness to several of them that speaks to a long history of warrior-kings who have not grown soft while sitting on the throne. But that history is ending as the current king, Kublan, seeks to extend his reign even as his bones rattle in a sharp wind.
Yeah, this is sweeping epic fantasy for sure. It definitely brings out that tone in me.
It takes a while for the story to get rolling, since Mr. Merrill has so much set up work to do. The reader doesn't even meet the third contender for the crown until about a quarter of the way into the story. I want to say that I slogged through the narrative, but that's the book's saving grace--it continually captured my interest with each twist of the plot. And the further I read, the tighter the plot twisted. There is a *huge* cast of characters, but they are handled deftly and I never once said, "Now who is this?"--which is a feat in and of itself.
So, to sum up: The setting is well-described, the characters are distinct, and the writing is clear and evocative. I thought I was done with epic fantasies for a while, but I would be interested in reading the rest of this saga.
Gentle Reader Alert: There was no swearing or sex, but there is some violence. It's not graphic, but it is intense.
May 5, 2016
A great find and a awesome start to a great story. I f you like fantasy this is a must read!
May 7, 2016
This review was originally posted on www.125pages.com
Why, oh why do I keep requesting sweeping epics? I know I will be confused, I know I will hate all of the description used but yet I still persist in wanting to read them. The Immortal Crown by Kieth Merrill is a true grand tale. Full of intrigue, hidden identities, plotting and magic, it covers all of the necessary bases. So was I confused? Yup. Did I like it? Yup? Will I read the next while cursing the fact that again I picked a super complicated book? Yup.
The plot of The Immortal Crown was an immense conglomeration of people, places and things. Essentially there are three main plots circling around the central idea. There is a prophecy of an immortal king rising to power in the land of Kandelarr. The king will be the child on no man and there are three options offered up. Drakkor a dark warrior, Ashar a young man in training to be a religious leader and Qhuin a slave with no past. The writing of Kieth Merrill matched the epicness of the story. Nuanced and deep, I really enjoyed it. The pacing did have some issues where there were large time jumps and it took me a bit to catch up, but it did not hamper my enjoyment. The world built was massive. There was a grand scale of locations and so much detail. I was a little bogged down with the details as I always find epics to be a bit too heavy-handed but it still worked for me. There were a plethora of emotions in this read. Deceit, longing, loss and hope abounded. There were many many characters. I was confused by who some people were and where they fit in, but once I found Qhuin's story line I had my point of reference for everyone else.
Kieth Merrill crafted an immense world in The Immortal Crown that really did suck me in. Once I got down the three main factions I was able to navigate the story a little better than when I started. In particular, the story arc of the slave Qhuin was fantastic. I could read an entire book just on him and his journey (hint, hint). I will continue to read the Saga of Kings series knowing I will be confused and frustrated, but also knowing that I will enjoy the entire ride.
Favorite lines - “Faith is hope in things that are true. I have faith that, after you are tested and tempered, you will be strong enough to rise to meet your destiny and triumph over the extraordinary challenges ahead of you.”
Biggest cliché - But I want to be immortal now!
Have you read The Immortal Crown, or added it to your TBR?This book was most likely received free from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Why, oh why do I keep requesting sweeping epics? I know I will be confused, I know I will hate all of the description used but yet I still persist in wanting to read them. The Immortal Crown by Kieth Merrill is a true grand tale. Full of intrigue, hidden identities, plotting and magic, it covers all of the necessary bases. So was I confused? Yup. Did I like it? Yup? Will I read the next while cursing the fact that again I picked a super complicated book? Yup.The plot of The Immortal Crown was an immense conglomeration of people, places and things. Essentially there are three main plots circling around the central idea. There is a prophecy of an immortal king rising to power in the land of Kandelarr. The king will be the child on no man and there are three options offered up. Drakkor a dark warrior, Ashar a young man in training to be a religious leader and Qhuin a slave with no past. The writing of Kieth Merrill matched the epicness of the story. Nuanced and deep, I really enjoyed it. The pacing did have some issues where there were large time jumps and it took me a bit to catch up, but it did not hamper my enjoyment. The world built was massive. There was a grand scale of locations and so much detail. I was a little bogged down with the details as I always find epics to be a bit too heavy-handed but it still worked for me. There were a plethora of emotions in this read. Deceit, longing, loss and hope abounded. There were many many characters. I was confused by who some people were and where they fit in, but once I found Qhuin's story line I had my point of reference for everyone else.
Kieth Merrill crafted an immense world in The Immortal Crown that really did suck me in. Once I got down the three main factions I was able to navigate the story a little better than when I started. In particular, the story arc of the slave Qhuin was fantastic. I could read an entire book just on him and his journey (hint, hint). I will continue to read the Saga of Kings series knowing I will be confused and frustrated, but also knowing that I will enjoy the entire ride.
Favorite lines - “Faith is hope in things that are true. I have faith that, after you are tested and tempered, you will be strong enough to rise to meet your destiny and triumph over the extraordinary challenges ahead of you.”
Biggest cliché - But I want to be immortal now!
Have you read The Immortal Crown, or added it to your TBR?This book was most likely received free from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
December 30, 2016
This book was pretty awesome! The world building was fantastic and it was really interesting to see the author derive some of his inspiration from Ether. There were several different main characters, which I think is amazing, especially since they were all distinct and I could tell them apart. The plot was semi-predictable (and by that I mean there weren't any huge plot twists, but there were some small ones I didn't see coming) but it was interesting enough to keep me reading. It did take a little while to get into, as others have said, but by the last half it just flew by. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward for the next book to come out.
March 28, 2018
Well, I can’t tell you how glad I am that this book is done and that I won’t be continuing on with the saga. Good luck to those of you that do - you’re a braver reader than me. Hmm - maybe the adjective ‘braver’ isn’t the actual one that I really meant, but it’s probably the most polite. I applaud your tenacity whatever the case. I just can’t go on! It was enough to complete the book - forget about actually reading more of this rambling mish-mash of characters and concepts.
First off, I need to say that I’m a huge fan of the classic, epic hero’s quest books. It’s a definite go-to book when I need a lift and want to settle into a chair with a mug of something and a blanket and nothing else on the agenda. I’ve read a lot of them and you do see a wide gamut of good and bad writing in the genre (which is typical for all genres I suppose). So when you read one that is well written and well thought-out, there’s nothing more satisfying …… and when you read one that has mediocre writing - well, you know the score.
Unfortunately this one fell into mediocre pretty fast for me and once it got there it was too difficult to climb out of that hole. There were times that it got interesting only to slide downwards the next minute with something completely ridiculous or yet another change of character. Unfortunately, I was so far into it that I didn’t want to abandon it so persevered through some of the most banal plotting and character dialogue ever. It takes a very solid writer to be able to have a cast of thousands and keep you totally intrigued with the plot and characters (George R.R. Martin and Steven Erikson both come to mind). This one will surely drive you to distraction. I think it really came down to how paper-thin they were - there was no substance to any of them and it was just hard to care after awhile.
Anyways, I won’t go on about it - there are so many other books that are so much more in substance and depth that all I can do is urge you to try something better. If you decide to carry on, then at least you can’t say you weren’t warned.
First off, I need to say that I’m a huge fan of the classic, epic hero’s quest books. It’s a definite go-to book when I need a lift and want to settle into a chair with a mug of something and a blanket and nothing else on the agenda. I’ve read a lot of them and you do see a wide gamut of good and bad writing in the genre (which is typical for all genres I suppose). So when you read one that is well written and well thought-out, there’s nothing more satisfying …… and when you read one that has mediocre writing - well, you know the score.
Unfortunately this one fell into mediocre pretty fast for me and once it got there it was too difficult to climb out of that hole. There were times that it got interesting only to slide downwards the next minute with something completely ridiculous or yet another change of character. Unfortunately, I was so far into it that I didn’t want to abandon it so persevered through some of the most banal plotting and character dialogue ever. It takes a very solid writer to be able to have a cast of thousands and keep you totally intrigued with the plot and characters (George R.R. Martin and Steven Erikson both come to mind). This one will surely drive you to distraction. I think it really came down to how paper-thin they were - there was no substance to any of them and it was just hard to care after awhile.
Anyways, I won’t go on about it - there are so many other books that are so much more in substance and depth that all I can do is urge you to try something better. If you decide to carry on, then at least you can’t say you weren’t warned.
April 9, 2016
I was really looking forward to reading a good epic fantasy story. "The Immortal Crown" promised to be that story, but I have to say that I was very disappointed in this book. First of all, there were so many characters in the story that it was hard to keep track of them all. It was at the 50% mark that I finally could figure who was who. With so many chapters in between before we got back to one of the characters, I had almost forgotten their story. I was also extremely disappointed that not one storyline was wrapped up. Mr. Merrill did an excellent job of providing background for the four major characters and I applaud him for that, but each storyline was stopped without any resolution whatsoever. I'm not a fan of authors who use the first book in the series to only introduce the major characters, but don't give any kind of resolution whatsoever for them.
The world the author created is top-notch and I would have rated the book higher if even one of the storylines had been resolved or even how each of the characters would intersect with each other. By the time the next book is published, I'm sure I will have forgotten what this one was all about.
The world the author created is top-notch and I would have rated the book higher if even one of the storylines had been resolved or even how each of the characters would intersect with each other. By the time the next book is published, I'm sure I will have forgotten what this one was all about.
February 7, 2017
This was a fantastic start to a series. I'm unsure of why there are so many more negative reviews. Yes, the book starts slow. With that being said, you can tell the author is setting up for the rest of the series.
There are many different POVS. It is not difficult to follow at all. I listened to audio which is notorious for being difficult when there are many characters and I did not have any issues at all. So NO there are not "too many characters".
Cliffhanger ending I wouldn't call abrupt. No, not all books in a series are a standalone like someone else mentioned. That's just silly.
It is a bit slow paced at the beginning. Probably a good 30 chapters in is world and character building. Each chapter is from one of the 3 POVS, sometimes 4 POVS. It's not so slow-paced that I wanted to quit. It was just interesting enough to keep me going and then WHAM! I didn't want to put the book down.
The next book in the series could definitely be awesome. There is much HUGE potential. I feel like this book is not getting the reviews it deserves.
Hoping the author writes fast too! I can't wait to find out where these characters are going.
There are many different POVS. It is not difficult to follow at all. I listened to audio which is notorious for being difficult when there are many characters and I did not have any issues at all. So NO there are not "too many characters".
Cliffhanger ending I wouldn't call abrupt. No, not all books in a series are a standalone like someone else mentioned. That's just silly.
It is a bit slow paced at the beginning. Probably a good 30 chapters in is world and character building. Each chapter is from one of the 3 POVS, sometimes 4 POVS. It's not so slow-paced that I wanted to quit. It was just interesting enough to keep me going and then WHAM! I didn't want to put the book down.
The next book in the series could definitely be awesome. There is much HUGE potential. I feel like this book is not getting the reviews it deserves.
Hoping the author writes fast too! I can't wait to find out where these characters are going.
May 22, 2016
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review via netgalley.
The Immortal Crown (Saga of Kings) gets off to a slow start. There was a lot of back story, and vivid descriptions. This is not a book you can read in spurts. (Think Wheel of Time. This is a big story.)
One early scene at the temple with Asher shows why the descriptions are needed. (It made me think of Jesus's days of fasting and temptation.) I don't think you'd have gotten the same feelings with out the way Mr. Merrill wrote it.
Another key aspect I really liked (and I think other LDS readers will appreciate this) is that the Navigator's hand touched the stones, giving them power. And it's these stones that evil wants.
The Immortal Crown (Saga of Kings) gets off to a slow start. There was a lot of back story, and vivid descriptions. This is not a book you can read in spurts. (Think Wheel of Time. This is a big story.)
One early scene at the temple with Asher shows why the descriptions are needed. (It made me think of Jesus's days of fasting and temptation.) I don't think you'd have gotten the same feelings with out the way Mr. Merrill wrote it.
Another key aspect I really liked (and I think other LDS readers will appreciate this) is that the Navigator's hand touched the stones, giving them power. And it's these stones that evil wants.
June 27, 2016
So fun. I was completely swept away into this fictional world. It has a Game of Thrones feel (but not as graphic) but the author so clearly creates this world, it as if I have seen the movie. Duality in characters, moral struggles, adventure, romance ... All the makings of a fantastic compelling story. Loved it!
Read
June 14, 2016LOOK OUT LORD OF THE RINGS. THE SAGA OF THE KINGS IS ON THE RISE. THIS BOOK IS A ROLLER COAST RIDE OF ADVENTURE IN ANCIENT HISTORY. A REAL PAGE TURNER AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.
CHARLES R. HARRISON
CHARLES R. HARRISON
June 29, 2016
Quite a book!!!!
So many twists and turns in this book. The story and characters are interesting,as well as the descriptions where the story takes place. I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the next novel in the series.
So many twists and turns in this book. The story and characters are interesting,as well as the descriptions where the story takes place. I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the next novel in the series.
September 5, 2016
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/mini-rev...
An okay read, but not as good as I had hoped. A lot of characters to keep track of, and I could barely keep them apart.
An okay read, but not as good as I had hoped. A lot of characters to keep track of, and I could barely keep them apart.
January 6, 2020
This book was... a lot. The amount of times I had to put this book down because I just really did not like it was too many. I'm honestly surprised I even finished it, especially considering it's over 500 pages long. Some authors can make 500 pages seem like only 100. This is not one of those authors.
First off, the author felt the need to describe every single aspect of every single character and the place they were in and what the weather was and what everyone was wearing. In some cases that can be really well done. In this book, it ground the story to a halt. Every time a new character was introduced I groaned because I knew there was at least 5 pages of description for this one side character, along with a flashback to their tragic backstory. There were also so many characters I could not keep track of them all. Too many stories were happening at once, and there were too many people with names that were just so dumb, like Peussus and Jewuul and Jakkol and Rorekk.
The authors blurb says that he was a film director, which makes a lot of sense. It's very obvious that the author had a clear picture in his mind of what every thing is supposed to look like and tried to get it across, but every time he did it it just stopped the momentum of the story. There were also many times I was confused about how he was describing things, for instance the amount of times he described Ashar feeling a 'bluish essence/energy/calm', I mean what does that even mean? He also kept stopping everything that was going on to describe things that weren't really important to the story, but glossed over the actual exciting bits. Like when one of the main characters is kidnapped, escapes, and then becomes the leader of a gang of orphans. All of that happens on one page.
Also, the writing style itself was just not good. Other than being incredibly bland and boring, he kept saying things that didn't really make sense or were too difficult to understand. On the second page there is a line that reads 'the cryptic meaning of the prophecy was an endless cause of querulous contention'. Dude, just say that no one can understand the prophecy, you don't have to go so over the top like that.
.
.
.
Warning: mentions of sexual assault
Why is it that male fantasy authors feel the need to include sexual assault in everything they write? The author was so clearly trying to imitate Game of Thrones, but it really isn't needed. You don't have to go on for pages about the temple virgins, and how the bandits are threatening to violate them. Please, please, just stop.
.
.
.
All in all, a really bad book that I would not recommend. There was no sense of pacing, the writing style itself was hard to understand, and there were too many people thrown in for no reason at all.
First off, the author felt the need to describe every single aspect of every single character and the place they were in and what the weather was and what everyone was wearing. In some cases that can be really well done. In this book, it ground the story to a halt. Every time a new character was introduced I groaned because I knew there was at least 5 pages of description for this one side character, along with a flashback to their tragic backstory. There were also so many characters I could not keep track of them all. Too many stories were happening at once, and there were too many people with names that were just so dumb, like Peussus and Jewuul and Jakkol and Rorekk.
The authors blurb says that he was a film director, which makes a lot of sense. It's very obvious that the author had a clear picture in his mind of what every thing is supposed to look like and tried to get it across, but every time he did it it just stopped the momentum of the story. There were also many times I was confused about how he was describing things, for instance the amount of times he described Ashar feeling a 'bluish essence/energy/calm', I mean what does that even mean? He also kept stopping everything that was going on to describe things that weren't really important to the story, but glossed over the actual exciting bits. Like when one of the main characters is kidnapped, escapes, and then becomes the leader of a gang of orphans. All of that happens on one page.
Also, the writing style itself was just not good. Other than being incredibly bland and boring, he kept saying things that didn't really make sense or were too difficult to understand. On the second page there is a line that reads 'the cryptic meaning of the prophecy was an endless cause of querulous contention'. Dude, just say that no one can understand the prophecy, you don't have to go so over the top like that.
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Warning: mentions of sexual assault
Why is it that male fantasy authors feel the need to include sexual assault in everything they write? The author was so clearly trying to imitate Game of Thrones, but it really isn't needed. You don't have to go on for pages about the temple virgins, and how the bandits are threatening to violate them. Please, please, just stop.
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All in all, a really bad book that I would not recommend. There was no sense of pacing, the writing style itself was hard to understand, and there were too many people thrown in for no reason at all.
January 27, 2023
First of all, I want to make it clear that I mostly enjoyed my time with The Immortal Crown. Second, I listened to the audiobook, so forgive me if I spell any names wrong.
Having said that, I have to say that this is not a book. It's 4 or 5 partial books that are only stitched together by the fact that they take place in the same world and characters in one plot line will make cameo appearances in other plot lines. The most complete plot line (in my opinion) is Asher's story, but we last see Asher around the middle of the book. If the author had cut down on the length of the book and focused on Asher, it could have been a compelling story. All the cut content could have been presented via flashbacks (of which the author seems particularly fond) in later books in the series. Alternatively, the book could have been just a bit longer, long enough to actually wrap up one or two story arcs.
Lastly, I say that I mostly enjoyed the book because the prologue was infuriating. Nothing is resolved in the entire book (Quinn's story even feels like it ends on the inciting incident) and yet the author decided to introduce yet another character, and by extension, another problem. I can understand introducing the enemy who will serve as the antagonist of the next book at the end of the current book if the antagonist of the present book as actually been dealt with, but that's not what's happening here. The best analogy that comes to mind, and forgive me that it comes from film and not books, is the Joker card at the end of Batman Begins. Imagine if Batman Begins ended with Batman on his way to stop the monorail with the microwave generator and Gordon calls him to say, "Oh, by the way, there's also this Joker fellow who's giving us a lot of trouble. Can you deal with him too?" Roll credits.
Having said that, I have to say that this is not a book. It's 4 or 5 partial books that are only stitched together by the fact that they take place in the same world and characters in one plot line will make cameo appearances in other plot lines. The most complete plot line (in my opinion) is Asher's story, but we last see Asher around the middle of the book. If the author had cut down on the length of the book and focused on Asher, it could have been a compelling story. All the cut content could have been presented via flashbacks (of which the author seems particularly fond) in later books in the series. Alternatively, the book could have been just a bit longer, long enough to actually wrap up one or two story arcs.
Lastly, I say that I mostly enjoyed the book because the prologue was infuriating. Nothing is resolved in the entire book (Quinn's story even feels like it ends on the inciting incident) and yet the author decided to introduce yet another character, and by extension, another problem. I can understand introducing the enemy who will serve as the antagonist of the next book at the end of the current book if the antagonist of the present book as actually been dealt with, but that's not what's happening here. The best analogy that comes to mind, and forgive me that it comes from film and not books, is the Joker card at the end of Batman Begins. Imagine if Batman Begins ended with Batman on his way to stop the monorail with the microwave generator and Gordon calls him to say, "Oh, by the way, there's also this Joker fellow who's giving us a lot of trouble. Can you deal with him too?" Roll credits.
March 5, 2018
I really did enjoy this book. I listened to it recorded by Tim Gerard Reynolds and he did a fantastic job. It was an interesting plot, interesting characters, and interesting worldbuilding. All of the characters were very distinct and I never mixed them up. When the second book comes out I am excited to read it.
That being said, there were several things I didn't love about it. My biggest problem was a lack of cohesion. It had a very large cast of main characters that overlapped sometimes but were very disparate. Between a ruthless villain, a religious postulant, an aged tyrant, a mysterious slave, and an unfeminine ex-princess, along with many minor viewpoint characters, it was a lot to juggle. They were only weakly united by the theme of the magic stones, and they weren't (yet) drawn into an overarching plot and weren't well balanced. Often main characters disappeared for chapters at a time, weren't introduced until well into the book, and had timelines that didn't match up. There were lots of flashbacks that weren't always super clear (although it may have been the audio format) and made it hard to follow.
As far as cleanness goes (for those who care), the book didn't have any all-out sex scenes, but did have lots of mention of prostitutes, lots of attempted rape, and lots of seducers. Not necessarily R-rated, but definitely not something kid-appropriate.
Overall, I enjoyed it but there were things that bothered me and detracted from the book. Without the rest of the series out, I could see this series coming together very well or falling apart. Only time will tell.
That being said, there were several things I didn't love about it. My biggest problem was a lack of cohesion. It had a very large cast of main characters that overlapped sometimes but were very disparate. Between a ruthless villain, a religious postulant, an aged tyrant, a mysterious slave, and an unfeminine ex-princess, along with many minor viewpoint characters, it was a lot to juggle. They were only weakly united by the theme of the magic stones, and they weren't (yet) drawn into an overarching plot and weren't well balanced. Often main characters disappeared for chapters at a time, weren't introduced until well into the book, and had timelines that didn't match up. There were lots of flashbacks that weren't always super clear (although it may have been the audio format) and made it hard to follow.
As far as cleanness goes (for those who care), the book didn't have any all-out sex scenes, but did have lots of mention of prostitutes, lots of attempted rape, and lots of seducers. Not necessarily R-rated, but definitely not something kid-appropriate.
Overall, I enjoyed it but there were things that bothered me and detracted from the book. Without the rest of the series out, I could see this series coming together very well or falling apart. Only time will tell.
January 27, 2021
Extreme Book Nerd Challenge 2021 - Category #18
Challege Topic: Author with the same name as one of your loves ones.
I discovered this book through a name search at my library. It was on Audio, so I decided to give it a shot even though it was 20 hours. I really like Tolkien-esque fantasy Saga's and this one kind of sounded like that from the Synopsis. Unfortunately... I can't say that I was thrilled or loved this book.
The story has a good plot. Published in 2016 and marketed as Book 1 of a Saga (so the publishers, Shadow Mountain, were under the assumption there is at least 3 more books coming) and here we are in 2021 and I can find nothing about the possibility of book 2.
The author spends a lot of time on telling the reader what they are seeing instead of showing, and the character development (there are quite a lot of characters) is not very strong and sometime contradictory. I won't say you shouldn't read the book, just saying be prepared to not really crawl into the book and not have any resolution at the end... of any subplot.
Challege Topic: Author with the same name as one of your loves ones.
I discovered this book through a name search at my library. It was on Audio, so I decided to give it a shot even though it was 20 hours. I really like Tolkien-esque fantasy Saga's and this one kind of sounded like that from the Synopsis. Unfortunately... I can't say that I was thrilled or loved this book.
The story has a good plot. Published in 2016 and marketed as Book 1 of a Saga (so the publishers, Shadow Mountain, were under the assumption there is at least 3 more books coming) and here we are in 2021 and I can find nothing about the possibility of book 2.
The author spends a lot of time on telling the reader what they are seeing instead of showing, and the character development (there are quite a lot of characters) is not very strong and sometime contradictory. I won't say you shouldn't read the book, just saying be prepared to not really crawl into the book and not have any resolution at the end... of any subplot.
March 16, 2018
The Immortal CrownThis book is a very fun interesting book to read if you want a book about lots of adventure and battle. It is By Keith Merrill and has a very good story plot and it has lots of good fun story twists and castles. It is a longer book than you might expect but in it there are three people who each posses stones of light. The stones are mostly lost and hard to find, but a evil bandit is after them to make him immortal and eventually take over the kingdom. The other people in the story are either looking for the stones to re hide them and keep them safe or they don't know about the stones all together. This is a very good interesting book that i think you should read too.
May 14, 2023
While the book was well written, it simply ended without any resolution for any of the characters. It just stopped. Even in a series, when more books are planned, the book needs to end at a specific place where some story question is answered, and something is resolved. But that didn't happen. It might be forgivable, except that the series was not continued and since the book was written in 2016, I worry that it won't be continued which is a shame. Despite what I said about the book not ending with some sort of resolution, the story itself was interesting and compelling, and if there were more books, I would read them. It is unfortunate that the series has not continued.
November 18, 2018
I was wavering between two and three stars. While I did like the book enough to give it three stars, I had to give it a two for several reasons, one of those the fact that there seems to be no hint of book two coming out at all. This book was published over two years ago. There should at least be a page with the author talking about the next book or when its expected for him to publish it. I don't like the book enough to wait around for book two, especially since I could be waiting for indefinitely.
July 20, 2017
This book forever to get into, many chapters, and I almost put it down multiple times. The author spends too much time telling us about the story and too little time telling us a story. Once he got into the story it was alright. Characters started talking more, felt a little more rounded, and by the end I had some connection and investment in what happened, but it took a long time.
December 25, 2017
Too many back stories
I like characters that are fleshed out as well as the next reader, but there were just too many back stories and not enough story. It is like the author slapped his character diagrams into a book and sewed them together a little and called it good. Things finally start happening then the book ends with an epilogue of yet another character.
I like characters that are fleshed out as well as the next reader, but there were just too many back stories and not enough story. It is like the author slapped his character diagrams into a book and sewed them together a little and called it good. Things finally start happening then the book ends with an epilogue of yet another character.
June 19, 2021
It’s a book with a lot of potential. The author has not yet published the next book and so there are many loose threads. I’m not sure I’d have called it The Immortal Crown since it’s a topic that doesn’t feature much. The author has built a great world and I found the characters interesting. This book is largely setting up the coming book(s) and it does a reasonably good job there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2020
I guess I am doomed to spend a life time wishing for books to be rated! Yet another book that I could neither finish nor enjoy because the author chose to be descriptive with sex and violence. Shameful!
June 16, 2017
Very hard to follow, plus it was boring!
August 1, 2017
Meh, is entertaining but not original
March 5, 2018
Really slow start, but started to get interesting toward the end.
January 21, 2020
Good beginning. Can't wait for the next book.
May 15, 2020
Just couldn't get into it. Although I do like the possible symbolism of the 16 stones, and the supposed savior.
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