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Legends in Time #1
The Contrived Senator
The Contrived Senator is the first installment in the Legends in Time series. The story begins in the newly formed nation of Nador. After years of war and bloodshed, the people of the known world of Men are finally at peace . . . or so they thought. Recently, strange purple storms have appeared over the great Empire of Nador. They are wreaking havoc on the civilization, coating the lands with an extraordinary purple ash. These storms bring uncertainty into the known world of Men, and the people are anxious. Veris is a high-ranking senator who has loyally served Nador for five years. Upon the appearance of the storms, Veris life is changed forever. He is summoned by the revered Emperor Makheb, who many believe is more god-like than human. Veris is told of the grave news of Nador s future. These storms are the beginning of something far more sinister, and time is ticking as the emperor and Veris must save the empire from falling into the wrong hands. Dark times ensue, and Veris is ordered on a mission of epic proportions. And so the journey begins one of infinite proportions. Hastily headed north, Veris must survive the attempts of assassins and strange beasts of unknown lands. He has to venture into the murky swamps of Nador, where vile creatures called ethithu are numerous, and deadly. He must face his rival, and confront a Senate with wicked intentions. In an age where mankind and beast alike live in parallel, an age of great civilizations and boundless adventure, something else labors against the current something inexplicable something ominous. Dark times will ensue, and an imperial senator named Veris will be cast into a journey he never thought probable.
224 pages, Paperback
First published December 4, 2007
44 people want to read
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Vincent Hobbes
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 29, 2010
Personally, I can't stand this book. Nathan and I are currently in the process of rewriting the series, and I wish this book would just disappear.
July 13, 2009
I found this book enjoyable. I am an avid reader and always looking for something new. I particularly like series, so Legends in Time caught my attention. Lately I have felt the fantasy genre has become nothing more than a rehash of old ideas. The stories are growing repetitive. I can only read so much about dragons, elves, sorcerers and witches. The Contribed Senator is different.
In typical fantasy fashion, the book starts with a lot of explanation; history of the world, etc. It is a little slow to start, but once it got moving there was a lot of action and adventure. The main characters are very likeable and passionate. The storyline is great.
The Contrived Senator involves politics, adventure, greed, love, magic, friendship, and mystery. It is different from traditional fantasy in the sense that there are no elves and trolls, etc. Instead, we meet unique creatures such as ethithu, krorocons and formakha. The detail of this world is impeccable. Like I said, it was a slow start, but I can tell there is a much bigger story in the works.
What I liked best about this book was the ongoing mention of the “storms.” A horrible storm is making its way through Nador, but this is not a normal thunderstorm: purple ash is falling from the sky. The storms are almost a character in the story, as you can feel their presence.
The authors do get a little wordy at times, but it is easily forgiven. The book ended in a cliffhanger (which I’m not always a huge fan of), but it worked. Also, the book is shorter than most novels I normally read, but it is kind of refreshing. It actually left me wanting more. Got me hooked, and I went and purchased the second book, Exiles.
In typical fantasy fashion, the book starts with a lot of explanation; history of the world, etc. It is a little slow to start, but once it got moving there was a lot of action and adventure. The main characters are very likeable and passionate. The storyline is great.
The Contrived Senator involves politics, adventure, greed, love, magic, friendship, and mystery. It is different from traditional fantasy in the sense that there are no elves and trolls, etc. Instead, we meet unique creatures such as ethithu, krorocons and formakha. The detail of this world is impeccable. Like I said, it was a slow start, but I can tell there is a much bigger story in the works.
What I liked best about this book was the ongoing mention of the “storms.” A horrible storm is making its way through Nador, but this is not a normal thunderstorm: purple ash is falling from the sky. The storms are almost a character in the story, as you can feel their presence.
The authors do get a little wordy at times, but it is easily forgiven. The book ended in a cliffhanger (which I’m not always a huge fan of), but it worked. Also, the book is shorter than most novels I normally read, but it is kind of refreshing. It actually left me wanting more. Got me hooked, and I went and purchased the second book, Exiles.
September 3, 2009
Since time immemorial, the tribes of Men have lived in peace with each other. The usual quarrels have never turned into outright war, that is, until the Barbarian Wars united the five separate lands into the Empire of Nador. It is run by Emperor Makheb, who rarely is seen in public, and never without his face covered. That leads to the usual speculation that the Emperor is an alien from another land, or another planet.
One day, Makheb calls Veris, a senior member of the Senate, into his private chambers. He tells Veris, that he, Veris, has been relieved of his Senate duties, and must undertake a difficult journey to Aronia in the north, starting now. Veris is told that, in a few hours, his Senate colleagues are going to come looking for him, ready to execute him for killing Emperor Makheb. Veris is totally loyal to Makheb, so he is shocked, to put it mildly. An attempt on Makheb’s life, in his chambers, convinces Veris. At the same time, Makheb is going, alone, to the desolate Endlands, in the west, to confront Ramunak, the cause of all this.
Veris stops at his home in the city of Cosh, to grab a few things, and to try to convince his Senate colleagues that this is all a misunderstanding. Veris barely escapes with his life; Ramunak has been very busy, controlling people’s minds. His journey is extra difficult because he has to go through the Denok Forest. It used to be a nice place to visit, until it was taken over by some sort of evil. Now, it is a dark and sinister place, to be avoided at all costs.
First of a series, this is intended for younger readers, but the three authors do a very good job with it. It’s very much worth reading.
One day, Makheb calls Veris, a senior member of the Senate, into his private chambers. He tells Veris, that he, Veris, has been relieved of his Senate duties, and must undertake a difficult journey to Aronia in the north, starting now. Veris is told that, in a few hours, his Senate colleagues are going to come looking for him, ready to execute him for killing Emperor Makheb. Veris is totally loyal to Makheb, so he is shocked, to put it mildly. An attempt on Makheb’s life, in his chambers, convinces Veris. At the same time, Makheb is going, alone, to the desolate Endlands, in the west, to confront Ramunak, the cause of all this.
Veris stops at his home in the city of Cosh, to grab a few things, and to try to convince his Senate colleagues that this is all a misunderstanding. Veris barely escapes with his life; Ramunak has been very busy, controlling people’s minds. His journey is extra difficult because he has to go through the Denok Forest. It used to be a nice place to visit, until it was taken over by some sort of evil. Now, it is a dark and sinister place, to be avoided at all costs.
First of a series, this is intended for younger readers, but the three authors do a very good job with it. It’s very much worth reading.
January 14, 2011
I originally picked this book up because I met one of the authors on goodreads and he seemed like a good guy, and the book seemed right up my alley. Unfortunately, I found out shortly after starting it that the authors consider it a "work in progress," but I had already started, so I went ahead. My opinion of the book varied drastically from section to section and sometimes page to page. A great high point was the final fight seen, I especially appreciated the description and drama surrounding Antiok. The low point, by a long shot, was the cut away seen into Aronia. I am not a feminist reader by any means, and in general I am totally OK with high fantasy, shall we say, using traditional gender roles. However, this particular scene takes it way too far for any female reader to put up with. It wreaks of "big strong man with important things to do" and "silly little sexy girl who can't understand how important her man's business is." On top of that, I don't even know what the scene adds to the plot at this point (maybe this will be clarified later). But enough about that one scene, it was only really bad that one time and I got over it. As a whole, the book read like a screenplay. It frequently focused on visual details at the cost of internal dialogue, and would benefit signficantly from more in-depth character development. It also needs to revise the way it incorporates world description and history so as to use fewer flashbacks and cutaway scenes, as they tend to have a disjointed feel.
Despite these problems, overall, the underlying story is good, and I will probably continue reading the series despite the "in progress" status, because I would like to see what happens - which is really the best measure of any series.
Despite these problems, overall, the underlying story is good, and I will probably continue reading the series despite the "in progress" status, because I would like to see what happens - which is really the best measure of any series.
May 21, 2010
The Contrived Senator is the first installment in the Legends in Time series. It is an epic fantasy tale focusing on the exploits of a young senator named Veris who discovers that it has fallen to him to save his people from the mysterious forces threatening them. A slew of powerful adversaries rise up against him using all their deadly might to stop Veris from becoming the hero who can halt the coming darkness and save an empire.
It was clear to me from the outset of this book that the authors of The Contrived Senator truly care about the world they have created. In fact, I was worried that The Contrived Senator was going to read like a history lesson rather than an original work of fiction. Fortunately for readers, this is not the case. Once the major players were in place, the story began to work its magic, thrusting readers into a shadowy world of political intrigue, treachery, warfare, and magic.
Many epic fantasy books can be a bit daunting for readers of traditional fantasy due to their elegiac style and emphasis on world-building. I was pleasantly surprised by the accessibility of The Contrived Senator. The writing style is straightforward and unpretentious and the characters are likable. An unforgettable treat is the fantastic creatures that appear in this tale. The contrast between The World of Men and Beasts is an intriguing and vital element in the story.
Based off of the way this book ends, it is clear that there is some grand storytelling waiting for the readers who set upon the journey of reading Legends in Time. Needless to say, I am hooked and am anxiously waiting to see how it all plays out in the end.
It was clear to me from the outset of this book that the authors of The Contrived Senator truly care about the world they have created. In fact, I was worried that The Contrived Senator was going to read like a history lesson rather than an original work of fiction. Fortunately for readers, this is not the case. Once the major players were in place, the story began to work its magic, thrusting readers into a shadowy world of political intrigue, treachery, warfare, and magic.
Many epic fantasy books can be a bit daunting for readers of traditional fantasy due to their elegiac style and emphasis on world-building. I was pleasantly surprised by the accessibility of The Contrived Senator. The writing style is straightforward and unpretentious and the characters are likable. An unforgettable treat is the fantastic creatures that appear in this tale. The contrast between The World of Men and Beasts is an intriguing and vital element in the story.
Based off of the way this book ends, it is clear that there is some grand storytelling waiting for the readers who set upon the journey of reading Legends in Time. Needless to say, I am hooked and am anxiously waiting to see how it all plays out in the end.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews