The stars have gone…Long dormant relics bask in the light of a hundred comets, restoring magics of a previous age. Objects inert for eons become dangers and tools no one can ignore. The use of these artifacts will put everything at risk; all the while providing the greatest opportunity for human advancement in history. No matter what happens to the people of Godsland, the dragons have plans of their own.The Fifth Magic is Book Seven of the Godsland SeriesThe World of Godsland Epic Fantasy Series includes the following fairy tales & folklore The Dawning of Power trilogyCall of the HeraldInherited DangerDragon OreThe Balance of Power trilogyRegentFeralRegalThe Artifacts of Power trilogyThe Fifth MagicDragonholdThe Seventh MagicDragons of Dawn prequel trilogyAscensionOninDragon AirwaysKnown for his terrible dragon jokes on social media, Brian Rathbone brought some of that same brand of humor to an otherwise serious fantasy adventure with magic, gods & goddesses, and intrigue. Rathbone's experience as a professional horse trainer also comes into play as he explores relationships with creatures with whom you can't fully communicate and whose desires only sometimes align with their companions. A love of reading the best epic fantasy books as a young man inspired Brian to write the kinds of for boys and for girls that he liked reading in his young adult years. Getting older never dampened Rathbone's enthusiasm for a good epic fantasy adventure, and his books are widely enjoyed by readers young, old, and those somewhere in between.In the two other prequels to The World of Godsland Epic Fantasy Series, Brian Rathbone teamed up with writers Jack McCarthy and Morgen Rich to flesh out story lines that were not fully told in the main series. The collaboration between these writers resulted in three new entry points into Godsland ranging from dark fantasy to fantasy romance and contemporary steampunk adventure with dragons and other monsters.Ascension focuses on the story of Gwendolin and her journey from simple farm girl to the leader of a powerful order of monks and druids. Along her metaphysical journey, she learns a great deal about her world and herself--some magic must come from within.Onin explores the history of Onin of the Old Guard and and his dragon, Jehregard. In a world where dragons are bred for size, Onin finds himself standing in opposition to thousands of years of dogma and tradition, as he fights for the life of a dragon no one else would save. There is something different about this dragon--something special. Bearing a "watch eye", like that of a prized horse, Jehregard does everything he can to prove Onin both right and wrong.Dragon Airways explores a time when magic is a thing of the distant past and technology has come to dominance in its place. In a steampunk, dieselpunk, dragonpunk twist, Dragon Airways shows what happens when a group of misfits put their mind to something. The feral dragons and those who seek to dominate them, have other plans. Airplanes, airships, and battle balloons are no match for dragons and magic, and Emmet knows just how to solve the mystery of where to find them.These books are suitable for fans of epic fantasy, young adult epic fantasy, steampunk, and paranormal adventures. While the content appeals to older readers, its kept clean to make it accessible to younger readers as well.
A former horse trainer and computer programmer, Brian Rathbone used his old world knowledge and love of fantasy fiction to create The World of Godsland fantasy series, which begins with The Dawning of Power trilogy.
I would have enjoyed this book more if it were actually the first book in a trilogy (as it is marked as.. The reason I read the bloody thing) and not THE SEVENTH BOOK OVER ALL I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING ON. Do not mark your books as the first of anything if you do not plan to rehash. You cannot have a book of "She did that because of that thing that happened to her" and "She didn't trust him because of that thing that happened" or "She acted like one would expect knowing her backstory"
I was so lost, man. It was a poor choice in labelling and a poorer show of writing ability. All you needed was a sentence here and there to explain things but it was literally left at that level of vague.
The first third I read with a constant WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON fever, the second I sludged through semi-intrigued in my confusion and that last third was worth a four star on its own, and maybe a five in enjoyment if I KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE. None the less, I slammed back that end third at 2 am, hooked and enjoying the dark and strange cast over this world.
If the sequel shows up in my Kindle, I'll read it, but I'm unsure if I'll seek it out. Though extremely curious what is happening in the plot, I feel like I would have to go back seven goddanged books to fully catch up
And that seems pointless now because I know where everyone ends up.
Goddamnmit. Don't label a seventh book as a first of anything if you do not plan to revisit a single thing from the plot before but entirely rely every action on it.
Slow to start with fragmented story lines that sort of came together toward the end of the book. Add editing and spelling errors, and this really was not an enjoyable read.
Another will written fantasy Sci-Fi adventure thriller novel by Brian Rathbone book one in of the Artifacts trilogy. The story is about magic, dragons, and friends as power is sought by the queens as they struggle against each other. I would recommend this series and author to 👍readers of fantasy Sci-Fi adventures. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa as I do all kinds of books because of eye issues and damage. 🏡🔰👒🏰 2022
Although this is the start of a new trilogy, it is also the continuation of one. Even though I hadn't read the other books, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The plotline and charachters are full and rich as is the world building. Great fantasy series!
I liked the story presented as much as I liked the prior books, but there seemed to be a disrupted flow and a number of abrupt POV shifts. You are expected to know the characters from having read the previous books and several seem vague after having read those books a year in the past. A paragraph, or even a few sentences, would alleviate that when each new character is mentioned. There are a large number of unexplained leaps through time. One paragraph takes you from the Firstland to the Godfist. The Greatland is barely mentioned despite being the greatest population in the known world. Journeys described as taking weeks in the first books are glossed over in mere moments. That is what annoyed me the most. Everyone seemed to be going everywhere all the time and coming back in half the time.
The Serpent is odd. I liked the Dragon Wing when it was launched. The Serpent sounds made from the equivalent of balsa wood and is constantly being smashed about without permanent damage until the Dragon Wing lands on it. It is described as having wind socks, conjuring a hot air balloon, yet is supposedly moves quite quickly, outrunning dragons. I am not sure what to think.
Conversation felt unnatural and forced. You have the leader of the Drakon clan, standing by his wife who is constantly suffering from an emotional rollercoaster, yelling out that he wants his mommy. You have a diplomatic meeting that ignores all niceties and only lasts a few sentences before breaking up in chaos under attack. The Child queen is purportedly a mastermind, yet she suffers from Kendra's seemingly inexplicable mood shifts. She is all threatening one moment and all sorrowful the next. She plots a trap but overlooks a massive flaw in her plan. An lastly, why do Benjin and Wendal lay down to sleep the best they ever have after the herald flys by, then are flying into dragonhold moments later?
There are a few grammatical flaws, but any self published author knows that these are difficult to weed entirely out. If it was self edited, then he did a fair job on the grammar part. There is still a bit of work that could be done on the content to improve the reader's experience. There could really be some work done on the character's conversations. The plot could also be developed a lot more. While understanding that foreshadowing is quite possibly being attempted, there are a number of orphaned plot lines. Time has no pace in the book.
I gave it four out of five stars because I liked the story and most of the scenes were described well enough that I could see them. It isn't five stars because of the inconsistencies and the confusing leaps between POVs.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
First question that comes to mind: Brian, why did you head into the "resurrect the heroine" trope territory?
The primary focus of the story shifts back to Godsfist for this book, and the cast involved expands to cover almost every culture introduced so far. There are several interesting twists in the personal lives of our familiar cast, both old and young which gives this an interesting texture to the read.
From early in this book, there is a sense of impending doom and gloom as new pieces of Dragonhold are uncovered and the need for personal space drives the characters to explore further into the mysteries of the ancient keep.
The roller coaster ride of discover, rediscovery, and sheer frustration at the lack of knowledge in the characters and the lack of cooperation between the different factions shines a bright light on the issue of everyone suspecting what's coming next, but no one wants to step forward and be held responsible for failing to accurately predict what has happened.
A few small plots that have lingered from the earlier trilogies are skillfully wrapped up. In the process a rather malevolent new plot is revealed. The heroine everyone thought was dead has resurfaced, and now is presented as another kind of problem to overcome, rather than the beneficial savior.
Wow! The Fifth Magic is the best book yet in the Godsland series! It is filled with so much action and wonder I could not put it down. Can't wait to see what happens in the last 2 books; starting Dragonhold now!