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The Last Man
The First Man: An Enlightened Journey
Farris Mathalion did not believe in the old stories, not until her own brother was kidnapped by monsters to send her on a fantastical journey. She travels both within the mind and without, taking a path of harrowing adventure and personal enlightenment as she strives to rescue him.
THE FIRST MAN is the first volume in a two-part young adult/fantasy series that can be read on many different levels; whether the reader appreciates the excitement of the many fast-paced action scenes, the surreal beauty and mystery of new worlds, the philosophical musings of the guides along the way, or the spiritual path of overcoming reality that Farris finds before her.
She will travel through the seven kingdoms of the earth, each woven into the deep mythology of the land she passes, and each representative of one aspect of spiritual enlightenment.
In the first volume she passes through the surface world as well as the lands of fear, pleasure and illusion below the earth. She is accompanied in her journeys by a variety of strange creatures, including her faithful pet goat Bumble, Gloria the magical fish, and a romantic interest that makes uncertain love and looming betrayal pervasive themes throughout.
THE FIRST MAN is the first volume in a two-part young adult/fantasy series that can be read on many different levels; whether the reader appreciates the excitement of the many fast-paced action scenes, the surreal beauty and mystery of new worlds, the philosophical musings of the guides along the way, or the spiritual path of overcoming reality that Farris finds before her.
She will travel through the seven kingdoms of the earth, each woven into the deep mythology of the land she passes, and each representative of one aspect of spiritual enlightenment.
In the first volume she passes through the surface world as well as the lands of fear, pleasure and illusion below the earth. She is accompanied in her journeys by a variety of strange creatures, including her faithful pet goat Bumble, Gloria the magical fish, and a romantic interest that makes uncertain love and looming betrayal pervasive themes throughout.
354 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 2014
16 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
About the author
Tobias Wade
51 books209 followersFormer neuroscience researcher, born again horror writer. During my studies, it struck me as odd that I could learn so much about why humans behave without understanding the intricacies of human nature. It occurred to me that I learned more about the depths of human experience from reading Dostoyevsky than I ever had from my text books, and I was inspired to write.
Download my horror collection for free and see all my publications at:
TobiasWade.Com
Download my horror collection for free and see all my publications at:
TobiasWade.Com
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 16, 2017
I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review.
This is a great fantasy book for anyone who enjoys the Fantasy genre. In the beginning you see Farris as a girl who doesn't believe in the old stories told by her Grandmother and just wants to be with Sasha. Farris gets annoyed with her little brother at times but she loves him. When the ceremony for Tom begins for his Naming Farris gets upset bc she is constantly reminded she's not the heir and the ceremony isn't for her. When her brother tells her monsters are real, she doesn't believe him until they come to the village and take Tom away. After this Farris berates herself for not believing her brother and not believing in the old stories, she goes after him and starts an incredible journey of realizing her strengths and self worth. Sasha follows her and together they meet interesting characters and learn a lot about each other as she has to come to know him all over again.
I enjoyed Book 1 and it stuck out to me that just bc someone said you aren't the one or you're not capable of doing something is just the push you need to prove them wrong. I'm onto Book 2 to see what they find next and will they rescue Tom in time?
This is a great fantasy book for anyone who enjoys the Fantasy genre. In the beginning you see Farris as a girl who doesn't believe in the old stories told by her Grandmother and just wants to be with Sasha. Farris gets annoyed with her little brother at times but she loves him. When the ceremony for Tom begins for his Naming Farris gets upset bc she is constantly reminded she's not the heir and the ceremony isn't for her. When her brother tells her monsters are real, she doesn't believe him until they come to the village and take Tom away. After this Farris berates herself for not believing her brother and not believing in the old stories, she goes after him and starts an incredible journey of realizing her strengths and self worth. Sasha follows her and together they meet interesting characters and learn a lot about each other as she has to come to know him all over again.
I enjoyed Book 1 and it stuck out to me that just bc someone said you aren't the one or you're not capable of doing something is just the push you need to prove them wrong. I'm onto Book 2 to see what they find next and will they rescue Tom in time?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2015
May have small spoilers.
This was a wonderful first novel and I enjoyed it immensely. I hate that it end’s on a sort of cliffhanger but I’m glad that book two comes on in the spring so the wait isn’t as long as some other books.
Plot:
The story follows Farris, whose grandmother tells her and her brother the story of why the earth shakes and why it will not shake again. Shortly after her younger brother Tom is kidnapped by strange creatures that Farris, and many others, have never seen before and it is revealed that her grandmother is more than she appears. Farris runs after the captors and bargains her memories of her happy last summer (it is the start of winter now) in exchange for entrance to the world underneath her feet. She is still not sure she believes any of this is real but slowly finds out differently.
Sasha and an enemy-turned-ally, Riften, follow Farris into the world below and find that she doesn’t remember Sasha at all. They had only met in the summer and since she gave up all her memories of summer she also gave up her memories of him. Even so he decides to continue on the journey to bring Tom back home and hopes to get to know Farris again. Along the way they meet Gloria, a talking fish who is swallowed whole by Farris’ pet goat, Bumble. Together, the five of them will overcome many obstacles as they go deeper into the earth in search of Tom.
Characters:
Farris is the lead character and I must say that I don’t quite care for her very much. She is too stubborn and doesn’t listen to anyone, sometimes even herself. She gets herself in unnecessary trouble. This is somewhat cliché of her, being a young character of 16. Sasha on the other hand is a very likable character. I find myself caring more about his well-being than Farris’. He continues to help Farris so many times after she has been very rude to him and he has continued to try to save her even when she stupidly does something stupid. Even Riften is quite likable although I don’t trust him simply for being one those who wanted to kidnap Tom. Tom is an innocent and likable character as well but we don’t get to know much about him because after he is captured, we don’t get to follow his story at all. Gloria seems to be very wise for a fish, and there is more to her than meets the eye.
Writing:
The writing was beautiful. I loved the way that Tobias has formulated his story. Sometimes it reads like a poem and there are many lyrics to songs that the characters sing from time to time. The story itself is filled with many other stories that shed light on how everything came to be as they are now, in this world.
Overall I really like the story and will definitely be reading the second part.
This was a wonderful first novel and I enjoyed it immensely. I hate that it end’s on a sort of cliffhanger but I’m glad that book two comes on in the spring so the wait isn’t as long as some other books.
Plot:
The story follows Farris, whose grandmother tells her and her brother the story of why the earth shakes and why it will not shake again. Shortly after her younger brother Tom is kidnapped by strange creatures that Farris, and many others, have never seen before and it is revealed that her grandmother is more than she appears. Farris runs after the captors and bargains her memories of her happy last summer (it is the start of winter now) in exchange for entrance to the world underneath her feet. She is still not sure she believes any of this is real but slowly finds out differently.
Sasha and an enemy-turned-ally, Riften, follow Farris into the world below and find that she doesn’t remember Sasha at all. They had only met in the summer and since she gave up all her memories of summer she also gave up her memories of him. Even so he decides to continue on the journey to bring Tom back home and hopes to get to know Farris again. Along the way they meet Gloria, a talking fish who is swallowed whole by Farris’ pet goat, Bumble. Together, the five of them will overcome many obstacles as they go deeper into the earth in search of Tom.
Characters:
Farris is the lead character and I must say that I don’t quite care for her very much. She is too stubborn and doesn’t listen to anyone, sometimes even herself. She gets herself in unnecessary trouble. This is somewhat cliché of her, being a young character of 16. Sasha on the other hand is a very likable character. I find myself caring more about his well-being than Farris’. He continues to help Farris so many times after she has been very rude to him and he has continued to try to save her even when she stupidly does something stupid. Even Riften is quite likable although I don’t trust him simply for being one those who wanted to kidnap Tom. Tom is an innocent and likable character as well but we don’t get to know much about him because after he is captured, we don’t get to follow his story at all. Gloria seems to be very wise for a fish, and there is more to her than meets the eye.
Writing:
The writing was beautiful. I loved the way that Tobias has formulated his story. Sometimes it reads like a poem and there are many lyrics to songs that the characters sing from time to time. The story itself is filled with many other stories that shed light on how everything came to be as they are now, in this world.
Overall I really like the story and will definitely be reading the second part.
February 24, 2015
This is the first First Reads giveaway book that I've started reading and never wanted to put down. The pace is good and the style of writing is great (minus a few forgivable typos early on). I love the influence of different world mythologies; though I recognized some, I'm sure there might be ones I failed to pick up on as well. Overall, it reminded me of L. Frank Baum's Wizard of Oz series; with the strange companions on a journey through strange and magical lands that don't obey the rules of nature as we know them. I can't wait for the sequel.
October 2, 2017
Tobias Wade is an author of rare skill and imagination and the books that make up his ‘The First man’ series are among the best the genre has to offer. He writes beautifully and his characters are so real you can almost touch them. What makes his novels as addictive as candy is not just their imaginative brilliance but the way his characters are compromised and manipulated by internal politics. This epic fantasy story is well-written and steeped in wisdom, philosophy and enlightenment.
March 10, 2021
Fun stuff
Fun easy read. Some parts were patchy but easily over looked The story overall was familiar but a new journey was spun out of an old theme.
Fun easy read. Some parts were patchy but easily over looked The story overall was familiar but a new journey was spun out of an old theme.
January 1, 2015
**I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**
The First Man by Tobias Wade is what I would call a young adult fantasy novel with some mythology, folklore, and a small hint of romance thrown in. The book definitely gave me a Lord of the Rings meets Norse mythology vibe.
The First Man tells the story of Farris, a young girl who enjoys listening to the old tales her grandmother tells her and her brother. She doesn't believe any of them, though, knowing they are just made up for entertainment. And perhaps to give her and her brother a scare on occasion.
It isn't until strange creatures come to her land and kidnap her brother that Farris begins to believe there is more to the stories her grandmother tells than she ever thought possible.
Farris, along with her friend Sasha, her goat Bumble, and one of the creatures who stayed behind, sets off on a journey into strange new lands in the hopes of finding and rescuing her brother before it's too late. Alas, poor Farris has no idea what she's going to get herself into.
When I first read the synopsis of this book, I was intrigued enough to want to read it and see for myself just how magical it was. I will admit, it started off slow for me, and I had a hard time getting through the first half of it, actually. But after I made it past the 55% mark, things started to pick up for me and I was able to finish it a bit more quickly. I'm not a huge fan of fantasy novels, though, so that could have been why.
I also had a bit of a hard time getting attached to any of the characters. Farris wasn't exactly likeable. She had moments, and you knew she was only trying to do the right thing, but I found her a bit frustrating and annoying. There were honestly times I didn't care what happened to her at all.
Her brother doesn't have a lot going on, since he gets kidnapped early on, so I can't say I was really attached to him, either. I also didn't really find myself rooting for him to be saved.
Sasha, Farris's friend, is a decent enough character. I liked him well enough, but had no real fondness for him overall. He, along with Riften(the creature that tags along on the journey), were the only two characters I even remotely had a small bit of caring for. I guess Bumble the goat counts, as well.
Plot-wise, the book moves along at a decent pace, I suppose, but like I said above, I found it a bit slow and hard to get into. Once Farris leaves the surface world behind and begins her descent into these new lands, the book does pick up and get a bit better.
I didn't care much for the first part of her journey, although it was fascinating. The second part of her journey, which involves strange spiders and endless amounts of pleasure(nothing adult), is much more interesting to read. I rather enjoyed those scenes in the book.
The creatures, and some of the plot, definitely reminded me Lord of the Rings in a way. There were other parts of the book, and one creature, that reminded me of Norse mythology moreso than Greek or Roman. I quite like Norse mythology, so that helped me enjoy the book a little more.
There were a few grammatical errors here and there in the book, as well, but nothing too major. I was able to get through the book without having to constantly stop and edit the sentences in my head before continuing on. That was a plus for me.
Overall, I'd give The First Man a solid 3.5 stars out of 5. Yes, I struggled with it at times, and there were things I really didn't care for, but it wasn't a bad book. If you like fantasy novels with magic, myth, and adventure, you'll probably enjoy reading The First Man. Get yourself a copy and give it a whirl.
The First Man by Tobias Wade is what I would call a young adult fantasy novel with some mythology, folklore, and a small hint of romance thrown in. The book definitely gave me a Lord of the Rings meets Norse mythology vibe.
The First Man tells the story of Farris, a young girl who enjoys listening to the old tales her grandmother tells her and her brother. She doesn't believe any of them, though, knowing they are just made up for entertainment. And perhaps to give her and her brother a scare on occasion.
It isn't until strange creatures come to her land and kidnap her brother that Farris begins to believe there is more to the stories her grandmother tells than she ever thought possible.
Farris, along with her friend Sasha, her goat Bumble, and one of the creatures who stayed behind, sets off on a journey into strange new lands in the hopes of finding and rescuing her brother before it's too late. Alas, poor Farris has no idea what she's going to get herself into.
When I first read the synopsis of this book, I was intrigued enough to want to read it and see for myself just how magical it was. I will admit, it started off slow for me, and I had a hard time getting through the first half of it, actually. But after I made it past the 55% mark, things started to pick up for me and I was able to finish it a bit more quickly. I'm not a huge fan of fantasy novels, though, so that could have been why.
I also had a bit of a hard time getting attached to any of the characters. Farris wasn't exactly likeable. She had moments, and you knew she was only trying to do the right thing, but I found her a bit frustrating and annoying. There were honestly times I didn't care what happened to her at all.
Her brother doesn't have a lot going on, since he gets kidnapped early on, so I can't say I was really attached to him, either. I also didn't really find myself rooting for him to be saved.
Sasha, Farris's friend, is a decent enough character. I liked him well enough, but had no real fondness for him overall. He, along with Riften(the creature that tags along on the journey), were the only two characters I even remotely had a small bit of caring for. I guess Bumble the goat counts, as well.
Plot-wise, the book moves along at a decent pace, I suppose, but like I said above, I found it a bit slow and hard to get into. Once Farris leaves the surface world behind and begins her descent into these new lands, the book does pick up and get a bit better.
I didn't care much for the first part of her journey, although it was fascinating. The second part of her journey, which involves strange spiders and endless amounts of pleasure(nothing adult), is much more interesting to read. I rather enjoyed those scenes in the book.
The creatures, and some of the plot, definitely reminded me Lord of the Rings in a way. There were other parts of the book, and one creature, that reminded me of Norse mythology moreso than Greek or Roman. I quite like Norse mythology, so that helped me enjoy the book a little more.
There were a few grammatical errors here and there in the book, as well, but nothing too major. I was able to get through the book without having to constantly stop and edit the sentences in my head before continuing on. That was a plus for me.
Overall, I'd give The First Man a solid 3.5 stars out of 5. Yes, I struggled with it at times, and there were things I really didn't care for, but it wasn't a bad book. If you like fantasy novels with magic, myth, and adventure, you'll probably enjoy reading The First Man. Get yourself a copy and give it a whirl.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews