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Breath of the Titans #1
Little Black Stormcloud
Lovonian is a young half-dragon living in Elvenhom. His life is good, as yours would be too, if you had a dragon for a mother. But all is not well in paradise.
An uneasy peace has covered the world for a thousand years, since the end of the last Dragon War. But Gendry the Titanbringer has died, leading to the ascension of Martel.
For fear that Tyrosh, another acolyte of Gendry, will come to take his power, Martel sends metallic constructs called Titans to Elvenhom to destroy it.
Luckily Lov was out hunting with his uncle and managed to escape the attack.
Come with us on a journey to follow this young half-dragon on his mission to exact revenge on those who have destroyed his homeland.
Follow us to the heart of the Orc Lands as Lov finds an old world power to fight the Titans.
An uneasy peace has covered the world for a thousand years, since the end of the last Dragon War. But Gendry the Titanbringer has died, leading to the ascension of Martel.
For fear that Tyrosh, another acolyte of Gendry, will come to take his power, Martel sends metallic constructs called Titans to Elvenhom to destroy it.
Luckily Lov was out hunting with his uncle and managed to escape the attack.
Come with us on a journey to follow this young half-dragon on his mission to exact revenge on those who have destroyed his homeland.
Follow us to the heart of the Orc Lands as Lov finds an old world power to fight the Titans.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2014
3 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Riley Amos Westbrook
9 books336 followersRiley spent the first twelve years of his life being in a military family. Moving from country to state to state back to another country, he struggled to make friends. Books were close to him from a young age, and he loved to read.
In school, he kicked and screamed and refused to do the homework assigned by the teachers. He challenged them to bring out their tests, and let him ace them from the start of the class.
The teachers denied him.
When he graduated from High School, Riley worked as a dishwasher in a nursing home. He learned about different kinds of diets, and how to thicken foods. He learned that coffee that is a thick as pudding still tastes surprisingly like coffee.
After years of being the low man in a low job, Riley trained to become a CNA. He loved his job. He could help people, interact, and just have fun being himself all while helping the injured or infirm to go about their days.
Riley worked in a psychiatric hospital, where he learned that in a way, we're all just a little insane. From watching patients that talked to walls, to working with other staff members that talked to their dogs (Like literally talked to them.) he saw the thin line that separates average people from insanity.
An injury outside of work chased RIley from the job he was unable to do. Lost, broken, and abandoned by the workplace he loved (Can't do the work, can't keep the job) Riley was forced to seek disability. He longs for the day that he can return to the job he loved, working with people everyday to help them live their lives.
For now, he writes whatever comes to him. There's horror, there's fantasy, there's science fiction, and there's even a few descents into hell. Riley went from someone who HATED (Cannot emphasize that enough) writing to someone who doesn't want to survive without it, all in the short span of one year. He wrote Breath of the Titans: The False Titanbringer, and hasn't looked back.
I love making friends, so feel free to drop a request on me!
Sara is Riley's companion. She doesn't understand the persistent need to write that her husband has, but she is a good wife who loves her husband. She supports him by making sure the drivel that leaves his mouth isn't completely full of idiocy.
In school, he kicked and screamed and refused to do the homework assigned by the teachers. He challenged them to bring out their tests, and let him ace them from the start of the class.
The teachers denied him.
When he graduated from High School, Riley worked as a dishwasher in a nursing home. He learned about different kinds of diets, and how to thicken foods. He learned that coffee that is a thick as pudding still tastes surprisingly like coffee.
After years of being the low man in a low job, Riley trained to become a CNA. He loved his job. He could help people, interact, and just have fun being himself all while helping the injured or infirm to go about their days.
Riley worked in a psychiatric hospital, where he learned that in a way, we're all just a little insane. From watching patients that talked to walls, to working with other staff members that talked to their dogs (Like literally talked to them.) he saw the thin line that separates average people from insanity.
An injury outside of work chased RIley from the job he was unable to do. Lost, broken, and abandoned by the workplace he loved (Can't do the work, can't keep the job) Riley was forced to seek disability. He longs for the day that he can return to the job he loved, working with people everyday to help them live their lives.
For now, he writes whatever comes to him. There's horror, there's fantasy, there's science fiction, and there's even a few descents into hell. Riley went from someone who HATED (Cannot emphasize that enough) writing to someone who doesn't want to survive without it, all in the short span of one year. He wrote Breath of the Titans: The False Titanbringer, and hasn't looked back.
I love making friends, so feel free to drop a request on me!
Sara is Riley's companion. She doesn't understand the persistent need to write that her husband has, but she is a good wife who loves her husband. She supports him by making sure the drivel that leaves his mouth isn't completely full of idiocy.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 8, 2017
This is the first book in a series. I enjoyed this first installment and intend to read the next book at a later date.
There is so much to this story; it's entertaining for young and old alike. It's the story of a young half-elf, half-dragon named Lovinian who suffers a great loss, but must rise above that and master his strength and power in order to help his family, friends, and fellow citizens. Like any young boy becoming a man, he is easily frustrated and makes mistakes. However, he learns from them quickly and continues to persevere. At times a friend or family member assists in his training, but he actually makes more progress when he's on his own.
Lov, as he's affectionately referred to, is a smart and endearing creature. Many other characters add interest to the story. One of my favorites is Missy, a wise-cracking fairy who keeps everyone in line. This story is filled with emotion: love, loss, grief, fear, anger, and even humor. It's a very well-rounded and well-written story by a husband and wife writing team, a wonderful collaboration.
There is so much to this story; it's entertaining for young and old alike. It's the story of a young half-elf, half-dragon named Lovinian who suffers a great loss, but must rise above that and master his strength and power in order to help his family, friends, and fellow citizens. Like any young boy becoming a man, he is easily frustrated and makes mistakes. However, he learns from them quickly and continues to persevere. At times a friend or family member assists in his training, but he actually makes more progress when he's on his own.
Lov, as he's affectionately referred to, is a smart and endearing creature. Many other characters add interest to the story. One of my favorites is Missy, a wise-cracking fairy who keeps everyone in line. This story is filled with emotion: love, loss, grief, fear, anger, and even humor. It's a very well-rounded and well-written story by a husband and wife writing team, a wonderful collaboration.
August 18, 2016
It's very hard for me to get into new fantasy books, especially by indie authors. There's just a lot of pretension that comes with the genre that shines through in the story. This, however, was not one of those books. It was a well-written story with likable characters and dialogue that didn't make you feel like you were reading about stuffy Brits. I kind of devoured this book (for me, that is) and that's saying something. I still only gave it 3 stars because I just felt like more was going to happen. Lov coming into his own was such a protracted thing, which is usually a more compact part of a story. There was really nothing wrong with this book, I just wanted the pace to be a little quicker. Can't wait to read the next one, though.
May 28, 2015
A brief disclaimer: I am typically not a fan of fantasy that doesn't involve the words 'urban' or 'contemporary.' That being said, I have been branching out into more sword and sorcery as of late and I find that the hardest part for me to reconcile is plain and even base English in a fantastical setting. Here, the language is very modern and at times, incredibly base. But somehow, where this has been jarring to me in other books, it works brilliantly here.
I imagine that this book reads much like the Lord of the Rings books would to someone who loves Tolkien. I am not a fan of Tolkien, but I rather enjoyed this tale. It is an epic adventure that follows Lov, a half dragon-half elf who is an adolescent when his home, land, and family is destroyed by the Titans, the very constructs that were meant to protect them. The characters are well written and there is an overall humor that carries the heavier parts of the story. I do admit some slight confusion in that I inferred that Lov's mother, who is a dragon, was an orphan, but his dragon grandfather shows up to train him. It is possible I misinterpreted this or there is something that gets explained later on, so it is a minor nitpick at best.
I can't wait to continue on with the rest of this series!
I imagine that this book reads much like the Lord of the Rings books would to someone who loves Tolkien. I am not a fan of Tolkien, but I rather enjoyed this tale. It is an epic adventure that follows Lov, a half dragon-half elf who is an adolescent when his home, land, and family is destroyed by the Titans, the very constructs that were meant to protect them. The characters are well written and there is an overall humor that carries the heavier parts of the story. I do admit some slight confusion in that I inferred that Lov's mother, who is a dragon, was an orphan, but his dragon grandfather shows up to train him. It is possible I misinterpreted this or there is something that gets explained later on, so it is a minor nitpick at best.
I can't wait to continue on with the rest of this series!
March 29, 2016
Reviewed on behalf of The Review Board by Harmony Kent.
I received a free PDF copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I have read this trilogy as a whole, and therefore this review pertains to all three books in the series.
BOOK 1: LITTLE BLACK STORM CLOUD introduces us to Lov, a half-elf/half-dragon sixteen-year-old boy and his companions. Titans devastate his home at Elvenhom and either slaughter the villagers or take them as slaves. Lov’s family is killed, except for his mother, who is taken hostage. Lov and his companions set out on a quest to save his mother.
BOOK 2: A MOTHER’S LOVE and BOOK 3: WAR OF THE CHIEFS continue the story. I don’t want to write a synopsis about the final two books in the series, as this would give too much away, and so I shall follow the author’s example and settle for the one book description to cover the whole series.
These books are not standalone novels, and will need to be read in order for maximum benefit. This series is traditional fantasy fiction filled with magical creatures, battles, adventures, and the whole works you would expect from this genre. Strong language is used at times, which some readers may prefer to avoid. This isn’t an issue for me at all, and only adds to the realism of the read.
While I had looked forward with eagerness to an epic fantasy read such as this, I quickly found myself disappointed. The writing needs some polishing. It is filled with telling instead of showing (especially ‘ly’ adverbs), split infinitives, comma splices, filter words (he knew/she decided/he watched/etc.), and spelling mistakes—there is a huge difference in meaning between ‘Unphased’ and ‘Unfazed’ for instance. I don’t comment on these things unless they prove too numerous, which—in this case—they did.
Add to this morass the passive writing style and jumping POV, and it all makes for an arduous read.
While the ideas behind this tale have awesome potential, the execution is lacking. I never felt able to connect with the rather clichéd characters—standard young boy with hidden power and an older mentor—and even when the characters were placed in danger, it just never quite felt as if they were in danger at all. For me, this fantasy trilogy hasn’t given me anything new, interesting, or intriguing. The most it gave me was a headache, trying to wade through the passive and error littered text. If I hadn’t had a commitment to reading this series on behalf of The Review Board, it would have been a DNF from 25% of the way into book one.
From an aesthetic perspective, the book covers do absolutely nothing for me. If I saw these sitting on a shelf, I wouldn’t pick them up. The book blurb also fails to entice. A blurb that has me bored before I’ve finished reading it is always a good indication that I won’t enjoy the book.
I wanted to love this series. Being an avid reader, I always want to enjoy a book, especially when it’s in a genre that I adore. It fills me with dismay when I have to leave such a negative review as this. However, I cannot in all conscience, recommend this series. Again, if I weren’t committed to leaving a review, I would have preferred to remain silent instead of trashing the book so publicly. It’s a rare thing that about the only good thing I can find is the story premise.
I give it 5 out of 10 stars on the TRB rating scale, which basically means: Flip a coin and/or take a chance (if you dare). This equates to 2.5 out of 5 stars on other rating scales, and for the purposes of posting this review, I round that up to a soft 3 stars.
I received a free PDF copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I have read this trilogy as a whole, and therefore this review pertains to all three books in the series.
BOOK 1: LITTLE BLACK STORM CLOUD introduces us to Lov, a half-elf/half-dragon sixteen-year-old boy and his companions. Titans devastate his home at Elvenhom and either slaughter the villagers or take them as slaves. Lov’s family is killed, except for his mother, who is taken hostage. Lov and his companions set out on a quest to save his mother.
BOOK 2: A MOTHER’S LOVE and BOOK 3: WAR OF THE CHIEFS continue the story. I don’t want to write a synopsis about the final two books in the series, as this would give too much away, and so I shall follow the author’s example and settle for the one book description to cover the whole series.
These books are not standalone novels, and will need to be read in order for maximum benefit. This series is traditional fantasy fiction filled with magical creatures, battles, adventures, and the whole works you would expect from this genre. Strong language is used at times, which some readers may prefer to avoid. This isn’t an issue for me at all, and only adds to the realism of the read.
While I had looked forward with eagerness to an epic fantasy read such as this, I quickly found myself disappointed. The writing needs some polishing. It is filled with telling instead of showing (especially ‘ly’ adverbs), split infinitives, comma splices, filter words (he knew/she decided/he watched/etc.), and spelling mistakes—there is a huge difference in meaning between ‘Unphased’ and ‘Unfazed’ for instance. I don’t comment on these things unless they prove too numerous, which—in this case—they did.
Add to this morass the passive writing style and jumping POV, and it all makes for an arduous read.
While the ideas behind this tale have awesome potential, the execution is lacking. I never felt able to connect with the rather clichéd characters—standard young boy with hidden power and an older mentor—and even when the characters were placed in danger, it just never quite felt as if they were in danger at all. For me, this fantasy trilogy hasn’t given me anything new, interesting, or intriguing. The most it gave me was a headache, trying to wade through the passive and error littered text. If I hadn’t had a commitment to reading this series on behalf of The Review Board, it would have been a DNF from 25% of the way into book one.
From an aesthetic perspective, the book covers do absolutely nothing for me. If I saw these sitting on a shelf, I wouldn’t pick them up. The book blurb also fails to entice. A blurb that has me bored before I’ve finished reading it is always a good indication that I won’t enjoy the book.
I wanted to love this series. Being an avid reader, I always want to enjoy a book, especially when it’s in a genre that I adore. It fills me with dismay when I have to leave such a negative review as this. However, I cannot in all conscience, recommend this series. Again, if I weren’t committed to leaving a review, I would have preferred to remain silent instead of trashing the book so publicly. It’s a rare thing that about the only good thing I can find is the story premise.
I give it 5 out of 10 stars on the TRB rating scale, which basically means: Flip a coin and/or take a chance (if you dare). This equates to 2.5 out of 5 stars on other rating scales, and for the purposes of posting this review, I round that up to a soft 3 stars.
July 8, 2016
I wrote it, so I think it's pretty amazing. Samantha Gregory, author of Daemon Persuasion had this to say about it though(Review on Amazon):
Lov is a sixteen year old half dragon. On his birthday he goes out hunting with his uncle, but while out Lov senses that something has happened to his father. They return to their village to find it has been decimated by Titans and his father is dead. With his mother missing, Lov and his uncle, along with his uncles friend Jaxon, set out to find her and get revenge on the titans. Writing about fantastical lands and dragons can stretch the imagination, but Lov was a relatable character. He is a sixteen year old boy, staring out in life and he has to grow up fast after the attack. I really enjoyed this tale and I would recommend it.
Lov is a sixteen year old half dragon. On his birthday he goes out hunting with his uncle, but while out Lov senses that something has happened to his father. They return to their village to find it has been decimated by Titans and his father is dead. With his mother missing, Lov and his uncle, along with his uncles friend Jaxon, set out to find her and get revenge on the titans. Writing about fantastical lands and dragons can stretch the imagination, but Lov was a relatable character. He is a sixteen year old boy, staring out in life and he has to grow up fast after the attack. I really enjoyed this tale and I would recommend it.
March 20, 2016
Pure fantasy isn't what I usually choose to read, yet I thought this one was refreshing since it is dealing with dragons, fairies, elves, halflings, orcs and titans.
In this book, we follow Lovonian, a 16 year old half dragon - half elf, as he learns to control his dragon hunger to save his people. Is Lov's grandfather really there to help him? More than once I wondered what was really going on here. The author does a good job at keeping us guessing and I'll have no choice but to continue the series to learn more.
While the book can certainly please adults, I would be tempted to say that this would be perfect for MG and YA.
In this book, we follow Lovonian, a 16 year old half dragon - half elf, as he learns to control his dragon hunger to save his people. Is Lov's grandfather really there to help him? More than once I wondered what was really going on here. The author does a good job at keeping us guessing and I'll have no choice but to continue the series to learn more.
While the book can certainly please adults, I would be tempted to say that this would be perfect for MG and YA.
April 30, 2015
I received this ebook for free from the author: thanks a lot!
The story is about a half-dragon, half-elf called Lovonian. On his 16th birthday, he goes out hunting with his uncle but then senses that his father died: he was killed by the Titans. From then on, he has to practice to get revenge on the Titans with help from his uncle, a friend from his uncle and his grandpa.
The story was extremely interesting and the end was very unexpected. I can’t wait to read the next part!
The story is about a half-dragon, half-elf called Lovonian. On his 16th birthday, he goes out hunting with his uncle but then senses that his father died: he was killed by the Titans. From then on, he has to practice to get revenge on the Titans with help from his uncle, a friend from his uncle and his grandpa.
The story was extremely interesting and the end was very unexpected. I can’t wait to read the next part!
December 11, 2016
I love fantasy that stretches my imagination but still has compelling and understandable story plot. This book does all of that plus it has an occasional bit of humor thrown in.
There is some profanity for those that don't want that element, but it is not overwhelming. Also please note this is a series and there is a cliffhanger. A big question that I am left with until I can get to the second book.
Hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I did.
There is some profanity for those that don't want that element, but it is not overwhelming. Also please note this is a series and there is a cliffhanger. A big question that I am left with until I can get to the second book.
Hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I did.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews