What do you think?
Rate this book
Keys of Candor #1
The Red Deaths
The continent of Candor is haunted by the violent echoes of an ancient, bloody past. Thousands of years ago, darkness overtook the land, unleashing a torrent of chaos and death. Whatever happened to the Predecessors is long lost, except for the memory of the Keys of Candor, great objects of immense power that could check even the power of gods, locking them away into the void. Now the phantoms of the past seek to be remembered and unleashed once more. Kull Shepherd, Willyn Kara, and Seam Panderean, though total strangers are bound to one another in a destiny that will determine the fate of all living in Candor. Legends tell of a hero; The Keeper of the Keys. A figure who would rise during Candor's greatest need and bind away the darkness once and for all. The Keeper must answer the call. Time is running out.
- GenresFantasy
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 7, 2015
13 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 10, 2015
If Dune and LOTR had a child, it might very well be this book. An excellent blend of sci-fi and fantasy (even a little horror!), with meticulously developed characters, unstoppable momentum, and LOADS of well-crafted suspense. Cannot wait to read the second installment.
April 8, 2015
W O W! I consider myself very fortunate to have happened upon this piece of greatness! Seth Ervin and Casey Eanes have laid the perfect foundation for an entire series with The Red Deaths.
The Kingdom of Candor
Lotte- (houses the Capital)
Preost-home of the religious order
Elum- merchants
Grogan Lands-warriors
Riht- the dead zone (made so by the Grogans)
King Camden is dead. His head of security, Grift, has been taken captive. His diabolical son Seam has taken his place on the throne. Cities are in ruin as war begins to wage between Lotte and the Grogan Lands.
**Kull, hell bent to find his father and kill his captor Willyn Kara, sets out on the trecherous journey to the Grogan lands accompanied by Wael, the Mastermonk from Preost.
**Willyn Kara, convinced her brother Hagan (ruler of the Grogans) has been poisoned by Grift Shepard, plows through Lotte, leaving a trail of destruction, in order to capture, question and eventually kill Grift Shepard.
**Seam Panderean has one goal...to rule all...but he will need all the Keys of Candor to do it and for him, that means stoking the fires of war and enslaving his kingdom.
What follows is a high intensity tale filled with loads of action, suspense, magic and a bit of sadness. The landscape of Candor is easily to visualize and the characters are FULL of life and vibrancy. I enjoy the way in which the writers used each chapter to start you on multiple, individual, roads that inevitability end at the same place. The progression of the story was very well paced and the ending was done in such a way that while there was a completion to what you read, you are left wanting MORE...which I honestly PRAY happens.
Keys of Candor: The Red Death is an incredible start to what I believe will be an exceptional series. I highly recommend to any reader who enjoys a great epic fantasy.
The Kingdom of Candor
Lotte- (houses the Capital)
Preost-home of the religious order
Elum- merchants
Grogan Lands-warriors
Riht- the dead zone (made so by the Grogans)
King Camden is dead. His head of security, Grift, has been taken captive. His diabolical son Seam has taken his place on the throne. Cities are in ruin as war begins to wage between Lotte and the Grogan Lands.
**Kull, hell bent to find his father and kill his captor Willyn Kara, sets out on the trecherous journey to the Grogan lands accompanied by Wael, the Mastermonk from Preost.
**Willyn Kara, convinced her brother Hagan (ruler of the Grogans) has been poisoned by Grift Shepard, plows through Lotte, leaving a trail of destruction, in order to capture, question and eventually kill Grift Shepard.
**Seam Panderean has one goal...to rule all...but he will need all the Keys of Candor to do it and for him, that means stoking the fires of war and enslaving his kingdom.
What follows is a high intensity tale filled with loads of action, suspense, magic and a bit of sadness. The landscape of Candor is easily to visualize and the characters are FULL of life and vibrancy. I enjoy the way in which the writers used each chapter to start you on multiple, individual, roads that inevitability end at the same place. The progression of the story was very well paced and the ending was done in such a way that while there was a completion to what you read, you are left wanting MORE...which I honestly PRAY happens.
Keys of Candor: The Red Death is an incredible start to what I believe will be an exceptional series. I highly recommend to any reader who enjoys a great epic fantasy.
May 14, 2025
Very refreshing read. Dark and mysterious with the potential for great hope. I look forward to future installments and more close calls with the hive.
Keys of Candor:
#1 The Red Deaths
#2 Sea of Souls
#3 Dominion's End
Keys of Candor:
#1 The Red Deaths
#2 Sea of Souls
#3 Dominion's End
February 13, 2016
Reviewed by Freya @ The Reader's Hollow
We received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
3.5 x 5 Stars
The beginning of this book was very confusing, primarily because of seemingly indecisive world-building. It felt like the authors couldn’t quite decide what technology level to base their world at. The opening scene is a boy receiving a sword lesson, with a dying mother, living in a quiet logging town. So sounds like a fairly typical fantasy world, with swords etc. Then a train appears, belching out smoke. Oh, okay, so an industrial revolution type world. Then some hover-craft with rockets and electric tazers burst onto the scene. Hmm, so maybe 1940’s sort of technology? Then some autonomous flying TV cameras that live-stream across the globe are mentioned. So a current or even futuristic level of technology, maybe? It made settling into the story a bit difficult. I don’t think it would require too many changes to make it easier to settle in, or perhaps even an expanded description of the book to prepare the reader might improve the situation.
There was one more significant point that made it a bit difficult to embrace the story. It is just not at all believable that a mother would send her teenage son (and only child) on what is almost certainly a suicide mission, deep into the territory of a heavily armed enemy. Particularly since the man needing rescuing (the boy’s father), at last sight, appeared to be dying anyway. If, however, this was the brash decision of a teenage boy, without the knowledge of his mother - or against her wishes - it would have been a bit more credible.
That all said, the writing style and characterisation are good. There are three main characters. Kull, an average young man who has just seen his father taken by the enemy (and is subsequently sent on a suicide mission by his apparently insane mother). A prince/newly crowned young King, who wants both to avenge his father and peace for his people (conflicting goals). And a girl/princess/general whose brother (king) is dying of poisoning, which triggered the war this is all set around. Each is an interesting character and, as I said, the characterisation is good, and I did begin to feel a bit of a link to these characters and their individual goals and dreams. The plot swaps between different characters, but stays with each character long enough to develop the plot well in each section. The pace of the story is good and does quite a good job of telling the two sides of a war where each side feels justified and there is no clear bad-guy.
If / When you get past the difficulties at the start of this book, it becomes enjoyable. While I would personally like to see some revisions, for more open-minded readers this is worth delving into.
We received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
3.5 x 5 Stars
The beginning of this book was very confusing, primarily because of seemingly indecisive world-building. It felt like the authors couldn’t quite decide what technology level to base their world at. The opening scene is a boy receiving a sword lesson, with a dying mother, living in a quiet logging town. So sounds like a fairly typical fantasy world, with swords etc. Then a train appears, belching out smoke. Oh, okay, so an industrial revolution type world. Then some hover-craft with rockets and electric tazers burst onto the scene. Hmm, so maybe 1940’s sort of technology? Then some autonomous flying TV cameras that live-stream across the globe are mentioned. So a current or even futuristic level of technology, maybe? It made settling into the story a bit difficult. I don’t think it would require too many changes to make it easier to settle in, or perhaps even an expanded description of the book to prepare the reader might improve the situation.
There was one more significant point that made it a bit difficult to embrace the story. It is just not at all believable that a mother would send her teenage son (and only child) on what is almost certainly a suicide mission, deep into the territory of a heavily armed enemy. Particularly since the man needing rescuing (the boy’s father), at last sight, appeared to be dying anyway. If, however, this was the brash decision of a teenage boy, without the knowledge of his mother - or against her wishes - it would have been a bit more credible.
That all said, the writing style and characterisation are good. There are three main characters. Kull, an average young man who has just seen his father taken by the enemy (and is subsequently sent on a suicide mission by his apparently insane mother). A prince/newly crowned young King, who wants both to avenge his father and peace for his people (conflicting goals). And a girl/princess/general whose brother (king) is dying of poisoning, which triggered the war this is all set around. Each is an interesting character and, as I said, the characterisation is good, and I did begin to feel a bit of a link to these characters and their individual goals and dreams. The plot swaps between different characters, but stays with each character long enough to develop the plot well in each section. The pace of the story is good and does quite a good job of telling the two sides of a war where each side feels justified and there is no clear bad-guy.
If / When you get past the difficulties at the start of this book, it becomes enjoyable. While I would personally like to see some revisions, for more open-minded readers this is worth delving into.
February 28, 2015
You might not believe this, but I read all 400-some pages of The Red Deaths in one day. I got sucked into the world of Candor on a Snow Day and didn't re-emerge until nearly dinnertime. Isn't that just the best way to read fantasy? Let the world be built around you and enjoy the story while you're there without having to reacclimate yourself? I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Candor and am looking forward to potential sequels!
(Note to the authors: there really better be sequels. That ending left me wanting more!)
The Red Deaths follows three young people: Kull, Willyn, and Seam. All three are on the brink of adulthood as their world heads toward war. Rulers of the various Realms of Candor are dying. Blame is being tossed around, and Realms are preparing to go to war over their rulers' deaths. Panic, confusion, anger... all leading to war. Some things don't change whether you're a resident of Candor or a resident of Earth.
The strengths of The Red Deaths lie in character development and attention to detail. By the end of the book, I really felt like I knew Kull, Willyn, and Seam, along with many secondary characters. The reader gets to know all their strengths and weaknesses; their hopes and fears. And you might just be surprised at who you end up rooting for!
The attention to detail from the authors also pleasantly surprised me. Knowing one of the authors, I really shouldn't have been surprised, but I still was. This is a self-published book, but you might not know it at first glance. The writing never fell flat; there were nearly no typographical or grammatical errors; and the writing style is smooth and consistent without. I don't know if Casey & Seth each took turns writing chapters, or if they worked together on the entirety. You never encounter too-abrupt shifts in writing style that would indicated a change in author. I was definitely impressed.
The only thing is that I wanted just a little bit more world-building. But then, I suppose, I wouldn't necessary want a 700-page book! I'm ok with sacrificing a bit of scenic description in favor of such well-rounded characters. And the way The Red Deaths ended leaves me hopeful for future installments, in which we may get to "see" more of the world of Candor.
I could definitely see myself recommending The Red Deaths to others.
(Note to the authors: there really better be sequels. That ending left me wanting more!)
The Red Deaths follows three young people: Kull, Willyn, and Seam. All three are on the brink of adulthood as their world heads toward war. Rulers of the various Realms of Candor are dying. Blame is being tossed around, and Realms are preparing to go to war over their rulers' deaths. Panic, confusion, anger... all leading to war. Some things don't change whether you're a resident of Candor or a resident of Earth.
The strengths of The Red Deaths lie in character development and attention to detail. By the end of the book, I really felt like I knew Kull, Willyn, and Seam, along with many secondary characters. The reader gets to know all their strengths and weaknesses; their hopes and fears. And you might just be surprised at who you end up rooting for!
The attention to detail from the authors also pleasantly surprised me. Knowing one of the authors, I really shouldn't have been surprised, but I still was. This is a self-published book, but you might not know it at first glance. The writing never fell flat; there were nearly no typographical or grammatical errors; and the writing style is smooth and consistent without. I don't know if Casey & Seth each took turns writing chapters, or if they worked together on the entirety. You never encounter too-abrupt shifts in writing style that would indicated a change in author. I was definitely impressed.
The only thing is that I wanted just a little bit more world-building. But then, I suppose, I wouldn't necessary want a 700-page book! I'm ok with sacrificing a bit of scenic description in favor of such well-rounded characters. And the way The Red Deaths ended leaves me hopeful for future installments, in which we may get to "see" more of the world of Candor.
I could definitely see myself recommending The Red Deaths to others.
February 22, 2015
You get introduced to a great world here, with a unique blend of technology and fantasy. There is plenty of mythos and intrigue in Candor. The motley host of characters provides a full range of personalities and motivations. The plot shows some real glimmers of genius and I look forward to seeing where the road will head as the story continues.
May 8, 2016
A marvelous read. A combination of Game of Thrones, Dune, and Lord of the rings combined into one epic book. Seth Ervin and Casey Eanes created a fantastic world full of powerful characters. I am looking forward to the next book: Sea of Souls!
January 1, 2019
I bought this book at a local Comic-con, with low expectations. It was a little slow starting out, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked it. The world building happened through-out the book, as did delving into the characters. I found myself rooting for a particular character, and disliking one immediately. And I really hope I haven’t seen the last of one of the secondary characters, Luken. If your into post apocalyptic books, this one’s a great read. I can’t wait to dig into the second one. You can’t tell that it’s self-published either. There was alot of moving from one main character to another in terms of POV, but the writers manage it effortlessly without it seeming choppy. Overall, a pretty great read. I would have given it a higher rating, but it took me a little longer than I would have liked to find myself hooked into the book.
November 17, 2015
Keys of Candor: The Red Deaths is a fast-paced adventure that will leave you aching for the next installment. Looking forward to Sea of Souls!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews