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Champion of the Gods #1
The Last Grand Master
Champion of the Book One
In a war that shook the earth, the six gods of Nendor defeated their brother Neldin, god of evil. For three thousand years, Nendor and the Seven Kingdoms have known peace and prosperity and Neldin's evil was nearly forgotten.
But then Meglar, wizard king of Zargon, unleashes the dark magic of the underworld and creates an army of creatures to carry out his master's will. One by one, the sovereign realms fall as a new war between the gods threatens to engulf Nendor.
Leading the opposition to Meglar is Grand Master Farrell. Young and untried, Farrell carries a secret that could hold the key to defeating Meglar—or it could destroy the world.
Farrell is joined by Nerti, queen of the unicorns and Miceral, an immortal muchari warrior the Six have chosen as Farrell's mate. As Farrell and his new allies make plans to counter Neldin's evil, Meglar forces their hand when he invades a neighboring kingdom. Rushing to help their ally, Farrell and Miceral find themselves in the middle of the battle. Cut off from help, Farrell attempts an untried spell that will either turn the tide or cost he and Miceral their lives.
In a war that shook the earth, the six gods of Nendor defeated their brother Neldin, god of evil. For three thousand years, Nendor and the Seven Kingdoms have known peace and prosperity and Neldin's evil was nearly forgotten.
But then Meglar, wizard king of Zargon, unleashes the dark magic of the underworld and creates an army of creatures to carry out his master's will. One by one, the sovereign realms fall as a new war between the gods threatens to engulf Nendor.
Leading the opposition to Meglar is Grand Master Farrell. Young and untried, Farrell carries a secret that could hold the key to defeating Meglar—or it could destroy the world.
Farrell is joined by Nerti, queen of the unicorns and Miceral, an immortal muchari warrior the Six have chosen as Farrell's mate. As Farrell and his new allies make plans to counter Neldin's evil, Meglar forces their hand when he invades a neighboring kingdom. Rushing to help their ally, Farrell and Miceral find themselves in the middle of the battle. Cut off from help, Farrell attempts an untried spell that will either turn the tide or cost he and Miceral their lives.
372 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 31, 2013
125 people are currently reading
838 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Q. Gordon
22 books122 followersAfter a minor in creative writing in college, Andrew Q. Gordon decided to become old and stodgy and went to law school. At the urging of his partner, he returned to creative writing almost two decades later . Still working as a lawyer, he and his husband of seventeen years and their dogs live in the DC area. In 2011 they welcomed their daughter into their family. Andrew still manages to write after the last diaper is changed and he unwraps himself from his daughter's little finger.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
July 4, 2017
This book is epic fantasy at its best with some epic gay romance as well. Just a note if you are expecting erotica from this series you will not be getting it. Honestly it is the last thing this story needs. It feels just perfect the way it is. Having read this back in 2013 when it was published and then forgotten about it I read it for a second time so I could start book 2 with alll of book 1 fresh in my memory. Reading it the 2nd time was not just as good at the first; I actually got more out of it the second time around; things I'd missed the first time. This book and its author are truly awesome! Reading this book was like living it the writing and descriptions truly brought this world and its characters to life.
April 5, 2013
The story began with a blast of urgency. In the first couple chapters, our hero rode a unicorn, teleported while riding a unicorn to get there faster, swung killer magic to get through an army of bad guys, kicked some asses, — *takes a deep breathe* — rescued a surrounded party of allies leading to more ass kicking, discovered his soul mate, more magic, contributed majorly to the evacuation of a doomed kingdom, accepted his soul mate, more magic, more ass kicking, and finally when they finished evacuating, bombed the entire place to kill the bad guys who were rushing in. Bam! *exhales*
In short, the beginning = awesomesauce.
I was reluctant to read The Last Grand Master because it didn't have anything that specifically appeals to me other than the fact that it's a fantasy with a mm-romance subplot. I expected the book being fantasy that the "good parts" weren't going to kick in till late in the story. The book proved me wrong, obviously.
+ the plot
The plot eventually slowed down, and things were going well. That is till around the second quarter of the book when it took a sharp turn for melodrama. The good news was that the plot limited the melodrama within a chapter. The bad news was that every and now then there would be a chapter reeking of melodrama. The writing seriously needed to apply the art of subtext; the dialogue can be stilted and maudlin sometime.
The plot was long winded and lost some of my attention, especially towards the end where most of the melodrama resided. Not until the climax in the last quarter did my attention was regained and held at the level it was in the beginning.
+ the hero
The main reason for the melodrama was Farrell, the hero. Every time he talked about his sad past, he did it an overly emotional, drawn out, info-dumping way. It always felt contrived and absurd instead of heartbreaking as intended. Other than that, I had no problem with Farrell and his other flaws, which included a handful of insecurities.
Farrell was unabashedly a Gary Stu, and I loved it. He was a prince, a king (dual-titled if you will), a hero, a chosen one, and a grand master-level wizard (one out of the living two, the other being Meglar). He has a bond with a unicorn, and not just any unicorn, but with Nerti, queen of the unicorn. He has a soul mate, and not just any soul mate, but with Miceral, warrior prince of the Munchari race. You get the point. I really liked that the hero never hesitated to unleash his abilities to the fullest unlike so many countless, countless Urban Fantasy protagonists I have read about.
Farrell was not the bad kind of Gary Stu because he was actually competent and he did have limits, believe it or not. His Gary Stu-ness also doubled as an issue because the poor guy tried to do everything because people looked to him to fix their problems, which usually led him to overextend himself and acquire injuries and take perceived failures, especially where deaths were concerned, hard in the heart.
I liked that in spite of being a super wizard Farrell still had a lot to learn and wanted to learn. I liked that he didn't completely depend on magic for everything and realized magic had its limits; dude took martial art training. What I loved best about Farrell was that he was smart and sensible, how self-aware he was of his status and limits, which he sometime ignored so he could help people.
In short, hero = Gary Stu, but not stupid.
+ the romance
Despite being insta-love and rather cheesy, I thought the romance was good. What I liked best was how uncomplicated it was, how easily and quickly the two adjusted to each other. I didn't doubt their love. Speaking as a fan of smut, I was a little disappointed that the sex happened off page. But hey, the story was a fantasy, not a romance, so I got the point.
Anyway, I really liked that in this fantasy world same-sex relationships were a non-issue/normal, barring that odd chapters-length subplot of a minor character coming out. Speaking of which, while that subplot ended happily, the heir issue remained unresolved. It also pulled the issue of heirs from the back of my mind to the front. It was already in the back of mind because Farrell and Miceral were princes. Shouldn't the issue of heirs come up, particularly when each, as far I know, didn’t have any siblings or relatives to be backups...?
Thankfully, the issue was not a glaring kind because the two have an abnormally long life expectancy so there is more than enough time to figure it out.
+ the world building
The world was developed in many places, but where it concerned Haven, the Big Bad, and the gods it tripped. I like that Farrell welcomed every refugee to his kingdom, Haven, but I found it hard to believe that Haven would have enough resources to house and feed everyone. Not to mention jobs; idle hands are the devil's playground. I also found it hard to believe that every refugee from many different kingdoms of many different cultures would get along easily, especially when some of those refugees were nobles and surviving royals. Yeah, right. Haven was treated like it was fucking heaven and everyone kumbaya-ing.
The Big Bad was Meglar, your Evil Wizard Lord stock villain who is bent on world domination. Meglar's character development was shallow, but I didn't take issue — yet — because in book 1 he haven’t make an appearance, so far only by quick-to-be-defeated faceless proxies. In the next book, I hope there will be answer as to why the gods, six of them in total, can't simply throw a lightning bolt at the dude and kill him already.
Speaking of the gods, I didn't like how much trust Farrell placed in them even though in book 1 everything they had done had been good and timely. Farrell was asking for a world of hurt if he thought the gods always planned with his best interest in mind, or for any mortal for that matter; the thing about pursuing the greater good is that it always demands sacrifices. Anyway, the gods weren't any more developed than Meglar. They were good guys because they were good guys.
In Conclusion
I rate The Last Grand Master 3-stars for I liked it. The book lost some steam in the middle of the book, but I still enjoyed the story. If you're in the mood for a non-thinking, linear fantasy and want a hero who can already kick ass and succeed instead of waiting for book X of series Blah for the hero to attain competency, try out the book. If only some of the qualities of this book would transfer to the Urban Fantasies I read...
My favorite part was the fact that the Farrell and Miceral each bonded with a unicorn. Gay guys riding on unicorns, there should be more of that. Just saying.
In short, the beginning = awesomesauce.
I was reluctant to read The Last Grand Master because it didn't have anything that specifically appeals to me other than the fact that it's a fantasy with a mm-romance subplot. I expected the book being fantasy that the "good parts" weren't going to kick in till late in the story. The book proved me wrong, obviously.
+ the plot
The plot eventually slowed down, and things were going well. That is till around the second quarter of the book when it took a sharp turn for melodrama. The good news was that the plot limited the melodrama within a chapter. The bad news was that every and now then there would be a chapter reeking of melodrama. The writing seriously needed to apply the art of subtext; the dialogue can be stilted and maudlin sometime.
The plot was long winded and lost some of my attention, especially towards the end where most of the melodrama resided. Not until the climax in the last quarter did my attention was regained and held at the level it was in the beginning.
+ the hero
The main reason for the melodrama was Farrell, the hero. Every time he talked about his sad past, he did it an overly emotional, drawn out, info-dumping way. It always felt contrived and absurd instead of heartbreaking as intended. Other than that, I had no problem with Farrell and his other flaws, which included a handful of insecurities.
Farrell was unabashedly a Gary Stu, and I loved it. He was a prince, a king (dual-titled if you will), a hero, a chosen one, and a grand master-level wizard (one out of the living two, the other being Meglar). He has a bond with a unicorn, and not just any unicorn, but with Nerti, queen of the unicorn. He has a soul mate, and not just any soul mate, but with Miceral, warrior prince of the Munchari race. You get the point. I really liked that the hero never hesitated to unleash his abilities to the fullest unlike so many countless, countless Urban Fantasy protagonists I have read about.
Farrell was not the bad kind of Gary Stu because he was actually competent and he did have limits, believe it or not. His Gary Stu-ness also doubled as an issue because the poor guy tried to do everything because people looked to him to fix their problems, which usually led him to overextend himself and acquire injuries and take perceived failures, especially where deaths were concerned, hard in the heart.
I liked that in spite of being a super wizard Farrell still had a lot to learn and wanted to learn. I liked that he didn't completely depend on magic for everything and realized magic had its limits; dude took martial art training. What I loved best about Farrell was that he was smart and sensible, how self-aware he was of his status and limits, which he sometime ignored so he could help people.
In short, hero = Gary Stu, but not stupid.
+ the romance
Despite being insta-love and rather cheesy, I thought the romance was good. What I liked best was how uncomplicated it was, how easily and quickly the two adjusted to each other. I didn't doubt their love. Speaking as a fan of smut, I was a little disappointed that the sex happened off page. But hey, the story was a fantasy, not a romance, so I got the point.
Anyway, I really liked that in this fantasy world same-sex relationships were a non-issue/normal, barring that odd chapters-length subplot of a minor character coming out. Speaking of which, while that subplot ended happily, the heir issue remained unresolved. It also pulled the issue of heirs from the back of my mind to the front. It was already in the back of mind because Farrell and Miceral were princes. Shouldn't the issue of heirs come up, particularly when each, as far I know, didn’t have any siblings or relatives to be backups...?
Thankfully, the issue was not a glaring kind because the two have an abnormally long life expectancy so there is more than enough time to figure it out.
+ the world building
The world was developed in many places, but where it concerned Haven, the Big Bad, and the gods it tripped. I like that Farrell welcomed every refugee to his kingdom, Haven, but I found it hard to believe that Haven would have enough resources to house and feed everyone. Not to mention jobs; idle hands are the devil's playground. I also found it hard to believe that every refugee from many different kingdoms of many different cultures would get along easily, especially when some of those refugees were nobles and surviving royals. Yeah, right. Haven was treated like it was fucking heaven and everyone kumbaya-ing.
The Big Bad was Meglar, your Evil Wizard Lord stock villain who is bent on world domination. Meglar's character development was shallow, but I didn't take issue — yet — because in book 1 he haven’t make an appearance, so far only by quick-to-be-defeated faceless proxies. In the next book, I hope there will be answer as to why the gods, six of them in total, can't simply throw a lightning bolt at the dude and kill him already.
Speaking of the gods, I didn't like how much trust Farrell placed in them even though in book 1 everything they had done had been good and timely. Farrell was asking for a world of hurt if he thought the gods always planned with his best interest in mind, or for any mortal for that matter; the thing about pursuing the greater good is that it always demands sacrifices. Anyway, the gods weren't any more developed than Meglar. They were good guys because they were good guys.
In Conclusion
I rate The Last Grand Master 3-stars for I liked it. The book lost some steam in the middle of the book, but I still enjoyed the story. If you're in the mood for a non-thinking, linear fantasy and want a hero who can already kick ass and succeed instead of waiting for book X of series Blah for the hero to attain competency, try out the book. If only some of the qualities of this book would transfer to the Urban Fantasies I read...
My favorite part was the fact that the Farrell and Miceral each bonded with a unicorn. Gay guys riding on unicorns, there should be more of that. Just saying.
January 31, 2013
5 Hearts
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/
The Seven Kingdoms are being systematically conquered by the dark wizard king, Meglar, he won’t stop until he has them all under his rule, and there is nobody powerful enough to stop him. Farrell is a young Grand Master wizard and he knows that the Gods have plans for him, he will one day have to face Meglar, but first he has to help some of the Gods followers.
This story is absolutely brilliant, an action packed, high fantasy that drags your imagination along on an epic journey. Farrell is the Gods Chosen, he knows that one day he will have to face the dark Grand Master Melgar and is preparing for that day. When he is asked by the Gods to help a neighbouring Kingdom and informed that he will meet his mate, he is determined to do as the Gods ask. Meeting Miceral in the midst’s of battle surprises him, but the safety of a nation comes first. This is the beginning of an adventure filled with magic, danger, negotiation and love.
I really don’t think that I am able to really do justice to this story, I have to admit that I am floundering as to get my thoughts into words…this book dragged me in and didn’t let go until the last page and even then I wanted more. The storyline is fantastic, the characters are brilliant and the action is incredible, I loved every magic filled minute. Farrell is a character that is secure in his position as a wizard and a prince, but when it comes to love is unsure and scared. Miceral knows that Farrell is the one for him and has no doubts; he has to ease Farrell’s doubts and convince him that Farrell is more than enough for him. For some people it will seem that they connected very quickly, but when it has been ordained by the Gods, well, how can you complain?
There are lots of incredible details in this story, even during the battles; they give you enough so you can picture in your mind exactly what it must look like. With some stories we can become bogged down with details, but with this story there is always just enough to fuel the imagination. Farrell and Miceral’s relationship is great, they are well suited and are a great support for each other, when they have the joining ceremony it is a beautiful moment in the book. The interaction between all the characters is brilliant and each one is drawn into the story in their own right, and they fit perfectly. There is so much I want to say about this story, but to be honest I would ruin it because this is just one of those books that you have to read for yourself.
I have to recommend that everyone gives this book a shot, because this story is filled with everything that you could ever want from a high fantasy; magic, magical creatures, great battles, rescues, escapes, and an assortment of great characters, a brilliant storyline and an ending that leaves you wanting more.
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/
The Seven Kingdoms are being systematically conquered by the dark wizard king, Meglar, he won’t stop until he has them all under his rule, and there is nobody powerful enough to stop him. Farrell is a young Grand Master wizard and he knows that the Gods have plans for him, he will one day have to face Meglar, but first he has to help some of the Gods followers.
This story is absolutely brilliant, an action packed, high fantasy that drags your imagination along on an epic journey. Farrell is the Gods Chosen, he knows that one day he will have to face the dark Grand Master Melgar and is preparing for that day. When he is asked by the Gods to help a neighbouring Kingdom and informed that he will meet his mate, he is determined to do as the Gods ask. Meeting Miceral in the midst’s of battle surprises him, but the safety of a nation comes first. This is the beginning of an adventure filled with magic, danger, negotiation and love.
I really don’t think that I am able to really do justice to this story, I have to admit that I am floundering as to get my thoughts into words…this book dragged me in and didn’t let go until the last page and even then I wanted more. The storyline is fantastic, the characters are brilliant and the action is incredible, I loved every magic filled minute. Farrell is a character that is secure in his position as a wizard and a prince, but when it comes to love is unsure and scared. Miceral knows that Farrell is the one for him and has no doubts; he has to ease Farrell’s doubts and convince him that Farrell is more than enough for him. For some people it will seem that they connected very quickly, but when it has been ordained by the Gods, well, how can you complain?
There are lots of incredible details in this story, even during the battles; they give you enough so you can picture in your mind exactly what it must look like. With some stories we can become bogged down with details, but with this story there is always just enough to fuel the imagination. Farrell and Miceral’s relationship is great, they are well suited and are a great support for each other, when they have the joining ceremony it is a beautiful moment in the book. The interaction between all the characters is brilliant and each one is drawn into the story in their own right, and they fit perfectly. There is so much I want to say about this story, but to be honest I would ruin it because this is just one of those books that you have to read for yourself.
I have to recommend that everyone gives this book a shot, because this story is filled with everything that you could ever want from a high fantasy; magic, magical creatures, great battles, rescues, escapes, and an assortment of great characters, a brilliant storyline and an ending that leaves you wanting more.
February 6, 2013
Review posted at The Armchair Reader.
3.75 stars
To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect with this novel. It's the first book of a series, and a rather long one, so I hoped that we'd get quite a bit of the story. It also seemed to be high fantasy of a sort, and definitely epic fantasy. And most of all, it was those things. There were certain things I was somewhat dissatisfied with, but I found that they were mostly while I was reading, and the last 25% plus the week I've taken between finishing and writing this review turned my feelings in a bit more positive direction. And most of that came from me wanting to know what happens in the future for these characters.
The history of the world and lands is well described in the blurb. Farrell is the last Grand Master Wizard in all of the Seven Kingdoms and the Prince of Haven, a title given to him because of his unparalleled ability among magic users. His magical talents far supersede his tutors (those left alive) and among those in Haven, he's their best kept secret in the war against Meglar, who is swiftly conquering their neighboring kingdoms.
Haven is a city in central position of the continent, a city-state of refugees from the surrounding kingdoms already overtaken by Meglar. Farrell continues to perfect his magic and try to work with the still intact kingdoms to convince them their only chance of survival is to flee to Haven, but such a thing is a difficult task when those kingdoms feel they must stand and fight for honor, survival and their lands.
As The Last Grand Master starts, Farrell is visited by the avatar of his own God Honorus, who requests his help at the need of his sister-God Lenore who sends Nerti, the queen of the unicorns, to spirit him away to Northhelm, which is already under attack from Meglar's forces. In acceptance of Honorus' wishes, the God tells Farrell that he will meet his fated love on his journey. This first fourth of the novel is action packed and quick to introduce a large cast of characters and quick worldbuilding, also a crash course in magic as well as Farrell's powers. I had some difficulty getting into the story, not because of the plot, but because of the writing. The only way I can describe it is as a somewhat stilted prose and lack of fluidity, and the seeming insta-love between Farrell and Miceral (the "fated love"). Later, I found that there was much more building on their relationship, so I wouldn't actually call this insta-love. It is almost as if the characters realized that they were moving too fast, and their behavior along with the fact that they are indeed fated made it not too instant of a connection. Similarly, after the end of this first section of the novel, the pace started to slow and Farrell and Miceral started to get to know one another better and their banter made a little more sense to me as people who are better acquainted and I eased into the cadence of the writing. It just took me a little while to sink into it.
I enjoyed the rest of the novel, though not without a few other hiccups. Much of the middle of the book seemed stretched too thin. The action and pace of the first part, bracketed by the action of the last quarter made the middle section seem slow with some superfluous detail and little forward momentum. Much of this time was used to progress the romance between Farrell and Miceral, and I assume set up detail and characters that will be pertinent to the future books in the series, but I still am not quite sure that it couldn't, or shouldn't have been reined in somewhat. Soon, however, the story once again regained momentum toward the finale, which I quite enjoyed. However, I still felt a bit of that wild tendency, where the prose seemed at times tangential and over-detailed, especially in this part and the descriptions of magic. There's so much detail about how Farrell sets up a magical shield over the city of Belsport, and even though I enjoyed that level of detail when it is about the magic (it's always one of my favorite parts of these fantasy novels and I hate feeling like I don't get any detail about the magic), it still seemed a bit too much, and in other readers' experience it might be even more bothersome.
My reading experience with this book went all over the map -- at first I was frustrated and a bit weary of reading more, afraid that I wouldn't be able to deal with the writing, or that it might just not click with me at all. Later, I found that while I started to get into the book, my enthusiasm was flagging. And at last, I found that the story ended in the best way possible, and though I never quite found the reading effortless and without some problems, I ended the book wanting to read more and curious about where the characters were headed. I will be interested to read what other readers have to say in review of this novel, especially in relation to the romance. I think my difficulty with the prose in the early stages of the book translated into difficulty with the relationship. I never felt the immediate connection between the characters, but more of an awkward connection between two men who feel as if they should love one another and have to find a way to actually fall in love, which might or might not have been the authors intention, I'm not totally sure. But because of that, and because I found the overall plot more interesting to the romance, the romance remained less interesting to me. I think that of all things I'm looking forward to in the next books, it is how Farrell and Miceral's relationship progresses and changes, reminding myself that this is, of course, the first book in the overall relationship arc.
I hope we don't have to wait too long!
3.75 stars
To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect with this novel. It's the first book of a series, and a rather long one, so I hoped that we'd get quite a bit of the story. It also seemed to be high fantasy of a sort, and definitely epic fantasy. And most of all, it was those things. There were certain things I was somewhat dissatisfied with, but I found that they were mostly while I was reading, and the last 25% plus the week I've taken between finishing and writing this review turned my feelings in a bit more positive direction. And most of that came from me wanting to know what happens in the future for these characters.
The history of the world and lands is well described in the blurb. Farrell is the last Grand Master Wizard in all of the Seven Kingdoms and the Prince of Haven, a title given to him because of his unparalleled ability among magic users. His magical talents far supersede his tutors (those left alive) and among those in Haven, he's their best kept secret in the war against Meglar, who is swiftly conquering their neighboring kingdoms.
Haven is a city in central position of the continent, a city-state of refugees from the surrounding kingdoms already overtaken by Meglar. Farrell continues to perfect his magic and try to work with the still intact kingdoms to convince them their only chance of survival is to flee to Haven, but such a thing is a difficult task when those kingdoms feel they must stand and fight for honor, survival and their lands.
As The Last Grand Master starts, Farrell is visited by the avatar of his own God Honorus, who requests his help at the need of his sister-God Lenore who sends Nerti, the queen of the unicorns, to spirit him away to Northhelm, which is already under attack from Meglar's forces. In acceptance of Honorus' wishes, the God tells Farrell that he will meet his fated love on his journey. This first fourth of the novel is action packed and quick to introduce a large cast of characters and quick worldbuilding, also a crash course in magic as well as Farrell's powers. I had some difficulty getting into the story, not because of the plot, but because of the writing. The only way I can describe it is as a somewhat stilted prose and lack of fluidity, and the seeming insta-love between Farrell and Miceral (the "fated love"). Later, I found that there was much more building on their relationship, so I wouldn't actually call this insta-love. It is almost as if the characters realized that they were moving too fast, and their behavior along with the fact that they are indeed fated made it not too instant of a connection. Similarly, after the end of this first section of the novel, the pace started to slow and Farrell and Miceral started to get to know one another better and their banter made a little more sense to me as people who are better acquainted and I eased into the cadence of the writing. It just took me a little while to sink into it.
I enjoyed the rest of the novel, though not without a few other hiccups. Much of the middle of the book seemed stretched too thin. The action and pace of the first part, bracketed by the action of the last quarter made the middle section seem slow with some superfluous detail and little forward momentum. Much of this time was used to progress the romance between Farrell and Miceral, and I assume set up detail and characters that will be pertinent to the future books in the series, but I still am not quite sure that it couldn't, or shouldn't have been reined in somewhat. Soon, however, the story once again regained momentum toward the finale, which I quite enjoyed. However, I still felt a bit of that wild tendency, where the prose seemed at times tangential and over-detailed, especially in this part and the descriptions of magic. There's so much detail about how Farrell sets up a magical shield over the city of Belsport, and even though I enjoyed that level of detail when it is about the magic (it's always one of my favorite parts of these fantasy novels and I hate feeling like I don't get any detail about the magic), it still seemed a bit too much, and in other readers' experience it might be even more bothersome.
My reading experience with this book went all over the map -- at first I was frustrated and a bit weary of reading more, afraid that I wouldn't be able to deal with the writing, or that it might just not click with me at all. Later, I found that while I started to get into the book, my enthusiasm was flagging. And at last, I found that the story ended in the best way possible, and though I never quite found the reading effortless and without some problems, I ended the book wanting to read more and curious about where the characters were headed. I will be interested to read what other readers have to say in review of this novel, especially in relation to the romance. I think my difficulty with the prose in the early stages of the book translated into difficulty with the relationship. I never felt the immediate connection between the characters, but more of an awkward connection between two men who feel as if they should love one another and have to find a way to actually fall in love, which might or might not have been the authors intention, I'm not totally sure. But because of that, and because I found the overall plot more interesting to the romance, the romance remained less interesting to me. I think that of all things I'm looking forward to in the next books, it is how Farrell and Miceral's relationship progresses and changes, reminding myself that this is, of course, the first book in the overall relationship arc.
I hope we don't have to wait too long!
March 31, 2017
5+ Stars all the way!!
This book was simply amazing. I rarely give five stars to a book but The Last Grand Master gets 5+ Stars. The Last Grand Master is one of the first books I added to my "Goodreads "To Read" shelf back in 2013 but wanted to see if a sequel was going to be written before I invested the time (and I've been burned by a series going "dead" before). When The Eye and the Arm was released I decided it was time. I started Saturday and was blown away. Transitioned directly into the sequel and have fallen in love.
I'm am really terrible at writing reviews. So many people write such insightful reviews that I will leave that to them. If you enjoy epic fantasy you will not be disappointed. One note, other than some smooching all sex is more or less implied and off page. This would be a great book for young adults.
This book was simply amazing. I rarely give five stars to a book but The Last Grand Master gets 5+ Stars. The Last Grand Master is one of the first books I added to my "Goodreads "To Read" shelf back in 2013 but wanted to see if a sequel was going to be written before I invested the time (and I've been burned by a series going "dead" before). When The Eye and the Arm was released I decided it was time. I started Saturday and was blown away. Transitioned directly into the sequel and have fallen in love.
I'm am really terrible at writing reviews. So many people write such insightful reviews that I will leave that to them. If you enjoy epic fantasy you will not be disappointed. One note, other than some smooching all sex is more or less implied and off page. This would be a great book for young adults.
Read
April 4, 2013Okay, no rating of this book for me because I couldn't get all of the way through it.
I really liked Andrew Gordon's writing in Un masked so even though epic fantasy so isn't my thing, I decided to give it a shot. And like many great epic fantasies before it, I just couldn't get into it. I gave it a good shot but I just kept putting it down.
This is a case of "it's not you, it's me".
I really liked Andrew Gordon's writing in Un masked so even though epic fantasy so isn't my thing, I decided to give it a shot. And like many great epic fantasies before it, I just couldn't get into it. I gave it a good shot but I just kept putting it down.
This is a case of "it's not you, it's me".
dnf-bitches
May 19, 2016In the first chapter we have a prince/wizard, a message bird avatar of one of the gods, a super-evil magician of the Sauron variety, a bitchy unicorn and the promise of fated mates. Not to mention at least seven iterations of the following dialog:
"You shouldn't go!"
"But Honorus's avatar told me to go! "
Things aren't going to end well with me and this book.
I think I'd better quit while I am ahead.
Good thing this was free.
DNF @ 7%
"You shouldn't go!"
"But Honorus's avatar told me to go! "
Things aren't going to end well with me and this book.
I think I'd better quit while I am ahead.
Good thing this was free.
DNF @ 7%
November 25, 2017
I stopped about halfway through this one, after skimming a fair bit and then losing interest. This book really didn't do it for me. I found the writing to be really stiff, clunky, and lacking in life and feeling. The dialogue felt especially stilted and unnatural, and the main characters sounded very young and immature and I often had to remind myself that these weren't young teenagers. If I had read the sample first, I doubt I would have wanted to read this because the writing style just didn't work for me. The blurb makes it sound like serious, action-packed epic fantasy (which I love), but I found it to be quite lightweight and slow-paced and romance-focused, so I probably wouldn't recommend this if you're hoping for the former, like I was. The main characters were quite melodramatic and honestly, sugary insta-love doesn't often appeal to me. I won't be reading the second book, even though I already have it. Most people on GR seem to really like this, so I thought I'd give it a try, but it really wasn't for me. Disappointing.
February 9, 2013
The Last Grand Master promises to take you to a fantastical place with high adventure in an unknown world filled with magic, Gods, and hot warrior men.
I loved the action in this novel, the clear lines between good and evil, and I cheered on Farrell as he fought against Meglar’s minions. To sweeten the pot, there is a sweet and interesting love story between Farrell and Miceral. These two men captured my heart and I was sighing something chronic when they finally had their marriage ceremony.
The characters are unique and memorable, and the dialogue fast-paced and also, in the right moments, witty. I enjoyed the journey, and the plot developments.
This is definitely a story I’d recommend to fantasy lovers! :D
I loved the action in this novel, the clear lines between good and evil, and I cheered on Farrell as he fought against Meglar’s minions. To sweeten the pot, there is a sweet and interesting love story between Farrell and Miceral. These two men captured my heart and I was sighing something chronic when they finally had their marriage ceremony.
The characters are unique and memorable, and the dialogue fast-paced and also, in the right moments, witty. I enjoyed the journey, and the plot developments.
This is definitely a story I’d recommend to fantasy lovers! :D
February 10, 2013
4.67 stars
January 14, 2019
This book is outstanding and the series is unquestionably one of my favorite MM romance/ gay series ever.
October 15, 2017
No dragons here but there was a pretty awesome unicorn!
And some pretty amazing peregrines! 'The Last Grandmaster' is the first book in Andrew Q. Gordon's series 'Champion of the Gods' and for me if it's not Urban Fantasy when it comes to fantasy this is my crack. I loved it wizards and noble warriors, magic, unicorns, peregrines, dark magic, good vs evil at its best!
Farrell is both a Grand Master and the crowned Prince of Haven a hidden sanctuary for refugees. He's the linchpin in the war against Meglar the wizard king of Zargon and a user of dark magic. It's during a battle against Meglar that Farrell meets Miceral an immortal warrior chosen by the Six to be Farrell's mate.
Along with Farrell and Miceral the author introduces us to Nerti, Queen of the unicorns and a large cast of secondary characters who all have a role to play in the battle against Meglar.
Overall I really enjoyed this story. It's been quite a while since I've listened to or read a fantasy novel on this epic of a scale and to be honest I'd forgotten the amount of world building that it takes to make a story like this work. Fortunately for me the author chose to incorporate most of his world building into the story which for me works a whole lot better than info dumps. While there were occasionally times that my interest waned they were far and few between.
'The Last Grandmaster' is as story that has a lot going on...not only is Farrell's personal life in a bit of upheaval but he's working hard to save his world and defeat the evil known as Meglar and of course like any good story our hero has secrets...secrets that dog him at every turn and may even prove to be his undoing.
I have to admit I've been poking around this series for a while now and couldn't quite make up my mind but when the opportunity to listen to this on audio book came up, I sat down and took a serious look at things. I know I've said on more than one occasion that fantasy is one of my absolute favorite genres, so needless to say this had 'The Last Grandmaster' ticking yes in more than a few boxes for me. My dilemma came when I got to the narrator. Joel Leslie is the narrator for this book and this created a bit of a dilemma for me, I haven't had the best of luck with this narrator. It's not a case of good or bad, it's truly just personal preference and for me this narrator's voice tends to be more miss than hit...so what to do, what to do?
Well I went back and took a look at the audio books that I've listened to by Joel Leslie and came to the realization that while some didn't work and some were just ok. Out of them all while the audio was for me only 3 stars...I would have to say that 'Lord Mouse' is probably the one I liked the best and while that book bares no resemblance to this one in terms of the storyline or plot there is a similarity to the overall feel of them...sorry, I wish I had better words to explain this with but hopefully you get my drift here...anyways, bottom line after pondering this aspect of things I decided this was worth taking a chance on and happily for me I was right. Joel Leslie's narration for 'The Last Grandmaster' worked just fine for me and I genuinely enjoyed the audio experience. So much so that I'm truly hoping that the remainder of this series will be produced on audio book and I certainly won't have any reservations about listening if it's the same narrator for those books.
Although 'The Last Grandmaster' is the first book in this series the author hasn't left us standing at the edge of any cliffs wondering about the well being of our heroes, it would appear that each book in this series is for the most part a self-contained adventure that is part of a larger journey...a quest if you will, that our heroes are on in their battle against evil. There are currently four books in this series with a fifth book slated for release in 2018. For me the question isn't whether or not I'll continue the journey it's more a case of e-book or wait for it on audio? What to do? What to do?
*************************
An audio book of 'The Last Grandmaster' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
And some pretty amazing peregrines! 'The Last Grandmaster' is the first book in Andrew Q. Gordon's series 'Champion of the Gods' and for me if it's not Urban Fantasy when it comes to fantasy this is my crack. I loved it wizards and noble warriors, magic, unicorns, peregrines, dark magic, good vs evil at its best!
Farrell is both a Grand Master and the crowned Prince of Haven a hidden sanctuary for refugees. He's the linchpin in the war against Meglar the wizard king of Zargon and a user of dark magic. It's during a battle against Meglar that Farrell meets Miceral an immortal warrior chosen by the Six to be Farrell's mate.
Along with Farrell and Miceral the author introduces us to Nerti, Queen of the unicorns and a large cast of secondary characters who all have a role to play in the battle against Meglar.
Overall I really enjoyed this story. It's been quite a while since I've listened to or read a fantasy novel on this epic of a scale and to be honest I'd forgotten the amount of world building that it takes to make a story like this work. Fortunately for me the author chose to incorporate most of his world building into the story which for me works a whole lot better than info dumps. While there were occasionally times that my interest waned they were far and few between.
'The Last Grandmaster' is as story that has a lot going on...not only is Farrell's personal life in a bit of upheaval but he's working hard to save his world and defeat the evil known as Meglar and of course like any good story our hero has secrets...secrets that dog him at every turn and may even prove to be his undoing.
I have to admit I've been poking around this series for a while now and couldn't quite make up my mind but when the opportunity to listen to this on audio book came up, I sat down and took a serious look at things. I know I've said on more than one occasion that fantasy is one of my absolute favorite genres, so needless to say this had 'The Last Grandmaster' ticking yes in more than a few boxes for me. My dilemma came when I got to the narrator. Joel Leslie is the narrator for this book and this created a bit of a dilemma for me, I haven't had the best of luck with this narrator. It's not a case of good or bad, it's truly just personal preference and for me this narrator's voice tends to be more miss than hit...so what to do, what to do?
Well I went back and took a look at the audio books that I've listened to by Joel Leslie and came to the realization that while some didn't work and some were just ok. Out of them all while the audio was for me only 3 stars...I would have to say that 'Lord Mouse' is probably the one I liked the best and while that book bares no resemblance to this one in terms of the storyline or plot there is a similarity to the overall feel of them...sorry, I wish I had better words to explain this with but hopefully you get my drift here...anyways, bottom line after pondering this aspect of things I decided this was worth taking a chance on and happily for me I was right. Joel Leslie's narration for 'The Last Grandmaster' worked just fine for me and I genuinely enjoyed the audio experience. So much so that I'm truly hoping that the remainder of this series will be produced on audio book and I certainly won't have any reservations about listening if it's the same narrator for those books.
Although 'The Last Grandmaster' is the first book in this series the author hasn't left us standing at the edge of any cliffs wondering about the well being of our heroes, it would appear that each book in this series is for the most part a self-contained adventure that is part of a larger journey...a quest if you will, that our heroes are on in their battle against evil. There are currently four books in this series with a fifth book slated for release in 2018. For me the question isn't whether or not I'll continue the journey it's more a case of e-book or wait for it on audio? What to do? What to do?
*************************
An audio book of 'The Last Grandmaster' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 20, 2013
First, the horribly truncated summary: An awesome god-chosen wizard and his warrior lover ride their unicorns to… umm… well, there is an evil wizard.
Typical unicorn mythology does not apply here. It makes me thankful because I would like to ride one myself. And, as established by friends/colleagues, I have no virtue left.
Well, I might have some, but the parts of me requiring the virtue for a unicorn moving right along…
*deep breath* I will try to rein in my snark on this one. I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, it frustrated me. There were great parts, but they were surrounded by action that went too quick on one side and useless scenes on the other.
As I can see via Goodreads, I'm in the minority on this one.
We open the book on Farrell, Prince of Haven, levitating outside. The day might be peaceful, but the threat of an increasingly powerful wizard looms like a dark cloud over Farrell’s actions. While working, his god comes down to him in the form of an eagle and explains that his nemesis has attacked a distant village. His god also tells him that he will meet his soulmate in the village, so he best get going.
The following pages are a mad-dash rush. Before I’ve been given a chance to care about the characters, our lead is taken to the village by the Queen of the Unicorns, fights off minions with magic, saves a group of defenders, meets a handsome man among said defenders, and fights to enter the city. It isn’t until we get inside and have a chance to breathe that we get to know Farrell and his god-chosen lover, Miceral.
I liked their relationship. Farrell is this great wizard with a penchant for melodrama while Miceral is his strong warrior (non-human-ly strong – He’s Muchari – a mythical race believed to not exist). Because they both know that they are soulmates, their courtship is over before it began and they have to get used to each other instead. It’s almost like an arranged marriage. Also, most other people are accepting of the homosexual relationship, which is a refreshing change. The only person who complains is Miceral’s father, and those complaints don’t last long because arguing with wizards ends poorly.
They then evacuate Miceral’s village to thwart the evil wizard’s plans and move all inhabitants to Haven. Once in Haven, everyone changes alignment to get away from Qeynos and align themselves with Innoruuk because Dark Elves…
Too much Everquest. Sorry.
Anyway, the magical evacuation and thwarting of their opponent (a wizard named Meglar) was awesome, but after that, the book became boring. Considering we’re only at 25% of the book by this point, it’s disappointing. There’s training scenes, wedding planning, rides on unicorns… basically, no conflict until minions of the wizard show up again at 60%. Even after that point, we have a couple melodramatic chapters and one useless ride-on-unicorns segment. We never see Meglar and, by the time the final battle of the book happens, we need to be reminded of the stakes. I completely forgot that Meglar liked to turn people into monsters and use women for incubation. That’s not something I should forget.
It comes to this: A conflict-less wedding is not exciting (and shouldn’t be in a book’s middle) and if an evil wizard needs several months to recharge himself, he should be located and attacked during that interim. There were great parts of this book, but there needed to be an edit of the darlings.
Also, who puts the Queen of the Unicorns in a stable and abandons her?
Typical unicorn mythology does not apply here. It makes me thankful because I would like to ride one myself. And, as established by friends/colleagues, I have no virtue left.
Well, I might have some, but the parts of me requiring the virtue for a unicorn moving right along…
*deep breath* I will try to rein in my snark on this one. I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, it frustrated me. There were great parts, but they were surrounded by action that went too quick on one side and useless scenes on the other.
As I can see via Goodreads, I'm in the minority on this one.
We open the book on Farrell, Prince of Haven, levitating outside. The day might be peaceful, but the threat of an increasingly powerful wizard looms like a dark cloud over Farrell’s actions. While working, his god comes down to him in the form of an eagle and explains that his nemesis has attacked a distant village. His god also tells him that he will meet his soulmate in the village, so he best get going.
The following pages are a mad-dash rush. Before I’ve been given a chance to care about the characters, our lead is taken to the village by the Queen of the Unicorns, fights off minions with magic, saves a group of defenders, meets a handsome man among said defenders, and fights to enter the city. It isn’t until we get inside and have a chance to breathe that we get to know Farrell and his god-chosen lover, Miceral.
I liked their relationship. Farrell is this great wizard with a penchant for melodrama while Miceral is his strong warrior (non-human-ly strong – He’s Muchari – a mythical race believed to not exist). Because they both know that they are soulmates, their courtship is over before it began and they have to get used to each other instead. It’s almost like an arranged marriage. Also, most other people are accepting of the homosexual relationship, which is a refreshing change. The only person who complains is Miceral’s father, and those complaints don’t last long because arguing with wizards ends poorly.
They then evacuate Miceral’s village to thwart the evil wizard’s plans and move all inhabitants to Haven. Once in Haven, everyone changes alignment to get away from Qeynos and align themselves with Innoruuk because Dark Elves…
Too much Everquest. Sorry.
Anyway, the magical evacuation and thwarting of their opponent (a wizard named Meglar) was awesome, but after that, the book became boring. Considering we’re only at 25% of the book by this point, it’s disappointing. There’s training scenes, wedding planning, rides on unicorns… basically, no conflict until minions of the wizard show up again at 60%. Even after that point, we have a couple melodramatic chapters and one useless ride-on-unicorns segment. We never see Meglar and, by the time the final battle of the book happens, we need to be reminded of the stakes. I completely forgot that Meglar liked to turn people into monsters and use women for incubation. That’s not something I should forget.
It comes to this: A conflict-less wedding is not exciting (and shouldn’t be in a book’s middle) and if an evil wizard needs several months to recharge himself, he should be located and attacked during that interim. There were great parts of this book, but there needed to be an edit of the darlings.
Also, who puts the Queen of the Unicorns in a stable and abandons her?
August 6, 2015
5 Heart Review by Dan
This is my first Andrew Q. Gordon book and it definitely will not be my last! I picked this book up on a whim when another reviewer had to give up this book and the second one in the series. I am sooooo happy that I did!
First I would like to say that some of the stuff in the blurb above occurs before the actual beginning of this book. It is great background to have. I didn’t really pick up the six gods and didn’t know much about the 7th, Neldin, although Neldin’s name popped up several times in relation to the evil wizard Meglar.
When this book begins we meet Farrell, the Prince of Haven who is a wizard. Within a few pages he is visited by the god Honorus, first of the gods. Honorus considers Farrell a “favored son” and tells him he must go with a servant of Honorus’ sister Lenore to help with a great need. Honorus also tells him he will find his one true love on the mission. When a unicorn arrives to get him to take him on the mission, he is not at all hesitant to go, as it is a favor to two gods. And did I mention the one true love?
When he and the unicorn, who it turns out is Nerti the queen of the unicorns, arrive at the hidden city of Northhelm, they find it under siege by the minions of the evil wizard Meglar. Only through extreme bravery do Farrell and Nerti fight their way through the enemy army, rescuing a fabled Muchari and his party on the way in. Good thing, since it turns out the Muchari is Miceral who will be Farrell’s one true love.
From there the book gets even better, with huge battles, rescues, evil forces and the growing relationship between Farrell and Miceral. When they are called upon to help an ally against another incursion by the evil wizard Meglar…will they be up for the task? Farrell is strong, but is Meglar stronger?
I really enjoyed this book. I am so happy that book two is already out and I’ll be reviewing it shortly after this current book. I highly recommend this current book to anyone who enjoys a strong fantasy novel, complete with wizards, telepathic unicorns, evil doers and some really well written characters and storylines. I truly felt I was part of the story as I was reading. I honestly could see this book having been written by someone with a huge background in fantasy, someone on the level of Mercedes Lackey. It is very much a mainstream book that just happens to have gay main characters. Great job Mr. Gordon! I look forward to book two!
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
This is my first Andrew Q. Gordon book and it definitely will not be my last! I picked this book up on a whim when another reviewer had to give up this book and the second one in the series. I am sooooo happy that I did!
First I would like to say that some of the stuff in the blurb above occurs before the actual beginning of this book. It is great background to have. I didn’t really pick up the six gods and didn’t know much about the 7th, Neldin, although Neldin’s name popped up several times in relation to the evil wizard Meglar.
When this book begins we meet Farrell, the Prince of Haven who is a wizard. Within a few pages he is visited by the god Honorus, first of the gods. Honorus considers Farrell a “favored son” and tells him he must go with a servant of Honorus’ sister Lenore to help with a great need. Honorus also tells him he will find his one true love on the mission. When a unicorn arrives to get him to take him on the mission, he is not at all hesitant to go, as it is a favor to two gods. And did I mention the one true love?
When he and the unicorn, who it turns out is Nerti the queen of the unicorns, arrive at the hidden city of Northhelm, they find it under siege by the minions of the evil wizard Meglar. Only through extreme bravery do Farrell and Nerti fight their way through the enemy army, rescuing a fabled Muchari and his party on the way in. Good thing, since it turns out the Muchari is Miceral who will be Farrell’s one true love.
From there the book gets even better, with huge battles, rescues, evil forces and the growing relationship between Farrell and Miceral. When they are called upon to help an ally against another incursion by the evil wizard Meglar…will they be up for the task? Farrell is strong, but is Meglar stronger?
I really enjoyed this book. I am so happy that book two is already out and I’ll be reviewing it shortly after this current book. I highly recommend this current book to anyone who enjoys a strong fantasy novel, complete with wizards, telepathic unicorns, evil doers and some really well written characters and storylines. I truly felt I was part of the story as I was reading. I honestly could see this book having been written by someone with a huge background in fantasy, someone on the level of Mercedes Lackey. It is very much a mainstream book that just happens to have gay main characters. Great job Mr. Gordon! I look forward to book two!
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
April 9, 2013
Review can also be found over at my blog.
I admit it. I requested this book because of the unicorns. And despite only giving it three stars, I have no regrets.
The book started really well with lots of action and with Farrell meeting Miceral, his mate, and Nerti, the queen of unicorns who he winds up being destined to bond with. Very promising start that kept me reading, eagerly awaiting what was to happen next. Then it slowed down a lot from there. And dragged. And I had a hard time keeping myself interested enough to continue reading. Eventually it did pick back up though and the ending was very easy and fun to get through but also leaves you wanting the next book now.
Farrell. I feel like there isn't anything Farrell can't do but he's certainly not without his faults. He wants to help everyone and never thinks about what it might cost him to do so. Despite being an extraordinary wizard Farrell feels he is not worthy of being Miceral's mate since Miceral's strength lies elsewhere. When speaking about his past I felt no real pain, though I think that has more to do with the way he expressed himself.
Farrell is such a wonderful person though. He is kind, he is sweet, he is loyal, and he is intelligent. He's good at what it does and he does work to improve on what he doesn't. He knows that he has to be the one to stop Meglar and he knows he might die in the process but he takes it all in stride. He must do what he must do.
The romance between Farrell and Miceral was really adorable. At first. I have to admit that the constant declarations of love got to be a bit much. At times it was just overly sweet. Still, they are a really adorable couple. And I love how Miceral helps Farrell with his fighting skills.
Do you think it's possible to be a queen of the unicorns without being a unicorn? If so, where do I sign up for that job?
Enjoyable read! I looked forward to the next book. I need to continue this adventure.
I admit it. I requested this book because of the unicorns. And despite only giving it three stars, I have no regrets.
The book started really well with lots of action and with Farrell meeting Miceral, his mate, and Nerti, the queen of unicorns who he winds up being destined to bond with. Very promising start that kept me reading, eagerly awaiting what was to happen next. Then it slowed down a lot from there. And dragged. And I had a hard time keeping myself interested enough to continue reading. Eventually it did pick back up though and the ending was very easy and fun to get through but also leaves you wanting the next book now.
Farrell. I feel like there isn't anything Farrell can't do but he's certainly not without his faults. He wants to help everyone and never thinks about what it might cost him to do so. Despite being an extraordinary wizard Farrell feels he is not worthy of being Miceral's mate since Miceral's strength lies elsewhere. When speaking about his past I felt no real pain, though I think that has more to do with the way he expressed himself.
Farrell is such a wonderful person though. He is kind, he is sweet, he is loyal, and he is intelligent. He's good at what it does and he does work to improve on what he doesn't. He knows that he has to be the one to stop Meglar and he knows he might die in the process but he takes it all in stride. He must do what he must do.
The romance between Farrell and Miceral was really adorable. At first. I have to admit that the constant declarations of love got to be a bit much. At times it was just overly sweet. Still, they are a really adorable couple. And I love how Miceral helps Farrell with his fighting skills.
Do you think it's possible to be a queen of the unicorns without being a unicorn? If so, where do I sign up for that job?
Enjoyable read! I looked forward to the next book. I need to continue this adventure.
December 20, 2016
Okay, I don't think I'm gonna keep this one short.
Good things:
+ First of all, I liked most of the characters; they were nicely fleshed out and interesting.
+ Secondly, I loved the magic system created in the book; it was truly fascinating and, to my honest surprise, rather complicated.
+ Also, most fight scenes were very well described. To be honest, it is both a good and a bad thing, because it made some of them reeealy long :)
Things I didn't really enjoy:
- I have to say that, when I was halfway through the book, I got a bit tired of all the kissing and hugging that was happening between Farrell and Miceral, but I think I might have gotten used to it by the end.
- Also, is it a thing to put a finger to someone's lips to stop them from talking on daily basis? When I first saw it, it didn't really bother me, but after a few more times I was really confused.
- The last thing that comes to my mind is the fact that I wasn't moved by Farrell's backstory. There was a scene, in which Farrell, Miceral and Hogron were having dinner(?), and Farrell presented to the other two the story of his mother, father and mentor. Even though Farrell cried afterwards, I didn't really feel anything. But it't possible that's just me :)
Overall, it is a really good book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in gay fantasy. I need to add the "gay" tag, because, from my perspective, the relationship was much more important than the story (war, destroying the world etc). I'd like to give it more than 4 stars, but, alas, I cannot rank it as a 5 :)
Good things:
+ First of all, I liked most of the characters; they were nicely fleshed out and interesting.
+ Secondly, I loved the magic system created in the book; it was truly fascinating and, to my honest surprise, rather complicated.
+ Also, most fight scenes were very well described. To be honest, it is both a good and a bad thing, because it made some of them reeealy long :)
Things I didn't really enjoy:
- I have to say that, when I was halfway through the book, I got a bit tired of all the kissing and hugging that was happening between Farrell and Miceral, but I think I might have gotten used to it by the end.
- Also, is it a thing to put a finger to someone's lips to stop them from talking on daily basis? When I first saw it, it didn't really bother me, but after a few more times I was really confused.
- The last thing that comes to my mind is the fact that I wasn't moved by Farrell's backstory. There was a scene, in which Farrell, Miceral and Hogron were having dinner(?), and Farrell presented to the other two the story of his mother, father and mentor. Even though Farrell cried afterwards, I didn't really feel anything. But it't possible that's just me :)
Overall, it is a really good book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in gay fantasy. I need to add the "gay" tag, because, from my perspective, the relationship was much more important than the story (war, destroying the world etc). I'd like to give it more than 4 stars, but, alas, I cannot rank it as a 5 :)
September 2, 2013
"The Last Grand Master" is at least the first in a saga...and I will surely read the next episode.
Having taken to these fantasy world-building epics, I do find that I enjoy so much about them, but often, as is the case here, can't quite let go and get caught up in the world thus created. I never embrace the fantasy, and always feel like I'm peeking in through a window, rather than actually being there.
The image of two man-loving heroes, one a mortal wizard and one a near-immortal Viking-like warrior, in a world where being drawn to men is no more than a hiccup in life, and riding on unicorns is the highest possible honor; appeals to me no end. In a sort of silly way. I mean really, gay wizard warriors on unicorns? Woo-hoo!
This book is by Andrew Gordon, so a man, but feels interestingly like it was written by a woman - the level of romance is high even for me, and while I'm sort of a sucker for it, it surprises me.
The narrative in this fairly long book is at times rambling and a little too much "tell" rather than "show." There is rather a lot of joyful gore, described a little too superficially, given its prominence. Something lacked "heft," and I apologize for not being able to articulate it better than that. Nicole Kimberling's "Sea of Stars" series had (for me) this narrative weight...
If you like this kind of novel, this is worth the effort. If fantasy is not your thing, I'm not sure this would be where I'd start.
Having taken to these fantasy world-building epics, I do find that I enjoy so much about them, but often, as is the case here, can't quite let go and get caught up in the world thus created. I never embrace the fantasy, and always feel like I'm peeking in through a window, rather than actually being there.
The image of two man-loving heroes, one a mortal wizard and one a near-immortal Viking-like warrior, in a world where being drawn to men is no more than a hiccup in life, and riding on unicorns is the highest possible honor; appeals to me no end. In a sort of silly way. I mean really, gay wizard warriors on unicorns? Woo-hoo!
This book is by Andrew Gordon, so a man, but feels interestingly like it was written by a woman - the level of romance is high even for me, and while I'm sort of a sucker for it, it surprises me.
The narrative in this fairly long book is at times rambling and a little too much "tell" rather than "show." There is rather a lot of joyful gore, described a little too superficially, given its prominence. Something lacked "heft," and I apologize for not being able to articulate it better than that. Nicole Kimberling's "Sea of Stars" series had (for me) this narrative weight...
If you like this kind of novel, this is worth the effort. If fantasy is not your thing, I'm not sure this would be where I'd start.
March 30, 2016
I had several problems with this one that affected my experience reading it.
First of all: the writing, more specifically, the dialogs.
They were so damn long and wordy that they felt like monologues. Unnecessary long explanations about everything that was going on, very long sentences where a simple “thank you”, “yes” or “no” would have suffice. It really bored me.
Second: The insta love
Sometimes insta love works for me or, at least, it doesn’t bother me, but sometimes it really does. I wish authors would realize that being destined mates doesn’t necessarily go hand in hand with insta love. They can be destined, even chosen by the gods to be together, and still take time to know each other. I like and enjoy the road from meeting to falling in love. It makes it more believable, and I can feel the love between them when I can see them falling. In this story the author just throws Farrel and Miceral together, I didn’t buy their love one bit.
Third: Farrel. Farrel was the best at everything, super powerful, super nice, super brave, blah blah. It annoyed me to no end. And his looong explanations about his past… I didn’t care about him so I didn’t care about his sob story.
Meglar: predictable villain, little to no character development and depth.
And now I will stop because I feel like the evil witch who comes bearing rain to a sunny day. I know a lot of people like the book, I respect that, but I honestly can’t recommend it.
First of all: the writing, more specifically, the dialogs.
They were so damn long and wordy that they felt like monologues. Unnecessary long explanations about everything that was going on, very long sentences where a simple “thank you”, “yes” or “no” would have suffice. It really bored me.
Second: The insta love
Sometimes insta love works for me or, at least, it doesn’t bother me, but sometimes it really does. I wish authors would realize that being destined mates doesn’t necessarily go hand in hand with insta love. They can be destined, even chosen by the gods to be together, and still take time to know each other. I like and enjoy the road from meeting to falling in love. It makes it more believable, and I can feel the love between them when I can see them falling. In this story the author just throws Farrel and Miceral together, I didn’t buy their love one bit.
Third: Farrel. Farrel was the best at everything, super powerful, super nice, super brave, blah blah. It annoyed me to no end. And his looong explanations about his past… I didn’t care about him so I didn’t care about his sob story.
Meglar: predictable villain, little to no character development and depth.
And now I will stop because I feel like the evil witch who comes bearing rain to a sunny day. I know a lot of people like the book, I respect that, but I honestly can’t recommend it.
May 21, 2013
This book lost me about half way through. The beginning was action packed and fast moving and then it slowed down to a crawl and... I kinda just stopped caring what happened because it just seemed to be taking forever. Normally, I adore long books, but only if they keep a good pace. It just seemed like the book hit a period of filler. That went on and on and... I stopped reading.
November 16, 2017
4.5/5.0
I received this book as part of a giant giveaway the author was having. I admit that I do not read high fantasy often, but the summary sounded intriguing- wizards, unicorns, good vs evil. It was so enjoyable! I loved the world building, the magic,and magical creatures and the romance between Farrell and Miceral. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
I received this book as part of a giant giveaway the author was having. I admit that I do not read high fantasy often, but the summary sounded intriguing- wizards, unicorns, good vs evil. It was so enjoyable! I loved the world building, the magic,and magical creatures and the romance between Farrell and Miceral. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
February 7, 2013
Hmm, everybody else has loved this, so it must be me. There were things that didn't do it for me. I found some of the dialogue repetitious. We would hear Farrell tell the same story a couple of times. Paradoxically, there were other things that weren't explained at all. Names of people, Gods, places and sovereigns were dropped all over the place and readers just had to keep up. Normally I hate too much exposition, but in this case, I didn't think we got enough, especially in the introductory chapters.
The boys themselves were just so cute, so in love, so sweet together. I did like the fact that we got to see them together and happy despite the threat of danger and fear that surrounds them. But they never really encounter any serious hardship or stress. Even when they sneak out to ride the unicorns, it's all good. I guess I just thought there were opportunities to test them and these weren't exploited.
Farrell is super confident, yet made silly beginner mistakes. His responsiblity is huge - make no mistake, getting rid of this big bad is going to really test him, but I often didn't feel like he recognised this burden. He was often blase about his ability, and I am worried his over confidence will be the ruin of him.
And of course it's number one, so I should not be surprised by the (non) ending. But I was. And disappointed.
Anyway, if you like fantasy with lots of political entanglements, some mind reading unicorns and a brave feisty wizard MC who should know better than to keep putting himself in danger, this is the book for you. Knew I should stick to contemporary.
The boys themselves were just so cute, so in love, so sweet together. I did like the fact that we got to see them together and happy despite the threat of danger and fear that surrounds them. But they never really encounter any serious hardship or stress. Even when they sneak out to ride the unicorns, it's all good. I guess I just thought there were opportunities to test them and these weren't exploited.
Farrell is super confident, yet made silly beginner mistakes. His responsiblity is huge - make no mistake, getting rid of this big bad is going to really test him, but I often didn't feel like he recognised this burden. He was often blase about his ability, and I am worried his over confidence will be the ruin of him.
And of course it's number one, so I should not be surprised by the (non) ending. But I was. And disappointed.
Anyway, if you like fantasy with lots of political entanglements, some mind reading unicorns and a brave feisty wizard MC who should know better than to keep putting himself in danger, this is the book for you. Knew I should stick to contemporary.
February 10, 2013
I love to read, but I am also very selective in what I do read. If the book does not hold my attention, motivate my senses, and present a well developed intelligent story, I lose interest very quickly. Science fiction and fantasy were rarely something that I read as a youth, and it was not until law school that my roommate introduced me to a variety of fiction and fantasy works popular in the day. The door was opened; my mind absorbed the creativity and wonder of the authors’ minds and imagination.
The Last Grand Master by Andrew Q. Gordon again has opened my mind to fantasy through the imagination and creativity of the author. The unassuming grand master, Ferrel, creates wonderful images of what a true leader should be: wise and comfortable with his abilities and understanding, calm and assured in his position, yet a humble servant, concerned more about his people than his own comfort. He also has his “human” quirkiness which endears him to his friends as well as to us, his readers.
In Book 1, the author has woven a complex history, developed intricate characters and set the stage for the major battle that has to come. A classic good verses evil theme, which includes family intrigue, political maneuverings, but yet has a tender romance intertwined into the story developments.
After reading Book 1 I feel that I know and understand the characters and I have felt the fury of what is to come in the battles of the future between father and son.
I can recommend this book without reservation, and hope that Book 2 is not too far behind, and hope for a Book 3!
The Last Grand Master by Andrew Q. Gordon again has opened my mind to fantasy through the imagination and creativity of the author. The unassuming grand master, Ferrel, creates wonderful images of what a true leader should be: wise and comfortable with his abilities and understanding, calm and assured in his position, yet a humble servant, concerned more about his people than his own comfort. He also has his “human” quirkiness which endears him to his friends as well as to us, his readers.
In Book 1, the author has woven a complex history, developed intricate characters and set the stage for the major battle that has to come. A classic good verses evil theme, which includes family intrigue, political maneuverings, but yet has a tender romance intertwined into the story developments.
After reading Book 1 I feel that I know and understand the characters and I have felt the fury of what is to come in the battles of the future between father and son.
I can recommend this book without reservation, and hope that Book 2 is not too far behind, and hope for a Book 3!
November 5, 2015
This book was a recommendation from a Goodreads Author (Rob Colton) and I found it to be an excellent recommendation. I recommend it to others because it is well crafted and in my opinion still unique.
The book is written with a comfortable blend of the genres of science fiction and gay romance. We have to be honest, science fiction can be dry at times with unending details, descriptions and back stories, while gay romance is often fluffy, wonderfully predictable and at times depends much too much of gay and anti-gay stereotypes.
Though the characters are gay, it isn't the headliner. However, like all romances, the journey of their relationship is fraught with expectations met and expected. The science fiction is the headliner. The novel is built around a great adventure, one in my opinion, that is well crafted and imagined. Details abound (which is why some people may say it's too wordy) and sceneries easy to conjure. The goal is clear. The journey amusing at times, sad at others, and has small triumphs.
The characters are likeable. Though we really only get to know our Grand Master F. in detail, both characters are fleshed out and relatable.
Warning: past chapter nine, the sci-fi adventure slows down. Fight 1 ends at chapter 8. From chpt. 9 through almost the end is a slow exploration of the blooming relationship between our heroes. But, at the end of Battle 2 we feel the urgency to defeat M.
All in all, a pleasurable read. Not hard, definitely a good book for a high school project or a summer read. Has a few (but can be ignored if you have a brain) grammatical mistakes.
The book is written with a comfortable blend of the genres of science fiction and gay romance. We have to be honest, science fiction can be dry at times with unending details, descriptions and back stories, while gay romance is often fluffy, wonderfully predictable and at times depends much too much of gay and anti-gay stereotypes.
Though the characters are gay, it isn't the headliner. However, like all romances, the journey of their relationship is fraught with expectations met and expected. The science fiction is the headliner. The novel is built around a great adventure, one in my opinion, that is well crafted and imagined. Details abound (which is why some people may say it's too wordy) and sceneries easy to conjure. The goal is clear. The journey amusing at times, sad at others, and has small triumphs.
The characters are likeable. Though we really only get to know our Grand Master F. in detail, both characters are fleshed out and relatable.
Warning: past chapter nine, the sci-fi adventure slows down. Fight 1 ends at chapter 8. From chpt. 9 through almost the end is a slow exploration of the blooming relationship between our heroes. But, at the end of Battle 2 we feel the urgency to defeat M.
All in all, a pleasurable read. Not hard, definitely a good book for a high school project or a summer read. Has a few (but can be ignored if you have a brain) grammatical mistakes.
March 20, 2016
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
Something I wanted to state clearly is that it was rather a romance book with some fantasy at the side than a fantasy book with some romance. In fact I was quite overwhelmed by the amount of the story that was taken up with the romance in comparison to defeating the dark powers. Especially so since their relationship is such an uncomplicated and never questioned one.
It's set in a fantasy realm though, with the main characters being the best (special snowflake) wizard and a (near) immortal warrior. They fall in love, move in with each other, literally ride unicorns, plan a wedding, go on honeymoon and there is something with a dark lord who's trying to take over too.
In my opinion, as you might have guessed, the romance has been given the focus too much. Maybe if it hadn't been so cheesy it would have been better, but I kept thinking, 'Ehmm, sorry to interrupt, but is there not a war going on?'. However, I did think that the story, once it surfaced was interesting enough, this combined with the fact that it was a nice and fast read makes that I'm looking forward to continue the series soon.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Something I wanted to state clearly is that it was rather a romance book with some fantasy at the side than a fantasy book with some romance. In fact I was quite overwhelmed by the amount of the story that was taken up with the romance in comparison to defeating the dark powers. Especially so since their relationship is such an uncomplicated and never questioned one.
It's set in a fantasy realm though, with the main characters being the best (special snowflake) wizard and a (near) immortal warrior. They fall in love, move in with each other, literally ride unicorns, plan a wedding, go on honeymoon and there is something with a dark lord who's trying to take over too.
In my opinion, as you might have guessed, the romance has been given the focus too much. Maybe if it hadn't been so cheesy it would have been better, but I kept thinking, 'Ehmm, sorry to interrupt, but is there not a war going on?'. However, I did think that the story, once it surfaced was interesting enough, this combined with the fact that it was a nice and fast read makes that I'm looking forward to continue the series soon.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
July 16, 2019
DNF 25%. I got bored with it. Although Gordon does a good job building a world of magic and fanatasiful creatures I was bored to death with the characters. They were so bland and monotone. Perhaps if I had more patience I could soldier on and cross my fingers that somebody develops a personality but I don't so I won't. NEXT!
April 9, 2021
Wasn't real sure what I was going to get into when I delved into this story but am I glad that I did. The protagonists, Farrell and Miceral, and the cast of characters within the tale made this a story of intrigue and excitement. I loved the love story and though it was an pivotal part of the story, it laid the foundation for a great story. I thoroughly enjoyed this story! The author was awesome and the narration was outstanding.
January 14, 2021
I was so hype about a LGBTQ high fantasy novel. So excited. Then, the insta-love happened. The characters spoke formally (which they should in this type of novel) but there were modern saying in there. They repeated themselves. Let's be honest; I usually identify with an insecure lead but his insecurities seem to come out of nowhere. Also, who solves couples problems that easily? Sincer-iously.
March 19, 2017
First part of a trilogy. This ends at a suitable point in the proceedings but the main threat is still to be dealt with. Therefore this book can't really be read on it's own.
The relationship isn't the main focus of the book and there is little to no conflict there. Farrell and Miceral are fated mates (although we know Farrell is attracted to Miceral when he first sees him) and they fall for each other quickly, moving in together within days. The heat factor here is very low with most scenes merely alluded to.
All the conflict comes from the external situation they find themselves in. There is also a lot of talk of trading and political negotiations but it never feels dry.
The relationship isn't the main focus of the book and there is little to no conflict there. Farrell and Miceral are fated mates (although we know Farrell is attracted to Miceral when he first sees him) and they fall for each other quickly, moving in together within days. The heat factor here is very low with most scenes merely alluded to.
All the conflict comes from the external situation they find themselves in. There is also a lot of talk of trading and political negotiations but it never feels dry.
June 4, 2021
I had high hopes for this book, the more the disappointment 😞
1.5 stars
1.5 stars
April 9, 2013
4.5 stars rounded up to 5
This was a wonderful, romantic adventure tale. This is epic fantasy at its best. The reader is thrust straight into the action, as one of the first scenes is Farrell going to help at the request of the unicorns and during the battle he meets his mate, the one who the gods have chosen for him. Miceral is one of the Muchari, immortal warriors - I suppose something like elves, but there are no pointy ears here.
Farrell is surprised that Miceral is his mate, he is very insecure with anything other than magic and wonders what Miceral might see in him, a human wizard who does not have the build of a warrior or a warrior's skill. But it is his magic that saves the neighbouring kingdom and the life of his mate. Throughout the book, Miceral is always trying to build up his confidence whenever Farrell starts to doubt himself and Miceral's love for him.
The world building is great, with lots of details dotted here and there, without it becoming overwhelming and distracting from the story. I loved Miceral and Farrell but I was just a bit surprised how quickly they came to profess love for the other. Yes, the gods had ordained that these two were destined for one another, but it would have been nice to have a bit more tension before the two of them get together. There was a little bit at the beginning when Miceral's father, Horgon, objects that Farrell is unworthy of his son because he is human, but it seemed to get resolved very quickly. The main obstacle in their way is the fact that Meglar is getting bolder and Farrell is nowhere ready to face him yet. As the last grand master wizard, it is up to Farrell.
The love scenes are not very explicit, but you know what's going on and are in no doubt that the two of them are lovers and not just friends. It's more on the sweet side of romance rather than erotic. There are some secrets about Farrell's heritage, which I won't mention here in case of spoilers, but again, it seemed to be revealed too early. Later in the book would have been much better.
The writing flows well and the author sets the scenes with vivid descriptions that pull you into the book. There is magic, excitement, adventure, large-scale battles and characters so real you feel like talking to them, not to mention unicorns. Each character has their part to play, even though the book is told mostly from Farrell's point of view but you don't feel you have missed out on anything.
Despite my few niggles, I did enjoy the book very much and will be looking out for more in this series.
Review copy from Netgalley.
This was a wonderful, romantic adventure tale. This is epic fantasy at its best. The reader is thrust straight into the action, as one of the first scenes is Farrell going to help at the request of the unicorns and during the battle he meets his mate, the one who the gods have chosen for him. Miceral is one of the Muchari, immortal warriors - I suppose something like elves, but there are no pointy ears here.
Farrell is surprised that Miceral is his mate, he is very insecure with anything other than magic and wonders what Miceral might see in him, a human wizard who does not have the build of a warrior or a warrior's skill. But it is his magic that saves the neighbouring kingdom and the life of his mate. Throughout the book, Miceral is always trying to build up his confidence whenever Farrell starts to doubt himself and Miceral's love for him.
The world building is great, with lots of details dotted here and there, without it becoming overwhelming and distracting from the story. I loved Miceral and Farrell but I was just a bit surprised how quickly they came to profess love for the other. Yes, the gods had ordained that these two were destined for one another, but it would have been nice to have a bit more tension before the two of them get together. There was a little bit at the beginning when Miceral's father, Horgon, objects that Farrell is unworthy of his son because he is human, but it seemed to get resolved very quickly. The main obstacle in their way is the fact that Meglar is getting bolder and Farrell is nowhere ready to face him yet. As the last grand master wizard, it is up to Farrell.
The love scenes are not very explicit, but you know what's going on and are in no doubt that the two of them are lovers and not just friends. It's more on the sweet side of romance rather than erotic. There are some secrets about Farrell's heritage, which I won't mention here in case of spoilers, but again, it seemed to be revealed too early. Later in the book would have been much better.
The writing flows well and the author sets the scenes with vivid descriptions that pull you into the book. There is magic, excitement, adventure, large-scale battles and characters so real you feel like talking to them, not to mention unicorns. Each character has their part to play, even though the book is told mostly from Farrell's point of view but you don't feel you have missed out on anything.
Despite my few niggles, I did enjoy the book very much and will be looking out for more in this series.
Review copy from Netgalley.
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