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The Darkwater Saga #0.5
By Divine Right
Willet Dura ekes out a living as an assistant reeve in the city of Bunard, the royal city, investigating minor and not-so-minor crimes in the poor quarter. Ever since a terrible battle, Willet's been drawn to the dead, and has an uncanny ability not only to solve their crimes, but even to know when one has been committed.
When a gifted singer is found dead in the merchants' quarter of the city, everyone assumes by the signs that the old man simply died of a stroke, but Willet's intuition tells him better. When he learns that this is the second death within the last month of one of the gifted, those with a rare inherited ability, he begins to suspect that something more is afoot, and he soon finds himself chasing a mystery that could bring down the very kingdom of Collum.
When a gifted singer is found dead in the merchants' quarter of the city, everyone assumes by the signs that the old man simply died of a stroke, but Willet's intuition tells him better. When he learns that this is the second death within the last month of one of the gifted, those with a rare inherited ability, he begins to suspect that something more is afoot, and he soon finds himself chasing a mystery that could bring down the very kingdom of Collum.
119 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2015
128 people are currently reading
640 people want to read
About the author
Patrick W. Carr
15 books658 followersPatrick Carr was born on an Air Force base in West Germany at the height of the cold war. He has been told this was not his fault. As an Air Force brat, he experienced a change in locale every three years until his father retired to Tennessee. Patrick saw more of the world on his own through a varied and somewhat eclectic education and work history. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1984 and has worked as a draftsman at a nuclear plant, did design work for the Air Force, worked for a printing company, and consulted as an engineer. Patrick’s day gig for the last eighteen years has been teaching high school math in Nashville, TN. He currently makes his home in Nashville with his wonderfully patient wife, Mary. Patrick and Mary have four sons who are living their own adventures all across the country. Patrick thinks writing about himself in the third person is kind of weird.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
March 22, 2016
Decided to try this free ebook novella to see if I wanted to commit to the series... yep, I think it's safe to say this is one series I want to read. It sounds like it's going to be a mystery series but set in a fantasy world- looking forward to getting my hands on the first book!
December 13, 2015
I'd heard good things about Patrick W Carr's fantasy and thought I'd dip into this free prequel novella to try him for myself. I found it a competent, tautly-woven tale, but not something I could get enthusiastic about. Carr's writing style flows decently well, but seemed incoherent somehow--I kept having to go back and re-read stuff to try to figure out what was actually happening.
I'm not ruling out the possibility of reading further into this series, though, and I'll tell you why: it's a fairly standard Christian secondary-world fantasy, true, but had a little more grit than most, and was told from the perspective of an upwardly-mobile commoner in the city watch. The protagonist has a fairish bit in common with Pratchett's Sam Vimes, and while Carr's fantasy city lacks all the character and colour of Pratchett's Ankh-Morpork, and his Lady Gael cannot hold a candle (much less a bad-tempered dragon) to Lady Sibyl Ramekin, Carr's version has a chance of leaving you with a less bitterly cynical taste in your mouth.
I'm not ruling out the possibility of reading further into this series, though, and I'll tell you why: it's a fairly standard Christian secondary-world fantasy, true, but had a little more grit than most, and was told from the perspective of an upwardly-mobile commoner in the city watch. The protagonist has a fairish bit in common with Pratchett's Sam Vimes, and while Carr's fantasy city lacks all the character and colour of Pratchett's Ankh-Morpork, and his Lady Gael cannot hold a candle (much less a bad-tempered dragon) to Lady Sibyl Ramekin, Carr's version has a chance of leaving you with a less bitterly cynical taste in your mouth.
October 7, 2015
A great start to a new series. I love genre-mixes and this one sets a detective into a secondary world fantasy. What starts off with a simple murder, becomes a hunt for a serial killer with terrible implications for the entire kingdom.
This story has a cool magic system - based on the Christian concept of spiritual gifts, but taken up a notch. Patrick Carr certainly has a knack for developing systems of magic that work well in Christian fiction - two concepts that, for some, might not seem to sit well together.
The book serves as a worthy prologue into Mr. Carr's new series. I look forward to continuing the ride.
This story has a cool magic system - based on the Christian concept of spiritual gifts, but taken up a notch. Patrick Carr certainly has a knack for developing systems of magic that work well in Christian fiction - two concepts that, for some, might not seem to sit well together.
The book serves as a worthy prologue into Mr. Carr's new series. I look forward to continuing the ride.
January 12, 2023
This was an epic read!! I can't explain how much this has helped me understand book one, The Shock of Night, so much more. The beginning of Willet Dura and how he became Lord Dura. The beginning of his romance with Gael, the secrets of the urchins, the drama with the Lords and why they dislike him. I loved it all. It even gave me an explanation of the faith that confused me in book one. I adored it and I'm even more excited to continue on with the trilogy now.
Highly recommend this novella!!
Highly recommend this novella!!
December 27, 2024
A Great Lead-up to a Great Series!
A fascinating peek into the life of the main character, Willet Dura, before the events of the Darkwater Saga began! Lots of mystery, intrigue, and danger. A great novella for fantasy lovers.
A fascinating peek into the life of the main character, Willet Dura, before the events of the Darkwater Saga began! Lots of mystery, intrigue, and danger. A great novella for fantasy lovers.
August 6, 2021
Twas an excellent prequel with fascinating characters and an even more fascinating world. (Who am I kidding, the hero of this tale is awesome). It was an excellent introduction to the world, even if I did need to push past the first few pages to finally get into the flow, but my consensus is that I can't wait to start the actual Saga.
Book is standalone and so cool...
Content: Not much except for murdery ones. No gore, however, but there are fight scenes and some talk about the trauma of war
Book is standalone and so cool...
Content: Not much except for murdery ones. No gore, however, but there are fight scenes and some talk about the trauma of war
October 26, 2015
"By Divine Right," the prequel to a longer series, starts out with a wonderful little mystery about the main character, Willet, then segues into a detailed description of the town — a little *too* detailed for my tastes, but hang in there, the story picks up after that in an entirely readable fantasy detective fashion. The real mystery is soon revealed as Willet follows his insatiable curiosity (and apprehension) in an attempt to discover who is stealing magical gifts.
The culture is fascinating and richly multi-layered. The characters are expertly drawn: Jed the chief reeve (evidently comparable to a sheriff), Rory the urchin, Duke Orlan, and the plucky Lady Gael. There are no nondescript characters, but this doesn't require pages of description for each, either. A scar here, a phobia there… Told from a first person point of view, Willet doesn't spend a lot of time dwelling on details of his past. He is preoccupied with the war that robbed him of his chance to become a priest and gave him a dark secret even he doesn't understand.
As a plot to draw the reader into the series, this works well. There are questions presented here that are not fully answered. I didn't find that a bad thing, as the story is complete in itself and so delightfully done.
The culture is fascinating and richly multi-layered. The characters are expertly drawn: Jed the chief reeve (evidently comparable to a sheriff), Rory the urchin, Duke Orlan, and the plucky Lady Gael. There are no nondescript characters, but this doesn't require pages of description for each, either. A scar here, a phobia there… Told from a first person point of view, Willet doesn't spend a lot of time dwelling on details of his past. He is preoccupied with the war that robbed him of his chance to become a priest and gave him a dark secret even he doesn't understand.
As a plot to draw the reader into the series, this works well. There are questions presented here that are not fully answered. I didn't find that a bad thing, as the story is complete in itself and so delightfully done.
September 5, 2015
Divine Right is a Novella prequel to The Darkwater Saga. Divine Right sets the ground work for the series and is intriguing from the very beginning. Set in the age of castles this novella unveils the life of the poor and the crimes that become a part of life. Willet Dura works in the royal city and investigates these minor crimes. His job quickly changes when an old man is found dead. Everyone thinks the man died of natural causes, but Willet has a sense that there is more to the story. Things get hairy as he searches for answers.
This Novella really has me interested in this series and Carr's other books. This is the first time I've read any of his books and I'm impressed and excited to see what else he has to offer.
This Novella really has me interested in this series and Carr's other books. This is the first time I've read any of his books and I'm impressed and excited to see what else he has to offer.
December 15, 2016
This is a novella that introduces readers to the world of the Darkwater Saga.
It is short and describes events mentioned in The Shock of Night. It was interesting to read, but I have read the two books that followed this and knew the outcome. It was fun for me to read and understand the characters and events a little better.
This novella is well written. I'm glad that I read it.
It is short and describes events mentioned in The Shock of Night. It was interesting to read, but I have read the two books that followed this and knew the outcome. It was fun for me to read and understand the characters and events a little better.
This novella is well written. I'm glad that I read it.
February 10, 2016
This was a good fantasy novella, with a smattering of world building, time to introduce a typical array of characters but no time for character development, and reasonably common mystery/suspense plot with a clever twist. Of more interest: the novella was followed by the prologue and first two chapters of the book this novella precedes in the series. Now that was a hook :-D
Currently available for free on Amazon, I highly recommend lovers of high/epic fantasy novels check it out.
Currently available for free on Amazon, I highly recommend lovers of high/epic fantasy novels check it out.
September 8, 2015
Another of Carr's amazing worlds
This may not be quite as compelling as "A Cast of Stones", but it's close. This short novel is rich, exciting, and satisfying. So, obviously it's not a novella. Highly recommended.
This may not be quite as compelling as "A Cast of Stones", but it's close. This short novel is rich, exciting, and satisfying. So, obviously it's not a novella. Highly recommended.
September 10, 2015
Intriguing short story that definitely raised my interest in the well-developed world of the story and whetted my appetite to read the full novel (and first of a series) that this novella proceeds. Four stars because of multiple editing errors.
October 20, 2015
Interesting start to a new series. His other series is one of my all time favorites and I'm really looking forward to a new one!
February 18, 2016
A really enjoyable read! Willet's character is delightful and I enjoyed his sharp mind and commentary. Lady Gael was a great addition.
Interesting storyline, not predictable and a great ending.
Interesting storyline, not predictable and a great ending.
November 1, 2022
This is an amazing prequel to the Darkwater Saga! I didn't realize I could get the novella for free on Kindle until I was halfway through the Wounded Shadow, the last book in the saga, so I decided to read it alongside the series. I finished it in one night. When I first started reading the Darkwater Saga, I was really intrigued by Willet's earlier exploits concerning the Orlan family and wanted to read what had happened, and I wasn't disappointed! Besides being amazing, filled with awesome characters, fast paced, and exciting, I got to get a closer look at what King Laidir is like, and I love him even more after reading this. Don't miss out! I would recommend reading the Darkwater Saga first, since the three whole novels explain the complex world-building in Carr's books with much more clarity. So this novella might be a tad confusing for someone who hasn't read the other three books first. Although one thing it did go into more depth about was the gift of kings, which got me really excited and intrigued. It is a really good read, and Willet, as always, never ceases to amaze me, be awesome, and be my favorite character in Carr's world.
February 7, 2018
SPOILER ALERT… i really wish I would have known this was the prequel to the Shock of the Night, before I read that. This book answered a lot of the questions that made me rate that book so low. They really should have all been in one book. I still want to know more of the back story of the forest that Dura was in in the war. But this book tells more of the story of how Dura becomes a Lord, more of the Aer part. You get to know Lady Gael, Custus, Myle and the Orlan family a little better. As well as the urchins, Dura and the plot on the kings life. This is also a pretty quick read. Very much recommend to anyone wanting to read Shock of the Night. I was given Shock of the Night from the publisher to sample as a book club book. I wish in their letter they would have mentioned the prequel as well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2018
I always like a Patrick Carr book. He writes so beautifully and they are all character driven so you can let yourself go and love the characters. I'm not generally a fantasy fan, but with Patrick, I make an exception. This one is most excellent.
It is the beginning of the Darkwater Series. I read #1 before I read this one, but there was a long time between them. As far as I'm concerned this is a must read before #1 because you realize why the characters start out they way they do in #1.
It does matter which book you pick up first, though, because they are all really good but not stand alones. They are meant to be read in order. This way you can understand the characters motivations and decisions.
Good, enjoyable, faith-filled stories that have meaning beyond face value if you care to dig deep.
It is the beginning of the Darkwater Series. I read #1 before I read this one, but there was a long time between them. As far as I'm concerned this is a must read before #1 because you realize why the characters start out they way they do in #1.
It does matter which book you pick up first, though, because they are all really good but not stand alones. They are meant to be read in order. This way you can understand the characters motivations and decisions.
Good, enjoyable, faith-filled stories that have meaning beyond face value if you care to dig deep.
April 5, 2018
This novella can be read in a single sitting if you can spare a few hours. It is definitely worth the time. The author has created an interesting fantasy world to spark the reader's attention but what hooked me from the opening paragraph was a very intriguing lead character. Millet Dura is a mystery that I want to delve into and unravel. I am hoping that subsequent books in this series will answer some of my many questions about this character. The plot of this novella entertaining, too. I liked the female character that captured the interest of the lead character of this book; so, I am also looking forward to see what role she may play in subsequent books in this series. I think I will be adding another author to my favourites shelf because I sure do like this author's style and wit.
December 21, 2017
I'm writing this review many months after I read the book and all I can do is pop in here the note I left in my personal records.
"OMG. This was only a novella but it set the world up beautifully. The author's name tugged at my consciousness for a long while and then I finally realised it was the same person who wrote A Cast of Stones, which I also thoroughly loved. I think I have a new author to follow. Need to get the next one in the series."
Sorry I can't be more helpful than that and I honestly can't remember at this moment what this book is all about, but I obviously was impressed at the time!
"OMG. This was only a novella but it set the world up beautifully. The author's name tugged at my consciousness for a long while and then I finally realised it was the same person who wrote A Cast of Stones, which I also thoroughly loved. I think I have a new author to follow. Need to get the next one in the series."
Sorry I can't be more helpful than that and I honestly can't remember at this moment what this book is all about, but I obviously was impressed at the time!
January 31, 2018
By Divine Right is a fantasy novela and prequel to The Dark Water series. It is a complete story in itself and was very fun and exciting. The main character is basically a cop who is trying to solve a series of murders. He investigates and discovers that someone in the nobility may be his suspect. He then puts his life on the line to prove his suspicions and, in the process, also has a romance with a clever and beautiful woman. All in a novella. It had nice pacing, and the world-building was good for a short story. The characters were enjoyable and honorable. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I would recommend this interesting and exciting fantasy story.
April 27, 2021
Definitely the best murder mystery fantasy I have read yet. Normally I try to avoid such books, due to past disappointing reads, but something about this series just pulled me in. I was certainly not disappointed by this author. He managed to present a rich authentic fantasy world that met my expectations and tell a thrilling story that kept me on the edge of my seat all within a short book. I am definitely reading the rest of this series!
September 26, 2023
3.5/5
I read this little novella because I really enjoyed Patrick Carr's other series and I was curious as to whether I should start this one. Having finished it, I'm not sure. I mean it was entertaining enough and certainly has an interesting magic system, but the writing style was a little simple and the characters themselves didn't particularly stand out to me.
I think I will start the series, perhaps just not right away ;)
I read this little novella because I really enjoyed Patrick Carr's other series and I was curious as to whether I should start this one. Having finished it, I'm not sure. I mean it was entertaining enough and certainly has an interesting magic system, but the writing style was a little simple and the characters themselves didn't particularly stand out to me.
I think I will start the series, perhaps just not right away ;)
June 17, 2018
This prequel to the Darkwater Saga introduces us to Willet Dura, one of the main characters in the Saga. We learn how a humble reeve (detective) became a trusted servant of the king. We see his humble beginnings and learn about his world. Treachery, love, friendship, and mystery abound. You won’t be able to put it down!
June 21, 2019
Nice introduction to the world. Covers quite a bit of territory for such a short work. Throws the reader into the story at a critical time and does a good job of explaining the rules of the world while keeping the story moving. Characters are familiar but well written and fleshed out. I look forward to seeing what the author does with the story moving forward.
January 19, 2020
Fascinating look at a fantastic kingdom.
Following the wanderings of Reeve Willet Dur was fascinating. The plot he discovered to steal the throne made him a valuable person. He risked his life and his reward was beyond his greatest hope. I loved this tale of intrigue and recommend it to all who enjoy medieval stories.
Following the wanderings of Reeve Willet Dur was fascinating. The plot he discovered to steal the throne made him a valuable person. He risked his life and his reward was beyond his greatest hope. I loved this tale of intrigue and recommend it to all who enjoy medieval stories.
April 4, 2025
OH!MY!WORD! Carr has crafted an exquisite masterpiece. I was immediately whisked away into the drama. Twists and turns kept me turning the pages. I read this novella in one sitting. It's an explosive opening to The Darkwater Saga!
Recommend to readers who enjoy fantasy.
I purchased my copy. I have expressed my honest view.
Recommend to readers who enjoy fantasy.
I purchased my copy. I have expressed my honest view.
November 5, 2017
This is the first book I have read by this author.
It was not my usual genre of books that I read. Several times throughout the story I was
going to stop reading it. But I did finish the book. It was a good story but not one that
I would run out to buy the rest of the series.
It was not my usual genre of books that I read. Several times throughout the story I was
going to stop reading it. But I did finish the book. It was a good story but not one that
I would run out to buy the rest of the series.
May 9, 2019
Really wish I had read this one before I read Shock of Night. So many things alluded and talked about in Shock of Night is explained here. Really enjoyed this one. I had my nose stuck in my kindle for half the night! I recommend this series greatly!
October 6, 2019
I really enjoyed this quick read. It was a little hard to follow at the very, very beginning (like only the first couple pages) but quickly resolved into an interesting and fast-paced adventure with some clever characters. Makes me want to read more of this series!
October 22, 2020
Disappointed
I have read other books by Mr. Carr, and was never disappointed—until now. The book itself was a great read with a touch of mystery. My only complaint is the ending: it left you up in the air.
I have read other books by Mr. Carr, and was never disappointed—until now. The book itself was a great read with a touch of mystery. My only complaint is the ending: it left you up in the air.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews