Wrought by Fire

by Paul James Keyes

An exhilarating fantasy with science lurking at its core.

A mysterious young man suffering from amnesia awakens near the small rural community of Darrenfield. Nicknamed Belford, the man is plagued with haunting visions of a destroyed world. When sixteen-year-old Javic Elensol discovers Belford on his property, it doesn't take long before Javic realizes there is more to him than meets the eye. Gifted with seemingly impossible abilities, Belford is capable of bending both man and nature to his will... that is, as long as the moon is up.

Disappearances around town coincide with the arrival of a dark stranger - also endowed with supernatural powers. When the man uses his abilities to commit unspeakable acts of violence within the community, Javic and Belford must flee for their lives as the stranger's intentions become painfully clear: He will stop at nothing to eliminate Belford and anybody else who stands in his way.

488 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 20, 2015

About the author

Paul James Keyes was born and raised in Washington State between the beautiful waterways of the Puget Sound and the always majestic Cascade Mountains. Fascinated by the political and social workings of the world, he obtained degrees in both creative writing and economics from the University of Washington. In his spare time, he is an experienced pianist and composer, which has helped him bring a heightened sense of rhythm and emotional resonance to his written passages. Over the years, he has traveled everywhere from China to the Mediterranean, soaking in the many diverse cultures and histories. Throughout it all, there is no place he would rather be than back home, drifting on a boat somewhere between the San Juan Islands and his home port of Edmonds.

You can follow Paul on Twitter @PaulJKeyes, visit his website, ArcadianComplex.com, or like the series at Facebook.com/ArcadianComplex to become an honorary Arcadian!

Reviews

[Bryan Applegate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Competent perhaps over confident writing. There's a good central story wrapped in a mystery here. There is a reft of characters that could almost be treated as an ensemble. An ensemble cast requires a chosen leader to guide the crew and the audience. This story lacks one clear leader in the noble effort of lending quality to the lives of many. The Central story is thus inflated with side quests and alternate threads that suck some of the wind out of a satisfying conclusion. For a debut novel, the writing is great, but the approach was extremely ambitious. Consider this a 459-page prologue, and prepare to set aside a bunch of time to dive into the rest of The Arcadian Complex series. It could be four or five stars for you.

[H.M. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing

I had a hard time getting through this book. I wasn’t sure who the main character was. Salvine, even though she was mentioned in the book blurb, appeared in the book approximately four times. The story itself was bland, and Javic was a whiny teenager throughout the book.

[Christopher John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul James Keyes delivers another dark fantasy with excellent prose and a plot that keeps you guessing. This one's got serious elements of sci-fi and horror thrown into the mix. It's strange and unpredictable and definitely worth the read.

[Jeff Ayers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world is new and exciting, but not overwhelming, it has the perfect amount of twists and turns, excellent pacing, and the vivid descriptions of the world and the characters bring the story to life. I highly recommend, and can't wait for the sequel!