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The Passage of Hellsfire #2
What Once Was One
In the land of Northern Shala, the dark wizard Premier raised an army of foul creatures from the Wastelands and led them against the ancient guardian city of Alexandria. Hellsfire, a young farmhand turned apprentice wizard, defeated Premier and saved Alexandria, but not before the battle claimed his mentor’s life.
Hellsfire, now a full-fledged wizard, must finish what he started by hunting down Premier and seizing the source of the wizard’s dark power and corruption—the Book of Shazul. He must travel deep into the Wastelands, through Premier’s home territory, dodging the scattered remnants of a defeated army lusting for blood and vengeance.
But beating in the heart of the Wastelands is an ancient power more dangerous than Premier or his creatures—and it’s been waiting for Hellsfire for a thousand years. It will force the young wizard to make a devastating choice—one that could change the course of history not only for Alexandria and the Wastelands, but for all of Northern Shala and the lands beyond. And to save his homeland, Hellsfire may have to lose the person he loves the most.
What once was one, will then be two, and never again be whole...
Hellsfire, now a full-fledged wizard, must finish what he started by hunting down Premier and seizing the source of the wizard’s dark power and corruption—the Book of Shazul. He must travel deep into the Wastelands, through Premier’s home territory, dodging the scattered remnants of a defeated army lusting for blood and vengeance.
But beating in the heart of the Wastelands is an ancient power more dangerous than Premier or his creatures—and it’s been waiting for Hellsfire for a thousand years. It will force the young wizard to make a devastating choice—one that could change the course of history not only for Alexandria and the Wastelands, but for all of Northern Shala and the lands beyond. And to save his homeland, Hellsfire may have to lose the person he loves the most.
What once was one, will then be two, and never again be whole...
Unknown Binding
First published September 24, 2012
2 people are currently reading
316 people want to read
About the author
Marc Johnson
9 books59 followersMarc Johnson has moved a lot since his parents divorced when he was two. He also can't answer a straight question and has developed a taste for sarcastic wit over the years. Probably also for the same reason.
He hasn't won any awards, but he does have a deep knowledge of Transformers, Star Trek, and The Twilight Zone--his top three geeky loves. He writes because he loves stories and hopes to one day have written something successful as a movie, TV show, comic, book, magazine, and play.
Marc Johnson also loves to game, whether it be video, card, or board. He loves to test his mind in the challenges they bring...until the zombie, alien, or robot apocalypse comes.
He hasn't won any awards, but he does have a deep knowledge of Transformers, Star Trek, and The Twilight Zone--his top three geeky loves. He writes because he loves stories and hopes to one day have written something successful as a movie, TV show, comic, book, magazine, and play.
Marc Johnson also loves to game, whether it be video, card, or board. He loves to test his mind in the challenges they bring...until the zombie, alien, or robot apocalypse comes.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 23, 2013
Starting What once was one, was like visiting an old friend. I fell right into the book.
Going into this book, I thought I was going to have some idea of what was to come. I did have a vague idea but the author surprised me again and again. (To the point of all caps tweeting him because I just couldn't contain myself!)
I loved where this book went. It blew the first book away. The first book was great. I loved it as well but it has nothing on this book.
It's jam packed with action, yet not over the top or over whelming.
Catalyst was a favourite for 2012. What once was one follows suit for 2013.
What once was one is everything you think a fantasy novel should be and them some.
The only gripe I had about Catalyst was the main characters name "Hellsfire" but I found it seemed to grow on me by the second book.
This is a series that you are going to want to keep up with. I can not wait for book three. I really want to see where things continue from here.
Fantasy lovers should definitely give the series a shot. The plot is rock solid, writing is superb and character development is amazing.
So amazing that it's hard to hate characters in What once was one, compared to Catalyst. We get a bigger view of the big picture this time.
One thing I would love to see explained more is Krystal. She has been the hardest to bond with.
A bit more about her past would help possibly make me think her less of a skank.
Sure she helps Hellsfire but she sure makes me think she's doing it for a reason. Not because she loves him, since she's never actually said those words.
I was surprised by how mature Hellsfire seemed in the second book. He is becoming a lot more self aware, and thinks things through. He also knows when to look to his friends.
He has more of a hero personality this time, yet lacks an ego. Part of him just wants that ordinary life.
You can't help but feel for him.
Nothing short of 5 stars for What once was one. Such a great book. There are just not enough coherent words to describe my love for this book.
Going into this book, I thought I was going to have some idea of what was to come. I did have a vague idea but the author surprised me again and again. (To the point of all caps tweeting him because I just couldn't contain myself!)
I loved where this book went. It blew the first book away. The first book was great. I loved it as well but it has nothing on this book.
It's jam packed with action, yet not over the top or over whelming.
Catalyst was a favourite for 2012. What once was one follows suit for 2013.
What once was one is everything you think a fantasy novel should be and them some.
The only gripe I had about Catalyst was the main characters name "Hellsfire" but I found it seemed to grow on me by the second book.
This is a series that you are going to want to keep up with. I can not wait for book three. I really want to see where things continue from here.
Fantasy lovers should definitely give the series a shot. The plot is rock solid, writing is superb and character development is amazing.
So amazing that it's hard to hate characters in What once was one, compared to Catalyst. We get a bigger view of the big picture this time.
One thing I would love to see explained more is Krystal. She has been the hardest to bond with.
A bit more about her past would help possibly make me think her less of a skank.
Sure she helps Hellsfire but she sure makes me think she's doing it for a reason. Not because she loves him, since she's never actually said those words.
I was surprised by how mature Hellsfire seemed in the second book. He is becoming a lot more self aware, and thinks things through. He also knows when to look to his friends.
He has more of a hero personality this time, yet lacks an ego. Part of him just wants that ordinary life.
You can't help but feel for him.
Nothing short of 5 stars for What once was one. Such a great book. There are just not enough coherent words to describe my love for this book.
November 22, 2012
What Once Was One is an fun epic read full of action and adventure. I enjoyed reading the first book where we were introduced to Hellsfire and watched him learn to become a wizard. In this second book Hellsfire is a full fledged wizard with more power than he knows what to do with sometimes.
Hellsfire is staying in Alexandria in the castle and having a secret relationship with the Princess. While most everyone is still unsure of a wizard the Princess and his friends have complete faith in him. Hellsfire and his friends must venture out into the wastelands to find and take care of Premier once and for all. Hellsfire knows that he only has so much time before Premier gets his full powers back. Something happens in the Nexus and there is a curse put on the Princess. I'm not going to say anymore as I don't want to spoil this for any readers.
I really liked where the author took this story to. We learned more about the backgrounds of some of the characters and was introduced to some new ones. This author writes so that you get a sense of what the places are like and it makes you feel as though you are really there. I loved all the action and adventure, it made the story flow well and was fun to read. There is some romance and lots of twists and turns. Every time you think the story is going one way it gets switched up and something else happens.
All in all a great sequel. I'm looking forward to reading the next one to see what will happen. This e-book was given to me for review. This did not affect my review in any way.
Hellsfire is staying in Alexandria in the castle and having a secret relationship with the Princess. While most everyone is still unsure of a wizard the Princess and his friends have complete faith in him. Hellsfire and his friends must venture out into the wastelands to find and take care of Premier once and for all. Hellsfire knows that he only has so much time before Premier gets his full powers back. Something happens in the Nexus and there is a curse put on the Princess. I'm not going to say anymore as I don't want to spoil this for any readers.
I really liked where the author took this story to. We learned more about the backgrounds of some of the characters and was introduced to some new ones. This author writes so that you get a sense of what the places are like and it makes you feel as though you are really there. I loved all the action and adventure, it made the story flow well and was fun to read. There is some romance and lots of twists and turns. Every time you think the story is going one way it gets switched up and something else happens.
All in all a great sequel. I'm looking forward to reading the next one to see what will happen. This e-book was given to me for review. This did not affect my review in any way.
October 21, 2019
I received this as an advanced reading copy.
I'm not sure why I signed up for this title. I try to avoid sequels if I have not read the first. So I didn't really know what was going on. I also am very cautious with YA books. I've found that most are more juvenile than others, such as college students who act as high schoolers or high school students who act as if they are still in middle school. This is a bit juvenile but not in the same way.
The writing is well done but there is something about the writing itself is a bit juvenile rather than the characters. The group of characters seem like a D&D group was told that no person could have a character of the same race or type. So the human wizard has a dwarven friend and an elven friend and a dragon friend. Almost immediately, the dwarf mentions mining. Because we all know dwarves are miners who like to fight. All the characters seem very stereotypical and rather flat.
When you realize you have read 50% of the book in half an hour because at some point you started skimming it, then perhaps it isn't the book for you. I think some of these YA arcs really need to come with an age range. It felt like the author was trying to make it suitable for older YA readers by including more adult themes in places but then trying to make it suitable for the younger end of the YA range by talking around the subjects in such a manner that the author starts to sound like a teenage writer who is too uncomfortable to say the word sex.
I'm not sure why I signed up for this title. I try to avoid sequels if I have not read the first. So I didn't really know what was going on. I also am very cautious with YA books. I've found that most are more juvenile than others, such as college students who act as high schoolers or high school students who act as if they are still in middle school. This is a bit juvenile but not in the same way.
The writing is well done but there is something about the writing itself is a bit juvenile rather than the characters. The group of characters seem like a D&D group was told that no person could have a character of the same race or type. So the human wizard has a dwarven friend and an elven friend and a dragon friend. Almost immediately, the dwarf mentions mining. Because we all know dwarves are miners who like to fight. All the characters seem very stereotypical and rather flat.
When you realize you have read 50% of the book in half an hour because at some point you started skimming it, then perhaps it isn't the book for you. I think some of these YA arcs really need to come with an age range. It felt like the author was trying to make it suitable for older YA readers by including more adult themes in places but then trying to make it suitable for the younger end of the YA range by talking around the subjects in such a manner that the author starts to sound like a teenage writer who is too uncomfortable to say the word sex.
February 25, 2016
Check out my original review on my blog: Readiculously Peachy
My Review:
I received a copy from the author to read and review in return.
How lucky am I, to have the author remind me of a series which I completely fell in love with from the first pages of the first book, Catalyst , and wondering if I would like to read his second book of this series. YES PLEASE! What Once Was One is definitely one of those books which helped me remind myself why I love reading; escaping reality and entering a new and wild world full of magic, fantastical creatures and characters, and blissful and sometimes wrathful environments of fantasy. Marc Johnson has such a sophistication about his way of writing, but undoubtedly is capable of keeping all types of readers, may it be Young Adult or Adult, consistently engaged and tensed, with each chapter ending with a ruthful and nail biting cliffhanger.
What Once Was One commences where we left off in the first instalment of the series. Hellfire, the awesome and powerful new Wizard of the Northern Shala, has defeated and weakened the great powerful and evil Wizard Premier. Hellsfire his forced to follow his Duty as a wizard, to protect his home and save the goodness of magic, and decides to embark a dangerous journey as the threat of Premier's wrath and dark magic through the Book of Shazul has still not ended to threaten the Kingdom of Alexandria.
His journey is not lonesome, as he is companioned with some of the most hilarious and heartwarming friends I have ever had the pleasure to read about: Jastillian the powerful and whimsical Dwarf, Prastian and Demay the two small but undeceivably strong and rigorous Elven brothers; and Behast the tough but faithful Elf who has the strength and fighting technique of a Dwarf. Each character has their own background which the reader undoubtedly and inevitably connects intensely with, which in turn makes the story even more enjoyable to follow.
The journey which they embark on is not only dangerous, but also extremely exciting, as they venture out through the Wastelands and unknown landscapes, encountering the most impossible situations and new characters, but finding the most clever and unique solutions which fueled the book to be even more addictive.
Marc Johnson thinks about everything! To mouthwatering, mesmerising, and oh-so-accurate descriptions of langscapes, food, and characters; to the way he develops his characters and their interconnecting relationships. Hellsfire grows into an even more badass character, as his powers are progressively getting stronger and his intelligence in magic is finally put to the test and paying off. Hellsfire's relationship with his strong love Krystal, the beautiful, determined and strong headed princess of Alexandria, was not at any moment dull or exasperating. I felt so much for them, and rooted for them and their love all the way. Nothing to their relationship was cliche, predictable or unrealistic. It was the golden thread of the story and what made Hellsfire the great wizard that he is. The only character which I truly missed in this book was Cynder, the sarcastic, callous but affectionate fiery Dragon. But who knows, perhaps he will reappear in the final instalment of this esteemed series.
The story is quite lengthy, and when standing aside and thinking about what you've just read, SO much happens in this book. However, not at one moment did I feel that this book was becoming lifeless, repetitive or overdone. I believe this is due to Mr Johnson's extreme talent in keeping the reader continuously anxious about 'what comes next", through his strong set of skills and art of writing style, choice of characters, and his capability of portraying an atmosphere where even the reader trembles of excitement, anger, despair or trepidation.
I can say with the utmost confidence that any reader with an interest in fantasy, a non-stop bone-thrilling, romantic, and merciless storyline, tasteful and deeply developed set of characters, will absolutely love Mr. Johnson series, The Passage of Hellsfire. I cannot wait to read the next book of this wonderful and inspiring story collection.
My Review:
I received a copy from the author to read and review in return.
How lucky am I, to have the author remind me of a series which I completely fell in love with from the first pages of the first book, Catalyst , and wondering if I would like to read his second book of this series. YES PLEASE! What Once Was One is definitely one of those books which helped me remind myself why I love reading; escaping reality and entering a new and wild world full of magic, fantastical creatures and characters, and blissful and sometimes wrathful environments of fantasy. Marc Johnson has such a sophistication about his way of writing, but undoubtedly is capable of keeping all types of readers, may it be Young Adult or Adult, consistently engaged and tensed, with each chapter ending with a ruthful and nail biting cliffhanger.
What Once Was One commences where we left off in the first instalment of the series. Hellfire, the awesome and powerful new Wizard of the Northern Shala, has defeated and weakened the great powerful and evil Wizard Premier. Hellsfire his forced to follow his Duty as a wizard, to protect his home and save the goodness of magic, and decides to embark a dangerous journey as the threat of Premier's wrath and dark magic through the Book of Shazul has still not ended to threaten the Kingdom of Alexandria.
His journey is not lonesome, as he is companioned with some of the most hilarious and heartwarming friends I have ever had the pleasure to read about: Jastillian the powerful and whimsical Dwarf, Prastian and Demay the two small but undeceivably strong and rigorous Elven brothers; and Behast the tough but faithful Elf who has the strength and fighting technique of a Dwarf. Each character has their own background which the reader undoubtedly and inevitably connects intensely with, which in turn makes the story even more enjoyable to follow.
The journey which they embark on is not only dangerous, but also extremely exciting, as they venture out through the Wastelands and unknown landscapes, encountering the most impossible situations and new characters, but finding the most clever and unique solutions which fueled the book to be even more addictive.
Marc Johnson thinks about everything! To mouthwatering, mesmerising, and oh-so-accurate descriptions of langscapes, food, and characters; to the way he develops his characters and their interconnecting relationships. Hellsfire grows into an even more badass character, as his powers are progressively getting stronger and his intelligence in magic is finally put to the test and paying off. Hellsfire's relationship with his strong love Krystal, the beautiful, determined and strong headed princess of Alexandria, was not at any moment dull or exasperating. I felt so much for them, and rooted for them and their love all the way. Nothing to their relationship was cliche, predictable or unrealistic. It was the golden thread of the story and what made Hellsfire the great wizard that he is. The only character which I truly missed in this book was Cynder, the sarcastic, callous but affectionate fiery Dragon. But who knows, perhaps he will reappear in the final instalment of this esteemed series.
The story is quite lengthy, and when standing aside and thinking about what you've just read, SO much happens in this book. However, not at one moment did I feel that this book was becoming lifeless, repetitive or overdone. I believe this is due to Mr Johnson's extreme talent in keeping the reader continuously anxious about 'what comes next", through his strong set of skills and art of writing style, choice of characters, and his capability of portraying an atmosphere where even the reader trembles of excitement, anger, despair or trepidation.
I can say with the utmost confidence that any reader with an interest in fantasy, a non-stop bone-thrilling, romantic, and merciless storyline, tasteful and deeply developed set of characters, will absolutely love Mr. Johnson series, The Passage of Hellsfire. I cannot wait to read the next book of this wonderful and inspiring story collection.
December 16, 2013
This was the second book in The Passage of Hellsfire series and it was an adventure! It followed right after where Catalyst ended, where the reader came to see how Hellsfire as a more mature wizard. I found this second installment even more exciting then the first one.
Without giving too much away, I have to say that I liked how this story was told. It was full of action and background information that was missing from the first book. There were creatures introduced that had my skin crawling and twists that had me gripping the book. This book somewhat reminded me of the Lord of the Rings because Hellsfire had to travel to find Premiere and a dangerous book in the company of dwarves and elves. They also had to battle against ogres, goblins, and other strange creatures. However, Hellsfire's adventures with his friends still had its own uniqueness. Another thing that I appreciated when reading this was that my question about Hellsfire's named that I had in the first book was answered. I really wanted to know why this character had such a strange name and how it was connected to his fire power, which grew in this book.
Next, I really enjoyed Hellsfire's character. In the first book, he was a bit whiny and insecure. In this second book, Hellsfire became more sure of himself and did not complain. He became more responsible and his powers improved. Though he was a wizard, I also enjoyed how human he still was. This was portrayed on how Hellsfire showed his feelings towards the princess. I can't begin to imagine how much more his character will develop as the series progresses.
As much as I enjoyed this installment, I did not give it a five star rating. The reason why was because I was not too fond about Princess Krystal. I did not like the relationship that Krystal and Hellsfire had. She did show signs that she cared about him but it felt like she was using him. Also, I did not like how in their private moments she would get all "royal" on him. She would constantly remind him that she was a princess and that Hellsfire should not question her. I don't know; I just got a weird vibe from her.
Overall, this was a great continuation of the series. I loved that Hellsfire was able to show growth and I appreciated all of the action that this book entailed. I have a feeling that the third book will be an epic one.
Without giving too much away, I have to say that I liked how this story was told. It was full of action and background information that was missing from the first book. There were creatures introduced that had my skin crawling and twists that had me gripping the book. This book somewhat reminded me of the Lord of the Rings because Hellsfire had to travel to find Premiere and a dangerous book in the company of dwarves and elves. They also had to battle against ogres, goblins, and other strange creatures. However, Hellsfire's adventures with his friends still had its own uniqueness. Another thing that I appreciated when reading this was that my question about Hellsfire's named that I had in the first book was answered. I really wanted to know why this character had such a strange name and how it was connected to his fire power, which grew in this book.
Next, I really enjoyed Hellsfire's character. In the first book, he was a bit whiny and insecure. In this second book, Hellsfire became more sure of himself and did not complain. He became more responsible and his powers improved. Though he was a wizard, I also enjoyed how human he still was. This was portrayed on how Hellsfire showed his feelings towards the princess. I can't begin to imagine how much more his character will develop as the series progresses.
As much as I enjoyed this installment, I did not give it a five star rating. The reason why was because I was not too fond about Princess Krystal. I did not like the relationship that Krystal and Hellsfire had. She did show signs that she cared about him but it felt like she was using him. Also, I did not like how in their private moments she would get all "royal" on him. She would constantly remind him that she was a princess and that Hellsfire should not question her. I don't know; I just got a weird vibe from her.
Overall, this was a great continuation of the series. I loved that Hellsfire was able to show growth and I appreciated all of the action that this book entailed. I have a feeling that the third book will be an epic one.
July 17, 2013
What Once was One (The Passage of Hellsfire #2) by Marc Johnson
Dani's rating: 5 stars
This review can also be viewed at:
http://awalkonwords.blogspot.com/2013...
Spoilers if you have not read the first book, Catalyst!
Dani's review:
This is going to be a short review because I don't have much to say that won't spoil this novel.
Catalyst ended with Hellsfire defeating and significantly weakening Premier, the evil dark wizard who planned to conquer the city of Alexandria. Now in What Once was One, Hellsfire and friends must go into the Wastelands, home of goblins and ogres and all sorts of unpleasant creatures, to capture Premier and take the notorious "Book of Shazul". As the last paragraph in the synopsis above says, Hellsfire has to make a HUGE world-changing possibly endangering his home and friends choice. Yeah, he has a giant load of responsibilities resting on his barely-out-of-the-teenage years shoulders.
If you carefully read Catalyst and remember some important details, you might figure out what choice Hellsfire has to make and why this novel is called "What Once was One". Just something for you to think about. ;)
This novel was full of action and there was never a dull moment in Hellsfire's life. I think he has really matured in this book since the first book. He doesn't whine anymore and is not the reckless boy boy he was. He constantly worries about Princess Krystal and wonders how in the world he is going to get his list of "Things to do" done. Figure out a way to enter the Wastelands without getting eaten alive? Check. Capture Premier? Uh, still working on that.
What Once was One did not disappoint me, and if you've read Catalyst, I'm sure it won't disappoint you either! It exceeded my expectations in the overall plot and how the story was written. The same banter between characters is in this sequel although with a more morbid tone. Cynder, Stradus's guardian dragon, sadly isn't in this sequel as much. I missed his hilarious conversations with Hellsfire where he constantly reminded the young wizard of the "superiority of dragons over puny humans".
I have a feeling this is going to be one of those series that gets better with each novel. I highly recommend this novel! :)
--Dani
October 17, 2013
~This book review first appeared at Cuzinlogic and you can find it Here~
What Once Was One is the second installment of The Passage of Hellsfire series, following young wizard Hellsfire on his quest to find and stop Premier from his evil plans against Alexandria and all of Northern Shala.
I was so glad to step back into Hellsfire’s shoes and go out to explore once again this unique world author Marc Johnson created. This time there was no halting for background history, we plunge right into where the story left off and since then, there was always something going on to keep the story moving effortlessly.
In this book we travel, like really, really travel. I loved getting to know more about the Wastelands and the creatures who live in this almost uninhabitable place. I can even say it was my favorite part of the whole book. The creatures wowed me; I liked meeting their other side besides their “monster” nature. It was really cool, especially the firsthand experience we obtained thanks to Hellsfire and his friends.
There’s so much in this book! I enjoyed all the fighting and magic involved, the places, the old and new characters, the quests and obstacles put forth in our heroes’ way. Hellsfire has grown so much as a character, I have gotten quite attached to him, although I may not be okay with everything he does or says. At times, I just wanted to hit him in the head with a rock for the many times he brought up his love life options. Seriously? He shouldn’t be thinking that way; it was very selfish of him.
Overall, I think What Once Was One is a great sequel to Catalyst and it’s a read that does not disappoint. I know now that I can always count on Marc Johnson to deliver vivid adventures worth going through. I hope the third book comes out pronto, I want to know what’s next!
*Please note that I received a complimentary e-copy of What Once Was One in exchange for an honest review. All opinions shared are 100% my own.*
What Once Was One is the second installment of The Passage of Hellsfire series, following young wizard Hellsfire on his quest to find and stop Premier from his evil plans against Alexandria and all of Northern Shala.
I was so glad to step back into Hellsfire’s shoes and go out to explore once again this unique world author Marc Johnson created. This time there was no halting for background history, we plunge right into where the story left off and since then, there was always something going on to keep the story moving effortlessly.
In this book we travel, like really, really travel. I loved getting to know more about the Wastelands and the creatures who live in this almost uninhabitable place. I can even say it was my favorite part of the whole book. The creatures wowed me; I liked meeting their other side besides their “monster” nature. It was really cool, especially the firsthand experience we obtained thanks to Hellsfire and his friends.
There’s so much in this book! I enjoyed all the fighting and magic involved, the places, the old and new characters, the quests and obstacles put forth in our heroes’ way. Hellsfire has grown so much as a character, I have gotten quite attached to him, although I may not be okay with everything he does or says. At times, I just wanted to hit him in the head with a rock for the many times he brought up his love life options. Seriously? He shouldn’t be thinking that way; it was very selfish of him.
Overall, I think What Once Was One is a great sequel to Catalyst and it’s a read that does not disappoint. I know now that I can always count on Marc Johnson to deliver vivid adventures worth going through. I hope the third book comes out pronto, I want to know what’s next!
*Please note that I received a complimentary e-copy of What Once Was One in exchange for an honest review. All opinions shared are 100% my own.*
August 3, 2013
I’m a fan of Marc Johnson! He did it again with this second installment of The Passage of Hellsfire, in the sense that it was nearly impossible to put the book down. Marc definitely has a talent for cliff hangers at the end of chapters making it irresistible to not turn the page and continue reading. The story is filled with adventure, choices, living with those choices, large life devouring mosquitoes, swamps, mountains, ogres, goblins, and magic. If you love a good fantasy story you will enjoy this book, but I recommend you make sure to read it over a weekend, as I staid up into the late hours to finish it. Although I wished I could have given this book a 5 star rating, there are a few things that irked me. First and foremost is some inconsistency with logic. For example, half way through the book Hellsfire and his friends are traveling south and a mighty magical storm comes up. Hellsfire’s friends have to carry him through the storm because he passes out. The book explicitly states several times that their horses all run away, and implies that they are walking. However, when the get to the city the first thing they do is go to the stables to deposit their horses. I had to read that passage several times, and turned back to see what was going on. But sure enough they lost their horses and then somewhere along the way got some more, but it wasn’t clear where. This is but an example, and there are several more of these logic checks that the author needs to work on to remove the inconsistencies. But, they weren’t enough to make me want to stop reading. The second issue that I have is that the book is riddled with grammatical errors. I often found words were missing in sentences, but for the most part could figure out what it was supposed to say. This additional burden on the reader was what pushed the review from a 5 to a 4. As for family friendliness, I think any kid would enjoy reading about Hellsfire.
October 19, 2013
What Once Was One: The Passage of Hellsfire is the sequel to Catalyst written by Marc Johnson. In Catalyst we saw young Hellsfire train to be a wizard and ultimately battle the evil wizard Premier. This second book sees Hellsfire now a full fledged wizard and just as conflicted as ever.
The story begins immediately where Catalyst ended - well, maybe a month or so after it ended. The city of Alexandria is being rebuilt and attempting to deal with the damage dealt in the epic battle with Premier and his foul creatures from the Wastelands. The people of the city are just as distrustful of Hellsfire as before despite his having saved them. The only one who does not distrust him is Princess Krystal. They continue their secret and somewhat, at least to me, unusual relationship.
Hellsfire is busying himself searching the city's library for info, particularly for some magic that might help him in his impending battle with Premier to defeat the dark wizard once and for all. To avoid any spoilers, I'll stop there and say that from this point on this story leads into an action packed adventure full of new problems, new characters and new places.
This second book offered a lot more unexpected turns than the first and was very exciting to read. The characters are well described as are the places. You get a sense of really knowing the people and what they are experiencing. There are no lapses in story, Johnson does a great job of keeping you interested in what is happening and makes you want to keep reading.
I only had one complaint and it is small. I don't particularly like the Princess Krystal character. Her motivations and actions just strike me as inconsistent. Other than that, if you enjoyed the first book Catalyst I highly recommend reading this sequel.
The story begins immediately where Catalyst ended - well, maybe a month or so after it ended. The city of Alexandria is being rebuilt and attempting to deal with the damage dealt in the epic battle with Premier and his foul creatures from the Wastelands. The people of the city are just as distrustful of Hellsfire as before despite his having saved them. The only one who does not distrust him is Princess Krystal. They continue their secret and somewhat, at least to me, unusual relationship.
Hellsfire is busying himself searching the city's library for info, particularly for some magic that might help him in his impending battle with Premier to defeat the dark wizard once and for all. To avoid any spoilers, I'll stop there and say that from this point on this story leads into an action packed adventure full of new problems, new characters and new places.
This second book offered a lot more unexpected turns than the first and was very exciting to read. The characters are well described as are the places. You get a sense of really knowing the people and what they are experiencing. There are no lapses in story, Johnson does a great job of keeping you interested in what is happening and makes you want to keep reading.
I only had one complaint and it is small. I don't particularly like the Princess Krystal character. Her motivations and actions just strike me as inconsistent. Other than that, if you enjoyed the first book Catalyst I highly recommend reading this sequel.
January 30, 2017
** Review of Audio Format **
Continuation
Hellsfire journey continues. He manages to bring down the Great Barrier but gets more than he bargained for in the process. He then is banned from Alexandria and tries to atone by leading an expedition to the south and discover what they can about what was happening down there all these years.
Hellsfire, true to form, immediately lands in hot water and in the middle of a war. It's interesting to me that Hellsfire seems to know when to keep his mouth shut but has a very hard time speaking when he should. He accepts things that aren't his fault and doesn't ask questions when he knows he ought to.
All in all, this was a go between book where significant things happen and Hellsfire learns more about his powers. I will look forward to the 3rd in the series to see Hellsfire truly mature and come into his powers and become the powerful force he is destined to be.
The narration, while unconventional, is really rather good and once you get used to Brian Zee's style, it flows along quite nicely.
I received this audiobook for free through Audiobook Boom! in exchange for an honest review.
Continuation
Hellsfire journey continues. He manages to bring down the Great Barrier but gets more than he bargained for in the process. He then is banned from Alexandria and tries to atone by leading an expedition to the south and discover what they can about what was happening down there all these years.
Hellsfire, true to form, immediately lands in hot water and in the middle of a war. It's interesting to me that Hellsfire seems to know when to keep his mouth shut but has a very hard time speaking when he should. He accepts things that aren't his fault and doesn't ask questions when he knows he ought to.
All in all, this was a go between book where significant things happen and Hellsfire learns more about his powers. I will look forward to the 3rd in the series to see Hellsfire truly mature and come into his powers and become the powerful force he is destined to be.
The narration, while unconventional, is really rather good and once you get used to Brian Zee's style, it flows along quite nicely.
I received this audiobook for free through Audiobook Boom! in exchange for an honest review.
November 13, 2016
The sequel to Hellsfire..
This book was better than the first one!
Hellsfire is a full wizard now, he has matured, and he is on a mission to find Premier.
This book had just about everything in it, from, Magic, Adventure, Goblins and yes, Ogres.
The story line was well developed as well as the characters and it was hard to put this
book down.
There were a couple of inconsistencies but Overall, an Entertaining Read and I look forward to the third book.
Bryan Zee did really well with the narration.
Note:
"This audio book was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review."
November 20, 2016
“I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher
and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast
dot come”
This was a great book in The Passage of Hellsfire Series!
It was filled with action, adventure and of course magic.
I can not wait to find out what happens next.
and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast
dot come”
This was a great book in The Passage of Hellsfire Series!
It was filled with action, adventure and of course magic.
I can not wait to find out what happens next.
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