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Empire and The Hand #1
Wraith
From the author of the MAGNUS series comes Wraith, the haunting first chapter of Empire and The Hand, a dark and mysterious tale of failure, regret, and the painful quest for vengeance and redemption.
Following the troubled journeys of two fragile protagonists, Wraith drops the reader into war-torn lands ravaged by the violent Empire and the rebellious sect known as The Hand who desperately fight to protect their homeland.
In Tiro's tale, a lonely bowman known as The Ghost fights to navigate a world of revenge and purpose after losing all he holds dear. In the tale of Arach, a weary traveler in a strange, foreign land meets a mysterious and unwelcome visitor on his long journey home.
Thus begins the opening book in Robert Allen Johnson's Empire and The Hand, a fast-paced, emotional ride through weakness, sin, and purpose that will leave fans of action, fantasy, mystery, and historical fiction breathless and eager for more.
Following the troubled journeys of two fragile protagonists, Wraith drops the reader into war-torn lands ravaged by the violent Empire and the rebellious sect known as The Hand who desperately fight to protect their homeland.
In Tiro's tale, a lonely bowman known as The Ghost fights to navigate a world of revenge and purpose after losing all he holds dear. In the tale of Arach, a weary traveler in a strange, foreign land meets a mysterious and unwelcome visitor on his long journey home.
Thus begins the opening book in Robert Allen Johnson's Empire and The Hand, a fast-paced, emotional ride through weakness, sin, and purpose that will leave fans of action, fantasy, mystery, and historical fiction breathless and eager for more.
270 pages, Paperback
First published November 2, 2015
2 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
About the author
Robert Allen Johnson
4 books27 followersRobert Allen Johnson is an award-winning social entrepreneur and the author of three books. His first two novels, Rising Sun and Triumphator, were released to rave reviews in 2014. His third novel, Wraith, was released in late 2015. His followup to Rising Sun and Triumphator will be released in early 2020.
He lives in Indiana with his wife and two children.
He lives in Indiana with his wife and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 4, 2016
I managed to read this book in 2 days.. any book I finish that quickly you know I’ve enjoyed
It’s a tale of two stories, one a young boy surrounded by soldiers who seem intent to cause harm. The other an old man wandering the woods.. haunted by a wraith.
Tiro’s tale moves quickly. I won’t spoil anything but you can tell from the synopsis something bad happens and he loses everything he cares about. The twist at the end of his tale in this book certainly hooked me in, I’ll most certainly be buying the next book to carry on his adventure.
He’s an interesting character, like a young Robin Hood, adept with a bow but powerless to change the events that play out.
As a reader you are left with some questions though. How did the Empire and The Hand come about? Why are they at war? I might have missed it but I was left assuming the soldiers were bad and the rebels good but with no real idea why.
Arach is completely different, an old man with a hidden past being stalked by a Wraith. This part of the tale plays out very slowly throughout the book..with a lot of back and forth between the two.
My four star rating is simply because I felt Arach’s tale was drawn out a little and I felt I learned very little about the man.
Credit to the author, he has set up series nicely. The author left it right until the end to show us how these two characters may link up and it certainly peaked my interest.
I’ve read other reviews and see a common point made is that there’s not a lot to this story, not much happens…and I slightly disagree. Yes maybe more could of happened but this is the first book of a series.. there’s plenty of time for this series to develop
A lover of fantasy stories will enjoy this but word of warning.. you’ll be frustrated at the end.. as book 2 isn’t out yet.
Overall I enjoyed the book but was left with a lot of questions.. hopefully the author will give the reader some more background as the series progresses.
I really hope the story develops more throughout the next book to keep the reader interested.
The potential is there.. I look forward to reading the next book to see where this series goes.
My thanks go to the author for the opportunity to read/review his work. I appreciate it greatly
It’s a tale of two stories, one a young boy surrounded by soldiers who seem intent to cause harm. The other an old man wandering the woods.. haunted by a wraith.
Tiro’s tale moves quickly. I won’t spoil anything but you can tell from the synopsis something bad happens and he loses everything he cares about. The twist at the end of his tale in this book certainly hooked me in, I’ll most certainly be buying the next book to carry on his adventure.
He’s an interesting character, like a young Robin Hood, adept with a bow but powerless to change the events that play out.
As a reader you are left with some questions though. How did the Empire and The Hand come about? Why are they at war? I might have missed it but I was left assuming the soldiers were bad and the rebels good but with no real idea why.
Arach is completely different, an old man with a hidden past being stalked by a Wraith. This part of the tale plays out very slowly throughout the book..with a lot of back and forth between the two.
My four star rating is simply because I felt Arach’s tale was drawn out a little and I felt I learned very little about the man.
Credit to the author, he has set up series nicely. The author left it right until the end to show us how these two characters may link up and it certainly peaked my interest.
I’ve read other reviews and see a common point made is that there’s not a lot to this story, not much happens…and I slightly disagree. Yes maybe more could of happened but this is the first book of a series.. there’s plenty of time for this series to develop
A lover of fantasy stories will enjoy this but word of warning.. you’ll be frustrated at the end.. as book 2 isn’t out yet.
Overall I enjoyed the book but was left with a lot of questions.. hopefully the author will give the reader some more background as the series progresses.
I really hope the story develops more throughout the next book to keep the reader interested.
The potential is there.. I look forward to reading the next book to see where this series goes.
My thanks go to the author for the opportunity to read/review his work. I appreciate it greatly
January 31, 2016
The summary holds much promise for a great story, however what actually happens is two protagonists wander around, one stealthily bringing men to their death, one stubbornly turning away from those in need. There’s plenty of slaughter by an Empire of soldiers, rebel forces, a juvenile killing machine and a wraith. I can see the author cranking out six plus books all leading the reader on and on and on and….with no real purpose to a final end where in one paragraph we are told something of real significance.
What is the Empire? Who are the Rebels? What happened to get to this point of war? Even subtly answering these questions in the first book in order to really grab the readers attention would have been better than leading us around by the ears in a seemingly endless amount of travel, death and fluff, only then to be presented with a meaningless ending intended to suck the reader into continuing to buy into the story. The writing overall was fine, there were no glaring mistakes in grammar. Truly I believe the author has a great imagination and a talent for writing but this book appears to be the consequence of boredom with the writing of another series.
James Foster, narrator of Wraith, is a beautiful reader and the overall production is of high quality. Foster kept the story at a steady pace and his relaxed yet penetrating voice lent authenticity to the dark and foreboding atmosphere. He didn’t need to and didn’t use a bunch of flashy voices for the characters, but there was enough distinction to know who was talking. If the author wishes to keep the story in sync he would be well advised to keep Foster for any future installments.
I think Wraith the series has potential but will fall dramatically short of its mark if this first book is any indication of what lay ahead.
This book was gifted to me by the author and Audible in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you.
What is the Empire? Who are the Rebels? What happened to get to this point of war? Even subtly answering these questions in the first book in order to really grab the readers attention would have been better than leading us around by the ears in a seemingly endless amount of travel, death and fluff, only then to be presented with a meaningless ending intended to suck the reader into continuing to buy into the story. The writing overall was fine, there were no glaring mistakes in grammar. Truly I believe the author has a great imagination and a talent for writing but this book appears to be the consequence of boredom with the writing of another series.
James Foster, narrator of Wraith, is a beautiful reader and the overall production is of high quality. Foster kept the story at a steady pace and his relaxed yet penetrating voice lent authenticity to the dark and foreboding atmosphere. He didn’t need to and didn’t use a bunch of flashy voices for the characters, but there was enough distinction to know who was talking. If the author wishes to keep the story in sync he would be well advised to keep Foster for any future installments.
I think Wraith the series has potential but will fall dramatically short of its mark if this first book is any indication of what lay ahead.
This book was gifted to me by the author and Audible in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you.
April 30, 2016
Set in an ancient world where might often makes right, Tiro and his sister must navigate around deadly pitfalls. Young Tiro is an excellent shot with the bow and he hates the Empire and all who serve it. Meanwhile, we have this traveler, Arach, who is an older man. He is plagued by a supernatural entity, the wraith, which gives him and his horse no end of grief.
This was a very captivating book. It had that historical fiction quality about it that often made me feel like I was reading a story set in ancient Asia someplace. Then the author pulls in some fantastical elements here and there which make the story a little spooky and that much more interesting. The first openings scenes had me hooked. I definitely wanted to know more about what was going on and why Tiro was taking people out with his bow and why he has so much anger. The author was able to keep my interest at that level for much of the book.
Tiro and his sister are close and they both care about their mother; their step-father is another story. This rebel group, the Hand, has their eye on Tiro. The Hand is well organized with a chain of command and supply routes and contingency plans. However, they do demand obedience and Tiro does have a little problem with doing as he’s told. Tiro’s sister has a few good lines but after the first few chapters, she fades into the background until a certain important event happens later. So, if there is one thing that could strengthen this book, it would be to have more female characters and give them relevant roles.
Arach is the other main character and he is a bit more mysterious. He’s not as full of anger as Tiro is. In fact, he talks to his horse and seems quite fond of him. Then there’s this wraith that plagues him. At first, it’s a suspicious pest, but as the story progresses, it becomes a true threat.
With this wraith being such a nuisance, I did wonder if maybe Tiro is putting his energies into fighting the wrong Big Bad Guy (the Empire). There’s definitely something more afoot in the land and the author has set us up perfectly for a sequel to figure out what that is. Over all, this was a good solid read that I enjoyed quite a bit. The main characters had more complexity than I expected and the world building was good. Definitely looking forward to the next in the series.
I received a copy of this audiobook at no cost from the author (via the GoodReads Audiobooks group) in exchange for an honest review.
The Narration: James Foster did a very good job with these characters. Tiro sounds like a young man and Arach sounds like an old crotchety man. His female voices are believable. He did a good job getting strong emotions across without overdoing them.
This was a very captivating book. It had that historical fiction quality about it that often made me feel like I was reading a story set in ancient Asia someplace. Then the author pulls in some fantastical elements here and there which make the story a little spooky and that much more interesting. The first openings scenes had me hooked. I definitely wanted to know more about what was going on and why Tiro was taking people out with his bow and why he has so much anger. The author was able to keep my interest at that level for much of the book.
Tiro and his sister are close and they both care about their mother; their step-father is another story. This rebel group, the Hand, has their eye on Tiro. The Hand is well organized with a chain of command and supply routes and contingency plans. However, they do demand obedience and Tiro does have a little problem with doing as he’s told. Tiro’s sister has a few good lines but after the first few chapters, she fades into the background until a certain important event happens later. So, if there is one thing that could strengthen this book, it would be to have more female characters and give them relevant roles.
Arach is the other main character and he is a bit more mysterious. He’s not as full of anger as Tiro is. In fact, he talks to his horse and seems quite fond of him. Then there’s this wraith that plagues him. At first, it’s a suspicious pest, but as the story progresses, it becomes a true threat.
With this wraith being such a nuisance, I did wonder if maybe Tiro is putting his energies into fighting the wrong Big Bad Guy (the Empire). There’s definitely something more afoot in the land and the author has set us up perfectly for a sequel to figure out what that is. Over all, this was a good solid read that I enjoyed quite a bit. The main characters had more complexity than I expected and the world building was good. Definitely looking forward to the next in the series.
I received a copy of this audiobook at no cost from the author (via the GoodReads Audiobooks group) in exchange for an honest review.
The Narration: James Foster did a very good job with these characters. Tiro sounds like a young man and Arach sounds like an old crotchety man. His female voices are believable. He did a good job getting strong emotions across without overdoing them.
April 30, 2016
Wraith by Robert Allen Johnson Set in an ancient world where might often makes right, Tiro and his sister must navigate around deadly pitfalls. Young Tiro is an excellent shot with the bow and he hates the Empire and all who serve it. Meanwhile, we have this traveler, Arach, who is an older man. He is plagued by a supernatural entity, the wraith, which gives him and his horse no end of grief.
This was a very captivating book. It had that historical fiction quality about it that often made me feel like I was reading a story set in ancient Asia someplace. Then the author pulls in some fantastical elements here and there which make the story a little spooky and that much more interesting. The first openings scenes had me hooked. I definitely wanted to know more about what was going on and why Tiro was taking people out with his bow and why he has so much anger. The author was able to keep my interest at that level for much of the book.
Tiro and his sister are close and they both care about their mother; their step-father is another story. This rebel group, the Hand, has their eye on Tiro. The Hand is well organized with a chain of command and supply routes and contingency plans. However, they do demand obedience and Tiro does have a little problem with doing as he’s told. Tiro’s sister has a few good lines but after the first few chapters, she fades into the background until a certain important event happens later. So, if there is one thing that could strengthen this book, it would be to have more female characters and give them relevant roles.
Arach is the other main character and he is a bit more mysterious. He’s not as full of anger as Tiro is. In fact, he talks to his horse and seems quite fond of him. Then there’s this wraith that plagues him. At first, it’s a suspicious pest, but as the story progresses, it becomes a true threat.
With this wraith being such a nuisance, I did wonder if maybe Tiro is putting his energies into fighting the wrong Big Bad Guy (the Empire). There’s definitely something more afoot in the land and the author has set us up perfectly for a sequel to figure out what that is. Over all, this was a good solid read that I enjoyed quite a bit. The main characters had more complexity than I expected and the world building was good. Definitely looking forward to the next in the series.
I received a copy of this audiobook at no cost from the author (via the GoodReads Audiobooks group) in exchange for an honest review.
The Narration: James Foster did a very good job with these characters. Tiro sounds like a young man and Arach sounds like an old crotchety man. His female voices are believable. He did a good job getting strong emotions across without overdoing them.
This was a very captivating book. It had that historical fiction quality about it that often made me feel like I was reading a story set in ancient Asia someplace. Then the author pulls in some fantastical elements here and there which make the story a little spooky and that much more interesting. The first openings scenes had me hooked. I definitely wanted to know more about what was going on and why Tiro was taking people out with his bow and why he has so much anger. The author was able to keep my interest at that level for much of the book.
Tiro and his sister are close and they both care about their mother; their step-father is another story. This rebel group, the Hand, has their eye on Tiro. The Hand is well organized with a chain of command and supply routes and contingency plans. However, they do demand obedience and Tiro does have a little problem with doing as he’s told. Tiro’s sister has a few good lines but after the first few chapters, she fades into the background until a certain important event happens later. So, if there is one thing that could strengthen this book, it would be to have more female characters and give them relevant roles.
Arach is the other main character and he is a bit more mysterious. He’s not as full of anger as Tiro is. In fact, he talks to his horse and seems quite fond of him. Then there’s this wraith that plagues him. At first, it’s a suspicious pest, but as the story progresses, it becomes a true threat.
With this wraith being such a nuisance, I did wonder if maybe Tiro is putting his energies into fighting the wrong Big Bad Guy (the Empire). There’s definitely something more afoot in the land and the author has set us up perfectly for a sequel to figure out what that is. Over all, this was a good solid read that I enjoyed quite a bit. The main characters had more complexity than I expected and the world building was good. Definitely looking forward to the next in the series.
I received a copy of this audiobook at no cost from the author (via the GoodReads Audiobooks group) in exchange for an honest review.
The Narration: James Foster did a very good job with these characters. Tiro sounds like a young man and Arach sounds like an old crotchety man. His female voices are believable. He did a good job getting strong emotions across without overdoing them.
January 6, 2016
My original Wraith audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
In Wraith we are introduced to Tiro a young man that is a master with the bow. So good in fact he takes on the persona of the bowman sniper "The Ghost", whom the government soldiers fear. We get to learn about he took on this persona and exactly what the demons are that now haunt him.
Then there is Arach, a traveler in a distant land. Who is plagued by a supernatural Wraith that seems to have taken a liking to him. That also seems to like Arach to suffer, by taking those who get close to him.
The story is told from both of these characters points of view switching without warning. One sentence will be one of them and the next will be the other. This made it difficult to know where the story was taking place. Confusing my more than once enough to where I had to rewind and re-listen to parts.
While I think I have figured out the relationship between the two protagonists, I have not figured out how the wraith plays into everything. If I am correct this story will make much more sense otherwise it seems like two unrelated stories that happen to be told at the same time. Again I cannot say to much as this was a short story where little is not tied to the plot.
I would classify this story as a fantasy noir. Because Arach and Tiro are victims of suffering, while living in a fantasy world of magic and the supernatural. If you want a fantasy story that is a little dark and a little different from the norm. Wraith is for you. I see the series expanding into something special, just not quite there yet.
James Foster, once again, has a flawless performance. Doing his best to differentiate the characters. The issues I found with the story had nothing to do with the narration. He was able to make himself sound evil for the wraith, much appreciated and enjoyable. While Arach and Tiro were very similar in tone, making you need queues from the story to tell you who was taking the spotlight in the story.
Audiobook provided for review by the narrator.
In Wraith we are introduced to Tiro a young man that is a master with the bow. So good in fact he takes on the persona of the bowman sniper "The Ghost", whom the government soldiers fear. We get to learn about he took on this persona and exactly what the demons are that now haunt him.
Then there is Arach, a traveler in a distant land. Who is plagued by a supernatural Wraith that seems to have taken a liking to him. That also seems to like Arach to suffer, by taking those who get close to him.
The story is told from both of these characters points of view switching without warning. One sentence will be one of them and the next will be the other. This made it difficult to know where the story was taking place. Confusing my more than once enough to where I had to rewind and re-listen to parts.
While I think I have figured out the relationship between the two protagonists, I have not figured out how the wraith plays into everything. If I am correct this story will make much more sense otherwise it seems like two unrelated stories that happen to be told at the same time. Again I cannot say to much as this was a short story where little is not tied to the plot.
I would classify this story as a fantasy noir. Because Arach and Tiro are victims of suffering, while living in a fantasy world of magic and the supernatural. If you want a fantasy story that is a little dark and a little different from the norm. Wraith is for you. I see the series expanding into something special, just not quite there yet.
James Foster, once again, has a flawless performance. Doing his best to differentiate the characters. The issues I found with the story had nothing to do with the narration. He was able to make himself sound evil for the wraith, much appreciated and enjoyable. While Arach and Tiro were very similar in tone, making you need queues from the story to tell you who was taking the spotlight in the story.
Audiobook provided for review by the narrator.
May 24, 2016
In this thrilling tale we follow two characters as they face many trials and pains. Trio is a boy, a hunter. He tracks down men from the Empire and takes their lives just as they had taken his father's life. The coin Trio receives from The Hand for these deaths is used to take care of his sister and mother.
Arch is a traveler of many places. As he and his horse makes their way home they are met with a shadowy figure. This unwelcomed ghost refuses to leave Arch's side. The Darkness temps him with the possibility relieving the guilt from his past.
As you can guess from the synopsis this is a captivating story. The descriptions that Robert uses are woven together in an beautiful way. However, he gets a little bit carried away and atbtimes over describes useless things. It is also unclear as to whom the chapters about until you get to character's name. So each chapter can either change to a different character or be about the same person in the previous chapter. You have to read a paragraph or two in order to find out which person is being talked about. Then when you do figure it out you feel like you have to go back and reread because you don't remember what was said about that character. You didn't know who was being talked about and so the information didn't quite stick in your mind. At least, that is how it is for me.
Overall it is an exquisite novel and one I will be adding to my list of books I want to buy.
Arch is a traveler of many places. As he and his horse makes their way home they are met with a shadowy figure. This unwelcomed ghost refuses to leave Arch's side. The Darkness temps him with the possibility relieving the guilt from his past.
As you can guess from the synopsis this is a captivating story. The descriptions that Robert uses are woven together in an beautiful way. However, he gets a little bit carried away and atbtimes over describes useless things. It is also unclear as to whom the chapters about until you get to character's name. So each chapter can either change to a different character or be about the same person in the previous chapter. You have to read a paragraph or two in order to find out which person is being talked about. Then when you do figure it out you feel like you have to go back and reread because you don't remember what was said about that character. You didn't know who was being talked about and so the information didn't quite stick in your mind. At least, that is how it is for me.
Overall it is an exquisite novel and one I will be adding to my list of books I want to buy.
January 6, 2016
I read this story in the space of one day, it was so compelling. The characters were real, the situations very understandable, the emotions deep, drawing the reader in. The writing was on a par with a great poem, descriptive and filled with detail that gave me a complete sense of time, place and feeling. Without being explicit, the writer conveys the tragedies that occur to his characters, both in their past and present and allows the reader to experience the emotion each one goes through with them. I especially liked the byplay between Arach and his horse, being an animal lover, I've sort of done the same thing with my cats. I understand from the addendum that there will be more entries in this series. I anxiously await each one.
March 24, 2016
3.5 / 5 stars
I've received a free copy of Wraith's audiobook by the author. (Thank you, Mr. Johnson)
I liked this book more than I thought I would. I loved the hero Tiro and his bond with his sister so much. I've read this book when I was really in need of a fantasy book, so it was a perfect timing for me.
My only problem with it was its shortness. I was waiting for more. It could have gone on some more chapters as far as I'm concerned. I left like because this is the first book of a series, somethings were deliberately held back from the reader. Though, I guess that's the beauty of a series, eh? We'll wait and see what's going to happen.
To wrap it up, I really want to continue with the series as soon as possible. I'm happy that I've found a new good series to wait for.
I've received a free copy of Wraith's audiobook by the author. (Thank you, Mr. Johnson)
I liked this book more than I thought I would. I loved the hero Tiro and his bond with his sister so much. I've read this book when I was really in need of a fantasy book, so it was a perfect timing for me.
My only problem with it was its shortness. I was waiting for more. It could have gone on some more chapters as far as I'm concerned. I left like because this is the first book of a series, somethings were deliberately held back from the reader. Though, I guess that's the beauty of a series, eh? We'll wait and see what's going to happen.
To wrap it up, I really want to continue with the series as soon as possible. I'm happy that I've found a new good series to wait for.
February 14, 2016
2.5/5.0
This author has a distinct voice that is easy to read, with a good balance between description and dialogue.
Read full review in the 2016 February issue of InD'tale Magazine.
This author has a distinct voice that is easy to read, with a good balance between description and dialogue.
Read full review in the 2016 February issue of InD'tale Magazine.
February 2, 2016
Piro is a bit of a Robin Hood/Spartacus type of character, I like him. Arach's storyline rather puts me in mind of Cazaril from Bujold's The Curse of Chalion, it's not really even close plot wise, but the personality is similar. I'd like to read more.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews