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The Dark Element
Unity took us to the stars. The stars brought aliens to Earth. Claiming both cost us everything. A hungry alien empire known as The Collective has betrayed humanity. Earth is taken. Day-by-day, the ruthless Over-Seer harvests the planet we worked so hard to save, and only a mysterious group of individuals have found any success against him. The Elementals. Damien Vilan is one of these human enigmas. Able to spawn black holes and even smother light, he is the first man to ever command tangible darkness. While Damien stands lonely in the crumbling Seattle Islets alongside his adopted alien brother and an eccentric AI, the occupying aliens are hunting him. When a botched ambush on an enemy patrol wounds Damien’s brother, the trio is forced to test the weapon they’ve been building. If it works, it could change the downward spiral of the war, but if it fails and Damien’s dangerous powers are exposed? It could bring the Over-Seer himself crashing down on them. The tyrant would love to get his hands on such a powerful man, and he'd surely use Damien to find the elusive island sanctuary where other Elementals are gathering... When every chance of success has faded with the light, who better to turn to than the man who wields darkness? HOPE IS BORN IN DARKNESS
- GenresScience FictionFiction
665 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 27, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 22, 2016
The Dark Element
This is one of the best stories I have read this year. Incredibly written. A definite must read for anyone!
This is one of the best stories I have read this year. Incredibly written. A definite must read for anyone!
November 1, 2017
Since self-publishing The Dark Element, the first installment in his Elemental Saga series, Mason J. Torall has been running aggressively on the conference circuit including participating as a panelist at MalCon (Myths and Legends Conference) Denver 2017 and KoelbelCon 2016 where he was a special guest along with his writing partner, Colleen Oakes. He’s also a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and, at least up until recently, was a fairly active one at that. In short: over the past few years in addition to writing quite a long book and working on the next installment, he has been working hard on this project. Credit where credit is due: that’s no small feat.
Based on the ratings that other reviewers have given The Dark Element, I feel like I’m about to throw some ice water on the party, and that’s not what I originally set out to do here. I like to support other writers I have met in my travels, and I don’t think I can do that by damning anything they do with faint or insincere praise, so apologies if any of this is crushing, but here we go:
I’ll start with the positives: I think Mr. Torall has an interesting idea here. Damien Vilan (pronounced like violin without the “o,” according to the book--it would have helped to know this before page 200 or so, but maybe I’m just being fussy) is a young man in his 20s living in a compound in Seattle with his adopted brother Von who is an Algaroth. It just so happens that the evil armies trying to conquer Earth happen to be Algaroth as well. Due to this, Von tends to freak-out most other human survivors they encounter during raids on the Avos (enemy) armies throughout the city. An eccentric “Adult” AI named Leo provides important intelligence and codebreaking expertise to the brothers in their efforts to combat the Avos on Earth who happen to be an arm of The Collective, the forces of the evil “Over-Seer” Croll Tan. If you are feeling confused by the almost Eskimo word for snow nature of names for enemy forces, you’re not alone: I felt the same way as I was reading the book. Oh yes, more on that later. During a particularly dangerous raid, the brothers are almost killed, but end up being rescued by unexpected allied forces. Ultimately, Von and Damien are transported to a mysterious subterranean island compound known as Amun Nur where Damien discovers that other Elementals like him are being assembled. Damien’s power is the Dark Element (throughout the book, this is also referred to as Darkness or Night, depending on which 50 page chunk you find yourself in.) Other Elementals include water, fire, earth, and ice. Why are ice and water separate and where does darkness come into this classic mix? I’m not sure, but hey, why not? The water Elemental, Gwen, is female and supposed to be attractive, so maybe women like that just can’t wield ice powers. It’s all good.
My issues with the book came down to clarity and voice. Regarding clarity, it seemed like a lot of technology gets thrown at us at once in the beginning and kind of gets forgotten about until random spots in the book. Also, with some things, like the “aural implant” Damien has that automatically translates alien languages, we encounter some issues of consistency. Torall mentions that Algaroth have an “accent,” but if they speak another language that is translated, why would that translate as an accent? It would have made more sense for their language to be translated in a strange speech pattern like the way Yoda talks or something like that. Presumably, they wouldn’t have an accent speaking their own language.
Speaking of mastery of one’s native language, the manuscript contained a few unfortunate errors that managed to creep into the final book including prenuptial when it should have been practical and conjugated when it should have been conjoined or combined. To err is human; to edit prior to publication is to be expected. Something else that stuck out for me was a part where Von and Damien are reunited on Amun Nur, and Damien thinks to himself, “Von is coming home!” I kept thinking to myself, “But he’s not. Your home was destroyed.” Not only is that just wrong, but it misses the opportunity to explore the full emotional impact of the situation. Trust me, it’s not because Damien never experiences emotions in the book. He is one of the most emo characters I’ve ever encountered. Considering the amount of time Damien spends having a pity party, it’s amazing anything ever gets done.
Also, before I get off the language issues, I have a quibble with a passage at the end of p. 323 and the top of p. 324. I won’t get into the entire bit, but this sentence really captures a lot of it for me, “His lover–wrapped around his body and coursing over even his tongue–came alive at his connection.” Given my understanding of Torall’s life experience up to this point, he should have been able to glide through this scene, but instead, it feels carelessly rammed in, graceless ad almost clinical. What is meant as a metaphor for ultimate physical and spiritual connection comes off as surprisingly isolated while missing even Damien’s internal experience. Where are the real sensations? Where’s the rush? Where’s the feeling of building up to a point where it seems like any further stimulation would split you apart at the core? Maybe I’m just getting carried away. It’s hard not to when thinking about that sort of thing.
Oftentimes, words written between the covers betray more of a writer’s internal struggles than those of the characters. In this case, it is sometimes difficult to discern how much of this is Damien’s journey to understand and harness his powers and how much is the author’s quest for absolution and self-acceptance. Some of this bleeds over into Leo, the “Adult” AI who needs to grow into a larger space to survive, but can’t contain his mercurial demeanor enough to gain Damien’s trust to give him more space to roam.
It could be said that any story about superheroes or beings with magical powers is about being true to who we are and sharing our full potential with the world where our gifts are most needed. In order for that to translate to the page, that self-understanding, awareness and acceptance needs to begin between the chair and the keyboard. Given all of the time Damien spends ruminating over guilt-feelings or coping with general ennui, it seems like some of that has to be an effort to resolve something else.
All of this said, I think that Mason Torall has a good concept here. He clearly knows how to connect with his audience, and he is creative when it comes to integrating technology into his work. I just think he sometimes lets his enthusiasm for gizmos get the best of him. It will be interesting to see what he does as his series develops and as he develops as a writer.
Full disclosure: I did not receive a copy of this book or compensation of any kind, but I do know the person who wrote it, so take that however you need to as you.
Publication date: October 27, 2015
Publisher: Scorpion Ink, LLC, 665 pages
Formats: print retails for $24.99 and Kindle $4.99
Social Media for Mason J. Torall:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/masonjtorall/
Twitter: @masonjtorall
Instagram: @elementaltorall
Wordpress: http://elementsnthings.wordpress.com
Based on the ratings that other reviewers have given The Dark Element, I feel like I’m about to throw some ice water on the party, and that’s not what I originally set out to do here. I like to support other writers I have met in my travels, and I don’t think I can do that by damning anything they do with faint or insincere praise, so apologies if any of this is crushing, but here we go:
I’ll start with the positives: I think Mr. Torall has an interesting idea here. Damien Vilan (pronounced like violin without the “o,” according to the book--it would have helped to know this before page 200 or so, but maybe I’m just being fussy) is a young man in his 20s living in a compound in Seattle with his adopted brother Von who is an Algaroth. It just so happens that the evil armies trying to conquer Earth happen to be Algaroth as well. Due to this, Von tends to freak-out most other human survivors they encounter during raids on the Avos (enemy) armies throughout the city. An eccentric “Adult” AI named Leo provides important intelligence and codebreaking expertise to the brothers in their efforts to combat the Avos on Earth who happen to be an arm of The Collective, the forces of the evil “Over-Seer” Croll Tan. If you are feeling confused by the almost Eskimo word for snow nature of names for enemy forces, you’re not alone: I felt the same way as I was reading the book. Oh yes, more on that later. During a particularly dangerous raid, the brothers are almost killed, but end up being rescued by unexpected allied forces. Ultimately, Von and Damien are transported to a mysterious subterranean island compound known as Amun Nur where Damien discovers that other Elementals like him are being assembled. Damien’s power is the Dark Element (throughout the book, this is also referred to as Darkness or Night, depending on which 50 page chunk you find yourself in.) Other Elementals include water, fire, earth, and ice. Why are ice and water separate and where does darkness come into this classic mix? I’m not sure, but hey, why not? The water Elemental, Gwen, is female and supposed to be attractive, so maybe women like that just can’t wield ice powers. It’s all good.
My issues with the book came down to clarity and voice. Regarding clarity, it seemed like a lot of technology gets thrown at us at once in the beginning and kind of gets forgotten about until random spots in the book. Also, with some things, like the “aural implant” Damien has that automatically translates alien languages, we encounter some issues of consistency. Torall mentions that Algaroth have an “accent,” but if they speak another language that is translated, why would that translate as an accent? It would have made more sense for their language to be translated in a strange speech pattern like the way Yoda talks or something like that. Presumably, they wouldn’t have an accent speaking their own language.
Speaking of mastery of one’s native language, the manuscript contained a few unfortunate errors that managed to creep into the final book including prenuptial when it should have been practical and conjugated when it should have been conjoined or combined. To err is human; to edit prior to publication is to be expected. Something else that stuck out for me was a part where Von and Damien are reunited on Amun Nur, and Damien thinks to himself, “Von is coming home!” I kept thinking to myself, “But he’s not. Your home was destroyed.” Not only is that just wrong, but it misses the opportunity to explore the full emotional impact of the situation. Trust me, it’s not because Damien never experiences emotions in the book. He is one of the most emo characters I’ve ever encountered. Considering the amount of time Damien spends having a pity party, it’s amazing anything ever gets done.
Also, before I get off the language issues, I have a quibble with a passage at the end of p. 323 and the top of p. 324. I won’t get into the entire bit, but this sentence really captures a lot of it for me, “His lover–wrapped around his body and coursing over even his tongue–came alive at his connection.” Given my understanding of Torall’s life experience up to this point, he should have been able to glide through this scene, but instead, it feels carelessly rammed in, graceless ad almost clinical. What is meant as a metaphor for ultimate physical and spiritual connection comes off as surprisingly isolated while missing even Damien’s internal experience. Where are the real sensations? Where’s the rush? Where’s the feeling of building up to a point where it seems like any further stimulation would split you apart at the core? Maybe I’m just getting carried away. It’s hard not to when thinking about that sort of thing.
Oftentimes, words written between the covers betray more of a writer’s internal struggles than those of the characters. In this case, it is sometimes difficult to discern how much of this is Damien’s journey to understand and harness his powers and how much is the author’s quest for absolution and self-acceptance. Some of this bleeds over into Leo, the “Adult” AI who needs to grow into a larger space to survive, but can’t contain his mercurial demeanor enough to gain Damien’s trust to give him more space to roam.
It could be said that any story about superheroes or beings with magical powers is about being true to who we are and sharing our full potential with the world where our gifts are most needed. In order for that to translate to the page, that self-understanding, awareness and acceptance needs to begin between the chair and the keyboard. Given all of the time Damien spends ruminating over guilt-feelings or coping with general ennui, it seems like some of that has to be an effort to resolve something else.
All of this said, I think that Mason Torall has a good concept here. He clearly knows how to connect with his audience, and he is creative when it comes to integrating technology into his work. I just think he sometimes lets his enthusiasm for gizmos get the best of him. It will be interesting to see what he does as his series develops and as he develops as a writer.
Full disclosure: I did not receive a copy of this book or compensation of any kind, but I do know the person who wrote it, so take that however you need to as you.
Publication date: October 27, 2015
Publisher: Scorpion Ink, LLC, 665 pages
Formats: print retails for $24.99 and Kindle $4.99
Social Media for Mason J. Torall:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/masonjtorall/
Twitter: @masonjtorall
Instagram: @elementaltorall
Wordpress: http://elementsnthings.wordpress.com
November 15, 2015
5 + Stars
WOW! This book will knock your socks off. For his first book, Mason Torall did an outstanding job of creating his own futuristic world and characters. The plot is so complex, well though out and developed that it sucks you right into the story making you feel as if you are right there. It will also keep you on the edge of your seat. Great character interaction and development.
I can't wait to see how Mason is going to top this book. I would highly recommend this to everyone.
A word of advise while reading this book. ' Don't have any other plans. Enjoy the story. Make sure you read the prologue and journal entries at the front, as these will give you a greater insight into the story.
' "The greatness of all things can be measured by how far they fall, planet or person. A bird might crash with the same resonance as a civilization, but we all fall just the same. -Lunar Admiral Jacob Hawkings final entry in his personal journal dated June 24, 2130 Eighteen months after the conquering" '
' " As someone once said - though, the original penman of the quote is no longer known - 'those who do not listen to history are doomed to repeat it.' Compelling words." '
WOW! This book will knock your socks off. For his first book, Mason Torall did an outstanding job of creating his own futuristic world and characters. The plot is so complex, well though out and developed that it sucks you right into the story making you feel as if you are right there. It will also keep you on the edge of your seat. Great character interaction and development.
I can't wait to see how Mason is going to top this book. I would highly recommend this to everyone.
A word of advise while reading this book. ' Don't have any other plans. Enjoy the story. Make sure you read the prologue and journal entries at the front, as these will give you a greater insight into the story.
' "The greatness of all things can be measured by how far they fall, planet or person. A bird might crash with the same resonance as a civilization, but we all fall just the same. -Lunar Admiral Jacob Hawkings final entry in his personal journal dated June 24, 2130 Eighteen months after the conquering" '
' " As someone once said - though, the original penman of the quote is no longer known - 'those who do not listen to history are doomed to repeat it.' Compelling words." '
November 29, 2015
Enjoyable, well written
One of the best books I've read in the last few months. The author has a captivating and enjoyable writing style and stays on focus. The book could have been a little longer though and unfortunately, I didn't find the ending to have the significance or mystery that was expected.
One of the best books I've read in the last few months. The author has a captivating and enjoyable writing style and stays on focus. The book could have been a little longer though and unfortunately, I didn't find the ending to have the significance or mystery that was expected.
December 19, 2015
Great story
Super long story! Really great bang-for-buck, and a great read. It was an interesting take on the future of humanity, but sometimes the main charcuterie ends up doing something really weird (like at the end when he stands up and starts walking towards the speaker) and nobody questions him or thinks that's weird.
Super long story! Really great bang-for-buck, and a great read. It was an interesting take on the future of humanity, but sometimes the main charcuterie ends up doing something really weird (like at the end when he stands up and starts walking towards the speaker) and nobody questions him or thinks that's weird.
December 15, 2015
Very nice
Good introductory story. Nicely detailed chapters. The ai character was very impressive. It all left me looking for more. I can't wait for the next one. Thx
Good introductory story. Nicely detailed chapters. The ai character was very impressive. It all left me looking for more. I can't wait for the next one. Thx
January 15, 2025
Out of all the successful Kickstarters I've funded, I regret this one the most.
I should have stepped reading when But alas, I just had to discover that all the female characters are written just as poorly.
Not that Damien is much better, his whole character arc revolves around the fact which leaves him moping around for most of the book. In a single chapter, he switches from an active character to a passive one, a complete let down. Also, the whole setup is that it's these two brothers taking on this post-apocalyptic enemy-filled world, but Von vanishes for a whole quarter of the book. Because of this, the author misses out on the chance to have
I do really enjoy the "team of mismatched misfits with superpowers" trope but this is just a poor execution of that. It just doesn't deliver on it's promises.
I should have stepped reading when But alas, I just had to discover that all the female characters are written just as poorly.
Not that Damien is much better, his whole character arc revolves around the fact which leaves him moping around for most of the book. In a single chapter, he switches from an active character to a passive one, a complete let down. Also, the whole setup is that it's these two brothers taking on this post-apocalyptic enemy-filled world, but Von vanishes for a whole quarter of the book. Because of this, the author misses out on the chance to have
I do really enjoy the "team of mismatched misfits with superpowers" trope but this is just a poor execution of that. It just doesn't deliver on it's promises.
November 30, 2015
*I was given an ARC for an honest review of this novel.*
Torall's debut novel takes classic Sci-Fi tropes and hurtles them into a bio-tech, environmentally conscious, fantasy-laden Molotov cocktail. The reader can expect to be blown away by his innovative alien beings, complex plotting and a thrilling futuristic vision that is both nightmarish and completely plausible. His tech is imaginative and sexy while not seeming outlandish, and his characters are raw and bristling. From the opening sequence, which beautifully laid out a dismal world of alien collectives vs a lovely sprinkling of snow, I knew without a doubt that this was a writer who not only knew his words, but loved them. It's a lengthy book, but Torall wields his pages wisely, and it's full of vast rewards for the reader - from Leo, the cheeky AI and everyone's favorite character to the island itself, brimming with innovation. Torall is absolutely an author to watch, and his debut flexes his impressive, tech-savy millennial brain.
Torall's debut novel takes classic Sci-Fi tropes and hurtles them into a bio-tech, environmentally conscious, fantasy-laden Molotov cocktail. The reader can expect to be blown away by his innovative alien beings, complex plotting and a thrilling futuristic vision that is both nightmarish and completely plausible. His tech is imaginative and sexy while not seeming outlandish, and his characters are raw and bristling. From the opening sequence, which beautifully laid out a dismal world of alien collectives vs a lovely sprinkling of snow, I knew without a doubt that this was a writer who not only knew his words, but loved them. It's a lengthy book, but Torall wields his pages wisely, and it's full of vast rewards for the reader - from Leo, the cheeky AI and everyone's favorite character to the island itself, brimming with innovation. Torall is absolutely an author to watch, and his debut flexes his impressive, tech-savy millennial brain.
November 4, 2016
What if our first contact with an alien species wasn’t with a noble race like the Vulcans? What if a period of fruitful peace ended not with an alliance but with a war? These are the questions Mason J Torall is asking and answering in THE DARK ELEMENT. This book hits all the right sci-fi notes for me: familiar elements mashed up in a new way. It reads like the very best of video games play, Mass Effect, or Destiny with shards of X-Men thrown in for flavor. Tropes and plot devices you know well get a new twist and a fresh take.
Torall masterfully plots a war-torn future of infinite detail and careful nuance then runs his protagonist through it. The sheer scope of the ideas he’s including explains the book’s length and price tag. I loved the adventure, the shifts between settings, and especially the depth of the relationship between Damien, the main character, and his adopted brother Von. I’ll admit I teared up a bit at certain scenes I won’t spoil, but they pulled the heart strings and had me examining the family you make versus the family you’re born to.
Torall masterfully plots a war-torn future of infinite detail and careful nuance then runs his protagonist through it. The sheer scope of the ideas he’s including explains the book’s length and price tag. I loved the adventure, the shifts between settings, and especially the depth of the relationship between Damien, the main character, and his adopted brother Von. I’ll admit I teared up a bit at certain scenes I won’t spoil, but they pulled the heart strings and had me examining the family you make versus the family you’re born to.
December 16, 2016
I finished reading “The Dark Element” by Mason Torall today and figured I’d jot down a few thoughts about the book. Future Earth has been invaded and World War III has erupted. Alliances are formed between the many different peoples and groups involved. Two brothers find themselves right in the middle of it and overcome continuous obstacles to gain their freedom and ensure their survival and the survival of the planet.
This is good earth-bound sci-fi with aspects of aliens and other worlds included. I’m an engineer so I really liked the technology and the detail in the storyline. I read this book during my one-hour lunch breaks at work and noticed that the minutes just flew by. I caught myself going past my allotted hour a few times as I was caught up in the action. It is a long book, at more than 600 pages, so make sure you eat your Wheaties. But I never had a feeling that the story was being drawn out or had slowed to a crawl. And Torall provides an ending that could lead to additional stories to build a Dark Element series. I liked it.
This is good earth-bound sci-fi with aspects of aliens and other worlds included. I’m an engineer so I really liked the technology and the detail in the storyline. I read this book during my one-hour lunch breaks at work and noticed that the minutes just flew by. I caught myself going past my allotted hour a few times as I was caught up in the action. It is a long book, at more than 600 pages, so make sure you eat your Wheaties. But I never had a feeling that the story was being drawn out or had slowed to a crawl. And Torall provides an ending that could lead to additional stories to build a Dark Element series. I liked it.
March 11, 2016
The book is good, but in my opinion not enough so to deserve the rave reviews.
The story, the creation of the world of the future and the consistency are all excellent, but the pace of action is far far too slow. There is too much unnecessary waffle giving details not essential to the tale. If the same tale had been told in less than 300 pages instead of nearly 600 I would have been giving it five stars.
The story, the creation of the world of the future and the consistency are all excellent, but the pace of action is far far too slow. There is too much unnecessary waffle giving details not essential to the tale. If the same tale had been told in less than 300 pages instead of nearly 600 I would have been giving it five stars.
December 11, 2015
Starts slow but ends with a bang
This book was pretty good. It wasn't the fastest moving but overall was a good story. It starts quickly but bogs down in the middle with a lot of character development. It moves a little too quickly at the end and could have been more balanced in that respect. Overall, I would rate it as good but not great hence the 4 stars not 5
This book was pretty good. It wasn't the fastest moving but overall was a good story. It starts quickly but bogs down in the middle with a lot of character development. It moves a little too quickly at the end and could have been more balanced in that respect. Overall, I would rate it as good but not great hence the 4 stars not 5
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews