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Cordimancy
Toril and Malena barely complete wedding vows before their future crumbles. War ignites the borderlands; conspiracy stalks the young clan chief. Attackers raze their town, assaulting Malena and leaving her near death. Whoever commissioned the violence kidnaps dozens of children, with plans to sacrifice them in taboo acts of blood magic.
Legend says an ordeal might give the couple power to fight back--but its price is as mythic as its potency... Can they battle real and inner demons, sacrifice prized dreams, trust each other, and tap the greatest magic of all in their quest to put things right?
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Cordimancy is a character-rich fantasy novel with a totally fresh milieu. Against a backdrop of high-stakes action, it explores themes such as hope in the face of grief, the true nature of forgiveness, the foundations of meaningful romance, and how to understand and accept the self and others.
Legend says an ordeal might give the couple power to fight back--but its price is as mythic as its potency... Can they battle real and inner demons, sacrifice prized dreams, trust each other, and tap the greatest magic of all in their quest to put things right?
----
Cordimancy is a character-rich fantasy novel with a totally fresh milieu. Against a backdrop of high-stakes action, it explores themes such as hope in the face of grief, the true nature of forgiveness, the foundations of meaningful romance, and how to understand and accept the self and others.
- GenresFantasy
471 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 14, 2015
278 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Hardman
4 books16 followersThe Christmas I was six, I snuck into a hallway to listen at the bannister as my parents discussed presents in the living room below.
When my parents heard me, they switched into German. That was when I fell in love with language.
I was already hooked on stories by this time. I have memories of Where the Wild Things Are and The Monster at the End of This Book from the dim years before kindergarten, and I recall my parents reading us The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Jungle Book over and over again. “Richer than I you can never be…” :-)
Some interesting things about me that may or may not have anything to do with my writing:
I married my wife on our first date. (True story. Sadie Hawkins. There was a “preacher” and a bale of hay right in front of where the couples stood to get their picture taken. We got a tin ring and a certificate that said, “This here certifies that the two of these folks is hitched until one of ‘em gits away.” The rest is history.)
My bucket list includes swimming with great white sharks off the coast of South Africa.
I have a newspaper clipping that erroneously reports my kidnapping. (Another true but long story. I was 4. Happy ending. Maybe I’ll blog about it sometime.)
I’ve dislocated a shoulder, broken my big toe, impaled my foot on nails, suffered multiple concussions, cracked my jaw, ripped open my forehead and chin, had some truly awe-inspiring bike catastrophes, taken a baseball bat to the chest (swung by a brawny man with gusto), sunk partway through the ice on an isolated and frozen lake, nearly passed out choking several times, been in multiple car crashes, and generally been accident-prone and far luckier than I deserve. Lots and lots of stitches, but no serious after-effects except the brain damage. :-)
I lived in 21 places before I turned 18. I’ve been to about 45 of the 50 states. I’ve travelled to Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Peru, Taiwan, Japan, Sweden, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, and Italy.
I was a missionary in New Mexico and Texas. I spent time on the Mexican border and travelled around the Navajo, Zuni, and Hopi reservations in the four corners area. I speak fluent Spanish. (Well, I used to; the DJs on latino radio stations make my head spin with their machine-gun speed; maybe I’m getting rusty…)
When my parents heard me, they switched into German. That was when I fell in love with language.
I was already hooked on stories by this time. I have memories of Where the Wild Things Are and The Monster at the End of This Book from the dim years before kindergarten, and I recall my parents reading us The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Jungle Book over and over again. “Richer than I you can never be…” :-)
Some interesting things about me that may or may not have anything to do with my writing:
I married my wife on our first date. (True story. Sadie Hawkins. There was a “preacher” and a bale of hay right in front of where the couples stood to get their picture taken. We got a tin ring and a certificate that said, “This here certifies that the two of these folks is hitched until one of ‘em gits away.” The rest is history.)
My bucket list includes swimming with great white sharks off the coast of South Africa.
I have a newspaper clipping that erroneously reports my kidnapping. (Another true but long story. I was 4. Happy ending. Maybe I’ll blog about it sometime.)
I’ve dislocated a shoulder, broken my big toe, impaled my foot on nails, suffered multiple concussions, cracked my jaw, ripped open my forehead and chin, had some truly awe-inspiring bike catastrophes, taken a baseball bat to the chest (swung by a brawny man with gusto), sunk partway through the ice on an isolated and frozen lake, nearly passed out choking several times, been in multiple car crashes, and generally been accident-prone and far luckier than I deserve. Lots and lots of stitches, but no serious after-effects except the brain damage. :-)
I lived in 21 places before I turned 18. I’ve been to about 45 of the 50 states. I’ve travelled to Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Peru, Taiwan, Japan, Sweden, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, and Italy.
I was a missionary in New Mexico and Texas. I spent time on the Mexican border and travelled around the Navajo, Zuni, and Hopi reservations in the four corners area. I speak fluent Spanish. (Well, I used to; the DJs on latino radio stations make my head spin with their machine-gun speed; maybe I’m getting rusty…)
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 11, 2016
A mature, thoughtful fantasy for adults. Solid world-building (in a world that is distinctly un-Tolkein), round, dynamic characters, and a story that is really more about human relationships, hurt and forgiveness, trauma and healing, than it is about flashing magic wands and swords-of-destiny. I really liked it.
I'd write a more thorough review, but I still haven't read the final draft. I read an early draft more than a year ago, and I read a nearly-final draft a couple of months ago, but I still haven't read the final. What I read was great, and it was fun being a beta reader for this. Looking forward to reading the polished end-product. Full review to come.
I'd write a more thorough review, but I still haven't read the final draft. I read an early draft more than a year ago, and I read a nearly-final draft a couple of months ago, but I still haven't read the final. What I read was great, and it was fun being a beta reader for this. Looking forward to reading the polished end-product. Full review to come.
January 6, 2018
If you enjoy fantasy as a genre, you'll appreciate the author's dedication to world-building and linguistics. The systems at work in Cordimancy show a concerted effort to create a universe that's believable and logical, something that not all fantasy authors can accomplish. This novel succeeds here.
The magic system is original and interesting and does not rely very heavily on older works for inspiration. Although at times perplexing, I also found that the characters in Cordimancy were three-dimensional and relatable.
In the age of Harvey Weinstein and #MeToo, Cordimancy also offers a hard look at trauma and the way it can be processed. I expect that many readers will find this discussion uncomfortable, which isn't to say that the novel is disrespectful or reckless... Just that it isn't a light-hearted read and people shouldn't go into it with that mindset.
Call me juvenile, but I would have liked a world map included with the book to help visualize some of Sivanea's geography, although there are resources like this on the author's website to check out if you're into that. I also wished there was more description of the fascinating writing system employed by the characters and how it works, although there isn't really a convenient place in the plot for the insertion of this material.
8/10 - Skillfully written and worth a read; expect to encounter adult themes.
The magic system is original and interesting and does not rely very heavily on older works for inspiration. Although at times perplexing, I also found that the characters in Cordimancy were three-dimensional and relatable.
In the age of Harvey Weinstein and #MeToo, Cordimancy also offers a hard look at trauma and the way it can be processed. I expect that many readers will find this discussion uncomfortable, which isn't to say that the novel is disrespectful or reckless... Just that it isn't a light-hearted read and people shouldn't go into it with that mindset.
Call me juvenile, but I would have liked a world map included with the book to help visualize some of Sivanea's geography, although there are resources like this on the author's website to check out if you're into that. I also wished there was more description of the fascinating writing system employed by the characters and how it works, although there isn't really a convenient place in the plot for the insertion of this material.
8/10 - Skillfully written and worth a read; expect to encounter adult themes.
February 13, 2016
...so excited for this one!
eta as I finished it:
This was much heavier than I had anticipated. Even with the trigger warnings in the front. This was written by a family member, so in the beginning of the book, I spent a lot of time analyzing why he put certain elements into the story and what it meant. About halfway through, I became so engrossed in the world of the characters and their quest, that I forgot about analysis. To me, that is a sign of a good book. I would have loved to see the marriage relationship gain trust and rapport, but the ending felt right. If you are looking for a full fantasy story, this is it.
eta as I finished it:
This was much heavier than I had anticipated. Even with the trigger warnings in the front. This was written by a family member, so in the beginning of the book, I spent a lot of time analyzing why he put certain elements into the story and what it meant. About halfway through, I became so engrossed in the world of the characters and their quest, that I forgot about analysis. To me, that is a sign of a good book. I would have loved to see the marriage relationship gain trust and rapport, but the ending felt right. If you are looking for a full fantasy story, this is it.
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February 4, 2017In compliance with FTC guidelines, I have won this book through the Goodreads Giveaways.
My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews