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The Orb #3
Shadow of the Knight
Shadow of the Knight is the third book in the epic fantasy series, The Orb.
For fifteen years Champion Nidon has kept Enna, daughter of Prince Morin and Hadde of Landomere, hidden and safe. They are forced into the events of the wider world when the undead ravage their peaceful community and demand Enna’s allegiance.
Orlos, the young spiridus, is tormented by dreams of the ancient massacre of his race. His discovery of a mystical tomb draws him into a dangerous plot to overthrow a queen.
Telea, a healer from the Belenese Empire, is the first Easterner to reach the Kingdom of Salador in five hundred years. She brings tales of summoners and demons, death and invasion. The fate of the world balances on her words.
For fifteen years Champion Nidon has kept Enna, daughter of Prince Morin and Hadde of Landomere, hidden and safe. They are forced into the events of the wider world when the undead ravage their peaceful community and demand Enna’s allegiance.
Orlos, the young spiridus, is tormented by dreams of the ancient massacre of his race. His discovery of a mystical tomb draws him into a dangerous plot to overthrow a queen.
Telea, a healer from the Belenese Empire, is the first Easterner to reach the Kingdom of Salador in five hundred years. She brings tales of summoners and demons, death and invasion. The fate of the world balances on her words.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 29, 2015
3 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Matt Heppe
9 books41 followersMatt Heppe lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and daughter. He teaches economics and military history, and in his free time makes traditional longbows. He is a United States Army veteran, having served in Germany and the Middle East as a UH-60 pilot.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 21, 2016
I think Matt Heppe is one of the best voices in fantasy. I love his work, and I recommend it to all who appreciate authenticity of voice and actions. And everyone else :)
February 20, 2016
Matt Happe is slowly but steadily turning into one of my favourite Fantasy novellists with his eternal knight /orb cycle. Shadow of the Knight is the third one in the cycle and to my opinion it is his best one yet. It took some time- Child of the Knight was published in july 2014- but this one was really worth waiting for.
It is one of the things that might become a trademark of Matt Heppe. The care with which he develops and paints his storylines and interweaving plot patterns. So you pick up the book, start at page one and slimply glide along the journey on the winding roads with the different characters of the story until you put it down at 7 oçlock the next morning at page 352. I like people with a plan that have the talent, artistry, perseverance and craftsmanship to execute that plan (nearly) flawlessly. That is what I like about his writing style. It is not riff-raff, he never overdoes it, but carefully doses and balances all of the ingredients and dishes into a very savoury fantasy reading dinner.
As for the characters. In Child of the Knight Matt cleaned out pretty much all of the old cast. Now it is the next generation. It is fifteen years later now. That makes it a nice fresh start. We have Orlos, the last spiridus child of the Landomere forest, we have Ayja, (princess Enna) the daughter of Hadde the Huntress and Prince Morin,and we have a new character entering the stage: Tella, a healer from the Belenese Empire, the first easterner to reach the Kingdom of Salador in five hundred years who brings tales of summoners and demons, death and invasion. When the fate of the world is at stake, Matt Heppe expertly crafts and blends the fates and adventures of all three of them into a magnificent and moving fantasy story. I simply couldn't put it down until i finished it.. That says enough I think. Good job Matt!!
It is one of the things that might become a trademark of Matt Heppe. The care with which he develops and paints his storylines and interweaving plot patterns. So you pick up the book, start at page one and slimply glide along the journey on the winding roads with the different characters of the story until you put it down at 7 oçlock the next morning at page 352. I like people with a plan that have the talent, artistry, perseverance and craftsmanship to execute that plan (nearly) flawlessly. That is what I like about his writing style. It is not riff-raff, he never overdoes it, but carefully doses and balances all of the ingredients and dishes into a very savoury fantasy reading dinner.
As for the characters. In Child of the Knight Matt cleaned out pretty much all of the old cast. Now it is the next generation. It is fifteen years later now. That makes it a nice fresh start. We have Orlos, the last spiridus child of the Landomere forest, we have Ayja, (princess Enna) the daughter of Hadde the Huntress and Prince Morin,and we have a new character entering the stage: Tella, a healer from the Belenese Empire, the first easterner to reach the Kingdom of Salador in five hundred years who brings tales of summoners and demons, death and invasion. When the fate of the world is at stake, Matt Heppe expertly crafts and blends the fates and adventures of all three of them into a magnificent and moving fantasy story. I simply couldn't put it down until i finished it.. That says enough I think. Good job Matt!!
August 4, 2017
“There are a lot of things we don’t ask for. But sometimes they turn out to be the most precious gifts.”
January 1, 2016
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy of this and absolutely devoured it. I love this series for many reasons - the tough, determined characters trying to do good; a world with realism and contrast between peoples; the pace and tension that the author constantly works into the plots. In terms of a series, these books are all self-contained parts of a larger narrative, rather than one very long book divided up into parts (as some series are), so in some sense you could read this on its own - but you'd be missing out. After the events of the last book, I wasn't sure where the series would go, as quite a lot seemed resolved, but the author does a brilliant job of expanding and continuing the underlying saga - and in doing so, creates his best book yet.
Another reason I liked the previous books so much was the smaller scale (including just the one POV in Eternal Knight, iirc), which suited my personal taste more than sprawling epics. This book is much more epic in scope and has a more complex plot, but it’s handled with confidence and style, and the three POV characters are really well balanced. It's clear where the plot arcs will converge, and the build-up to this epic resolution pulls you along and keeps you turning pages. Moreover, I never wanted to skip one POV character's chapter for another, which happens in some series.
All three main characters had their own motivations and goals, and when they all come together in the end there’s still a chance that they will come into conflict over them. In some respects Telea and Ayja are perhaps quite similar in their basic characteristics – strong willed, principled and a bit out of their depth – but that’s the only thing I’d pick on. Telea, the outsider, is a bit older and more experienced, and had her own demons to contend with (literally!) - in many ways she was my favourite character, and brings an interesting new perspective and new possibilities to the world.
Another refreshing thing about these books is the decency of the central characters - there are grim situations and terrible things happen, but they always try to do what's best and there's always hope. For example, Perhaps some would say they are *too* good, and that it isn't 'realistic', but I like the fact that very few people in the book are arseholes - even some of the antagonists have good motivations. It's nice reading a book with a realistic hope that things will work out for the best, even though, from reading the previous books, you know the author is capable of darker moments and cruel twists –
Overall, I thoroughly recommend this book (and the whole series) for an action-packed adventure in a believable world populated with decent people (and some villains) trying to save it. A great example of what indie fiction has to offer!
Another reason I liked the previous books so much was the smaller scale (including just the one POV in Eternal Knight, iirc), which suited my personal taste more than sprawling epics. This book is much more epic in scope and has a more complex plot, but it’s handled with confidence and style, and the three POV characters are really well balanced. It's clear where the plot arcs will converge, and the build-up to this epic resolution pulls you along and keeps you turning pages. Moreover, I never wanted to skip one POV character's chapter for another, which happens in some series.
All three main characters had their own motivations and goals, and when they all come together in the end there’s still a chance that they will come into conflict over them. In some respects Telea and Ayja are perhaps quite similar in their basic characteristics – strong willed, principled and a bit out of their depth – but that’s the only thing I’d pick on. Telea, the outsider, is a bit older and more experienced, and had her own demons to contend with (literally!) - in many ways she was my favourite character, and brings an interesting new perspective and new possibilities to the world.
Another refreshing thing about these books is the decency of the central characters - there are grim situations and terrible things happen, but they always try to do what's best and there's always hope. For example, Perhaps some would say they are *too* good, and that it isn't 'realistic', but I like the fact that very few people in the book are arseholes - even some of the antagonists have good motivations. It's nice reading a book with a realistic hope that things will work out for the best, even though, from reading the previous books, you know the author is capable of darker moments and cruel twists –
Overall, I thoroughly recommend this book (and the whole series) for an action-packed adventure in a believable world populated with decent people (and some villains) trying to save it. A great example of what indie fiction has to offer!
July 17, 2018
Although the first two books were good, Shadow of the Knight was even better. There was much more tension and suspense: I found myself leaning closer and closer into the book the more I read, wanting to find out more. We learn more of the history of Heppe's world - the gods, the kingdoms, the magic, the spirits - along with a few unsettling surmises that are brought up.
From the beginning, there are many new and "new" characters introduced. It is a bit to take in at first, but the good characterization allows us to understand them and know them as well as we know the other characters. The history of the characters and their interactions with each other, the rumors of world-shaking events, and the increasing complexity of the series makes Shadow of the Knight the best of the series so far.
From the beginning, there are many new and "new" characters introduced. It is a bit to take in at first, but the good characterization allows us to understand them and know them as well as we know the other characters. The history of the characters and their interactions with each other, the rumors of world-shaking events, and the increasing complexity of the series makes Shadow of the Knight the best of the series so far.
November 17, 2024
The beginning of this book was a pleasant surprise, seeming to mark a shift to epic fantasy, introducing new parts of the world, people, cultures, types of magic and even planes of existence. That didn’t last, however, and all too soon the action once again overshadowed any other elements, leaving the impression that the author got scared of widening the scope to such an extent. There is still more to Shadow of the Knight compared to the previous two books when it comes to worldbuilding, but those elements feel more like afterthoughts, squeezed, and sometimes forced, among the action.
On the other hand, other parts of that same beginning felt jarring due to the amount of time that passed since the end of Child of the Knight, and while that also allows for some character development, pretty much all of it took place during that period, “off camera”, little of it being present in the book itself and most characters being shallow, single-minded and fitting into a few clear archetypes. And the relentless action leaves little room for anything to feel like it actually has a lasting impact, whether on the characters or the reader, and that’s on top of how much all of the healing and the heaps of hero’s luck diminish the potential for long-term consequences, and I’d say also the suspense.
Overall, it’s still the action that makes the book a reasonably pleasant way to pass some time, but appearing to have so much more potential makes it even more disappointing that it wasn’t fulfilled. And I also noticed that the proofreading was worse for this book, which had more typos than the previous ones, and there was at least one place where something said in one chapter seemed to have been forgotten by the time it was repeated in the next. But that was in the final part, and the bigger problem with the final part, what comes after the battle, is that it’s really the beginning of the next part of the story, seeming particularly underwhelming after what should have been such momentous events.
On the other hand, other parts of that same beginning felt jarring due to the amount of time that passed since the end of Child of the Knight, and while that also allows for some character development, pretty much all of it took place during that period, “off camera”, little of it being present in the book itself and most characters being shallow, single-minded and fitting into a few clear archetypes. And the relentless action leaves little room for anything to feel like it actually has a lasting impact, whether on the characters or the reader, and that’s on top of how much all of the healing and the heaps of hero’s luck diminish the potential for long-term consequences, and I’d say also the suspense.
Overall, it’s still the action that makes the book a reasonably pleasant way to pass some time, but appearing to have so much more potential makes it even more disappointing that it wasn’t fulfilled. And I also noticed that the proofreading was worse for this book, which had more typos than the previous ones, and there was at least one place where something said in one chapter seemed to have been forgotten by the time it was repeated in the next. But that was in the final part, and the bigger problem with the final part, what comes after the battle, is that it’s really the beginning of the next part of the story, seeming particularly underwhelming after what should have been such momentous events.
March 21, 2016
The book is really very good. The narrative follows three characters who are working their way toward different goals, and once they come together the narrative stops being split equally (which is good). It is no longer Chapter A, Chapter B, Chapter C, then back to A. Their worlds come together, and so the very consistent structure changes in a way I personally prefer.
Matt Heppe doesn't always take the story in a direction you expect, and I like that. The characters you expect to live or triumph often don't, or they do in a way that isn't consistent. And some characters are really super dead, but others do get pulled from the edge. It's not always simple and the healing magic does come with consequences.
I also enjoy that characters in this book (and his others) are pragmatic. Nobody's devotion to one particular principle means they're willing to die for it, and that's a good thing. People are more complicated than simply believing in nonviolence or family or whatever.
I enjoyed this book a lot and can't wait to read the next one when it comes out. That's as good as praise gets. I trust this author to give me something interesting enough to read that I know I'm getting the next!
April 19, 2016
Almost jumped to far ahead to finish the series. But now were is the follow up books or series
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews