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Rangers of Laerean #2
Where Shadows Fall
Alternate cover for this ISBN can be found here
The Rangers of Laerean are the protectors of the people, the heroes of Hir. Their exploits are legendary and their great deeds recounted in tales across the ages. These are the stories that will be told for generations.
The Rangers face their greatest challenge when they discover that a horrific and deadly dragon is wreaking destruction and death throughout the land of Hir. But the dragon is not their only worry, as it soon becomes apparent there is a conspiracy of dark forces set on destroying the Rangers. Lies, rumors and mysterious assassins threaten to turn the people against the Rangers as they find themselves betrayed by those they would never suspect and the Regions of Hir are thrown into political and economic turmoil.
The Rangers of Laerean are the protectors of the people, the heroes of Hir. Their exploits are legendary and their great deeds recounted in tales across the ages. These are the stories that will be told for generations.
The Rangers face their greatest challenge when they discover that a horrific and deadly dragon is wreaking destruction and death throughout the land of Hir. But the dragon is not their only worry, as it soon becomes apparent there is a conspiracy of dark forces set on destroying the Rangers. Lies, rumors and mysterious assassins threaten to turn the people against the Rangers as they find themselves betrayed by those they would never suspect and the Regions of Hir are thrown into political and economic turmoil.
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First published February 1, 2016
235 people want to read
About the author
Tom Fallwell
23 books129 followersEarly in his life, Tom Fallwell discovered a love for the wonderful escape into realms undreamed of through books of Fantasy and Science-Fiction. Weaned on greats like J.R.R. Tolkien, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert E. Howard, Roger Zelazny, Robert A. Heinlein, and Michael Moorcock, to name a few, Tom's imagination was forever inspired by those marvelous tales.
One day, he discovered a simple book of medieval battle rules called Chainmail, by Gary Gygax, and found a new love. The love of creating adventures and stories of his own for other players to experience. Chainmail evolved into Dungeons & Dragons, and Tom played consistently with friends as both a player and a dungeon master (DM). Such activities fueled his desire to create worlds and stories from his own imagination.
Now retired after a long career as a software developer, Tom now writes about all the adventures and characters that constantly fill his mind, and gleefully shares them with the world.
One day, he discovered a simple book of medieval battle rules called Chainmail, by Gary Gygax, and found a new love. The love of creating adventures and stories of his own for other players to experience. Chainmail evolved into Dungeons & Dragons, and Tom played consistently with friends as both a player and a dungeon master (DM). Such activities fueled his desire to create worlds and stories from his own imagination.
Now retired after a long career as a software developer, Tom now writes about all the adventures and characters that constantly fill his mind, and gleefully shares them with the world.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 9, 2018
Where Shadows Fall by Tom Fallwell is the second installment in the Rangers of Laerean trilogy. Although I thoroughly enjoyed A Whisper in the Shadows (Book I), this one had more gravitas, originality, and a richer plot. Author Fallwell fully conceptualized the land of Hir, and introduced some interesting and relatable characters. Baric and the Rangers are back, and facing some inconceivable nemeses (Grom’shikar: Agents of Chaos).
Where Shadows Fall continues after the devastation in Book I. However, the great protectors of Hir (Rangers of Laerean) didn’t anticipate the repercussions wrought from past decisions or the corruption and betrayal that roiled beneath the surface of fallacious comradery and brotherhood. Once revered as men and women of integrity, the Rangers must defend themselves against the denizens they swore and oath to protect.
With some nice action sequences, a few surprising deaths, and new allies, Where Shadows Fall was a quick and engaging read. There weren’t many plot twists, but the storyline doesn’t need them. There was plenty of magic, new species, and dragons to keep any fantasy lover satisfied. I would have liked to have seen a few things: more problems solved by the characters rather than by the magic, a strategic and intelligent antagonist remaining that way, and a little more consistency with one main character. Those are not gripes, just observations from one reader.
If you love fantasy filled with magic, new species, battles, and dragons, you’ll enjoy this series. I’ve already purchased book III! (Grom Nar! You’ll understand once you read it).
Where Shadows Fall continues after the devastation in Book I. However, the great protectors of Hir (Rangers of Laerean) didn’t anticipate the repercussions wrought from past decisions or the corruption and betrayal that roiled beneath the surface of fallacious comradery and brotherhood. Once revered as men and women of integrity, the Rangers must defend themselves against the denizens they swore and oath to protect.
With some nice action sequences, a few surprising deaths, and new allies, Where Shadows Fall was a quick and engaging read. There weren’t many plot twists, but the storyline doesn’t need them. There was plenty of magic, new species, and dragons to keep any fantasy lover satisfied. I would have liked to have seen a few things: more problems solved by the characters rather than by the magic, a strategic and intelligent antagonist remaining that way, and a little more consistency with one main character. Those are not gripes, just observations from one reader.
If you love fantasy filled with magic, new species, battles, and dragons, you’ll enjoy this series. I’ve already purchased book III! (Grom Nar! You’ll understand once you read it).
June 12, 2017
Baric, the wonderful Ranger of Laerean fights in a new quest.
Whisper, the tiny assssin and Baric's sweetheart, could not destroy Doomrage, the terrible dragon made of fire.
Now the vicious creature can travel from the Shadow world into the material world to destroy whole cities. Death of thousands is on his wake.
And to make things even more dangerous to the Rangers, he is the mastermind of another threat from the darkness.
A sect of assassins become the rangers' worst enemy.
They are people committed to betrayal and deceit.
The whole world of Hir suffers as the combined forces of evil shake the foundations of their society.
But there's hope. From the light comes help.
Wonders come to meet Baric. New allies join the ranger to soothe his heart for many losses.
New races join the human ranks, and they are amazing.
Lots of magic and unexpected twists bring pace to the adventures.
The second book of the Rangers of Laerean is a source of fun.
Not to mention the good message stays.
Bravery, sacrifice and love always wins.
Whisper, the tiny assssin and Baric's sweetheart, could not destroy Doomrage, the terrible dragon made of fire.
Now the vicious creature can travel from the Shadow world into the material world to destroy whole cities. Death of thousands is on his wake.
And to make things even more dangerous to the Rangers, he is the mastermind of another threat from the darkness.
A sect of assassins become the rangers' worst enemy.
They are people committed to betrayal and deceit.
The whole world of Hir suffers as the combined forces of evil shake the foundations of their society.
But there's hope. From the light comes help.
Wonders come to meet Baric. New allies join the ranger to soothe his heart for many losses.
New races join the human ranks, and they are amazing.
Lots of magic and unexpected twists bring pace to the adventures.
The second book of the Rangers of Laerean is a source of fun.
Not to mention the good message stays.
Bravery, sacrifice and love always wins.
August 8, 2017
I thought it was an interesting story, although I don't usually read fantasy. I'm glad I read it.
January 13, 2017
After stopping an evil threat, at the cost of many brave allies; Baric and the Rangers discover that the world is still in danger. The fragile peace between nations is pushed to breaking point, and heroes are cast down and broken.
This leads on from A Whisper in the Shadows. Baric and co have returned victorious from stopping the big bad - but at the price of Whisper sacrificing herself.
There is a feeling that not everything is tied up and finished, and perhaps there's something worse on the horizon.
I really enjoyed this sequel. It has all the action, adventure and creativity as the first book; but this is better. It felt like a much more original story, rather than an echo of something I've read before. It kept me guessing throughout, and had some real moments that caught you by surprise.
Rather than just following Baric, the story encompasses several narratives, making it clear that, even though Baric is a hero, he's not the only one. There are a lot of people working towards the goal of overcoming this new and impossible threat. I really liked the way this was done - one of my peeves with the first book was that all the secondary characters were interminable; I can honestly say that they have improved immensely in this book. Several characters are given the spotlight, and it was so much easier to invest in them, and I look forward to finding out where some of the storylines go.
There's a lot more tension in this book, too. It's cast off it's nice vibe, and feels a lot more real. The perfect Rangers have been pushed off their pedestal, and paranoia is strife, as the "brothers" try and work out who is betraying them. There is also a lot of political tension, as alliances fracture and break, and the opportunistic are stepping into the gap.
As I said earlier, all the characters step up, but there are also some great new characters in this book.
Sainsha doesn't give the Rangers much choice, and ends up being a companion for Wolf and Baric. I liked her character, she has a quiet confidence, and is a positive light when things are a bit grim. She can more than take care of herself, and isn't daunted by any of the dangerous situations they end up in.
Ramura was a very interesting new addition. He's an enormous, immortal white lion. He's almost a deity in the eyes of men, and especially the Zumarians. He is wise, and knowledgeable, and kind for the most part. But what I like especially is that he can be selfish, and can allow his desire for self-preservation to affect his decisions.
The things that didn't work so well for me.
It is slow to start, which is to be expected because there is a lot more world-building going on. But I felt the pace could be improved a little bit without all the obvious character analyses in the narrative. There were quite a few instances when there was some description or history, or glimpse of what the future held; which was made unnecessary, by the perfectly-explanatory dialogue and actions of the characters. So it did feel like some repetition.
This dies down in the second half, as the adventure kicks up a gear.
I was also unconvinced with something towards the end.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to the final part of the trilogy. And guess who won a free copy when Shadow of Narwrym was released!
This leads on from A Whisper in the Shadows. Baric and co have returned victorious from stopping the big bad - but at the price of Whisper sacrificing herself.
There is a feeling that not everything is tied up and finished, and perhaps there's something worse on the horizon.
I really enjoyed this sequel. It has all the action, adventure and creativity as the first book; but this is better. It felt like a much more original story, rather than an echo of something I've read before. It kept me guessing throughout, and had some real moments that caught you by surprise.
Rather than just following Baric, the story encompasses several narratives, making it clear that, even though Baric is a hero, he's not the only one. There are a lot of people working towards the goal of overcoming this new and impossible threat. I really liked the way this was done - one of my peeves with the first book was that all the secondary characters were interminable; I can honestly say that they have improved immensely in this book. Several characters are given the spotlight, and it was so much easier to invest in them, and I look forward to finding out where some of the storylines go.
There's a lot more tension in this book, too. It's cast off it's nice vibe, and feels a lot more real. The perfect Rangers have been pushed off their pedestal, and paranoia is strife, as the "brothers" try and work out who is betraying them. There is also a lot of political tension, as alliances fracture and break, and the opportunistic are stepping into the gap.
As I said earlier, all the characters step up, but there are also some great new characters in this book.
Sainsha doesn't give the Rangers much choice, and ends up being a companion for Wolf and Baric. I liked her character, she has a quiet confidence, and is a positive light when things are a bit grim. She can more than take care of herself, and isn't daunted by any of the dangerous situations they end up in.
Ramura was a very interesting new addition. He's an enormous, immortal white lion. He's almost a deity in the eyes of men, and especially the Zumarians. He is wise, and knowledgeable, and kind for the most part. But what I like especially is that he can be selfish, and can allow his desire for self-preservation to affect his decisions.
The things that didn't work so well for me.
It is slow to start, which is to be expected because there is a lot more world-building going on. But I felt the pace could be improved a little bit without all the obvious character analyses in the narrative. There were quite a few instances when there was some description or history, or glimpse of what the future held; which was made unnecessary, by the perfectly-explanatory dialogue and actions of the characters. So it did feel like some repetition.
This dies down in the second half, as the adventure kicks up a gear.
I was also unconvinced with something towards the end.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to the final part of the trilogy. And guess who won a free copy when Shadow of Narwrym was released!
February 13, 2017
Great second book of the series!
The saga continues, and gets more interesting! I liked this book better than the first, more action, suspense, and adventure.
Baric must overcome both an emotion and physical threat, all the while trying to save the world (AGAIN!).
The book moves between point of views, but the author does this seamlessly and each time it provides pertinent information. Excited to read the next one out.
The saga continues, and gets more interesting! I liked this book better than the first, more action, suspense, and adventure.
Baric must overcome both an emotion and physical threat, all the while trying to save the world (AGAIN!).
The book moves between point of views, but the author does this seamlessly and each time it provides pertinent information. Excited to read the next one out.
August 19, 2016
Where Shadows Fall, by Tom Fallwell, is the second book of the Rangers of Laeraen series, and as a sequel, is splendid. The stage was set nicely in the first book, and continues with the rise of evil forces, assassins able to disappear, and place the blame on the Rangers.The Rangers fight to regain their reputation as Protectors of the People, and Baric takes on a mission to destroy the sources of disruption of the entire land of Hir. No more plot. With a third book on the way, read the first and second and be ready for what will be a thrilling conclusion. For fantasy adventurers, you will have trouble putting a bookmark in Where Shadows Fall. With little interruptions, I finished it in three days. And now I have to wait to find out what happens. The pace is quick, the characters, old and new, are wonderful. So do yourself a favor and read this book.
January 17, 2017
Those held close are gone, however others take their places. Rangers of Laerean are those who are resolute to endure. A lethal and terrible dragon with remarkable power has free reign over the realm. A dragon sect reverences the enormous beast. There is a plot to abolish harmony in Hir. Fraught to continue amidst extensive disloyalty, the Rangers are up against sinister events, while Hir alters its ways. Speckled with great images, Tom Fallwell’s 2nd book in the ‘Rangers of Laerean’ is just as, good as the first, ‘A Whisper In The Shadows’. There are original characters as well as new ones to spice things up. The transition in the story continues on efficiently and I found it unique and inspirational.
February 2, 2016
Brilliant!
Bravo! I'm truly immersed in this tale. Tom Fallwell, once again you have come through with a diverting tale that leaves you hanging. I had pre ordered this book and at midnight I began reading Where Shadows Fall, I couldn't put it down till I finished it a nine this am. So be prepared to get ready for Baric and his rangers.
Bravo! I'm truly immersed in this tale. Tom Fallwell, once again you have come through with a diverting tale that leaves you hanging. I had pre ordered this book and at midnight I began reading Where Shadows Fall, I couldn't put it down till I finished it a nine this am. So be prepared to get ready for Baric and his rangers.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews