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Deep World Saga #1
Deep World Fire
In the Twin Kingdoms, the Southern King declares war against his twin brother in the North to claim back what he believes is his by birthright. The Southern King’s oldest son sets out to create a new, better world for his father where magic and religion reigns, and any who resist are cleansed in the fire.
ASH, a shargru, is considered a lowly creature, not much better then a dog, but despite great personal doubt, he sets out to lead his family to safety and escape the cruelty of the humans that enslave his race.
CAZON, a half demon child finds himself no longer welcome in the only home he has ever known. Attacked and outcast from the dwindling and suffering settlement he was raised in, he sets out across the stark wastes of the desert in the hope the he will find a place where he belongs.
Forced to follow his older brother which he detests, PRINCE SERION finds himself on the perilous road to war, having to fight against his own uncle for his father, the Southern King, who wishes to claim the Twin Kingdoms through magic, religion and fire.
Whether by coincidence or divine intervention, their paths meet and are tragically entangled as they try and find their destiny in the deep world.
ASH, a shargru, is considered a lowly creature, not much better then a dog, but despite great personal doubt, he sets out to lead his family to safety and escape the cruelty of the humans that enslave his race.
CAZON, a half demon child finds himself no longer welcome in the only home he has ever known. Attacked and outcast from the dwindling and suffering settlement he was raised in, he sets out across the stark wastes of the desert in the hope the he will find a place where he belongs.
Forced to follow his older brother which he detests, PRINCE SERION finds himself on the perilous road to war, having to fight against his own uncle for his father, the Southern King, who wishes to claim the Twin Kingdoms through magic, religion and fire.
Whether by coincidence or divine intervention, their paths meet and are tragically entangled as they try and find their destiny in the deep world.
391 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2016
916 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Malina Meridian
4 books38 followersTelling myself stories has always been a source of comfort and I first imagined Tristan/River's story at age 11, so when I decided to write my stories down it was natural that Blue River Chronicles would be the first book I attempted.
Language has always been a challenge for me, so I was genuinely surprised when The Rising won a competition and was published. With the beginning of Tristan’s story out in the world, I felt inspired to keep going. In between BRC drafts, I took a break to work on Deep World, a story and characters I hadn’t given much thought to beyond a NaNoWriMo challenge. Writing without a fully planned plot was a new experience for me—a more spontaneous, on-a-whim style. Yet, I quickly grew attached to the characters and have continued to write Deep World by letting the characters guide me, unlike Blue River Chronicles, which I had outlined in full by age 12.
I plan to continue writing both BRC & Deep World as life allows, and I'm deeply thankful to those who share my stories with me.
I am busy working on BRC 3 (and have started on BRC4) So until I am ready to publish the next novel, remember it's River, not Rivers, and never ask Serion to take his boots off the table.
Language has always been a challenge for me, so I was genuinely surprised when The Rising won a competition and was published. With the beginning of Tristan’s story out in the world, I felt inspired to keep going. In between BRC drafts, I took a break to work on Deep World, a story and characters I hadn’t given much thought to beyond a NaNoWriMo challenge. Writing without a fully planned plot was a new experience for me—a more spontaneous, on-a-whim style. Yet, I quickly grew attached to the characters and have continued to write Deep World by letting the characters guide me, unlike Blue River Chronicles, which I had outlined in full by age 12.
I plan to continue writing both BRC & Deep World as life allows, and I'm deeply thankful to those who share my stories with me.
I am busy working on BRC 3 (and have started on BRC4) So until I am ready to publish the next novel, remember it's River, not Rivers, and never ask Serion to take his boots off the table.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 12, 2016
Okay sure I shouldn't rate my own book, but it was such a journey to write and so much fun too, I've become so invested in the characters that I enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it ^^
(Besides I've seen other authors rate their own books too ;))
(Besides I've seen other authors rate their own books too ;))
April 5, 2016
I won't lie, I got this book only because the synopsis had Caz, a half-demon exiled from his home in it. I love a good exile story, especially when it involves a half-demon. Here I am expecting Caz to go around swinging a sword using demonic strength and magic powers to somehow find a place he can call home. Boy was I wrong...
And glad for it.
Love today's age where authors can get their books out there in so many ways, so many ideas in the world and now we have platforms to get these stories in my hands.
Anyways, this book...This freaking book had me hooked right from the get go, reminded me of a bunch of other books I've read (Raksura - Martha Wells and Tide Lords - Jennifer Fallon to name a few) but this was nothing like anything I've read. The world, the characters, the story background, the landscape, the writing, damn, I could go on and on.
To start though, the Twin Kingdoms is at war. North and South, brothers now at war wanting to unite their separate Kingdoms into one. So of course humans doing what we do in times of war, burning, pillaging, just general chaos. In this we are introduced to Ash and Ember, siblings part of a slave race, wishing to be free, they leave the only home they've ever known. As readers, we learn along with these characters about the outside world and the way the author writes, it truly paints a vivid image in your mind as your reading. But yeah, you got civil war, mages and witches, Gods and Goddesses, demons, sword fights, sieges...epic.
My boy Caz, exiled from his home in what I will only call a desert wasteland, he journeys across the land hoping to find somewhere he can belong. Also, he's hungry. He's really hungry. Every time he met with something new and exciting, he would think like a predator ("grass, can I eat it?"), loved all his scenes. One moment Caz is an innocent young mind, the next, he's the apex predator he was born to be.
From the opening to the end, we are only given little hints and teases about the history of this world, from the "Reaping" to the Gods and Goddess that these different people worship. Also, what destiny does Caz have and what exactly are the shargru? By the end here is still so much to learn and I can't wait for the next book.
Oh, did I mention Dragons? No? Always love me some Dragons. And these Dragons are not what you would expect.
And glad for it.
Love today's age where authors can get their books out there in so many ways, so many ideas in the world and now we have platforms to get these stories in my hands.
Anyways, this book...This freaking book had me hooked right from the get go, reminded me of a bunch of other books I've read (Raksura - Martha Wells and Tide Lords - Jennifer Fallon to name a few) but this was nothing like anything I've read. The world, the characters, the story background, the landscape, the writing, damn, I could go on and on.
To start though, the Twin Kingdoms is at war. North and South, brothers now at war wanting to unite their separate Kingdoms into one. So of course humans doing what we do in times of war, burning, pillaging, just general chaos. In this we are introduced to Ash and Ember, siblings part of a slave race, wishing to be free, they leave the only home they've ever known. As readers, we learn along with these characters about the outside world and the way the author writes, it truly paints a vivid image in your mind as your reading. But yeah, you got civil war, mages and witches, Gods and Goddesses, demons, sword fights, sieges...epic.
My boy Caz, exiled from his home in what I will only call a desert wasteland, he journeys across the land hoping to find somewhere he can belong. Also, he's hungry. He's really hungry. Every time he met with something new and exciting, he would think like a predator ("grass, can I eat it?"), loved all his scenes. One moment Caz is an innocent young mind, the next, he's the apex predator he was born to be.
From the opening to the end, we are only given little hints and teases about the history of this world, from the "Reaping" to the Gods and Goddess that these different people worship. Also, what destiny does Caz have and what exactly are the shargru? By the end here is still so much to learn and I can't wait for the next book.
Oh, did I mention Dragons? No? Always love me some Dragons. And these Dragons are not what you would expect.
May 17, 2016
“The desert around him was silent, but this was just because the monsters that occupied it had not yet awoken. There was a tension in the air; an expectancy, and it made the silence feel fragile, as if it was about to crack and splinter at any moment and reveal his death waiting in his path.”
It’s writing like this quote that makes this book so amazing to me. It is not just a quality, entertaining story, but also shows how much the author has grown as a writer.
But let me not digress more and get to my review:
I’m not entirely sure why I decided to read this book, perhaps it was because I’ve read the author’s other book and found that even though her Blue River Chronicles series needs work, there were really enchanting moments in it and I wanted more of that – and I wasn’t disappointed. Deep World Fire has a nice flow, the story progresses quiet quickly, and the characters each have such distinctive voices and personalities that it is easy to keep track of them (and to form a fondness for that particular one that touches your heart as you learn more of their character, internal thoughts and favorite things to say).
This story shifts between different viewpoints, often showing how bonds and misconceptions can form as the characters travel through a kingdom that is experiencing the start of a war. It is a tale filled with a diversity of races, danger and wonderful descriptive moments. I particularly like the fight scenes with Serion (and I quiet like the voice in his head that chips in every now and again). There is a lot hinted at under the surface of the main plot such as the complex religion, the use of magic and some previous apocalyptic event that is called The Reaping.
In conclusion I think this book has the potential to be a great start to an awesome series – sorry I mean saga. It is definitely worth reading and I look forward to the next Deep World book with great anticipation .
It’s writing like this quote that makes this book so amazing to me. It is not just a quality, entertaining story, but also shows how much the author has grown as a writer.
But let me not digress more and get to my review:
I’m not entirely sure why I decided to read this book, perhaps it was because I’ve read the author’s other book and found that even though her Blue River Chronicles series needs work, there were really enchanting moments in it and I wanted more of that – and I wasn’t disappointed. Deep World Fire has a nice flow, the story progresses quiet quickly, and the characters each have such distinctive voices and personalities that it is easy to keep track of them (and to form a fondness for that particular one that touches your heart as you learn more of their character, internal thoughts and favorite things to say).
This story shifts between different viewpoints, often showing how bonds and misconceptions can form as the characters travel through a kingdom that is experiencing the start of a war. It is a tale filled with a diversity of races, danger and wonderful descriptive moments. I particularly like the fight scenes with Serion (and I quiet like the voice in his head that chips in every now and again). There is a lot hinted at under the surface of the main plot such as the complex religion, the use of magic and some previous apocalyptic event that is called The Reaping.
In conclusion I think this book has the potential to be a great start to an awesome series – sorry I mean saga. It is definitely worth reading and I look forward to the next Deep World book with great anticipation .
April 1, 2016
Enjoyable, but mostly I wanted it to be about Serion and his bad-tempered horse.
May 8, 2016
You know how a book has to become either a cult classic or get turned into a major movie franchise before it’s considered to be ‘quotable’? This novel turns that theory on its head. Phrases like “half human, half dead already” and “Dim the moon for me.” leap out and burn themselves onto your consciousness.
Spoiler warning:
The story kicks off with six shargru slaves escaping from their masters. The writing style swoops you along on their dangerous flight. At first, it’s written through the female’s, Ember, view point. A naive girl who thinks her brother, Ash, resents her. Though she has (quite) a few insecurities, she proves herself to be a warm, kindhearted person ... but maybe not the sharpest tool in the shed.
Then, a change of scenery: where you meet Caz, a half-demon, half-human creature born into the dry and scorched Neverra desert. Hated by his own clan, and banished from his birthland by his two brothers, Caz journeys away and finally finds himself on the lush side of the mountains that borders Neverra from an unknown land. What amuses me endlessly is the juxtaposition of his fearsome, demon form with his childish and innocent mind. My favourite part being where he meets a tree for the first time, at first thinking it a menace and curling his lip at it, before approaching it with wonder and confusion. He comes upon the group of fleeing shargru, where he and Ember form a friendship. Ember ends up being a sort of mother figure to him, teaching him manners and explaining things to him.
Now we change again, this time meeting Serion, a prince of the Northern Kingdom. A lesser prince, as we soon learn - second born son, he was forced off to follow his older brother into a war against the Northern Kingdom. Serion is an interesting person (and very, very handsome). He has an innate sense of fairness, (and is handsome), he sticks up for the less fortunate, (in a handsome way) but also has that arrogant, spoiled attitude of a prince (he snobs and sulks handsomely). He also meets the shargru and Caz.
I’ll stop here before I give too many spoilers. This book is adept at following different characters, getting them to meet up, and splitting up again. I never got confused as to who is where and what’s happening now. The story ebbs and flows seamlessly into a continuous whole, cleverly used words and phrases showing the intricate tapestry of a well thought out, fully fleshed world created by a talented writer.
This is the second book by CM Meridian, and the first in the Deep World Saga. Her writing talent continues to amaze me and I await her other books with great anticipation!
Spoiler warning:
The story kicks off with six shargru slaves escaping from their masters. The writing style swoops you along on their dangerous flight. At first, it’s written through the female’s, Ember, view point. A naive girl who thinks her brother, Ash, resents her. Though she has (quite) a few insecurities, she proves herself to be a warm, kindhearted person ... but maybe not the sharpest tool in the shed.
Then, a change of scenery: where you meet Caz, a half-demon, half-human creature born into the dry and scorched Neverra desert. Hated by his own clan, and banished from his birthland by his two brothers, Caz journeys away and finally finds himself on the lush side of the mountains that borders Neverra from an unknown land. What amuses me endlessly is the juxtaposition of his fearsome, demon form with his childish and innocent mind. My favourite part being where he meets a tree for the first time, at first thinking it a menace and curling his lip at it, before approaching it with wonder and confusion. He comes upon the group of fleeing shargru, where he and Ember form a friendship. Ember ends up being a sort of mother figure to him, teaching him manners and explaining things to him.
Now we change again, this time meeting Serion, a prince of the Northern Kingdom. A lesser prince, as we soon learn - second born son, he was forced off to follow his older brother into a war against the Northern Kingdom. Serion is an interesting person (and very, very handsome). He has an innate sense of fairness, (and is handsome), he sticks up for the less fortunate, (in a handsome way) but also has that arrogant, spoiled attitude of a prince (he snobs and sulks handsomely). He also meets the shargru and Caz.
I’ll stop here before I give too many spoilers. This book is adept at following different characters, getting them to meet up, and splitting up again. I never got confused as to who is where and what’s happening now. The story ebbs and flows seamlessly into a continuous whole, cleverly used words and phrases showing the intricate tapestry of a well thought out, fully fleshed world created by a talented writer.
This is the second book by CM Meridian, and the first in the Deep World Saga. Her writing talent continues to amaze me and I await her other books with great anticipation!
August 17, 2016
I was quite surprised to find this book was not only enjoyable, but that it might be one of my favorite new series. Deep World Fire is fantasy, but without being over the top fantasy, it’s just the right amount. Sure you’ve got some sort of lowly elven race, a demon half breed, a witch and even a prince, oh and dragons too, and it all takes place in a kingdom at war. It is a first-rate story with a good mix of magic, realism and battle scenes.
The reader finds themselves immediately drawn into the story as they follow a group of shargru (type of lesser elves) as they make their escape into a world at war where two kings, brothers in fact, seem to not be happy how their father divided things up between them. As these characters progress through the story, the reader learns about the world and each of the character’s own uniqueness, thoughts and faults, creating a rich and interesting motley of shargru that are travelling together.
We are also introduced to Caz early on – a half demon who might be the coolest character in the story, simply because not only is he ignorant and childlike, but he has this other darker, dangerous side to him that truly shows what it means to be the offspring of a demon.
Oh and then there’s the prince … ok he might be the coolest character in the book. Handsome, an excellent sword fighter and horseman and a spoilt royal that often acts like a brat – but like the other characters, I felt his personality grew and developed as he has to deal with fighting in a war he does not want to be a part of.
But let me stop there, if you want to know more - read it!
Deep World Fire drew me in from the start and I enjoyed reading it from the beginning to the end. There is a lot of “behind the scenes” things going on such as the Reaping ruins we come across, the true history of the shargru and also the mysteriousness of some characters, and this all adds interesting elements and mystery to the story that the reader needs to think about themselves. I’m soooo looking forward to the next book in the series so that I can learn more about this deep world and the awesome characters that I’ve grown every fond of.
The reader finds themselves immediately drawn into the story as they follow a group of shargru (type of lesser elves) as they make their escape into a world at war where two kings, brothers in fact, seem to not be happy how their father divided things up between them. As these characters progress through the story, the reader learns about the world and each of the character’s own uniqueness, thoughts and faults, creating a rich and interesting motley of shargru that are travelling together.
We are also introduced to Caz early on – a half demon who might be the coolest character in the story, simply because not only is he ignorant and childlike, but he has this other darker, dangerous side to him that truly shows what it means to be the offspring of a demon.
Oh and then there’s the prince … ok he might be the coolest character in the book. Handsome, an excellent sword fighter and horseman and a spoilt royal that often acts like a brat – but like the other characters, I felt his personality grew and developed as he has to deal with fighting in a war he does not want to be a part of.
But let me stop there, if you want to know more - read it!
Deep World Fire drew me in from the start and I enjoyed reading it from the beginning to the end. There is a lot of “behind the scenes” things going on such as the Reaping ruins we come across, the true history of the shargru and also the mysteriousness of some characters, and this all adds interesting elements and mystery to the story that the reader needs to think about themselves. I’m soooo looking forward to the next book in the series so that I can learn more about this deep world and the awesome characters that I’ve grown every fond of.
March 30, 2017
I really enjoyed this book!
Although not many reviews very given yet I decided to read this book - bad decision, because the second part is not out so far... I hope I don't have to wait too long for the next book, because this one was really a nice read, although I would have liked it better if it had more pages.. :D
Although not many reviews very given yet I decided to read this book - bad decision, because the second part is not out so far... I hope I don't have to wait too long for the next book, because this one was really a nice read, although I would have liked it better if it had more pages.. :D
October 24, 2020
Update Oct 2020
I got a new Kindle, and downloaded this book again, preparing to read the follow-up. It seems to have been edited in the years since my original review, so any criticisms can be ignored, it's all been sorted.
Enjoyed it just as much second time around, and still consider it 5-star.
Absolutely super story - C M Meridian is a born storyteller, and I couldn't put the book down once I'd started. Loved it, and can't wait for the next in the series. Great characters, world-building and action.
I feel mean not giving a five star rating - the story deserved it - but the lack of editing was a huge problem. My grammar is slapdash and lazy, but there are basic rules that need to be followed for the sake of clarity, and to convey meaning. The writer's grammar is not good, to such an extent that I wondered if English was her first language. However...anyone can be a good grammarian, not everyone can write as excitingly as C M Meridian.
Hmmmnnnn...on second thoughts, the story deserves five stars. I've seen groups online where members help each other with editing, it would be worth checking them out.
I got a new Kindle, and downloaded this book again, preparing to read the follow-up. It seems to have been edited in the years since my original review, so any criticisms can be ignored, it's all been sorted.
Enjoyed it just as much second time around, and still consider it 5-star.
Absolutely super story - C M Meridian is a born storyteller, and I couldn't put the book down once I'd started. Loved it, and can't wait for the next in the series. Great characters, world-building and action.
I feel mean not giving a five star rating - the story deserved it - but the lack of editing was a huge problem. My grammar is slapdash and lazy, but there are basic rules that need to be followed for the sake of clarity, and to convey meaning. The writer's grammar is not good, to such an extent that I wondered if English was her first language. However...anyone can be a good grammarian, not everyone can write as excitingly as C M Meridian.
Hmmmnnnn...on second thoughts, the story deserves five stars. I've seen groups online where members help each other with editing, it would be worth checking them out.
November 29, 2018
I like it very good
January 8, 2024
I loved everything about this series. Demons, oh my.
I was actually surprised I liked it. But I couldn't put it down. Will def move onto the next.
I was actually surprised I liked it. But I couldn't put it down. Will def move onto the next.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews