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The Hand of the Khryseoi #1
Valley of the Shadow
The Hand of the Khryseoi Trilogy
In the distant past, an army of men and women were called upon to defend the earth from a great evil: Eurynomos, the God of Death. They were granted many gifts, including immortality and named The Khryseoi, Spirits of the Golden Age. This is their story.
Act One: Valley of the Shadow
The Great War between the Khryseoi and Eurynomos has been won but at a heavy cost. Phylasso, leader of the Khryseoi, has sacrificed himself to bring the war to an end. As time passes, Raven, a Khryseoi bowman, discovers Eurynomos’s servants still roaming the earth, murdering the Khryseoi from the shadows. With Phylasso gone, Raven faces his greatest challenge, to reunite the Khryseoi and stop Eurynomos’s dark spirits before they destroy all life forever.
In the distant past, an army of men and women were called upon to defend the earth from a great evil: Eurynomos, the God of Death. They were granted many gifts, including immortality and named The Khryseoi, Spirits of the Golden Age. This is their story.
Act One: Valley of the Shadow
The Great War between the Khryseoi and Eurynomos has been won but at a heavy cost. Phylasso, leader of the Khryseoi, has sacrificed himself to bring the war to an end. As time passes, Raven, a Khryseoi bowman, discovers Eurynomos’s servants still roaming the earth, murdering the Khryseoi from the shadows. With Phylasso gone, Raven faces his greatest challenge, to reunite the Khryseoi and stop Eurynomos’s dark spirits before they destroy all life forever.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2016
3 people want to read
About the author
Michael Gardner
20 books74 followersMichael Gardner writes stories from the twilight zone of his mind, a middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition and his sock drawer. Cross over if you dare.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
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October 17, 2017Valley of the Shadow reads like historical fiction with a strong mythical twist. The story begins in the distant past with a war between Eurynomos, a god who wants to destroy the world, and Phylasso, a god who wants to preserve it. Eurynomos's soldiers are the Forsaken, little more than reanimated corpses bound to Eurynomos's will. Phylasso has built an army of men and women to whom he has granted immortality. Known as the Khryseoi, they are reborn if they are killed but preserve their memories. Only if they are "unbound" can their spirit be stopped from returning. Phylasso's army wins the war but at great cost. The Khryseoi disband. We follow the wanderings of Raven, who learns centuries later that Eurynomos's servants are murdering Khryseoi and trying to bring Eurynomos back. Raven sets out to oppose them by gathering a band of the remaining Khryseoi. Valley of the Shadow chronicles the stories of these Khryseoi and round one in their battle with Eurynomos's servants.
Valley of the Shadow is an epic story covering thousands of years and stretching across multiple continents. The pace is leisurely for the most part. Gardner spends time to develop his characters and gives enough detail to create a solid landscape for them to inhabit. Raven does a lot of brooding, but he has many mysteries to puzzle out. This novel isn't a quick read, but a rewarding journey in which to immerse yourself. If you like mythic fantasy, Valley of the Shadow is calling to you. I'm waiting for the next volume in the story.
Valley of the Shadow is an epic story covering thousands of years and stretching across multiple continents. The pace is leisurely for the most part. Gardner spends time to develop his characters and gives enough detail to create a solid landscape for them to inhabit. Raven does a lot of brooding, but he has many mysteries to puzzle out. This novel isn't a quick read, but a rewarding journey in which to immerse yourself. If you like mythic fantasy, Valley of the Shadow is calling to you. I'm waiting for the next volume in the story.
June 5, 2016
Parts of this story were somewhat familiar to me, but for the very best of reasons.
Imagine Akira Kurosawa’s The Seven Samurai, but situated mostly in ancient Greece, and there are five immortal warriors instead of seven. The action takes place over millennia. The mission of this fated quintet, Raven, Xi, Klinge, Windsong and Tak, is epic in scale, spanning years and leagues as they seek to carry it out. Their enemy, a malcontent god and the host of daemons at his disposal. Their village, all of humanity. But not all is as it seems. This story is just as much a journey of discovery as it is about conflict.
I enjoyed Valley of the Shadow more than most of the books I’ve read this year. Despite what I stated above, there is fresh originality to this work, and the author has shown me that he has done his homework; at one point I read “legionary’s” and thought: “doesn’t he mean legionnaire’s here?” No, he is actually totally correct, and it took some research on my part to discover this. This is only one of the many examples where the author shows the depth of his knowledge. The writing is also flawless to my eyes, this book has been extremely well written and I detected only two small errors (and duly pointed them out for correction).
In all, I recommend this book to all readers, young and old, with assurances that many moments will be fondly remembered long after the book has been finished.
Imagine Akira Kurosawa’s The Seven Samurai, but situated mostly in ancient Greece, and there are five immortal warriors instead of seven. The action takes place over millennia. The mission of this fated quintet, Raven, Xi, Klinge, Windsong and Tak, is epic in scale, spanning years and leagues as they seek to carry it out. Their enemy, a malcontent god and the host of daemons at his disposal. Their village, all of humanity. But not all is as it seems. This story is just as much a journey of discovery as it is about conflict.
I enjoyed Valley of the Shadow more than most of the books I’ve read this year. Despite what I stated above, there is fresh originality to this work, and the author has shown me that he has done his homework; at one point I read “legionary’s” and thought: “doesn’t he mean legionnaire’s here?” No, he is actually totally correct, and it took some research on my part to discover this. This is only one of the many examples where the author shows the depth of his knowledge. The writing is also flawless to my eyes, this book has been extremely well written and I detected only two small errors (and duly pointed them out for correction).
In all, I recommend this book to all readers, young and old, with assurances that many moments will be fondly remembered long after the book has been finished.
June 26, 2016
Michael Gardner gives readers a window into the lives of immortals at war with death itself in Valley of the Shadow, the first book in the Hand of the Khryseoi trilogy.
The premise is interesting and the author has done his research. The series is based on what one could think of as the lost Golden Oldies of Greek mythology: just a line or two in old texts referring to the Khryseoi, or Golden Ones, and Eurynomos, the spirit of death. From these bare references Gardner creates an epic battle.
The Khryseoi are immortals, fighting against Death's attempt to swallow up the world. This plays out in a very literal sense. Eurynomos sends armies of reanimated corpses into battle. His realm holds no dark, brooding grandeur, but only filth and decay. His equivalent of Sauron's Dark Tower is built of bones and mud, and some of his more powerful spirits manifest as worms, making his invasion seem almost more like an infestation.
The Khryseoi come from all walks of life and several different cultures--I liked this touch, as ancient Greece didn't exist in a vacuum. Another very interesting feature of the Khryseoi is that when their bodies die, they are reborn as babies (though they mature faster than your average non-immortal). I've never read anything quite like the description of the protagonist, Raven, growing through childhood with all the memories of a hundreds-of-years-old adult.
I should note that so far, this is a very dark story, as the tide of the long war has turned against the heroes, and their backs are to the wall. Not many smiles here--instead, lots of dogged persistence in the face of death, betrayal, and vanishing hope.
I had a minor issue with the pacing. The first third of the book is mostly in one character's head, and even when there's action (such as a 379-year war being wrapped up in one final battle), the focus is on two characters off to the side having a conversation. However, as the book went on I minded this less, and began to see the leisurely timing as a realistic touch. I imagine that the pace of life was, after all, much slower in the ancient world. Not only that, but we are also dealing with immortals, whose lives span millennia (the book's action, including flashbacks, extends over 3000 years). So the standards are a bit different here--one of the Khryseoi may die, come back in 300 years, and find that the forces of evil (who are also immortal, of course) have gained just a bit in the meantime. Oh yes, and there's this thing called the Roman Empire now--what's up with that?
I can wholeheartedly recommend Valley of the Shadow, and I'm looking forward to seeing the next (hopefully somewhat more upbeat!) installment.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest, non-reciprocal review.
The premise is interesting and the author has done his research. The series is based on what one could think of as the lost Golden Oldies of Greek mythology: just a line or two in old texts referring to the Khryseoi, or Golden Ones, and Eurynomos, the spirit of death. From these bare references Gardner creates an epic battle.
The Khryseoi are immortals, fighting against Death's attempt to swallow up the world. This plays out in a very literal sense. Eurynomos sends armies of reanimated corpses into battle. His realm holds no dark, brooding grandeur, but only filth and decay. His equivalent of Sauron's Dark Tower is built of bones and mud, and some of his more powerful spirits manifest as worms, making his invasion seem almost more like an infestation.
The Khryseoi come from all walks of life and several different cultures--I liked this touch, as ancient Greece didn't exist in a vacuum. Another very interesting feature of the Khryseoi is that when their bodies die, they are reborn as babies (though they mature faster than your average non-immortal). I've never read anything quite like the description of the protagonist, Raven, growing through childhood with all the memories of a hundreds-of-years-old adult.
I should note that so far, this is a very dark story, as the tide of the long war has turned against the heroes, and their backs are to the wall. Not many smiles here--instead, lots of dogged persistence in the face of death, betrayal, and vanishing hope.
I had a minor issue with the pacing. The first third of the book is mostly in one character's head, and even when there's action (such as a 379-year war being wrapped up in one final battle), the focus is on two characters off to the side having a conversation. However, as the book went on I minded this less, and began to see the leisurely timing as a realistic touch. I imagine that the pace of life was, after all, much slower in the ancient world. Not only that, but we are also dealing with immortals, whose lives span millennia (the book's action, including flashbacks, extends over 3000 years). So the standards are a bit different here--one of the Khryseoi may die, come back in 300 years, and find that the forces of evil (who are also immortal, of course) have gained just a bit in the meantime. Oh yes, and there's this thing called the Roman Empire now--what's up with that?
I can wholeheartedly recommend Valley of the Shadow, and I'm looking forward to seeing the next (hopefully somewhat more upbeat!) installment.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest, non-reciprocal review.
July 28, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The plot weaves its way somewhere between fantasy and classical history as you follow a group of mysterious warriors who were granted immortality to defend humanity.
The central character, Raven, is an archer and a Krhryseoi. He and the other Kryseoi were given the gift of being born again and again as part of an army raised by a god-like being named Phylasso in his war against the evil Eurynomos who is set on destroying life itself. As the Krhyseoi fall in battle against the Foresaken, they are reborn and ushered back to the fight.
Between lives, they venture into the Valley of the Shadow, a mysterious place that lies somewhere between life and death. I couldn't help but find myself feeling at times like I was reading a work by Neil Gaiman, both because the epic scale of the book and author Michael Gardner's handling of the mysterious Valley of the Shadow.
Gardner's tale takes place over many years, centuries even, with the bulk of the action happening after Phylasso has seemingly defeated Eurynomos. If only the outcome were so simple. Raven learns that Eurynomos' allies are determined to usher in his return, and he sets out to stop them. He assembles a band of fellow Krhyseoi, who weave through the Valley of the Shadows and between many lives.
If you enjoy fantasy books, then you owe it to yourself to give Valley of the Shadow a read.
** I received a free copy for an honest review **
The central character, Raven, is an archer and a Krhryseoi. He and the other Kryseoi were given the gift of being born again and again as part of an army raised by a god-like being named Phylasso in his war against the evil Eurynomos who is set on destroying life itself. As the Krhyseoi fall in battle against the Foresaken, they are reborn and ushered back to the fight.
Between lives, they venture into the Valley of the Shadow, a mysterious place that lies somewhere between life and death. I couldn't help but find myself feeling at times like I was reading a work by Neil Gaiman, both because the epic scale of the book and author Michael Gardner's handling of the mysterious Valley of the Shadow.
Gardner's tale takes place over many years, centuries even, with the bulk of the action happening after Phylasso has seemingly defeated Eurynomos. If only the outcome were so simple. Raven learns that Eurynomos' allies are determined to usher in his return, and he sets out to stop them. He assembles a band of fellow Krhyseoi, who weave through the Valley of the Shadows and between many lives.
If you enjoy fantasy books, then you owe it to yourself to give Valley of the Shadow a read.
** I received a free copy for an honest review **
October 6, 2016
I love big concepts and Michael Gardner’s Valley of the Shadow certainly qualifies as such: a band of immortal Khryseoi are continually reincarnated to do battle with a bunch of demons hellbent on destroying life.
This constant duelling with the same evil over and over throughout millennia really captured my imagination – as well as remind me of a few of my bosses over the years! Gardner also has painted a vivid – and pretty believable – picture of life in ancient Greek times, convincing enough to have me lost in its dark gloom at times. Needless to say I’m looking forward to the next installment!
If you like the Lord of the Rings, classical sagas or any good vs evil epics, you’ll love this.
I received a free copy in return for an honest review.
This constant duelling with the same evil over and over throughout millennia really captured my imagination – as well as remind me of a few of my bosses over the years! Gardner also has painted a vivid – and pretty believable – picture of life in ancient Greek times, convincing enough to have me lost in its dark gloom at times. Needless to say I’m looking forward to the next installment!
If you like the Lord of the Rings, classical sagas or any good vs evil epics, you’ll love this.
I received a free copy in return for an honest review.
June 5, 2016
Excellent mythic fantasy featuring the immortal Khryseoi in their ongoing battle against ultimate evil. Raven and his companions are the Hand of the Khryseoi, survivors of an epic battle which cost them more than two-thirds of their number, and, apparently, their leader. They were thirty thousand at the beginning, when the cryptic Phylasso gifted them with their immortality. But now their powers and their gifts are fading, and the dark is rising again. There are those among the Khryseoi who would be traitors, and there are those who have been deceived by the enemy. The cost to the faithful is high, and recalling their maker seems to be their only hope - but can they find Phylasso, and if they do, can he help them?
The story ranges through time, and across Europe and beyond, but the majority of action takes place between 250 BC and about 2 600 BC, in ancient Greece and surrounding lands. The varying experiences of immortality and the mindset and culture of the Khryseoi are well realized - and surprisingly immersive for a setting so far from the modern world. There were moments and periods when I became completely lost in the story.
The characters are distinctive, particularly the members of Raven's small band. The pace is steady and moves along well. Michael Gardner manages to infuse the book with the perspective of immortality without dragging the story. The plot is strongly reminiscent in style of the ancient Greek epics, such as The Oddysey, but is presented in modern language - with the occasional authentic Greek word thrown in. I remember someone saying, "Come into my oikos." which amused me no end. Editing and presentation are flawless.
This is clearly the first book in a series, and the greater story is not complete. It also ends with a number of important questions in the air. Nevertheless, it is a complete introduction to what is clearly going to be an outstanding and original series, and while I am eager to read the next book, I expect it will be worth the wait. Not too long, please, Mr. Gardner!
The story ranges through time, and across Europe and beyond, but the majority of action takes place between 250 BC and about 2 600 BC, in ancient Greece and surrounding lands. The varying experiences of immortality and the mindset and culture of the Khryseoi are well realized - and surprisingly immersive for a setting so far from the modern world. There were moments and periods when I became completely lost in the story.
The characters are distinctive, particularly the members of Raven's small band. The pace is steady and moves along well. Michael Gardner manages to infuse the book with the perspective of immortality without dragging the story. The plot is strongly reminiscent in style of the ancient Greek epics, such as The Oddysey, but is presented in modern language - with the occasional authentic Greek word thrown in. I remember someone saying, "Come into my oikos." which amused me no end. Editing and presentation are flawless.
This is clearly the first book in a series, and the greater story is not complete. It also ends with a number of important questions in the air. Nevertheless, it is a complete introduction to what is clearly going to be an outstanding and original series, and while I am eager to read the next book, I expect it will be worth the wait. Not too long, please, Mr. Gardner!
June 5, 2016
How shall I describe this excellent novel? Is it a saga, a historical novel, a fable, a chronicle, or a mixture of all these elements? Michael Gardner takes us back two thousand years Before Christ. A war rages between two armies. On one side, the evil, soldiered by the living dead. On the other side, the good, thirty thousand of earth's bravest warriors, selected by the Gods and granted the precarious gift of everlasting life. The final, indecisive battle is over, but for the few survivors the secret war continues through the centuries.
Michael Gardner has excelled himself with this novel. It is an ambitious and intellectual piece of work, rich and extravagant, moody and exciting, expansive yet detailed. The author's considerable skill carried me through the story enthralled, and I hope he doesn't keep me waiting too long for the next book in the series.
Michael Gardner has excelled himself with this novel. It is an ambitious and intellectual piece of work, rich and extravagant, moody and exciting, expansive yet detailed. The author's considerable skill carried me through the story enthralled, and I hope he doesn't keep me waiting too long for the next book in the series.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews