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The Dark Roads Saga #1
The Pact
Fleshlings and darklings… Rune-weavers and demons… When you walk in the land of the Reaper, who will survive?
Serenity Walker has cast runes for as long as she can remember. Her teachers call her a prodigy, and her secret studies hold the key to unlimited potential. Once an orphan left on an old woman’s doorstep, Serenity finally belongs. But when her mentor is murdered right in front of her, her hopes of a home die with him.
Her quest for vengeance leads her into a dangerous deal with a demon. Armed with its dark power and her own talent with the runes, she blazes a trail across the lands where ranchers and railroad men are kings, where the prevailing law is the law of the gun. To find the man who reshaped her past, Serenity offers up her future. She’ll face a world where weavers are hunted down to be hanged, whipped, or burned alive...but she won’t face it alone.
As Serenity’s mission takes her farther than most weavers are willing to go, she’ll have to decide who her true enemy is: the wicked men of the world, or the powerful demon inside her.
Serenity Walker has cast runes for as long as she can remember. Her teachers call her a prodigy, and her secret studies hold the key to unlimited potential. Once an orphan left on an old woman’s doorstep, Serenity finally belongs. But when her mentor is murdered right in front of her, her hopes of a home die with him.
Her quest for vengeance leads her into a dangerous deal with a demon. Armed with its dark power and her own talent with the runes, she blazes a trail across the lands where ranchers and railroad men are kings, where the prevailing law is the law of the gun. To find the man who reshaped her past, Serenity offers up her future. She’ll face a world where weavers are hunted down to be hanged, whipped, or burned alive...but she won’t face it alone.
As Serenity’s mission takes her farther than most weavers are willing to go, she’ll have to decide who her true enemy is: the wicked men of the world, or the powerful demon inside her.
268 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 7, 2016
11 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Brantwijn Serrah
52 books217 followersWhen she isn't visiting the worlds of immortals, demons, dragons and goblins, Brantwijn fills her time with artistic endeavors: sketching, painting, customizing My Little Ponies and sewing plushies for friends. She can't handle coffee unless there's enough cream and sugar to make it a milkshake, but try and sweeten her tea and she will never forgive you. She moonlights as a futon for four lazy cats, loves tabletop role-play games, and can spend hours watching Futurama, Claymore or Buffy the Vampire Slayer while she writes or draws.
In addition to her novels, Brantwijn has had several stories published in anthologies by Breathless Press, including the 2013 Crimson Anthology and 2014 Ravaged Anthology. She's also had a short story published in the Cleiss Press Big Book of Orgasm and the anthology Coming Together Through The Storm. She hopes to have several more tales to tell as time goes on. She has author pages on GoodReads and Amazon, and loves to see reader comments on her work. Her short stories occasionally pop up at Foreplay and Fangs, her blog at http://brantwijn.blogspot.com.
In addition to her novels, Brantwijn has had several stories published in anthologies by Breathless Press, including the 2013 Crimson Anthology and 2014 Ravaged Anthology. She's also had a short story published in the Cleiss Press Big Book of Orgasm and the anthology Coming Together Through The Storm. She hopes to have several more tales to tell as time goes on. She has author pages on GoodReads and Amazon, and loves to see reader comments on her work. Her short stories occasionally pop up at Foreplay and Fangs, her blog at http://brantwijn.blogspot.com.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
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November 7, 2016
Once again, in my opinion, Ms. Serrah hits it home. Her knack for demon wrangling, magic wielding, world building and absolute passion for the 'other worlds' is hypnotic and addicting.
Another plus is she tends to have this insane ability to empathize with all her characters, good, bad and indifferent, in such a way that you feel you know HER, all her facets and layers, through her visual and verbal delivery of said characters. Her raw, realistic and daring glimpses of struggling souls always makes for a good read and THE PACT is no exception.
And how many peeps do YOU know that can blend the Wild (and Weird) West, the supernatural and the absolutely 'normal' landscapes with seamless wonder?
Just another day in the life...and worlds of the fab Ms. Serrah.
Yeeehaw!
Another plus is she tends to have this insane ability to empathize with all her characters, good, bad and indifferent, in such a way that you feel you know HER, all her facets and layers, through her visual and verbal delivery of said characters. Her raw, realistic and daring glimpses of struggling souls always makes for a good read and THE PACT is no exception.
And how many peeps do YOU know that can blend the Wild (and Weird) West, the supernatural and the absolutely 'normal' landscapes with seamless wonder?
Just another day in the life...and worlds of the fab Ms. Serrah.
Yeeehaw!
November 8, 2016
Let me start by saying this book is very well written. I love Serenity and her story. All of her hardships and struggles she faces on her journey will keep you reading and needing to know what happens next. The element of the Demons in this book bring in quite a few twist that i would never have expected, and I thought the twists made this book so much more enjoyable. The author brings Runes into play as well. In a few areas I felt it got a bit descriptive, but it was very interesting and informative for a newbie to runes like me
November 7, 2016
Serrah has proved her detailed world-building skills yet again in this beautiful, haunting book. I like that Serenity isn't afraid to use darker measures to do what she has to do to survive the world. This story has an almost "Wild West" appeal, if the old westerns included magic users and demons.
May 3, 2019
It is often said that teens and young adults act like they are possessed. I had not really considered what it would mean to be possessed and how that would change the one possessed. The author has put a lot of thought into this concept, crafting a heroine who is feisty, impetuous and headstrong - and who jumps feet first into a deal with a demon. Then she throws that heroine into a twisted version of the Wild West and lets her wreck havoc, making her way through life with a co-pilot in her head. I found this novel frankly disturbing, psychologically intriguing - at once difficult to read, yet impossible to put down. I am not sure what this novel says about the novelist, but it is worth the read (at least once).
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 18, 2019
Wow! This book was a surprisingly excellent read! The heroine takes hold and relentlessly keeps you enthralled from the beginning of her story until the end of this book. Serenity is a young innocent who becomes a deadly, vengeance seeking, chain weaving spell caster who bonds with a powerful demon, a forbidden pact that leads to unimagined death and destruction in this apocalyptic fantasy. A well written and well executed storyline. Loved it, loved it!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 3, 2019
This was a well written story that seamlessly tells past and present. The characters are well written. Serenity and her pact with a demon to hunt down the man who murdered her friend and mentor Jack propels this story of suspense and intrigue you won’t be able to put down
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 12, 2019
The Pact by Brantwijn Serrah is a wonderful story to read. This is book number one in this wonderful series and I loved reading this story. This story has a lot of action in it and I hihgly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading action and fantasy stories.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 1, 2019
She was nothing until he helped her to become more but when he is murdered in front of her eyes she wants revenge. She makes a deal with a demon and with the new powers she gain she goes in search for revenge. Will she get it? Is the deal going to be worse than being alone? See how she gets on
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 7, 2019
The Pact
The Dark Roads Saga Book 1
Brantwijn Serrah
I loved this book. The characters were great. Serenity was a great main character. I thought it was unique and original. The storyline was full of adventure and fun. I can't wait to read the next book.
The Dark Roads Saga Book 1
Brantwijn Serrah
I loved this book. The characters were great. Serenity was a great main character. I thought it was unique and original. The storyline was full of adventure and fun. I can't wait to read the next book.
October 31, 2017
The Pact by Brantwijn Serrah is an amazing supernatural novel. In this book we are introduced to Serenity Walker. She's a weaver - someone who works and reads the runes casting spells. Serenity has aligned herself with a demon who resides inside of herself. She made a deal...a Pact, with the entity so that she would be allowed to use it's power to help her become stronger. But who is really in control? Her? Or the demon that is within her?
Serenity has had a hard life. She was abandoned by her father as a child and raised by a woman who took her in and helped her to survive. Serenity quickly became fascinated with weaving and the cards. A man who became her friend, Jack, saw potential in her and called her a prodigy with the cards. When he dies she leaves with another to learn more about weaving since the scholars refuse to train her up more until she bends to what they want and believe. Her journey to becoming what she is is a dangerous one but it is the path that she chooses to walk. But where is the path ultimately leading?
When I first started reading this book I had no idea what was going on so I set it down for a bit and then came back to it. Once I did that I became engaged into the story and putting it down again was not an easy task. The story moves rather smoothly between past and present. When I first noticed the shift in time I was a bit surprised at how smoothly the transition happened. Normally that would be a point of complaint for me, that the story just shift without warning but I found that I actually enjoyed the story more because of it happened so seamlessly. There are flashbacks and then there are actual moments of where Serenity is actually reliving what has already happened.
She is a strong character and you discover why throughout the story as we are given several scenes not just from her past but as she is forging ahead to find the man who killed her beloved teacher and friend. There are moments where I became annoyed with her because she became stubborn and reckless. The demon is part of her and so he needs her to stay alive but there are moments of where she goes too far. When she does there are moments of where he actually lashes out at her. I hate to say it but I fully supported him in those moments and quite often in moments of where he simply shows his annoyance with her based on her actions and decisions.
This is the second book that I have read by this author and I have to say that it is probably my favorite one so far. I enjoyed this book so much. I loved the paranormal, the mystery and the mixing together of the "Old West" with some steampunk like elements of just development and engineering. The author does a fantastic job with this book and pulls you in to a unique world that is unlike most that we have read about.
I really hope to read more books like this one in the future from this author. I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. This one is definitely a winner in my book.
Serenity has had a hard life. She was abandoned by her father as a child and raised by a woman who took her in and helped her to survive. Serenity quickly became fascinated with weaving and the cards. A man who became her friend, Jack, saw potential in her and called her a prodigy with the cards. When he dies she leaves with another to learn more about weaving since the scholars refuse to train her up more until she bends to what they want and believe. Her journey to becoming what she is is a dangerous one but it is the path that she chooses to walk. But where is the path ultimately leading?
When I first started reading this book I had no idea what was going on so I set it down for a bit and then came back to it. Once I did that I became engaged into the story and putting it down again was not an easy task. The story moves rather smoothly between past and present. When I first noticed the shift in time I was a bit surprised at how smoothly the transition happened. Normally that would be a point of complaint for me, that the story just shift without warning but I found that I actually enjoyed the story more because of it happened so seamlessly. There are flashbacks and then there are actual moments of where Serenity is actually reliving what has already happened.
She is a strong character and you discover why throughout the story as we are given several scenes not just from her past but as she is forging ahead to find the man who killed her beloved teacher and friend. There are moments where I became annoyed with her because she became stubborn and reckless. The demon is part of her and so he needs her to stay alive but there are moments of where she goes too far. When she does there are moments of where he actually lashes out at her. I hate to say it but I fully supported him in those moments and quite often in moments of where he simply shows his annoyance with her based on her actions and decisions.
This is the second book that I have read by this author and I have to say that it is probably my favorite one so far. I enjoyed this book so much. I loved the paranormal, the mystery and the mixing together of the "Old West" with some steampunk like elements of just development and engineering. The author does a fantastic job with this book and pulls you in to a unique world that is unlike most that we have read about.
I really hope to read more books like this one in the future from this author. I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. This one is definitely a winner in my book.
October 11, 2019
Reviewed by Robin
Book provided by the author
I simply love delving into new worlds. I enjoy the different magical, mystical and fascinating people/creatures that can be found within these realms. Some aren’t so realistic but others are as they grab my attention and take me deep within their world. The different powers and forces that drive them are interesting along with the journey that takes us…well, away.
In The Pact we meet Serenity who was an orphan. Her mentor was just recently murdered and Serenity sets out on a vengeance to find the demon as it seems who is responsible for said murder. Serenity is able to read Ruins. I myself have a set of Ruins and have dabbled so to find a story that is centered on these Ruins was different and that alone kept me wanting to read more.
This is the first book that I have read written by Ms. Serrah so for me I found what she what enlightening. Her passion for what she wrote made me an instant fan. She was able to adapt these new worlds in the beautifully written layers within her stories that made the characters so alive that she was able to make me empathetic to their plights. I understood the struggle to find the demon and was right there fighting alongside Serenity. The way she was able to blend the new world with the Old West added a different depth to the story instead of just flipping within the realms.
To me Serenity was someone you want on your side. She had strength and courage to go out there to hunt down the demon. She had the power to overcome the Pact that was made with this demon.
This different take on the supernatural in the West is something that anyone interested in the paranormal or someone wanting something just that much different would enjoy. I needed to find out what out where and what was going to happen to Serenity on her journey which kept me interested and turning those pages.
I look forward to more from Ms. Serrah. In the meantime I am going to read some of her other stories.
Book provided by the author
I simply love delving into new worlds. I enjoy the different magical, mystical and fascinating people/creatures that can be found within these realms. Some aren’t so realistic but others are as they grab my attention and take me deep within their world. The different powers and forces that drive them are interesting along with the journey that takes us…well, away.
In The Pact we meet Serenity who was an orphan. Her mentor was just recently murdered and Serenity sets out on a vengeance to find the demon as it seems who is responsible for said murder. Serenity is able to read Ruins. I myself have a set of Ruins and have dabbled so to find a story that is centered on these Ruins was different and that alone kept me wanting to read more.
This is the first book that I have read written by Ms. Serrah so for me I found what she what enlightening. Her passion for what she wrote made me an instant fan. She was able to adapt these new worlds in the beautifully written layers within her stories that made the characters so alive that she was able to make me empathetic to their plights. I understood the struggle to find the demon and was right there fighting alongside Serenity. The way she was able to blend the new world with the Old West added a different depth to the story instead of just flipping within the realms.
To me Serenity was someone you want on your side. She had strength and courage to go out there to hunt down the demon. She had the power to overcome the Pact that was made with this demon.
This different take on the supernatural in the West is something that anyone interested in the paranormal or someone wanting something just that much different would enjoy. I needed to find out what out where and what was going to happen to Serenity on her journey which kept me interested and turning those pages.
I look forward to more from Ms. Serrah. In the meantime I am going to read some of her other stories.
June 17, 2018
* I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own *
This is the story of Serenity Walker, a Weaver who works with runes and casting spells.
Serenity made a pact with a demon so that she could use its power to make her stronger, now the demon lives inside her. Serenity wants to learn more about her weaving skills and with the cards but it seems that where-ever she goes they want her to bend to their will so refuse to train her.
Serenity is a very strong character in this story though at times you would want to slap her for some of the things she does, but her demon takes that on any way, we discover one kick ass woman who is out to find the man who killed her father and will use any means necessary including dark magic.
This was a great story by Brantwijn Serrah and look forward to her next book.
This is the story of Serenity Walker, a Weaver who works with runes and casting spells.
Serenity made a pact with a demon so that she could use its power to make her stronger, now the demon lives inside her. Serenity wants to learn more about her weaving skills and with the cards but it seems that where-ever she goes they want her to bend to their will so refuse to train her.
Serenity is a very strong character in this story though at times you would want to slap her for some of the things she does, but her demon takes that on any way, we discover one kick ass woman who is out to find the man who killed her father and will use any means necessary including dark magic.
This was a great story by Brantwijn Serrah and look forward to her next book.
May 3, 2019
It is often said that teens and young adults act like they are possessed. I had not really considered what it would mean to be possessed and how that would change the one possessed. The author has put a lot of thought into this concept, crafting a heroine who is feisty, impetuous and headstrong - and who jumps feet first into a deal with a demon. Then she throws that heroine into a twisted version of the Wild West and lets her wreck havoc, making her way through life with a co-pilot in her head. I found this novel frankly disturbing, psychologically intriguing - at once difficult to read, yet impossible to put down. I am not sure what this novel says about the novelist, but it is worth the read (at least once).
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 12, 2017
Welcome to the Wild West....well kinda ; ) This is for sure not your everyday wild west for sure lol. We have some awesome demons and so much more. This has a great mixture of paranormal/fantasy without a doubt. This is my first book I've read from Brantwijn Serrah and I must say I love her style.
Serenity is the main character in this book and she rocks it by casting runes. She is brilliant and just a great character who is well developed all around and kicks ass. This is such a interesting story line you won't want to put it down. She truly does risk is all to find out her past.
Plus this cover is rocking! If you love some fantasy/paranormal and want a awesome storyline in the "wild west" this is for you. Highly recommend this one.
Serenity is the main character in this book and she rocks it by casting runes. She is brilliant and just a great character who is well developed all around and kicks ass. This is such a interesting story line you won't want to put it down. She truly does risk is all to find out her past.
Plus this cover is rocking! If you love some fantasy/paranormal and want a awesome storyline in the "wild west" this is for you. Highly recommend this one.
October 19, 2017
Honestly I am completely shocked that this book is not more popular than what it is. This was an absolutely amazing read full of magic and suspense. I was completely intrigued right away and every chapter after kept me even more enthralled. It kept me guessing at every turn. Right when I thought the story would go one way, it would completely go in a different direction. I also thoroughly enjoyed the author's writing style and how it strategically bounced from past to present. I just cannot express how good of a read this was!
September 27, 2017
Loved this book from the first page. The writers style is descriptive and very well done. The reader can almost feel like they are a part of the world along with the characters. I got lost inside a world of bounty hunters, demons and magic. A world that I didn't want to leave
October 29, 2017
Get ready for another awesome adventure brought to you by Beantwijn Serrah! This story is jam-packed full of adventure, sorcery, demons, and more!! You will get hooked reading this, so don’t make other plans until you’re done reading ;).
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews