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Chosen of Trees and of Talons
Hope is a fragile thread.
Imprisoned for over four-hundred years, the Arneisian people tenuously held onto that thread. Generations were born and generations died. Sons were Chosen and given to the sorcerers who imposed the chains of slavery on their people, hoping the one foretold would Return to lead them from their prison. The thread of hope is tested as a new group of boys is Chosen. Their secrets will free the Arneisians or break that thread forever.
The survival of a magical forest is in the hands of a young brother and sister. A father refuses to accept their destiny, and fights to protect them from the dark creatures who hunt them. A husband and wife only hope to reunite as he leads an army while she attempts to uncover spies for her king. Their futures, as well as the fate of kingdoms, hang in the balance as a boy fights to fulfill his destiny amid the gathering storms of war.
Imprisoned for over four-hundred years, the Arneisian people tenuously held onto that thread. Generations were born and generations died. Sons were Chosen and given to the sorcerers who imposed the chains of slavery on their people, hoping the one foretold would Return to lead them from their prison. The thread of hope is tested as a new group of boys is Chosen. Their secrets will free the Arneisians or break that thread forever.
The survival of a magical forest is in the hands of a young brother and sister. A father refuses to accept their destiny, and fights to protect them from the dark creatures who hunt them. A husband and wife only hope to reunite as he leads an army while she attempts to uncover spies for her king. Their futures, as well as the fate of kingdoms, hang in the balance as a boy fights to fulfill his destiny amid the gathering storms of war.
- GenresFantasy
477 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 11, 2016
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227 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 5, 2016
Hope is a fragile thread.
Imprisoned for over four-hundred years, the Arneisian people tenuously held onto that thread. Generations were born and generations died. Sons were Chosen and given to the sorcerers who imposed the chains of slavery on their people, hoping the one foretold would Return to lead them from their prison. The thread of hope is tested as a new group of boys is Chosen. Their secrets will free the Arneisians or break that thread forever.
The survival of a magical forest is in the hands of a young brother and sister. A father refuses to accept their destiny, and fights to protect them from the dark creatures who hunt them. A husband and wife only hope to reunite as he leads an army while she attempts to uncover spies for her king. Their futures, as well as the fate of kingdoms, hang in the balance as a boy fights to fulfill his destiny amid the gathering storms of war.
Imprisoned for over four-hundred years, the Arneisian people tenuously held onto that thread. Generations were born and generations died. Sons were Chosen and given to the sorcerers who imposed the chains of slavery on their people, hoping the one foretold would Return to lead them from their prison. The thread of hope is tested as a new group of boys is Chosen. Their secrets will free the Arneisians or break that thread forever.
The survival of a magical forest is in the hands of a young brother and sister. A father refuses to accept their destiny, and fights to protect them from the dark creatures who hunt them. A husband and wife only hope to reunite as he leads an army while she attempts to uncover spies for her king. Their futures, as well as the fate of kingdoms, hang in the balance as a boy fights to fulfill his destiny amid the gathering storms of war.
September 1, 2017
-I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Chosen of Trees and of Talons, by Jeff Pryor, is an epic fantasy about standing up for the truth, even if enemies watch your from the shadows.
The book is separated into two parts. The first part introduces Daeron, a boy who is revealed to be the true king of the Arneisians. After being chosen in a ceremony that places him directly under the scrutiny of The Ones, a group of elites that have enslaved the Arneisians, he must determine who he can trust, all the while clinging to remnants of a forgotten promise made generations before. The second part deals with the beginnings of a rebellion, entwining various threads of destiny together, if only to greet the true king. Pryor weaves an enchanting tale about friendship, faith, and hope, as the people of Arneisia await for their king to liberate them.
I loved reading about the relationships that Daeron and the boys have formed. Immediately there is distrust in the group when they first arrive, and with Alhearn already being singled out as a “rat”, it seemed to me that Alhearn would betray the group. Denton seemed so adamant that Alhearn can’t be trusted, despite the fact that The Ones have probed all their minds, although I can empathize with his thinking. As for The Ones themselves, it was interesting to see the schism taking hold of them. Delthar was perhaps the most paranoid, and wouldn’t even fathom a future with him not being the leader of The Ones. From not killing a potential threat and locking him in the basement, to training a War Mage, to even considering killing all the Chosen, it was as if I was watching the fear inside of him taking root. I loved Melpharious, but there was only so much he can do against Delthar. I can’t help but think that if there was a way to settle things peacefully, it would’ve been through him.
Something I’ve been quite taken with when I picked up this book was the Eldara Tree. There were special individuals in the book that could talk with these trees, and these characteristics were one of the prominent reasons why people were able to stave off The Ones and The Darkness for so long. Throughout literature, trees represented life and stability, peace even. We teach children about the environment and its importance to humanity, so I enjoyed reading about how these trees protect us in return. I loved the Chosens' interactions with the tree, and how, in Bregan’s presence, the other Chosen were able to see glimpses of the truth. The way Jonni and his family treat these trees is something to be said, treating them as friends rather than mere obstructions on the ground. Another interesting thing to note was the Gor; unlike what Daeron faces, these monsters are real, horrific, and something that Jonni and his family have had to fight against. It was like I was reading a war on two fronts, with each character showing their heroism in their own way.
Because of this, I would give this book a rating of a 4.7 out of 5 stars. The characters and parallels were well written. What’s more, the Eldara Tree was the very thing that tied this book together, showing how shared destinies could lead to an even greater fate. I would thus recommend this book to those who enjoy The Arena by D. Michael Withrow and Seeds of Hatred by Christian Nadeau.
Chosen of Trees and of Talons, by Jeff Pryor, is an epic fantasy about standing up for the truth, even if enemies watch your from the shadows.
The book is separated into two parts. The first part introduces Daeron, a boy who is revealed to be the true king of the Arneisians. After being chosen in a ceremony that places him directly under the scrutiny of The Ones, a group of elites that have enslaved the Arneisians, he must determine who he can trust, all the while clinging to remnants of a forgotten promise made generations before. The second part deals with the beginnings of a rebellion, entwining various threads of destiny together, if only to greet the true king. Pryor weaves an enchanting tale about friendship, faith, and hope, as the people of Arneisia await for their king to liberate them.
I loved reading about the relationships that Daeron and the boys have formed. Immediately there is distrust in the group when they first arrive, and with Alhearn already being singled out as a “rat”, it seemed to me that Alhearn would betray the group. Denton seemed so adamant that Alhearn can’t be trusted, despite the fact that The Ones have probed all their minds, although I can empathize with his thinking. As for The Ones themselves, it was interesting to see the schism taking hold of them. Delthar was perhaps the most paranoid, and wouldn’t even fathom a future with him not being the leader of The Ones. From not killing a potential threat and locking him in the basement, to training a War Mage, to even considering killing all the Chosen, it was as if I was watching the fear inside of him taking root. I loved Melpharious, but there was only so much he can do against Delthar. I can’t help but think that if there was a way to settle things peacefully, it would’ve been through him.
Something I’ve been quite taken with when I picked up this book was the Eldara Tree. There were special individuals in the book that could talk with these trees, and these characteristics were one of the prominent reasons why people were able to stave off The Ones and The Darkness for so long. Throughout literature, trees represented life and stability, peace even. We teach children about the environment and its importance to humanity, so I enjoyed reading about how these trees protect us in return. I loved the Chosens' interactions with the tree, and how, in Bregan’s presence, the other Chosen were able to see glimpses of the truth. The way Jonni and his family treat these trees is something to be said, treating them as friends rather than mere obstructions on the ground. Another interesting thing to note was the Gor; unlike what Daeron faces, these monsters are real, horrific, and something that Jonni and his family have had to fight against. It was like I was reading a war on two fronts, with each character showing their heroism in their own way.
Because of this, I would give this book a rating of a 4.7 out of 5 stars. The characters and parallels were well written. What’s more, the Eldara Tree was the very thing that tied this book together, showing how shared destinies could lead to an even greater fate. I would thus recommend this book to those who enjoy The Arena by D. Michael Withrow and Seeds of Hatred by Christian Nadeau.
September 26, 2017
I got a copy of this from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This was a very different read. I am not sure about what to think about it but what I can say with absolute certainty is that I really enjoyed it.
The story is told through the eyes of a whole bunch of characters, and you never spend a lot of time with just one of them. This makes for an interesting read and you get to know all of them on a deeper level, but it also makes it a bit confusing. However, I did get used to it after a while and you always place the character after at least a few paragraphs. I should note that I am bad with names in real life as well, for me it is a lot easier to remember what happens to a character than their name.
In the story we mainly follow a group of Arneisian boys who are chosen by the Ones in a very Hunger Games inspired moment (they are not chosen on random though, and you cannot volunteer). Those chosen are taken from the village and never seen again. Keeping up with them is a bit confusing, since we get to see the story play out from the point of view of all the characters, but I loved getting to know all of them.
We also follow a family living in a forest. There's a lot of secrets and things that has to be told at the right time surrounding them that will keep you intrigued. The forest itself probably sits on a lot of secrets that you only get a glimpse of in this book. It is very Fangorn (Lord of the Rings) inspired, but I like that there are differences.
The final big story we follow is Twilla and her husband's. Living outside of the control of the Ones they know the Truth and have heard the prophesies of what's to come. Through them we also get a glimpse of what is going on and how much is on the line.
This first book creates a good starting point for a story that will just become more and more epic throughout the series. It has a very different writing style, jumping between characters all the time, and moves forward quickly. Definitely good if you want to mix up the classical fantasy writing style and go for something that tells you what's going on and doesn't dwell on things.
This was a very different read. I am not sure about what to think about it but what I can say with absolute certainty is that I really enjoyed it.
The story is told through the eyes of a whole bunch of characters, and you never spend a lot of time with just one of them. This makes for an interesting read and you get to know all of them on a deeper level, but it also makes it a bit confusing. However, I did get used to it after a while and you always place the character after at least a few paragraphs. I should note that I am bad with names in real life as well, for me it is a lot easier to remember what happens to a character than their name.
In the story we mainly follow a group of Arneisian boys who are chosen by the Ones in a very Hunger Games inspired moment (they are not chosen on random though, and you cannot volunteer). Those chosen are taken from the village and never seen again. Keeping up with them is a bit confusing, since we get to see the story play out from the point of view of all the characters, but I loved getting to know all of them.
We also follow a family living in a forest. There's a lot of secrets and things that has to be told at the right time surrounding them that will keep you intrigued. The forest itself probably sits on a lot of secrets that you only get a glimpse of in this book. It is very Fangorn (Lord of the Rings) inspired, but I like that there are differences.
The final big story we follow is Twilla and her husband's. Living outside of the control of the Ones they know the Truth and have heard the prophesies of what's to come. Through them we also get a glimpse of what is going on and how much is on the line.
This first book creates a good starting point for a story that will just become more and more epic throughout the series. It has a very different writing style, jumping between characters all the time, and moves forward quickly. Definitely good if you want to mix up the classical fantasy writing style and go for something that tells you what's going on and doesn't dwell on things.
February 3, 2019
Chosen of Trees and Talons is the story of... a lot of different characters, and there is a prophecy of a chosen one who is the descendant of of king of people who were enslaved by The Ones, because, reasons. Something about truthseers, and darkness. Then there is a war, and people who live in a forest of enchanted trees (Ents or whatever). But at least the mythology of the enchanted Eldara trees was cool, so there's that.
I am going to start off with the #1 issue I had with Chosen of Trees and Talons: The absolute fuster cluck of POV shifts. To give an idea, I tallied up all of the POV shifts from the first 8 chapters, so through page 107. I counted 57 POV changes across 16 different characters. I can't stress enough how not good that is for so many reasons. As the book went on, any time a new character came in that wasn't part of the core handful, my exact response was "Who the fuck are you?" And other times the POV would change and I had the reaction of "Why is this important?" For example . Even two sentient trees and the dog, THE. DOG. had their own completely useless POV (twice). You spend almost no time getting to know the real important characters, which I am guessing are Daeron and Jonni.
Issue #2: When Jonni's family was introduced, it was already 45 pages into the book and had a completely different feel and atmosphere, after spending so much time with Daeron and co, and the mystery of The Ones. Gonna be honest here, I was confused as hell. I honest to God thought I was somehow reading a completely different book. Like some printing error happened and I got that copy. And then it kept going introducing the members of Jonni's family, and left me so confused. After so many pointless POVs, I wondered if I should even care who those people were. I had to flip forward in the book to make sure that 1. Daeron and co. were still there and I did not in fact have a bad copy, and 2. that our little forest family would return and therefore be relevant.
Issue #3: Telling instead of showing, and lots of it. Don't tell me they partitioned their minds for safety: show me the meditation. Don't tell me the Kei'rei: show me the yoga poses (going off of conjecture here) Don't tell me Daeron was angry: he seethed, he shouted, he slammed his fist on his desk! Don't tell me they learned magic spells: show me them practicing on rats, each other, whatever! Anything!
I could go on, but I am going to stop it there, because I think my point has been made that this book has a lot of problems. You know what I really wish I read? A story that alternated through ONLY the perspectives of Daeron and Jonni. They seem to be the two most important characters in the story thus far.
I am giving this two stars. It had so much potential to be great, but fell completely flat in the execution. The story was a total slog, but at least I finished it, which is largely what keeps this from being a one star review. :/
I am going to start off with the #1 issue I had with Chosen of Trees and Talons: The absolute fuster cluck of POV shifts. To give an idea, I tallied up all of the POV shifts from the first 8 chapters, so through page 107. I counted 57 POV changes across 16 different characters. I can't stress enough how not good that is for so many reasons. As the book went on, any time a new character came in that wasn't part of the core handful, my exact response was "Who the fuck are you?" And other times the POV would change and I had the reaction of "Why is this important?" For example . Even two sentient trees and the dog, THE. DOG. had their own completely useless POV (twice). You spend almost no time getting to know the real important characters, which I am guessing are Daeron and Jonni.
Issue #2: When Jonni's family was introduced, it was already 45 pages into the book and had a completely different feel and atmosphere, after spending so much time with Daeron and co, and the mystery of The Ones. Gonna be honest here, I was confused as hell. I honest to God thought I was somehow reading a completely different book. Like some printing error happened and I got that copy. And then it kept going introducing the members of Jonni's family, and left me so confused. After so many pointless POVs, I wondered if I should even care who those people were. I had to flip forward in the book to make sure that 1. Daeron and co. were still there and I did not in fact have a bad copy, and 2. that our little forest family would return and therefore be relevant.
Issue #3: Telling instead of showing, and lots of it. Don't tell me they partitioned their minds for safety: show me the meditation. Don't tell me the Kei'rei: show me the yoga poses (going off of conjecture here) Don't tell me Daeron was angry: he seethed, he shouted, he slammed his fist on his desk! Don't tell me they learned magic spells: show me them practicing on rats, each other, whatever! Anything!
I could go on, but I am going to stop it there, because I think my point has been made that this book has a lot of problems. You know what I really wish I read? A story that alternated through ONLY the perspectives of Daeron and Jonni. They seem to be the two most important characters in the story thus far.
I am giving this two stars. It had so much potential to be great, but fell completely flat in the execution. The story was a total slog, but at least I finished it, which is largely what keeps this from being a one star review. :/
February 14, 2017
This is a great fantasy book if you are looking for something a little outside the box. I really enjoyed reading this and would recommend it to anybody who enjoys fantasy/adventure books.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews