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Quest of the Messenger #1
Paths of the Shadow
This is an updated cover edition of B012T2EX9A.
Meet Nicholas Swift, a determined bachelor and a skeptical historian. His work is made of dispelling myths and shedding light on the solid body of fact. When he is told by the residents of a small village about a strange phenomenon that can be observed in the area, he dismisses these rumors as old wives' tales. Sooner than he knows, however, he is drawn into an adventure he neither expected nor wished for as he discovers a magical link between our world and another quite unlike it.
Nicholas finds himself in a land full of loyalty and courage, but also blood thirst and danger. He meets a king who yearns for an heir, a man who hides a dark secret, and a woman who believes she has what it takes to keep her beloved land safe, but threatens countless lives in the process. In the midst of it all, Nicholas is left to figure out the purpose of his unique fate.
Meet Nicholas Swift, a determined bachelor and a skeptical historian. His work is made of dispelling myths and shedding light on the solid body of fact. When he is told by the residents of a small village about a strange phenomenon that can be observed in the area, he dismisses these rumors as old wives' tales. Sooner than he knows, however, he is drawn into an adventure he neither expected nor wished for as he discovers a magical link between our world and another quite unlike it.
Nicholas finds himself in a land full of loyalty and courage, but also blood thirst and danger. He meets a king who yearns for an heir, a man who hides a dark secret, and a woman who believes she has what it takes to keep her beloved land safe, but threatens countless lives in the process. In the midst of it all, Nicholas is left to figure out the purpose of his unique fate.
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First published July 27, 2015
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29 people want to read
About the author
Hannah Ross
34 books57 followersHannah Ross wrote her first story at the age of six and hasn’t stopped since. Wishing to have a steady profession, she trained as a nutritionist, but the writing bug was too strong and Hannah continued to write fiction in the form of short stories, novels, poetry and plays, as well as many non-fiction essays and articles.
Hannah enjoys a quiet life in the country with her husband, four children, two cats and a flock of chickens.
Hannah enjoys a quiet life in the country with her husband, four children, two cats and a flock of chickens.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 26, 2016
Dr. Nicholas “Nick” Swift (38) & Catherine Nuland (Dr. Swift's research assistant), along with Mr. Jim O'Keeffe (reporter, The Oyster) set out to find the Stone Circle.
The Aldon-Sur (learning, Stormstone, our world/the-World-Beyond) adventure begins with meeting of King Alvadon IX (United Tilir clan) & Queen Maviel (17, Princess, Adrinor).
It seems Lya Tionae has the hots for Commander Thadorn Tionae (son, Sea Guard, Rhasket-Tharsanae).
Jadine “Jada” (Kelena’s sister, maid) did not see it that way.
Later she had another child a baby girl Datrine. Korian is the father.
Commander Dankar Gindur (father) seems to be a very dangerous man.
Kelena (Jadine’s sister, Aunt), & Dankar seem to have something going on.
Who are the Children of the Wood, Water & Wind?
Officer Rogell (cousin/BMF) is Thadorn’s 2nd. In Command.
The warlocks are gathering near the Emerald Mountains.
Queen Thasiella has reigned for many yrs.
Thadorn's troops came through the Rhasket-Tharsanae gates where they were warmly greeted by a large crowd.
Andrew took a secretarial job for a accounting co. in London, Engalnd.
What was going on with Dr. Swift & Catherine Nuland?
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A fairly well written fantasy book. It wasn’t always very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish, but never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great fantasy movie, animated cartoon, or better yet a mini TV series. It was just OK, not sure I grasped how the story was pieced together so I will rate it at 3/5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; Making Connections; Author; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
The Aldon-Sur (learning, Stormstone, our world/the-World-Beyond) adventure begins with meeting of King Alvadon IX (United Tilir clan) & Queen Maviel (17, Princess, Adrinor).
It seems Lya Tionae has the hots for Commander Thadorn Tionae (son, Sea Guard, Rhasket-Tharsanae).
Jadine “Jada” (Kelena’s sister, maid) did not see it that way.
Later she had another child a baby girl Datrine. Korian is the father.
Commander Dankar Gindur (father) seems to be a very dangerous man.
Kelena (Jadine’s sister, Aunt), & Dankar seem to have something going on.
Who are the Children of the Wood, Water & Wind?
Officer Rogell (cousin/BMF) is Thadorn’s 2nd. In Command.
The warlocks are gathering near the Emerald Mountains.
Queen Thasiella has reigned for many yrs.
Thadorn's troops came through the Rhasket-Tharsanae gates where they were warmly greeted by a large crowd.
Andrew took a secretarial job for a accounting co. in London, Engalnd.
What was going on with Dr. Swift & Catherine Nuland?
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A fairly well written fantasy book. It wasn’t always very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish, but never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great fantasy movie, animated cartoon, or better yet a mini TV series. It was just OK, not sure I grasped how the story was pieced together so I will rate it at 3/5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; Making Connections; Author; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
June 14, 2018
3.8 stars.
I might have given this a solid 4 stars, but unfortunately, I did find some problems with the writing. I don't say this to discourage readers or the writer herself (whom I am acquainted with), but because it's my policy to be honest.
That said, I do have a lot of good to say about this novel as well, so I will make a point to break these into "Pros and cons" columns.
Pros:
-Engaging, complex characters that changed--for better or worse--over the course of the story. Some of these characters were easy to like and empathize with, such as Kelena, Thadorn, even Dankar, as things progressed. Others, namely Jadine, I did not like, for reasons I will not spoil in this review. That said, even if I didn't like her, I still thought she was well-written.
-Likewise, the plot was well done. For a story that featured so many characters, the author did an excellent job with characterization, and with making the characters' myriad situations easy to become emotionally invested in. This was gradually done, and done with meticulous care, I feel.
-Environment/World-building was excellent. Information relative to the world, its people, political and social structures, etc. was slowly sprinkled throughout, so that at no time was it overwhelming or confusing. Just the right amount of information was received when it was necessary, making for a much more satisfying, authentic experience.
-The prose itself, for the most part, was very beautifully done, highly imaginative, and kept each of my senses engaged.
Cons:
-Tense shifts: this was a frequent problem, and namely the reason I wouldn't have felt honest giving the book a full 4 stars. The story was supposed to flow in past-tense, but frequently slipped into present-tense. I found it jarring every time it came up, and thus, it somewhat dampened my enjoyment of the story.
-The occasional grammatical/spelling error. Mainly the former, but as both were fairly seldom, I wasn't much bothered by it; it just made me think (as did the tense shift problem) that the book perhaps should have undergone one last thorough edit to rid it of these issues.
-Scene changes that weren't marked. Later on, I came to notice the scene changes (or at least some of them, more toward the latter half of the book) would be marked with ellipses at the start of a paragraph. Once I noted this, it made it easier. However, for all the times that this wasn't the case, and the simple fact that an asterisk would have been better suited, I did count this as a con.
Overall, I found Paths of the Shadow engaging, and fully plan to read its sequels in the foreseeable future.
I might have given this a solid 4 stars, but unfortunately, I did find some problems with the writing. I don't say this to discourage readers or the writer herself (whom I am acquainted with), but because it's my policy to be honest.
That said, I do have a lot of good to say about this novel as well, so I will make a point to break these into "Pros and cons" columns.
Pros:
-Engaging, complex characters that changed--for better or worse--over the course of the story. Some of these characters were easy to like and empathize with, such as Kelena, Thadorn, even Dankar, as things progressed. Others, namely Jadine, I did not like, for reasons I will not spoil in this review. That said, even if I didn't like her, I still thought she was well-written.
-Likewise, the plot was well done. For a story that featured so many characters, the author did an excellent job with characterization, and with making the characters' myriad situations easy to become emotionally invested in. This was gradually done, and done with meticulous care, I feel.
-Environment/World-building was excellent. Information relative to the world, its people, political and social structures, etc. was slowly sprinkled throughout, so that at no time was it overwhelming or confusing. Just the right amount of information was received when it was necessary, making for a much more satisfying, authentic experience.
-The prose itself, for the most part, was very beautifully done, highly imaginative, and kept each of my senses engaged.
Cons:
-Tense shifts: this was a frequent problem, and namely the reason I wouldn't have felt honest giving the book a full 4 stars. The story was supposed to flow in past-tense, but frequently slipped into present-tense. I found it jarring every time it came up, and thus, it somewhat dampened my enjoyment of the story.
-The occasional grammatical/spelling error. Mainly the former, but as both were fairly seldom, I wasn't much bothered by it; it just made me think (as did the tense shift problem) that the book perhaps should have undergone one last thorough edit to rid it of these issues.
-Scene changes that weren't marked. Later on, I came to notice the scene changes (or at least some of them, more toward the latter half of the book) would be marked with ellipses at the start of a paragraph. Once I noted this, it made it easier. However, for all the times that this wasn't the case, and the simple fact that an asterisk would have been better suited, I did count this as a con.
Overall, I found Paths of the Shadow engaging, and fully plan to read its sequels in the foreseeable future.
December 3, 2016
(I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.)
BLURB
Meet Nicholas Swift, a determined bachelor and a skeptical historian. His work is made of dispelling myths and shedding light on the solid body of fact. When he is told by the residents of a small village about a strange phenomenon that can be observed in the area, he dismisses these rumors as old wives' tales. Sooner than he knows, however, he is drawn into an adventure he neither expected nor wished for as he discovers a magical link between our world and another quite unlike it.
Nicholas finds himself in a land full of loyalty and courage, but also blood thirst and danger. He meets a king who yearns for an heir, a man who hides a dark secret, and a woman who believes she has what it takes to keep her beloved land safe, but threatens countless lives in the process. In the midst of it all, Nicholas is left to figure out the purpose of his unique fate.
CHARACTERS
I think the characters were well drawn. Each character was well described and they developed as the story went on. Most of the twists in the story are brought about by the characteristics of each person in the story. Though the number of characters is a little high, it was easy to keep track of them all and see them as individuals for each has a unique personality that defines them so beautifully. Towards the end it is nice to see the characters come to terms with the happenings around them and how they don't expect everything to be all packed and wrapped up in a bow.
PLOT
The idea of another world existing which can be accessed by the people of our world is a common plot device but Hannah Ross has brought an uniqueness to it. I liked how the world she has created is so realistic and believable. The world isn't perfect and things don't always work as they should. It is a world we can connect and empathize with and that makes up the heart of the plot. The subplots add substance to the overall story and makes it more intriguing.
WRITING
This is the part that made me knock off two stars. There were places where the setting changed so quickly it was disorienting. A think even a couple of asterisks between the paragraphs would have been enough to help the reader understand.
A understand why some books have lengthy prose. I like lengthy prose. But I don't like them where they are not needed. This is only my opinion, but i had a feeling that there was quite a bit of extra information that readers can do without.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK
-The three dimensional characters
-The unique take on a common plot device
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK
-The quick switching of settings
-The lengthy prose at some places
CONCLUSION
The plot has a lot of potential and the story is well crafted and my only complaint is with the writing style. Hannah Ross knows how to make a number of subplots work without them overwhelming the story.
BLURB
Meet Nicholas Swift, a determined bachelor and a skeptical historian. His work is made of dispelling myths and shedding light on the solid body of fact. When he is told by the residents of a small village about a strange phenomenon that can be observed in the area, he dismisses these rumors as old wives' tales. Sooner than he knows, however, he is drawn into an adventure he neither expected nor wished for as he discovers a magical link between our world and another quite unlike it.
Nicholas finds himself in a land full of loyalty and courage, but also blood thirst and danger. He meets a king who yearns for an heir, a man who hides a dark secret, and a woman who believes she has what it takes to keep her beloved land safe, but threatens countless lives in the process. In the midst of it all, Nicholas is left to figure out the purpose of his unique fate.
CHARACTERS
I think the characters were well drawn. Each character was well described and they developed as the story went on. Most of the twists in the story are brought about by the characteristics of each person in the story. Though the number of characters is a little high, it was easy to keep track of them all and see them as individuals for each has a unique personality that defines them so beautifully. Towards the end it is nice to see the characters come to terms with the happenings around them and how they don't expect everything to be all packed and wrapped up in a bow.
PLOT
The idea of another world existing which can be accessed by the people of our world is a common plot device but Hannah Ross has brought an uniqueness to it. I liked how the world she has created is so realistic and believable. The world isn't perfect and things don't always work as they should. It is a world we can connect and empathize with and that makes up the heart of the plot. The subplots add substance to the overall story and makes it more intriguing.
WRITING
This is the part that made me knock off two stars. There were places where the setting changed so quickly it was disorienting. A think even a couple of asterisks between the paragraphs would have been enough to help the reader understand.
A understand why some books have lengthy prose. I like lengthy prose. But I don't like them where they are not needed. This is only my opinion, but i had a feeling that there was quite a bit of extra information that readers can do without.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK
-The three dimensional characters
-The unique take on a common plot device
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK
-The quick switching of settings
-The lengthy prose at some places
CONCLUSION
The plot has a lot of potential and the story is well crafted and my only complaint is with the writing style. Hannah Ross knows how to make a number of subplots work without them overwhelming the story.
November 8, 2016
When Dr. Nicholas Swift meets the daughter of his high school sweetheart at a reunion he'd planned to avoid, he didn't expect that she would end up working for him, or that their collaboration would find him visiting the Stone Circle with a tabloid journalist. He certainly didn't expect to end up travelling the Stormglass gates to a different world to take his place at the centre of a key event that would define their civilisation. Cataclysmic events have a tendency to change people, and Dr. Swift isn't the only one to find that sometimes, you have to face losing your life to understand what's most important to you...
Paths of the Shadow is one of those books that rewards a little patience. While the first few pages come across as incredibly mundane, as Dr. Swift is prodded into attending a pointless social event, the book quickly gathers steam and colour, weaving together a complex set of characters and story arcs that focus on love, loss, and change. Author Hannah Ross uses a unique, archaic style of writing well-suited to the main setting of the story, and her characters are for the most part well-rounded and plausible. Once the story gets fully underway, the plot is well-paced and well-written, and is most definitely worth the read for fans of epic fantasy.
I received a copy of this book from the author.
Paths of the Shadow is one of those books that rewards a little patience. While the first few pages come across as incredibly mundane, as Dr. Swift is prodded into attending a pointless social event, the book quickly gathers steam and colour, weaving together a complex set of characters and story arcs that focus on love, loss, and change. Author Hannah Ross uses a unique, archaic style of writing well-suited to the main setting of the story, and her characters are for the most part well-rounded and plausible. Once the story gets fully underway, the plot is well-paced and well-written, and is most definitely worth the read for fans of epic fantasy.
I received a copy of this book from the author.
March 30, 2018
Bad me for waiting so long to review this, but I did want to say that I enjoyed this book. I had a good description of this book when I read it, but it escapes me at the moment. If I remember, I'll be sure to change my review! I do remember being drawn into the world, and that I enjoyed the characters. Detailed and thoughtful, it was a solid read. Thanks, Hannah!
December 5, 2016
If you love fantasy authors like Tolkien, G.R.R. Martin, J.K. Rowling with a touch of classic 19th century literature you won't be disappointed by this novel.
The parallel universe in which Tilir (that vaguely reminds of Medieval Europe with Middle-Eastern hints), the city where the story takes place, is vividly described in a way that makes the reader feel immediately familiar with its uses and its clans, with a great attention to details and settings. The characters are complex and, contrarily to a popular fantasy trope, can't be divided into good and evil: each point of view is convincingly explained and each main character is trying to do what's right, even if sometimes this has disastrous consequences.
The plot is fast-paced and adventurous, but it leaves room to focus on the characters' personalities and feelings: in my opinion the most compelling storylines are those of Jadine and Kelena, two sisters with very different personalities that find themselves facing opposite challenges and fates.
Love, honor, betrayal, magic, fights for power and for survival captivate the reader from the first to the last page.
Definitely recommended!!!
The parallel universe in which Tilir (that vaguely reminds of Medieval Europe with Middle-Eastern hints), the city where the story takes place, is vividly described in a way that makes the reader feel immediately familiar with its uses and its clans, with a great attention to details and settings. The characters are complex and, contrarily to a popular fantasy trope, can't be divided into good and evil: each point of view is convincingly explained and each main character is trying to do what's right, even if sometimes this has disastrous consequences.
The plot is fast-paced and adventurous, but it leaves room to focus on the characters' personalities and feelings: in my opinion the most compelling storylines are those of Jadine and Kelena, two sisters with very different personalities that find themselves facing opposite challenges and fates.
Love, honor, betrayal, magic, fights for power and for survival captivate the reader from the first to the last page.
Definitely recommended!!!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews