What do you think?
Rate this book
The Keystone Bone Trilogy #1
Desolation
Eons have shrouded the giant dragon in legend. Ancient myths soon become terrifyingly real…Aea is an outsider. At age six the clan executed her father and when her mother and sister disappeared, Aea’s life spiraled into chaos.
Suddenly staggering out of the woods, broken by the deadly disease the Field Blight, her mother lays a desperate choice on Aea. To leave the protective forest realm and save her sister from mortal danger.
In a race against time, Aea puts the noose of the Field Blight around not only her own neck, but also that of her unborn child.
Before long, Aea discovers that the world of Erisdün is nothing like she imagined. Surviving the Field Blight might be the least of her concerns, as the great dragon dispatches his army to retrieve the Keystone Bone.
The bone of a God is the only component that will prevent the Arch Demon from breaking free. Powers as old as time itself are about to set the world on fire.
Desolation is an epic fantasy.
If you like a fast-paced read with dragons and demons, then you will love Desolation.
Delve into the exciting adventure today.
This is the first book in the Keystone Bone trilogy.(Must be read in order)
Suddenly staggering out of the woods, broken by the deadly disease the Field Blight, her mother lays a desperate choice on Aea. To leave the protective forest realm and save her sister from mortal danger.
In a race against time, Aea puts the noose of the Field Blight around not only her own neck, but also that of her unborn child.
Before long, Aea discovers that the world of Erisdün is nothing like she imagined. Surviving the Field Blight might be the least of her concerns, as the great dragon dispatches his army to retrieve the Keystone Bone.
The bone of a God is the only component that will prevent the Arch Demon from breaking free. Powers as old as time itself are about to set the world on fire.
Desolation is an epic fantasy.
If you like a fast-paced read with dragons and demons, then you will love Desolation.
Delve into the exciting adventure today.
This is the first book in the Keystone Bone trilogy.(Must be read in order)
- GenresFantasyEpic Fantasy
348 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 13, 2016
181 people are currently reading
273 people want to read
About the author
Jesper Schmidt
14 books23 followersJesper Schmidt is a bestselling fantasy author who also dabbles in non-fiction.
If you need help with writing, publishing and marketing, Jesper can be found at www.amwritingfantasy.com.
He also invites you to join the world of Ylécium, an immersive experience, full of engaging fantasy stories. Visit www.amreadingfantasy.com.
There was a time where the art of writing was something that lived a quiet life, in the back of his mind. A dormant desire and, like so many of our dreams, it was placed on a list of things to do later. That’s, luckily, all in the past.
Nowadays, Jesper write stories about underwater dragons, vampires, awesome spellcasters, and dark Gods attempting to gain a foothold in the material realm of Ylécium.
If you haven’t had enough of this bio yet, here’s more: As of this writing, Jesper is 42 years old. He lives in Denmark with his wife and two sons. Denmark is that small spot of land, just North of Germany and East of United Kingdom. It’s the place where the population refuses to believe that the few can’t leave a mark on the world. Perhaps it’s the Viking heritage, but if the Hobbits could save everyone, so can the rest of us. Denmark might be an insignificant country in the eyes of Sauron, but at Mount Doom the truth will be revealed.
Jesper loves fantasy, worldbuilding – especially maps – and storytelling.
Come say hello on Facebook: http://bit.ly/28NJQXO
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SchmidtJesper
Podcast: http://bit.ly/2GXfbIr (just search for “Am Writing Fantasy” in your podcast app)
YouTube: http://bit.ly/1WIwIVC
If you need help with writing, publishing and marketing, Jesper can be found at www.amwritingfantasy.com.
He also invites you to join the world of Ylécium, an immersive experience, full of engaging fantasy stories. Visit www.amreadingfantasy.com.
There was a time where the art of writing was something that lived a quiet life, in the back of his mind. A dormant desire and, like so many of our dreams, it was placed on a list of things to do later. That’s, luckily, all in the past.
Nowadays, Jesper write stories about underwater dragons, vampires, awesome spellcasters, and dark Gods attempting to gain a foothold in the material realm of Ylécium.
If you haven’t had enough of this bio yet, here’s more: As of this writing, Jesper is 42 years old. He lives in Denmark with his wife and two sons. Denmark is that small spot of land, just North of Germany and East of United Kingdom. It’s the place where the population refuses to believe that the few can’t leave a mark on the world. Perhaps it’s the Viking heritage, but if the Hobbits could save everyone, so can the rest of us. Denmark might be an insignificant country in the eyes of Sauron, but at Mount Doom the truth will be revealed.
Jesper loves fantasy, worldbuilding – especially maps – and storytelling.
Come say hello on Facebook: http://bit.ly/28NJQXO
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SchmidtJesper
Podcast: http://bit.ly/2GXfbIr (just search for “Am Writing Fantasy” in your podcast app)
YouTube: http://bit.ly/1WIwIVC
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 17, 2018
I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I have no to Jasper Schmidt.
I enjoy this book. Jasper definitely has a talent for dramatic writing and squeezing as much tension and suspense into a chapter as possible. Even if there is not that much action on that chapter I still could not flick the pages fast enough.
Life has been hard Aea and the Durian people in general. Their green blood, connection to the forests and the inability to travel across the lands without succumbing to a deadly illness. This both persecuted and overlooked by many. Now they find out many of their legends might be real with devastating results for Aea personally. Also these legends have their own boogiemen.
A very good setup story. Now with most of the characters in place and war looming I really hope the next book is more action packed. Jasper is not shy about killing off main characters. So that safety net is well and truly gone.
I enjoy this book. Jasper definitely has a talent for dramatic writing and squeezing as much tension and suspense into a chapter as possible. Even if there is not that much action on that chapter I still could not flick the pages fast enough.
Life has been hard Aea and the Durian people in general. Their green blood, connection to the forests and the inability to travel across the lands without succumbing to a deadly illness. This both persecuted and overlooked by many. Now they find out many of their legends might be real with devastating results for Aea personally. Also these legends have their own boogiemen.
A very good setup story. Now with most of the characters in place and war looming I really hope the next book is more action packed. Jasper is not shy about killing off main characters. So that safety net is well and truly gone.
January 1, 2019
First, let me start off by saying that the author has a wonderful imagination and ability to describe a rich and immersive setting. His world-building was phenomenal and it was easy to get drawn in.
The good:
I loved the Duian, and the other sentient creatures that inhabit this world. They were not just your stock fantasy creatures—elves, dwarves, and humans—but instead there were creatures of great variety and physical/mental/spiritual qualities. I enjoyed learning about the nations, the habitations, and the peoples of this world immensely. That aspect of this book was incredibly satisfying.
The Duian, in particular, appealed to me. Forest dwellers, they not only have a deep love and spiritual connection to nature, but become sick and even die if they stray too far from their forest home. Two of the main characters, Aea and Ayida, are of the Duian species.
Ayida was my favorite character. She was intriguing and although her misguided actions often advanced the plot in a negative way, I found myself rooting for her and caring about what happened to her. The hints of a potential future romance with a human were sweet and in good taste as well.
Even “the bad guys,” a dragon, Kral, Trog, and Lizoors, were interesting, and not so “black and white” as to be immediately dismissed. The dragon’s and the Kral’s sense of honor, for example, were interesting, as was their mission to stop the escape of an imprisoned arch demon (while at the same time ordering the Trog and Lizoors to launch bloody raids on human settlements). I liked the nuanced morality found in these creatures.
Aside from demons and a very dangerous and conniving demon servant, Troxal, mention was made of gods and goddesses, which were confirmed as real and made brief appearances in written historical/mythological references as well as a character’s dream/hallucination.
So, setting, I give this book 5 stars. It’s got amazing potential, and I’m a sucker for world maps and this book has one to aid the reader.
The bad:
To my consternation, I found the characters difficult to relate to, and their motivations/actions at times bewildering. There were definitely times when Aea and Ayida did things that I just thought were foolish or completely irrational, or that served to move the plot forward but at the expense of staying true to their characters.
Aea suffered too much. I can tolerate a fair amount of tragedy in a character’s life, especially if it serves to drive his/her personal growth, but some of the tragedies that befell Aea just felt mean spirited and unnecessary. I actually feel the author owes her an apology. At times the reader was teased by tragedies avoided, only to have them come to pass later. I didn’t find that to be dramatic tension building—I found it to be frustrating and exhausting. I actually feel that Aea would’ve had a much easier time of it had she been a character in George R. R. Martin’s Westeros, and that’s saying a lot. Again, it’s OK for bad things to happen to good people in a story—that’s the way of the real world after all—but a good degree of Aea’s misfortunes felt completely unnecessary and frankly just plain mean. I didn’t see her suffering as driving the plot forward or helping her grow as a character. It just made me mad.
Especially in the first half of the book, before characters’ stories began converging, I felt the chapters jumped around from character to character too much. It became tempting to skip ahead to follow along with one particular character’s saga and skip the “interruptions.” Again, I get the world building, but the point of view jumped between characters too frequently at times.
Ultimately, I felt that the setting and world building were fantastic, but the characters were hard to relate to and acted either too predictably or completely unpredictably. I didn’t feel like they had enough internal consistency to their actions and thinking. Ayida was perhaps the only exception, with an interesting conflict between her ambitions and her personal code of ethics. I also felt like this story lacked a satisfying conclusion, leaving much up in the air and settling for a sudden narrow problem while leaving the epic problem completely up in the air. Naturally, it’s a series, and the idea is for the reader to read the next books to follow the epic conflict, but I felt like the ending was a tad artificial and focused more on cutting things off at a certain page count than finding a more organic breaking point.
There were aspects of this book that I really liked, but others that left me deeply conflicted, and that’s why I think I was stuck with the ambivalent review I’m now leaving. If you like epic fantasy, and especially immersive worlds, read it for yourself—you may have a completely different opinion from me!
The good:
I loved the Duian, and the other sentient creatures that inhabit this world. They were not just your stock fantasy creatures—elves, dwarves, and humans—but instead there were creatures of great variety and physical/mental/spiritual qualities. I enjoyed learning about the nations, the habitations, and the peoples of this world immensely. That aspect of this book was incredibly satisfying.
The Duian, in particular, appealed to me. Forest dwellers, they not only have a deep love and spiritual connection to nature, but become sick and even die if they stray too far from their forest home. Two of the main characters, Aea and Ayida, are of the Duian species.
Ayida was my favorite character. She was intriguing and although her misguided actions often advanced the plot in a negative way, I found myself rooting for her and caring about what happened to her. The hints of a potential future romance with a human were sweet and in good taste as well.
Even “the bad guys,” a dragon, Kral, Trog, and Lizoors, were interesting, and not so “black and white” as to be immediately dismissed. The dragon’s and the Kral’s sense of honor, for example, were interesting, as was their mission to stop the escape of an imprisoned arch demon (while at the same time ordering the Trog and Lizoors to launch bloody raids on human settlements). I liked the nuanced morality found in these creatures.
Aside from demons and a very dangerous and conniving demon servant, Troxal, mention was made of gods and goddesses, which were confirmed as real and made brief appearances in written historical/mythological references as well as a character’s dream/hallucination.
So, setting, I give this book 5 stars. It’s got amazing potential, and I’m a sucker for world maps and this book has one to aid the reader.
The bad:
To my consternation, I found the characters difficult to relate to, and their motivations/actions at times bewildering. There were definitely times when Aea and Ayida did things that I just thought were foolish or completely irrational, or that served to move the plot forward but at the expense of staying true to their characters.
Aea suffered too much. I can tolerate a fair amount of tragedy in a character’s life, especially if it serves to drive his/her personal growth, but some of the tragedies that befell Aea just felt mean spirited and unnecessary. I actually feel the author owes her an apology. At times the reader was teased by tragedies avoided, only to have them come to pass later. I didn’t find that to be dramatic tension building—I found it to be frustrating and exhausting. I actually feel that Aea would’ve had a much easier time of it had she been a character in George R. R. Martin’s Westeros, and that’s saying a lot. Again, it’s OK for bad things to happen to good people in a story—that’s the way of the real world after all—but a good degree of Aea’s misfortunes felt completely unnecessary and frankly just plain mean. I didn’t see her suffering as driving the plot forward or helping her grow as a character. It just made me mad.
Especially in the first half of the book, before characters’ stories began converging, I felt the chapters jumped around from character to character too much. It became tempting to skip ahead to follow along with one particular character’s saga and skip the “interruptions.” Again, I get the world building, but the point of view jumped between characters too frequently at times.
Ultimately, I felt that the setting and world building were fantastic, but the characters were hard to relate to and acted either too predictably or completely unpredictably. I didn’t feel like they had enough internal consistency to their actions and thinking. Ayida was perhaps the only exception, with an interesting conflict between her ambitions and her personal code of ethics. I also felt like this story lacked a satisfying conclusion, leaving much up in the air and settling for a sudden narrow problem while leaving the epic problem completely up in the air. Naturally, it’s a series, and the idea is for the reader to read the next books to follow the epic conflict, but I felt like the ending was a tad artificial and focused more on cutting things off at a certain page count than finding a more organic breaking point.
There were aspects of this book that I really liked, but others that left me deeply conflicted, and that’s why I think I was stuck with the ambivalent review I’m now leaving. If you like epic fantasy, and especially immersive worlds, read it for yourself—you may have a completely different opinion from me!
August 28, 2017
*I received this book from the author for an honest review*
In the heart of Erisdun the lives of three different characters intersect amidst eminent wars and lurking dangers.
Aea, having lost all she holds dear must do everything in her power to save her sister, Isota, and herself from the field blight, a deadly disease that attacks those of her kind if they venture too far from their relm unprotected.
Ayida has struggled to become a Sienna of the Magio Order for most her life. When she is expelled from the order, she's is given a chance to redeem herself by accompanying a yellow cast sorceress on a mission to the Phanor Empire. There, she becomes embroiled in a plot to release an ancient demon and subsequently learns there’s more to the magic order she once revered.
Arkum-sul longs to only dwell in solitude for the rest of his existence. But amidst his dragon father’s order for him to lead an army to invade Vera-nor, the demon servant Toxal escapes from imprisonment. Arkum-sul must now find help in an unlikely ally, the Duians, in order to find Toxal and prevent the release of the demon.
The Duians were the most unique and well developed beings of the story, I enjoyed reading about their culture and customs. I also liked how they’re connected to the land. Their blood is green instead of red. The way their whole village is suspended within the forest canopy and connected via bridges is something I’ve never read before. So I liked that. The krals are something different too I would like to have known more about them.
With regards to the actual story I had no issues, it was enjoyable and easy to get through. However, the writing was lacking a little. The the characters were made to react, to certain situations, in a way that made me think this written more for teenagers than adults. The dialogue was also a bit too casual. I had no problem with everyone just speaking English. It’s just…I was expecting more eloquent speech, as seen in Tolkien's stories. There’s also a lot of “show don’t tell” issues with the writing:
Also there’s an instance where Ayida gets slap and her face turns red despite having green blood.It would make no sense for her face to turn red.
Out of all three main characters I found Ayida the most enjoyable to read.
Although at times she would act like little pathetically and school girlish.
But overall she was ok.
Aea was the most difficult to follow. She was too flawed for me to like her much. Sure, a lot of bad things happen to her but she had this tendency to blame everything on others, not a very mature reaction to grief and loss.
As someone not too well acquainted with fantasy, this was,at least, easy to read.
The main difference between this book and a typical high fantasy is the lack of extravagant language and overly complicated cultural aspects. Not to say this this fantasy isn’t well done. There are unique and diverse races but the world is not too complex for the reader the average reader to keep up with.
This book would be a good option for anyone new to the high fantasy genre as it short, concise and does not contain a substantial degree of world building.
In the heart of Erisdun the lives of three different characters intersect amidst eminent wars and lurking dangers.
Aea, having lost all she holds dear must do everything in her power to save her sister, Isota, and herself from the field blight, a deadly disease that attacks those of her kind if they venture too far from their relm unprotected.
Ayida has struggled to become a Sienna of the Magio Order for most her life. When she is expelled from the order, she's is given a chance to redeem herself by accompanying a yellow cast sorceress on a mission to the Phanor Empire. There, she becomes embroiled in a plot to release an ancient demon and subsequently learns there’s more to the magic order she once revered.
Arkum-sul longs to only dwell in solitude for the rest of his existence. But amidst his dragon father’s order for him to lead an army to invade Vera-nor, the demon servant Toxal escapes from imprisonment. Arkum-sul must now find help in an unlikely ally, the Duians, in order to find Toxal and prevent the release of the demon.
The Duians were the most unique and well developed beings of the story, I enjoyed reading about their culture and customs. I also liked how they’re connected to the land. Their blood is green instead of red. The way their whole village is suspended within the forest canopy and connected via bridges is something I’ve never read before. So I liked that. The krals are something different too I would like to have known more about them.
With regards to the actual story I had no issues, it was enjoyable and easy to get through. However, the writing was lacking a little. The the characters were made to react, to certain situations, in a way that made me think this written more for teenagers than adults. The dialogue was also a bit too casual. I had no problem with everyone just speaking English. It’s just…I was expecting more eloquent speech, as seen in Tolkien's stories. There’s also a lot of “show don’t tell” issues with the writing:
She was met by an outstretched hand showing her to stop.
Also there’s an instance where Ayida gets slap and her face turns red despite having green blood.It would make no sense for her face to turn red.
…still refusing to touch her cheek which would surely still have a red coloring to it…
Out of all three main characters I found Ayida the most enjoyable to read.
Although at times she would act like little pathetically and school girlish.
But overall she was ok.
Aea was the most difficult to follow. She was too flawed for me to like her much. Sure, a lot of bad things happen to her but she had this tendency to blame everything on others, not a very mature reaction to grief and loss.
As someone not too well acquainted with fantasy, this was,at least, easy to read.
The main difference between this book and a typical high fantasy is the lack of extravagant language and overly complicated cultural aspects. Not to say this this fantasy isn’t well done. There are unique and diverse races but the world is not too complex for the reader the average reader to keep up with.
This book would be a good option for anyone new to the high fantasy genre as it short, concise and does not contain a substantial degree of world building.
February 12, 2019
Desolation is a strong beginning to an epic fantasy trilogy. The characters are intriguing and well painted on the page. As a reader, the storyline is reminiscent of the saying”you can never go home again.” Aea tries her best to be comfortable walking into her old village but she is received with nothing but cold memories and an icy stigma. Meanwhile, darkness stirs and a demon waits to be born, a young impatient Prince seizes his father’s throne, and a dragon (lizzor in the novel) is searching for an instrument containing immeasurable power.
The book’s theme of family, and the lengths one will go to and the risks one will incur for a chance to save someone of your blood, resonates with the readers emotions and is well carried throughout the tale.
The novel is a fresh take on traditional fantasy. The beauty of the last forest and the people cursed to live near it, or suffer a slow agonizing death, is only a portion of the creative well conjured by the author’s imagination. The innovation is only tainted by two things: the choppiness of the story as it is carried from chapter to chapter and the buried climax.
I feel the story was edited down in an ineffective manner. I get the feeing the already long book was at one point much longer and the editing down in this case was completed in such a way that key portions, which would add far more detail and transition between events, are missing.
Ultimately, Desolation is an intense and imaginative read. The clever allegory on the title, Aea’s own personal desolation, is but a preview of the desolation threatening the entire realm, if the demon is released. The reader is left drawn into the world and invested in the continued story and final conclusion.
The book’s theme of family, and the lengths one will go to and the risks one will incur for a chance to save someone of your blood, resonates with the readers emotions and is well carried throughout the tale.
The novel is a fresh take on traditional fantasy. The beauty of the last forest and the people cursed to live near it, or suffer a slow agonizing death, is only a portion of the creative well conjured by the author’s imagination. The innovation is only tainted by two things: the choppiness of the story as it is carried from chapter to chapter and the buried climax.
I feel the story was edited down in an ineffective manner. I get the feeing the already long book was at one point much longer and the editing down in this case was completed in such a way that key portions, which would add far more detail and transition between events, are missing.
Ultimately, Desolation is an intense and imaginative read. The clever allegory on the title, Aea’s own personal desolation, is but a preview of the desolation threatening the entire realm, if the demon is released. The reader is left drawn into the world and invested in the continued story and final conclusion.
March 23, 2021
Mildly interesting.
February 8, 2017
Received a free copy for my honest review. The cover is beautiful. The author is quit detailed in description of this fantasy book. It draws you deeper into the story. Pain, loss and stubbornness of characters. It got a little too detailed for me to keep my interest towards the end but overall a goodread.
December 1, 2018
Book Review
Basic Details:
Book Title: Desolation
Subtitle: The Keystone Bone Trilogy #1
Author: Jesper Schmidt
Genre: Fantasy
Part of a series? Yes
Order in series: 1st
Best read after earlier books in series? No
Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Overall score:
I scored this book 4/5
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Short Summary of the book:
This book tells the story of Aea, a Duian girl, who lives away from her people after they executed her father for theft. When a dragon visits the tribe and kills her boyfriend and the father of her unborn child, Aea finds out her sister is still alive although her mother dies in her arms.
Aea sets out to save her sister, but nearly dies in the process. Losing her unborn child in an attempt to save and escape with friends. She nearly is killed, but is saved by an apprentice of the Bronze Tower. A woman who later turns out to be her older sister.
What I liked about the book:
I particularly liked the descriptions of the main characters, the dragon included. All wanted what was best for themselves and the ones they loved or cared for.
What I didn’t like about the book:
I liked the book in its entirety.
My favourite bits in the book:
I loved where Ayida saved Aea and how she continued to do her best to do what was right at every point in the book. The way a love appears to develop between Ayida and Drewet is also touching.
My least favourite bits in the book:
I didn’t like it when Aea loses her baby and nothing is able to save her boyfriend. Still, I expect this is what led to her desolation.
Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?
I understand this is the first in a series and this is a trilogy.
What books could this be compared to and why?
This book reminded me of some paranormal books I have read, but it is not comparable to any of them. It is in its own league and I really enjoyed the book.
Recommendation:
In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:
Children No
Young Adult Yes
Adult Yes
If you like Fantasy and stories about dragons this book could be the book for you.
I look forward to reading more books by this author and was sorry when the book was finished. Hopefully, I will have a chance to read the other books in the trilogy.
Book Description by Author:
Eons has shrouded the giant dragon in legend. Ancient myths soon become terrifyingly real…
Aea is an outsider. At age six the clan executed her father and when her mother and sister disappeared, Aea’s life spiraled into chaos.
Suddenly staggering out of the woods, broken by the deadly disease the Field Blight, her mother lays a desperate choice on Aea. To leave the protective forest realm and save her sister from mortal danger.
In a race against time, Aea puts the noose of the Field Blight around not only her own neck, but also that of her unborn child.
Before long, Aea discovers that the world of Erisdün is nothing like she imagined. Surviving the Field Blight might be the least of her concerns, as the great dragon dispatches his army to retrieve the Keystone Bone.
The bone of a God is the only component that will prevent the Arch Demon from breaking free. Powers as old as time itself are about to set the world on fire.
Desolation is an epic fantasy.
If you like a fast-paced read with dragons and demons, then you will love Desolation.
Delve into the exciting adventure today.
This is the first book in the Keystone Bone trilogy.
(Must be read in order)
Basic Details:
Book Title: Desolation
Subtitle: The Keystone Bone Trilogy #1
Author: Jesper Schmidt
Genre: Fantasy
Part of a series? Yes
Order in series: 1st
Best read after earlier books in series? No
Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Overall score:
I scored this book 4/5
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Short Summary of the book:
This book tells the story of Aea, a Duian girl, who lives away from her people after they executed her father for theft. When a dragon visits the tribe and kills her boyfriend and the father of her unborn child, Aea finds out her sister is still alive although her mother dies in her arms.
Aea sets out to save her sister, but nearly dies in the process. Losing her unborn child in an attempt to save and escape with friends. She nearly is killed, but is saved by an apprentice of the Bronze Tower. A woman who later turns out to be her older sister.
What I liked about the book:
I particularly liked the descriptions of the main characters, the dragon included. All wanted what was best for themselves and the ones they loved or cared for.
What I didn’t like about the book:
I liked the book in its entirety.
My favourite bits in the book:
I loved where Ayida saved Aea and how she continued to do her best to do what was right at every point in the book. The way a love appears to develop between Ayida and Drewet is also touching.
My least favourite bits in the book:
I didn’t like it when Aea loses her baby and nothing is able to save her boyfriend. Still, I expect this is what led to her desolation.
Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?
I understand this is the first in a series and this is a trilogy.
What books could this be compared to and why?
This book reminded me of some paranormal books I have read, but it is not comparable to any of them. It is in its own league and I really enjoyed the book.
Recommendation:
In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:
Children No
Young Adult Yes
Adult Yes
If you like Fantasy and stories about dragons this book could be the book for you.
I look forward to reading more books by this author and was sorry when the book was finished. Hopefully, I will have a chance to read the other books in the trilogy.
Book Description by Author:
Eons has shrouded the giant dragon in legend. Ancient myths soon become terrifyingly real…
Aea is an outsider. At age six the clan executed her father and when her mother and sister disappeared, Aea’s life spiraled into chaos.
Suddenly staggering out of the woods, broken by the deadly disease the Field Blight, her mother lays a desperate choice on Aea. To leave the protective forest realm and save her sister from mortal danger.
In a race against time, Aea puts the noose of the Field Blight around not only her own neck, but also that of her unborn child.
Before long, Aea discovers that the world of Erisdün is nothing like she imagined. Surviving the Field Blight might be the least of her concerns, as the great dragon dispatches his army to retrieve the Keystone Bone.
The bone of a God is the only component that will prevent the Arch Demon from breaking free. Powers as old as time itself are about to set the world on fire.
Desolation is an epic fantasy.
If you like a fast-paced read with dragons and demons, then you will love Desolation.
Delve into the exciting adventure today.
This is the first book in the Keystone Bone trilogy.
(Must be read in order)
October 18, 2017
Many thanks to the author, Jesper Schmidt, for giving me the opportunity to read his work in exchange for an honest review
My latest book adventure dropped me into a whole other world and has left me entirely enchanted. Jesper Schmidt is a fantasy writer with a serious knack for building a world from the ground up. His “Keystone Bone Trilogy” is a perfect example of this with the first book, “Desolation”, priming the reader up for an epic journey.
Set in a world where dragons exist along side Trogs, Druins, Lizoors, and demons, the reader is introduced to societies on the cusp of a war that, if left unattended, will threaten the lives of all. Unlikely heroes rise up and face unspeakable loss. Shocking alliances are forged while others crumble in unexpected ways. Love, death, desperation, hope, betrayal, and family: all these remarkable perspectives are tightly packed into this one book. For those who have a love of high fantasy that taps into the core of humanity, this series is for you.
A few words on my personal experience with this book:
I love fantasy and sci-fi novels, but don’t dive into high fantasy very often. My mind has a difficult time grasping brand new worlds that have little reflection of reality. Therefore, reading books like “Desolation” take me a long time to unravel and digest.
Let me speak, then, to those readers who want to experience this type of genre but are a bit intimidate: this book is an excellent choice for beginners. The language is pretty straight forward, the names not incredibly hard to keep track of, and the plot unwinds in an interesting but approachable way. You will recognize all the integral elements of an epic journey in the midst of the magic and fantastical creatures you’ll meet. Schmidt also provides enough surprise and suspense to keep the pages turning; a hallmark of a natural storyteller.
The best thing about this book? This is the first one in the series. The journey doesn’t end when the last page is read, which I love. A world so rich in beauty should have an opportunity to be explored beyond one book.
www.cmblair.com
My latest book adventure dropped me into a whole other world and has left me entirely enchanted. Jesper Schmidt is a fantasy writer with a serious knack for building a world from the ground up. His “Keystone Bone Trilogy” is a perfect example of this with the first book, “Desolation”, priming the reader up for an epic journey.
Set in a world where dragons exist along side Trogs, Druins, Lizoors, and demons, the reader is introduced to societies on the cusp of a war that, if left unattended, will threaten the lives of all. Unlikely heroes rise up and face unspeakable loss. Shocking alliances are forged while others crumble in unexpected ways. Love, death, desperation, hope, betrayal, and family: all these remarkable perspectives are tightly packed into this one book. For those who have a love of high fantasy that taps into the core of humanity, this series is for you.
A few words on my personal experience with this book:
I love fantasy and sci-fi novels, but don’t dive into high fantasy very often. My mind has a difficult time grasping brand new worlds that have little reflection of reality. Therefore, reading books like “Desolation” take me a long time to unravel and digest.
Let me speak, then, to those readers who want to experience this type of genre but are a bit intimidate: this book is an excellent choice for beginners. The language is pretty straight forward, the names not incredibly hard to keep track of, and the plot unwinds in an interesting but approachable way. You will recognize all the integral elements of an epic journey in the midst of the magic and fantastical creatures you’ll meet. Schmidt also provides enough surprise and suspense to keep the pages turning; a hallmark of a natural storyteller.
The best thing about this book? This is the first one in the series. The journey doesn’t end when the last page is read, which I love. A world so rich in beauty should have an opportunity to be explored beyond one book.
www.cmblair.com
June 29, 2017
Desolation is the first boo of the Keystone Bone fantasy trilogy and Schmidt isn't afraid to be ambitious with his story. There are three main characters - Aea, a wood nymph whose mother and sister are missing, the last surviving Kral (a dragon-human hybrid), and Ayida an apprentice sorceress who is also of wood nymph descent. Oh yes and there's a dragon and a map.
Tolkien's books clearly had an influence here as they do on most epic fantasy but you won't find poetry, wise wizards and romantic heroes here. The characters, even the minor ones have complex motivations and realistic reactions to the events of their lives and the story touches on surprisingly modern dilemmas such as human trafficking, environmental destruction, war, and office politics in magic training school as well as the more usual 'stop the evil demons from destroying the world' plot.
As usual with a trilogy opener this book suffers from the author needing to hold back some plot resolutions at the end to lead us on to the next volume but he handles it well, I think, except for the Kral whose storyline appears to vanish at the 60% mark. I can only assume it resumes in the next volume.
My favourite character was Ayida, an older wood nymph, who is willing to do anything to get ahead in the world of magic and sneaks along on a quest even after she has been expelled from training. She's feisty but capable of bad decisions and weakness which isn't something you see that often in female fantasy leads recently.
I'd recommend this to Robin Hobb and Brandon Saunderson readers.
Tolkien's books clearly had an influence here as they do on most epic fantasy but you won't find poetry, wise wizards and romantic heroes here. The characters, even the minor ones have complex motivations and realistic reactions to the events of their lives and the story touches on surprisingly modern dilemmas such as human trafficking, environmental destruction, war, and office politics in magic training school as well as the more usual 'stop the evil demons from destroying the world' plot.
As usual with a trilogy opener this book suffers from the author needing to hold back some plot resolutions at the end to lead us on to the next volume but he handles it well, I think, except for the Kral whose storyline appears to vanish at the 60% mark. I can only assume it resumes in the next volume.
My favourite character was Ayida, an older wood nymph, who is willing to do anything to get ahead in the world of magic and sneaks along on a quest even after she has been expelled from training. She's feisty but capable of bad decisions and weakness which isn't something you see that often in female fantasy leads recently.
I'd recommend this to Robin Hobb and Brandon Saunderson readers.
April 3, 2019
All in all, Desolation was a decent read. I found the world-building exceptionally well done, but I did have a few issues with the writing itself.
For one, there was a lot of telling. Telling has its place every bit as much as showing, but I felt I was being told how to feel about the characters a lot of the time, and my reading experience of these characters was different to what I was told to expect of them. Alongside that, I didn’t really connect with the characters as much as I would have liked to—it was like they were being held at arm’s length, and I can't put my finger on as to why that is. There was just something lacking in their overall personalities, I suppose. That, and oftentimes some of their reactions/interactions/decisions defied logic.
Largely I felt the world-building and the premise were the story’s strong points, and that’s great—I’m just sorry that I didn’t connect or care for the characters as much as I would have liked to. Out of them all, I found I liked Aea the most, which to be fair, was a pleasant surprise, considering I didn’t like her much at the very beginning (the set-up kind of felt—to me—like she was a bit of a tragic Mary-Sue. I’m glad her character proved to be otherwise.)
That said, I’m willing to give the sequel a chance sometime down the road, and hope that perhaps by then I might find myself caring for the characters more, which would go a long way toward improving my overall enjoyment of the series.
I’d definitely recommend to lovers of epic or high fantasy.
For one, there was a lot of telling. Telling has its place every bit as much as showing, but I felt I was being told how to feel about the characters a lot of the time, and my reading experience of these characters was different to what I was told to expect of them. Alongside that, I didn’t really connect with the characters as much as I would have liked to—it was like they were being held at arm’s length, and I can't put my finger on as to why that is. There was just something lacking in their overall personalities, I suppose. That, and oftentimes some of their reactions/interactions/decisions defied logic.
Largely I felt the world-building and the premise were the story’s strong points, and that’s great—I’m just sorry that I didn’t connect or care for the characters as much as I would have liked to. Out of them all, I found I liked Aea the most, which to be fair, was a pleasant surprise, considering I didn’t like her much at the very beginning (the set-up kind of felt—to me—like she was a bit of a tragic Mary-Sue. I’m glad her character proved to be otherwise.)
That said, I’m willing to give the sequel a chance sometime down the road, and hope that perhaps by then I might find myself caring for the characters more, which would go a long way toward improving my overall enjoyment of the series.
I’d definitely recommend to lovers of epic or high fantasy.
April 5, 2019
Jesper Schmidt has written an engaging and high-tension tale. Desolation is the first book in a trilogy series that involves high stakes adventure and chilling betrayal. A great fast read for young adults and fantasy lovers alike.
Warning of powerful demons on the verge of being released, Desolation weaves together the journeys of Aea, a Duian forest dweller on a mission, Ayida, an outcast Duian with ambitions to be in a magician order, and Arkum'Sul, A half dragon Kral whose code of honour begins to conflict with his need for solidarity.
This story will leave you wanting more.
I count myself fortunate for stumbling along a free chance to read Desolation after finding Jesper Schmidt on Twitter and subscribing to his email list. This book was a page turner specifically because of it's easy language use and interesting characters. I would recommend this for any young adult reader just beginning to dip their fingers into the wide fantasy genre. Desolation presents an epic adventure without adding complicated in-depth descriptions of alien cultures and politics, which the more experienced fantasy readers crave. The story brings enough lure to wet the reader's intrigue and lets the character's carry the nail-biting conflicts of the plotline.
Warning of powerful demons on the verge of being released, Desolation weaves together the journeys of Aea, a Duian forest dweller on a mission, Ayida, an outcast Duian with ambitions to be in a magician order, and Arkum'Sul, A half dragon Kral whose code of honour begins to conflict with his need for solidarity.
This story will leave you wanting more.
I count myself fortunate for stumbling along a free chance to read Desolation after finding Jesper Schmidt on Twitter and subscribing to his email list. This book was a page turner specifically because of it's easy language use and interesting characters. I would recommend this for any young adult reader just beginning to dip their fingers into the wide fantasy genre. Desolation presents an epic adventure without adding complicated in-depth descriptions of alien cultures and politics, which the more experienced fantasy readers crave. The story brings enough lure to wet the reader's intrigue and lets the character's carry the nail-biting conflicts of the plotline.
September 15, 2019
ONE BLAZING ADVENTURE!!!
Holy crap! Jesper raised the bar on this jaw dropping bad boy. He brought out the big guns for this thrilling storyline and gripping plot melds this bad boy together piece by piece flawlessly. Hurdling the trials and tribulations as trumoil and distress run rampant while speculations and chaos sets the pace in this non-stop action packed wonder. Throw in the drama, danger and suspense and you have one dynamic page flipping, prize winning delight that launches this bad boy to a whole new level. Twists and turns abound with unnerving circumstances and a bounty of inadvertent surprises that thrust all of your emotions bursting into play front and center. The dynamics and presentation in layer upon layer that you peel back with each page your drawn into this web so deep you feel everything the characters feel this baby unfolds. The characters and their personalities are original, genuine and realistic with depth and qualities that add just enough flaws that propel this bad boy to life spectacularly. The scenes are so colorfully descriptive it's easy to interpret each scenario as they play off one another flawlessly. Amazing job Jesper, thanks for sharing this little guy with us
Holy crap! Jesper raised the bar on this jaw dropping bad boy. He brought out the big guns for this thrilling storyline and gripping plot melds this bad boy together piece by piece flawlessly. Hurdling the trials and tribulations as trumoil and distress run rampant while speculations and chaos sets the pace in this non-stop action packed wonder. Throw in the drama, danger and suspense and you have one dynamic page flipping, prize winning delight that launches this bad boy to a whole new level. Twists and turns abound with unnerving circumstances and a bounty of inadvertent surprises that thrust all of your emotions bursting into play front and center. The dynamics and presentation in layer upon layer that you peel back with each page your drawn into this web so deep you feel everything the characters feel this baby unfolds. The characters and their personalities are original, genuine and realistic with depth and qualities that add just enough flaws that propel this bad boy to life spectacularly. The scenes are so colorfully descriptive it's easy to interpret each scenario as they play off one another flawlessly. Amazing job Jesper, thanks for sharing this little guy with us
March 18, 2019
Received an ebook copy for free as part of a social media promotion. As a novel, its greatest strength is the world-building effort by the author. The amount of culture and lore the author injects into the story is very high and in many ways very original. An effort to break away from traditional fantasy nomenclature is clear, making for an engaging and immersive setting that the reader can be enthusiastic about. Communities and characters have dynamic backstories that integrate seamlessly into the plot making for an organic progression of events. The most observable weakness is the narrative tempo. From the start, characters are processing their context, past and present simultaneously which throws a lot of information at the reader which could leave some overwhelmed. This slows down around halfway through the book but up until that point characters process so much that it is a little difficult to get a sense for where they are at psychologically with respect to the story. Nonetheless, this is a solid read that is first and foremost a showpiece in sensible, coherent and logical world-building with an equally logical plot structure.
May 16, 2019
POSITIVE: The start was very strong which was an attention-grabber. The characters played their part very well. I saw a swift in my emotions from calmness to anger and vice versa. I saw a lot of character development especially with Aea. The story provides a strong visualization which was good. The use of mythical creatures is an excellent accessory.
NEGATIVE: The content structure needs work. After I read the first chapter and moved to the second there was an abrupt stop, I saw myself asking "what happened, where did she go?" which was dissatisfying. The characters were disorganized from the start which later improved. The names were difficult to follow but then it executed a sophisticated nature which was good.
Above all this a read worth recommending to genre lovers of fantasy, action and adventure. An ideal read for fans of Lord of the Rings, Hobbit and Merlin.
(Received a free copy for an honest review)
NEGATIVE: The content structure needs work. After I read the first chapter and moved to the second there was an abrupt stop, I saw myself asking "what happened, where did she go?" which was dissatisfying. The characters were disorganized from the start which later improved. The names were difficult to follow but then it executed a sophisticated nature which was good.
Above all this a read worth recommending to genre lovers of fantasy, action and adventure. An ideal read for fans of Lord of the Rings, Hobbit and Merlin.
(Received a free copy for an honest review)
September 23, 2019
Highly recommend
This book tells the story of Aea, a Duian girl, Ayida, an apprentice sorceress, also a Duian girl and Arhum’sai a Kral, descendent of dragons.
When a Kral and Trog visit the tribe and kills Aea’s boyfriend and the father of her unborn child, Aea finds out her sister is still alive although her mother dies in her arms.
Aea sets out to save her sister, but nearly dies in the process. Losing her unborn child in an attempt to save and escape with friends. She nearly is killed, but is saved by Ayida, who later turns out to be her older sister.
I loved where Ayida saved Aea and how she continued to do her best to do what was right at every point in the book. The way an attraction appears to develop between Ayida and Drewet is also touching.
I look forward to reading the next book in the trilogy.
This book tells the story of Aea, a Duian girl, Ayida, an apprentice sorceress, also a Duian girl and Arhum’sai a Kral, descendent of dragons.
When a Kral and Trog visit the tribe and kills Aea’s boyfriend and the father of her unborn child, Aea finds out her sister is still alive although her mother dies in her arms.
Aea sets out to save her sister, but nearly dies in the process. Losing her unborn child in an attempt to save and escape with friends. She nearly is killed, but is saved by Ayida, who later turns out to be her older sister.
I loved where Ayida saved Aea and how she continued to do her best to do what was right at every point in the book. The way an attraction appears to develop between Ayida and Drewet is also touching.
I look forward to reading the next book in the trilogy.
October 17, 2018
A good reading.
The author offered me the chance to read this book and after reading the argument I knew I would like it. First of all: The Worldbuilding. For me, the scenario that Jasper has created is BY FAR, the best of the book (really interesting and original, specially the duians and their disease).
In the story we follow the adventures of three characters: Aea, Ayida and Arkum’Sul. I didn’t really connect with Aea (she’s too narrow-minded for me more times than not), but I really and truly love Arkum’Sul. Here’s a main character that has own objectives and thoughts without caring what the others think of them. Even more, it’s a really strong character and I would like to see him in the next book. It was, indeed, a good reading.
The author offered me the chance to read this book and after reading the argument I knew I would like it. First of all: The Worldbuilding. For me, the scenario that Jasper has created is BY FAR, the best of the book (really interesting and original, specially the duians and their disease).
In the story we follow the adventures of three characters: Aea, Ayida and Arkum’Sul. I didn’t really connect with Aea (she’s too narrow-minded for me more times than not), but I really and truly love Arkum’Sul. Here’s a main character that has own objectives and thoughts without caring what the others think of them. Even more, it’s a really strong character and I would like to see him in the next book. It was, indeed, a good reading.
November 10, 2018
I absolutely loved this book! Devoured it in two sittings. The book mainly follows Aea, Ayida, and Arkum'Sul on their various journeys through this epic fantasy tale. I loved all the characters, but my favourite is probably Arkum'Sul, I hope we get more of him in the next book!
I especially liked how quick the pace of the book was, and how fast the characters evolved. I also really liked that it kept me on my toes and kept turning in other directions when I thought I knew what would happen. The plot started off as if you could guess where it would end, but then quickly turned around completely, leaving me turning page after page to know what was going on.
Can't wait to read book two!
I especially liked how quick the pace of the book was, and how fast the characters evolved. I also really liked that it kept me on my toes and kept turning in other directions when I thought I knew what would happen. The plot started off as if you could guess where it would end, but then quickly turned around completely, leaving me turning page after page to know what was going on.
Can't wait to read book two!
January 9, 2018
A great book
I discovered this author on a podcast by Lindsay Buroker that my husband was watching on you tube and when the author was describing his books they sound interesting so I check it out on Amazon and gave it a go. I am glad I did as I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more in this series
I discovered this author on a podcast by Lindsay Buroker that my husband was watching on you tube and when the author was describing his books they sound interesting so I check it out on Amazon and gave it a go. I am glad I did as I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more in this series
December 27, 2016
I received this novel in exchange for an honest review from Reading Deals, not the Author directly. With that being said, I did in fact truly enjoy this, the first book in the series and will like to read the second book when released. It was exciting and a fantasy world that hold my interest.
November 30, 2018
I find some fantasy writers just dont keep me intersted like the ones that write the Forgotten Realms and such. But this one hit the mark.
April 1, 2019
Gifted this book by the author and I was pleasantly surprised by the rich background and characters - well worth a read.
January 22, 2020
Amazing!
What a story! I can hardly wait to read more, find out what happens next! Hmmm...maybe I can get it on Amazon...
What a story! I can hardly wait to read more, find out what happens next! Hmmm...maybe I can get it on Amazon...
November 23, 2018
Find a complete review of the book in my blog Bookbugworld : https://bookbugworld.com/review/desol...
May 19, 2018
Not Amazon Unlimited, is going to be a Keystone Bone trilogy, Willhorn "Tiny" Tigersoul link in front of book for edited out portion, just luv it when they add in maps of a world. I did get confused with all the different names, but I am rubbish with names so most other people should be all right about that. I liked it overall, and not saying others might not like it even better, but for me it was a like it not a luv it, but just seemed too chick lit etc to me, eh
abandoned
June 7, 2017I got 9 chapters into the book (25%) and quit reading. The characters didn't catch my interest and I didn't particularly care what happened to them. This story is somewhat on the dark side as several characters have already been killed off.
There are not any problems with language, sex or violence in this book. I am just not very interested in the story and I have to many other more interesting stories to spend my time on ones that I am not enjoying very much.
There are not any problems with language, sex or violence in this book. I am just not very interested in the story and I have to many other more interesting stories to spend my time on ones that I am not enjoying very much.
Want to read
December 8, 2018I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review
So I will give a review once I'm done with the rest of my tbr that I'm planning to finish this month. Brb.
So I will give a review once I'm done with the rest of my tbr that I'm planning to finish this month. Brb.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews