What do you think?
Rate this book
The Call of Chaos
Exiled from his homeland, Cor’il Silvermoon was left to roam without direction. Bestowed with unimaginable power by the awakening Threads, he struggles to understand his purpose. But when he discovers that terrible forces are tearing the Realm asunder, Cor’il realizes that no one can withstand the storm alone. Forced to confront the mythical monsters that pillage the land, he faces a Realm that has become much deadlier, encountering new friends, dangerous enemies, and impossible challenges. Can Cor’il and his friends discover the source of the chaos and stop it? Or will they be forced to watch as everything they know and love is utterly destroyed, ushering in a new age of danger and discord?
- GenresFantasy
266 pages, Paperback
Published December 20, 2016
18 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Sean R. Frazier
7 books57 followersSean has loved all things creativity since he was young. He started playing D&D in elementary school and began writing his own stories and D&D campaigns shortly thereafter.
Since then, he's only become more passionate about creativity and art.
Sean lives in Missouri with his wife, two daughters, and a myriad of cats and dogs.
And a couple of geckos.
You can find Sean on the following platforms:
Website: https://SeanRFrazier.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/seanrfr...
Twitter: @TheCleftonTwain
Twitch: https://twitch.tv/vorpalsteak
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeanRFrazier...
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@seanrfrazier
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanrfrazier/
Since then, he's only become more passionate about creativity and art.
Sean lives in Missouri with his wife, two daughters, and a myriad of cats and dogs.
And a couple of geckos.
You can find Sean on the following platforms:
Website: https://SeanRFrazier.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/seanrfr...
Twitter: @TheCleftonTwain
Twitch: https://twitch.tv/vorpalsteak
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeanRFrazier...
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@seanrfrazier
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanrfrazier/
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 1, 2021
Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book. In the early going, the plot felt a bit directionless, but I stuck with it, and I'm glad I did. The characters slowly grew on me, and the revelations toward the end have me interested in what's going to happen.
June 24, 2017
I loved this book. Yes, it started slow, but that's a plus for me because it gives the characters time to develop. Fraser makes me care about his characters. He has created an innovative world, and as soon as I finished, I wanted to start the next one in the series, which he promises me will be out shortly.
October 22, 2021
I want to start off by saying that my rating is my personal view and should not deter you from picking this book up. The style of writing was not my favorite which made it difficult for me to finish. There’s a good story here and I’m willing to give book 2 a read, at a later time.
A major distraction for me were the internal monologues that didn’t always add to the story. I enjoyed Kendra’s and Cor’il’s character but to be honest I gave up at chapter 22 because of the reasons I mentioned above.
A major distraction for me were the internal monologues that didn’t always add to the story. I enjoyed Kendra’s and Cor’il’s character but to be honest I gave up at chapter 22 because of the reasons I mentioned above.
August 2, 2017
Strong and steady first book to what is sure to be a phenomenal series. Lots of background into to some great characters, and as we see their journeys unfold and it lead them to their... destiny, you can't help but find yourself becoming attached to them. I truly enjoyed these characters.
A fantastic story that will have you turning the pages quicker with every chapter. Deep and in depth story building into a world I can't wait to explore more of!
A fantastic story that will have you turning the pages quicker with every chapter. Deep and in depth story building into a world I can't wait to explore more of!
May 12, 2021
The Call of Chaos leads the reader into a fantastic and creatively detailed world. There are a few gaps in the story that seem “hand-waved” away, but I quite enjoyed this tale and ordered the next two books before I even finished it. Well done!
June 2, 2022
The Witcher meets The Hobbit in this wonderfully crafted and delightfully terrifying fantasy!
Cor’il Silvermoon has been exiled from his homelands – but he doesn’t know why. Forced to roam the world outside the safety of what he used to call home, he is destined to meet friends, make enemies, and face the terrors that are about to be unleashed on the world.
Frazier has crafted a delightful tale and put a unique spin on a fantasy story that might seem familiar to many. With characters roaming the world to find somewhere that will take them in, and others fleeing where they came from, I was immediately reminded of Sapkowski’s The Witcher series, and why I loved it. But there’s also a focus on the inevitable adventure in between, the things that happen between places, as characters get to know each other and build relations. This is the kind of storytelling that made me fall in love with The Hobbit, way back when.
The world-building in The Forgotten Years is excellent, balancing elegantly on the edge of not too much, yet incredibly immersive and detailed. It’s the kind of first book in a series that makes you want to pick up the other ones. And it’s an interesting world as well, one I’d love to delve further into. There are of course – as with any good fantasy – political conspiracies and intriguing mysteries set up to be investigated in the future.
Frazier’s writing is excellent, exactly to my taste – witty and fun when it’s called for, but serious and dark when it needs to be. What I enjoyed the most was the emerging of the evil that is crawling out of the shadows. Parts of it was surprisingly terrifying, and I love it when fantasy can take a dark turn. There’s also an excellent magic system in this novel, very interesting and very unique – a feat that can be difficult to accomplish in this day and age.
Cor’il Silvermoon has been exiled from his homelands – but he doesn’t know why. Forced to roam the world outside the safety of what he used to call home, he is destined to meet friends, make enemies, and face the terrors that are about to be unleashed on the world.
Frazier has crafted a delightful tale and put a unique spin on a fantasy story that might seem familiar to many. With characters roaming the world to find somewhere that will take them in, and others fleeing where they came from, I was immediately reminded of Sapkowski’s The Witcher series, and why I loved it. But there’s also a focus on the inevitable adventure in between, the things that happen between places, as characters get to know each other and build relations. This is the kind of storytelling that made me fall in love with The Hobbit, way back when.
The world-building in The Forgotten Years is excellent, balancing elegantly on the edge of not too much, yet incredibly immersive and detailed. It’s the kind of first book in a series that makes you want to pick up the other ones. And it’s an interesting world as well, one I’d love to delve further into. There are of course – as with any good fantasy – political conspiracies and intriguing mysteries set up to be investigated in the future.
Frazier’s writing is excellent, exactly to my taste – witty and fun when it’s called for, but serious and dark when it needs to be. What I enjoyed the most was the emerging of the evil that is crawling out of the shadows. Parts of it was surprisingly terrifying, and I love it when fantasy can take a dark turn. There’s also an excellent magic system in this novel, very interesting and very unique – a feat that can be difficult to accomplish in this day and age.
November 13, 2019
I have to file this one under "Did Not Finish," hence the three stars. I'm giving the benefit of the doubt, though what I read was worth about two.
I wanted to like this one because I support self published authors. However, I'm also a reader, and an honest one at that. There are a few positives about this novel. The culturally isolated, sometimes even abandoned villages create an air of mystery, as do the widespread absence of historical knowledge and the shadowy, mystical cabal. However, these were not enough to overcome the characters who appeared to be ripped straight from their character sheets from a Table Top Role Playing Game, and their persistence in fighting the author in joining forces. As of chapter 14 they still had not convened, and the late addition of a bard undermined my confidence that the author would be able to deliver on any of the promised hooks. With the addition of several misplaced details, most notably the musings of a blacksmith on what a great job he's done making his woodcutting ax, while observing a few men be messily bludgeoned and eaten by a giant ogre, I became convinced the answers weren't going to be worth the process and I put the book down.
I am fully willing to give Frazier another chance, contingent on assurance that he either has acquired an editor, or gotten a new one. For me, pacing problems and character problems overshadowed the potential in the setting and greater plot.
I wanted to like this one because I support self published authors. However, I'm also a reader, and an honest one at that. There are a few positives about this novel. The culturally isolated, sometimes even abandoned villages create an air of mystery, as do the widespread absence of historical knowledge and the shadowy, mystical cabal. However, these were not enough to overcome the characters who appeared to be ripped straight from their character sheets from a Table Top Role Playing Game, and their persistence in fighting the author in joining forces. As of chapter 14 they still had not convened, and the late addition of a bard undermined my confidence that the author would be able to deliver on any of the promised hooks. With the addition of several misplaced details, most notably the musings of a blacksmith on what a great job he's done making his woodcutting ax, while observing a few men be messily bludgeoned and eaten by a giant ogre, I became convinced the answers weren't going to be worth the process and I put the book down.
I am fully willing to give Frazier another chance, contingent on assurance that he either has acquired an editor, or gotten a new one. For me, pacing problems and character problems overshadowed the potential in the setting and greater plot.
May 20, 2018
I really enjoyed this story: exciting, intriguing, and pretty action packed, especially the last third of the book or so. If you are into fantasy, magic, Dungeons & Dragons...I'd recommend it. I devoured it. The characters are all likable in their own way, and you really feel you get to know them before the book is over. Frazier does a good job painting a picture and it is very easy to visualize what is happening. The writing would benefit from a solid final polish. Use of the word "mayhaps"got to me a bit. But Frazier's real strengths lie in his fight and battle scenes. These are so enjoyable to read. I am also very intrigued by the overarching story and an eager to read the next installment! I look forward to finding out what happens next...
September 27, 2019
I wanted a fun fantasy read and found one within "The Call of Chaos". The story was interesting, playing off existing worlds, but bringing a lot of originality to this one. The characters were engaging enough that early on, I wanted to follow them through their adventures.
Along with lacking a predictability that many other fantasy books utilize, making for a much more entertaining read, "The Call of Chaos" was well-written. The stylization was simple, yet descriptive.
Although this is the first in a series, Book 1 ends with enough closure that I felt the story wrapped up, yet the ending leans into the start of the next book. I enjoyed "The Call of Chaos" so much that the sequel has already been downloaded to my reader.
Along with lacking a predictability that many other fantasy books utilize, making for a much more entertaining read, "The Call of Chaos" was well-written. The stylization was simple, yet descriptive.
Although this is the first in a series, Book 1 ends with enough closure that I felt the story wrapped up, yet the ending leans into the start of the next book. I enjoyed "The Call of Chaos" so much that the sequel has already been downloaded to my reader.
May 29, 2019
The Goods: There is a lot of heart to this story. The characters are solid. (It helps that Kendra is an animal lover – put animals in a book and I’m hooked, especially when someone cares about them as much as I do). Those kinds of details really connect readers to the story.
Issues: The dialogue was a bit stiff, but I get what the author was going for. It was a little more telly than showey, something I struggle with as well. My editor’s eye also went red over wordy sentences that were dragged down by overuse of “had” and “was” but all-in-all the story kept me reading.
Issues: The dialogue was a bit stiff, but I get what the author was going for. It was a little more telly than showey, something I struggle with as well. My editor’s eye also went red over wordy sentences that were dragged down by overuse of “had” and “was” but all-in-all the story kept me reading.
May 9, 2017
Fantasy and adventure
The Call of Chaos is a non-stop adventure through a realm filled with thieves, orcs, trolls, goblins, magic, and mystery. As soon as you catch your breath, another adventure leaps out and redirects you toward a new path. Great start to what promises to be a wild ride through Chaos and Storms! Can't wait for the follow-up novel!
The Call of Chaos is a non-stop adventure through a realm filled with thieves, orcs, trolls, goblins, magic, and mystery. As soon as you catch your breath, another adventure leaps out and redirects you toward a new path. Great start to what promises to be a wild ride through Chaos and Storms! Can't wait for the follow-up novel!
May 21, 2020
I set the benchmark for fantasy genres at Tolkien, so reading anything by other authors can be difficult. Sean nails it with his characters. His writing is good, the pace is good. In this book he is setting the players on the board and building the stage for the next books.
Overall, a very enjoyable read, I highly recommend it. I will be buying the rest in this series very soon.
Overall, a very enjoyable read, I highly recommend it. I will be buying the rest in this series very soon.
October 19, 2018
In the beginning...
I look forward to beginning the next of this series...so much left unanswered! This book starts off a bit slow, but once it gets rolling you are invested and in for some action. Curiosity leads me on to the next book.
I look forward to beginning the next of this series...so much left unanswered! This book starts off a bit slow, but once it gets rolling you are invested and in for some action. Curiosity leads me on to the next book.
August 28, 2017
This was a fun and easy read. I enjoyed the descriptions and characters, and I can't wait to read the next books.
July 1, 2022
Loved it. My only regret was having two interesting characters only appear in one chapter, never to turn up again. :)
February 7, 2017
Decent Story, Killed by Poor Writing
The Call of Chaos boasts a title that intrigues me (I love all things darkness) and a cover that accentuates mysticism. Going on, I knew I was taking a gamble on a self-published author, but I was not prepared for how much.
The plot and that I could actually finish it are the only things keeping this from being a one-star review, and even that only got interesting in the final pages.
My biggest complaint is that the book absolutely was not competently edited. Typos, formatting errors, and syntax issues riddle the novel. Spell check in Word would have solved some of these. Others only needed a quick read to find (multiple misplaced end quotes). And yet I finished the book. Like I said, for the story.
It feels like Frazier has read a good deal of fantasy books which he has tried to replicate here. But in 2016/2017, it's hard to get past the generic nomenclature. The world is called "The Realm" and it's never made clear whether the Realm is a country or a continent or the world as a whole. The coming threat is orcs, goblins, trolls, and ogres; none of these are meant to be primary antagonistic forces in a fantasy novel. Character last names are given little thought. They are all compound words that follow the formula adjective+noun, ex. Silvermoon. Put simply, the world building is shoddy at best.
Even worse, the characters. None of the three main protagonists have a distinguishable voice. And every chance he gets, Frazier likes to give them italicized thought. While this should be the perfect opportunity to give the characters personality, it's instead used as a way for the narrator to give more information about what the characters are thinking. The whole book reads like the characters and narrator are one in the same. Add cringeworthy external dialogue to cringeworthy internal dialogue, multiply that by a factor of inconsistent characterization, and you'll have the sum of how uncompelling these characters are.
There's only decently written character is The Blacksmoke, and I think that's only because he's a secondary character.
Those are my main gripes. So what's the plot that kept me plowing through. It follows Cor'il Silvermoon, an outcast with unusual powers on a journey to live in peace (despite what the blurb tells you) which is derailed by his convenient discovery of a magic book and his convenient meeting with a character who has his same powers. It's explained at the end why Cor'il has them but not why the other character does. So it seems silly that them bonding over these powers is such a critical point in the story.
What are these powers? Cor'il can control Threads which I suppose are the fabric of existence as we know it? But they aren't really because the Threads are artificial maybe? It doesn't do a good job explaining what they are.
Then there's also a hidden city where a group of semi-omniscient scholars study the Threads or something but they don't have any impact on the story at all so I'm not sure why they're there.
And the whole story is basically characters walking around and waiting doing absolutely nothing until a major city is attacked at the very end of the book. Imagine Lord of the Rings except no one really has any motivation to be doing anything. There's a character who's framed for murder and is on the run from people we never see and never makes any attempt to clear his name. His entire backstory is contrived to put him in a position where he can meet up with other characters.
Oh and there's the thief Kendra who also has no impact on anything and the storyweaver Orvaril(sp?) who has even less impact on it.
Okay, now that I've written all this out, maybe the story really isn't that great. I can't deny that Frazier has great ideas insofar as the lore, but everything is so poorly executed it's hard to tell. If he'd spent more time establishing just how threatening the menace was and actually putting to paper how Cor'il developed his new powers and dove into the deep end of the lore of Threads and better set up his unwilling heroes and created character moments that gave me a reason to care about anyone, The Call of Chaos would have been fantastic.
But it's just not there.
The Call of Chaos boasts a title that intrigues me (I love all things darkness) and a cover that accentuates mysticism. Going on, I knew I was taking a gamble on a self-published author, but I was not prepared for how much.
The plot and that I could actually finish it are the only things keeping this from being a one-star review, and even that only got interesting in the final pages.
My biggest complaint is that the book absolutely was not competently edited. Typos, formatting errors, and syntax issues riddle the novel. Spell check in Word would have solved some of these. Others only needed a quick read to find (multiple misplaced end quotes). And yet I finished the book. Like I said, for the story.
It feels like Frazier has read a good deal of fantasy books which he has tried to replicate here. But in 2016/2017, it's hard to get past the generic nomenclature. The world is called "The Realm" and it's never made clear whether the Realm is a country or a continent or the world as a whole. The coming threat is orcs, goblins, trolls, and ogres; none of these are meant to be primary antagonistic forces in a fantasy novel. Character last names are given little thought. They are all compound words that follow the formula adjective+noun, ex. Silvermoon. Put simply, the world building is shoddy at best.
Even worse, the characters. None of the three main protagonists have a distinguishable voice. And every chance he gets, Frazier likes to give them italicized thought. While this should be the perfect opportunity to give the characters personality, it's instead used as a way for the narrator to give more information about what the characters are thinking. The whole book reads like the characters and narrator are one in the same. Add cringeworthy external dialogue to cringeworthy internal dialogue, multiply that by a factor of inconsistent characterization, and you'll have the sum of how uncompelling these characters are.
There's only decently written character is The Blacksmoke, and I think that's only because he's a secondary character.
Those are my main gripes. So what's the plot that kept me plowing through. It follows Cor'il Silvermoon, an outcast with unusual powers on a journey to live in peace (despite what the blurb tells you) which is derailed by his convenient discovery of a magic book and his convenient meeting with a character who has his same powers. It's explained at the end why Cor'il has them but not why the other character does. So it seems silly that them bonding over these powers is such a critical point in the story.
What are these powers? Cor'il can control Threads which I suppose are the fabric of existence as we know it? But they aren't really because the Threads are artificial maybe? It doesn't do a good job explaining what they are.
Then there's also a hidden city where a group of semi-omniscient scholars study the Threads or something but they don't have any impact on the story at all so I'm not sure why they're there.
And the whole story is basically characters walking around and waiting doing absolutely nothing until a major city is attacked at the very end of the book. Imagine Lord of the Rings except no one really has any motivation to be doing anything. There's a character who's framed for murder and is on the run from people we never see and never makes any attempt to clear his name. His entire backstory is contrived to put him in a position where he can meet up with other characters.
Oh and there's the thief Kendra who also has no impact on anything and the storyweaver Orvaril(sp?) who has even less impact on it.
Okay, now that I've written all this out, maybe the story really isn't that great. I can't deny that Frazier has great ideas insofar as the lore, but everything is so poorly executed it's hard to tell. If he'd spent more time establishing just how threatening the menace was and actually putting to paper how Cor'il developed his new powers and dove into the deep end of the lore of Threads and better set up his unwilling heroes and created character moments that gave me a reason to care about anyone, The Call of Chaos would have been fantastic.
But it's just not there.
August 24, 2020
OH MY GOD I NEVER REVIEWED WITH MY RATING! [[humbly fixing this oversight now...]]
Adventure, action, magic, snarky humor, good guys, bad guys--everything I want in an epic fantasy adventure! Beautifully crafted worlds, I can see, hear, and smell them in my mind's eye! I love worlds that come to life in my imagination just by their descriptions on the page, and this book had just that! The action was gritty and intense, the characters unique and full of personality. Looking forward to the next installment!
Adventure, action, magic, snarky humor, good guys, bad guys--everything I want in an epic fantasy adventure! Beautifully crafted worlds, I can see, hear, and smell them in my mind's eye! I love worlds that come to life in my imagination just by their descriptions on the page, and this book had just that! The action was gritty and intense, the characters unique and full of personality. Looking forward to the next installment!
January 16, 2017
Great Fantasy Debut
Frazier has created a fantasy world both new and familiar, with memorable characters that you'll want to follow. I'm dying to know what happens to Cor'il, Dalinil, Kendra, and the others in the next installment!
Frazier has created a fantasy world both new and familiar, with memorable characters that you'll want to follow. I'm dying to know what happens to Cor'il, Dalinil, Kendra, and the others in the next installment!
November 16, 2025
Great sword and sorcery book that kept me turning page after page. I always admire writers who can build worlds so flawlessly. I can't wait to pick up the sequel.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews