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Evarun
Mouth of the Dragon: Prophecy of the Evarun
What awaits when prophecy turns against the prophet?
What will he see, when the veil of the dragon rises?
To save the ones he loves, Chaelus, vessel of the Giver reborn, pursues the dragon and the fate that prophecy foretold for him. But as the veil of the dragon rises, so does the veil between prophecy and the past, where the Prophecy of Evarun suffers no rivals.
What will he see, when the veil of the dragon rises?
To save the ones he loves, Chaelus, vessel of the Giver reborn, pursues the dragon and the fate that prophecy foretold for him. But as the veil of the dragon rises, so does the veil between prophecy and the past, where the Prophecy of Evarun suffers no rivals.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 10, 2017
2 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
About the author
Tom Barczak
17 books8 followersMy background is an Artist, turned Architect, who's finally getting around to finishing those stories I started writing long ago, when I sat on my front porch as a kid. I write because I can’t not. I write because I want to finish the story that I started, in my paintings, in my poetry, and even before then, when I sat around a table with my friends, slaying dragons.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 4, 2017
Mouth of the Dragon: Prophecy of the Evarun is surreal, angelic warfare
Enjoy walking in cemeteries? This book is for you. If Edgar Allen Poe or Clark Ashton Smith were to rewrite Tolkien, they would produce something like Tom Barczak’s Evarun series. There are no elves here, but there are angels who have abandoned a land to susceptible humans. Disembodied forces and corporeal possession abound. The author’s dark, poetic style keeps bringing me back to his portfolio.
Mouth of the Dragon: Prophecy of the Evarun continues the royal Chaelus’s journey from Veil of the Dragon, which readers will want to read first. His body has become a puppet in war between good and evil. He is currently possessed by good-natured angel(s) tasked to confront the demonic, disembodied evil that was mastered him. The major conflict is between Chaelus (and the spirit Talus within him) versus the titular Dragon that has corrupted land of the Theocracy and his betrothed Faerowyn. The war escalates to epic, apocalypse. It closes well but sets up for another book.
Deep and Poetic: As revealed in many interviews, Barczak is an architect by day and writer/painter by night; he also experienced the death of a 2yr old daughter named Olivia. His artistic flare shows through with wonderful architectural descriptions including “clerestory lights” and “dark pools of cenotaphs.” He paid homage to Olivia with a character of the same name who first appeared in the Awakening Evarun set. Olivia appears in Mouth of the Dragon as Revered Mother over the Servian Order, centuries old. This echoes other instances of children saving adults. From the prelude book Veil of the Dragon, “Al-Aaron,” a child priest-warrior, saved and mentored Chaelus. Barczak continually explores the role of children saving or superseding adults: in Mouth the main duo for this interplay is Login and Maedelous.
Style: Barczak style defines his writing. He writes with entertaining paradox. In one sense, the conflict could not be more stark: good angels vs. evil demons; yet both are presented as reflections, or veiled versions of the other. The author is fascinated with sensing strange/beautiful things, such as the ailment synesthesia which refers to a secondary stimulus of senses. For instance, a subset is called chromesthesia, in which hearing certain sounds will trigger recoloring of whatever is being viewed by eye: one could be looking at a white wall and it would change to red or blue as certain music is played. Such dissonance is similar to one making sense of Rene Magritte’s Ceci n'est pas une pipe (this is not a pipe). Barczak intentionally provides beautiful synesthetic observations. Here are example excerpts:
Everything is veiled and unsettled: A surreal milieu pervades the book. The best example is of the gossomar covered blades of Servian knights who vowed to kill only non-blooded humans (i.e. wraith like Remnants). The cover of Veil of the Dragon drawn by the author displayed this. It highlights the paradox of a military legion representing a benevolent religious organization. Again, Barczak intentionally blurs what is superficially clear. The Servian Order plays a large role again in Mouth, of course. However the cloth “veil” over the blade resonates with myraid other veils: ghostly phantoms, smokey tendrils obscuring vision, memories bleeding into dreams and reality. There are two contrarian, prophetic forces running in parallel: two sets of Servian knights, two sets of prophets, two armies…etc. It is like both good and evil are personified and stare through a window at each other; the reader is watching too, trying to figure out which one is real… or are they reflections of the reader in a mirror?
Poetic Style: There is an obvious rhythm. This is done in part with oft repeated words (azure, veil, Happas…which is an archaic word for a Roman highway), and with repeated phrasing such as:
Evarun series: Evarun’s audience and backing is deservedly growing. The serial Awakening series was an independent endeavor, but not Barczak now has the backing of Perserid Press who provided the book with a Roy Mauritsen designed cover (elegantly embedding the author’s sketch).
Judging by the author’s blog, the next installment is to be called “Hands of the Dragon,” which would refer to several wizards serving all-things-dragon: Vas Ore and Vas Kael. The author has drawn them too.
Enjoy walking in cemeteries? This book is for you. If Edgar Allen Poe or Clark Ashton Smith were to rewrite Tolkien, they would produce something like Tom Barczak’s Evarun series. There are no elves here, but there are angels who have abandoned a land to susceptible humans. Disembodied forces and corporeal possession abound. The author’s dark, poetic style keeps bringing me back to his portfolio.
Mouth of the Dragon: Prophecy of the Evarun continues the royal Chaelus’s journey from Veil of the Dragon, which readers will want to read first. His body has become a puppet in war between good and evil. He is currently possessed by good-natured angel(s) tasked to confront the demonic, disembodied evil that was mastered him. The major conflict is between Chaelus (and the spirit Talus within him) versus the titular Dragon that has corrupted land of the Theocracy and his betrothed Faerowyn. The war escalates to epic, apocalypse. It closes well but sets up for another book.
Deep and Poetic: As revealed in many interviews, Barczak is an architect by day and writer/painter by night; he also experienced the death of a 2yr old daughter named Olivia. His artistic flare shows through with wonderful architectural descriptions including “clerestory lights” and “dark pools of cenotaphs.” He paid homage to Olivia with a character of the same name who first appeared in the Awakening Evarun set. Olivia appears in Mouth of the Dragon as Revered Mother over the Servian Order, centuries old. This echoes other instances of children saving adults. From the prelude book Veil of the Dragon, “Al-Aaron,” a child priest-warrior, saved and mentored Chaelus. Barczak continually explores the role of children saving or superseding adults: in Mouth the main duo for this interplay is Login and Maedelous.
Style: Barczak style defines his writing. He writes with entertaining paradox. In one sense, the conflict could not be more stark: good angels vs. evil demons; yet both are presented as reflections, or veiled versions of the other. The author is fascinated with sensing strange/beautiful things, such as the ailment synesthesia which refers to a secondary stimulus of senses. For instance, a subset is called chromesthesia, in which hearing certain sounds will trigger recoloring of whatever is being viewed by eye: one could be looking at a white wall and it would change to red or blue as certain music is played. Such dissonance is similar to one making sense of Rene Magritte’s Ceci n'est pas une pipe (this is not a pipe). Barczak intentionally provides beautiful synesthetic observations. Here are example excerpts:
There was nothing to see here but a sullen whisper.
Darkness seared her vision. It bled down her cheeks like oil. It drained from her mouth, like every soul she had ever taken it from.
The gray morning light, sullen, settled in full over the golden city of Paleos, the glimmer of its domes struck mute by its haze.
Everything is veiled and unsettled: A surreal milieu pervades the book. The best example is of the gossomar covered blades of Servian knights who vowed to kill only non-blooded humans (i.e. wraith like Remnants). The cover of Veil of the Dragon drawn by the author displayed this. It highlights the paradox of a military legion representing a benevolent religious organization. Again, Barczak intentionally blurs what is superficially clear. The Servian Order plays a large role again in Mouth, of course. However the cloth “veil” over the blade resonates with myraid other veils: ghostly phantoms, smokey tendrils obscuring vision, memories bleeding into dreams and reality. There are two contrarian, prophetic forces running in parallel: two sets of Servian knights, two sets of prophets, two armies…etc. It is like both good and evil are personified and stare through a window at each other; the reader is watching too, trying to figure out which one is real… or are they reflections of the reader in a mirror?
Poetic Style: There is an obvious rhythm. This is done in part with oft repeated words (azure, veil, Happas…which is an archaic word for a Roman highway), and with repeated phrasing such as:
The man’s eyes stared up at her from somewhere beyond, where he cradled himself at her feet. The stain of blood and darker things colored his chin, his face, his chest. Black tendrils had begun to lace across his pale skin. Soon, the Dragon’s Sleep would take him. Soon, the Dragon’s Sleep would take them all. Even the one she had just let go. Even her lover who was coming for her, for she knew it was the only way he could save her.
He could still see them, all of them. He could still see the knights’ faces staring back at him with their dead eyes, staring back at him from the edge of the encampment; seven of them, each of them with arms and legs flayed out upon a prostrate cross, staring back at him, staring through him long after they had passed from his sight.
Evarun series: Evarun’s audience and backing is deservedly growing. The serial Awakening series was an independent endeavor, but not Barczak now has the backing of Perserid Press who provided the book with a Roy Mauritsen designed cover (elegantly embedding the author’s sketch).
Judging by the author’s blog, the next installment is to be called “Hands of the Dragon,” which would refer to several wizards serving all-things-dragon: Vas Ore and Vas Kael. The author has drawn them too.
February 6, 2017
This interesting fantasy story was well written and poetic.
I have to admit that I had a hard time following at first, but simply because I am terrible with names and the author has chosen many foreign, perhaps even invented, ones for the majority of his many characters. They fit well with the fictional land he created though, so I don't have any reproach about that. I enjoyed reading the book despite my need to focus extra hard at first.
The creative story starts off with a man named Chaelus during his quest to save his brother Baelus, who's body had been taken over by a dragon, and win his father's kingdom back despite a warning that he should not go.
Chaelus ignored a prophecy and a war began, causing many deaths. But, hope lingered.
This book contains battle scenes, moments of fear, suffering as well as sadness, ghost appearances, resurections, talk of angels, and a bit of romance. Although a work of fiction, the author makes it easy for the reader to suspend their disbelief and get into the story because the characters were well developed and almost seemed real.
The mystery of it all, along with the bit of suspense, kept me wanting to continue reading. I am sure that you will too.
If you like fantasy stories mixed with a bit of horror, I recommend you read this book. (For a mature audience)
I have to admit that I had a hard time following at first, but simply because I am terrible with names and the author has chosen many foreign, perhaps even invented, ones for the majority of his many characters. They fit well with the fictional land he created though, so I don't have any reproach about that. I enjoyed reading the book despite my need to focus extra hard at first.
The creative story starts off with a man named Chaelus during his quest to save his brother Baelus, who's body had been taken over by a dragon, and win his father's kingdom back despite a warning that he should not go.
Chaelus ignored a prophecy and a war began, causing many deaths. But, hope lingered.
This book contains battle scenes, moments of fear, suffering as well as sadness, ghost appearances, resurections, talk of angels, and a bit of romance. Although a work of fiction, the author makes it easy for the reader to suspend their disbelief and get into the story because the characters were well developed and almost seemed real.
The mystery of it all, along with the bit of suspense, kept me wanting to continue reading. I am sure that you will too.
If you like fantasy stories mixed with a bit of horror, I recommend you read this book. (For a mature audience)
February 10, 2017
I thought Mouth of the Dragon was a great book - a fast-paced epic that still leaves plenty of room for its characters to breath. Tom Barczak does a great job telling his story, lending a true sense of life into his multiple of fantastic characters. I read the entire book in just two sittings. Highly recommended!
February 24, 2017
Food for thought & Food to savor.
I relish the prospect of being able to get my teeth into a novel that’s presented as a gourmet meal. A work where the plot is composed of many layered courses – each defined and integral to the overall story – and each aspect of which allows you the opportunity to savor it fully.
In “Mouth of the Dragon,” Tom Barczak treats us to a wealth of fine dining, for it is evident from the outset that a great deal of forethought and preparation has gone into the execution of a storyline that can’t be rushed. You have to take your time to appreciate the ingredients, components that initially seem to contradict in intent before blending together in a way that fully satisfies your literary palate.
Select examples abound, and though your anticipations are frequently raised, Barczack dexterously keeps you hanging there, balanced on a fulcrum of suspended expectations where you have to await the addition of yet another layer of text until your craving for fulfillment is satisfied. What’s more, the narrative is as poetic as it is profound, creating an eerily dark and moody setting. And yet, there’s nothing dreary about the world that Barczak has created, for his account possesses an elegiac quality that actively conjures vivid scenes in your mind of a once vibrant landscape now blanched of life by an insidious malaise that has been allowed to creep in through the shadows most pay scant attention to.
You can figuratively see the decay eating away like a cancer at the very fabric of the land – hear the lament of a dying people too consumed to do anything about it, or care – taste the wormwood as it poisons their morality – feel the corruption riddling their bones. Superb.
It is through the skilful use of such prose that Barczak fabricates a growing web of tension, a building desperation that compels you to bleed for those caught in the bitter unfolding of a brutal prophecy as it makes you crave the gratification of instant recompense for those who have unjustly suffered.
“Mouth of the Dragon” a complex, transient, many layered banquet, expertly woven together into one of the finest stories I have read in a long time.
Very well done, a thoroughly enjoyable first-rate effort.
I relish the prospect of being able to get my teeth into a novel that’s presented as a gourmet meal. A work where the plot is composed of many layered courses – each defined and integral to the overall story – and each aspect of which allows you the opportunity to savor it fully.
In “Mouth of the Dragon,” Tom Barczak treats us to a wealth of fine dining, for it is evident from the outset that a great deal of forethought and preparation has gone into the execution of a storyline that can’t be rushed. You have to take your time to appreciate the ingredients, components that initially seem to contradict in intent before blending together in a way that fully satisfies your literary palate.
Select examples abound, and though your anticipations are frequently raised, Barczack dexterously keeps you hanging there, balanced on a fulcrum of suspended expectations where you have to await the addition of yet another layer of text until your craving for fulfillment is satisfied. What’s more, the narrative is as poetic as it is profound, creating an eerily dark and moody setting. And yet, there’s nothing dreary about the world that Barczak has created, for his account possesses an elegiac quality that actively conjures vivid scenes in your mind of a once vibrant landscape now blanched of life by an insidious malaise that has been allowed to creep in through the shadows most pay scant attention to.
You can figuratively see the decay eating away like a cancer at the very fabric of the land – hear the lament of a dying people too consumed to do anything about it, or care – taste the wormwood as it poisons their morality – feel the corruption riddling their bones. Superb.
It is through the skilful use of such prose that Barczak fabricates a growing web of tension, a building desperation that compels you to bleed for those caught in the bitter unfolding of a brutal prophecy as it makes you crave the gratification of instant recompense for those who have unjustly suffered.
“Mouth of the Dragon” a complex, transient, many layered banquet, expertly woven together into one of the finest stories I have read in a long time.
Very well done, a thoroughly enjoyable first-rate effort.
June 4, 2017
This is an exquisitely written book, with prose that is both poetic and often very profound. Tom Barczak writes with a sure hand and a genuine “feel” for his characters, the way they interact, and he shows us his love of human drama. Written with passion and compassion, Barczak, graces us with an elegant tale of prophet whose own prophecy forces him to choose between being its servant hunting the dragon that takes possession of people like some demonic entity from Hell, turning them into something less than what they are. Chaelus is the main character, a resurrected warrior haunted by ghosts of the past, as well as ghosts of the future. He has become a pawn in a war between the forces of good and powers of evil: Possessed by the one spirit, and torn between that and the demonic evil that has taken him hold of him. There is a true elegance and eloquence to Barczak’s style and his way of telling a story. While the story is complex and filled with allegory, while there are religious and philosophical themes running throughout, the plot never overshadows the characters, who are complicated, three-dimensional, and all too human. This is what I call a character-driven novel -- in which the characters drive the plot and ignite the action, instead of plot and action driving the characters. Barczak’s characters are real, and they serve the story, they ARE the story, and they make this novel, with its underlying shadow of forces and prophecies threatening to overwhelm a world, a powerful and engaging read. Bravo!
September 7, 2017
I read Mouth of the Dragon quite some time after reading another of Tom Barczak’s Prophecy of the Evarun books, Veil of the Dragon, which I have also read and reviewed.
My experience was one of returning to familiarity, albeit a unique state of the familiar, as I’ve never read anything that really resembles Barczak’s style elsewhere. As with his previous work, the prose paints you into his world in a heightened, almost dreamlike way that mirrors the epic, otherworldly experiences of the characters. Chaelus is not the easiest protagonist to identify with, given his messianic level burden of destiny, yet he is incredibly compelling to follow nonetheless. This is epic fantasy that explores a spiritual understanding of good and evil rather than merely mechanical, and it’s hard not to be affected by the pervasive malice of the titular Dragon—a force and a presence that is well weighted against the rich mysticism of faith in a benevolent higher power and purpose.
In Mouth of the Dragon, the might and consequence of Chaelus’ decisions is brought home quickly, and the writing does not skimp on examining the losses taken along the way. I aim to write a spoiler-less review, so I’ll simply say that Barczak’s focus on the profound spiritual conflict does not mean that there will not be action and high drama for the reader to enjoy.
I’ll happily acknowledge that not every reader will take to Barczak’s visionesque style, but I will say that it is worth submerging yourself in, for the heightened experience of the beautiful prose if nothing else. I suspect then that any fan of high fantasy will thereafter find themselves swept up in the grandeur and horror of the tale.
My experience was one of returning to familiarity, albeit a unique state of the familiar, as I’ve never read anything that really resembles Barczak’s style elsewhere. As with his previous work, the prose paints you into his world in a heightened, almost dreamlike way that mirrors the epic, otherworldly experiences of the characters. Chaelus is not the easiest protagonist to identify with, given his messianic level burden of destiny, yet he is incredibly compelling to follow nonetheless. This is epic fantasy that explores a spiritual understanding of good and evil rather than merely mechanical, and it’s hard not to be affected by the pervasive malice of the titular Dragon—a force and a presence that is well weighted against the rich mysticism of faith in a benevolent higher power and purpose.
In Mouth of the Dragon, the might and consequence of Chaelus’ decisions is brought home quickly, and the writing does not skimp on examining the losses taken along the way. I aim to write a spoiler-less review, so I’ll simply say that Barczak’s focus on the profound spiritual conflict does not mean that there will not be action and high drama for the reader to enjoy.
I’ll happily acknowledge that not every reader will take to Barczak’s visionesque style, but I will say that it is worth submerging yourself in, for the heightened experience of the beautiful prose if nothing else. I suspect then that any fan of high fantasy will thereafter find themselves swept up in the grandeur and horror of the tale.
March 17, 2017
The Immortal Dragon Manifested
“Her white gown drew blood from the field along its hem as she walked, like a bandage on a wound. She made her way amongst the corpses and broken spears, unmoved but for her stare fixed upon him, pleading with him.”
That’s a line from “Mouth of the Dragon,” a book filled with poetic descriptions and longing of the soul. In an age where ninety percent of what we read is comprised of grammatically incorrect Facebook memes incessantly shoved down your throat, “Mouth of the Dragon” hits you like a round-house kick to the face. This is a book to make you remember why you learned to read in the first place.
In some ways I feel ill-prepared to review at this moment as this book requires some incubation time. The titular dragon, for example, is less a physical being than it is a common ailment. Men and women are taken by the dragon and they cease to be themselves. Yet the dragon seems to have a kind of hive consciousness as well. I was reminded something of the dragon from John Boorman’s Excalibur.
Walking through a wasteland of bloodshed and war is Chaelus, the hero reborn. Even he is hard to describe as I believe he is heroic, but rarely is he given the opportunity of choice. Chaelus focuses the novel, but he is a character of potential force more often than action.
Mainly, “Mouth of the Dragon” exists like a dream. I’ve only read through it once and I don’t think that will be sufficient. It’s a complex work, beautifully written, and it doesn’t give away all its mysteries at a glance. This is a story worthy of study with tormented characters and a deep sense of spiritual loss and rediscovery. The writing is first rate, and this book is not easily compared to other fantasy novels.
My only concern is that this book might prove to be too difficult for impatient readers. Don’t push. Just sit back and let this novel wash over you like an ocean. The dragon is larger than the novel, which is as it should be.
“Her white gown drew blood from the field along its hem as she walked, like a bandage on a wound. She made her way amongst the corpses and broken spears, unmoved but for her stare fixed upon him, pleading with him.”
That’s a line from “Mouth of the Dragon,” a book filled with poetic descriptions and longing of the soul. In an age where ninety percent of what we read is comprised of grammatically incorrect Facebook memes incessantly shoved down your throat, “Mouth of the Dragon” hits you like a round-house kick to the face. This is a book to make you remember why you learned to read in the first place.
In some ways I feel ill-prepared to review at this moment as this book requires some incubation time. The titular dragon, for example, is less a physical being than it is a common ailment. Men and women are taken by the dragon and they cease to be themselves. Yet the dragon seems to have a kind of hive consciousness as well. I was reminded something of the dragon from John Boorman’s Excalibur.
Walking through a wasteland of bloodshed and war is Chaelus, the hero reborn. Even he is hard to describe as I believe he is heroic, but rarely is he given the opportunity of choice. Chaelus focuses the novel, but he is a character of potential force more often than action.
Mainly, “Mouth of the Dragon” exists like a dream. I’ve only read through it once and I don’t think that will be sufficient. It’s a complex work, beautifully written, and it doesn’t give away all its mysteries at a glance. This is a story worthy of study with tormented characters and a deep sense of spiritual loss and rediscovery. The writing is first rate, and this book is not easily compared to other fantasy novels.
My only concern is that this book might prove to be too difficult for impatient readers. Don’t push. Just sit back and let this novel wash over you like an ocean. The dragon is larger than the novel, which is as it should be.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews