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Eve of Redemption #1
Salvation's Dawn
In another time, another life, Karian Vanador was among the greatest of demonhunters.
Now, resurrected two centuries later, she is left fractured and alone. Her prowess remains undiminished, but does she have the fortitude to face the latest threats from the demons? A civil war brews on a distant island, the work of demons apparent in its progression. Assigned to an unlikely group of young heroes, Kari must draw strength from them even as she provides it, and unravel an underworld plot before Citaria is plunged into worldwide war again.
Can she find her purpose and destiny in this new time and place, and conquer the demons within before she faces the ones without?
Salvation's Dawn is the opening volume of the Eve of Redemption series. If you love epic fantasy in the vein of Terry Brooks, RA Salvatore, Raymond E. Feist, Ursula K Le Guin, and similar authors, you'll love the depth, complexity, and far-reaching worlds of this series.
Now, resurrected two centuries later, she is left fractured and alone. Her prowess remains undiminished, but does she have the fortitude to face the latest threats from the demons? A civil war brews on a distant island, the work of demons apparent in its progression. Assigned to an unlikely group of young heroes, Kari must draw strength from them even as she provides it, and unravel an underworld plot before Citaria is plunged into worldwide war again.
Can she find her purpose and destiny in this new time and place, and conquer the demons within before she faces the ones without?
Salvation's Dawn is the opening volume of the Eve of Redemption series. If you love epic fantasy in the vein of Terry Brooks, RA Salvatore, Raymond E. Feist, Ursula K Le Guin, and similar authors, you'll love the depth, complexity, and far-reaching worlds of this series.
448 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2015
155 people are currently reading
864 people want to read
About the author
Joe Jackson
22 books181 followersAs an avid fan of fantasy, I try to combine shades of some of my favorite authors' writing - Tad Williams, Raymond E. Feist, and RA Salvatore, among others - into my own world. The result is a world of rich descriptions, complex politics, and heart-racing combat.
I started writing Sci-Fi short stories in fifth grade after seeing the movie "Aliens" in the theater. After getting into Dungeons & Dragons with friends as a teenager, my interests moved to Epic Fantasy, but still rooted in a Sci-Fi alien world. The Eve of Redemption series represents the culmination of years of world-building and back-story development, much of it through epic AD&D campaigns, that takes familiar epic fantasy and brings it to an alien world.
I live in Rhode Island with my wife and two daughters. When I'm not chasing the rascals around the yard or counting beans for the boss, I'm usually imagining the next turn on the long road that the Eve of Redemption series brings.
I started writing Sci-Fi short stories in fifth grade after seeing the movie "Aliens" in the theater. After getting into Dungeons & Dragons with friends as a teenager, my interests moved to Epic Fantasy, but still rooted in a Sci-Fi alien world. The Eve of Redemption series represents the culmination of years of world-building and back-story development, much of it through epic AD&D campaigns, that takes familiar epic fantasy and brings it to an alien world.
I live in Rhode Island with my wife and two daughters. When I'm not chasing the rascals around the yard or counting beans for the boss, I'm usually imagining the next turn on the long road that the Eve of Redemption series brings.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
May 25, 2016
Karian Vanador is a terra-dracon demonhunter who has been resurrected several centuries after her death. In the wake of the Apocalypse, Kari has been summoned by her deity to join a band of of half-demons known as the Silver Blades on a mission to try to stop another war.
Salvation's Dawn is a very complex epic fantasy novel featuring a female lead character who is a species that is sort of a type of dragon. With demons, dragons and hunters my curiosity was peaked early on in the read even though it's bit our of my normal reading.
I have to admit as the adventure went on even though the author did a great job building this world and describing the different species involved I would sometimes keep thinking of them as human but would get pulled back into the fantasy world. It was all a lot to keep track of but for a fan of this genre I think someone should be sucked right into this world.
I really enjoyed Kari as a main character, it was nice just having a female in this environment and she was quite the strong lead. The story moved at a fairly good pace with enough action all throughout to keep ones attention as you learn of all the new things involved.
Also, Another quick mention, at the end of this book there is also a section that details all of the species, lands, wars and deities involved in Citaria which was a nice add to reference if you do get a bit confused on which was involved at any point with the complexity of the story.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Salvation's Dawn is a very complex epic fantasy novel featuring a female lead character who is a species that is sort of a type of dragon. With demons, dragons and hunters my curiosity was peaked early on in the read even though it's bit our of my normal reading.
I have to admit as the adventure went on even though the author did a great job building this world and describing the different species involved I would sometimes keep thinking of them as human but would get pulled back into the fantasy world. It was all a lot to keep track of but for a fan of this genre I think someone should be sucked right into this world.
I really enjoyed Kari as a main character, it was nice just having a female in this environment and she was quite the strong lead. The story moved at a fairly good pace with enough action all throughout to keep ones attention as you learn of all the new things involved.
Also, Another quick mention, at the end of this book there is also a section that details all of the species, lands, wars and deities involved in Citaria which was a nice add to reference if you do get a bit confused on which was involved at any point with the complexity of the story.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
February 5, 2017
Salvation's Dawn (Eve of Redemption #1) by Joe Jackson is an epic tale which I was not expecting! I thought this would be just a regular story but this is so much more. This whole world the author has created is so meticulously detailed in the creatures, culture, societies, the magic, the geography, and the well developed characters that it is like looking at an epic screen in my mind! So much went into making this world and he delivers this in such a way that makes it come alive rather than describing it bit by bit. A true feat for writers. I loved this book. The demon hunter is the main character and female, strong male characters that are half-demons, so many unique creatures, magic, the twists and details are simply tremendous! An adventure like no other. Wow, I am hooked on this series now!
August 19, 2015
Salvation’s Dawn is an epic fantasy with a strong female lead that’s – and this is something new for me – not a human. While, of course, I’ve read plenty of books about vamps, faeries, goddesses, aliens and such, I don’t think I can remember a character as epic as Karian. (By the way, I love her unusual name.) Her description alone was a promise of a big adventure full of magic and sharp swords and sorcery. I don’t want to give away too much, since the author will do it way better (and his writing style is impressively rich). But I’ll just say, a strong female character who has wings AND human feelings?? Hell yeah, I’m up for a book like that!
In the beginning, when I read about Kari’s looks and race, I must admit I’d expected another female general, tough as granite, and just as bold. Imagine my surprise when underneath the armor was actually a lady, educated, faithful, and with a higher purpose. She was simple and pretty easygoing (all things considered) and could be awkward and unsure, just like any of us, simple humans. I liked it.
Kari’s new friends were just as interesting for me. To say they were badass would be a huge understatement. Their looks alone guaranteed that; but there were also the things they could do. Hellfire AND sense of humor – not something you see every day in a book.
Of course, the world-building reminded me of TES 3 and 4. Oblivion was the only game I played for a long period of time, and it connected in a really good way with the book in my head. It made it easier to imagine, I think, and added to the rich picture that the author painted in my head. I stopped gaming years ago, but I do miss the fantasy creatures and their magic. Not just the races, but the whole scenery had a Morrowind-ish air to it, and it was awesome to read something like that. I think I could even hear the soundtrack somewhere in the back of my head as I read))
I don’t want to share too much on the plot, so that I don’t spoil anything for you. The book begins with action and a mystery, then slows down a bit as we get to meet Kari and her new squad and learn a lot about the world and its history. It was so beautifully written and read so easily that I didn’t mind lengthy explanations at all. The plot picks up after a few chapters, and that history comes in handy when the actual action starts.
If you’re looking for a new team of fantasy characters to fall in love with, this book is for you. And if you don’t mind a draconic protagonist (which looks awesome on the cover, by the way) who shows plenty of human emotions, and is kind of adorable, though still a kickass – you should totally give this one a try!
I received a copy of the book from the author for reviewing.
In the beginning, when I read about Kari’s looks and race, I must admit I’d expected another female general, tough as granite, and just as bold. Imagine my surprise when underneath the armor was actually a lady, educated, faithful, and with a higher purpose. She was simple and pretty easygoing (all things considered) and could be awkward and unsure, just like any of us, simple humans. I liked it.
Kari’s new friends were just as interesting for me. To say they were badass would be a huge understatement. Their looks alone guaranteed that; but there were also the things they could do. Hellfire AND sense of humor – not something you see every day in a book.
Of course, the world-building reminded me of TES 3 and 4. Oblivion was the only game I played for a long period of time, and it connected in a really good way with the book in my head. It made it easier to imagine, I think, and added to the rich picture that the author painted in my head. I stopped gaming years ago, but I do miss the fantasy creatures and their magic. Not just the races, but the whole scenery had a Morrowind-ish air to it, and it was awesome to read something like that. I think I could even hear the soundtrack somewhere in the back of my head as I read))
I don’t want to share too much on the plot, so that I don’t spoil anything for you. The book begins with action and a mystery, then slows down a bit as we get to meet Kari and her new squad and learn a lot about the world and its history. It was so beautifully written and read so easily that I didn’t mind lengthy explanations at all. The plot picks up after a few chapters, and that history comes in handy when the actual action starts.
If you’re looking for a new team of fantasy characters to fall in love with, this book is for you. And if you don’t mind a draconic protagonist (which looks awesome on the cover, by the way) who shows plenty of human emotions, and is kind of adorable, though still a kickass – you should totally give this one a try!
I received a copy of the book from the author for reviewing.
May 9, 2023
TL;DR: lots of relationship/sex talk plus unrelatable characters and shallow relationship build up
I usually don't write reviews, but I just had to because I did not see in other reviews what I felt about this book. The premise of the book sounded super interesting, a typical fantasy setting, the fight of a group of frieds, good against evil. The book very quickly became way more erotic and focused on relationships and who was into whom than I expected from the book description. I felt like half of the book was just about who was having sex with who and relationship stuff. There wasn't detailed description, so there were no detailed sex scenes, but people were having sex all the time and talking about it all the time. The whole feeling was very teenagy while the characters were in their mid 30s. There are probably readers who enjoy this, but I really did not and I would have appreciated if the book description would have hinted more at this, then I would not have purchased this book. I have read alot of fantasy and have never really encountered sex talk to this extend. Moreover, the relationship built up between the characters was super shallow. People who have never met before in their life suddenly considered each other very good friends after talking once about some shallow topic or they even found their 'mate for life' after basically almost never interacting with another character that they now suddenly want to have children with. I can not relate to this at all, and the female main character was also unrelatable to me as a woman (def felt like she was written by a man). Maybe it was on purpose since these people are not humans, so they may not act exactly like humans would, but I could not really build up any care for the characters.
I usually don't write reviews, but I just had to because I did not see in other reviews what I felt about this book. The premise of the book sounded super interesting, a typical fantasy setting, the fight of a group of frieds, good against evil. The book very quickly became way more erotic and focused on relationships and who was into whom than I expected from the book description. I felt like half of the book was just about who was having sex with who and relationship stuff. There wasn't detailed description, so there were no detailed sex scenes, but people were having sex all the time and talking about it all the time. The whole feeling was very teenagy while the characters were in their mid 30s. There are probably readers who enjoy this, but I really did not and I would have appreciated if the book description would have hinted more at this, then I would not have purchased this book. I have read alot of fantasy and have never really encountered sex talk to this extend. Moreover, the relationship built up between the characters was super shallow. People who have never met before in their life suddenly considered each other very good friends after talking once about some shallow topic or they even found their 'mate for life' after basically almost never interacting with another character that they now suddenly want to have children with. I can not relate to this at all, and the female main character was also unrelatable to me as a woman (def felt like she was written by a man). Maybe it was on purpose since these people are not humans, so they may not act exactly like humans would, but I could not really build up any care for the characters.
July 16, 2020
I decided to try this one out on a recommendation from a friend, who told me it was like nothing else out there. Figuring that was just hyperbole, since it seems like there's only variations on certain themes lately, I was pleasantly surprised to discover he was correct, since this story definitely has its own unique plot and themes.
PLOT SUMMARY
Karian Vanador, Shield of the Heavens, by the Grace of Zalkar, has just finished fighting with the forces of light against the Devil Queen Seril's demon forces in the Apocalypse. Being a demon hunter for the God of Justice Zalkar, she was eminently suited for fighting them. Being resurrected after being dead 200 years to fight in the Apocalypse still weighs heavily on her. As she prepares for a life outside the military, she feels a summoning from Zalkar's priest's that tell her life isn't getting any simpler.
Traveling to a nearby city, she meets with the local clergy, who tell her she has a new mission as a demon hunter. She is to meet up with the Silver Blades, a group of half-demon's who fought for their turncoat Demon Lord father for the side of Light, and evaluate their leader, while they go on a mission to investigate a warlord looking to start a race war. Kari is not looking forward to the mission, but she is loyal to her god, and unknown to her, the mission will change her life in ways she'd never have been able to foresee.
Meeting up with the Blades, she discovers they are a group of five brothers and one sister, who have a diverse skill set, and were responsible for taking down a Demon Lord during the Apocalypse. Traveling with the group is Erys, a half demon assassin/spy in a relationship with one of the brothers, Alegios. Led by Erik, who is a demon hunter in the service of Zalkar, they proceed by ship to the island where the potential war is brewing. On the long trip, Kari gets to know the Blades, determining they are serious fighters with a range of useful combat and magical skills. She also starts a relationship with Grakin, the group's healer, who realizes she is the famed demon hunter of legend resurrected, and not an imposter using the name.
During the Journey, they make port in Kari's home city, which she had hoped to avoid due to childhood trauma that is just resurfacing in her jumbled memories. When Grakin is supportive and understanding of her reaction to the trauma resurfacing, she realizes they are truly mates for one another. As they continue the voyage, they stop at an isolated island, dropping supplies off to refugees from an attempted genocide. They also pick up a pair of human twin orphans, who need to leave the island if they are ever to find life mates. Both of them want to become paladins, so the Blades start to give them instruction in both combat skills and religious magic.
Reaching another port on the Isle of Tsalburn, where the potential war may start, the group splits up after gathering intelligence about the political and war situation. Erik and Kari split off from the rest of the group, chasing a rumor of a demon that may be behind starting the war. The rest of the group proceed with Alegios as leader to gather the rest of the Island's cities together to set armies out to confront the invasion force. Both groups have various successes and meet up a city much closer to the enemy, and combine together to confront the enemies leaders in a sneak attack from the inside of their own castle, while the islanders face the army on the outside. They discover that there is a much bigger conspiracy going on than they thought, and it could have world wide consequences if not stopped. Kari also has something happen that will change her life forever as well.
WORLD BUILDING AND CHARACTERS
When I mentioned that this was a unique story, I wasn't just being hyperbolic. The world building is such that this really stands apart. One way it stands apart is the fact that while there are humans, they are a small part of the population. This is not a world populated with just elves and dwarves either. There are huge amounts of what amounts to animalistic humanoids, as well as part-demons. Kari is a perfect example of this, being Dracon-rir, which means she has a draconic type face, even though she is a mammal, wings which allow her to glide, and being stronger than a human of her size. The Silver Blade siblings are similar in not being human and having wings, all being humanoid. There are also lizard like humanoids, as well as the varieties of unique monsters. The world building is also unusual in that the author takes into account actual physics when he writes out the fight scenes. That means a 5 foot 3, 110 lb woman will not be slinging a 6 foot 3, 230 pound man around like she's Hulk Hogan. Speed, agility and training become key components in fights, as they would in real life. The fight and battle scenes thus have an added element of realism just not seen much recently in fantasy.
The characters are written as realistically as possible, especially considering they aren't human for the most part. The main group, especially Kari, are fully developed, with strengths, flaws and even horrific trauma they have to deal with. They build some real comradery throughout, and the peeks into their pasts really expand on their characters. Even the villains and secondary characters get attention paid to them, really fleshing them out. The only thing I was a little disappointed in was the appearance of some of the characters, such as the Silver Blades, since their descriptions are a bit vague. This is a small complaint, though, and didn't really dampen my enjoyment of the story.
FINAL THOUGHTS
As I mentioned before, this story is a unique take on the epic fantasy journey. It doesn't use the usual chosen one tropes, but takes a fresh look at how to make a successful narrative. It creates rounded characters you can get invested in, and you find yourself unable to put the book down. I really can't recommend it enough, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
PLOT SUMMARY
Karian Vanador, Shield of the Heavens, by the Grace of Zalkar, has just finished fighting with the forces of light against the Devil Queen Seril's demon forces in the Apocalypse. Being a demon hunter for the God of Justice Zalkar, she was eminently suited for fighting them. Being resurrected after being dead 200 years to fight in the Apocalypse still weighs heavily on her. As she prepares for a life outside the military, she feels a summoning from Zalkar's priest's that tell her life isn't getting any simpler.
Traveling to a nearby city, she meets with the local clergy, who tell her she has a new mission as a demon hunter. She is to meet up with the Silver Blades, a group of half-demon's who fought for their turncoat Demon Lord father for the side of Light, and evaluate their leader, while they go on a mission to investigate a warlord looking to start a race war. Kari is not looking forward to the mission, but she is loyal to her god, and unknown to her, the mission will change her life in ways she'd never have been able to foresee.
Meeting up with the Blades, she discovers they are a group of five brothers and one sister, who have a diverse skill set, and were responsible for taking down a Demon Lord during the Apocalypse. Traveling with the group is Erys, a half demon assassin/spy in a relationship with one of the brothers, Alegios. Led by Erik, who is a demon hunter in the service of Zalkar, they proceed by ship to the island where the potential war is brewing. On the long trip, Kari gets to know the Blades, determining they are serious fighters with a range of useful combat and magical skills. She also starts a relationship with Grakin, the group's healer, who realizes she is the famed demon hunter of legend resurrected, and not an imposter using the name.
During the Journey, they make port in Kari's home city, which she had hoped to avoid due to childhood trauma that is just resurfacing in her jumbled memories. When Grakin is supportive and understanding of her reaction to the trauma resurfacing, she realizes they are truly mates for one another. As they continue the voyage, they stop at an isolated island, dropping supplies off to refugees from an attempted genocide. They also pick up a pair of human twin orphans, who need to leave the island if they are ever to find life mates. Both of them want to become paladins, so the Blades start to give them instruction in both combat skills and religious magic.
Reaching another port on the Isle of Tsalburn, where the potential war may start, the group splits up after gathering intelligence about the political and war situation. Erik and Kari split off from the rest of the group, chasing a rumor of a demon that may be behind starting the war. The rest of the group proceed with Alegios as leader to gather the rest of the Island's cities together to set armies out to confront the invasion force. Both groups have various successes and meet up a city much closer to the enemy, and combine together to confront the enemies leaders in a sneak attack from the inside of their own castle, while the islanders face the army on the outside. They discover that there is a much bigger conspiracy going on than they thought, and it could have world wide consequences if not stopped. Kari also has something happen that will change her life forever as well.
WORLD BUILDING AND CHARACTERS
When I mentioned that this was a unique story, I wasn't just being hyperbolic. The world building is such that this really stands apart. One way it stands apart is the fact that while there are humans, they are a small part of the population. This is not a world populated with just elves and dwarves either. There are huge amounts of what amounts to animalistic humanoids, as well as part-demons. Kari is a perfect example of this, being Dracon-rir, which means she has a draconic type face, even though she is a mammal, wings which allow her to glide, and being stronger than a human of her size. The Silver Blade siblings are similar in not being human and having wings, all being humanoid. There are also lizard like humanoids, as well as the varieties of unique monsters. The world building is also unusual in that the author takes into account actual physics when he writes out the fight scenes. That means a 5 foot 3, 110 lb woman will not be slinging a 6 foot 3, 230 pound man around like she's Hulk Hogan. Speed, agility and training become key components in fights, as they would in real life. The fight and battle scenes thus have an added element of realism just not seen much recently in fantasy.
The characters are written as realistically as possible, especially considering they aren't human for the most part. The main group, especially Kari, are fully developed, with strengths, flaws and even horrific trauma they have to deal with. They build some real comradery throughout, and the peeks into their pasts really expand on their characters. Even the villains and secondary characters get attention paid to them, really fleshing them out. The only thing I was a little disappointed in was the appearance of some of the characters, such as the Silver Blades, since their descriptions are a bit vague. This is a small complaint, though, and didn't really dampen my enjoyment of the story.
FINAL THOUGHTS
As I mentioned before, this story is a unique take on the epic fantasy journey. It doesn't use the usual chosen one tropes, but takes a fresh look at how to make a successful narrative. It creates rounded characters you can get invested in, and you find yourself unable to put the book down. I really can't recommend it enough, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
June 26, 2017
This book is an incredible fantasy novel, just not the book for me.
I rounded up because I know just how much some of my friends would love this novel, even if it didn't do the trick for me.
Karian Vanador is a terra-dracon demonhunter, resurrected many years after her death to help fight a war. Now that the war has been won, she has been summoned by her deity on a quest with the Silver Blades, a team of half-demons, on a mission to try to stop another one from breaking out.
The world building here is phenomenal. The scope of it is magnificent! The different species all living together, working together.. we have demons and dragons and humans, and any mix thereof. It's a massive world with a lot of detailed history.
Kari is a strong and independent demon-hunter, a powerful leader and fighter, still struggling with her own resurrection. I love this depth to her character. She's complex, both a warrior and capable of true feeling and emotion, passion and loyalty. At times she feels very human - despite her wings - and is easy to connect with.
However, the overly descriptive passages slowed things down and made it hard to get into the narrative. I found myself wondering why the author was describing something when it wasn't really helping to set the scene. Sometimes the reader has to do an effort of imagination while reading, but here there was so much of it laid out for you that the writing felt stunted.
So while I myself had to push to finish the book, I can think of at least five people right now who would dive right into this novel and get hooked.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I rounded up because I know just how much some of my friends would love this novel, even if it didn't do the trick for me.
Karian Vanador is a terra-dracon demonhunter, resurrected many years after her death to help fight a war. Now that the war has been won, she has been summoned by her deity on a quest with the Silver Blades, a team of half-demons, on a mission to try to stop another one from breaking out.
The world building here is phenomenal. The scope of it is magnificent! The different species all living together, working together.. we have demons and dragons and humans, and any mix thereof. It's a massive world with a lot of detailed history.
Kari is a strong and independent demon-hunter, a powerful leader and fighter, still struggling with her own resurrection. I love this depth to her character. She's complex, both a warrior and capable of true feeling and emotion, passion and loyalty. At times she feels very human - despite her wings - and is easy to connect with.
However, the overly descriptive passages slowed things down and made it hard to get into the narrative. I found myself wondering why the author was describing something when it wasn't really helping to set the scene. Sometimes the reader has to do an effort of imagination while reading, but here there was so much of it laid out for you that the writing felt stunted.
So while I myself had to push to finish the book, I can think of at least five people right now who would dive right into this novel and get hooked.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
August 19, 2017
Salvation's Dawn (Eve of Redemption, #1) by: Joe Jackson, is the first in an epic fantasy series. The story follows the main character Karian Vanadar, who is a demon-hunter, and the Silver Blades through an apocalyptic war.
I am a huge fantasy book lover and dived right into this book! The world created by Joe Jackson came as a major surprise to me. In a magnificent way! It was clean-cut, intricately-woven, very imagincative and detailed. What more can a reader ask for?! I was amazed and delightfully intrigued, which kept me interested in continuing the book.
The main characters' doubts about herself lends a realistic depth to the emotions felt and something readers could hold on to and maybe connect with. The plot that is surrounded by the cultures of the book is majorly creative, thoughtful and purely phenomenal. The authors' intricate details of the setting and the character's dialogue is borderline perfect; the pace, though a bit long, was not drawn out to the point it would be exhausting, but, it was evenly decent.
I have to give this author major credit for creating such an imaginatively epic world! I enjoyed every aspect of this book and cannot name a part that I would change. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series and would recommend every fantasy lover to read this epic tale fantasy.
I am a huge fantasy book lover and dived right into this book! The world created by Joe Jackson came as a major surprise to me. In a magnificent way! It was clean-cut, intricately-woven, very imagincative and detailed. What more can a reader ask for?! I was amazed and delightfully intrigued, which kept me interested in continuing the book.
The main characters' doubts about herself lends a realistic depth to the emotions felt and something readers could hold on to and maybe connect with. The plot that is surrounded by the cultures of the book is majorly creative, thoughtful and purely phenomenal. The authors' intricate details of the setting and the character's dialogue is borderline perfect; the pace, though a bit long, was not drawn out to the point it would be exhausting, but, it was evenly decent.
I have to give this author major credit for creating such an imaginatively epic world! I enjoyed every aspect of this book and cannot name a part that I would change. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series and would recommend every fantasy lover to read this epic tale fantasy.
May 21, 2020
What kind of spell work does Joe Jackson cast over his readers? Whatever he uses, it's got to be some CrAZy strong magic, as I found myself immediately entranced with Kari's story! I'm not necessarily a huge fan of quest novels, and I usually find myself easily distracted from, and bored with, a long journey/quest (why, do you think that I've never read the Hobbit? Lol), but that's not the case with this book! I loved Karian Vanador, a veteran demon hunter as she took on this new mission. I found myself needing to learn more about her, her world, her quest, her need to find her own answers. And every page seemed to only peek my curiosity and desire to find out more!
Joe Jackson totally ensorcled me with this plot driven storyline, and then... Chelsea Stephens just Freakin' nailed it with her finely nuanced performance. She had me eating right out of her hand!!!
Joe Jackson totally ensorcled me with this plot driven storyline, and then... Chelsea Stephens just Freakin' nailed it with her finely nuanced performance. She had me eating right out of her hand!!!
January 24, 2016
wow, I am not even sure where to start.
It's been a while since I read a book like this. It followed a steady pace throughout. The plot was mostly unpredicatable. It follows Kari, a terra-dracon, as the main character who was resurrected several centuries after her death. She was sent on a mission by her deity with a group of people who didn't know it was possible for one to be resurrected let alone that a resurrected being was in their midst.
The book follows Kari's journey with her companions to carry out her deity's wish.
The story is a nice intricate web that I felt like if I didn't return back to it quickly enough, I would forget key points. There are several similar sounding races, though the author took the time to explain them well within the story.
There was next to no errors/typos, so it made for easy reading.
The reasons I am not giving the book a 5 star are as follows (spoiler alert):
I would have loved if the author did a detailed fight scene between Kari and Eric when they started their voyage on the Karmi sword
I know this book isn't erotica (and demon erotica isn't my cup of tea) but it would have been interesting to know a bit more about the anatomy of the different races in relation to procreation. Like do they have the same anatomy as humans? How about the lizard men? do their eggs get fertilised in utero? etc etc
At one point, it looked like Eryn may be a traitor. Well that was the impression I got when she mentioned that the rogue had met the demon Emma. The rogue thought about it for a few seconds and put the thought aside as they had more pressing matters to deal with at the time. I thought there would have been an explanation as to how she knew that or at worse she was working with Emma but there was no explanation.
There was an appendix at the end that summarised the characteristics of the different races but it would have been handy if there were diagrams of them too.
On the plus size, the book was a very good length and I thank the author for not making it into two books. With the way the book ended, there's scope for book 2 that wouldn't leave the reader feeling short changed.
I can imagine how hard it was to come up with the characters and the world as a whole but if the author chooses to write a 2nd book, I would love if he could bump the pace a bit more. I found this book at a moderate pace for my tastes but enough to keep me reading
It's been a while since I read a book like this. It followed a steady pace throughout. The plot was mostly unpredicatable. It follows Kari, a terra-dracon, as the main character who was resurrected several centuries after her death. She was sent on a mission by her deity with a group of people who didn't know it was possible for one to be resurrected let alone that a resurrected being was in their midst.
The book follows Kari's journey with her companions to carry out her deity's wish.
The story is a nice intricate web that I felt like if I didn't return back to it quickly enough, I would forget key points. There are several similar sounding races, though the author took the time to explain them well within the story.
There was next to no errors/typos, so it made for easy reading.
The reasons I am not giving the book a 5 star are as follows (spoiler alert):
I would have loved if the author did a detailed fight scene between Kari and Eric when they started their voyage on the Karmi sword
I know this book isn't erotica (and demon erotica isn't my cup of tea) but it would have been interesting to know a bit more about the anatomy of the different races in relation to procreation. Like do they have the same anatomy as humans? How about the lizard men? do their eggs get fertilised in utero? etc etc
At one point, it looked like Eryn may be a traitor. Well that was the impression I got when she mentioned that the rogue had met the demon Emma. The rogue thought about it for a few seconds and put the thought aside as they had more pressing matters to deal with at the time. I thought there would have been an explanation as to how she knew that or at worse she was working with Emma but there was no explanation.
There was an appendix at the end that summarised the characteristics of the different races but it would have been handy if there were diagrams of them too.
On the plus size, the book was a very good length and I thank the author for not making it into two books. With the way the book ended, there's scope for book 2 that wouldn't leave the reader feeling short changed.
I can imagine how hard it was to come up with the characters and the world as a whole but if the author chooses to write a 2nd book, I would love if he could bump the pace a bit more. I found this book at a moderate pace for my tastes but enough to keep me reading
January 14, 2016
I definitely enjoyed my time with this. I came in with hesitations, both for being a self-published novel, and also for the lack of reviews on Goodreads, but I was pleasantly surprised. The lead, Kari, is as good as those few reviews say. She is uniquely human, and still alien. I didn't feel like she was shoe-horned in at all.
The relationships across the board, both romantic and naught, were dynamic, and fun. I loved the banter between siblings. Really immersive.
I was astounded by the amount of world-building that occured without fatigue. There is so much that has happened before we get to page one, and parts of it we see. Certainly enough to identify how characters have reacted, but not enough, again, to bore, or to drone on.
I will say though, that the novel was longer than I thought it needed to be. I can't say one area that was too long, but on a whole, it just seemed like it took longer to complete than I was expecting, unless of course, Reading Length was inaccurate in their estimate on the word count. EDIT: Turns out, Reading Length (which typically gives accurate estimates) was off by about seventy thousand words (which is about a novel's length by itself, so that's a big error). Joe responded to this review (you can see his response below) where he informed me of the difference between word counts that he has recorded (about 200 thousand words) vs. what RL had recorded (135 thousand, thereabouts). So taking that all into consideration, I will amend my criticisms. I was expecting a novel little longer than my own (111k), but read one that was almost double the length. Had I gone into the read knowing it was c. 200k words, I would've been more forgiving for the speed with which I read it. Because epic fantasies need naught be compared in the fields of length and pace, with shorter fantasies.
Overall, a very solid start to a promising fantasy series. Definitely going to be keeping Joe Jackson on my radar for the future.
I received this book for free through Goodreads firstreads.
The relationships across the board, both romantic and naught, were dynamic, and fun. I loved the banter between siblings. Really immersive.
I was astounded by the amount of world-building that occured without fatigue. There is so much that has happened before we get to page one, and parts of it we see. Certainly enough to identify how characters have reacted, but not enough, again, to bore, or to drone on.
I will say though, that the novel was longer than I thought it needed to be. I can't say one area that was too long, but on a whole, it just seemed like it took longer to complete than I was expecting, unless of course, Reading Length was inaccurate in their estimate on the word count. EDIT: Turns out, Reading Length (which typically gives accurate estimates) was off by about seventy thousand words (which is about a novel's length by itself, so that's a big error). Joe responded to this review (you can see his response below) where he informed me of the difference between word counts that he has recorded (about 200 thousand words) vs. what RL had recorded (135 thousand, thereabouts). So taking that all into consideration, I will amend my criticisms. I was expecting a novel little longer than my own (111k), but read one that was almost double the length. Had I gone into the read knowing it was c. 200k words, I would've been more forgiving for the speed with which I read it. Because epic fantasies need naught be compared in the fields of length and pace, with shorter fantasies.
Overall, a very solid start to a promising fantasy series. Definitely going to be keeping Joe Jackson on my radar for the future.
I received this book for free through Goodreads firstreads.
March 19, 2016
Salvation’s Dawn: Eve of Redemption, by Joseph Jackson, details the adventures of Karian Vanador, demonhunter, and the Silver Blades. As the war of the Apocalypse is fought to a close, Karian is summoned abruptly to the service of her deity, and sent with the band of half-demon adventurers known as the Silver Blades on a crucial mission: to avert another war. War-weary and lonely, Karian accepts the mission from a sense of duty alone. She isn’t certain what to expect from her assigned companions, and after eight years of fighting, she has doubts about herself and even her vocation as a demonhunter.
Joseph Jackson has created an epic-worthy world of magic and conflict in Salvation’s Dawn, seasoned with characters and inter-personal conflicts that will draw you into the adventure. With a double handful of different fighting styles and a complex pantheon of deities and demons, the foes are varied and the action includes magic and divine intervention as well as fists and blades. The world-building is well done, the descriptions assisted by Karian’s sense of displacement to allow for a wealth of detail without at any point coming across as an info-dump. Definitely a book well worth the read, with a lot to offer for fans of adventure and fantasy alike.
Joseph Jackson has created an epic-worthy world of magic and conflict in Salvation’s Dawn, seasoned with characters and inter-personal conflicts that will draw you into the adventure. With a double handful of different fighting styles and a complex pantheon of deities and demons, the foes are varied and the action includes magic and divine intervention as well as fists and blades. The world-building is well done, the descriptions assisted by Karian’s sense of displacement to allow for a wealth of detail without at any point coming across as an info-dump. Definitely a book well worth the read, with a lot to offer for fans of adventure and fantasy alike.
July 25, 2016
At first I wondered what I was reading as there isn't much of a set-up or world building at the beginning, the author just drops in right into the story and you have to figure it out from there. It's a world populated by humans and other creatures, a world where the inhabitants walk and talk with their gods. A world of many different races and beings.Quite honestly, I got lost with all the connections between the people and their gods and the sub-species of the different races.This doesn't distract from the story, just makes it more interesting. Fortunately, the different races act and sound like humans, so the story isn't hard to follow. The characters were well portrayed and it is easy to feel empathy with all of them. It is a surprising and entertaining read and I recommend it all fantasy readers who like the strange and weird.
January 2, 2021
This is a sprawling saga that spans continents, centering on a group of humanoids intent on saving the world one piece at a time. In this story they have a mission to stop a budding war in its tracks. There is a lot of depth to the characters and to the world they live in, and plenty of action. I enjoyed every page, and raced through the book until I finished. You will too!
January 15, 2016
What's a demon hunter to do when the war ends? This was an enjoyable book. It reminded me of old stories of the crusade, and returning Christian soldiers, but with demons. A book that was hard to put down.
November 7, 2020
Enjoyed
Really enjoyed this. It kept my attention and look forward to reading me. Some of the storyline made me feel like i was missing a story that happened earlier. But still really good.
Really enjoyed this. It kept my attention and look forward to reading me. Some of the storyline made me feel like i was missing a story that happened earlier. But still really good.
January 14, 2016
Excellent read.. detailed character and story line. Loved it!
April 2, 2019
Great read, Slow to Start
Jackson's first instalment of the Eve of Redemption series definitely feels like an adventure. This took a while for me to get through.
I will say that the story itself takes a good while to really get going. Whilst the build up provided in the start is necessary to understanding stuff later, some parts occasionally felt out of place for the situation. I think it was the deeper insights into Karian Vanador's personal life that was a bit awkward to get into initially.
That changed after halfway and the action started getting involved and where you start to see not only action but also some relationships grow and develop. It ends up enveloping you fast and sooner or later, having to put the book down felt like a disservice. It ends on a high and the much more personal insight suddenly felt less awkward. Just be prepared for that initially though as it can feel a little out of place but this dissipates once you warm up to the characters.
The characters are relatable and get more so as you read. Whilst ninety-five of them aren't human and are a fantastic mix of races, they're just as human as the rest of us. I'm sure I almost teared up at some moments. You'll come to love the characters for sure.
Overall, this is a book that gets better as you get through it. If the start puts you off, I implore you to push through it, you won't be disappointed.
Will pick up book two at some point in the future. Otherwise, this is a fantastic read and hints at so much more to come in the future.
Jackson's first instalment of the Eve of Redemption series definitely feels like an adventure. This took a while for me to get through.
I will say that the story itself takes a good while to really get going. Whilst the build up provided in the start is necessary to understanding stuff later, some parts occasionally felt out of place for the situation. I think it was the deeper insights into Karian Vanador's personal life that was a bit awkward to get into initially.
That changed after halfway and the action started getting involved and where you start to see not only action but also some relationships grow and develop. It ends up enveloping you fast and sooner or later, having to put the book down felt like a disservice. It ends on a high and the much more personal insight suddenly felt less awkward. Just be prepared for that initially though as it can feel a little out of place but this dissipates once you warm up to the characters.
The characters are relatable and get more so as you read. Whilst ninety-five of them aren't human and are a fantastic mix of races, they're just as human as the rest of us. I'm sure I almost teared up at some moments. You'll come to love the characters for sure.
Overall, this is a book that gets better as you get through it. If the start puts you off, I implore you to push through it, you won't be disappointed.
Will pick up book two at some point in the future. Otherwise, this is a fantastic read and hints at so much more to come in the future.
June 28, 2020
Karian Vanador has been resurrected. She didn’t want to be and is not truly grateful to be. She is the only one known to ever have been resurrected. Most don’t believe it is actually her but someone trying to steal her glory. The world is at war with demons trying to find a gateway into the world. You are only giving snippets of her past life. At the beginning of the story a war has just ended and the remaining and fleeing demons will be finished off.
Kari is summoned and asked to work with a group, the Silver Blades on her next mission. They had a reputation during the war, but she is surprised to find out they are half demon. Half demons are despised by all races. She is also asked to evaluate one of the siblings in the Silver Blades on his leadership abilities.
The story goes on from there but I don’t want to spoil anything. It is definitely worth checking out and I will continue to read the series myself.
Kari is summoned and asked to work with a group, the Silver Blades on her next mission. They had a reputation during the war, but she is surprised to find out they are half demon. Half demons are despised by all races. She is also asked to evaluate one of the siblings in the Silver Blades on his leadership abilities.
The story goes on from there but I don’t want to spoil anything. It is definitely worth checking out and I will continue to read the series myself.
June 4, 2017
Intriguing epic
Much better than expected. Magic and intrigue intertwined together with sense of humanity at it worse with the final outcome of higher forces overcoming and displaying compassion, understanding and tolerance of different races to show them at their best.
Much better than expected. Magic and intrigue intertwined together with sense of humanity at it worse with the final outcome of higher forces overcoming and displaying compassion, understanding and tolerance of different races to show them at their best.
January 6, 2019
This is a good fantasy novel with a well defined world and characters. It is slow in some places with too much explanation on small points of situations that happen. Overall, I recommend the read as it is entertaining. I look forward to reading book two.
February 20, 2021
A very different concept - fun to follow Kari and friends.
September 17, 2015
Salvation's Dawn, where do I begin, well with Chapter 1, of course. Chapter 1 is a little hard to get into, I must admit. Mind you, the author does not smack you over the head with world building, but he does have to build a whole new world for you before you can fully appreciate the story line. Much of the story is dependent upon the reader knowing and understanding the world. So my advice, is to take your time reading the first two chapters, but definitely stick with it because the rest of the book is worth it. The other part that makes the first two chapters a little more difficult, is that the main character is thinking of different parts of the world and the narrator is describing her memories of different parts of the world and different people. Once she gets to traveling and describing what she sees, smells, hears, tastes of different parts of the world, it is much easier to follow along in the world building. The traveling and world building reminded me of Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K LeGuinn.
It is obvious that Joe Jackson has spent years planning, creating, fine tuning the world this story is set in. He has also carefully created the different species and characters in the novel. His attention to detail on the creation of so many diverse characters is amazing. Characters who are of the same species have distinct personalities and voices that are easy to determine who is talking. He created and discussed several new species and at least one, often more, characters in each species. The supporting characters are not fillers, but are enjoyable and interesting as well.
The main character is Kari. To prove that she keeps to herself and doesn't open up to others, she is even slow to open up to the narrator. You slowly get to know Kari over the course of the book as she slowly opens herself up to other characters and even the narrator. Gradually you begin to respect, admire, and deeply care about Kari. She is a phenomenal character, I will discuss more about her later in a blog post dedicated just to her character, because Kari is just that awesome!
One thing I really liked was how he described Kari bit by bit over time in the narration. It was like a picture of her slowly grew over time in the novel. I could tell that the author had spent countless hours with Kari and really admired her. While Kari is a warrior, she is not simply a female body planted over a male warrior personality. She is a believable, feminine, yet hard when she needs to be character. She is a fully developed, three dimensional character that has more depth than a lot of people I have met.
I haven't even discussed plot yet! Well, I was so engrossed in the story that I forgot there was even a plot! What a pleasant experience to forget you are even reading a book, forgetting you are reading the book to write a review, and you are in the the story experiencing every vivid detail. Amazing.
Okay, so I do have to discuss plot even though I barely noticed it. While there was not a plot twist every turn, every plot twist is crucial to the overall storyline and helps to move the story forward. This is the first book in the series, and he does a nice job of tying up some of the loose ends at the end of this book but leaving plenty open for the next book in the series. The story arc is easy to follow and is seamless.
One other fact, is that I stayed up three (3) hours past my usual bedtime to finish the novel. I generally guard my bedtime like a hawk, but I just had to finish the book. I did, three hours after I should have been in bed! If I stay up past my bedtime to finish a book, then it is a good book. When I'm already waiting on second book in the series to come out before I finish book #1, then that is a great book. I, however, disagree with all the above assessments and think the book is phenomenal. It is flawless in presentation and execution. It is a beautiful story with genuine characters and an interesting story line that keeps you turning the pages.
My advice, get the book already. What are you waiting for? This is a must read.
I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
For an in-depth review of Kari and an author interview, please check out this blog post http://www.coridyson.com
It is obvious that Joe Jackson has spent years planning, creating, fine tuning the world this story is set in. He has also carefully created the different species and characters in the novel. His attention to detail on the creation of so many diverse characters is amazing. Characters who are of the same species have distinct personalities and voices that are easy to determine who is talking. He created and discussed several new species and at least one, often more, characters in each species. The supporting characters are not fillers, but are enjoyable and interesting as well.
The main character is Kari. To prove that she keeps to herself and doesn't open up to others, she is even slow to open up to the narrator. You slowly get to know Kari over the course of the book as she slowly opens herself up to other characters and even the narrator. Gradually you begin to respect, admire, and deeply care about Kari. She is a phenomenal character, I will discuss more about her later in a blog post dedicated just to her character, because Kari is just that awesome!
One thing I really liked was how he described Kari bit by bit over time in the narration. It was like a picture of her slowly grew over time in the novel. I could tell that the author had spent countless hours with Kari and really admired her. While Kari is a warrior, she is not simply a female body planted over a male warrior personality. She is a believable, feminine, yet hard when she needs to be character. She is a fully developed, three dimensional character that has more depth than a lot of people I have met.
I haven't even discussed plot yet! Well, I was so engrossed in the story that I forgot there was even a plot! What a pleasant experience to forget you are even reading a book, forgetting you are reading the book to write a review, and you are in the the story experiencing every vivid detail. Amazing.
Okay, so I do have to discuss plot even though I barely noticed it. While there was not a plot twist every turn, every plot twist is crucial to the overall storyline and helps to move the story forward. This is the first book in the series, and he does a nice job of tying up some of the loose ends at the end of this book but leaving plenty open for the next book in the series. The story arc is easy to follow and is seamless.
One other fact, is that I stayed up three (3) hours past my usual bedtime to finish the novel. I generally guard my bedtime like a hawk, but I just had to finish the book. I did, three hours after I should have been in bed! If I stay up past my bedtime to finish a book, then it is a good book. When I'm already waiting on second book in the series to come out before I finish book #1, then that is a great book. I, however, disagree with all the above assessments and think the book is phenomenal. It is flawless in presentation and execution. It is a beautiful story with genuine characters and an interesting story line that keeps you turning the pages.
My advice, get the book already. What are you waiting for? This is a must read.
I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
For an in-depth review of Kari and an author interview, please check out this blog post http://www.coridyson.com
June 16, 2020
I enjoyed this book. It kept my interest and imagination wanting more. It follows Karian Vanador a demonhunter. She was a lieutenant Colonel in the Demonhunter Order conscripted to fight in the apocalypse war for eight years, now the war has ended. And so begins Karians mysterious tale with background history thrown in. She is a terra-dracon who likes a strong drink now and then. The Characters are likeable and relatable with strong personalities.
September 16, 2015
This book is very interesting for a number of reasons. First, let me give you all a description of the roller coaster of awesome I got to ride for a few days.
Salvation’s Dawn takes place in a world not much like earth at all. There are creatures, humans, demons, even half-demons. But—get this—the main character is NOT human! And this is not a children’s book. It’s not often I come across books where the main protagonist is not human. I’ve read things about vampires and wolves and such but Kari is Terra-Dracon, a species I’ve never heard of until now.
I can’t give you all too much information because I don’t want to spoil it, but Kari is the type of character who can steal the show. A strong female lead isn’t exactly how I would describe her, she’s more like a commanding presence that dominates the story. Yes, she dominates because she is the main character but also because she has a leadership mentality—which is expected from a military trained Demon-Hunter, right!?
Kari was resurrected against her will to fight in a war that’s not much her business or responsibility—I mean, she was resurrected 200 years after her death! After joining Silverblades, Kari faces a quintessential battle of good versus evil. This is always a plus for me because, who doesn’t love a good old right versus wrong smack-down?
The world building in this book reminded me of those MMORPG video games the kids are playing these days—that’s Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game for those of you who aren’t nerds XD. Things like World of Warcraft or even League of Legends. Think Lord of the Rings meets Dragon Age. It’s an epic fantasy of epic measure, something I honestly wasn’t quite used to. When I say I like fantasy, I mean simple things like magic here and maybe a witch there but not half-breeds, not a world on the verge of an apocalyptic meltdown, not a creature that isn’t human but has very human emotions. This book was an adventure that I had to take my time to enjoy. I mean that in a positive way, while I had to try hard to imagine Kari’s looks and piece them together in my head, Jackson did a wonderful job with his small hints of detail.
There were no ‘info dumps’ where I was reading paragraph after paragraph of details and long running descriptions. Everything I needed to know was carefully woven into the passages in a very smooth and graceful way.
Kari is probably my favorite character here, I know it’s easy to love her because she’s the main character but Jackson does such a wonderful job at ‘getting in her head’ despite having the book in third person narration. I can see Kari’s facial expressions, I can feel her fear and confusion in those heart-pounding scenes that Jackson is so good at writing. The beginning of the book has Kari flying across the skies—yes, she has wings, awesome right??—and I just remember feeling like I was floating right there with her. I could feel the icy air whipping across my cold cheeks, I could imagine the texture of her rough feathers. It’s a beautifully structured piece when it comes to those little details that are so easy to overlook.
One of my favorite things about Jackson’s writing? He makes it look like a work of art that comes so easy—when we all know it does not. This book is almost a whopping 200k words! But it flies by so smoothly because of Jackson’s graceful tone and smooth talk. Look at me, making this sound all romantic and such! Speaking of love, it is so absolutely easy to fall for this book. Coming from someone who wasn’t so sure about it at first, that’s a huge complement.
I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys high-fantasy and original characters/settings. Trust me, you will enjoy this.
*A last note, I would not label this as a ‘religious read’ but there are slight references to deities and other spiritual concepts. It’s minute enough where it wouldn’t be classified as a religious or strictly secular book. Have some imagination and give it a chance!
Salvation’s Dawn takes place in a world not much like earth at all. There are creatures, humans, demons, even half-demons. But—get this—the main character is NOT human! And this is not a children’s book. It’s not often I come across books where the main protagonist is not human. I’ve read things about vampires and wolves and such but Kari is Terra-Dracon, a species I’ve never heard of until now.
I can’t give you all too much information because I don’t want to spoil it, but Kari is the type of character who can steal the show. A strong female lead isn’t exactly how I would describe her, she’s more like a commanding presence that dominates the story. Yes, she dominates because she is the main character but also because she has a leadership mentality—which is expected from a military trained Demon-Hunter, right!?
Kari was resurrected against her will to fight in a war that’s not much her business or responsibility—I mean, she was resurrected 200 years after her death! After joining Silverblades, Kari faces a quintessential battle of good versus evil. This is always a plus for me because, who doesn’t love a good old right versus wrong smack-down?
The world building in this book reminded me of those MMORPG video games the kids are playing these days—that’s Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game for those of you who aren’t nerds XD. Things like World of Warcraft or even League of Legends. Think Lord of the Rings meets Dragon Age. It’s an epic fantasy of epic measure, something I honestly wasn’t quite used to. When I say I like fantasy, I mean simple things like magic here and maybe a witch there but not half-breeds, not a world on the verge of an apocalyptic meltdown, not a creature that isn’t human but has very human emotions. This book was an adventure that I had to take my time to enjoy. I mean that in a positive way, while I had to try hard to imagine Kari’s looks and piece them together in my head, Jackson did a wonderful job with his small hints of detail.
There were no ‘info dumps’ where I was reading paragraph after paragraph of details and long running descriptions. Everything I needed to know was carefully woven into the passages in a very smooth and graceful way.
Kari is probably my favorite character here, I know it’s easy to love her because she’s the main character but Jackson does such a wonderful job at ‘getting in her head’ despite having the book in third person narration. I can see Kari’s facial expressions, I can feel her fear and confusion in those heart-pounding scenes that Jackson is so good at writing. The beginning of the book has Kari flying across the skies—yes, she has wings, awesome right??—and I just remember feeling like I was floating right there with her. I could feel the icy air whipping across my cold cheeks, I could imagine the texture of her rough feathers. It’s a beautifully structured piece when it comes to those little details that are so easy to overlook.
One of my favorite things about Jackson’s writing? He makes it look like a work of art that comes so easy—when we all know it does not. This book is almost a whopping 200k words! But it flies by so smoothly because of Jackson’s graceful tone and smooth talk. Look at me, making this sound all romantic and such! Speaking of love, it is so absolutely easy to fall for this book. Coming from someone who wasn’t so sure about it at first, that’s a huge complement.
I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys high-fantasy and original characters/settings. Trust me, you will enjoy this.
*A last note, I would not label this as a ‘religious read’ but there are slight references to deities and other spiritual concepts. It’s minute enough where it wouldn’t be classified as a religious or strictly secular book. Have some imagination and give it a chance!
April 26, 2016
A worthy addition to the epic fantasy canon
“If it so pleases you, we will fire dance in his honor.”
This story is a treasure, a work of art, a labor of love and a magical artifact. Weighing in at 446 pages and something near 200,000 words, Joe Jackson’s first foray in epic fantasy nails both epic and fantasy. Featuring the rare strong female lead, who is not human but demon-hunter, black and winged, but simultaneously all female and all warrior, Jackson’s world and heroine are fresh and unique.
First, to the naysayers. Yes, the story starts slow. For the world-building is intricate, detailed, lovingly crafted and real. I know Kari’s world, for I have now smelt it, tasted it, heard it, learned of its gods and demons. I call this not fault but beautiful slow-building power and solidity, a concreteness and reality that make Jackson’s world as real to me as Tolkien’s or Le Guin’s or Salvatore’s worlds. Is there too much explanation and back story and arcane detail? Possibly. But if you are a reader who is looking for your next great fantasy world and characters to fall in love with and pursue through hundreds of rich and glorious pages, you will not mind the slow pace of the first half or the detailed descriptions of races and lands and history but rather will revel in them.
For gamers, of both the dice or digital tribes, you will instantly know the distinctions between rogues and wizards, healers and tanks. If you, of those tribes, enjoy the RPG part of MMORPGs, you will love this book. And if you are a dice-throwing D&D fanatic, you will have found your ancestral home. If you have no idea what I am talking about, this beautiful rich world and its gloriously complex and detailed heroine may not move you, and so you should pass by, and read something simpler and less demanding. But if you are of either of those tribes, then you must make this journey, alongside Kari, demon-hunter.
I do not want to give away details of the plot, or Kari’s relationships with her fellows the Silver Blades, or her fascinating back story, for these are pleasures due the worthy reader. But any book that begins with a bath and a double god-hammer and ends with a fire dance promises a strenuous and adventurous journey, slow though its start may be. The fighting is rare but physical and visceral, with a Special Forces concreteness that makes the moments memorable. The sex is loving and based in relationship. The conversations are between real and distinctive characters, with individual motivations and agendas.
Jackson has fashioned an amazing world and a brilliant heroine. I look forward to the next installment in the Eve of Redemption series and highly recommend this work to fans of epic, gargantuan fantasy.
“If it so pleases you, we will fire dance in his honor.”
This story is a treasure, a work of art, a labor of love and a magical artifact. Weighing in at 446 pages and something near 200,000 words, Joe Jackson’s first foray in epic fantasy nails both epic and fantasy. Featuring the rare strong female lead, who is not human but demon-hunter, black and winged, but simultaneously all female and all warrior, Jackson’s world and heroine are fresh and unique.
First, to the naysayers. Yes, the story starts slow. For the world-building is intricate, detailed, lovingly crafted and real. I know Kari’s world, for I have now smelt it, tasted it, heard it, learned of its gods and demons. I call this not fault but beautiful slow-building power and solidity, a concreteness and reality that make Jackson’s world as real to me as Tolkien’s or Le Guin’s or Salvatore’s worlds. Is there too much explanation and back story and arcane detail? Possibly. But if you are a reader who is looking for your next great fantasy world and characters to fall in love with and pursue through hundreds of rich and glorious pages, you will not mind the slow pace of the first half or the detailed descriptions of races and lands and history but rather will revel in them.
For gamers, of both the dice or digital tribes, you will instantly know the distinctions between rogues and wizards, healers and tanks. If you, of those tribes, enjoy the RPG part of MMORPGs, you will love this book. And if you are a dice-throwing D&D fanatic, you will have found your ancestral home. If you have no idea what I am talking about, this beautiful rich world and its gloriously complex and detailed heroine may not move you, and so you should pass by, and read something simpler and less demanding. But if you are of either of those tribes, then you must make this journey, alongside Kari, demon-hunter.
I do not want to give away details of the plot, or Kari’s relationships with her fellows the Silver Blades, or her fascinating back story, for these are pleasures due the worthy reader. But any book that begins with a bath and a double god-hammer and ends with a fire dance promises a strenuous and adventurous journey, slow though its start may be. The fighting is rare but physical and visceral, with a Special Forces concreteness that makes the moments memorable. The sex is loving and based in relationship. The conversations are between real and distinctive characters, with individual motivations and agendas.
Jackson has fashioned an amazing world and a brilliant heroine. I look forward to the next installment in the Eve of Redemption series and highly recommend this work to fans of epic, gargantuan fantasy.
October 25, 2015
Eve of Redemption, Book I, Salvation’s Dawn: A long awaited review…
Joseph Jackson is a very serious writer. To explain, even within the prologue the scope of this work is expansive and the following chapters only serve to paint a larger picture; no, that doesn't quite do this depth justice. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel MAY approach reasonable facsimile to the breath-taking expanse of world-building that this author has undergone. Is it an amount of effort that I'd personally undergo on a project? Probably not, but I am glad that he did.
The characters were varied, unique, and fully realized with the exception of one member of The Silver Blades that seemed hopelessly silent throughout. Conversely, the settings were also imaginative and detailed enough to provide reasonable images without a twelve-page dissertation on the dust that caked the shelving; I understand that publishers dig on that level of detail, but I'm fairly convinced that the reading community does not so, publishers, smarten up.
I was even pleasantly surprised by the Appendix sections at the end of the book; yet further evidence to the God-like scope of the tale that has been crafted.
So why 4 stars instead of the five that is seemingly deserved? It pains me to relive this, but there was one moment that legitimately scarred my mind; a perceived, literary sin that shall haunt my subconscious for years to come. What grievous turn of phrase could wound me so? I believe it was something to the effect of a series of attacks described as a “7 hit combo.” When I think of that phrase, in contrast to the beautifully written majority, it feels horribly out of place; that description is woefully sub-par, more suitable to Scott Pilgrim vs. whatever, or a sentence uttering adonis in the same, miserable breath.
That one moment of ugliness pushed aside, if you're looking for an action-packed romp through a richly detailed setting that's more fantastical than many things I've experienced, you won't go wrong with this book.
Joseph Jackson is a very serious writer. To explain, even within the prologue the scope of this work is expansive and the following chapters only serve to paint a larger picture; no, that doesn't quite do this depth justice. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel MAY approach reasonable facsimile to the breath-taking expanse of world-building that this author has undergone. Is it an amount of effort that I'd personally undergo on a project? Probably not, but I am glad that he did.
The characters were varied, unique, and fully realized with the exception of one member of The Silver Blades that seemed hopelessly silent throughout. Conversely, the settings were also imaginative and detailed enough to provide reasonable images without a twelve-page dissertation on the dust that caked the shelving; I understand that publishers dig on that level of detail, but I'm fairly convinced that the reading community does not so, publishers, smarten up.
I was even pleasantly surprised by the Appendix sections at the end of the book; yet further evidence to the God-like scope of the tale that has been crafted.
So why 4 stars instead of the five that is seemingly deserved? It pains me to relive this, but there was one moment that legitimately scarred my mind; a perceived, literary sin that shall haunt my subconscious for years to come. What grievous turn of phrase could wound me so? I believe it was something to the effect of a series of attacks described as a “7 hit combo.” When I think of that phrase, in contrast to the beautifully written majority, it feels horribly out of place; that description is woefully sub-par, more suitable to Scott Pilgrim vs. whatever, or a sentence uttering adonis in the same, miserable breath.
That one moment of ugliness pushed aside, if you're looking for an action-packed romp through a richly detailed setting that's more fantastical than many things I've experienced, you won't go wrong with this book.
January 4, 2016
I must admit that I thought at first that I did this book a great disservice by reading it in between Harry Potter books--my first reading of the Harry Potter series. I mean I'm walking around at work expelliarmus'ing people I don't like, and I was dying to continue that epic series like none other before it. However, I have been wanting to read this book from the first time I saw the cover, and knowing that the second book was coming out I felt like it was time to experience Salvation's Dawn. And I'm glad I did!!
Salvation's Dawn is an epic first novel reminiscent of J.R.R. Tolkien and the sprawling world of Middle Earth in its scope. We follow Karian Vanador and a band of siblings set out to protect their world. A few Demonhunters, demons and a half-demon, and along the way--humans as well. We also encounter swords, dragons, forests and many other races of people in this rich, engaging world.
I won't lie, this book moved somewhat slowly during its first half. This is a prime example of world building, and this is a very complex world.
This book is refreshing in that the warriors depicted are as vulnerable as they are strong. There is a lot of backstory into why each character is who they are when we meet them; this is part of what makes the plot plod along in the beginning. Also, there is a powerful underlying theme of accepting others regardless of looks or preconceived notions; a timely message given our current antagonistic climate.
I can't wait for book two, but I do hope that with the world now laying sprawled out before us, the plot will be much more quick-moving. I would hate for such a great story to be abandoned by casual observers not willing too endure a build up. As it is, I recommend this to anyone who enjoys this type of fantastical story!
Four out of five stars for this absolutely ambitious undertaking by a brave new author! The ending was magic and action packed, with a revelation that has me anxiously awaiting the next volume now, like I also am with the Harry Potter series. Great job, Joe!!
Salvation's Dawn is an epic first novel reminiscent of J.R.R. Tolkien and the sprawling world of Middle Earth in its scope. We follow Karian Vanador and a band of siblings set out to protect their world. A few Demonhunters, demons and a half-demon, and along the way--humans as well. We also encounter swords, dragons, forests and many other races of people in this rich, engaging world.
I won't lie, this book moved somewhat slowly during its first half. This is a prime example of world building, and this is a very complex world.
This book is refreshing in that the warriors depicted are as vulnerable as they are strong. There is a lot of backstory into why each character is who they are when we meet them; this is part of what makes the plot plod along in the beginning. Also, there is a powerful underlying theme of accepting others regardless of looks or preconceived notions; a timely message given our current antagonistic climate.
I can't wait for book two, but I do hope that with the world now laying sprawled out before us, the plot will be much more quick-moving. I would hate for such a great story to be abandoned by casual observers not willing too endure a build up. As it is, I recommend this to anyone who enjoys this type of fantastical story!
Four out of five stars for this absolutely ambitious undertaking by a brave new author! The ending was magic and action packed, with a revelation that has me anxiously awaiting the next volume now, like I also am with the Harry Potter series. Great job, Joe!!
February 11, 2017
A great adventure into a dark fantasy that will grab you and not let go till the very end, Masterfully written. I loved it!!
May 12, 2020
Now available on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited again!
Reviewed By Lit Amri for Readers’ Favorite
Note: this is a review from an independent Reader's Favorite reviewer, and is not by the author.
The war was over, the Devil Queen Seril cast down, and her defeat and destruction had brought eight long years of grueling fighting to a close. After her conscripted years in the battle, veteran demon hunter Karian Vanador is ready to enjoy some peace. Her intention is to go with her subordinate and friend, Captain Lawrence Machall, to his farm on the outskirts of Gavean to help with the late harvest. That plan is dashed as her deity’s priesthood summons her. The war might have been over, but as a demon hunter it would never end for her. She and a small group of elite war veterans need to go to Tsalbrin to prevent another conflict from happening.
Salvation’s Dawn (Eve of Redemption, Book I) by Joe Jackson starts slowly to some extent, but it gives readers the opportunity to immerse themselves with its impressive world building and get to know the lead character, terra-dragon demon hunter Karian ‘Kari’ Vanador. A strong female lead is always an attractive aspect in any genre. The fact that she has a dragon-like appearance makes her more appealing as a protagonist. Her inner war of loneliness and her sense of duty are flaws that make her persona much more relatable.
The premise is interesting, another strong aspect that made me want to read the story in the first place. I like a complex yet comprehensible plot, and Salvation’s Dawn nails it. A glossary is provided to guide readers in the story’s intricate world building. On the whole, Salvation’s Dawn is a solid debut for the Eve of Redemption series. I look forward to Book II.
Original Review: https://readersfavorite.com/book-revi...
Reviewed By Lit Amri for Readers’ Favorite
Note: this is a review from an independent Reader's Favorite reviewer, and is not by the author.
The war was over, the Devil Queen Seril cast down, and her defeat and destruction had brought eight long years of grueling fighting to a close. After her conscripted years in the battle, veteran demon hunter Karian Vanador is ready to enjoy some peace. Her intention is to go with her subordinate and friend, Captain Lawrence Machall, to his farm on the outskirts of Gavean to help with the late harvest. That plan is dashed as her deity’s priesthood summons her. The war might have been over, but as a demon hunter it would never end for her. She and a small group of elite war veterans need to go to Tsalbrin to prevent another conflict from happening.
Salvation’s Dawn (Eve of Redemption, Book I) by Joe Jackson starts slowly to some extent, but it gives readers the opportunity to immerse themselves with its impressive world building and get to know the lead character, terra-dragon demon hunter Karian ‘Kari’ Vanador. A strong female lead is always an attractive aspect in any genre. The fact that she has a dragon-like appearance makes her more appealing as a protagonist. Her inner war of loneliness and her sense of duty are flaws that make her persona much more relatable.
The premise is interesting, another strong aspect that made me want to read the story in the first place. I like a complex yet comprehensible plot, and Salvation’s Dawn nails it. A glossary is provided to guide readers in the story’s intricate world building. On the whole, Salvation’s Dawn is a solid debut for the Eve of Redemption series. I look forward to Book II.
Original Review: https://readersfavorite.com/book-revi...
February 23, 2016
A complex and descriptive read!
Joe Jackson has created a fascinatingly complex world with depth and consistency (including varied races, religions, histories, countries, etc) that captures the reader’s curiosity. His descriptions throughout were clear and well written which made is easy to picture both the world and it’s inhabitants while reading. However, at times, it was a little too detailed/ descriptive, which I feel detracted from the story as whole (although, I generally prefer minimal description when I read, so for many I do not think this would be an issue). I also struggled a bit with the pacing, as it was not consistent, though some of this comes from the fact that the author needed to lay a thorough foundation for a story of this scope, which he did wonderfully. Now, while in the beginning I had a harder time connecting with the characters (again, I believe due to the necessary world building) after the first couple chapters I began to quickly fall in love with them. His cast of characters was wide and varied, and each had its own distinct voice, so by the end you not only love the individual characters but how they function as a group. I particularly loved his development of the character Erik. His lead, Karian, is beautifully complex and makes for a wonderful, strong protagonist with a lot of heart. Joe Jackson brought this novel to a wonderful close that was both thorough and pleasing while setting up questions and mysteries for the next book. I definitely recommend this book for anyone who enjoys epic fantasy!
Joe Jackson has created a fascinatingly complex world with depth and consistency (including varied races, religions, histories, countries, etc) that captures the reader’s curiosity. His descriptions throughout were clear and well written which made is easy to picture both the world and it’s inhabitants while reading. However, at times, it was a little too detailed/ descriptive, which I feel detracted from the story as whole (although, I generally prefer minimal description when I read, so for many I do not think this would be an issue). I also struggled a bit with the pacing, as it was not consistent, though some of this comes from the fact that the author needed to lay a thorough foundation for a story of this scope, which he did wonderfully. Now, while in the beginning I had a harder time connecting with the characters (again, I believe due to the necessary world building) after the first couple chapters I began to quickly fall in love with them. His cast of characters was wide and varied, and each had its own distinct voice, so by the end you not only love the individual characters but how they function as a group. I particularly loved his development of the character Erik. His lead, Karian, is beautifully complex and makes for a wonderful, strong protagonist with a lot of heart. Joe Jackson brought this novel to a wonderful close that was both thorough and pleasing while setting up questions and mysteries for the next book. I definitely recommend this book for anyone who enjoys epic fantasy!
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