Rucaern Orb

Gray Sphere #1

by Tyler Kalarchian, Michelle Ran (Illustrator), Dia Ascenzi (Editor)

A nightmare has taken hold of Arius Soulton’s mind. His escape from it comes at a great cost—his memory. Waking up far to the south, the name ‘Lunara’ is the only thing echoing in his head. By his side sits an ancient orb of power, capable of devastating magic. And it has bound itself with Arius, forming a pact of blood. Accompanying him is the orb’s guardian, Vafe, a specter who despises all living creatures, and Anaya Felore, a naive young woman who says she knows the path to the city of Lunara. If she could remember…

201 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 9, 2017

About the author

Hello! My name is Tyler, I've been writing for much of my life and have enjoyed the journey that it has provided. I hope to share these stories with you!
When I'm not writing, I enjoy distance running, playing board games, and watching anime. Currently I live in Orlando.

Reviews

[Nicole (Nicole's Nonfiction)]

Rucaern Orb by Tyler Kalarchian

DNF- Did not finish.

I’d like to start by thanking Voracious Readers Only and the author of this novel, Tyler Kalarchian, for the free e-book copy of this novel. This is my honest review based on what I did read.

I will not be giving an official Goodreads star rating of this book because I did not finish (DNF’d) this book and affecting the official star rating without having finished the book would be improper in my opinion.

I decided to put this book down at around 35% of the way through. From what I DID read I would give this book 2.5 / 5 stars. I’d like to add that a 2.5 / 5 is not a negative rating (for my personal rating scale), I see it as truly neutral, there are things I liked and things I didn’t. Ultimately I just wasn’t intrigued enough to keep reading.

What I liked:

- The author clearly has a very imaginative mind and a good idea of the appearance and inner workings of the societies they created.
- I liked the little textbook style blurbs at the beginning of most (all?) chapters. These blurbs explained things about the world of this book which really helped set the scene since our main characters’ memories had been wiped. In my opinion, this more technical writing style was much better executed than the strict narrative writing in the body of the chapters.
- That being said I could see hints here and there of promising writing within the narrative as well and I really hope this author keeps writing to develop this further.

What I disliked:
- My biggest roadblock to continuing with this novel was the writing style, or rather a lack thereof. I found myself feeling bored at times with how plain the writing was. It was very simple and felt a bit young for my personal tastes. This might not be a dealbreaker for some readers, but I really value a more complex writing style because I find it helps keep my attention while reading.
- The characters could have been more fully realized. A loss of memory doesn’t seem like a good enough reason for these characters to be acting the way they are (born yesterday?) ALTHOUGH without finishing the book I cannot say if there are other reasons for their behaviours, so I won’t hold onto this point too fervently.

Overall I hope that Tyler Kalarchian keeps writing and improving their craft. Reading what I did of this novel made it clear that they enjoy the work.

I will be looking into more books sourced via Voracious Readers Only in the near future!

Note: I will be mentioning this novel and Voracious Readers Only on my YouTube channel, BrushesNBooks, in my June Wrap Up video (2019) because Voracious Readers Only is a great resource for readers and writers alike and I’d like more people to know about it.

Thank you again Voracious Readers and Tyler Kalarchian!

[Katie Rowley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free ePub version of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found the story exciting and intriguing, although I found Anaya’s sickly sweet character difficult to get along with at first, as I read on I liked her more and more. I also enjoyed the fact that all mysteries are not revealed straight away or at all yet, and can’t wait to read the next book to try and unravel more of the story. The only thing I disliked about the book was that it ended very abruptly.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This starts out slowly, but boy does it build and explode rapidly and continually once it gets going. It's very mysterious with two strangers waking up together in the middle of nowhere, neither of whom remembers much of anything, including who they are. And then there's the Orb and it's guardian. Definitely worth the read!

[Tawny Molina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ruacern Orb has proven a tough book for me to review. It’s not because the book is bad, the story is great, and I probably will check out the rest of the series at some point. It is the characters I have had a hard time with. I could not feel for them as much as I thought I should have and having characters with feeling a big reason I get in to many stories. Though this could be because I found myself annoyed throughout most of the reading by one of them. However, there is some character growth that made me a bit curious as to what will happen to the characters in the next book, sufficiently dragging the curious reader to the next installment.

Now on to the best part of this book. The world building. So each chapter gives you a brief insight in to the world that the author has created. Each chapter begins with an exert from a book giving various details on the world, from an explanation of the magic, history, and geography of the world, giving you a taste of things not touched in detail in the story and drawing you further in to the world. Between the tidbits of information before each chapter, and the details on races describe in the story, it is clear that there was quiet a bit of world building put in to this series. Admittedly, wanting to know more about the world made me wish to continue reading.

The story was entertaining enough, though stories of lost memories often lead to exciting climaxes when everything is brought out in to the open. The Ruacern Orb does some of this, though many questions are left unanswered and leads to the rest of the series. Some cliffhangers are fine, but this book seemed to end a bit too sudden.

All in all, it was an entertaining read and would be enjoyable to most fantasy novel fans who enjoy in depth worlds.

I got this book as a review copy from Voracious Readers Only!

[Ellen Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to be given a free kindle version of this book after signing up for Voracious readers. I didn’t know what to expect but when I wasn’t feeling well this was the one I reached for and the only one that managed to hold my attention. I liked the story and the world that was created. It took me a while to understand what was happening but since the characters have memory loss, I think that makes sense! I started to like the characters more towards the end (I initially found them irritating) but they didn’t grip me fully - however, in saying that I do want to know what happens to them next after that cliffhanger and will be reading the next book! The writing was easy to read, I enjoyed it and I want to read more.
Probably a 3 and a half stars - the reason it’s not a 4 is that although I enjoyed it, I feel the characters lacked some depth (I know, they’d lost their memories, I’m hoping to find out more about them) and the writing was very simplistic. Definitely enjoyed it more towards the end as the characters start to find out more about themselves.

[Stas Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a while for me to get into this book. The characters originally seemed very under developed and annoying. They grow on you as the story continues and by the end I found myself rooting for Anaya, despite my original dislike. Most books give you much more information than the characters within but in this world nearly everything we learn is through the characters eyes. This makes it more engaging as we, the readers, aren’t left waiting for obvious foreshadowing to come to light and can enjoy the adventure for what it is. It ends on a considerable cliffhanger and I’m now waiting eagerly for the next book.

[Liza Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

An epic adventure for young adult and up. Be prepared for long journeys, battles, quirky characters and the evil hunting their world. The main characters are trying to retrieve their lost memories whilst fighting for their lives. A really awesome epic read if you enjoy the likes of The Lord of the Rings type books. Could not put this book down and can't wait for the next one. This is my honest and voluntary review after being fortunate to receive a complimentary copy from the author through Voracious Readers Only.

[Amanda Hallam-Taillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this story has great ‘bones’. It’s highly imaginative and a great world. There are some elements I would’ve liked to see executed differently for my own taste, but overall a good read. It really took until about chapter 6 to capture me, then it flew from there. The fight scenes were spectacular and vivid. Anaya ... I woulda ditched her if I was Arius because, oh man! Worth a read, and I’ll likely track down the next book in future.

I received a copy of this through Voracious Readers Only.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a bit difficult to read at first I really didn't like Anaya's character and how she would constantly shout or exclaim things. I almost put it down at the Blitzerenge part with the reaper but I kept going and I'm so glad I did. The book really picks up right after and you get to find out more about Anaya. Now I'm dying to read the next book in the series! So if you're getting kind of bored pleaaassee keep going because the next part is so worth it!

[Vicky Quenault · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly this book just wasn’t for me. I found it extremely hard to get into, the characters were annoying and I was bored from the get go.
Its a good effort but the writing style just didnt pull me in. It was a real struggle to finish it.
I received a complimentary copy from VRO in return for an honest review.

[Rose Begin klenk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy from voracious-readers and to be honest, I lost interest half way through. I tried to skip what I considered to be boring parts, but I still couldn't get into it. The Anaya character was far too annoying, the character development seemed like it needed some work. I appreciated the fact it started out with some mystery, and was hoping the story would expand more on what was going on, but it felt like it just dragged on and focused more on setting the scene than the characters and story. The synopsis does a good job of getting interest, but the story didn't hold it. Sorry, dude.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very fun read; it has lovable(and slightly obnoxious!) characters, well described battles, edge of your seat moments, a friendly "ghost", and a kitten! The writing style itself shows great promise on the part of the author. I liked all the the Excerpts before each of the chapters - they are a nice touch. Very interested to see where the story goes next.

[Rosie Greenwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers.

When I first started to read this book I thought I was not going to enjoy it. It did take a little while to get into which was difficult when Anaya’s character was a little annoying. I am so glad I persevered as I really started to enjoy the book.

The book overall was very well written with a good storyline. I won’t give more details as don’t want to give the storyline away.

Just keep reading the book as it is a real fun read once you get into it. I can’t wait to read the next book so I can pick up where this book ended.

[Gillian Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was gifted this book by the author via voracious reads.

At first this story perplexed me and was a bit disorientated by the little nuggets of info about Ragnos however, never being one to give up on a book, I stuck with it and so glad I did. It turned out to be a great story and now I dearly want to find out how they got on so its off to buy the second book.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a hugely enjoyable read. The relationship between Arius and Anaya is well developed and the frustrations very real and believable.
The pace and the writing were just right, each chapter gives you just enough new information to keep you guessing about the meaning and wanting to read more. I will definitely be reading the next part of the series.
I was given a complimentary review copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.

[Cherri Hadley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was full of emotion, excitement, suspense and enough twists to keep me interested from the moment I started to read it. It was descriptive enough to help me picture each creature individually and when I reached the end I found I wanted more. Will definitely be hunting for more like this.

[Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from VRO and the author in exchange for a honest review.

I loved the cover of this book and the summary really drew me in, but the book itself was a bit of a let-down. I didn't hate it, but it didn't spark any emotions in me other than wishing Anaya would shut up. I didn't relate to the characters and the ones I did relate to weren't around for long. I wish we could have seen more of Henry, he was lovely. I will say it's a quick read, it took me around three hours to read.

[Christine Kempton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started with a bang! I found Anaya to be annoying at first but then she sort of grows on you. When you find out what she is the annoying part of her is a bit more understandable. There were parts I found that dragged a bit but otherwise it moved along with a good pace. I am curious enough to want to continue to read this series.

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost stopped reading it at the beginning 60 pages or so because the anaya character was getting on my nerves. However I perservered and was rewarded with a great story. I'm interested where this story goes next. In total, a good read.

[Margaret Reeves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guardians, celestials, familiars, warriors, and magic. This book has some of everything for the ones who enjoy fantasy. I enjoyed reading this story and hope to read more about this world and the adventures there of.

[Alicia Bergum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this. My only qualm was that it ended far too soon!

[Sonia Knippshild · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really sure what I think of this one.

[Carole-Lesley Rowland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book via Voracious Readers in return for a honest review. The book was alright and most of the storyline was interesting but parts did seem slower and less interesting.

[Katie Paradis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued by the summary I'd read, and I have to say, I'm disappointed in how this book turned out.

It felt extremely short; I read it all in under an hour. The epilogue feels like any other chapter, as opposed to a lead-in to the next book. There was little to no world-building within the plot. Instead, every chapter started with an "excerpt" of what I assume are books within the world of Ruacern Orb. They were very dry, and felt completely unrelated to the plot at hand.

The combination of the two made it very frustrating to read. You're pulled out of the story completely every couple of pages to read an encyclopedia-sequel paragraph or two before the actual story continues. Everything in the "excerpts" could have easily been built into the plot as parts of conversations already happening. It just feels so lazy.

Bar that, it's alright. There wasn't enough of a plot to really pull me in, I feel to intrigue to continue reading the series, it feels more like an unfinished short story.

I do appreciate the dynamic between the characters, that is very well written. I enjoyed the way they went about dealing with things, the back and forth, and gradual, begrudging acceptance of each other. The sass in certain conversations was beautiful.

The conversations did get confusing at times,, however. I understood italics to be thoughts, yet there were full paragraphs with non-conversation sentences in italics, like someone forgot to switch it back while typing, rather than it all being in a character's head.

Overall, definitely not the worst thing I've read. I did enjoy it, despite the issues I took.
I think, if the length and endings are consistent with this first book, being able to binge-read the entire series would be pretty satisfying.

[MetisLit · Rating 1 out of 5]

We received a copy of this book through Voracious Readers.
The concept of rucaerns and their orbs was interesting, but was the only streak of originality in an otherwise generic fantasy setting.
I found Arius’s and Anaya’s relationship tiring. She is extremely childish, apparently due to severe memory loss, (which makes little sense) and periodically threw tantrums that Arius had to try to reason with. Childish characters can exist in writing, but there are better ways to write them than to make the reader sit through every temper tantrum and sloppy meal.
Rucaern Orb honestly reads like a D&D campaign that someone novelized, which is perfectly respectable; but to do that well requires significant polishing and close editing. Rucaern Orb was inconsistent in both narrative and format. This edition was riddled with punctuation, spelling, and grammatical errors that border on illiteracy.
I am not pleased to say that I didn’t finish this book. At halfway through, I began to feel a sense of laziness in the poor writing. Whatever proofreading that was done, if any, was lip service only. Once I start a book, I feel an obligation to finish it, especially if I intend to review it. But I feel little of that obligation in regards to a book that was slapped together and published like it was a term paper turned in at the last minute.

[Laura Chowns]

I received this book free from Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review.

The writing style was very simplistic, which I don't mind as a busy reader. It was easy to pick up, put down and get through. That being said, the writing also did not give me an accurate feel of the era in which this world exists. I feel as if, like many fantasy worlds, its an age of medieval times, but the language used by the characters felt too modern.

I feel as if the plot was poorly executed. I have completed the book and if I had to write a blurb describing the plot it would be something like this: "Arius wakes in a field with no memory and a glowing orb in hand with the only clue to his past being Lunara." But I have no idea what the main plot of this book really is. Because the two characters have no memory, it leaves the book with many plot holes and background missing that I feel makes up a plot.

I did not like the blurbs at the start of each chapter that explained aspects of the world and found myself skipping them to get on with the story.

I also did not like the character Anaya. She reminded me of sitting in a room with my 3 year old and no escape. She was incredibly annoying.

I feel both characters lack development. I have no emotional attachment to them, or their story and therefore no interest in continuing the series.

[A Mac · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is fascinating and set in a fantasy world with monsters and magic. Unfortunately, as the two characters don't have any memories you aren't really introduced to the world and don't know the basic parameters - randomly in the middle you find out there are trains and cannons. The lore paragraphs at the beginning of the chapters are interesting. My main issue is with the characters. They were flat and static, and Anaya was downright infuriating - she's supposedly a grown woman but acts like she's a four-year-old. Arius drew no feelings. So basically when reading it really didn't matter to me when the characters were in danger or trying to overcome struggles as there's no connection.
There are also several errors in the work, i.e. some conversations are purposely italicized but then it continues on for several more sentences than it's supposed to, some punctuation is missing, etc.
I received a complimentary copy of this work through Voracious Readers Only in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Vanessa]

I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I've decided not to rate this book since I didn't finish it.

The reason I quit this book wasn't because I think it's a bad book, it just didn't work for me. What is most important for me in a book are the story and the characters. The story I think was awesome and the world was really interesting. But I just didn't connect to the characters. The main character was really boring, and Anaya must have been one of the most annoying characters from any book I've ever read. The way they acted just seemed unnatural to me.
The writing style was a little too neutral for me, almost like a listing of events.

If you're looking for an interesting story set in a creative world and aren't bothered by my points, go give this book a shot!

[Monika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its a good story, somewhat similar like the Jason Bourne movies/series. The author has developed the characters well, but at sometimes I felt the characters were let down. After reading the synopsis, I thought the book would be interesting, but I felt it was kinda slow and lost grip of the story somewhere around the middle. I managed to finish the book, but am not sure if I’ll read the rest of the books in this Saga. The language of the author is good though. If you have no expectations, this book would be a good read.
Thank you Voracious readers and the author for sending me a reader’s copy of the book.

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been having a difficult time finishing this book. I find the lack of character description a barrier as well as a feeling that there is something missing. It's like this novel was written as a continuation of another one where the characters were previously introduced. I feel the author would do better to bring in a better description to engage the reader further. I'm not sure if I will finish this novel but all.

I received a free copy of this novel through Voracious readers only.