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The Afterland Chronicles #1
Ascension of the Whyte
What if you died and woke up in a land where anything seemed possible?
In a land of magic, privilege, and prejudice where wizards and dragons reign. What if you were asked to lead a magical war against a being so powerful that he once obliterated an entire race. Would you?
Rose accepts this challenge, entering the Aurum Oratory - a school of magic and wizardry, where she is prepared for a dangerous, magical quest. It's aim - to destroy one of the greatest evils of all time.
What readers are saying:
“An epic fantasy to rival that of the great classics”
“A magical fantasy adventure story, I wished it would never end”
"I loved the character of Ash - I hope he ends up getting together with Rose in the next book. It would be an awesome fantasy romance!"
"I haven't experienced that wonderfully magical feeling since I read the first Harry Potter book when I was a child."
If you loved Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Percy Jackson or Game of Thrones series, then you should enjoy this magical, roller coaster ride of fear, tenacity, and courage.
In a land of magic, privilege, and prejudice where wizards and dragons reign. What if you were asked to lead a magical war against a being so powerful that he once obliterated an entire race. Would you?
Rose accepts this challenge, entering the Aurum Oratory - a school of magic and wizardry, where she is prepared for a dangerous, magical quest. It's aim - to destroy one of the greatest evils of all time.
What readers are saying:
“An epic fantasy to rival that of the great classics”
“A magical fantasy adventure story, I wished it would never end”
"I loved the character of Ash - I hope he ends up getting together with Rose in the next book. It would be an awesome fantasy romance!"
"I haven't experienced that wonderfully magical feeling since I read the first Harry Potter book when I was a child."
If you loved Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Percy Jackson or Game of Thrones series, then you should enjoy this magical, roller coaster ride of fear, tenacity, and courage.
Unknown Binding
First published June 8, 2014
7 people are currently reading
1168 people want to read
About the author
Karen Wrighton
12 books74 followersAmazon Bestselling Author of The Afterland Chronicles and Dark Fairy Tale Series
Hi, there! I'm Karen Wrighton, an established British author of books for teenagers, young adults and adults with young hearts.
My work falls into the broad genre of Speculative Fiction, a type of story writing that involves supernatural, futuristic or other imagined elements. This encompasses the traditional genres of Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, Supernatural Fiction and Science Fantasy.
This eclectic genre provides me with the flexibility to write stories that at first glance may appear very different, yet they all maintain that 'other worldly' element which I love, and which has come to characterise my work.
My books include my début novel ASCENSION OF THE WHYTE which became an Amazon Bestseller, as did the second in the series RYTE OF PASSAGE. The Afterland Chronicles series, described as Lord of the Rings meets Harry Potter, was completed in 2017 with the release of ICE AND FYRE, the third book in the series.
My new Dark Fairy Tale Series commenced with a Dystopian novel - THE LAST GIRL GUIDE a dark post-apocalyptic YA book based loosely around the Red Riding Hood Fairy Tale.
I am currently working on the second book in the series - RABBIT GIRL, which is a dark contemporary adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.
You can find more information about me and my books at - www.karenwrightonbooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karenwrighto... Twitter: @KarenWrighton
Get my FREE Starter Library - two first of series novels - by signing up for my mailing list at:
www.karenwrightonbooks.com
Hi, there! I'm Karen Wrighton, an established British author of books for teenagers, young adults and adults with young hearts.
My work falls into the broad genre of Speculative Fiction, a type of story writing that involves supernatural, futuristic or other imagined elements. This encompasses the traditional genres of Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, Supernatural Fiction and Science Fantasy.
This eclectic genre provides me with the flexibility to write stories that at first glance may appear very different, yet they all maintain that 'other worldly' element which I love, and which has come to characterise my work.
My books include my début novel ASCENSION OF THE WHYTE which became an Amazon Bestseller, as did the second in the series RYTE OF PASSAGE. The Afterland Chronicles series, described as Lord of the Rings meets Harry Potter, was completed in 2017 with the release of ICE AND FYRE, the third book in the series.
My new Dark Fairy Tale Series commenced with a Dystopian novel - THE LAST GIRL GUIDE a dark post-apocalyptic YA book based loosely around the Red Riding Hood Fairy Tale.
I am currently working on the second book in the series - RABBIT GIRL, which is a dark contemporary adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.
You can find more information about me and my books at - www.karenwrightonbooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karenwrighto... Twitter: @KarenWrighton
Get my FREE Starter Library - two first of series novels - by signing up for my mailing list at:
www.karenwrightonbooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 4, 2014
More reviews on www.jirrinereads.wordpress.com
I was completely thrown off by the synopsis. I expected to get a story about life after death and how death is just the beginning of a journey. I expected bright lights and heaven, that sort of thing. What I did not expect, however, was to get a fantasy book. A good, solid fantasy book. That is my first big compliment. This synopsis intrigued me and still gave nothing away about the story. Maybe other publishers can start to do this is as well?
In the prologue we meet Sara Carson. Sara Carson is not the main character of this book. Well, she is and she isn’t. Sara Carson is hit by a truck and dies. That is where her story begins. This book takes place in the Afterlands. A place were certain people go after they die on earth. Living on earth is not really the main point for the people that go to the Afterlands. What takes place after death on earth is much more important. For centuries 4 casts have lived in Afterland, but a 1000 years ago one of the casts was destroyed. When Sara, now Rose, arrives in the Afterland through the awesome process of re-incarnation she is a the first Whyte to arrive in a century. She get’s the daunting task the unite the Afterlands.
I liked the setting immediately. The magical feeling I got reminded me a lot of Harry Potter. In a good way. I got the same: I want to go there and learn all the magic-type feeling. Rose was a really likeable character and although she seems sweet and shy at first, she is a kick ass woman who knows what she stand for. Her novice cell has suck likeable characters as well. Ash, Auriel and Lee all have distinct personalities and I hope that they get a more distinct role in the next book. Although I liked Rose a lot, I would have liked to get a little bit more of her thoughts. Because of the omniscient narration, you get a lot of information, but it therefore lacks a focus (in terms of emotions, feelings and thoughts) on person. The narration works for the novel but since I love the world and characters so much, I would have liked more thoughts.
I noticed that Karen Wrighton put a lot of research and thought into her world building. Nothing was left to improvisation. She had a really clear sense of what everything looked like and how things function in the Afterlands. Sometimes this led to somewhat elaborate descriptions that I skimmed over but overall it really helped me to get into the novel. So far I have not really noticed any things that don’t make sense. Everything in the book makes sense according to the rules of the Afterlands. One aspect I thought was particularly clever was the concept of re-incarnation Karen Wrighton used. The novices that arrive in the Afterlands are actually spirits/souls that have been in the Afterlands before. That means that all their knowledge and power is already somewhere in their conscious, which explains their rather rapid learning.
The biggest problem for me in this book was that there were still some editorial errors. Quotations often missed end punctuation and sometimes I missed words in sentences that didn’t really make sense without them. An extra run-through by an editor would not have been in vain. These minor errors are really a shame because at times they pulled me out the story. Overall, however, I really like this book. This is certainly a very good beginning of what is (hopefully!) going to be a very awesome series. Unfortunately, there is not indication of a release date for book 2, but I am keeping my eyes open. Can’t wait to see what happens next!
I was completely thrown off by the synopsis. I expected to get a story about life after death and how death is just the beginning of a journey. I expected bright lights and heaven, that sort of thing. What I did not expect, however, was to get a fantasy book. A good, solid fantasy book. That is my first big compliment. This synopsis intrigued me and still gave nothing away about the story. Maybe other publishers can start to do this is as well?
In the prologue we meet Sara Carson. Sara Carson is not the main character of this book. Well, she is and she isn’t. Sara Carson is hit by a truck and dies. That is where her story begins. This book takes place in the Afterlands. A place were certain people go after they die on earth. Living on earth is not really the main point for the people that go to the Afterlands. What takes place after death on earth is much more important. For centuries 4 casts have lived in Afterland, but a 1000 years ago one of the casts was destroyed. When Sara, now Rose, arrives in the Afterland through the awesome process of re-incarnation she is a the first Whyte to arrive in a century. She get’s the daunting task the unite the Afterlands.
I liked the setting immediately. The magical feeling I got reminded me a lot of Harry Potter. In a good way. I got the same: I want to go there and learn all the magic-type feeling. Rose was a really likeable character and although she seems sweet and shy at first, she is a kick ass woman who knows what she stand for. Her novice cell has suck likeable characters as well. Ash, Auriel and Lee all have distinct personalities and I hope that they get a more distinct role in the next book. Although I liked Rose a lot, I would have liked to get a little bit more of her thoughts. Because of the omniscient narration, you get a lot of information, but it therefore lacks a focus (in terms of emotions, feelings and thoughts) on person. The narration works for the novel but since I love the world and characters so much, I would have liked more thoughts.
I noticed that Karen Wrighton put a lot of research and thought into her world building. Nothing was left to improvisation. She had a really clear sense of what everything looked like and how things function in the Afterlands. Sometimes this led to somewhat elaborate descriptions that I skimmed over but overall it really helped me to get into the novel. So far I have not really noticed any things that don’t make sense. Everything in the book makes sense according to the rules of the Afterlands. One aspect I thought was particularly clever was the concept of re-incarnation Karen Wrighton used. The novices that arrive in the Afterlands are actually spirits/souls that have been in the Afterlands before. That means that all their knowledge and power is already somewhere in their conscious, which explains their rather rapid learning.
The biggest problem for me in this book was that there were still some editorial errors. Quotations often missed end punctuation and sometimes I missed words in sentences that didn’t really make sense without them. An extra run-through by an editor would not have been in vain. These minor errors are really a shame because at times they pulled me out the story. Overall, however, I really like this book. This is certainly a very good beginning of what is (hopefully!) going to be a very awesome series. Unfortunately, there is not indication of a release date for book 2, but I am keeping my eyes open. Can’t wait to see what happens next!
May 17, 2015
Also posted on my blog: flyingbookpages.wordpress.com
This is a very interesting read! It's a very good start for a series. I really want to congratulate the author for doing a great job on her debut novel.
I love everything in the story. Everything flowed perfectly, especially the last parts. I love the 4 types of people in the Afterlands, too! The Whytes, Bloods, Muds and Golds. Well, I am a sucker for fantasy so, I couldn't describe how much I love this book. For me, this is a good start and I can't wait for the 2nd installment because the ending was so interesting, it made me want more. Especially now that Rose already had the desire to fight for herself.
So far, I want to have the incantatio and their potens ring! It's so amazing that the story was so alive in my imagination when I was reading it. That is a very good sign that your story is making its way to the readers. Also, as you can see, I had this as my current read for almost a month, that's because I got so busy, I couldn't stay and read. It broke my heart so much! The good side of it all is that, even though I took all the time I could possibly get to finish this, everytime I continue reading this, I was pulled back to the story again. I mean, I was exactly where I left. It's so easy understanding the story because when I read it again even after putting it down for days, I could feel the atmosphere of the Afterlands again. It's like the story is pausing with me. Do you get me? It felt like I didn't go anywhere.
I don't want to spill anything about the book, that's why I'm kind of careful of my words. Because I want you to read it! You won't regret anything. I assure you.
To sum it all up, this is another great book that you must read. I don't regret requesting for an eARC! I recommend this to all fantasy readers and those who loved Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. You should give this book a chance and maybe you'd find yourself loving the Afterlands as well!
Kudos Ms. Wrighton! I officially cast myself as an ascendant!
This is a very interesting read! It's a very good start for a series. I really want to congratulate the author for doing a great job on her debut novel.
I love everything in the story. Everything flowed perfectly, especially the last parts. I love the 4 types of people in the Afterlands, too! The Whytes, Bloods, Muds and Golds. Well, I am a sucker for fantasy so, I couldn't describe how much I love this book. For me, this is a good start and I can't wait for the 2nd installment because the ending was so interesting, it made me want more. Especially now that Rose already had the desire to fight for herself.
So far, I want to have the incantatio and their potens ring! It's so amazing that the story was so alive in my imagination when I was reading it. That is a very good sign that your story is making its way to the readers. Also, as you can see, I had this as my current read for almost a month, that's because I got so busy, I couldn't stay and read. It broke my heart so much! The good side of it all is that, even though I took all the time I could possibly get to finish this, everytime I continue reading this, I was pulled back to the story again. I mean, I was exactly where I left. It's so easy understanding the story because when I read it again even after putting it down for days, I could feel the atmosphere of the Afterlands again. It's like the story is pausing with me. Do you get me? It felt like I didn't go anywhere.
I don't want to spill anything about the book, that's why I'm kind of careful of my words. Because I want you to read it! You won't regret anything. I assure you.
To sum it all up, this is another great book that you must read. I don't regret requesting for an eARC! I recommend this to all fantasy readers and those who loved Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. You should give this book a chance and maybe you'd find yourself loving the Afterlands as well!
Kudos Ms. Wrighton! I officially cast myself as an ascendant!
February 1, 2015
I wasn’t the most avid reader, but I had a lot of travelling coming up so asked a friend for a book recommendation. She picked this as I wanted something fantastical, and fantastical Ascension of the Whyte is!
I was hooked from the very first chapter, and found myself reading the first third of the book in one sitting, which is something I have never done before. The author has diligently crafted a world full of marvel and excitement, and is one of the most creative stories I’ve read in a long time. As well as being set strongly in the realm of fantasy, there is also an element of mystery which keeps pulling you back in again and again.
You really are able to tell through the writing that every page has been well thought out and written to keep up a tremendous pace that just makes you want to keep reading. I look forward to reading the next instalment later this year!
I was hooked from the very first chapter, and found myself reading the first third of the book in one sitting, which is something I have never done before. The author has diligently crafted a world full of marvel and excitement, and is one of the most creative stories I’ve read in a long time. As well as being set strongly in the realm of fantasy, there is also an element of mystery which keeps pulling you back in again and again.
You really are able to tell through the writing that every page has been well thought out and written to keep up a tremendous pace that just makes you want to keep reading. I look forward to reading the next instalment later this year!
August 15, 2014
Good start to this fantasy series.
This first book in a series establishes the world and its characters in a magical infused setting.
I liked how the main characters were presented as a team and worked together rather than one hero being highlighted.
It will be interesting to see how each one develops and hone their skills in the next installment.
In general, it was interesting to think of this life after death scenario.
This first book in a series establishes the world and its characters in a magical infused setting.
I liked how the main characters were presented as a team and worked together rather than one hero being highlighted.
It will be interesting to see how each one develops and hone their skills in the next installment.
In general, it was interesting to think of this life after death scenario.
August 11, 2014
As soon as I heard that this book was a mix between Harry Potter and LOTR, I was instantly intrigued and wanted to know more. I love fantasy books, especially ones that are full of imagination and so I was looking forward to reading this book and seeing if it was as good as it sounds. Fortunately, upon reading this, I was instantly sucked into the story and the world it was set in. This book is definitely full of imagination, and is set in a very curious world. I, for one, cannot wait to read more in this series.
One of the most important things about fantasy books is the world building. As the story is set in a new place, the reader has to be able to imagine this world and all the rules that the characters in the book have to live by. Karen Wrighton has done a great job at not only creating a fascinating world, but at doing it well. Through characters that are learning the new envrioment as well, this book eases you into a new world that is exciting and fresh. Also important is a compelling story which Karen has delivered well. This book is intriguing and full of action and mystery that really make you want to turn the page, over and over again. While it was a little slow and hard to grasp at first, it definitely makes up for that by the end!
Rose is an interesting character who really makes this story enjoyable. Rose is strong and powerful without being truly aare of it which makes her a very likeable character. She’s also a great leader and is good at rallying people together. I really enjoyed reading her. I also enjoyed the other characters in her team. They all had very distinct personalities and it all worked really well together. The only issue I had was that it was hard to remember who was who at the start of the story as you’re introduced to a lot of characters at once. Fortunately, however, the story quickly focusses on less characrers, making it easy to get to know who everyone is, and all of their personalities.
While this book did have a few flaws, what helped to look past them was the writing style. Karen describes the world really well, helping to paint a very vivid image in the mind. Add to that, fast-pacing, exciting incidents, an aroma of mystery, and it should be easy to see why I really liked reading this story! Karen, as a debut author, has done a brilliant job with this book. It is a wonderful start to what looks to be a very intense series. I know that I am definitely invested enough in the story and the writing to want to know where the series will take us next!
All in all, this book will take you into a new, imaginative world and on a journey that will force you to continuously hold your breath. It is full of adventure, magic, and excitement. So, if you’re a fan of fantasy books, such as Harry Potter or LOTR, then I definitely think you should give this book a try! I really enjoyed reading it, I loved the fantasy elements, the intriguing story and really, I just cannot wait to continue with this series to find out what will happen next! I would well and truly recommend this book to others.
One of the most important things about fantasy books is the world building. As the story is set in a new place, the reader has to be able to imagine this world and all the rules that the characters in the book have to live by. Karen Wrighton has done a great job at not only creating a fascinating world, but at doing it well. Through characters that are learning the new envrioment as well, this book eases you into a new world that is exciting and fresh. Also important is a compelling story which Karen has delivered well. This book is intriguing and full of action and mystery that really make you want to turn the page, over and over again. While it was a little slow and hard to grasp at first, it definitely makes up for that by the end!
Rose is an interesting character who really makes this story enjoyable. Rose is strong and powerful without being truly aare of it which makes her a very likeable character. She’s also a great leader and is good at rallying people together. I really enjoyed reading her. I also enjoyed the other characters in her team. They all had very distinct personalities and it all worked really well together. The only issue I had was that it was hard to remember who was who at the start of the story as you’re introduced to a lot of characters at once. Fortunately, however, the story quickly focusses on less characrers, making it easy to get to know who everyone is, and all of their personalities.
While this book did have a few flaws, what helped to look past them was the writing style. Karen describes the world really well, helping to paint a very vivid image in the mind. Add to that, fast-pacing, exciting incidents, an aroma of mystery, and it should be easy to see why I really liked reading this story! Karen, as a debut author, has done a brilliant job with this book. It is a wonderful start to what looks to be a very intense series. I know that I am definitely invested enough in the story and the writing to want to know where the series will take us next!
All in all, this book will take you into a new, imaginative world and on a journey that will force you to continuously hold your breath. It is full of adventure, magic, and excitement. So, if you’re a fan of fantasy books, such as Harry Potter or LOTR, then I definitely think you should give this book a try! I really enjoyed reading it, I loved the fantasy elements, the intriguing story and really, I just cannot wait to continue with this series to find out what will happen next! I would well and truly recommend this book to others.
August 20, 2014
Ascension of the Whyte is the first book in a series called The Afterland Chronicles and is an intriguing fantasy that will have you turning the pages. I'm a sucker for any book that starts with a map so I couldn't wait to see the places on the map described so I could picture them in my head.
The beginning of the book opens with Sara chatting to a friend as they leave school and ends with a sudden & horrific death. We're then transported to another dimension and the story really begins. We are introduced to a whole new way of life where, when you die, your soul ascends and becomes another person who may or may not have ascended many times before. Meet Rose, the first Whyte Ascendant for a thousand years, who with Ash, Auriel and Lee, make a very select cell who will save the world of Hydrarygrum if a prophecy written centuries before is to be believed.
I found it quite hard to believe that this was a debut novel. The writing was mostly extremely well written and each & every character had their own distinct voice. The magical system created was nothing short of amazing and quite frankly there were one or two potens (or abilities) that I would love to be real. The ability to read dozens of books in mere minutes would have come in very handy at school!
I became so immersed in the world Karen has created that I didn't even realize that it was starting to get light outside, I managed to read Ascension of the Whyte from start to finish and get to watch the sun come up! If you like your fantasy well thought out with an intriguing magic system, djinns who want to take over the world and characters who will become friends then this is the book for you. Karen has created a fascinating world which made me laugh and made me well up, I was thoroughly entranced by the writing and the characters. Also, as a word of warning, Karen isn't afraid to kill characters off so don't get too attached! I'm now desperate to read the next book in the series as things are just getting warmed up. Need another beta reader?
The beginning of the book opens with Sara chatting to a friend as they leave school and ends with a sudden & horrific death. We're then transported to another dimension and the story really begins. We are introduced to a whole new way of life where, when you die, your soul ascends and becomes another person who may or may not have ascended many times before. Meet Rose, the first Whyte Ascendant for a thousand years, who with Ash, Auriel and Lee, make a very select cell who will save the world of Hydrarygrum if a prophecy written centuries before is to be believed.
I found it quite hard to believe that this was a debut novel. The writing was mostly extremely well written and each & every character had their own distinct voice. The magical system created was nothing short of amazing and quite frankly there were one or two potens (or abilities) that I would love to be real. The ability to read dozens of books in mere minutes would have come in very handy at school!
I became so immersed in the world Karen has created that I didn't even realize that it was starting to get light outside, I managed to read Ascension of the Whyte from start to finish and get to watch the sun come up! If you like your fantasy well thought out with an intriguing magic system, djinns who want to take over the world and characters who will become friends then this is the book for you. Karen has created a fascinating world which made me laugh and made me well up, I was thoroughly entranced by the writing and the characters. Also, as a word of warning, Karen isn't afraid to kill characters off so don't get too attached! I'm now desperate to read the next book in the series as things are just getting warmed up. Need another beta reader?
August 30, 2014
I haven't been so excited by a fantasy book since I first read the Harry Potter series as a young girl. This book was a complete delight to read. Karen Wrighton has managed to create a truly magical and expansive fantasy land, to rival that of the great classics. She has put so much thought into the world building, the characters and all the little details that make a book extra special.
The book makes you care so much about the main character Rose, and the friends she picks up along the way. We are truly on the mystical journey with her through the book, through the Afterlands, and experiencing the magnificant world for the first time with her. The novel has an incredible contrast of good vs evil, but not in the exhaustingly simple way in which some Young Adult books are guilty of. Karen has built complex layers of good and bad tropes into her characters, making them extremely interesting and mysterious, meaning you never quite know where the story will go next.
There is a wonderful balance of action and light-hearted magical moments within the story, which keeps you turning every page faster than you did the last. It's packed with incredibly thought-out and crafted spells, mystical creatures and incantations. The final chapters build to a super exciting climax, leaving you wanting the next instalment immediately. Sadly we will all have to wait! With all that in mind, I honestly think this book could be the next big thing.
The book makes you care so much about the main character Rose, and the friends she picks up along the way. We are truly on the mystical journey with her through the book, through the Afterlands, and experiencing the magnificant world for the first time with her. The novel has an incredible contrast of good vs evil, but not in the exhaustingly simple way in which some Young Adult books are guilty of. Karen has built complex layers of good and bad tropes into her characters, making them extremely interesting and mysterious, meaning you never quite know where the story will go next.
There is a wonderful balance of action and light-hearted magical moments within the story, which keeps you turning every page faster than you did the last. It's packed with incredibly thought-out and crafted spells, mystical creatures and incantations. The final chapters build to a super exciting climax, leaving you wanting the next instalment immediately. Sadly we will all have to wait! With all that in mind, I honestly think this book could be the next big thing.
July 22, 2014
An excellent first novel, looking forward with relish to the second installment!!
I tend to rate the quality of an authors storytelling by my desire to turn to the next page, this work, as far as I am aware the authors first novel, induced me to continue turning to the next page in a single sitting. It is a wonderful fantasy story that also manages to address issues common to our own contemporary societies. I found the work permits the reader to engage with both characters and settings, transporting one to their fantasy world effortlessly, as I found myself so absorbed I could have been there with Rose, Auriel, Lee and the mischievous, cheeky and unashamedly curious Ash.
I tend to rate the quality of an authors storytelling by my desire to turn to the next page, this work, as far as I am aware the authors first novel, induced me to continue turning to the next page in a single sitting. It is a wonderful fantasy story that also manages to address issues common to our own contemporary societies. I found the work permits the reader to engage with both characters and settings, transporting one to their fantasy world effortlessly, as I found myself so absorbed I could have been there with Rose, Auriel, Lee and the mischievous, cheeky and unashamedly curious Ash.
March 31, 2023
I received this book in a mystery book box.
1.5 stars.
I’d like to start by saying that I can’t believe the audacity of the author to put an unattributed quote on the back of the book that says “An epic fantasy to rival that of the great classics.” That’s a lot of arrogance for what amounted to an incredibly mediocre YA fantasy with no depth.
I think the idea of a world that souls endlessly return to through the use of alchemy is very interesting, and I think that some of the ideas in the world building had potential to be interesting (and I loved the little dragon Pukis that was cute), which is the only reason this is 1.5 stars instead of 1.
This was extremely juvenile and honestly quite difficult to get through. The typos and punctuation errors were distracting, the characters didn’t amount to much of anything, and the plot had basically no substance. This entire book could have been a chapter, basically nothing happened. The moment something started happening, it ended. The number of times that something important should have been happening and all the characters were just like, playing a game or something was immense and ridiculous. I absolutely hate the entire, oh we have 4 races that are just differently colored humans but for some reason that defines their entire personalities and aptitudes, thing. Drives me up a wall.
I really wish the core ideas of the world building in this novel were executed completely differently, I think it could have been really good. Take the concept of immortality through alchemy (+ the Pukis it’s cute) and put it in a different novel with a better plot and better characters and without the weird racist cast system and I think it would have been an enjoyable book. I did quite like the idea of the main 2 villains fusing into one, I haven’t seen that done before, but since the book ends before anything happens it doesn’t feel well utilized at all. It’s possible some things improve in the other books in the series, but I will not be finding out.
1.5 stars.
I’d like to start by saying that I can’t believe the audacity of the author to put an unattributed quote on the back of the book that says “An epic fantasy to rival that of the great classics.” That’s a lot of arrogance for what amounted to an incredibly mediocre YA fantasy with no depth.
I think the idea of a world that souls endlessly return to through the use of alchemy is very interesting, and I think that some of the ideas in the world building had potential to be interesting (and I loved the little dragon Pukis that was cute), which is the only reason this is 1.5 stars instead of 1.
This was extremely juvenile and honestly quite difficult to get through. The typos and punctuation errors were distracting, the characters didn’t amount to much of anything, and the plot had basically no substance. This entire book could have been a chapter, basically nothing happened. The moment something started happening, it ended. The number of times that something important should have been happening and all the characters were just like, playing a game or something was immense and ridiculous. I absolutely hate the entire, oh we have 4 races that are just differently colored humans but for some reason that defines their entire personalities and aptitudes, thing. Drives me up a wall.
I really wish the core ideas of the world building in this novel were executed completely differently, I think it could have been really good. Take the concept of immortality through alchemy (+ the Pukis it’s cute) and put it in a different novel with a better plot and better characters and without the weird racist cast system and I think it would have been an enjoyable book. I did quite like the idea of the main 2 villains fusing into one, I haven’t seen that done before, but since the book ends before anything happens it doesn’t feel well utilized at all. It’s possible some things improve in the other books in the series, but I will not be finding out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2019
I worried at first that people reading the short prologue and blurb would get the wrong idea about this book, and I think that they do, but in some way that is a good thing because it SURPRISES them. It starts out appearing to be contemporary and real world but then very shortly becomes a full blown epic fantasy. Here is an insight into how it all began...
Writing this book came quite naturally to me, in fact I would say that the book seemed to write itself, but it didn't so much write itself as evolve, almost in true Darwinian fashion. It all started with a car journey, my daily commute, which is long a and tedious three hour journey through Norfolk's slow, tractor ridden country lanes.
I had been thinking about writing a book for some time and my computer was filled with half written manuscripts and plot ideas. On this day though I had just finished reading John Green’s The Fault in out Stars the night before and I was thinking about the bravery of the young people and how they were both so desperate to discover what had happened to a character in the story they were reading, who they believed had died, but didn’t really know for sure because the author had left the ending open. I started to think, well maybe death was not the end of the story, after all it was a story, so really anything could happen!
Then as I was driving I was gifted an idea. The image of a young girl swam into my mind. It was her first day of high school and she was walking out of school excitedly planning to attend a party with her friend, full of life, hopes, dreams and expectations and then something catastrophic happens, she is hit by a lorry and killed. The end of everything she had planned, but what if that was not the end of the book, I thought, what if it was the beginning of an adventure.
That was the genesis of the story and before I arrived at work that day I had the framework solidly in my head. I knew the beginning, I had a great idea for a plot and I knew how I wanted it to end. So now all I had to do was plan and write it. Phew, that sounds easy when you say it quickly, but in fact I was just about to embark on the most difficult, though possibly the most enjoyable part of this journey into authorship - planning and writing the story.
When I plan the ideas come first, mainly I just make things up from my imagination, sometimes I get ideas from things I see, hear or read about and sometimes they come from trying to solve a problem that the plot has thrown up.
The research comes next and usually the research gives me more ideas about how I can weave the information or characters into my story. For example I needed a method of communication in the Afterlands, J K Rowling had her owls, but I was loath to use birds as well, so I looked into communication in animals and came across the bee and how bees communicated with each other through dance.
I had already decided that some of my characters would be able to communicate with animals as well as to transform into them, so the bee made a brilliant messenger. I later discovered that bees have long been associated with magic, which I took as a sign that I had made the right choice.
Almost all of my planning and writing evolves in this fluid way. My characters regularly take me places that I hadn't intended to go. Originally I had two villains, Ka and Phlegon, but I soon realised that they were both such strong characters that the book wouldn't work with both of them in it. This gave me a big headache for a week or so until, again on my commute to work, I thought that instead of killing one of them off and losing a great character what if somehow I was able to combine the two together. Phlegon was made from Fyre so I was thinking of some type of mechanism for melding or forging them together and so I did some research and discovered how a crucible works and then the process of assimilation was born.
I don't think I could ever be organised enough to sit down and plan every detail of the story before I put pen to paper and anyway, I would soon get bored. I like to build interesting characters that take me unexpected places and do unexpected things. It is this that keeps me engaged with the story and hopefully it’s what keeps my readers engrossed too.
If I were to explain to you how I plot ‘in a nutshell’, I would say that plotting for me is seventy percent character driven, twenty percent research driven, ten percent plot driven and mostly takes place in the land of my imagination, while driving through the Norfolk countryside behind a tractor travelling at 20 miles per hour.
I think that it worked in this book, I love it and judging by the vast majority of reviews, my readers do too! I can thoroughly recommend this book if, like me, you love reading about magical fantasy worlds with strong female characters.
Writing this book came quite naturally to me, in fact I would say that the book seemed to write itself, but it didn't so much write itself as evolve, almost in true Darwinian fashion. It all started with a car journey, my daily commute, which is long a and tedious three hour journey through Norfolk's slow, tractor ridden country lanes.
I had been thinking about writing a book for some time and my computer was filled with half written manuscripts and plot ideas. On this day though I had just finished reading John Green’s The Fault in out Stars the night before and I was thinking about the bravery of the young people and how they were both so desperate to discover what had happened to a character in the story they were reading, who they believed had died, but didn’t really know for sure because the author had left the ending open. I started to think, well maybe death was not the end of the story, after all it was a story, so really anything could happen!
Then as I was driving I was gifted an idea. The image of a young girl swam into my mind. It was her first day of high school and she was walking out of school excitedly planning to attend a party with her friend, full of life, hopes, dreams and expectations and then something catastrophic happens, she is hit by a lorry and killed. The end of everything she had planned, but what if that was not the end of the book, I thought, what if it was the beginning of an adventure.
That was the genesis of the story and before I arrived at work that day I had the framework solidly in my head. I knew the beginning, I had a great idea for a plot and I knew how I wanted it to end. So now all I had to do was plan and write it. Phew, that sounds easy when you say it quickly, but in fact I was just about to embark on the most difficult, though possibly the most enjoyable part of this journey into authorship - planning and writing the story.
When I plan the ideas come first, mainly I just make things up from my imagination, sometimes I get ideas from things I see, hear or read about and sometimes they come from trying to solve a problem that the plot has thrown up.
The research comes next and usually the research gives me more ideas about how I can weave the information or characters into my story. For example I needed a method of communication in the Afterlands, J K Rowling had her owls, but I was loath to use birds as well, so I looked into communication in animals and came across the bee and how bees communicated with each other through dance.
I had already decided that some of my characters would be able to communicate with animals as well as to transform into them, so the bee made a brilliant messenger. I later discovered that bees have long been associated with magic, which I took as a sign that I had made the right choice.
Almost all of my planning and writing evolves in this fluid way. My characters regularly take me places that I hadn't intended to go. Originally I had two villains, Ka and Phlegon, but I soon realised that they were both such strong characters that the book wouldn't work with both of them in it. This gave me a big headache for a week or so until, again on my commute to work, I thought that instead of killing one of them off and losing a great character what if somehow I was able to combine the two together. Phlegon was made from Fyre so I was thinking of some type of mechanism for melding or forging them together and so I did some research and discovered how a crucible works and then the process of assimilation was born.
I don't think I could ever be organised enough to sit down and plan every detail of the story before I put pen to paper and anyway, I would soon get bored. I like to build interesting characters that take me unexpected places and do unexpected things. It is this that keeps me engaged with the story and hopefully it’s what keeps my readers engrossed too.
If I were to explain to you how I plot ‘in a nutshell’, I would say that plotting for me is seventy percent character driven, twenty percent research driven, ten percent plot driven and mostly takes place in the land of my imagination, while driving through the Norfolk countryside behind a tractor travelling at 20 miles per hour.
I think that it worked in this book, I love it and judging by the vast majority of reviews, my readers do too! I can thoroughly recommend this book if, like me, you love reading about magical fantasy worlds with strong female characters.
October 7, 2014
Sara Carson did not believe in life after death, Heaven, Hell or even reincarnation. However, what she didn’t know was that some of us are special. For some of us, death is just the beginning of our next great adventure. Sara Carson was one of those special people, and her most incredible journey did not begin, until the day she died.
A magical debut novel that will leave you breathless.
First, let me just say – that the “back of the book blurb” above does not even BEGIN to describe what this book is truly about. That, maybe, covers the first 3 pages of the novel. So what makes this fantasy? What is this after life in the world of author Karen Wrighton? Welcome to Ascension of the Whyte…
In another world, the Afterlands, immortal souls ascend and are reborn – they are called the Ascendants and fall into the family or casts of Bloods, Muds, Golds or Whytes. Except Whytes have failed to ascend for centuries, thanks to a brutal war and their extinction. But now, a Whyte has ascended, and Rose has set an ancient prophecy in motion – one that says a new war is coming and that Rose has the power to save them all.
The story line was wonderfully original and creative! I loved the concept of ascension, the Afterlands, the magic and power, the detailed descriptions of the setting, and the immediate struggle of good vs. evil.
I liked how immediately Rose and her cell are thrown together and have to work as a team – it caused great conflict and jealousy and made me wonder how this was going to play out. Is everyone on her team loyal? How do the other ascendants really feel about Rose Whyte?
I also liked the return of Ka – and Phlegon – normally you have one main evil villain, but here we had two…well kind of! At first! And then…well, you’ll have to read the book!
Here’s what I had trouble with – the language and descriptions were sometimes a bit confusing or too elaborate. At times it seemed too formal – or epic – or adult. For a YA novel, I wanted things to be a little easier to understand. And – as I was reading a review copy – I had a lot of issues with editing! Also – and this usually happens when I read a British author – the vocab and spelling can throw you a bit. If you can get through that, the story itself is definitely intriguing!
A magical debut novel that will leave you breathless.
First, let me just say – that the “back of the book blurb” above does not even BEGIN to describe what this book is truly about. That, maybe, covers the first 3 pages of the novel. So what makes this fantasy? What is this after life in the world of author Karen Wrighton? Welcome to Ascension of the Whyte…
In another world, the Afterlands, immortal souls ascend and are reborn – they are called the Ascendants and fall into the family or casts of Bloods, Muds, Golds or Whytes. Except Whytes have failed to ascend for centuries, thanks to a brutal war and their extinction. But now, a Whyte has ascended, and Rose has set an ancient prophecy in motion – one that says a new war is coming and that Rose has the power to save them all.
The story line was wonderfully original and creative! I loved the concept of ascension, the Afterlands, the magic and power, the detailed descriptions of the setting, and the immediate struggle of good vs. evil.
I liked how immediately Rose and her cell are thrown together and have to work as a team – it caused great conflict and jealousy and made me wonder how this was going to play out. Is everyone on her team loyal? How do the other ascendants really feel about Rose Whyte?
I also liked the return of Ka – and Phlegon – normally you have one main evil villain, but here we had two…well kind of! At first! And then…well, you’ll have to read the book!
Here’s what I had trouble with – the language and descriptions were sometimes a bit confusing or too elaborate. At times it seemed too formal – or epic – or adult. For a YA novel, I wanted things to be a little easier to understand. And – as I was reading a review copy – I had a lot of issues with editing! Also – and this usually happens when I read a British author – the vocab and spelling can throw you a bit. If you can get through that, the story itself is definitely intriguing!
November 6, 2016
Loved this book. It was recommended to me by my husband who is friends with the author and, although it is not my usual read, I do enjoy trying something different from time to time. It first struck me as very 'Harry Potter'ish but as I read further and became more engrossed in the story that was soon put out of my mind. The premise of the story is that once a year some people who have died are chosen to ascend to a different realm. The Ascendents are primarily of three different races who then specialise in one of the four powers. Along comes Rose (Sara) who is from a race that hasn't existed for over a thousand years and everything is thrown into turmoil.
As well as the differing powers and races, there are dragons, djinn, wolfmen and Twocasts. The story line is engaging and well written and had me picking up my kindle at every opportunity. There are friendships that are made, betrayals and losses. Happy times are few but when they do happen you can guarantee that Ash is somewhere in the mix - love his character. There is no sexual content included and therefore makes this book suitable for a younger reading age, probably from around 13-14 upwards. Although it is classed as young adult I think adults of any age who enjoy the fantasy genre would appreciate this series.
I will be reading book two very soon, looking forward to seeing what happens with Rose and her cell.
As well as the differing powers and races, there are dragons, djinn, wolfmen and Twocasts. The story line is engaging and well written and had me picking up my kindle at every opportunity. There are friendships that are made, betrayals and losses. Happy times are few but when they do happen you can guarantee that Ash is somewhere in the mix - love his character. There is no sexual content included and therefore makes this book suitable for a younger reading age, probably from around 13-14 upwards. Although it is classed as young adult I think adults of any age who enjoy the fantasy genre would appreciate this series.
I will be reading book two very soon, looking forward to seeing what happens with Rose and her cell.
September 18, 2014
I was asked by the author to read and review this book.
So, I love stories about magic. And this sounded really cool. I like stories that sound a bit strange because they're usually really creative.
But this book just never clicked for me. I was very lost for the first chapter or two, trying to understand where the characters were and who they were. It was pretty crazy. There's a lot thrown at you and there are so many terms related to their world that just take time to get used to. And I understood that. Didn't mean I wasn't still lost.
I just never felt gripped by the story. There's suspense in it--I think--but I never really felt it. I don't know. I think maybe it had something to do with the narration. Chapters don't regularly jump between certain people, but it tends to be this wandering 3rd person narrator. Sometimes we follow Rose, our protagonist, and other times it's just a random character who happens to be witness to all this stuff. I never really felt a connection to Rose, and I think that really hurt the story. There really wasn't anyone I bought into.
I thought the story had many creative elements. There's definitely something here. But maybe high fantasy isn't really my genre??
So, I love stories about magic. And this sounded really cool. I like stories that sound a bit strange because they're usually really creative.
But this book just never clicked for me. I was very lost for the first chapter or two, trying to understand where the characters were and who they were. It was pretty crazy. There's a lot thrown at you and there are so many terms related to their world that just take time to get used to. And I understood that. Didn't mean I wasn't still lost.
I just never felt gripped by the story. There's suspense in it--I think--but I never really felt it. I don't know. I think maybe it had something to do with the narration. Chapters don't regularly jump between certain people, but it tends to be this wandering 3rd person narrator. Sometimes we follow Rose, our protagonist, and other times it's just a random character who happens to be witness to all this stuff. I never really felt a connection to Rose, and I think that really hurt the story. There really wasn't anyone I bought into.
I thought the story had many creative elements. There's definitely something here. But maybe high fantasy isn't really my genre??
September 15, 2014
Needs extensive editing for grammar and use of punctuation - especially punctuation.
The only chapter I liked was Glynisfarne. The rest? As I said, it reminded me of Mortal Enchantment although there are differences of course. Mortal Enchantment was better. The thing is: I've seen this kind of story (and the mythology crafted for the book) before, therefore I was not as beguiled as the book intended.
Because of curiosity, I might read the second book but only if I'm assured of the editing and the storytelling.
The only chapter I liked was Glynisfarne. The rest? As I said, it reminded me of Mortal Enchantment although there are differences of course. Mortal Enchantment was better. The thing is: I've seen this kind of story (and the mythology crafted for the book) before, therefore I was not as beguiled as the book intended.
Because of curiosity, I might read the second book but only if I'm assured of the editing and the storytelling.
August 7, 2015
Pretty good story but it lacks a lot. In a better authors hand this could have been something great, but as it is now it too naive and lacks any depth whatsoever. There is no nuance in the characters , they are either super good or super evil. It's like it's written by a high school student for other teenagers. If you are over 18 don't bother with this one.
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