Trust

Children of Chiron #1

by Tabitha Darling

Dying, centaurs return to Earth in the hopes that humanity can help. War breaks out instead. One centaur, Ieang struggles to keep the last infant alive, finds himself trapped on this planet and on the run. Desperate, he and his companion capture one of the enemy, a human, but will the woman care for the infant girl?

Genres: Fantasy

330 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2017

About the author

She is the author of Trust (Children of Chiron series Vol 1) to be released in August 31 2017.
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Life and career

She is wife to a robot builder and mom to a toddler. By day, she is a barefoot farrier, horse trainer, and riding instructor. She lives in Texas, with her husband, toddler, three horses, three hens, three geese, and three doves.

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a profoundly touching story of centaurs meeting humans for the first time, and the problems that follow, that brings to mind the conflict between natives and Europeans during the centuries.
Two male centaurs must travel to Earth to save a pregnant female, as their race is dying out and only a few are left. But they find themselves persecuted by the humans and have to flee for their lives. They kidnap a human woman who has just given birth to save the baby centaur they have to cut from its dying mother’s womb. One of the centaurs is captured, leaving the other, Ieang, responsible for the woman and baby centaur’s lives.
This is the story of how the woman and the centaur gradually learn about each other’s cultures, lives and languages, and of how a deep respect grows between the two of them. While one race reveres females and almost worships them, the other considers them lesser beings, mere property to be treated as they see fit, and this creates considerable problems. There is a spiritual thread throughout the book that makes the reader think about the differences between our modern world and that of the ancient tribes, and how difficult it is for one to adapt to the other.

[Sarah Northwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an unusual story, that I loved. I must admit it took me some time to get into the first part of the book as the style is a little different to my usual kind but I’m so glad I kept on reading. The tale of centaurs meeting humans for the first time is more than just a premise for the story, the author brings to life the two races and struggles found on each side. The richness of the main characters is woven together with their differing religious views and modern life versus ancient times. Each must learn to trust the other to survive.

[J.B. Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Members of a dying race of centaurs return to Earth in the hopes that humanity can help save the last vestige of their civilization—an infant centaur... the last of her race.

Darling’s novel is imaginative and creative, presenting a centaur world wholly fabricated from the ground up, with strong characters and a plot line that doesn’t seem to borrow from any Fantasy story I’ve ever read… And, I’ve read quite a few. The idea of a doomed and dying centaur civilization that is desperate to save its last remaining member is quite compelling, and the author successfully captures the anguish, desperation, and fear of her main character, Ieang, as the pressure on him mounts and he struggles to safeguard the infant he has been charged to protect. There are, however, some issues with this novel that caused me to have second thoughts about whether or not I wanted to keep moving forward with this story, but I’m glad I stuck with my policy to always read the entire book.

The story’s entire first quarter—the portion of a book that initially captures a reader and ensures they’ll more than likely finish a read—would have greatly benefitted from another perspective, either in the form of author’s notations within the text or, since the story is told in the third-person anyway, a human’s viewpoint. With the primary quarter of “Trust” written solely from the viewpoint of the centaurs and their limited understanding of human culture, the descriptions of items and events in this tale once the centaurs migrate to Earth are so obscure, undefined, and one-sided that it’s oftentimes impossible for a reader to determine what a particular object is or what’s happening.

“Trust” is severely hampered by an ample lack of clarity and definition, and although Darling sets up her religious, societal, and cultural mores of this equine civilization in her Preface, she misses the mark in carrying forward a basic understanding of her plot line as well as her characters’ sensations, experiences, and reasoning. Although, a language and pronunciation guide does precede this story, and there is a brief explanation of the historical, cultural, theological, and societal aspects of the unique civilization she has created in her Preface, the storyline itself does not redefine or expand on these issues until a good quarter of the way through the book. “Trust” is, therefore, muddled by the author assuming her audience will see things through the eyes of her centaurs, and without further explanations or referrals, readers may find this a tough read to swallow. Truly great Fantasy takes the reader into an alternate world by immersing them in its culture by familiarizing them with its society and terminology.

Fortunately, Darling’s tale takes a turn for the better about 30% of the way into the story, giving readers a chance to reinterpret, backtrack, and catch up with past events when the humans and centaur finally begin to communicate more freely, rehash past events, and come to an understanding of each other’s language, culture, and expectations. Any reader who has made it through the book up until this point will find a worthwhile story that addresses life-changes, survival, domestic abuse, alcoholism, trust, and friendship.

Note: Amazon defines a 3-Star rating as “It was ok”. A 3-Star rating is a neutral rating—It means a book (or product, to be more general) is, in the reader’s eyes, adequate—This is how I rated this story due to the issues cited in my review. In essence, Amazon review ratings are subjective and express a reader’s personal taste and opinion about a book or product—One which is formulated by an individual and may or may not necessarily represent another reader’s opinion. In the end, whether a one agrees with my rating of this item or not, I highly encourage you to either mark my review as helpful or leave your own review.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received a review copy from the author. All opinions are my own. This review was originally posted on RachelPoli.com.

Book Cover

I like the art style of the cover. It’s simple but it shows the plot as well as one of the main characters and it works. I like it.

First Thoughts

I don’t read much fantasy, but I’m always looking to try new things and this book sounded like it’d be an interesting read. When the author asked me to give it a try, I was happy to agree.

Plot

Ieang, trapped on Earth with an infant of his kind, struggles to keep himself and the baby alive. He captures Brenda, a female human, to take care of the baby who Brenda names Aubrey. Together they learn the ways of each other’s cultures and ways of life. They get to know one another and teach each other new things.

I found this plot to be very unique. Honestly, it almost felt like a non-fiction book. I got the sense that, if this were based off real history, this would be a school-assigned book.

Characters

I enjoyed all the characters. Brenda and Ieang were great together. Even when Brenda finds her human family again they were well done too. Her father, Ken, and brother, Cody, are very stand-offish to Ieang. I definitely got a racism and prejudiced vibe from this story as well. The humans didn’t understand the centaurs and vice versa and therefore, they didn’t like each other. Still, it made for good storytelling.

Writing Style

This book was fairly easy to read. I definitely thought the beginning was slow. I personally didn’t think the book picked up until about halfway through. Brenda and Ieang learning about each other was great, but I felt it lasted too long and some parts sort of dragged on for me. It wasn’t until Ieang was living with Brenda’s family and had to live as the humans do that things got interesting. I preferred them doing rather than just explaining to one another.

There was also a good amount of internal thoughts from Ieang but most of the time they were the same thought which got repetitive. There was also one or two thoughts that wasn’t in his POV as well which was inconsistent.

Overall

This wasn’t a bad book. I enjoyed the story and thought it was well thought out. The characters were interesting and it was certainly unique. While it wasn’t my favorite due to the voice sometimes as well as the beginning being slow, it was still worth the read. The imagination and world building is strong in this one.

Favorite Quote:

“This land was haunted, why did so many of these animals share aspects of his kind with four limbs and fur? It chilled him.” -Tabitha Darling, Trust

[Amanda Shepard (Between-the-Shelves) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this and more reviews at between-the-shelves.com!

The centaurs must return to Earth in order to save their dying race. But where they hope to find solace, they only find conflict and violence. They must work to keep the last centaur infant alive so that their race doesn't die out completely. But have they done enough to ensure their species' survival?

Tabitha Darling sent me a copy of this book to review, and it's pretty far from what I usually read. Despite this, I found myself drawn into the story of the centaur's desperate fight to save their species. It really makes you think about what you would do in order to save your own species. Darling pulls in elements from our own world to help make her fantastical one more realistic, which works in drawing in the reader's attention and centering them in this world.

The information provided at the beginning of the book about the religion of the centaurs, the point of view, and other important aspect of the novel and the world was helpful when diving in at the beginning. While the world was immersive, at times, I wish there was a more gradual build in the story itself. I found that there were moments when I would get lost, having to refer to the front to try to orient myself back into the story.

Despite these moments, the story itself was compelling, especially as you get to know the characters throughout. It was refreshing that this was a dystopian-esque book, but there wasn't really a single person chosen to save the centaurs. In a sense, they all had to work together to ensure that their species didn't disappear forever. This was probably my favorite aspect of the book, and I'd be interested in seeing where the series goes next.

[Al Boy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The old phrase, “We were from different worlds!” is oh-so-apropos for this tale which follows the exploits of the last centaurs as they struggle for their very existence. A small group of them are sent to modern-day Earth…where they encounter a rather hostile reception from a citizenry who seem inclined to shoot and/or capture…and ask questions later. One pregnant centaur is killed in the melee, and two male centaurs, Iaeng and Tiang deliver her child. They make good their escape from the battle with the humans, but have to kidnap a human woman to nurse the infant. The two centaurs soon become separated, and from this point the story revolves around Iaeng as he must struggle to survive on in an alien world he barely comprehends. Of course, having a hostage in tow, and caring for an infant when he has almost no knowledge of how to care for one only compound his problems. Over time, a bond of trust and understanding begins to develop between the centaur and human woman. He finds her and her culture strange and bewildering…and she struggles in like manner with him and his. When she rejoins her family, he is befriended by some of them, and the story of how they attempt to understand one another continues.

I found the examination of the cultural and religious difference to be very good and it delved into many areas of thought, reflection, purpose of life, and inner conflicts in an intelligent manner. The characters weren’t merely two-dimensional stereotypes and they helped carry the message of the book very well.
I liked this book very much, and I certainly recommend it!

[Andrew Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK. This was brought up to 4 stars for originality... Not in the story-line itself, but in the elements. There were some great viewpoints on cultural differences, new cultural aspects rarely seen, and creative new ways of presenting cliche'd, old character tropes and even general creatures (Centaurs) which I greatly appreciated.

Honestly though, it was fun. Not much more, no less. After a bit, it becomes exactly what you expect.

The editing was sub-par, but not the worst. The writing style reminded me of most popular YA fantasy writers first works, and I believe Tabitha Darling will really grow into her style the more she writes. I will probably keep up with her future works if only to see how she progresses.

[The Endless Unread · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written. The world building is extremely well done and paints a glorious picture of what's happening. I haven't read many centaur books so this was something completely different for me. I really enjoyed reading this.

[Shekie Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

SHARON
Submitting my review via MzJetson.com

This was an ok story for me.. The fact that there are Gods and humans in this book is what peaked my interest. As I continue to read the story it got a little intense.. The chemistry, the fights, wow... Poor Brenda. Lets see what happens in part 2.

[Michelle Promotion's for Indie Author's csmindiepr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be exceptional in the style, quality, description and Ms Darling's natural ability to take you into the world you are reading.
Trust cover's so many different issues and realistic problem's of today that I was drawn into how well past present and fantasy were all combined into the storyline. We meet a species of Centaurs who have come to Earth in the hope that they can get protection from humans, while ensuring the continuation of their species is protected and safe.
With the hope that their race is Remembered from the past, they thought the humans of this world would help.
The novel is profoundly compelling when you realize no matter whatever the circumstances, anyone or anything that is different is automatically condemned.
With only a few of their species left who can have children, the female centaur they are protecting has problem's and is dying, so the male Centaurs who are there to save her and the baby suddenly find themselves in the position of caring for a new born.
One very important threads that runs throughout, is the spiritual and gifts of certain power's they have received from those gods who are central to every part of their lives.
What do they do now...males don't care for new borns, so through luck they find a young woman who has just had her own baby, and is aware her own child is safe, so she doesn't really object when kidnapped.
As both a mother and an exceptional woman, after a little adjustment, she realizes these Centaurs are just as intelligent and spiritually aware maybe even more so than anyone else on the planet.
As often occurs within our world, judgement is automatic, assuming that anything that looks sounds or acts even slightly different is looked down upon as a sub species, in fact considering the history of past centuries this world has found condemnation to be the quickest way to deal with what they don't understand.
It only takes 2-3 male Centaurs a very pregnant female plus a few extra brought along to help, to create all out pandemonium, which makes you very aware of just how UNCIVILIZED we really are. Especially when the humans have guns and technology, yet these caring Centaurs are only carrying bows arrows and their given powers.
The woman who has been kidnapped does what any caring empathetic mother would do, a bond was created between her and the baby immediately, and she was feeding the babe with her own milk and love.
Certain Centaurs allowed themselves to perish so other's can survive, and this baby is their one hope for their continuation. Even though in many ways they showed superior understanding of life, nature and natural survival, they were considered as just animals who were beneath even thinking of helping, destruction is our answer.
Throughout this terrific novel, the emotions and deep caring and understanding that developed between both the Centaur caring and protecting the baby plus the natural desires that developed between the male Centaur and the woman, who were there ensuring the babe's safety and protection, couldn't be ignored. It actually was very apparent what often occurs today when love happens between anyone who has a different skin colour or culture, fear of the unknown runs throughout this whole book as it does around lack of understanding by social attitudes.
The plot takes a look at so many of our own values, and belief's of what is correct and what is not, war's on earth have started over smaller thing's it is very apparent what our cultures lack.
This really had me glued to what was coming next, especially as Ms Darling has many levels of imagery and theology running through every action taken. This book has a tale thats going to effect you in ways often not looked at, but with this Author's technical and narrative skills you are unable to ignore the theme running throughout every action, choice and moral knowledge that cannot be ignored.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys reading a book written by an excellent Author but also has a very real message to be heard. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the beginning of the book, the author stated this story was a “slow burn” and would leave many questions unanswered. This is true of many series’. I felt the flow was paced well. However, even with the listed character names and preface, I felt lost. As all the names were foreign, I had difficulty remembering who was who and what side each person was aligned with. I was following along much better after a small group transported to earth.

After reading the first few chapters, my head was spinning. Although the culture was fascinating, so many similar and unfamiliar names made me question my capability of finishing the book. Once the number of characters reduced to a handful I was able to relax and begin enjoying the story.
The Centaurs view of gods reminded me of the ancients. The essence of any life, movement, and cycle were the gods themselves. Bounty will be plentiful when they are happy. If they are not, silence will be heard. And if angered, destruction in various forms will rain down. At this point in the story, the gods must be irate. The tribe is dwindling. Few women have been chosen to bear the next generation.

Now, a young Centaur is at war with himself. He yearns to keep his species alive, but fears going against tradition. He is learning things only a woman should know. He doesn’t want to anger the gods, but his will to survive leaves him hoping they will understand. So far, they have provided him with food and shelter. His safety will always be in question.

I have grown fond of Ieang, Brenda, and Aubrey. I get a kick out of Brady, but I think that’s his goal. I look forward to learning what happens next in the series.