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The Lone and Level Sands
Follow the thrilling journey of Tarlos, the telekinetic prince of Kesh, as he unravels a dark family secret and confronts a murder plot. When the monster that took his mother also kills his twin brother, Tarlos embarks on a quest across the desert in search of the entrance to the afterlife. But what he discovers is a universe beyond his imagination, where he must choose between immortality as a discarded god or a life well-lived that will inevitably end in death. Experience the unexpected twists and turns as Tarlos comes face-to-face with ancient powers and unravels the mysteries of the multiverse.
496 pages, Paperback
Published October 22, 2022
3 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 21, 2023
"Life is beautiful and fleeting, and it is beautiful because it is fleeting. You wouldn't appreciate it otherwise."
This is an interesting fantasy book and I'd recommend it to young adults. Exploring the complexities of power, duty and relationships, this is a well written book. I loved the introduction which showed song as a living creature and it took me back to my South Asian literature classes where we read an Indian play Naag Mandala which had song and stories as living creatures as well.
I instantly start loving a book if it has siblings love trope so relationship of these twin brothers was moving. Though it had a unique plot and was fast paced, I was confused at some points and I believe if a little more thought was put, it would have been perfect.
This is an interesting fantasy book and I'd recommend it to young adults. Exploring the complexities of power, duty and relationships, this is a well written book. I loved the introduction which showed song as a living creature and it took me back to my South Asian literature classes where we read an Indian play Naag Mandala which had song and stories as living creatures as well.
I instantly start loving a book if it has siblings love trope so relationship of these twin brothers was moving. Though it had a unique plot and was fast paced, I was confused at some points and I believe if a little more thought was put, it would have been perfect.
March 21, 2023
Synopsis:
Follow the thrilling journey of Tarlos, the telekinetic prince of Kesh, as he unravels a dark family secret and confronts a murder plot. When the monster that took his mother also kills his twin brother, Tarlos embarks on a quest across the desert in search of the entrance to the afterlife. But what he discovers is a universe beyond his imagination, where he must choose between immortality as a discarded god or a life well-lived that will inevitably end in death. Experience the unexpected twists and turns as Tarlos comes face-to-face with ancient powers and unravels the mysteries of the multiverse.
Review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Things I liked about it:
-> very happening, gripping and thrilling.
-> loved the bond between the brothers. They were twins too 🌚
-> an interesting and different plot
-> a fast paced fantasy
-> a book mixed with emotions, revenge, heartbreak, brotherly love, laughter and confusion too hehe
-> I was impressed by how the writer managed to get us so invested in the book.
Things I didn’t like:
-> I personally don’t like books that are based on different Gods and all sooo yes that was a drawback FOR ME
-> the story would get confusing at certain points. Would make me go “¿?”
-> most of the characters had difficult names which made me forget who was who xD
-> was a little lengthy 😩
Follow the thrilling journey of Tarlos, the telekinetic prince of Kesh, as he unravels a dark family secret and confronts a murder plot. When the monster that took his mother also kills his twin brother, Tarlos embarks on a quest across the desert in search of the entrance to the afterlife. But what he discovers is a universe beyond his imagination, where he must choose between immortality as a discarded god or a life well-lived that will inevitably end in death. Experience the unexpected twists and turns as Tarlos comes face-to-face with ancient powers and unravels the mysteries of the multiverse.
Review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Things I liked about it:
-> very happening, gripping and thrilling.
-> loved the bond between the brothers. They were twins too 🌚
-> an interesting and different plot
-> a fast paced fantasy
-> a book mixed with emotions, revenge, heartbreak, brotherly love, laughter and confusion too hehe
-> I was impressed by how the writer managed to get us so invested in the book.
Things I didn’t like:
-> I personally don’t like books that are based on different Gods and all sooo yes that was a drawback FOR ME
-> the story would get confusing at certain points. Would make me go “¿?”
-> most of the characters had difficult names which made me forget who was who xD
-> was a little lengthy 😩
March 21, 2023
This book has an extremely diverse sort of fiction/fantasy for someone who doesn't necessarily like reading stories that contain Demigods and creatures possessing unearthly power along a peculiar vocabulary that is necessary to be learnt when reading a fiction/fantasy book. Cause in these type of books, usually, the author's element of focus is the distinctive characteristics of the story instead of keeping a balance with everything (plotline, character development, surroundings etc.)
However that's truly not the case with this one. In the beginning it was a little boring, but as soon as the realm to past opened (in the story), I couldn't resist. This book is a captivating mixture of raw and realistic relations, on-spot descriptive emotions and simple vocabulary with an immersive storyline. In essence; the perfect piece of literature 👌
Sometimes words don't do justice to how one actually feels about a certain book. Consider this one of those reviews:)
I loved the interaction between the main protagonist Tarlos and his brother. The wholesome sibling relationship was quite a delight to read about.
It was a simple, yet sensational book that I'd most definitely read again on a gloomy afternoon.
However that's truly not the case with this one. In the beginning it was a little boring, but as soon as the realm to past opened (in the story), I couldn't resist. This book is a captivating mixture of raw and realistic relations, on-spot descriptive emotions and simple vocabulary with an immersive storyline. In essence; the perfect piece of literature 👌
Sometimes words don't do justice to how one actually feels about a certain book. Consider this one of those reviews:)
I loved the interaction between the main protagonist Tarlos and his brother. The wholesome sibling relationship was quite a delight to read about.
It was a simple, yet sensational book that I'd most definitely read again on a gloomy afternoon.
March 21, 2023
Tarlos, the telekinetic prince of Kesh, on his thrilling journey uncovers a dark family secret and confronts a murder plot. Tarlos sets out across the desert in search of the entrance to the afterlife after the monster that killed his mother also kills his twin brother Krastos. But what he finds is a universe beyond his wildest dreams, in which he must choose between immortality as a discarded god and a life well lived that will inevitably end in death.
The book started of really well. I loved the beginning, prelude instantly caught my attention. As the story progressed I found out that it was not what I expected (and I am a little disappointed too).
"Life is beautiful and fleeting, and it is beautiful because it is fleeting. You wouldn't appreciate it otherwise."
The writing style is exquisite and eloquent. Chapters are executed well. It's a fast paced book with several twists and turns as Tarlos confronts ancient powers and unravels the multiverse's mysteries. Though there's a chance of betterment for certain things, it was an okay-ish read for me.
"I hope you find what you need, and not just what you're looking for."
Thanks for having me on this tour @mbooktours
The book started of really well. I loved the beginning, prelude instantly caught my attention. As the story progressed I found out that it was not what I expected (and I am a little disappointed too).
"Life is beautiful and fleeting, and it is beautiful because it is fleeting. You wouldn't appreciate it otherwise."
The writing style is exquisite and eloquent. Chapters are executed well. It's a fast paced book with several twists and turns as Tarlos confronts ancient powers and unravels the multiverse's mysteries. Though there's a chance of betterment for certain things, it was an okay-ish read for me.
"I hope you find what you need, and not just what you're looking for."
Thanks for having me on this tour @mbooktours
March 21, 2023
✨The Lone and Level Sands ✨
Follow the thrilling journey of Tarlos, the telekinetic prince of Kesh, as he unravels a dark family secret and confronts a murder plot. When the monster that took his mother also kills his twin brother, Tarlos embarks on a quest across the desert in search of the entrance to the afterlife. But what he discovers is a universe beyond his imagination, where he must choose between immortality as a discarded god or a life well-lived that will inevitably end in death. Experience the unexpected twists and turns as Tarlos comes face-to-face with ancient powers and unravels the mysteries of the multiverse.
My Review:
The book is quite interesting and I like the writing style of author. It was a fantasy story with Different plot. And the most favorite thing is love between brothers. The book is packed with all emotions happiness, joy, thrill. And the book hooked me from start. But the thing is I don't like is the characters difficult names or there are many gods like it's really getting weird, if you read the story you will know it 🤧
That's all..
Follow the thrilling journey of Tarlos, the telekinetic prince of Kesh, as he unravels a dark family secret and confronts a murder plot. When the monster that took his mother also kills his twin brother, Tarlos embarks on a quest across the desert in search of the entrance to the afterlife. But what he discovers is a universe beyond his imagination, where he must choose between immortality as a discarded god or a life well-lived that will inevitably end in death. Experience the unexpected twists and turns as Tarlos comes face-to-face with ancient powers and unravels the mysteries of the multiverse.
My Review:
The book is quite interesting and I like the writing style of author. It was a fantasy story with Different plot. And the most favorite thing is love between brothers. The book is packed with all emotions happiness, joy, thrill. And the book hooked me from start. But the thing is I don't like is the characters difficult names or there are many gods like it's really getting weird, if you read the story you will know it 🤧
That's all..
March 21, 2023
"The Lone and Level Lands" is a really fascinating and spellbinding tale. It is action-packed, has all the supernatural elements that one would love to see in a fantasy book and it instantly gets you engrossed into this magical world. The writing is honestly so beautiful. The author has described the setting and characters so skillfully that you feel like you're inside the book. I loved the way Tarlos visited the country of dead people and how he ultimately realized that "life is beautiful because it is fleeting."
My favorite thing about the book is the lack of romance. It focuses more on the love of brothers. It's so rare to see stories like that these days and it certainly makes them all the more enticing.
The only thing that bothered me was the multiple god thing. That's my personal issue and others might not have any problem with that. There were gods of gods called elder gods and all. It was all pretty weird for me.
My favorite thing about the book is the lack of romance. It focuses more on the love of brothers. It's so rare to see stories like that these days and it certainly makes them all the more enticing.
The only thing that bothered me was the multiple god thing. That's my personal issue and others might not have any problem with that. There were gods of gods called elder gods and all. It was all pretty weird for me.
March 21, 2023
The lone and level sand is an amazing story. The story revolves around Tarlos, the prince of kesh when his younger brother died and after his death, they know unraveling secrets about their family. The spiteful God, Ablis take advantage of Tarlos and send the prince on a wild goose chase through the land of the dead.
The plot is amazing and suspenseful and makes them very interesting at the end.
The character makes the book much more interesting. Tarlos is a very strong, loving, and caring hero. He faces all the situation and difficulty also the creatures in the story makes Tarlo's journey unique and give him a unique charm. Tarlo's and krastos
relationship is also very good.
All-in-all this is a very good book. Imaginative, exciting, and tender and a high-quality fantasy
The plot is amazing and suspenseful and makes them very interesting at the end.
The character makes the book much more interesting. Tarlos is a very strong, loving, and caring hero. He faces all the situation and difficulty also the creatures in the story makes Tarlo's journey unique and give him a unique charm. Tarlo's and krastos
relationship is also very good.
All-in-all this is a very good book. Imaginative, exciting, and tender and a high-quality fantasy
March 21, 2023
The lone and level sands is a wonderfully written book. It has all the elements a reader needs to instantly develop interest in a book.
I was pleasantly surprised by how easily it managed to capture my attention. The writing style was very engrossing and the well-executed plotline kept me intrigued and entertained well until the end.
This book beautifully describe how complicated relationships, power and responsibilities can be. The characters make the book much more interesting.
Overall this is an amazing book. Imaginative, exciting and tender. I'll definitely recommend it.
I was pleasantly surprised by how easily it managed to capture my attention. The writing style was very engrossing and the well-executed plotline kept me intrigued and entertained well until the end.
This book beautifully describe how complicated relationships, power and responsibilities can be. The characters make the book much more interesting.
Overall this is an amazing book. Imaginative, exciting and tender. I'll definitely recommend it.
July 1, 2021
The Lone and Level Sands is an intriguing take on the pitfalls and blinkers of power, drawing heavily from Percy Shelley’s Ozymandias poem.
The story follows Tarlos, the prince of Kesh, as he seeks immortality after his younger brother, Krastos, dies and a ground-breaking secret unravels about their family. The spiteful god, Ablis, takes advantage of Tarlos’s dismay to sow fear in him, which sends the prince onto a wild goose chase through the land of the dead and mind-bending realms beyond.
First off, I loved the opening line, “At the peak of a lone mountain lives a song,” which leads into a wonderfully written intro. The whole narrative is thought out and composed with care and grace. Even though it feels a bit allegorical and rushed at times, the plot is still suspenseful and emotional. Foreshadowing is also used to great effect throughout.
The characters make the book that much more immersive. Tarlos is a compelling anti-hero torn between duty, love, and fear of being forgotten. His relationship with Krastos is especially moving, not to mention the difficult situations they find themselves in. Various secondary characters – and creatures! – add their unique charm to Tarlos’s journey.
Another interesting feature of The Lone and Level Sands is how it plays with existential, cultural, mythological, and otherworldly concepts. It merges everything in a way that takes the “man seeks power” trope to the next level, giving it fun and clever depths. In other words, there’s wisdom to be found in these pages as much as high-quality fantasy.
All-in-all, this is a very good book. Imaginative, exciting, and tender. Certain aspects could have been developed further, but the story more than delivers its poignant messages. While pondering the mystery of Kesh’s culture – Egypt, Greece, Mesopotamia, Scandinavia, or a mixture of all? – you’ll be swept away on an epic quest laced with heart and character.
Many thanks to the author and Reedsy Discovery for providing a copy of this book: https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/the...
The story follows Tarlos, the prince of Kesh, as he seeks immortality after his younger brother, Krastos, dies and a ground-breaking secret unravels about their family. The spiteful god, Ablis, takes advantage of Tarlos’s dismay to sow fear in him, which sends the prince onto a wild goose chase through the land of the dead and mind-bending realms beyond.
First off, I loved the opening line, “At the peak of a lone mountain lives a song,” which leads into a wonderfully written intro. The whole narrative is thought out and composed with care and grace. Even though it feels a bit allegorical and rushed at times, the plot is still suspenseful and emotional. Foreshadowing is also used to great effect throughout.
The characters make the book that much more immersive. Tarlos is a compelling anti-hero torn between duty, love, and fear of being forgotten. His relationship with Krastos is especially moving, not to mention the difficult situations they find themselves in. Various secondary characters – and creatures! – add their unique charm to Tarlos’s journey.
Another interesting feature of The Lone and Level Sands is how it plays with existential, cultural, mythological, and otherworldly concepts. It merges everything in a way that takes the “man seeks power” trope to the next level, giving it fun and clever depths. In other words, there’s wisdom to be found in these pages as much as high-quality fantasy.
All-in-all, this is a very good book. Imaginative, exciting, and tender. Certain aspects could have been developed further, but the story more than delivers its poignant messages. While pondering the mystery of Kesh’s culture – Egypt, Greece, Mesopotamia, Scandinavia, or a mixture of all? – you’ll be swept away on an epic quest laced with heart and character.
Many thanks to the author and Reedsy Discovery for providing a copy of this book: https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/the...
December 31, 2018
This story had SO many good ideas. I liked the setting and how he linked ancient Mesopotamian culture with his world. The one thing this story lacks is MEAT. Relationships needed to be fleshed out as well as context given for passed time. I also personally wishes he had not included prostitution as part of palace life. If the king and others loved their spouses so much, why would they spend there time with harlots? It was sad to read. My rating of this book is an encouragement for the author to keep writing. Real review: 3.5/5
October 15, 2018
I read this book after seeing it recommended on Jenna Moreci's Youtube channel. It's written at the YA level, but with adult themes, and overall the writing was consistent and clear (there are a handful of minor typos, but it's very polished for a self-published novel). The world building was believable, although I'd have liked to see more scenes and interactions in the land of the dead. Some of the conflicts and relationships felt a little bit underdeveloped, Tarlos and Katla being the most glaring one, and while Lakeaus's motives in regards to Krastos made sense, it could have done with more fleshing out. The themes of existentialism and mortality were explored on a very YA level, and the presentation of ideas was a little choppy, but overall quite fun. I liked the lady from Oregon and the boatman and would have liked to see their stories explored more.
But the real reason I've taken a few stars off comes at the end of the book, when the author breaks the fourth wall out of nowhere to talk about his (her?) insecurities over his craft. It was extremely jarring, and I almost put the book down without finishing it. While introducing the author as another character isn't totally off the wall considering the subject matter, and I get that the author was trying to set this story up as an Gilgamesh-esque epic (another thing that's shoved down the reader's throat when the Ageless man talks about reading it), it was done sloppily and would probably have been better placed in a sequel. Or not at all. Honestly, not at all would have been the way to go here–it would have been much better to let the reader make those Gilgamesh connections on their own. I did press on, however, and am glad I finished it, although the climax felt a bit rushed.
Overall, I think it's a decent book for exposing YA readers to light existentialism and the action scenes are well done. It's a fun, fast read for the moody fantasy-loving tween in your life who's just starting to grapple with the meaning of life and their place in the universe.
But the real reason I've taken a few stars off comes at the end of the book, when the author breaks the fourth wall out of nowhere to talk about his (her?) insecurities over his craft. It was extremely jarring, and I almost put the book down without finishing it. While introducing the author as another character isn't totally off the wall considering the subject matter, and I get that the author was trying to set this story up as an Gilgamesh-esque epic (another thing that's shoved down the reader's throat when the Ageless man talks about reading it), it was done sloppily and would probably have been better placed in a sequel. Or not at all. Honestly, not at all would have been the way to go here–it would have been much better to let the reader make those Gilgamesh connections on their own. I did press on, however, and am glad I finished it, although the climax felt a bit rushed.
Overall, I think it's a decent book for exposing YA readers to light existentialism and the action scenes are well done. It's a fun, fast read for the moody fantasy-loving tween in your life who's just starting to grapple with the meaning of life and their place in the universe.
March 22, 2023
.
This fantasy novel is a whole package of power & responsibilities that comes with it, Relationships, Imagination, revenge and alot more to entertain and engage the reader till very end of the story I specially loved the bond bw the twin brothers! But why the characters have such difficult names. 🫠 Though at some points I felt like the author could’ve done a better job but Overall it is a good read for YA fantasy fans 🫶🏻
This fantasy novel is a whole package of power & responsibilities that comes with it, Relationships, Imagination, revenge and alot more to entertain and engage the reader till very end of the story I specially loved the bond bw the twin brothers! But why the characters have such difficult names. 🫠 Though at some points I felt like the author could’ve done a better job but Overall it is a good read for YA fantasy fans 🫶🏻
June 20, 2025
Tarlos, Prince of Kesh” is a fast-paced and emotionally rich fantasy adventure. Tarlos’s journey from grieving prince to a seeker of truth across deserts and dimensions is filled with magic, mystery, and high stakes. The multiverse twist adds a unique layer, and his final choice between godhood and a mortal life hits hard. With sharp writing and powerful themes, this is a must-read for fans of epic and thought-provoking fantasy.
October 22, 2025
Reading this book was a breath of fresh air!
It's certainly different, but in a way that kept me reading and wondering what would happen next. The whole time I was wondering what the book was about, why Tarlos was doing what he was doing, and that mystery is what kept me intrigued.
The world building is beautifully done! I loved learning about the lore of the world and how it plays a role in the plot.
Here's to hoping for another book like this one!
It's certainly different, but in a way that kept me reading and wondering what would happen next. The whole time I was wondering what the book was about, why Tarlos was doing what he was doing, and that mystery is what kept me intrigued.
The world building is beautifully done! I loved learning about the lore of the world and how it plays a role in the plot.
Here's to hoping for another book like this one!
March 2, 2023
I'm the author and I think I did a pretty good job.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews