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The Way to Freedom #1
The Kalarthri
“This Hatar Kalar has more natural Talent than any Second Born found in the Empire.”
Kalena awakes one morning to find her world changed forever....
The Imperium Provosts of the Great Suene Empire have come to take Kalena away from her family and friends.
All because she is Second Born.
The Second Born Rule declares that all second born children above the age of five become indentured to the Empire for a period of thirty years to serve wherever the Empire sees fit. After the thirty-year period, the Kalarthri (as the indentured are called), are then pensioned into retirement by the Empire.
Kalena is different in that she has a special gift that is much sort out by the Imperium Provosts. Her mind has the ability to accept the special ‘living’ crystal that is implanted into her head to enable her to partner a Hatar’le’margarten (Hatar) in the Military Flight Corps. Kalarthri who are in the Flight Corps are indentured for life.
Taken to Darkon, Kalena is paired with one of the giant, feathered Hatar'le'margarten. But when Kalena accidentally injures one of her Wingmates, there is a race against time to find the one man who can help them.
Kalena and her New Hatar Partner, Adhamh, are determined that they will be the ones to find him.
Kalena awakes one morning to find her world changed forever....
The Imperium Provosts of the Great Suene Empire have come to take Kalena away from her family and friends.
All because she is Second Born.
The Second Born Rule declares that all second born children above the age of five become indentured to the Empire for a period of thirty years to serve wherever the Empire sees fit. After the thirty-year period, the Kalarthri (as the indentured are called), are then pensioned into retirement by the Empire.
Kalena is different in that she has a special gift that is much sort out by the Imperium Provosts. Her mind has the ability to accept the special ‘living’ crystal that is implanted into her head to enable her to partner a Hatar’le’margarten (Hatar) in the Military Flight Corps. Kalarthri who are in the Flight Corps are indentured for life.
Taken to Darkon, Kalena is paired with one of the giant, feathered Hatar'le'margarten. But when Kalena accidentally injures one of her Wingmates, there is a race against time to find the one man who can help them.
Kalena and her New Hatar Partner, Adhamh, are determined that they will be the ones to find him.
147 pages, ebook
First published December 13, 2013
836 people are currently reading
1176 people want to read
About the author
H.M. Clarke
45 books57 followersIn a former life, H M Clarke has been a Console Operator, an ICT Project Manager, Public Servant, Paper Shuffler and an Accountant (the last being the most exciting.)
She attended Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia, where she studied for a Bachelor of Science (Chem), and also picked up a Diploma in Project Management while working for the South Australian Department of Justice.
In her spare time, she likes to lay on the couch and watch TV, garden, draw, read, and tell ALL her family what wonderful human beings they are.
She keeps threatening to go out and get a real job (Cheesecake Test Taster sounds good) and intends to retire somewhere warm and dry - like the middle of the Simpson Desert. For the time being however, she lives in Ohio and dreams about being warm...
She is also a bit of a video game nerd and, is into Star Trek, Midsomer Murders and Harry Potter, and she absolutely adores the TV show Almost Human
She attended Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia, where she studied for a Bachelor of Science (Chem), and also picked up a Diploma in Project Management while working for the South Australian Department of Justice.
In her spare time, she likes to lay on the couch and watch TV, garden, draw, read, and tell ALL her family what wonderful human beings they are.
She keeps threatening to go out and get a real job (Cheesecake Test Taster sounds good) and intends to retire somewhere warm and dry - like the middle of the Simpson Desert. For the time being however, she lives in Ohio and dreams about being warm...
She is also a bit of a video game nerd and, is into Star Trek, Midsomer Murders and Harry Potter, and she absolutely adores the TV show Almost Human
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
June 18, 2019
I don't know what stars I should afford this book. I'm going for three, but this is a 2,5, honestly.
See, this book made very, very angry. This book also made me very sad. It left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth, a sense of disillusionment made greater by the unexpected amount of four and five stars afforded it by most of its readers. Let me explain:
This could have been a really good book, a great one even. I loved the storyline and the plot, I loved the characters, the world the author built. I loved this strange universe she created and wanted to fully immerse myself into it. I wanted this book to be a great, great read.
But I was presented with what felt like a hasty first draft, something the author didn't even bother re-reading and revising, full of typos, glaring grammar mistakes, misspelled words and errors that I could not let pass. Because it hindered the reading experience far too much, and it annoyed me far too much, and it pulled me out of the complete immersion into the story I was craving for. I've said this before, I'm very, very lenient with typos and misspelling mistakes, when they're the odd one. I don't let it hinder me, nor do I mention them on my reviews, when they're the odd one. This was not the case with this book. This was blatantly disrespectful from the author, who didn't find it fitting to give her readers her very best work. This was the first draft no author should send to their betas, let alone publish. And it was a shame. I get it not every writer has the means to pay for a proofreader, an editor, a cover designer, a formatter, whatnot. I'm the one person who really gets this as I'm on that very same boat. But if you can't afford these outsourced services, then please, please, please re-read and revise your own book. Let it stew for a few months before you start working on it. Don't be so eager to publish, so hungry to get it out there if it's only a rough first draft. At least search through it for improper grammatical use, for the confused words, for the typos. This author clearly didn't. She also rushed the ending and it felt so contrived and silly, as I was reading her notebook where she jotted down her idea for the final chapter but didn't expand on it. I felt robbed, tricked, taken for a fool that I was reading a book that hadn't been worked upon, a book where the author jumps from one verbe tense to a different one in the same paragraph, thse same sentence. A book where only a couple of other readers seem to have found this a problem. I honestly cannot understand the amount of five and four star reviews this book has, because it's not a question of taste and preference, here. It's a question of writing properly, grammatically correct lines. It's a question of giving the readers the very best you can do. And it's books like this that give all self published authors a bad name.
I really wanted to give this book a great rating, because the story and the characters were worth it. I just hope the author isn't too busy to reconsider picking this series again and revising the whole lot, so she can give us readers what is sure to be one very good book.
See, this book made very, very angry. This book also made me very sad. It left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth, a sense of disillusionment made greater by the unexpected amount of four and five stars afforded it by most of its readers. Let me explain:
This could have been a really good book, a great one even. I loved the storyline and the plot, I loved the characters, the world the author built. I loved this strange universe she created and wanted to fully immerse myself into it. I wanted this book to be a great, great read.
But I was presented with what felt like a hasty first draft, something the author didn't even bother re-reading and revising, full of typos, glaring grammar mistakes, misspelled words and errors that I could not let pass. Because it hindered the reading experience far too much, and it annoyed me far too much, and it pulled me out of the complete immersion into the story I was craving for. I've said this before, I'm very, very lenient with typos and misspelling mistakes, when they're the odd one. I don't let it hinder me, nor do I mention them on my reviews, when they're the odd one. This was not the case with this book. This was blatantly disrespectful from the author, who didn't find it fitting to give her readers her very best work. This was the first draft no author should send to their betas, let alone publish. And it was a shame. I get it not every writer has the means to pay for a proofreader, an editor, a cover designer, a formatter, whatnot. I'm the one person who really gets this as I'm on that very same boat. But if you can't afford these outsourced services, then please, please, please re-read and revise your own book. Let it stew for a few months before you start working on it. Don't be so eager to publish, so hungry to get it out there if it's only a rough first draft. At least search through it for improper grammatical use, for the confused words, for the typos. This author clearly didn't. She also rushed the ending and it felt so contrived and silly, as I was reading her notebook where she jotted down her idea for the final chapter but didn't expand on it. I felt robbed, tricked, taken for a fool that I was reading a book that hadn't been worked upon, a book where the author jumps from one verbe tense to a different one in the same paragraph, thse same sentence. A book where only a couple of other readers seem to have found this a problem. I honestly cannot understand the amount of five and four star reviews this book has, because it's not a question of taste and preference, here. It's a question of writing properly, grammatically correct lines. It's a question of giving the readers the very best you can do. And it's books like this that give all self published authors a bad name.
I really wanted to give this book a great rating, because the story and the characters were worth it. I just hope the author isn't too busy to reconsider picking this series again and revising the whole lot, so she can give us readers what is sure to be one very good book.
July 18, 2019
I would have given this book 5* if it had been edited properly.
The story is a good sound start to what could become a fantastic fantasy series for younger people upwards but the serious lack of editing really lets it down.
The characters all have a very good base with room to expand and grow throughout a series, as does the plot-line. Sadly this cannot and will not happen unless this book and any other subsequent books are taken aside and edited thoroughly. If that is done I would very happily read them and recommend them to anyone that loves a good fantasy read
The story is a good sound start to what could become a fantastic fantasy series for younger people upwards but the serious lack of editing really lets it down.
The characters all have a very good base with room to expand and grow throughout a series, as does the plot-line. Sadly this cannot and will not happen unless this book and any other subsequent books are taken aside and edited thoroughly. If that is done I would very happily read them and recommend them to anyone that loves a good fantasy read
December 25, 2019
I liked this, although it was a bit "young" with the MC being just 11 years old. I've been told from the next book on she's 18 or so. Glancing at the next books in the series ... there are 10 of them, and they are all short. This one just ended. No conclusion. So while I liked the story and was interested in this fantasy world created, the whole series situation just rubs me the wrong way (and glancing at other reviews, I'm not the only one). Even with this entire series being available to me on KindleUnlimited, I'm not sure if I'm interested in going on.
I actually received an audible copy of this first book for free in exchange for an honest review. I really liked the narrator. I love accents, this was traditional British accent, but anything out of the ordinary adds to the fantasy feel for me. Love the slightly different pronunciations for some words. Other reviewers noted grammatical/spelling errors, which I wouldn't have picked up on in audio. I DID catch a phrase that had me wondering "Part of her self-conscience told her to ignore it ..." Did the author mean self-conscious? I wondered if perhaps the narrator had read it wrong, but (as I had access to the text via KU) that's how it was written. If it IS her "conscience" telling her, the "self" seems odd, maybe her SUBconscious? It was just odd enough that it jolted me out of the story.
So thumbs up for the narrator. Thumbs up for the idea ... but maybe if these 10 books were set up differently, into a trilogy, with a cycle and conclusion rather than just an abrupt ending, I'd be more interested in continuing.
I actually received an audible copy of this first book for free in exchange for an honest review. I really liked the narrator. I love accents, this was traditional British accent, but anything out of the ordinary adds to the fantasy feel for me. Love the slightly different pronunciations for some words. Other reviewers noted grammatical/spelling errors, which I wouldn't have picked up on in audio. I DID catch a phrase that had me wondering "Part of her self-conscience told her to ignore it ..." Did the author mean self-conscious? I wondered if perhaps the narrator had read it wrong, but (as I had access to the text via KU) that's how it was written. If it IS her "conscience" telling her, the "self" seems odd, maybe her SUBconscious? It was just odd enough that it jolted me out of the story.
So thumbs up for the narrator. Thumbs up for the idea ... but maybe if these 10 books were set up differently, into a trilogy, with a cycle and conclusion rather than just an abrupt ending, I'd be more interested in continuing.
May 17, 2019
So, I've read all 10 books in the series so far. This is the 1st book, and it starts off a little... eh... but the story-line picks up. And by the time you reach book 10 it's a pretty good book. Until it ends. Because here's the problem. This "series" of books is written as individual books when it's really one long book broken up into a bunch of little books. Did the author do that to make more money? I don't know. I don't really care. All I know is it's super annoying and the books would probably be getting 4 stars from me if they were written as ONE FREAKING BOOK like they should be. But also? The big reason they aren't getting more than 1 star? The last book was published in Nov of 2018, it's now May 2019. If you're going to write a "series" like this the books need to come out quickly. They're only aprox 75 pages long. Where's book 11? Because book 10 ended at the end of a "chapter".
I have to point out, when I stop a book in the middle, the longer it takes me to pick it back up, the less likely I am to do so. So the longer it takes the author to write book 11 the less likely I am to read it, because there shouldn't have been a break in between them in the first place.
I have to point out, when I stop a book in the middle, the longer it takes me to pick it back up, the less likely I am to do so. So the longer it takes the author to write book 11 the less likely I am to read it, because there shouldn't have been a break in between them in the first place.
September 8, 2020
A very interesting new series. The story really drew me in. I liked the world-building which was easy to understand. The central character of Kalena was well-written. The narrative moves fast and it is quite a page-turner. The story follows a 10-year-old girl as she is taken from her family and taught to ride a large bird-like creature in the Emporer's army. The first book basically establishes the characters and setting. It is from book 2 onwards that the story really takes off. The political machinations, and hidden agendas come out with various twists and turns.
I read the entire '2 seasons' as it is billed. The 2 seasons consists of 10 'books'. This is where I felt the series fell short. Literally. Each 'book' is extremely short - more of a novella. I really do not see why the author felt the need to break it up like that. Luckily, the box set can be borrowed on KU, which is what I did. I would be extremely annoyed if I were paying per 'book' for this.
I read the entire '2 seasons' as it is billed. The 2 seasons consists of 10 'books'. This is where I felt the series fell short. Literally. Each 'book' is extremely short - more of a novella. I really do not see why the author felt the need to break it up like that. Luckily, the box set can be borrowed on KU, which is what I did. I would be extremely annoyed if I were paying per 'book' for this.
September 25, 2021
I've seen many reviews talking about spelling and grammatical errors. I listened to the audiobook. So I didn't have those issues. The story was good as was the world building. But, the abrupt ending bothered me. I understand it's the first in a series, but it should have had a better thought out ending.
August 7, 2018
Ten-year-old Kalena is taken from her family to serve the empire. The second born of all families is indentured for a period of time. This is a great story for middle school on up and the world is quite interesting.
July 15, 2014
I’ve been particularly pleased to read two wonderful, suitable for all ages, fantasy books in a row. Both are by new-to-me authors. Both are the first in their series. Both feature 10-year-old main characters. Honest, I didn’t plan this. It’s a case of the Universe delivering to me what I like to ask for from a book – good times.
“The Kalarthri” (The Way to Freedom, Book 1) is a fantasy about a young girl, Kalena, who is born into a feudal society where she, as second born, is automatically a servant. Neither I, nor Kalena, had any idea of what the future held for her. I braced myself in case I was in for a long, sad tale full of abuse and violence. H.M. Clarke instead delivered a tale that was sugar and spice, where the spice was a welcome accent. The story is highly imaginative, flows well, and kept me interested from beginning to end.
An imaginative tale where Kalena grows in many ways, I highly recommend this book for a parent-child read. You know, where you, and your child, read the same book at the same time, so you can talk about it? Or how about for a family read where you take turns reading aloud?
I invite you to join my discussion for “The Kalarthri” on Goodreads. One of the best parts of reading good books, is reading good books and sharing them with one another.
“The Kalarthri” (The Way to Freedom, Book 1) is a fantasy about a young girl, Kalena, who is born into a feudal society where she, as second born, is automatically a servant. Neither I, nor Kalena, had any idea of what the future held for her. I braced myself in case I was in for a long, sad tale full of abuse and violence. H.M. Clarke instead delivered a tale that was sugar and spice, where the spice was a welcome accent. The story is highly imaginative, flows well, and kept me interested from beginning to end.
An imaginative tale where Kalena grows in many ways, I highly recommend this book for a parent-child read. You know, where you, and your child, read the same book at the same time, so you can talk about it? Or how about for a family read where you take turns reading aloud?
I invite you to join my discussion for “The Kalarthri” on Goodreads. One of the best parts of reading good books, is reading good books and sharing them with one another.
April 20, 2023
‘Dragonriders of Pern’ meets ‘Ender’s Game’
Literally laughed out loud at this – she really IS still a child:
‘…decided against making a run for it. She could even vaguely imagine the spanking she would get for doing so.’
This little gal can certainly pack a punch:
‘Being taller just means you have further to fall when I knock you down. Don’t underestimate me because I’m young and short!’
I like how Kalena drags her doll around with her even after she starts her training. This little tidbit reminds readers that she is still a little girl when she’s suddenly conscripted for the empire’s fighting unit.
I found the author’s portrayal of the Pydarki similar to that of the Jews. While there many cultures in this book, the Pydarki are seen as separately distinct:
Gifts not freely given are not really gifts [The Septuagint]
‘full of ritual and mystery’ [Yup! Blessings for practically everything as well as specific way to put on shoes]
Under laws of the Empire, yet ‘they remain oddly independent’ [We adhere to the law of the land as well as our own; e.g. marriage & divorce]
Fave quote”
‘People will always be afraid of the unknown’
This was definitely a good introduction to the series and has positive messages for our youth. I’m continuing with ‘The Dream Thief’ then ‘Proven’ (Blackwatch Chronicles #1).
Literally laughed out loud at this – she really IS still a child:
‘…decided against making a run for it. She could even vaguely imagine the spanking she would get for doing so.’
This little gal can certainly pack a punch:
‘Being taller just means you have further to fall when I knock you down. Don’t underestimate me because I’m young and short!’
I like how Kalena drags her doll around with her even after she starts her training. This little tidbit reminds readers that she is still a little girl when she’s suddenly conscripted for the empire’s fighting unit.
I found the author’s portrayal of the Pydarki similar to that of the Jews. While there many cultures in this book, the Pydarki are seen as separately distinct:
Gifts not freely given are not really gifts [The Septuagint]
‘full of ritual and mystery’ [Yup! Blessings for practically everything as well as specific way to put on shoes]
Under laws of the Empire, yet ‘they remain oddly independent’ [We adhere to the law of the land as well as our own; e.g. marriage & divorce]
Fave quote”
‘People will always be afraid of the unknown’
This was definitely a good introduction to the series and has positive messages for our youth. I’m continuing with ‘The Dream Thief’ then ‘Proven’ (Blackwatch Chronicles #1).
August 6, 2018
First, I hate that this was a short book.
Second, the character is a 10-yr old girl. Seriously? Not believable. I made no connection with her. She never seemed to be scared or nervous or miss her mother. There was no passage of time or talk about home. Why does she carry the doll around everywhere and then suddenly there is no mention of it?
Third, why does her brother hate her? Some background on their relationship would have been helpful. Anything about the family dynamic.
Fourth, her training was never outlined or discussed. She went from being taken from her family, learning that she had some weird telepathy, and then running off with a complete stranger, who we know next to nothing about, on some kind of weakly described winged-creatures to find a “healer” to cure a person she never met. And coincidentally, the first place they stop for food, is where they just happen to find the person they are looking for. What? Where is the struggle, the frustration, the anxiety, the danger?
I thought the book had potential but the final product was weak and lacking.
Second, the character is a 10-yr old girl. Seriously? Not believable. I made no connection with her. She never seemed to be scared or nervous or miss her mother. There was no passage of time or talk about home. Why does she carry the doll around everywhere and then suddenly there is no mention of it?
Third, why does her brother hate her? Some background on their relationship would have been helpful. Anything about the family dynamic.
Fourth, her training was never outlined or discussed. She went from being taken from her family, learning that she had some weird telepathy, and then running off with a complete stranger, who we know next to nothing about, on some kind of weakly described winged-creatures to find a “healer” to cure a person she never met. And coincidentally, the first place they stop for food, is where they just happen to find the person they are looking for. What? Where is the struggle, the frustration, the anxiety, the danger?
I thought the book had potential but the final product was weak and lacking.
April 15, 2016
The Kalarthri: The Way to Freedom Book One by H. M. Clarke is a very good fantasy book which I found hard to put down. It was full of adventure and action. This book is a YA novel but good for all ages.
The author developed a storyline which was both believable and realistic. It never wondered off into something which did not make sense. I found it easy to follow and get into the story.
H. M. Clarke's characters made the story. They were very easy to identify with. This made for good reading and adventure.
I liked The Kalarthri by H. M. Clarke and recommend this book to all readers.
The author developed a storyline which was both believable and realistic. It never wondered off into something which did not make sense. I found it easy to follow and get into the story.
H. M. Clarke's characters made the story. They were very easy to identify with. This made for good reading and adventure.
I liked The Kalarthri by H. M. Clarke and recommend this book to all readers.
February 18, 2020
This Hatar Kalar has more natural Talent than any Second Born found in the Empire.”
Kalena awakes one morning to find her world changed forever....
The Imperium Provosts of the Great Suene Empire have come to take Kalena away from her family and friends.
All because she is Second Born.
The Second Born Rule declares that all second born children above the age of five become indentured to the Empire for a period of thirty years to serve wherever the Empire sees fit. After the thirty-year period, the Kalarthri (as the indentured are called), are then pensioned into retirement by the Empire.
Kalena is different in that she has a special gift that is much sort out by the Imperium Provosts. Her mind has the ability to accept the special ‘living’ crystal that is implanted into her head to enable her to partner a Hatar’le’margarten (Hatar) in the Military Flight Corps. Kalarthri who are in the Flight Corps are indentured for life.
Taken to Darkon, Kalena is paired with one of the giant, feathered Hatar'le'margarten. But when Kalena accidentally injures one of her Wingmates, there is a race against time to find the one man who can help them.
Kalena and her New Hatar Partner, Adhamh, are determined that they will be the ones to find him.
Heather's Notes
So Kalena is only 10 in this book, Goodreads has it listed as YA which I felt it was not. I would have been completely fine with my son or daughter reading this (12 and 10), so I would consider this a children's book. It was a good story, and the plot was fairly simple and straight forward. I enjoyed the story and will read more of the series. I liked the way Kalena and Adhamh are learning about each other. I liked some of the additional characters that were introduced and hope to see more of them in the future.
Kalena awakes one morning to find her world changed forever....
The Imperium Provosts of the Great Suene Empire have come to take Kalena away from her family and friends.
All because she is Second Born.
The Second Born Rule declares that all second born children above the age of five become indentured to the Empire for a period of thirty years to serve wherever the Empire sees fit. After the thirty-year period, the Kalarthri (as the indentured are called), are then pensioned into retirement by the Empire.
Kalena is different in that she has a special gift that is much sort out by the Imperium Provosts. Her mind has the ability to accept the special ‘living’ crystal that is implanted into her head to enable her to partner a Hatar’le’margarten (Hatar) in the Military Flight Corps. Kalarthri who are in the Flight Corps are indentured for life.
Taken to Darkon, Kalena is paired with one of the giant, feathered Hatar'le'margarten. But when Kalena accidentally injures one of her Wingmates, there is a race against time to find the one man who can help them.
Kalena and her New Hatar Partner, Adhamh, are determined that they will be the ones to find him.
Heather's Notes
So Kalena is only 10 in this book, Goodreads has it listed as YA which I felt it was not. I would have been completely fine with my son or daughter reading this (12 and 10), so I would consider this a children's book. It was a good story, and the plot was fairly simple and straight forward. I enjoyed the story and will read more of the series. I liked the way Kalena and Adhamh are learning about each other. I liked some of the additional characters that were introduced and hope to see more of them in the future.
November 1, 2017
DNF: Only read the first chapter due to massively horrible grammar.
I really cannot understand how this book got so many rave reviews, and I hate to give the author any review at all, but I cannot condone letting this atrocity continue to receive good reviews. Not only was the beginning description of the world over the top and boring, it was crammed full of run on sentences, misspelled words, blatant misuse of punctuation, and awful tense blunders.
For example:
"The distant thunder of hooves bought everyone’s attention back to the village."
Bought instead of brought?
"...the other man just sat his horse staring intently..."
and
“When you are finished playing with that child?”
There are far too many to list, and sentences like these, with missing words and that make little sense, really detract from the credibility.
My advice to the author, Whomever your editor is, they need to be fired immediately. This reads worse than a first draft. And there are so many problems in the first chapter, I couldn't bring myself to suffer any further.
No matter how intriguing a plot line may be, if your grammar reads like a third grader, I can't, no I won't, give it my time.
Anyway, after reading the first chapter, I decided to look into some of the reviews. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the author had reviewed her own book! What? How is this even allowed? In every author circle I have ever been in, I have been told that reviewing your own work is a heinous crime! That it should NEVER be done! It really makes me question the validity of all the other reviews.
For my clean readers:
Violence in first chapter. Sorry, can't give information for the rest, because I cannot torture myself any further.
I really cannot understand how this book got so many rave reviews, and I hate to give the author any review at all, but I cannot condone letting this atrocity continue to receive good reviews. Not only was the beginning description of the world over the top and boring, it was crammed full of run on sentences, misspelled words, blatant misuse of punctuation, and awful tense blunders.
For example:
"The distant thunder of hooves bought everyone’s attention back to the village."
Bought instead of brought?
"...the other man just sat his horse staring intently..."
and
“When you are finished playing with that child?”
There are far too many to list, and sentences like these, with missing words and that make little sense, really detract from the credibility.
My advice to the author, Whomever your editor is, they need to be fired immediately. This reads worse than a first draft. And there are so many problems in the first chapter, I couldn't bring myself to suffer any further.
No matter how intriguing a plot line may be, if your grammar reads like a third grader, I can't, no I won't, give it my time.
Anyway, after reading the first chapter, I decided to look into some of the reviews. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the author had reviewed her own book! What? How is this even allowed? In every author circle I have ever been in, I have been told that reviewing your own work is a heinous crime! That it should NEVER be done! It really makes me question the validity of all the other reviews.
For my clean readers:
Violence in first chapter. Sorry, can't give information for the rest, because I cannot torture myself any further.
March 9, 2021
I really, really want to like this book. Seriously. There are wonderful cool concepts and imagination here. The world building is promising. The premise is intriguing. The end left me very aware this is a serial book, short, and part of a longer set that's been broken up into seasons, like a TV show. That's fine.
The editing though, was very irritating and even confused me a few times. I wouldn't give this book to a young person to read because I wouldn't want them to learn bad habits. I did try to read the next book in the series, hoping the author got help and cleaned up the text going forward, but after the first chapter of the second book, the errors were just as bad or worse, with time jumps that gave me whip lash because they weren't clearly marked, so it's a DNF from me. I might give it a couple years and try again hoping it's been edited by then, because honestly, I do want to know what happens, but reading is relaxation time for me, and this felt like work to read.
I understand editing is expensive. I have a lot of sympathy for that, but I just can't read it for pleasure.
The editing though, was very irritating and even confused me a few times. I wouldn't give this book to a young person to read because I wouldn't want them to learn bad habits. I did try to read the next book in the series, hoping the author got help and cleaned up the text going forward, but after the first chapter of the second book, the errors were just as bad or worse, with time jumps that gave me whip lash because they weren't clearly marked, so it's a DNF from me. I might give it a couple years and try again hoping it's been edited by then, because honestly, I do want to know what happens, but reading is relaxation time for me, and this felt like work to read.
I understand editing is expensive. I have a lot of sympathy for that, but I just can't read it for pleasure.
September 28, 2024
My Thoughts:
It took me a bit of time to get used to and understand the terms like Kalarthri meaning second-borns and second class citizens or indentured. Hatars are dragons with feathered wings instead of the typical bat-like wings of mythical dragons. It took me sometime to keep track of what's what... And that contributed to the slowness of the pace of this book despite it being very short indeed!
The book ended in a cliffhanger but it did kind of closed the current dilemma in the book. However, I am never fond of cliffhangers, so there we are...
This is my first Katherine Anderson listen and I like the way she reads, especially when she reads Kalina's lines with a young voice! And yes, the descriptions are right, she has a typical British accent.
Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 3.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (3 hrs and 54 mins listening time)
Plot = 3.5
Narration = 5
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
It took me a bit of time to get used to and understand the terms like Kalarthri meaning second-borns and second class citizens or indentured. Hatars are dragons with feathered wings instead of the typical bat-like wings of mythical dragons. It took me sometime to keep track of what's what... And that contributed to the slowness of the pace of this book despite it being very short indeed!
The book ended in a cliffhanger but it did kind of closed the current dilemma in the book. However, I am never fond of cliffhangers, so there we are...
This is my first Katherine Anderson listen and I like the way she reads, especially when she reads Kalina's lines with a young voice! And yes, the descriptions are right, she has a typical British accent.
Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 3.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (3 hrs and 54 mins listening time)
Plot = 3.5
Narration = 5
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
June 26, 2022
I've now "read" all the 3 "seasons" of this story. By "read", I mean that I skimmed through it. I skipped paragraphs and sometime entire pages of useless exposition just so I didn't have another DNF in my collection. I then decided to delete the entire thing. I gave 2 stars for the potential this series had. It reads like a rough draft written at 3am. The grammatical mistakes were painful. The rough story, plot and world were fascinating, there was no substance. I kept hoping that it would improve but it didn't. The characters and the dynamics between them were shallow and I didn't care what happened to them.
The time skip was jarring, I don't mind time skips in stories, many times they are necessary, but the transition wasn't smooth.
Again, this could have been a great read, but the author rushed publishing it before it was ready.
The time skip was jarring, I don't mind time skips in stories, many times they are necessary, but the transition wasn't smooth.
Again, this could have been a great read, but the author rushed publishing it before it was ready.
August 25, 2019
I couldn't finish this. While the plot itself was intriguing, Kalena fell flat for me. I just didn't care about her. To be fair, some of this may have been due to her age (10).
There were two aspects of this book that I struggled with:
1) So. Much. Exposition. Pile pages and pages of exposition on top of that fact that we need to be told every single little thing that Kalena does. I think I've read ~55% of the book and the action/plot has moved forward ~10%.
2) Editing. I don't know if it was a stylistic choice or just a complete lack of editing, but the book mixes past and present tense every couple of sentences. I prefer past tense, can do present tense (occasionally), but switching between the two mid sentence causes grammar rage. I'm not even that good at grammar!
There were two aspects of this book that I struggled with:
1) So. Much. Exposition. Pile pages and pages of exposition on top of that fact that we need to be told every single little thing that Kalena does. I think I've read ~55% of the book and the action/plot has moved forward ~10%.
2) Editing. I don't know if it was a stylistic choice or just a complete lack of editing, but the book mixes past and present tense every couple of sentences. I prefer past tense, can do present tense (occasionally), but switching between the two mid sentence causes grammar rage. I'm not even that good at grammar!
May 19, 2020
This book is good, it’s fine, it has a lot of potential and could have been great if the author had gotten a good editor or taken more time on it.
It’s short, the ending is very rushed and feels that way. There are some grammar issues but I was pretty forgiving on that note because the writing was good. The characters were good, the world was poorly explained and a bit confusing at first but ultimately intriguing and unique and could be so great with just a little more effort.
I think the authors clear ability and the books potential was the most disappointing part.
Also, the end note for what book to read next was super confusing.
It’s short, the ending is very rushed and feels that way. There are some grammar issues but I was pretty forgiving on that note because the writing was good. The characters were good, the world was poorly explained and a bit confusing at first but ultimately intriguing and unique and could be so great with just a little more effort.
I think the authors clear ability and the books potential was the most disappointing part.
Also, the end note for what book to read next was super confusing.
June 26, 2019
Excellent storyline, nicely different from other school scifi
I enjoyed this story very much. The main characters are likeable and believable, although sometime the little girl's thinking seems somewhat advanced for her are. The young cadets get into just enough trouble to make the storyline interesting. My only complaint has to do with editing: quite a few punctuation errors, and sometimes the wrong word is used. But overall, worth a read. I will look up the next book as well.
I enjoyed this story very much. The main characters are likeable and believable, although sometime the little girl's thinking seems somewhat advanced for her are. The young cadets get into just enough trouble to make the storyline interesting. My only complaint has to do with editing: quite a few punctuation errors, and sometimes the wrong word is used. But overall, worth a read. I will look up the next book as well.
October 21, 2019
Could have been great...
The world building of this book is great— but that’s about as far as my praise can go. The book is in desperate need of an editor— tense changes abound, characters speak in stilted, unnatural phrases, and the story skips over what could be interesting scenes by summarizing them into a single bland paragraph over and over again. It reads like a rough first draft that has the potential to be a great book— but the follow-through on that potential didn’t happen.
The world building of this book is great— but that’s about as far as my praise can go. The book is in desperate need of an editor— tense changes abound, characters speak in stilted, unnatural phrases, and the story skips over what could be interesting scenes by summarizing them into a single bland paragraph over and over again. It reads like a rough first draft that has the potential to be a great book— but the follow-through on that potential didn’t happen.
September 2, 2017
"The Kalarthri" is a really enjoyable story and a quick read. I love the author's imagination and the way the plot flows gently and smoothly... However, I did have a lot of problems with typos and tenses jumping around all over the place which was really disappointing as this book deserves to be polished to the shine it so obviously could have.
PLEASE NOTE: It's possible I have an older version of this book, so the problems may have been fixed.
PLEASE NOTE: It's possible I have an older version of this book, so the problems may have been fixed.
January 23, 2020
Written from the point if view from a ten year old, this tale was surprisingly fun and well rounded. It is a light and quick read, and doesn't hold a lot of deeper substance, but it leads into a wild ride if told correctly in future installments. I have also read the 2nd and have started the 3rd, but unfortunately got distracted by other titles. I enjoy it but fear that the story is being overshadowed by other works I am into and may remain unfinished by me.
March 3, 2020
excellent tale
Kalena is a young girl taken from her family because she is a Kalarthri, someone who can mindspeak with a Hatar, a large birdlike beast. She can hear other peoples thoughts as well as her partner's' Adhamh. She is five years younger than most cadets and learns quickly. She and another new cadet, Kral, fly off to find a Pydarki physician to help Holm who is struggling with need to repair his embedded crystal.
This is a very good story and I will say no more.
Kalena is a young girl taken from her family because she is a Kalarthri, someone who can mindspeak with a Hatar, a large birdlike beast. She can hear other peoples thoughts as well as her partner's' Adhamh. She is five years younger than most cadets and learns quickly. She and another new cadet, Kral, fly off to find a Pydarki physician to help Holm who is struggling with need to repair his embedded crystal.
This is a very good story and I will say no more.
April 1, 2020
Needs some editing
Awesome concept, dragons, and character!!! I loved it and was sad when it was done!!! However, if you don’t have an editor I’d suggest getting one. I have no problem with rough drafts and can even read s book the way I want it to flow, but not everyone can and if you want the series to take off I’d suggest some editing... either way you’ve gat a new fan!!! Loved the book and am looking forward to reading more. :-)
Awesome concept, dragons, and character!!! I loved it and was sad when it was done!!! However, if you don’t have an editor I’d suggest getting one. I have no problem with rough drafts and can even read s book the way I want it to flow, but not everyone can and if you want the series to take off I’d suggest some editing... either way you’ve gat a new fan!!! Loved the book and am looking forward to reading more. :-)
January 10, 2023
Loved It
This was a fantastic book which grabbed my interest right away. I enjoyed learning about the Kalarthri and like others I have read by this author, the characters are well-developed too! There is just enough history, without it getting confusing.
I am invested in the main character because she is so likable, but also because she has some spunk and tenacity too. I can't wait to see how she grows and to read about her adventures as the series continues on.
This was a fantastic book which grabbed my interest right away. I enjoyed learning about the Kalarthri and like others I have read by this author, the characters are well-developed too! There is just enough history, without it getting confusing.
I am invested in the main character because she is so likable, but also because she has some spunk and tenacity too. I can't wait to see how she grows and to read about her adventures as the series continues on.
October 27, 2019
Delightful, measured, tasteful coming of age and abilities tale
The protagonist is young and frightened, but also confident and sure of herself despite being disdained by her older brother. Taken at a young age as tribute to the governing powers, she is thrust into adventures, intrigue and machinations beyond her imagination.
The protagonist is young and frightened, but also confident and sure of herself despite being disdained by her older brother. Taken at a young age as tribute to the governing powers, she is thrust into adventures, intrigue and machinations beyond her imagination.
December 23, 2017
Good writing
The story was engaging and the writing was pretty good. I wasn’t a fan of the ending because it felt like everything was left unfinished. But what’s there is really good.
The story was engaging and the writing was pretty good. I wasn’t a fan of the ending because it felt like everything was left unfinished. But what’s there is really good.
April 21, 2019
Engrossing
A young girl with special gifts is taken from her family in her 10th year. She is a Second Born and therefore belongs to the government. She is the youngest to become a rider.
Several editing errors interfered with this very short story.
A young girl with special gifts is taken from her family in her 10th year. She is a Second Born and therefore belongs to the government. She is the youngest to become a rider.
Several editing errors interfered with this very short story.
August 28, 2019
Great fantasy book
This is not my genre, but I found this book to be well written, exciting & enthralling. The characters are well developed & this is only book one of the series. Although I enjoyed this story, I miss my romance.
This is not my genre, but I found this book to be well written, exciting & enthralling. The characters are well developed & this is only book one of the series. Although I enjoyed this story, I miss my romance.
October 20, 2019
K
I hate when heroes promise "nothing will harm you". But that's all that happens. Lies for cooperation to leave family, bruising holds, backhanded cheeks, crystals implanted in neck...you learn to rely on herself.
I hate when heroes promise "nothing will harm you". But that's all that happens. Lies for cooperation to leave family, bruising holds, backhanded cheeks, crystals implanted in neck...you learn to rely on herself.
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